Minor Latin poets; with introductions and English translations

INTRODUCTION TOmuch regarded. But, taken all in all, it is a soundif homely morality that is preached—respect forthe lessons of books and of life, diligence in work,loyalty to friends, avoidance of quarrels, bravery inmisfortune, temperance in prosperity, and—asStoicism had taught—consideration for slaves.In the maxims can be discerned the human experienceof many generations, some of it going back toGreek originals and some of it touched with aliterary reminiscence of Horace or Ovid. On thewhole, the language is simple and clear, as befitsproverbial wisdom, so that an archaism like mage{Praef. II. 2 ; Distich. II. 6 ; IV. 42) or a compoundlike officiperdi (IV. 42) stands out as somethingunusual. The closing distich emphasises the brevityaimed at in the couplets. Yet the very condensationled to a monotony of clause-structure and ofexpression ; and this monotony is not redeemed byany great metrical variety in the hexameters. Theprevailing merit, however, remains of a neat intelligibilitywhich suited both teacher and taughtand this ensured for the collection its long career asan educational manual. " Catho " was one of thebooks printed during the early years of Caxton'swork at Westminster. The distichs were paraphrasedby Caxton's contemporary, Benedict Burgh,who expanded each couplet into the Chaucerianseven-lined stanza or rhyme-royal. Both text andparaphrase are extant in many fifteenth-centuryMSS., e.g. the Harleian 4733, and the volume, handsomelyillustrated with coloured miniatures, w^hich isnow Peniarth MS. 481 in the National Library ofWales, Aberystwyth. The educational vogue ofthese disticha moralia is exemplified by their use