And such repentance would have been

A good, outweighing far the sin.

I chose this humbleness divine,

Born out of fault, should not be thine;

Preferring prayers elate with pride,

To sin with penitence allied.”

Epigrams.

MARTIAL’S EPIGRAM ON EPIGRAMS.

Omnis epigramma, sit instar apis; sit aculeus illi,

Sint sua mella, sit et corporis exigui.