“Not for Horace, who succeeded in pleasing the great Augustus, and rendering him immortal as the protector of learned men. Indeed other sovereigns seem to vie with him by taking his name and even by disguising it.”
The king (who had taken the name of Augustus himself) looked grave and said,—
“What sovereigns have adopted a disguised form of the name Augustus?”
“The first king of Sweden, who called himself Gustavus, which is only an anagram of Augustus.”
“That is a very amusing idea, and worth more than all the tales we have told. Where did you find that?”
“In a manuscript at Wolfenbuttel.”
The king laughed loudly, though he himself had been citing manuscripts. But he returned to the charge and said,—
“Can you cite any passage of Horace (not in manuscript) where he shews his talent for delicacy and satire?”
“Sir, I could quote several passages, but here is one which seems to me very good: ‘Coram rege’, says the poet, ‘sua de paupertate tacentes, plus quam pocentes ferent.”
“True indeed,” said the king, with a smile.