XXIII.—Of Those Who are Everywhere Ready.

While thou obeyest the belly, thou sayest that thou art innocent; and, as if courteously, makest thyself everywhere ready.  Woe to thee, foolish man! thou thyself lookest around upon death.  Thou seekest in a barbarous fashion to live without law.  Thou thyself hymnest thyself also to play upon a word, who feignest thyself simple.  I live in simplicity with such a one.  Thou believest that thou livest, whilst thou desirest to fill thy belly.  To sit down disgracefully of no account in thy house, ready for feasting, and to run away from precepts.  Or because thou believest not that God will judge the dead, thou foolishly makest thyself ruler of heaven instead of Him.  Thou regardest thy belly as if thou canst provide for it.  Thou seemest at one time to be profane, at another to be holy.  Thou appearest as a suppliant of God, under the aspect of a tyrant.  Thou shalt feel in thy fates by whose law thou art aided.

XXIII.---DE UBIQUE PARATIS.

Dum ventri servis, innocentem esse te dicis, Et quasi communis facis te ubique paratum. Vae tibi stulte homo, mortem circumspicis ipse. Barbaro de more sine lege vivere quaeris; Ipse tibi hymnificas etiam insinere de verbo, Qui simplicem fingis: simpliciter vivo cum isto. Vivere te credis, dum ventrem cupis implere. Exiguus tua in domo residere prave; 0218B Paratus ad epulas, et refugiscere praecepta. Aut quia discredis Deum judicare defunctos; Rectorem caeli facis te inepte pro illo. Aspicis ad ventrem, quasi tu sis providus illi. Tu modo profanus, modo sanctus esse videris. 0219A In supplicem prodis dei, sub aspectu tyranni. Senties in fatis cujus modo lege juvaris.