And I shall praise thee through the boundless earth.

Once I enjoy’d in luxury of state

Whate’er gives man the envied name of great;

Wealth, servants, friends, were mine in better days

And hospitality was then my praise;

In every sorrowing soul I pour’d delight,

And poverty stood smiling in my sight.

But Jove, all-governing, whose only will

Determines fate, and mingles good with ill,

Sent me (to punish my pursuit of gain)

With roving pirates o’er the Egyptian main

By Egypt’s silver flood our ships we moor;

Our spies commission’d straight the coast explore;

But impotent of mind, the lawless will

The country ravage, and the natives kill.

The spreading clamour to their city flies,

And horse and foot in mingled tumults rise:

The reddening dawn reveals the hostile fields,

Horrid with bristly spears, and gleaming shields:

Jove thunder’d on their side: our guilty head

We turn’d to flight; the gathering vengeance spread

On all parts round, and heaps on heaps lay dead.

Some few the foe in servitude detain;

Death ill exchanged for bondage and for pain!

Unhappy me a Cyprian took aboard,

And gave to Dmetor, Cyprus’ haughty lord:

Hither, to ’scape his chains, my course I steer,

Still cursed by Fortune, and insulted here!”


To whom Antinous thus his rage express’d:

“What god has plagued us with this gourmand guest?

Unless at distance, wretch! thou keep behind,

Another isle, than Cyprus more unkind,

Another Egypt shalt thou quickly find.

From all thou begg’st, a bold audacious slave;

Nor all can give so much as thou canst crave.

Nor wonder I, at such profusion shown;

Shameless they give, who give what’s not their own.”


The chief, retiring: “Souls, like that in thee,

Ill suits such forms of grace and dignity.

Nor will that hand to utmost need afford

The smallest portion of a wasteful board,

Whose luxury whole patrimonies sweeps,

Yet starving want, amidst the riot, weeps.”