II. ‘ Tyrrhena regum progenies .’—Ode iii, 29 .
Mæcenas, old boy—though descended from kings,1
You will dine with a fellow born ever so base,2
If he gives a good dinner—there’s lots of nice things3
Awaiting you here at my little place.4
There’s a few bottles left of your favourite wine,5
The famous old vintage of 60 B.C. ;6
In the garden are roses uncommonly fine ;7
And I’ve bought you some hair-oil as good as can be.8
Do not judge, by this list, of the state of my larder :9
If verse were as pliant a medium as prose is,10
I would send a menu ; for what fate can be harder11
Than to find one consisting of hair-oil and roses ?12
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