“Why do you put wool over your neck when you’re about to recite a poem?
That would be better placed in our ears!”
Quid recitaturus circumdas vellera collo?
conveniunt nostris auribus ista magis.
Martial, 4.41 (To a Poet)
ΕΥΔΟΞΑ ΑΓΝΩΣΤΑ ΚΑΤΑΓΕΛΑΣΤΑ
Horace might respond:
Ars Poetica 24-5
“Poets for the most part (I speak to a father and his worthy sons)
are deceived by the appearance of what is right.”
Maxima pars uatum, pater et iuuenes patre digni,
decipimur specie recti.
Damn, did you just have that at the ready? I suppose that Juvenal also has the entire ‘semper ego auditor tantum?’ bit.
Or perhaps:
Juvenal, Satires 2.63
“Critics tend to go easy on the crows — but are hard on the doves”
dat veniam corvis, uexat censura columbas.