Ancient Organs of Public Opinion

"The Greeks, despite their anger, laughed aloud,And one to other said, 'Good faith, of allThe many works Ulysses well hath done,Wise in the council, foremost in the fight,He ne'er hath done a better, than when nowHe makes this scurril babbler hold his peace.Methinks his headstrong spirit will not soonLead him again to vilify the kings.'"

"Eyeless in Gaza, at the mill with slaves,Himself in bonds under Philistian yoke."

"Awe kin to dread shall stay the citizensFrom sinning in the darkness or the light,While their own voices do not change the laws...Between unruliness and rule by oneI bid my people reverence a mean,Not banish all things fearful from the State.For, with no fear before him, who is just?In such a righteous dread, in such an awe,Ye shall possess a bulwark of the land,

A safeguard of the city, not possess'dBy Scythia or the places of the south.This court, majestic, incorruptible,Instant in anger, over those who sleepThe sleepless watcher of my land, I set."

"Men's hopes, men's fear—their fond, their fretful dream—Their joys, their fuss—that medley is my theme."

"Nought worse remains: the men of coming timesCan but renew our lusts, repeat our crimes.

Vice holds the dizzy summit: spread thy sail,Indignant Muse, and drive before the gale!But who shall find, or whence—I hear thee ask—An inspiration level with the task?Whence that frank courage of an elder Rome,When Satire, fearless, sent the arrow home?'Whom am I bound,' she then could cry, 'to spare?If high-placed guilt forgive not, do I care?'Paint now the prompter of a Nero's rage—The torments of a Christian were thy wage,—Pinned to the stake, in blazing pitch to stand,Or, on the hook that dragg'd thee, plough the sand...* * * * * *No danger will attend thee if thou tellHow to Aeneas warlike Turnus fell;No spite resents Achilles' fateful day.Or Hylas, with his urn, the Naiads' prey:But when Lucilius, all his soul afire,Bared his good sword and wreak'd his generous ire,Flush'd cheeks bewrayed the secrets lock'd within.And chill hearts shivered with their conscious sin.Hence wrath and tears. Ere trumpets sound, debate:Warriors, once armed, repent of war too late.'Then shall plain speech be tried on those whose clayRests by the Latin or Flaminian Way.' "