Quaere fugain morbi. vis recte vivere? quis non? Si virtus hoc una potest dare, fortis omiffis Hoc age deliciis. * virtutem verba putes, et Lucum ligna? * cave ne portus occupet alter: Ne Cibyratica, ne Bithyna negotia perdas: • Mille talenta rotundentur, totidem altera, porro et Tertia succedant, et quae pars quadret acervum. Scilicet & uxorem cum dote, fidemque, et amicos, Et genus, et formam, regina Pecunia donat; Ac bene nummatum decorat Saudela, Venusque. Mancipiis locuples, egit aeris Cappadocum rex. NOTES. VER. 65. Who Virtue and a Church alike disowns.] The > Would ye be * x blest? despise low Joys, low Gains; Be virtuous, and be happy for your pains. But art thou one, whom new opinions sway, 61 65 One who believes as Tindal leads the way, For Indian spices, for Peruvian Gold, 75 Procure her beauty, make that beauty chaste, 80 NOTES. one appears from his party pamphlets; the other, from his Rights of the Christian Church. Ne fueris hic tu. f chlamydes Lucullus, ut aiunt, Si poffet centum scenae praebere rogatus, Quî possum tot? ait: tamen et quaeram, et quot habebo Mittam: poft paulo scribit, sibi millia quinque Esse domi chlamydum: partem, vel tolleret omnes. * Exilis domus est, ubi non et multa fuperfunt, Et dominum fallunt, et profunt furibus. h ergo, Si res sola poteft facere et servare beatum, Hoc primus repetas opus, hoc poftremus omittas. i Si fortunatum species et gratia praeftat, * Mercemur servum, qui dictet nomina, laevum Qui fodicet latus, et1 cogat trans pondera dextram Porrigere: m Hic multum in Fabia valet, ille Velina : Cui libet, is fasces dabit; eripietque curule, NOTES. VER. 86. Or if three Ladies like a luckless Play,] The common reader, I am sensible, will be always more folicitous about the names of these three Ladies, the unlucky Play, and every other triffing circumstance that attended this piece of gallantry, than for the explanation of our Author's sense, or the illustration of his poetry; even where he is most moral and sublime. But had it been in Mr. Pope's purpose to indulge so impertinent a curiosity, he had fought elfewhere for a commentator on his writings. His Wealth brave Timon gloriously confounds; 85 Or if three Ladies like a luckless Play, Takes the whole House upon the Poet's day. & Now, in such exigencies not to need, 90 A noble superfluity it craves, Not for yourself, but for your Fools and Knaves; Still, still be getting, never, never reft. : i But if to Pow'r and Place your paffion lie, 100 Whom honour with your hand: to make remarks, " May'r." NOTES. VER. 91. A noble fuperfluity, etc.) These four lines are an admirable paraphrafe on Exilis domus est, ubi non et multa fuperfunt, Et dominum fallunt, et profunt furibus. Cui volet, importunus ebur: "Frater, Pater, adde: Ut cuique est aetas, ita quemque facetus adopta. SiP bene qui coenat, bene vivit: lucet, eamus Gargilius: qui mane plagas, venabula, servos, Differtum tranfire forum populumque jubebat, Unus ut e multis populo spectante referret Emtum mulus aprum. ' crudi, tumidique lavemur, Quid deceat, quid non, obliti; Caerite cera S Digni: * remigium vitiofum Ithacensis Ulyssci; Cui potior & patria fuit interdicta voluptas. * Si, Mimnermus uti censet, fine amore jocisque Nil est jucundum; vivas in amore jocisque. ▼ Vive, vale. si quid novisti rectius istis, Candidus imperti: si non, his utere mecum. NOTES. VER. 127. Wilmot] Earl of Rochester. |