Minor Latin poets; with introductions and English translations

THE FABLES OlAMANUS" Go on and drive your bullocks with the goadthrough their difficulties, and learn to aid with yourhands the sluggish wheels. After you have come togrips and used your strength for greater efforts, thenit is allowable also to win the gods over to yourwishes. Learn, however, that the deities are notswayed by indolent vows : bring the gods to your helpby acting yourself."XXXIIIThe Goose that laid the Golden EggsA man owned a goose teeming with precious offspring,one that often laid golden eggs in its nest.Nature had ordained this rule for the noble bird, thatit should not lay more than one egg at the sametime. But the owner, anticipating the disappearanceof his greedy expectations," could not brook delays,hateful M'hen his profits were considered ;^ he thoughtto win a handsome prize by killing the bird, rich as itwas in such unfailing bounty. When he plunged hisdread knife into its open ^ breast, and found the birdempty of the usual eggs, he groaned aloud, trickedby the iniquity of so gross a fraud ; for thereupon heascribed the punishment to his own deserts.So to those wicked enough to ask the gods foreverything at once, they refuse the more justly eventhe prayers of a single day." The golden harvest, he feared, was too good to last.^ He wished more than one golden egg at a time."^nuda = nudata. Ellis explains as " stript of feathers "to make the opening with more dexterity.733