44

Lucilî ritu, noftrum melioris utroque.

Ille velut fidis arcana fodalibus olim

Credebat libris; neque, fi male gefferat, ufquam
Decurrens alio, neque fi bene: quo fit, ut omnis

Votiva pateat veluti defcripta tabella

Vita fenis. fequor hunc, Lucanus an Appulus, an

ceps:

[Nam venufinus arat finem fub utrumque colonus,
Miffus ad hoc, pulfis (vetus eft ut fama) Sabellis,
Quo ne per vacuum Romano incurreret hoftis ;
Sive quod Appula gens, feu quod Lucania bellum
Incuteret violenta.] fed hic ftylus haud petet ultro
Quemquam animantem, et me veluti cuftodiet enfis
Vagina tectus, quem cur deftringere coner,

NOTES.

VER. 56. the medium must be clear.] Allufion to a fountain of limpid water, thro' which the contents of the bottom are difcovered. This thought, tho' not very exact, affifted him in the eafy and happy change of the metaphor in the following line.

VER. 63. My head and heart thus flowing from my quill,] Inferior to the Original:

Ille velut fidis arcana fodalibus olim
Credebat libris, etc.

In them, as certain to be lov'd as seen,

The Soul ftood forth, nor kept a thought within;

55

In me what spots (for spots I have) appear,
Will prove at least the Medium must be clear.
In this impartial glafs, my Mufe intends
Fair to expose myself, my foes, my friends;
Publish the present age; but where my text
Is Vice too high, referve it for the next:
My foes fhall with my life a longer date,
And ev'ry friend the lefs lament my fate.

60

My head and heart thus flowing thro' my quill,
Verfe-man or Profe-man, term me which you will,

Papift or Proteftant, or both between,

Like good Erasmus in an honest Mean,
In moderation placing all my glory,

While Tories call me Whig, and Whigs a Tory.

s Satire's my weapon, but I'm too discreet To run a muck, and tilt at all I meet;

NOTES.

Perfius alluded to this idea, when he faid,

Vidi, vidi ipfe, Libelle! etc.

65

70

VER. 64. Verse-man or Profe-man, term me which you will, Papift r Proteftant, etc.] The original thought (which is very flat, and fo ill and aukwardly expreffed, as to be taken for a monkish Addition) is here admirably imitated, in a lively character of himself, and his Writings.

VER. 69. Satire's my weapon] In thefe Words, our Author has happily explained the true Character of Ho

Tutus ab infeftis latronibus? O pater et rex

Jupiter, ut pereat pofitum rubigine telum,

W

Nec quifquam noceat cupido mihi pacis! at ille,

Qui me commorit, (melius non tangere, clamo)

*Flebit, et infignis tota cantabitur urbe.

y Cervius iratus leges minitatur et urnam ;

Canidia Albuti, quibus eft inimica, venenum;

Grande malum Turius, fi quid fe judice certes:

NOTES.

race's ironical Apology, which is to this purpose: Nature, fays he, has given all Creatures the means of offence and defence: The wolf has teeth, the bull has horns, and my weapon is fatire. And, at the fame time that he vindicates the claim to his natural talent, he fhews the moral use of it, by the inftances of the like natural talents of Cervius to inform, of Canidia to poison, and of Turius to pass fentence. The turn of this ludicrous argumentation is fine and delicate; and we find his Imitator faw the whole force of it.

VER. 71. I only wear it in a land of Hectors, etc.] Superior to, tutus ab infeftis latronibus, which only carries on the metaphor in

enfis

Vagina tectus,

I only wear it in a land of Hectors,

Thieves, Supercargoes, Sharpers, and Directors.
▾ Save but our Army! and let Jove incrust
Swords, pikes, and guns, with everlasting rust!
w Peace is my dear delight-not FLEURY'S more: 75
But touch me, and no Minifter fo fore.

Whoe'er offends, at some unlucky time
* Slides into verse, and hitches in a rhyme,
Sacred to Ridicule his whole life along,
And the fad burthen of fome merry fong.

> Slander or Poifon dread from Delia's rage,

Hard words or hanging, if your Judge be Page.
From furious Sappho scarce a milder fate,

P-x'd by her love, or libell'd by her hate.

NOTES.

80

whereas the imitation does more; for, along with the metaphor, it conveys the image of the fubject, by prefenting the reader with the feveral objects of fatire.

VER. 72. Thieves, Supercargoes,] The names, at that time, ufually bestowed on those whom the trading Companies fent with their Ships, and intrusted with their concerns, abroad.

VER. 81-84. Slander-libell'd by her hate.] There feems to be more fpirit here than in the original. But it is hard to pronounce with certainty. For tho' one may be confident there is more force in the 83d and 84th lines than in

Canidia Albuti, quibus eft inimica, venenum ; yet there might be fomething, for ought we know, in the Character or Hiftory of Cervius which might bring up that line to the spirit and poinancy of the 82d verfe of the Imitation.

с

Ut, quo quifque valet, fufpectos terreat, utque
Imperet hoc Natura potens, fic collige mecum.

Dente lupus, cornu taurus petit ; unde, nifi intus
Monftratum? Scaevae vivacem crede nepoti
Matrem; nil faciet fceleris pia dextera (mirum?

Ut neque calce lupus quemquam, neque dente petit

bos)

Sed mala tollet anum vitiato melle cicuta.

b Ne longum faciam: feu me tranquilla fenectus Exfpectat, feu mors atris circumvolat alis;

Dives, inops; Romae, feu fors ita jufferit, exful;

Quifquis erit vitae, fcribam, color.

T. O puer, ut fis

Vitalis metuo; et majorum ne quis amicus

NOTES.

VER. 85.-90. It's proper power to burt, etc.] All, except the two laft lines, inferior to the elegance and precifion of the Original.

VER. 93, 96. Whether old age-fhade] The Original is more finifhed, and even fublime. Befides, the laft