SATIRE II.

To Mr. BETHEL

WHAT, and how great, the Virtue and

the Art

To live on little with a chearful heart;

5

'(A doctrine fage, but truly none of mine) Let's talk, my friends, but talk before we dine. • Not when a gilt Buffet's reflected pride Turns you from found Philosophy afide; Not when from plate to plate your eye-balls roll, And the brain dances to the mantling bowl.

Hear BETHEL's Sermon, one not vers'd in fchools,

But strong in fenfe, and wife without the rules. I Go work, hunt, exercise! (he thus began) Then scorn a homely dinner, if you cân. 'Your wine lock'd up, your Butler stroll'd abroad, Or fifh deny'd (the river yet unthaw'd)

с

NOTES.

VER. 9. BETHEL. The fame to whom feveral of Mr. Pope's Letters are addreffed.

Defendens pisces hiemat mare: cum fale panis
Latrantem ftomachum bene leniet. unde putas, aut
Qui partum ? non in caro nidore voluptas
Summa, fed in teipfo eft. tu pulmentaria quaere
Sudando. pinguem vitiis albumque neque oftrea,
Nec fcarus, aut poterit peregrina juvare lagoïs.

* Vix tamen eripiam, pofito pavone, velis quin Hoc potius quam gallina tergere palatum ; Corruptus vanis rerum: quia veneat auro Rara avis, et picta pandat spectacula cauda : Tamquam ad rem attineat quidquam. Num vefceris ifta,

Quam laudas, pluma? coctove num adeft honor idem ?

Carne tamen quamvis distat nihil hac, magis illa;
Imparibus formis deceptum te patet, esto.
Unde datum fentis, lupus hic, Tiberinus, an alto
Captus hiet? pontesne inter jactatus, an amnis
Oftia fub Tufci?' laudas, infane, trilibrem
Mullum; in fingula quem minuas pulmenta ne-
ceffe eft.

Ducit te fpecies, video. quo pertinet ergo
Proceros odiffe lupos? quia fcilicet illis
Majorem natura modum dedit, his breve pondus.

Jejunus raro ftomachus vulgaria temnit.

m

Porrectum magno magnum fpectare catino Vellem, ait Harpyiis gula digna rapacibus. At vos,

If then plain bread and milk will do the feat, 15 The pleasure lies in you, and not the meat.

* Preach as I please, I doubt our curious men Will chufe a pheasant still before a hen ; Yet hens of Guinea full as good I hold, Except you eat the feathers green and gold. 20 'Of carps and mullets why prefer the great, (Tho' cut in pieces ere my Lord can eat) Yet for small Turbots fuch esteem profess? Because God made these large, the other lefs. * Oldfield with more than Harpy throat endu'd, 25 Cries "Send me, Gods! a whole Hog barbecu'd!"

VOL. IV.

NOTES.

VER. 25. Oldfield.] This eminent Glutton ran through a fortune of fifteen hundred pounds a year in the fimple luxury of good eating.

VER. 26. Hog barbecu'd, &c.] A West Indian term of Gluttony; a hog roafted whole, ftuffed with fpice, and bafted

with Madera wine.

P.

G

Praefentes, Auftri, coquite horum opfonia;

n

quamquam

Putet aper rhombufque recens, mala copia quando
Aegrum follicitat ftomachum; cum rapula plenus
Atque acidas mavult inulas. °necdum omnis abacta
Pauperies epulis regum: nam vilibus ovis
Nigrifque eft oleis hodie locus. Haud ita pridem
Gallonî praeconis erat acipensere mensa
Infamis. quid? tum rhombos minus aequora

alebant?

Tutus erat rhombus, tutoque ciconia nido,
Donec vos auctor docuit praetorius. ergo
› Si quis nunc mergos fuaves edixerit affos,
assos,
Parebit pravi docilis Romana juventus.

Sordidus a tenui victus diftabit, Ofello
Judice: nam fruftra vitium vitaveris iftud,
Si te alio pravus detorferis. 'Avidienus
Cui Canis ex vero ductum cognomen adhæret,

NOTES.

VER. 27. Ob blast it, South-winds!] This has not the force, nor gives us the pleasant allufion of the original, foquite.

VER. 42. Redford-head;] A famous Eating-house P. VER. 43. Or ev'n to crack live Crawfish] There is force and humour in dixerit and parebit, which the imitation does pot reach.

Oh blaft it," South-winds! till a ftench exhale
Rank as the ripeness of a rabbit's tail.
By what Criterion do ye eat, d'ye think,
If this is priz'd for sweetness, that for stink? 30
When the tir'd glutton labours thro' a treat,
He finds no relish in the sweetest meat,

He calls for fomething bitter, fomething four, And the rich feast concludes extremely poor: Cheap eggs, and herbs, and olives still we fee; Thus much is left of old Simplicity!

36

P The Robin-red-breaft till of late had rest,
And children facred held a Martin's neft,

Till Becca-ficos fold fo dev'lish dear

To one that was, or would have been, a Peer. 40 Let me extol a Cat, on oyfters fed, I'll have a party at the Bedford-head; Or ev❜n to crack live Crawfish recommend; I'd never doubt at Court to make a friend. 'Tis yet in vain, I own, to keep a pother About one vice, and fall into the other: Between Excess and Famine lies a mean; Plain, but not fordid; tho' not fplendid, clean. * Avidien, or his Wife (no matter which, For him you'll call a 'dog, and her a bitch)

S

45

50

NOTES.

VER. 50. For him you'll call a dog, and her a bitch, &c.] Our Poet had the art of giving wit and dignity to his Billingsgate, which Horace feems not to have learnt.