Odes 3.16 (Gladstone): Inclusam Danaen

The brazen tower, strong gates well barred,
And wakeful dogs, had sure availed,
Imprisoned Danae to guard,
And prowling ravishers had failed.

But Jove and Venus saw, and mocked
Acrisius jailor of the maid;
They knew the way could not be blocked,
If Jove in gold would make the raid.

Gold, mightier than the lightning stroke,
The guard can pierce, the rock can burst.
So the Greek augur's fortune broke,
By force of bribe with ruin cursed.

King Philip clave by tools like these
All city-gates, and sapped the throne
Of rivals. They that plough the seas,
Though fierce, this fascination own.

But care with growing treasure grows,
And thirst for more. With right I dread,
Maecenas, pride of knightly rows,
Above the ranks to lift my head.

Deny thyself; the gods will give
More freely. Bare, I march to find
The camp of them that sparely live,
The camp of wealth I leave behind.

I shine more bright with modest means
Than if within my barns I store
All that the Apulian tiller gleans,
And, choked with treasures, were but poor.

A crop in sure possession held,
A silver stream, a wood, if small;
Such happy share had far excelled
All Afric's corn-lands held in thrall.

No honey from Calabrian bees,
No Laestrygonian jars of wine
Grown ripe, no wools on Gaulish leas
Rich-pastured; none of these are mine.

I suffer not the pinch of need,
And thou would'st not deny what lacks;
Better to curb unruly greed
That so thy purse may rounder wax,

Than rule o'er wide Mygdonia's plains.
Much they shall want, who much demand,
'T is best, when Heaven for man ordains
Enough, but with a thrifty hand.