I only wear it in a land of Hectors, Thieves, Supercargoes, Sharpers, and Directors. Whoe'er offends, at fome unlucky time X * Slides into verfe, and hitches in a rhyme, Tutus ab infeftis latronibus? "O pater et rex NOTE S. 75 80 VER. 71. I only wear it in a land of Hectors, etc.] Superior to tutus ab infeftis latronibus, which only carries on the metaphor in enfis Vagina tectus, whereas the imitation does more; for, along with the metaphor, it conveys the image of the subject, by prefenting the reader with the feveral objects of fatire. VER. 72. Thieves, Supercargoes,] The names, at that time, ufually. bestowed on those whom the trading Companies fent with their Ships," and intrufted with their concerns abroad. VER. 73. Save but our Army, etc.] Une maladie nouvelle" (fays the admirable Author de L'efprit de Loix)" s'eft répandue "en Europe; elle a faifi nos Princes, et leur fait entretenir un "nombre defordonné de Troupes. Elle a fes redoublemens, et "elle devient neceffairement contagieufe. Car fi tot qu'un Etat "augmente ce qu'il appelle fes Troupes, les autres foudain aug"mentent les leurs, de façon qu'on ne gagne rien par-là que la "Ruine commune. Chaque Monarque tient fur pied toutes les ! "Armées qu'il pourroit avoir fi fes Peuples étoient en danger d'être "extermines; et on nomme Paix, cet état d'effort de tous contre tous. "Auffi l'Europe eft elle fi ruïnée, que les particuliers, qui feroient "dans la fituation où font le trois Puiffances de cette partie du "monde les plus opulentes, n'auroient pas de quoi vivre. Nous "fommes pauvres avec les Richeffes et le Commerce de tout l'Uni65 vers; & bientôt, à force d'avoir des Soldats, nous n'aurons plust 66 que des Soldats, et nous ferons comme des Tartares.?? y Slander or Poifon dread from Delia's rage, Hard words or hanging, if your Judge be Page, From furious Sappho scarce a milder fate, P-x'd by her love, or libell'd by her hate. 2 Its proper pow'r to hurt, each creature feels; Bulls aim their horns, and Affes lift their heels; 'Tis a Bear's talent not to kick, but hug; And no man wonders he's not ftung by Pug. a So drink with Walters, or with Chartres eat, They'll never poison you, they'll only cheat. b Then, learned Sir! (to cut the matter short) Whate'er my fate, or well or ill at Court, 85 90 y Cervius iratus leges minitatur et urnam ; Canidia Albutî, quibus eft inimica, venenum; Grande malum Turius, fi quid fe judice certes: z Ut, quo quifque valet, fufpectos terreat, utque Imperet hoc Natura potens, fic collige mecum. Dente lupus, cornu taurus petit; unde, nifi intus Monftratum; a Scaevae vivacem crede nepoti Matrem; nil faciet fceleris pia dextera (mirum ? Ut neque calce lupus quemquam, neque dente petit bos) Sed mala tollet anum vitiato melle cicuta. Ne longum faciam: feu me tranquilla fenectus Exfpectat, feu mors atris circumvolat alis ; NOTE S. VER. 81-84. Slander-libell'd by her hate.] There seems to be more fpirit here than in the Original. But it is hard to pronounce with certainty. For though one may be confident there is more force in the 83d and 84 h lines than in Canidia Albuti, quibus eft inimica, venenum; yet there might be fomething, for aught we know, in the Character or Hiftory of Cervius, which might bring up that line to the fpirit and poignancy of the 824 verfe of the Imitation. VER. 85-90. Its proper pow'r to burt, etc.] All, except the two laft lines, inferior to the elegance and precision of the Original. Whether Old age, with faint but chearful ray, 95 100 < Like Lee or Budgel, I will rhyme and print. Plums and Directors, Shylock and his Wife, Dives, inops; Romae, feu fors ita jufferit, exful: с T. O puer, ut fis Vitalis metuo; et majorum ne quis amicus e H. Quid? cum eft Lucilius aufus Primus in hunc operis componere carmina morem, NOTE S. 106 VER. 93-96. Whether Old age-fade;] The original is more finished, and even fublime. Befides, the lait verfe—To wrap me in the universal shade, has a languor and redundancy unusual with our author. VER. 97. Whether the darken'd room or whiten'd wall-] This is only a wanton joke upon the terms of his Original, Quifquis erit vitae color. VER. 104. Will club their Tifters, etc.] The image is exceeding humourous, and, at the fame time, betrays the injuftice of their refentment in the very circumftance of their indulging it; as it fhews the Poet had said no more of their avarice, than what was true. Our Author's abundance of Wit has made his readers backward ́in acknowledging his talent for Humour. But the veins are equally rich; and the one flows with eafe, and the other is always placed with propriety. VER. 105–120. What? arm'd for Virtue, etc.] This is not only fuperior to Horace, but equal to any thing in himself. Dash the proud Gamefter in his gilded Car; Bare the mean Heart that lurks beneath a Star; 120 TO VIRTUE ONLY and HER FRIENDS A FRIEND, The World befide may murmur, or commend. f Detrabere et pellem, nitidus qua quifque per ora NOTE S. VER. 110. Lights of the Church, or Guardians of the Laws?] Becaufe juft Satire is an ufeful fupplement to the fanctions of Law and Religion; and has, therefore, a claim to the protection of thofe who prefide in the administration either of church or state. VER. 111. Could penfion'd Boileau-Could Laureate Dryden] It was Horace's purpofe to compliment the former times, and therefore he gives the virtuous examples of Scipio and Lælius; it was Mr. Pope's, to fatirize the prefent, and therefore he gives the vicious examples of Louis, Charles, and James. Either way the inftances are equally pertinent; but in the latter they have rather greater force. Only the line, Uni æquus virtuti atque ejus amicis, lofes fomething of its fpirit in the imitation; for the amici, referred to, were Scipio and Lælius. Know, all the diftant din that world can keep,' 125 And He, whofe lightning pierc'd th' Iberian Lines, i Envy must own, I live among the Great, No Pimp of pleasure, and no Spy of state, 131 With eyes that pry not, tougue that ne'er repeats, 135 Fond to fpread friendships, but to cover heats; h Quin ubi se a vulgo et scena in fecreta remôrant Virtus Scipiadae et mitis fapientia Laeli, Nugari cum illo, et difcinci ludere, donec Quidquid fum ego, quamvis NOTE S. VER. 129. And He, whofe lightning, etc.] Charles Mordaunt, Earl of Peterborow, who in the year 1705 took Barcelona, and in the winter following, with only 280 horte and 900 foot, enterprized and accomplished the Conqueft of Vale cia. VER. 133. Envy must own, etc.] Horace makes the point of honour to confift fimply in his living familiarly with the Great, Cum magnis vixiffe invita fatebitur uíque Invidia. Our poet, more nobly, in his living with them on the footing of an honeft man He prided himfelf in this fuperiority, as appears from the following words, in a letter to Dr. Swift:To have please great men, according to Horace, is a praife; but not to have flattered them, and yet not have difleafed them, is a greater." Let. vii. Jan. 12, 1723. |