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Phryx Aesopus (Osius, 1574)

12. ASINUS ET CATULUS. (Perry 91)

ESSE videbat herum Catulo delirus amicum,
Qui stolidi pecoris crimen Asellus habet;
Saepius huic recipi gremio cum cerneret illum,
Sperat idem stulte posse licere sibi.
Assultaret hero persuasit inepta cupido,
Iamque ad blanditias ingeniosus erat.
Sed movet usus herum perverso more placendi,
Corrigat ut stultum fustibus huius opus.
Quod natura negat, non affectare labores,
Non hanc ex facili dissimulare licet.
Persequere officio, non hoc qui ferre recusent,
Invitis operam parce probare tuam.

Phryx Aesopus Habitu Poetico, by Hieronymus Osius, 1574 (artist not identified). Available online at the University of Mannheim. This book clearly recycles a set of images from another book of Aesop's fables. In some cases, the illustration does not match the fable shown, and in some cases I have not been able to identify what fable a given illustration is supposed to illustrate.