THE

First Satire of the Second Book

O F

HORA CE

IMITATE D.

WHOEVER expects a Paraphrafe of Horace, or a faithful Copy of his genius, or manner of writing, in these IMITATIONS, will be much difappointed. Our Author ufes the Roman Poet for little more than his canvas: And if the old defign or colouring chance to fuit his purpose, it is well: if not, he employs his own, without fcruple or ceremony. Hence it is, he is fo frequently ferious where Horace is in jeft; and at eafe where Horace is disturbed. In a word, he regulates his movements no further on his Original, than was neceffary for his concurrence, in promoting their common plan of Reformation of manners.

Had it been his purpose merely to paraphrase an ancient Satirift he had hardly made choice of Horace; with whom, as a Poet, he held little in common, befides a comprehensive knowledge of life and manners, and a certain curious felicity of expreffion, which consists in using the fimpleft language with dignity, and the most ornamented, with eafe. For the reft, hist harmony and strength of numbers, his force and splendor of colouring, his gravity and fublime of fentiment, would have rather led him to another model. Nor was his temper lefs unlike that of Horace, than his talents. What Horace would only smile at, Mr. Pope would treat with the grave feverity of Perfius: And what Mr. Pope would ftrike with the caustic lightning of Juvenal, Horace would content himself in turning into ridicule.

If it be asked then, why he took any body at all to imitate, he has informed us in his Advertisement. To which we may add, that this fort of Imitations, which are of the nature of Parodies, adds reflected grace and fplendor on original wit. Befides, he deem'd it more modeft to give the name of Imitations to his Satires, than, like Defpreaux,, to give the name of Sa tires to Imitations.

F. inv.

C.Grignion fculp

Safe from the Bar, the Pulpit and the Throne, Yet touchd and sham'd by Ridicule alone..

Ep: to Satires, Parta.

SATIRE I.

P. TH

To Mr. FORTESCUE.

HERE are (I scarce can think it, but am

told)

"There are, to whom my Satire seems too bold:
Scarce to wife Peter complaifant enough,
And fomething faid of Chartres much too rough.
The lines are weak, another's pleas'd to fay, 5
Lord Fanny fpins a thousand fuch a day.
Tim'rous by nature, of the Rich in awe,
I come to Council learned in the Law:

You'll give me, like a friend both sage and free,
Advice; and (as you use) without a Fee.

10

F. I'd write no more.

P. Not write? but then I think,

And for my foul I cannot fleep a wink.

NOTES.

VER. 7. Tim'rous by nature, of the Rich in awe,] The delicacy of this does not fo much lie in the ironical application of it to himfelf, as in its feriously characterifing the Perfon for whofe advice he applies.

VER. 12. Not write? &c.] He has omitted the most humourous part of the answer,

Peream male, fi non

Optimum erat,

and has loft the grace, by not imitating the concifenefs, of
verum nequeo dormire.

T. Ter uncti

alto;

Tranfianto Tiberim, fomno quibus eft opus
Irriguumve mero fub noctem corpus habento.

* Aut, fi tantus amor fcribendi te rapit, aude

CAESARIS invicti res dicere, multa laborum

Praemia laturus.

H. Cupidum, pater optime, vires Deficiunt: neque enim quivis horrentia pilis Agmina, nec fracta pereuntes cufpide Gallos,

Aut labentis equo defcribat vulnera Parthi.

h

NOTES.

For concifenefs, when it is clear (as in this place) gives the higheft grace to elegance of expreffion.-But what follows is as much above the Original, as this falls fhort of it.

VER. 20. Hartshorn] This was intended as a pleasantry on the novelty of the prefcription.

VER. 23. What? like Sir Richard, &c.] Mr. Molyneux, a great Mathematician and Philofopher, had a high opinion of Sir Richard Blackmore's poetic vein. All our English poets, expt Milton (fays he, in a letter to Mr. Locke) have been mere

k

I nod in company, I wake at night,
Fools rush into my head, and fo I write,
F.You could not do a worse thing for your life. 15
Why, if the nights feem tedious --- take a Wife:
f Or rather truly, if your point be rest,
Lettuce and cowflip-wine; Probatum eft.
But talk with Celfus, Celfus will advise
Hartshorn, or fomething that shall close your eyes.20
Or, if you needs must write, write CAESAR'S Praife,
You'll gain at least a Knighthood, or the Bays.

P. What? like Sir Richard, rumbling, rough,
and fierce,

With ARMS, and GEORGE and BRUNSWICK Crowd the verse,

Rend with tremendous found your ears afunder,25 With Gun, Drum, Trumpet, Blunderbuss, and Thunder?

Or nobly wild, with Budgel's fire and force, Paint Angels trembling round his falling Horse?

NOTES,

ballad-makers in comparison of him. And Mr. Locke, in answer to this obfervation, replies, I find, with pleasure, a firange barmony throughout, between your Thoughts and mine. Just so a Roman Lawyer, and a Greek Hiftorian, thought of the poetry of Cicero. But thefe being judgments made by men out of their own profeffion, are little regarded. And Pope and Juvenal will make Blackmore and Tully pafs for Poetafters to the worid's e d VER. 28. falling Horfe?] The horfe on which his Majesty.