"I'd preach as though I ne'er should preach again,
I'd preach as dying unto dying men."

H.G.
Milford, April 15. 1850. {416}


_Latin Epigram._--I should be much obliged to any of your readers who
can inform me who was the author and what is the date of the following
epigram. The peculiarity of it, your readers will observe, consists in
the fact, that while read directly it contains a strong compliment; yet
it is capable of being read backwards, still forming the same
description of verse, but conveying a perfect reverse of the
compliment:--

"Laus tua, non tua fraus; virtus non copia rerum,
Scandere te fecit hoc decus eximium,
Pauperibus tua das; nunquam stat janua clausa;
Fundere res quæris, nec tua multiplicas.
Conditio tua sit stabilis! non tempore parvo
Vivere te faciat hic Deus omnipotens."

When reversed, it reads thus:--

"Omnipotens Deus hic faciat te vivere parvo
Tempore! Non stabilis sit tua conditio.
Multiplicas tua, nec quæris res fundere; clausa
Janua stat, nunquam das tua pauperibus.
Eximium decus hoc fecit te scandere rerum
Copia, non virtus; fraus tua, non tua laus."