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Spero me secutum in libellis meis tale temperamen-
tum, ut de illis queri non possit quisquis de se bene
senserit, cum salva infimarum quoque personarum re-
verentia ludant; quae adeo antiquis auctoribus defuit, ut
5nominibus non tantum veris abusi sint, sed et magnis.
Mihi fama vilius constet et probetur in me novissimum
ingenium. Absit a iocorum nostrorum simplicitate ma-
lignus interpres nec epigrammata mea scribat: inprobe
facit qui in alieno libro ingeniosus est. Lascivam ver-
10borum veritatem, id est epigrammaton linguam, excu-
sarem, si meum esset exemplum: sic scribit Catullus, sic
Marsus, sic Pedo, sic Gaetulicus, sic quicumque perlegi-
tur. Si quis tamen tam ambitiose tristis est, ut apud
illum in nulla pagina latine loqui fas sit, potest epistula
15vel potius titulo contentus esse. Epigrammata illis scri-
buntur, qui solent spectare Florales. Non intret Cato
theatrum meum, aut si intraverit, spectet. Videor mihi
meo iure facturus, si epistulam versibus clusero:
Nosses iocosae dulce cum sacrum Florae
20Festosque lusus et licentiam volgi,
Cur in theatrum, Cato severe, venisti?
An ideo tantum veneras, ut exires?
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