Papist or Proteftant, or both between, Like good Erafinus in an honest Mean, In moderation placing all my glory, 65 While Tories call me Whig, and Whigs a Tory. 'Satire's my weapon, but I'm too discreet To run a muck, and tilt at all I meet; NOTES. 70 Cervius for informing, Canidia for poisoning, and Turius for paffing fentence. The turn of this ludicrous argumentation is fine and delicate; and we find his Imitator faw the whole force of it. 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 fubject, by prefenting the reader with the several objects of fatire. VER. 72. Thieves, Supercargoes,] The names, at that time, ufually bestowed on thofe whom the trading Companies fent with their Ships, and intrufted with their concerns, abroad. VER. 73. Save but our Army! etc.] "Une Maladie nou"velle (fays the admirable Author de L'efprit des Loix) s'eft "répandue en Europe; elle a faifi nos Princes, et leur fait << entretenir un nombre defordonné de Troupes. Elle a fes Nec quifquam noceat" cupido mihi pacis! at ille, Qui me commôrit, (melius non tangere, clamo) * Flebit, et infignis tota cantabitur urbe. ▾ Cervius iratus leges minitatur et urnam; Canidia Albutî, quibus eft inimica, venenum; Grande malum Turius, fi quid fe judice certes: * Ut, quo quifque valet, fufpectos terreat, utque Imperet hoc Natura potens, fic collige mecum. Dente lupus, cornu taurus petit; unde, nifi intus Monftratum? Scaevae vivacem crede nepoti a Matrem; nil faciet fceleris pia dextra (mirum ? Ut neque calce lupus quemquam, neque dente petit bos) Sed mala tollet anum vitiato melle cicuta. NOTES. « redoublemens, et elle devient neceffairement contagieufe. « Car fi-tot qu'un Etat augmente ce qu'il appelle fes Troupes, "les autres foudain augmentent les leurs, de façon qu'on ne gagne rien par-là que la Ruïne commune. Chaque Monarque tient fur pied toutes les Armées qu'il pourroit avoir "fi fes Peuples étoient en danger d'étre exterminés; et on "nomme Paix cet état d'effort de tous contre tous. Auffi l'Eu"rope eft-elle fi ruïnée, que les particuliers, qui feroient dans "la fituation où font les trois Puiffances de cette partie du "monde les plus opulentes, n'auroient pas de quoi vivre. "Nous fommes pauvres avec les Richeffes & le commerce de "tout l'Univers; & bientôt, à force d'avoir des Soldats, nous "n'aurons plus que des Soldats, & nous ferons comme des "Tartares." "Peace is my dear delight---not FLEURY's more:75 But touch me, and no minifter fo fore. Whoe'er offends, at fome unlucky time * Slides into verfe, and hitches in a rhyme, Sacred to Ridicule his whole life long, And the fad burthen of fome merry fong. 80 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; 85 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 stung by Pug. a So drink with Walters, or with Chartres eat, They'll never poifon you, they'll only cheat. NOTES. 90 VER. 81-84. Slander-libell'd libell'd by her hate.] There feems to be more spirit here than in the original. But it is hard to pronounce with certainty. For tho' one may be confident there is more force in the 83a and 84th lines than in Canidia Albutî, quibus eft inimica, venenum; yet there might be fomething, for ought we know, in the Character or Hiftory of Cervius, which might bring up that line to the spirit and poignancy of the 82a verfe of the Imitation. VER. 84-90. It's proper power to hurt, etc.] All, except the two laft lines, inferior to the elegance and precifion of the Original, Ne longum faciam: feu me tranquilla fenectus Exfpectat, feu mors atris circumvolat alis; Dives, inops; Romae, feu fors ita jufferit, exful; Quifquis erit vitae, fcribam, color. T. O puer, ut fis Vitalis metuo; et majorum ne quis amicus Frigore te feriat. H. Quid? cum eft Lucilius aufus Primus in hunc operis componere carmina morem, NOTES. VER. 93-96. Whether old age-fhade] The Original is more finifhed, and even fublime. Befides, the last verse-To wrap me in the univerfal fhade, 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. 99. In durance, exile, Bedlam, or the Mint,] The Poet, in our equal Government, might talk of the difafters incident to wit, at his cafe, and with all this levity of ftyle. But it was a ferious matter with Horace; and is fo ftill with our witty Neighbours; one of whom has well expreffed their condition, in the following lines, Eh! Que fait-on? Un fimple badinage, Mal entendu d'un Prude, ou d'un Sot, Then, learned Sir! (to cut the matter short) Whate'er my fate, or well or ill at Court, Whether Old age, with faint but chearful ray, Attends to gild the Ev'ning of my day, Or Death's black wing already be display'd, To wrap me in the univerfal fhade; 95 Whether the darken'd room to muse invite, NOTES. Peut vous jetter fur un autre rivage: Pour perdre un Sage, il ne faut qu'un Bigot. VER. 104. Will club their Tefters, &c.] The image is exceeding humourous, and, at the fame time, betrays the injustice of their refentment in the very circumftance of their indulging it; as it fhews the Poet had faid 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. VOL. IV. F |