106

P. What? arm'd for Virtue when I point the pen,
Brand the bold front of shameless guilty men ;
Dash the proud Gamefter in his gilded Car;
Bare the mean Heart that lurks beneath a Star;
Can there be wanting, to defend her cause,

Lights of the Church, or Guardians of the Laws? 110
Could penfion'd Boileau lash in honest strain
Flatt'rers and Bigots ev'n in Louis' reign?
Could Laureate Dryden Pimp and Fry's engage,
Yet neither Charles nor James be in à rage?
And I not f ftrip the gilding off a Knave,
Unplac'd, unpenfion'd, no man's heir, or flave?

I will, or perish in the gen'rous caufe:

115

Hear this, and tremble! you, who 'fcape the Laws. Yes, while I live, no rich or noble knave

Shall walk the World, in credit, to his grave.

120

8 TO VIRTUE ONLY and HER FRIENDS A FRIEND,

The World befide may murmur, or commend.
Know, all the distant din that world can keep,
Rolls o'er my Grotto, and but fooths my fleep.

NOTES.

and Laelius; it was Mr. Pope's, to fatirize the prefent, and therefore he gives the vicious examples of Louis, Charles, and James. Either way the inftances are equally pertinent; but in the latter they have rather greater force. Only the line,

Uni aequus virtuti atque ejus amicis, lofes fomething of its fpirit in the imitation; for the amici, referred to, were Scipio and Laelius.

h

Quin ubi fe a vulgo et scena in fecreta remorant

Virtus Scipiadae et mitis fapientia Laeli,

Nugari cum illo, et difcincti ludere, donec

Decoqueretur olus, foliti,

Quidquid fum ego, quamvis

Infra Lucili cenfum, ingeniumque; tamen me
i Cum magnis vixisse invita fatebitur ufque
Invidia; et fragili quaerens illidere dentem,
Offendet folido:

Diffentis.

* nifi quid tu, docte Trebati,

T. 'Equidem nihil hinc diffingere poffum. Sed tamen ut monitus caveas, ne forte negoti

Incutiat tibi quid fanctarum infcitia legum:

m

"Si mala condiderit in quem quis carmina, jus eft

NOTES.

VER. 129. And HE, whofe lightning, etc.] Charles Mordaunt Earl of Peterborow, who in the year 1705 took Barcelona, and in the winter following with only 208

There, my retreat the best Companions grace, 125
Chiefs out of war, and Statesmen out of place.
There ST. JOHN mingles with my friendly bowl
The Feaft of Reason and the Flow of foul:

And HE, whofe lightning pierc'd th' Iberian Lines,
Now forms my Quincunx, and now ranks my Vines,
Or tames the Genius of the ftubborn plain,
Almoft as quickly as he conquer'd Spain.
iEnvy must own, I live among the Great,

No Pimp of pleasure, and no Spy of state,

131.

With eyes that pry not, tongue that ne'er repeats, 135 Fond to fpread ftiendships, but to cover heats;

To help who want, to forward who excel;

This, all who know me, know; who love me, tell;
And who unknown defame me, let them be
Scriblers or Peers, alike are Mob to me.

This is my plea, on this I reft my cause

*What faith my Council, learned in the laws?

1

F. Your Plea is good; but ftill I fay, beware!
Laws are explain'd by Men-fo have a care.
It ftands on record, that in Richard's times
A man was hang'd for very honeft rhymes.
m Confult the Statute: quart. I think, it is,
Edwardi fext. or prim. et quint. Eliz.

NOTES.

140

145

horfe and goo foot enterprized and accomplished the Con

queft of Valentia.

P.

"Judiciumque."

H. Efto, fiquis mala. fed bona fi quis

Judice condiderit laudatus CAESARE? fi quis

VER. 150. Libels and Satires! lawless things indeed! But grave Epiftles, &c.] The legal objection is here more juftly and decently taken off than in the Original. Horace evades the force of it with a quibble,

Efto, fiquis mala; fed bona fi quis.

But the Imitator's grave Epiftles fhew the fatire to be a ferious reproof, and therefore juftifiable; which the inte ger ipfe of the Original does not: for however this might plead in mitigation of the offence, nothing but their being grave Epiftles could justify the attack.

VER. 152. F. Indeed ?] Hor.

Solventur rifu tabulae.

See Libels, Satires-here you have it-read.

P." Libels and Satires! lawless things indeed! 150
But grave Epiftles, bringing Vice to light,
Such as a King might read, a Bishop write,
Such as Sir ROBERT would approve-

F. Indeed?
The Cafe is alter'd-you may then proceed;
• In fuch a cause the Plaintiff will be hifs'd,
My Lords the Judges laugh, and you're dismiss'd.

NOTES.

155

Some Critics tell us, it is want of tafte to put this line in the mouth of Trebatius. But our Poet confutes this cenfure, by fhewing how well the fense of it agrees to his Friend's character. The Lawyer is cautious and fearful; but as foon as SIR ROBERT, the Patron both of Law and Gofpel, is mentioned as approving them, he changes his note, and, in the language of old Plouden, owns, the Cafe is altered. Now was it not as natural, when Horace had given a hint that Auguftus himself supported him, for Trebatius, a Court Advocate, who had been long a Client to him and his Uncle, to confefs the Cafe was altered?