XII.

TO M. ASINIUS WHO STOLE NAPERY.

Marrúcinus Asinius! ill thou usest That hand sinistral in thy wit and wine Filching the napkins of more heedless hosts. Dost find this funny? Fool it passeth thee How 'tis a sordid deed, a sorry jest. 5 Dost misbelieve me? Trust to Pollio, Thy brother, ready to compound such thefts E'en at a talent's cost; for he's a youth In speech past master and in fair pleasantries. Of hendecasyllabics hundreds three 10 Therefore expect thou, or return forthright Linens whose loss affects me not for worth But as mementoes of a comrade mine. For napkins Sætaban from Ebro-land Fabúllus sent me a free-giftie given 15 Also Veránius: these perforce I love E'en as my Veraniólus and Fabúllus.

Marrucinius Asinius, thou dost use thy left hand in no fair fashion 'midst the jests and wine: thou dost filch away the napkins of the heedless. Dost thou think this a joke? it flies thee, stupid fool, how coarse a thing and unbecoming 'tis! Dost not credit me? credit thy brother Pollio who would willingly give a talent to divert thee from thy thefts: for he is a lad skilled in pleasantries and facetiousness. Wherefore, either expect hendecasyllables three hundred, or return me my napkin which I esteem, not for its value but as a pledge of remembrance from my comrade. For Fabullus and Veranius sent me as a gift handkerchiefs from Iberian Saetabis; these must I prize e'en as I do Veraniolus and Fabullus.