Variae & Works 15

Slight are the gifts of a panegyrist. And while you desire that your longing concerning him be satisfied, you demand the dutiful services of immense proclamation. O how excessive it is to sate a public love with a meager oration, and how arduous it is for the humble to speak of lofty princes—so that those whom your speech is wont to adorn should hear vows that praise rashly out of mere desire! But I ask for your justice, O nobles, that you not exact from one what is owed by all. Necessity lacks blame; nor can I alone be summoned to account, when all seem inextricably obliged. We have a certain justice of God: who could demand of me things infinite? Who could exact what cannot be numbered? A demand for repayment, unless it can be reckoned out, does not hold the debtor liable;

things immense always discharge from obligation, and the magnitude of matters rejects the narrowness of recompense. Divide it therefore among yourselves, O princely men, that to him whom we cannot all satisfy, we may offer with devoted strength what we are able. For who could gather up in moments all that a generous hand has poured forth through so many ages? This man fills the sanctuary with your honors, feeds the people with appointed expenses, calms the provinces with the serenity of justice, curbs proud nations with his rule; and only that seems to be in confusion which is known to be alien from his realm. Bravo, indefatigable triumpher, by whose fighting the wearied limbs of the commonwealth are restored, and to our age the ancient blessedness returns.

That Gaul was once Roman we used to read only in the annals; that age was not joined to our knowledge, an uncertain credence wandered abroad *** with Pyrrhus bearing witness to his renown; in whom virtues so prevailed that an enemy, set in the battle line, praised him. An affected punishment celebrates Regulus; a devoted death gives life to the fame of the Decii; Fabius is praised for his effective delaying; why should I recall Cato, surpassing in his character the books of the disciplines? or our Tullius, mightier with all the forces of eloquence than with any arms? whom it is so difficult for me to number, as it has been easily granted to you to surpass them by your felicity. Pleasing indeed to our oration is the work of praising the men of old, by whose labors the empire stands;

but so great is the glory of the present public good that a fortunate succession happily overshadows its forebears, and they gladly yield to posterity who in their own ages had transcended all things human. For—to say nothing of the throng of the Aventine polluted by civil discord, and the giddiness of the rolling urn, and all that was for sale in the Campus—were our forebears equal in religion, when they made reasonable supplication to images lacking sense? Remedies for life were sought, which did not possess the gifts of life; and, if you shake out the cause of that ancient foulness, the one who prayed was more powerful. Let antiquity now come into the midst, and, if it dares, let it claim for itself prudence along with ours—prudence which knew not divine things.

Let the ancient consuls vaunt themselves, ever initiated by the auspices of swift birds, who watched the movements of birds rather than the judgments of men; a wandering flight steadied the trembling candidate; and that was a public verdict which had come by chance. But we glory in the sentence of a good prince; we rejoice in the consent of the senate *** Hence it is, most clement lord, that the peoples do not endure your departure, but all desire you to come to them. Ungrateful is the life which does not deserve your sight; and it wearies them to cling to their own homes, whom you have been forced, for the necessity of affairs, to leave behind. Rightly therefore are the desires of all aroused toward your presence: from love of the prince a murmur arises, and from this you render your subjects sad, because you are proved to be loved too much.

But you, lord, furnish counsels to the most prudent prince of your majesty: human wishes know not how to foresee what they should choose; do you make him ever do what you know to be generally expedient for all *** When I was reciting your praises, most clement of kings, destitute indeed of talent but upheld by great eagerness, to reduce my words into order *** that glory might be made *** and that to me the name of lover might be granted *** by precepts and *** that things past, which *** for they seem continually *** from ages to come *** [text corrupt]

*** O most prudent of kings, you have so understood your glory to be cherished that it may never suffer to be taken from the world. For anyone can offer you for a time the things that are good; but by Roman eloquence there is granted to you what may be praised in every age: not undeservedly, since from *** you receive perpetual things, for whose liberty *** to your *** after arms *** to follow *** the camp, when *** he could report victories *** when that man, hidden among delicate maidens, denied himself to be not only brave but even a man: for he who could fiercely draw the sword, chose softly to handle the wool-baskets. Let someone say he obeyed his mother's commands;

but a warlike man ought not to have endured this: it was right for her to sin under the excuse of piety, but he could not hide himself without great disgrace to his modesty. You, however, about to fight against a most ferocious nation, sought out how, being separated from communication, you might have nothing hidden, not burdened to borrow speeches from the nation, so that what must be said might be more distinctly set forth. You choose to fit out your horse becomingly with a helmet, into whose snowy locks of the mane you have mingled the blackest hairs, so that, because by nature they could be found alike, here by craft it might become unique. What confidence of strength was there, to seek rather that which could more violently rouse the enemy against you!

Gloriously do those about to fight desire the aids of deception, that by whatever means they may deceive those whom they hasten to wish to conquer. You, on the contrary, strove that you might in no way deceive the rough chances of war, but rather that you might appear conspicuous to all the enemy: by no means content that this reproach should be done to your strength, that you should seem to be aided by hidden supports—since that glory of valor is agreed to be perfect for which victory is sought in open warfare. Finally, that your presumption may be proved congruous with your deeds—since to undertake achievable things is the part of the brave, to attempt impossible things the part of the mad—when the city of the Doric, by the siege of the brave Goths *** struck on the left, you fought the more vehemently, so that you would think him unharmed whom you would not doubt to be wounded.

