King Midas has an ass's ears;

but Cornutus altered it thus;

Auriculas asini quis non hahet?
Who has not an ass's ears?

in order that it might not be supposed that it was meant to apply to
Nero.

THE LIFE OF HORACE.

HORATIUS FLACCUS was a native of Venusium [963], his father having been,
by his own account [964], a freedman and collector of taxes, but, as it
is generally believed, a dealer in salted (541) provisions; for some one
with whom Horace had a quarrel, jeered him, by saying; "How often have I
seen your father wiping his nose with his fist?" In the battle of
Philippi, he served as a military tribune [965], which post he filled at
the instance of Marcus Brutus [966], the general; and having obtained a
pardon, on the overthrow of his party, he purchased the office of scribe
to a quaestor. Afterwards insinuating himself first, into the good
graces of Mecaenas, and then of Augustus, he secured no small share in
the regard of both. And first, how much Mecaenas loved him may be seen
by the epigram in which he says:

Ni te visceribus meis, Horati,
Plus jam diligo, Titium sodalem,
Ginno tu videas strigosiorem. [967]

But it was more strongly exhibited by Augustus, in a short sentence
uttered in his last moments: "Be as mindful of Horatius Flaccus as you
are of me!" Augustus offered to appoint him his secretary, signifying
his wishes to Mecaenas in a letter to the following effect: "Hitherto I
have been able to write my own epistles to friends; but now I am too much
occupied, and in an infirm state of health. I wish, therefore, to
deprive you of our Horace: let him leave, therefore, your luxurious table
and come to the palace, and he shall assist me in writing my letters."
And upon his refusing to accept the office, he neither exhibited the
smallest displeasure, nor ceased to heap upon him tokens of his regard.
Letters of his are extant, from which I will make some short extracts to
establish this: "Use your influence over me with the same freedom as you
would do if we were living together as friends. In so doing you will be
perfectly right, and guilty of no impropriety; for I could wish that our
intercourse should be on that footing, if your health admitted of it."
And again: "How I hold you in memory you may learn (542) from our friend
Septimius [968], for I happened to mention you when he was present. And
if you are so proud as to scorn my friendship, that is no reaso