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125si quid inexpertum scaenae conmittis et audes
personam formare novam, servetur ad imum,
qualis ab incepto processerit, et sibi constet.
difficile est proprie communia dicere, tuque
rectius Iliacum carmen deducis in actus
130quam si proferres ignota indictaque primus:
publica materies privati iuris erit, si
non circa vilem patulumque moraberis orbem
nec verbo verbum curabis reddere fidus
interpres nec desilies imitator in artum,
135unde pedem proferre pudor vetet aut operis lex,
nec sic incipies, ut scriptor cyclicus olim:
'fortunam Priami cantabo et nobile bellum.'
quid dignum tanto feret hic promissor hiatu?
parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus.
140quanto rectius hic, qui nil molitur inepte:
'dic mihi, Musa, virum, captae post tempora Troiae
qui mores hominum multorum vidit et urbes.'
non fumum ex fulgore, sed ex fumo dare lucem
cogitat, ut speciosa dehinc miracula promat,
145Antiphaten, Scyllamque, et cum Cyclope Charybdim;
nec reditum Diomedis ab interitu Meleagri
nec gemino bellum Troianum orditur ab ovo:
semper ad eventum festinat et in medias res
non secus ac notas auditorem rapit et quae
150desperat tractata nitescere posse relinquit
atque ita mentitur, sic veris falsa remiscet,
primo ne medium, medio ne discrepet imum.
Horace. The Works of Horace. C. Smart. Philadelphia. Joseph Whetham. 1836.
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