THE

SECOND EPISTLE

OF THE

SECOND BOOK

O F

HORA CE.

Ludentis fpeciem dabit, et torquebitur. HOR.

EPISTOLA II.

FLO

'LORE, bono claroque fidelis amice Neroni, 'Si quis forte velit puerum tibi vendere

natum

Tibure vel Gabiis, et tecum fic agat: "Hic et Candidus, et talos a vertice pulcher ad imos, "Fiet eritque tuus nummorum millibus octo; "Verna ministeriis ad nutus aptus heriles; "Litterulis Graecis imbutus, idoneus arti "Cuilibet: argilla quidvis imitaberis uda :

Quin etiam canet indoctum, fed dulce bibenti. "Multa fidem promiffa levant, ubi plenius aequo “Laudat venales, qui vult extrudere, merces. "Res urget me nulla: meo fum pauper in aere, "Nemo hoc mangonum faceret tibi: non te

"mere a me

66

NOTES.

VER. 4. This Lad, Sir, is of Blois :] A Town in Beauce, where the French tongue is fpoken in great purity.

VER. 15. But, Sir, to you, with what would I not part?].

DEA

EPISTLE

II.

EAR Col'nel, COBHAM's and your coun

66

try's Friend!

You love a Verfe, take fuch as I can fend.
'A Frenchman comes, presents you with his Boy,
Bows and begins---" This Lad, Sir, is of Blois :
"Obferve his shape how clean! his locks how
"curl'd!

5

My only fon, I'd have him fee the world: "His French is pure; his Voice too --- you "fhall hear.

66

"Sir, he's your flave, for twenty pound a year. "Mere wax as yet, you fashion him with ease, "Your Barber, Cook, Upholst'rer, what you please :

10

"A perfect genius at an Op'ra-fong--

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

"

(Could you o'erlook but that) it is, to steal.”20

NOTES.

The numbers well exprefs the unwillingness of parting with what one can but ill fpare.

"Quivis ferret idem: femel hic ceffavit, et (ut fit) "In fcalis latuit metuens pendentis habenae: "Des nummos, excepta nihil te fi fuga laedit."

'Ille ferat pretium, poenae fecurus, opinor. Prudens emifti vitiofum: dicta tibi eft lex. Infequeris tamen hunc, et lite moraris iniqua.

'Dixi me pigrum proficifcenti tibi, dixi Talibus officiis prope mancum: ne mea faevus Jurgares ad te quod epiftola nulla veniret. Quid tum profeci, mecum facientia jura Si tamen attentas? quereris fuper hoc etiam, quod Exfpectata tibi non mittam carmina mendax.

Luculli miles collecta viatica multis

Aerumnis, laffus dum noctu ftertit, ad affem

Perdiderat poft hoc vehemens lupus, et fibi et hofti

Iratus pariter, jejunis dentibus acer,

Praefidium regale loco dejecit, ut aiunt,

NOTES,

VER. 24. I think Sir Godfrey] An eminent Juftice of Peace, who decided much in the manner of Sancho Pancha. P. Sir Godfrey Kneller.

VER 33. In Anna's Wars, &c.] Many parts of this story are well told; but, on the whole, it is much inferior to the Original.

с

If, after this, you took the graceless lad,
Could you complain, my Friend, he prov'd so bad?
Faith, in fuch cafe, if you should profecute,
I think Sir Godfrey should decide the fuit;
Who fent the Thief that stole the Cash, away,
And punish'd him that put
it in his way.
26

d

• 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 With Laws, to which you gave your own affent? Nay worse, to ask for Verfe at fuch a time! 31 D'ye think me good for nothing but to rhyme?

e

In ANNA'S Wars, a Soldier poor and old

Had dearly earn'd a little purfe 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 fuch a desp’rate mind,
Between revenge, and grief, and hunger join'd
Against the foe, himself, and all mankind,
He leap'd the trenches, fcal'd a Castle-wall, 40
Tore down a Standard, took the Fort and all.

36

NOTES.

VER. 37. This put the man, &c.] Much below the Original,
"Poft hoc vehemens lupus, et fibi et hofti
"Iratus pariter, jejunis dentibus acer."

The laft words are particularly elegant and humorous.