Page:The poems of Gaius Valerius Catullus - Francis Warre Cornish.djvu/43



Come boy, you who serve out the old Falernian,

fill up stronger cups for me, as the law of Postumia, mistress of the revels, ordains, Postumia more drunken than a drunken grape. But water, begone, away with you, water, destruction of wine, and take up your abode with scrupulous folk. This is the pure juice of the Thyonian god.

You subalterns of Piso, a needy train, with Da 8'g a g e handy and easily carried, my excellent Veranius and you my Fabullus, how are you? have you borne cold and hunger with that windbag long enough? is there any gain, however small, to be seen in your tablets, entered as paid out, as there is in mine, who after following in my praetor's train put down on the credit side. So much for running

after powerful friends! But may the gods and goddesses bring many curses upon you, you blots on the names of Romulus and Remus.

Who can look upon this, who can suffer this, except he be shameless and voracious and a gambler, that Mamurra should have what Gallia Comata and furthest Britain had once? Debauched Romulus, will you see and endure this? [You are shameless and voracious and a gambler.] And shall he now, proud and full to overflowing, make a progress through the beds of all, like a white cock pigeon or f?

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