ith brass; another exchanges his
merchandize from the rising sun, even to that with which the western
regions are warmed: but he is burried headlong through dangers, as dust
wrapped up in a whirlwind; in dread lest he should lose anything out of
the capital, or [in hope] that he may increase his store. All these are
afraid of verses, they hate poets. "He has hay on his horn, [they cry;]
avoid him at a great distance: if he can but raise a laugh for his own
diversion, he will not spare any friend: and whatever he has once
blotted upon his paper, he will take a pleasure in letting all the boys
and old women know, as they return from the bakehouse or the lake." But,
come on, attend to a few words on the other side of the question.

In the first place, I will except myself out of the number of those I
would allow to be poets: for one must not call it sufficient to tag a
verse: nor if any person, like me, writes in a style bordering on
conversation, must you esteem him to be a poet. To him who has genius,
who has a soul of a diviner cast, and a greatness of expression, give
the honor of this appellation. On this account some have raised the
question, whether comedy be a poem or not; because an animated spirit
and force is neither in the style, nor the subject-matter: bating that
it differs from prose by a certain measure, it is mere prose. But [one
may object to this, that even in comedy] an inflamed father rages,
because his dissolute son, mad after a prostitute mistress, refuses a
wife with a large portion; and (what is an egregious scandal) rambles
about drunk with flambeaux by day-light. Yet could Pomponius, were his
father alive, hear less severe reproofs! Wherefore it is not sufficient
to write verses merely in proper language; which if you take to pieces,
any person may storm in the same manner as the father in the play. If
from these verses which I write at this present, or those that Lucilius
did formerly, you take away certain pauses and measures, and make that
word which was first in order hindermost, by placing the latter [words]
before those that preceded [in the verse]; you will not discern the
limbs of a poet, when pulled in pieces, in the same manner as you would
were you to transpose ever so [these lines of Ennius]:

When discord dreadful bursts the brazen bars,
And shatters iron locks to thunder forth her wars.

So far of this matter; at another opportunity [I may investigate]
whether [a comedy] b