XXVIII.

TO FRIENDS ON RETURN FROM TRAVEL.

Followers of Piso, empty band With your light budgets packt to hand, Veránius best! Fabúllus mine! What do ye? Bore ye enough, in fine Of frost and famine with yon sot? 5 What loss or gain have haply got Your tablets? so, whenas I ranged With Praetor, gains for loss were changed. "O Memmius! thou did'st long and late ---- me supine slow and ----" 10 But (truly see I) in such case Diddled you were by wight as base Sans mercy. Noble friends go claim! Now god and goddess give you grame Disgrace of Romulus! Remus' shame! 15

Piso's Company, a starveling band, with lightweight knapsacks, scantly packed, most dear Veranius thou, and my Fabullus eke, how fortunes it with you? have ye borne frost and famine enow with that sot? Which in your tablets appear--the profits or expenses? So with me, who when I followed a praetor, inscribed more gifts than gains. "O Memmius, well and slowly didst thou irrumate me, supine, day by day, with the whole of that beam." But, from what I see, in like case ye have been; for ye have been crammed with no smaller a poker. Courting friends of high rank! But may the gods and goddesses heap ill upon ye, reproach to Romulus and Remus.