Classic Poem

" OLD Titus Livius recounts the case
Of Appius, who well deserved to hang
For making his vile sergeant undertake
False cause by falser oath against a maid,
Virginia, child of Virginius.
Because he was not able to seduce
The girl, who hated him and lechery,
The ribald cried in open court, " O judge,
Give justice to me, for the maid is mine.
Against the world I'll prove she is my slave;
For, wheresoever she has been brought up,
She had her birth within my house. When young
Thence stolen, to Virginius she was given.
Now, Appius, I claim my slave again;
'Tis right that she should serve me, not this man
Who merely brought her up. If he deny
This charge, I'll prove it by good witnesses."
Thus spoke the evil traitor, Appius' tool;
And ere Virginius could speak, who stood
Ready to confound his adversary,
The evil judge, without the least delay,
By heavy sentence made her Claudius' slave.
Now when Virginius, the noble knight,
Renowned as honest man, the judgment heard
And knew that he no longer could defend
His daughter from the lust of Appius,
But that she must her body yield to shame,
By resolution simply marvelous
Transforming the disgrace to tragedy
(If Titus Livius do not lie), for love
And not for hate his daughter's head cut off
And gave it to the judge before the court.
According to the story, this bad judge
Commanded that Virginius be seized
And led away, sentenced to hang and die.
But neither was he hanged nor killed; for when
The people knew the case they were so moved
With pity that they put a stop to that.
Then Appius was imprisoned for the crime,
And ere he came to trial he killed himself.
The plaintiff, Claudius, was then adjudged
Worthy of death. Virginius interposed,
Through pity, and procured him a reprieve,
Persuading folk to vote him banishment.
But the false witnesses were put to death.
" Judges, in short, too oft commit outrage.
Read wise old Lucan's statement that no man
Has ever yet seen power and virtue joined.
But let such judges know, if they persist
And make no restitutions for the wrongs,
The everlasting Judge Omnipotent
In Hell among the devils will enchain
Them by their necks. I no exception make
Of king or prelate, judge of any kind,
Cleric or laic. They are honored not
That they may do such things; but without bribe
They should pursue to proper end each cause
That's brought to them, their portals opening wide
To every plaintiff, hearing personally
Every complaint, be it or wrong or right.
'Tis not for nothing that they honor have.
They should not be puffed up, but serve the folk
Who populate and fructify the land;
For they have sworn their oaths to do what's right,
As they should do. By them should live in peace
The honest folk, while they the bad pursue
And hang the robbers, if from out their hands
No other willingly such office takes;
For 'tis their function to see justice done.
On this should judges place their whole intent;
It is for this that they receive their pay,
And this they vowed when first they office took.
" Now, if you've listened, you've had your request,
And I have given you proof that seems complete. "
" Lady, " I said, " you've surely paid me well,
And I should be appeased and give you thanks;
But one unseemly word I heard you use,
So wanton, it appears, that whoso would
Be minded to accuse and catch you up
Would find you destitute of all defense. "
Said she, " Well know I what you're thinking of
Another time, whenever you may wish,
If you'll remind me, please, I'll make excuse. "
" Yes, truly I'll remind you of that word, "
Said I, " for keen my recollection is.
My master has forbidden that I speak
Of ribaldry, but I'll at least repeat
What I have heard, and name the word outright.
It's well to expose the folly that men speak;
And all the more, since wisdom you pretend,
Should I denounce and make you see your sin. "
" I'll listen; but I must forbid, " said she,
" That you accuse me, moved thereto by hate.
I wonder how you dare say such a thing.
Do you not see that it's illogical
For you, escaping from one foolishness,
To fall into a greater or as great?
If I advise avoiding foolish love,
Must I therefore commend to enmity?
Do you recall what sage old Horace said:
" When fools escape one vice, they often turn
To opposite extreme — no better off"?
He was no fool; and you should understand
Me to forbid no love except that kind
Which can but wound those folk who harbor it.
So if from drunkenness I should you warn,
I would not say you must not drink at all.
Such counsel were not worth a peppercorn.
If I advise against unthriftiness,
Well might I be considered imbecile
To counsel avarice, an equal sin.
I'm making no such argument to you. "
" Truly, you are! "
" Now, certainly, you lie!
Unflattering to you my words may be,
But when you try rebuttal of my points
You seem not to have read the ancient books,
For you're illogical in argument.
It is not thus that I have read of love;
Never my lips have said that man should hate.
Man finds a middle course in that calm love
Which strongly I uphold and try to teach.
" 'Tis natural love Dame Nature gives to beasts,
By which they bring their young to birth, and which
Provides these with their proper nourishment.
If natural love you wish me to define,
I'll say perpetuation of a race
By generation and by nourishment
Supplies the proper purpose of such love.
This love is common to all men and beasts.
However necessary such a love may be,
Its merit calls for neither praise nor blame;
Nature requires what's neither good nor bad.
'Twere blameworthy to break Dame Nature's laws;
To oppose her is no victory o'er vice.
What praise is due a hungry man who eats?
He merits blame if he forswears his food.
But I'll pass on; 'tis no such love you mean.
Far madder love than this you have embraced,
Which you'd best leave if you care for your good. "