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