Page:The poems of Gaius Valerius Catullus - Francis Warre Cornish.djvu/153



Quintia is thought beautiful by many; I think her fair, tall, well-grown. I so far allow each of these points, but I demur to 'beautiful': for she has no grace; there is not in the whole length of her tall person one mite of salt. Lcsbia is beautiful: for she possesses all the beauties, and has stolen the graces from all the women, all to herself.

No woman can say truly that she is loved as much as you, Lesbia mine, are loved by me. No faithfulness in any bond was ever such as has been found on my side in my love for you.

I hoped, Gellius, that you would be true to me in this miserable, this ruinous love of mine, not on the ground that I knew you well, or thought that you were honourable or could restrain your mind from baseness or villainy, but because I saw that she, whose mighty love was consuming me, was neither mother nor sister of yours. And although I was connected with you by much familiar friendship, I had not thought that that was reason enough for you. You thought it enough: so much delight do you take in any vice in which there is something of dis- honour.

c. 18