Persius, a rich trader of Clazomene, has a lawsuit with Rupilius, one
of Brutus's officers, who went by the nickname of "King." Brutus, in
his character of quaestor, has to decide the dispute, which in the
hands of the principals degenerates, as disputes so conducted
generally do, into a personal squabble. Persius leads off with some
oriental flattery of the general and his suite. Brutus is "Asia's
sun," and they the "propitious stars," all but Rupilius, who was

"That pest,
The Dog, whom husbandmen detest."

Rupilius, an old hand at slang, replies with a volley of rough
sarcasms, "such as among the vineyards fly," and

"Would make the passer-by
Shout filthy names, but shouting fly"--

a description of vintage slang which is as true to-day as it was then.
The conclusion is curious, as a punning allusion to the hereditary
fame of Brutus as a puller-down of kings, which it must have required
some courage to publish, when Augustus was omnipotent in Rome.

"But Grecian Persius, after he
Had been besprinkled plenteously
With gall Italic, cries, 'By all
The gods above, on thee I call,
Oh Brutus, thou of old renown,
For putting kings completely down,
To save us! Wherefore do you not
Despatch this King here on the spot?