Lūcius autem iam patrem aspexerat, manūsque statim ad eum tendēbat. Tum: “Quam bellus est ille parvulus,” inquit mercātor. “Quem cum videō, admoneor dē versibus illīs lepidīs poētae Catullī:
“Scīsne,” inquit Sextus, ‘“Pūblium quoque nostrum esse poētam? Versūs lepidōs paene cotīdiē facit.”
Quō audītō, Pūblius ērubuit, et: “Tacē, sīs, Sexte,” inquit. “Nōnne tē pudet[6] tam stultē[7] loquī?”
“Quīn[8] herī,” inquit Sextus, ‘tē in umbrā vēlī sedentem vīdī, cum aliquid summā cūrā cōnficerēs.”[9]
“Age, fīlī mi,” inquit Cornēlius rīdēns; ‘verēcundārī[10] nōn tē decet.[11] Audiāmus quae scrīpserīs.”
Tālī cohortātiōne inductus, Pūblius chartam haud invītus prōtulit, et: “Abhinc paucōs diēs,” inquit, “Annam audīvī, cum vesperī lēniter caneret, quō[12] facilius Lūcius obdormīret.
- ↑ volo: final o here short in verse.
- ↑ dulce, adv., sweetly.
- ↑ rīdeat: dept. on volo, l. 5.
- ↑ sēmihiāns, -antis, adj., half-opening.
- ↑ labellum, -ī, n., lip.
- ↑ pudet: impers.
- ↑ stultē, adv., foolishly.
- ↑ Quīn, Why.
- ↑ cum … cōnficerēs: cf. I, 61.
- ↑ verēcundor, -ārī, intr., be bashful.
- ↑ decet: impers.
- ↑ quō: cf. III, 2.