I will tell things incredible, under the conscience of truth: even your horn-footed steed on which you seemed to sit being wounded, your right hand alone both could defend you and, glorious, sufficed for the deaths of your foes. I feel indeed, most clement of kings, that I, hemmed in within this crown of audience, am refreshed by the loveliness of your laurels, but by the bystanders I know not who is added: and when those who are known to have been present report men slain by diverse slaughter, as many heralds have been made as were present at your feats of valor. Let us be silent a little while, until the army tells greater things. O me blessedly outdone: I see my report surpassed by increases, which I thought could scarcely be believed. Happy are you, lord, in manifold proclamation:

concerning whom more has happened to be made known by the fighters than could be narrated by the panegyrist. Let us therefore pursue the order of events, lest, while we relate that you were too tardily rewarded, we accuse the ruler of that time. For soon, when, by God's granting it to us, you had returned to Ravenna, you nonetheless deserved the dignity of spatharius, so that the honor of arms might bear witness to your toil of war. Ennobling this office by your modesty and maturity, while the king for his small age was at leisure, you often discoursed with the envoys on necessary matters; and by a marvelous outcome of praise you had brought it about that reverence was rendered rather to you, who with the cares of an old man served a prince but lately grown.

The city of Singidunum, once of leisure *** You draw us to recount the deeds done, lest *** which today you would possess *** finally *** [text corrupt] and the suspicions which you had already roused concerning the praise of all, you would not have in the eyes of anxious lords. It delights me, O excellent of kings, indeed your *** because of good things there is no satiety, but pious *** frequently *** eternal *** so *** desires *** of hearing *** is *** his own. [text corrupt]

Avenge *** destruction *** with the sword *** the most grievous *** struck, whom may the wondrous felicity of the city today guard, so that as often as the dumb animal is beheld on the left, so often *** it was no light marvel *** wont to *** so in the sunny places *** who *** the king *** [text corrupt]

a brave sword *** by ruin *** in *** blood *** the king's *** the certain hope of *** wavering *** he came to the kingship *** by a fortunate *** the commonwealth was able to strengthen the things shaken *** you have most happily completed *** wisely *** bravely *** the deed which *** word for word *** Have *** of so great. *** judge *** from your counsel this *** the tale of the world will pass *** they could not have chosen, except him who is proved to have often waged wars. Let us therefore return to the happy mistress *** something *** by no virtues will she be able to excuse herself, since she acknowledges herself the consort of a brave man.

Hither therefore, to the inner chambers of the court, come together, most honorable sisters; here with the highest splendor as companion, that which can adorn you. First let heavenly chastity set in order the brow; then let rosy modesty paint the cheeks; let moderate temperance make serene the aspect of the shining eyes; let gentle piety administer the noble heart; let honored wisdom bestow the speech of the tongue; let tranquil modesty compose the religious steps: such a pomp of attendance does she deserve to have, who could be found the posterity of so many kings. But you, grow green, you green stones; grow pale, you carbuncles; grow white, you hyacinths; grow dark, you pearls: not here do you devour the royal wealth with insane greed—she has borne for you the prices, who is proved adorned from herself.

They tell that lovely Venus, praised throughout the whole world, fixed the gaze of the squinting, more shining with serene face among countless pearls and purple adorned with venerable darkness, who, set in the midst of gems, surpasses her own adornment. Behold a glittering seat, which rich India may admire, jeweled Persia may celebrate, noble Spain may stand amazed; where we behold rosy maidens winged with ruddy pinions, such as it befits pompous Victories to be. The milky crowns of pearls, moreover, are enclosed in circlets bent with gold in most beautiful roundness: thus in your work it seems set, which felicity alone deserves for its reward.

Hyacinths too, vibrating with their dark light, are seen to flash blackness mingled with bright lights; green stones play together with tremulous greenness; carbuncles vomit cold flames; the Spanish gems exude blood-red colors: and one arrangement of yours fashions so many diadems, which *** all the mistresses of the world *** a certain star-like *** are *** unwearied *** perennial *** which not *** furnishes in summer. For *** which *** the height of *** is its own *** intent sweetness *** deserving to be in sight *** they were *** the sun *** the highest *** always to them, because it would always be praised. [text corrupt]

For we see *** they shine again in the folds of the robe *** it surpasses all kingdoms, you are discerned as mighty in your own. Now, if you are compared with your own character, you are easily surpassed by the distinguished part of the soul, you who by the beauty of the body transcend all mortal things. You also made, O mistress, a palace which might clearly display you even to strangers, since from the vast dwelling the greatness of the one residing is gathered. The crust of marbles, of the same color as gems, shines again; scattered gold gleams in *** the wheeling veins of the stones the gifts of mosaic describe; and the whole is adorned with metallic colors, where a waxen painting may be recognized. Queen Semiramis is recorded to have built the Babylonian walls in a circle with bitumen mixed with sulphur;

but what wonder, if that was unapproachable by iron, which could not defend itself from arms? The house of Cyrus, king of the Persians, is reported to have been constructed with various stones bound with gold, at Susa *** [text corrupt]