Letter 11

Ausonius to Tetradius, greetings. You who enrich the wit of the ancients with abundant eloquence, Tetradius, and take care that your composition not be grim and bitter, lacking sweetness; you who, tempering your verse with gall and honey alike, do not allow the Muses to grow numb, and who season equally those things that are flat to the taste and those that are bitter to the palate; you who outstrip the unpolished Camenae [the native Italian Muses] of Suessa [the town of the early poet Lucilius], yielding to them in age but not in style: why do you avoid me, your neighbor here by the walls of the Santones [Saintes, in Aquitaine], as once the youth of Romulus's line fled the oxen of Lucania [war-elephants, first met in the campaign against Pyrrhus] when, in renewed battle, they came on fierce as ever? It is not as a tiger, not with a lion's onrush, that I seek you out, but in dear love. I long to see the face of my pupil and to enjoy the gifts of his nature I have hoped for. Unwillingly, in former days, I swallowed down the necessity of your old absence, when, bound fast by the heavy duty of teaching, Iculisma [Angoulême] kept you hidden, and I begrudged that in a place so out of the way and so solitary the work of the Camenae lay concealed. But now—when you flourish among men many and famous, and not far off, and when the wind carries our breezes to you and talk of me strikes your ears—why, swelling with the upturned arrogance of your heart, do you spurn me, a poet and a consul, and, forgetful, neglect with lofty disdain one who loves you, who admires you, who longs for your songs? You ought to be punished by your own example, were it not that the loyalty of my heart, steadfast through time, loves even those who refuse it. Farewell. If you wish me well, come flying here with your writing-case and your Muses.

O THOU, who with copious eloquence enrichest our ancient stores of wit, Tetradius, and takest heed that thy tart compositions be not gloomy and bereft of sweetness; who, blending gall and honey in thy verse, sufferest not thy Muses to grow dull, and flavourest alike what is insipid to the taste and what bitter to the palate; thou who outstrip'st the unpolished Muses of Suessa,3 yielding in age to them but not in style; why dost thou shun me, neighbour to the walls of Saintes, as of old the Roman youth tied from the Lucanian oxen 4 who renewed the battle with exceeding fury? Not like a tiger, not with lion's spring, but in fond love I seek thee out. J yearn to see my pupil's countenance and to enjoy the longed-for fruits of his mind. Reluctant hitherto I have gulped down the necessity which parted us in bygone days when Iculisma 5 kept thee hidden, once fettered with the heavy chains of teaching, and I would grudge that in so remote and lonely a spot the Muses' handiwork was concealed. But now —seeing thou flourishest amid throngs of famous men and not far hence, where the wind waits to thee my renown and talk of me rings in thine ears— why, puffing out thy chest with proud disdain, dost thou scorn me, a poet-consul, and to one who loves thee, admires thee, longs to enjoy thy verse, forgetfully show neglect and proud contempt? Thou shouldst be punished after thine own example, did not the loyalty of my heart, unmoved by time, love even the reluctant. Farewell. If thou wilt my welfare, whirl here forthwith with writing-case and all thy Muses.

AUSONIUS TETRADIO sal. O qui vetustos uberi facundia sales opimas, Tetradi, cavesque, ne sit tristis et dulci carens amara concinnatio; qui felle carmen atque melle temperans torpere musas non sinis pariterque fucas, quaeque gustu ignava sunt, et quae sapore tristia; rudes camenas qui Suessae praevenit aevoque cedis, non stilo: cur me propinquum Santonorum moenibus declinas, ut Lucas boves olim resumpto praeferoces proelio fugit iuventus Romula? non ut tigris te, non leonis impetu, amore sed caro expeto. videre alumni gestio vultus mei et indole optata frui. invitus olim devoravi absentiae necessitatem pristinae, quondam docendi munere adstrictum gravi Iculisma cum te absconderet, et invidebam devio ac solo loco opus camenarum tegi. at nunc — frequentes atque claros nec procul cum floreas inter viros tibique nostras ventus auras deferat auresque sermo verberet — cur me supino pectoris fastu tumens spernis poetam consulem, tuique amantem teque mirantem ac tua desiderantem earmina oblitus alto neglegis fastidio? plectendus exemplo tuo, ni stabilis aevo pectoris nostri fides quamquam recusantes amet. Vale. valere si voles me, pervola cum scrinio et musis tuis.