“Primum hæc pudicè vitam, parce, ac duriter
Agebat, lana ac tela victum quæeritans:
Sed postquam ad illam accessit adolescentulus,
Unus, et item alter; ita ut ingenium est omnium
Hominum ab labore proclive ad desidiam;
Sperans se cuipiam illorum uxorem fore,
Famæ haud pepercit, illosque in domum suam
Lubens admisit nimium familiariter.
“At first she lived chastely, and penuriously, and laboured hard, managing with difficulty to gain a livelihood with the distaff and the loom: but soon after several lovers made their addresses to her, and as we are all naturally prone to idleness, and averse to labour, and as they made her promises of marriage, she was too negligent of her reputation, and admitted their visits oftener than was prudent.”
[NOTE 73.]
Aha! thought I, he is caught.