Quinquennes oleas eft, et fylveftria corna ; "Ac, nifi mutatum, parcit defundere vinum; et Cujus odorem olei nequeas perferre (licebit Ille repotia, natales, aliofque dierum "Feftos albatus celebret) cornu ipfe bilibri Caulibus inftillat, veteris non parcus aceti. X Quali igitur victu fapiens utetur, et horum Utrum imitabitur? hac urget lupus, hac canis, aiunt. Mundus erit, qua non offendat fordibus, atque In neutram partem cultus mifer. Hic * Hic neque Servis a Albutî fenis exemplo, dum munia didit, Accipe nunc, victus tenuis quae quantaque d Afferat. In primis valeas bene; nam variae res Ut noceant homini, credas, memor illius efcae, Quae fimplex olim tibi federit. at fimul affis Mifcueris elixa, fimul conchylia turdis; Dulcia fe in bilem vertent, ftomachoque tumultum Lenta feret pituita. Vides, ut pallidus omnis Sell their presented partridges, and fruits, But on fome "lucky day (as when they found 55 A loft Bank bill, or heard their Son was drown'd) At fuch a feast, old vinegar to fpare, X Is what two fouls fo gen'rous cannot bear : a bring: b 65 (Thus faid our Friend, and what he said I sing) First Health: The stomach (cramm'd from ev'ry dish, A tomb of boil'd and roast, and flesh and fish, 70 Where bile, and wind, and phlegm, and acid jar, And all the man is one intestine war) e Remembers oft the School-boy's fimple fare, The temp'rate fleeps, and fpirits light as air. 'How pale, each Worshipful and Rev'rend guest Rife from a Clergy, or a City feast! 75 Coena defurgat dubia? quin corpus onustum Hefternis vitiis animum quoque praegravat una, Atque affigit humo divinae particulam aurae. Alter, ubi dicto citius curata fopori Membra dedit, vegetus praefcripta ad munia furgit. h * Hic tamen ad melius poterit tranfcurrere dam; Sive diem feftum rediens advexerit annus, Seu recreare volet tenuatum corpus: ubique quon Imbecilla volet. Tibi quidnam accedet ad iftam, Quam puer et validus praefumis, mollitiem; feu Dura valetudo inciderit, feu tarda senectus ? Illis nullus erat; fed, credo, hac mente, quod hofpes Tardius adveniens vitiatum commodius, quam NOTES. VER. 79, 80. The Soul fubfides, and wickedly inclines To fe m but mortal, ev'n in found Divines.] Horace was an Epicurean, and laughed at the immortality of the foul. And therefore, to render the doctrine more ridiculous, defcribes that languor of the mind proceeding from intemperance, on the idea, and in the terms of Plato, "affigit humo divinae particulam aurae.” To this, his ridicule is pointed. Our Poet, with more fobriety and judgment, has turned the Ridicule, from the doctrine, which he believed, upon thofe Preachers of it, whofe feafts and compotations in Taverns did not edify him: a nd so has What life in all that ample body, fay? Mind That leaves the load of yesterday behind? How eafy ev'ry labour it pursues? How coming to the Poet ev'ry Muse? "Not but we may exceed, fome holy time, 85 i For fainting Age what cordial drop remains, If our intemp❜rate Youth the veffel drains? 90 *Our fathers prais'd rank Ven'fon. You fuppofe Perhaps, young men! our fathers had no nose. Not fo: a Buck was then a week's repast, And 'twas their point, I ween, to make it last; More pleas'd to keep it till their friends could come, Than eat the sweetest by themselves at home. NOTES. 95 added furprizing humour and spirit to the eafy elegance of the Original. VER. 81. On morning wings, &c.] Much happier and no bler than the Original. VER. 86. Or tir'd in fearch of Truth, or fearch of Rhyme ;] Integrum edax dominus confumeret. hos uti nam inter Heroas natum tellus me prima tuliffet. "Das aliquid famae, quae carmine gratior aurem Occupet humanam? grandes rhombi, patinaeque Grande ferunt una "cum damno dedecus, adde Iratum patruum, vicinos, te tibi iniquum, Et fruftra mortis cupidum, cum deerit egenti PAs, laquei pretium. Jure, inquit, Traufius iftis Jurgatur verbis: ego vectigalia magna, Divitiafque habeo tribus amplas regibus. Ergo, Quod fuperat, non eft melius quo infumere poffis? Cur eget indignus quifquam, te divite? quare NOTES. A fine ridicule on the extravagance of human pursuits; where the most trifling and most important concerns of life fucceed one another, indifferently. VER. 117, 118. Oh Impudence of wealth! with all thy ftore, How dar'ft thou let one worthy man be poor ?] "Cur eget indignus quifquam, te divite?" is here admirably paraphrafed. And it is obfervable in these Imitations, that where our Poet keeps to the fentiments of Horace, he rather piques himself in excelling the most finished touches of his Original, than in correcting or improving the more inferior parts. Of this elegance of Ambition, all his Writings bear fuch marks, that it gave Countenance to an invidious imputation, as if his chief talent lay in copying |