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In one of his earliest poems, written perhaps after the Perusian war of 41 B.C. even the lively Horace was moved to voice the prevailing depression, fancifully urging that the Italian people should migrate, like the Phocaeans of old, to the far west, where, as Sertorius had been told in Spain, lay the islands of the blest, where the earth, as in the golden age, yields all her produce untilled: Iuppiter ilia piae secrevit litora genti Ut inquinavit aere tempus aureum; Aere, dehinc ferro duravit saecula, quorum Piis secunda vate me datur fuga.

Quae singula cum ad horam pascant vana delectatione sensus corporeos, miseriam tamen inserunt piae menti, quod tot et tanti homines, neglecta prorsus animi salute, his diabolicis operationibus se dederunt in toto. Nam certo non ita sine daemonum consolatione et familiaritate praemissa confingi dicerem.

*Ad maronis mausoleum Ductus, fudit super eum Piae rorem lacrymae. Quem te, intuit, reddidissem, Si te vivum invenissem Poetarum maxime! Having thus spoken, old Hilary wished me the peace of a holy night and went away with Brother Jacinth. I resumed the delightful study of my poet.

But my books at the price which such noble merchandise fetches to-day are worth something. Why, on that shelf there are some poets of the sixteenth century for which bankers would bid against princes! And I think that those "Heures" of Simon Vostre would not be readily overlooked at the Hotel Sylvestre any more than would those Preces Piae compiled for the use of Queen Claude.

And on the wester with the following: GRATA PATRIA Piae et Perpetuae Memorie Invincible in the Field The Greatest of Captains Inviolable in his Faith The Best of Princes Unfeigned in his Zeal The Happiest of Legislators Immortal in his Fame The Most Sincere of Christians Who setting the Kingdoms of Earth at Liberty, Took the Kingdom of the Heavens by Violence. Anno AEtat. suoe 116