Why would you try to combine two things that are completely different and oppose each other? Virtue stands tall — it's noble, royal, unbeatable, and never tires. Pleasure crawls low. It's weak, slavish, and dies quickly. You'll find pleasure hiding in brothels and bars. But you'll find virtue in temples, markets, and the senate. Virtue stands guard on city walls, covered in dust, tanned by the sun, with calloused hands from hard work. Pleasure hides in the shadows. It sneaks around bathhouses, hot rooms, and places that fear the police. Pleasure is soft and weak, reeking of wine and perfume, pale or painted with makeup.
Why do you put together two things which are unlike and even incompatible one with another? virtue is a lofty quality, sublime, royal, unconquerable, untiring: pleasure is low, slavish, weakly, perishable; its haunts and homes are the brothel and the tavern. You will meet virtue in the temple, the market-place, the senate house, manning the walls, covered with dust, sunburnt, horny-handed: you will find pleasure skulking out of sight, seeking for shady nooks at the public baths, hot chambers, and places which dread the visits of the aedile, soft, effeminate, reeking of wine and perfumes, pale or perhaps painted and made up with cosmetics.