X Is this my Guide, Philofopher, and Friend? This he, who loves me, and who ought to mend? Who ought to make me (what he can, or none) That Man divine whom Wifdom calls her own; 180 Great without Title, without Fortune blefs'd; Richy ev'n when plunder'd, z honour'd while opprefs'd; Lov'da without youth, and follow'd without pow'r; At home, tho' exil'd; b free, tho' in the Tow'r; In fhort, that reas'ning, high, immortal Thing, 185 Juft lefs than Jove, and much above a King, Nay, half in heav'n-except (what's mighty odd) A Fit of Vapours clouds this Demy-God. EPISTOLA VI. NII. admirari, prope res eft una, Nomici, Solaque qua poffit facere et fervare beatum. b Hunc folem, et ftellas, et decedentia certis Tempora momentis, funt qui formidine nullâ Imbut pectent. d quid cenfes, munera terræ? Quid, maris extremos Arabas f ditantis et Indos? Ludicra, quid, plaufus, et amici dona Quiritis? Quo fpe&tanda modo, & quo fenfu credis et ore? NOTES. VER. 3. Dear MURRAY,] This piece is the moft finished of all his Imitations, ana executed in the bigh manner the Italian painters call con amore. By which they mean, the exertion of that principle, which puts the faculties on the ftretch, and produces the fupreme degree of excellence. For the Poet had all the warmth of affection for the g at Lawyer to whom it is addreffed: and, indeed, no man ever more deferved to have a Poet for his friend. In the obtaining of which. as neither vanity, party, nor fear had any fhare, (which gave birth to the attachments of many of his noble acquaintance,) fo he fupported his title to it by all the good offices of autrous and true Friendship. W. VER 4. Greich.] From whofe Tranflation of Horace the two firft lines are taken. P. VER 4. Words of Creech.) Who, in truth, is a much better tranflator than he his ufually fuppofed and allowed to be. He is a nervous and vigorous writer and many parts, not only of his Lucretius but of his Theocritus and Horace, (though now decried,) have not been excelled by other tranflators. One of his pieces may be pronounced excellent: his tranflation of the thir EPISTLE VI. TO MR. MURRAY. Nor to admire, is all the Art I know, ❝ lo make men happy, and to keep them fo." (Plain Truth, dear MURRAY, needs to flow'rs of fpeech, So take it in the very Words of Creech.) b his Vault of Air, this congregated Ball, 5 Self-center'd Sun, and Stars that rife and fall, There are, my friend! whofe philofophic eyes Look through, and truft the Ruler with his Skies, To him commit the Hour, the Day, the Year, And view this dreadful All without a fear. Admire we then what d Earth's low Entrails hold, Arabian fhores, or Indian feas infold; 10 All the mad trade of e Fools and Slaves for Gold? teenth Satire of Juvenal; that author. NOTES. equal to any Dryden has given us of VER. 8. Trust the Ruler] This laft line is quaint and even obfcure; the two fift vigorously expreffed. Horace thought of a Ariking and exalted paffage in Lucretius. Book v. l. 1185. |