The works of Martial have been the source of more than one UK motto on dials. One particularly difficult one (on SRN 0153 at Over Peover, Cheshire) is "Carpere vel noli nostra vel ede tua" [Don't criticise the time I give you but publish your own]. It is a quote from Martial, Epigram 1.91 line 2. Epigram 1.91 reads in full :"Cum tua non edas, carpis mea carmina, Laeli. Carpere uel noli nostra uel ede tua".] The Latin in these works makes a lot of use of colloquial understanding and literal translation can be almost meaningless without a knowledge of its use at the time.. In this case after appealing to the Internet without success the dial recorder was amazed to find that his wife's father (or other relative, I now cannot remember) had been a world Martial expert at a Canadian University during his career there and had retired to Cambridge and was then aged 80+. It was he who when approached knew the quote, could quote the epigram to a considerable degree and translated it for us. I fear he is may be no longer alive but the recorder was Jack Bromiley and so with this one you might write to him to see...
You can find the actual quotes from Martial at: http://www.intratext.com/Catalogo/Autori/Aut249.HTM Sadly these are not translated but they do allow you (laboriously!) to find the original text. Regards Patrick -
