45. Whenas The Rigid God Espied A Wight

45

Priapus

Cum quendam rigidus deus videret

ferventi caput ustulare ferro,

ut Maurae similis foret puellae,

'heus' inquit 'tibi dicimus, cinaede,

uras te licet usque torqueasque,

num tandem prior es puella, quaeso,

quod sunt, mentula quos habet, capilli?'

Whenas the Rigid God espied a wight

Crisping his head with curling-tongs aglow

That he be likest to a Moorish maid,

'Ho thou! (cried he) we tell thee, catamite;

However much thou toast and curl thyself

Is then a damsel more of worth, I ask,

Than are the hairy honours of thy yard?'

When the Rigid God beheld an effeminate crisping his hair with the heated curling-irons, to liken himself to a Moorish damsel, 'Ho there, thou catamite,' quoth he. 'We tell thee, thou mayst crisp and curl to thy liking, but is a girl, prithee, of more value than are the hairs which deck thy mentule?'

[1. It needs no augur, because the girl's kisses have put the spear (although it is only wooden) into such a state of erection as self-evidently shows its willingness to swive her.

2. Is it worthwhile disturbing a hair even on thy mentule, much less thy head, to take the semblance of a girl?]