At Rome it was long pleasing and customary to be up early with open doors, to expound the laws to clients; to lay out money cautiously upon good securities:  to hear the elder, and to tell the younger by what means their fortunes might increase and pernicious luxury be diminished.  The inconstant people have changed their mind, and glow with a universal ardor for learning:  young men and grave fathers sup crowned with leaves, and dictate poetry.  I myself, who affirm that I write no verses, am found more false than the Parthians:  and, awake before the sun is risen, I call for my pen and papers and desk.  He that is ignorant of a ship is afraid to work a ship; none but he who has learned, dares administer [even] southern wood to the sick; physicians undertake what belongs to physicians; mechanics handle tools; but we, unlearned and learned, promiscuously write poems.

Yet how great advantages this error and this slight madness has, thus compute:  the poet’s mind is not easily covetous; fond of verses, he studies this alone; he laughs at losses, flights of slaves, fires; he contrives no fraud against his partner, or his young ward; he lives on husks, and brown bread; though dastardly and unfit for war, he is useful at home, if you allow this, that great things may derive assistance from small ones.  The poet fashions the child’s tender and lisping mouth, and turns his ear even at this time from obscene language; afterward also he forms his heart with friendly precepts, the corrector of his rudeness, and envy, and passion; he records virtuous actions, he instructs the rising age with approved examples, he comforts the indigent and the sick.  Whence should the virgin, stranger to a husband, with the chaste boys, learn the solemn prayer, had not the muse given a poet?  The chorus entreats the divine aid, and finds the gods propitious; sweet in learned prayer, they implore the waters of the heavens; avert diseases, drive off impending dangers, obtain both peace and years enriched with fruits.  With song the gods above are appeased, with song the gods below.

Our ancient swains, stout and happy with a little, after the grain was laid up, regaling in a festival season their bodies and even their minds, patient of hardships through the hope of their ending, with their slaves and faithful wife, the partners of their labors, atoned with a hog [the goddess] Earth, with milk Silvanus, with flowers and wine the genius that reminds us of our short life.  Invented by this custom, the Femminine licentiousness poured forth its rustic taunts in alternate stanzas; and this liberty, received down through revolving years, sported pleasingly; till at length the bitter raillery began to be turned into open rage, and threatening with impunity to stalk through reputable families.  They, who suffered from its bloody tooth smarted with the pain; the unhurt likewise were concerned for the common condition:  further also, a law and a penalty were enacted, which forbade that any one should be stigmatized in lampoon.  Through fear of the bastinado, they were reduced to the necessity of changing their manner, and of praising and delighting.