Letter 6

An Invitation to Paulus If any trust is ever to be placed in the false words of poets, and if they do not always invent fictions, Paulus, once the most renowned nursling of the Castalian Camenae, now their father, or grandfather, or older still than a great-grandfather, as was once that little king of the Tartessians, remember that the promises you made to me must stand inviolate. Phoebus commands that the truth be spoken: although he allows the Pierian sisters to stray from the line, he himself never twists the furrow [the plow's straight track]. Do not be reluctant, either, about the bond we pledged together. Come now, and swiftly, by oar or by wheel, either where the Garonne, swollen by the returning surge of the billowy sea, challenges the deep, or where the worn gravel of the doubled road carries one to the garrison at Blaye. For in the first days after holy Easter we long to go and look upon our estate. For we behold with loathing the gatherings of the crowd and the crossroads filthy with brawls, the narrow streets seething, and the broad ways losing their name to the herded mob; the turbid echo is struck back by the heaped-up shouting: "Hold him! Strike! Lead on! Give way! Watch out!" Here flees a muddy sow, there a rabid dog in savage onset, and oxen no match for their wagon. Nor does it help to withdraw into the inmost recess of the house and its hidden chambers: the cries pass through the very roofs. These things, and whatever else can offend a peaceful temperament, compel us to abandon the city walls, so that the sweet leisure of the secluded countryside may be sought again, a place made pleasant by its earnest trifles, where you may arrange your own hours and your own right shall be yours, so that you may do nothing, or else whatever you wish. If you are hastening toward these joys, come swiftly with the whole stock-in-trade of your Camenae: dactylic verses, elegiacs, the choriambic song, epodes, the music of the comic sock and the tragic buskin, load them all onto your carriages; for the entire baggage of devout poets is made of paper. With us you will find your match in return [a quid pro quo], if you care to deal on Greek, not Punic, terms of good faith.

IF any trust is ever to be placed in the feigned words of poets, and if they scrawl not ever fiction, Paulus—once the most famous child of the Castalian Camenae, now their father or grandfather or yet more ancient than a great-grandfather, as was of old the kinglet of Tartessus 4—remember to keep your promises inviolate. Phoebus bids us speak truth: although he suffers the Pierian sisters to swerve from the line, he himself never twists a furrow. You also must not regret your plighted bond; come quickly now by river or by road, either where Garonne, swelled with the flood-tide of the billowy deep, challenges the main, or where the beaten gravel of the relaid road leads to the garrison of Blaye. For in the first days after holy Easter J long to visit my estate. For I am weary at the sight of throngs of people, the vulgar brawls at the cross-roads, the narrow lanes a-swarm, and the broadways belying their name 1 for the rabble herded there. Confused Echo resounds with a babel of cries: Hold! —"Strike!—" Lead! —" Give! —" Look out! Here is a mucky sow in flight, there a mad dog in fell career,2 there oxen too weak for the waggon. No use to steal into the inner chamber and the recesses of your home: the cries penetrate through the house.3 These, and what else can shock the orderly, force me to leave the walled city and seek again the sweet peace of the retired country and the delights of trifling seriously: and there you may arrange your own hours and have the. right to do nothing or else what you will. If you haste after these joys, come quickly with all the wares of your Camenae:4 daetyls, elegiaes, choriam bies, lyries, comedy and tragedy—pack them all in your carriage, for the devout poet's baggage is all paper. With me you will find a quid pro quo if you please to trade on Greek,1 not Punic, terms.

INVENTIO AD PAULUM Si qua fides falsis umquam est adhibenda poetis nec plasma semper adimunt, Paule, Camenarum celeberrime Castaliarum alumne quondam, nunc pater, aut avus, aut proavis antiquior, ut fuit olim Tartesiorum regulus: intemerata tibi maneant promissa, memento. Phoebus iubet verum loqui: etsi Pierias patitur Ii rare sorores. numquam ipse torquet αὔλακα. te quoque ne pigeat consponsi foederis: et iam citus veni remo aut rota, aequoris undosi qua multiplicata recursu Garumna pontum provocat, aut iteratarum qua glarca trita viarum fert militarem ad Blaviam. nos etenim primis sanctum post Pascha diebus avemus agrum visere. Nam populi coetus et compita sordida rixis fastidientes cernimus angustas fervere vias et congrege volgo nomen plateas perdere, turbida congestis referitur vocibus echo: Tene, feri, duc, da, cave! sus lutulenta fugit, rabidus canis impete saevo et impares plaustro boves, nec prodest penetrale domus et operta subire: per tecta clamores meant, haec et quae possunt placidos offendere mores, cogunt relinqui moenia, dulcia secreti repetantur ut otia ruris, nugis amoena seriis; tempora disponas ubi tu tua iusque tuum sit, ut nil agas vel quod voles, ad quae si properas, tota cum merce tuarum veni Camenarum citus: dactylicos. elegos, choriambum carmen, epodos, socci et coturni musicam carpentis impone tuis: nam tota supellex vatum piorum chartea est. nobiscum invenies κατ' ἐναντία, si libet uti non Poena 1 sed Graeca fide.