Minor Latin poets; with introductions and English translations

PANEGYRIC ON PISOhushed. For then his sport seems to be with light-weapons," as he pHes his true accomphshments afterlawsuits are settled.^ Moreover, Greek culture flowsforth readily from Roman lips, and Athens meets aweighty rival in his accents. Witness, eloquent Naplesthat founded her walls under Acidalian auspices andrepeats the skill of Euboea.^ What lustre, ye godsabove, what lustre shines on the fair language of hislips ! Here words sparkling in compact splendourhave filled out his choice passages ; here, deckedout with tropes there flies to the hearer from thefreed lathe a swift epigram. Great merit '^ trulyit was, even if it had been the only one, now todelight the venerable senate with his style, nowto clear the innocent, anon to lay the burden uponthe guilty : yet more appealing still is a countenancefull of serene dignity, while his look dazzleswith the stamp of eminence. The mien he wears issuch as we can call neither sad nor flippant, butseemly in a joyous seriousness. The fair honour ofinborn nobility stands fast in him, and lineamentsworthy of his birth. Thereto is joined true loyalty,frankness full of modesty, and a nature unstained bymalicious envy—his mind itself is richer than the goldhe owns.Which of your clients, eloquent youth, approachesyour threshold in poverty who is not welcomed andenriched by a generous indulgence with the aid ofan unexpected income ? And, what may well bemore precious than any gift, you esteem him as**Cf. the sense of excusso (rudenti) in 229. The lathe,metaphorically, is made to turn out the epiiirani which fliesto the audience; (rf. Kor. A. P. -iAl male tor natos . . .versus).The tomus is "shaken free" of its epigram, as the ship inV'irg. Aen. VI. 353 is excussa magisiro.