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THE

SECOND EPISTLE

OF THE

SECOND BOOK

OF

HORA CE.

Ear 1 Col'nel, COBHAM's and your country's Friend! You love a Verfe, take fuch as I can fend. 2 A Frenchman comes, presents you with his Boy, Bows and begins" This Lad, Sir, is of Blois : "Observe his shape how clean! his locks how curl'd! 5 "My only fon, I'd have him fee the world:

FLore, bono claróque fidelis amice Neroni,

z Si quis fortè velit puerum tibi vendere natum Tibure vel Gabiis: & tecum fic agat: "Hic & "Candidus, & talos à vertice pulcher ad imos,

"His

His French is pure; his Voice too-you fhall hear "Sir, he's your flave, for twenty pound a year. "Mere wax as yet, you fashion him with ease, "Your Barber, Cook, Upholft'rer, what you please: 10 A perfect genius at an Opera-fong

To fay too much, might do my honour wrong. "Take him with all his virtues, on my word; "His whole ambition was to serve a Lord,

"But Sir, to you, with what would I not part? 15 "Tho' faith, I fear, 'twill break his Mother's heart. "Once, (and but once) I caught him in a lye, "And then, unwhipp'd, he had the grace to cry: “The fault he has I fairly shall reveal, "(Cou'd you o'erlook but that) it is, to fteal. 3 If, after this, you took the graceless lad, Cou'd you complain, my Friend, he prov'd fo bad?

"Fiet eritque tuus nummorum millibus octo,
"Verna minifteriis ad nutus aptus beriles,
"Litterulis Græcis imbutus, idoneus arti
"Cuilibet argillâ quidvis imitaberis udû.

Quin etiam canet indoctum, fed dulce bibenti. "Multa fidem promissa levant, ubi pleniùs æquo "Laudat venales, qui vult extrudere, merces. "Res urget me nulla: meo fum pauper in ære. "Nemo boc mangonum faceret tibi: non temere à me "Quivis ferret idem, Jemel bic ceffavit: &, ut fit, In fealis latuit metuens pendentis habena. "Des nummos, excepta nibil të fi fuga lædat. 3 Ille ferat pretium, pæna fecurus, opinor. Prudens emifli viciofum: dicta tibi eft lex.

Faith,

Faith, in fuch case, if you fhould profecute,
I think * Sir Godfry fhould decide the fuit ;
Who fent the Thief that stole the Cash, away,
And punish'd him that put it in his way.

4 Confider then, and judge me in this light; I told you when I went, I could not write; You faid the fame, and are you discontent

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With Laws, to which you gave your own affent? 30. Nay worse, to ask for Verse at fuch a time!

D'ye think me good for nothing but to rhime?

5
In ANNA's Wars, a Soldier poor and old
Had dearly earn'd a little purse of gold:
Tir'd with a tedious march, one luckless night,
He flept, poor dog! and loft it, to a doit.
This put the man in such a desp'rate mind,
Between revenge, and grief, and hunger join'd,
Against the foe, himself, and all mankind,

Infequeris tamen hunc, & lite moraris iniquâ.
4 Dixi me pigrum proficifcenti tibi, dixi
Talibus officiis prope mancum: ne mea fævus
Jurgares ad te quod epiftola nulla veniret.
Quid tum profeci, mecum facientia jura
Si tamen attentas? quereris fuper hoc etiam, quan
Exfpectata tibi non mittam carmina mendax.
5 Luculli miles collecta viatica, multis
Erumnis laffus dum noctu flertit, ad affem
Perdiderat poft hoc vehemens lupus, & fibi & hofti
Iratus pariter, jejunis dentibus acer,

35

* An eminent Juftice of Peace, who decided much in the manner of Sancho Pança.

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He leap'd the trenches, fcal'd a Caftle-wall, Tore down a Standard, took the Fort and all. "Prodigious well!" his great Commander cry'd, Gave him much praife, and fome reward befide. Next pleas'd his Excellence a town to batter; (Its name I know not, and it's no great matter) "Go on, my Friend (he cry'd) fee yonder walls! "Advance and conquer! go where glory calls! "More honours, more rewards, attend the brave"Don't you remember what reply he gave ?

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D'ye think me, noble Gen'ral, fuch a Sot? "Let him take caftles who has ne'er a groat."

6 Bred up at home, full early I begun To read in Greek, the wrath of Pelus' fon. Befides, my Father taught me from a lad, The better art to know the good from bad:

Præfidium regale loco dejecit, ut aiunt,
Summè munito, & multarum divite rerum.
Clarus ob id factum, donis ornatur boneftis,
Accipit & bis dena fuper feftertia nummâm.
Forte fub hoc tempus caftellum evertere prætor
Nefcio quod cupiens, hortari cœpit eundem
Verbis, quæ timido quoque poffent addere mentem:
1 bene, quo virtus tua te vocat: i pede faufto,
Grandia laturus meritorum præmia. quid flas?
Poft hæc ille catus, quantumvis rufticus," Ibit,
"Ibit eo, quo vis, qui zonam perdidit, inquit.
6 Roma nutriri mibi contigit, atque doceri,
Iratus Graiis quantùm nocuiffet Achilles.
Adjecere bone paulo plus artis Atbena:
Scilicet ut poffem curvo dignofcere rectum,

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(And

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