с Quifquis erit vitae, fcribam, color. T. O puer, ut fis Vitalis metuo; et majorum ne quis amicus H. c Quid ? cum eft Lucilius aufus Primus in hunc operis componere carmina morem, f Detrabere et pellem, nitidus qua quifque per ora Cederet, introrfum turpis; num Laelius, et qui Duxit ab oppreffa meritum Carthagine nomen, VER. 97. Whether the darken'd room---Or whiten'd wall---} This is only a wanton joke upon the terms of his Original Quifquis erit vitae color. VER, 104. Will club their Testers, &c.] The image is exceeding humorous, and, at the fame time, betrays the injuftice of their refentment in the very circumftance of their indulging it; as it fhews the Poet had faid no more of their avarice, than what was true. Our Author's abundance of Wit has made his readers backward in acknowledging his talent for Humour. But the veins are equally rich; and the one flows with eafe, and the other is always placed with propriety. VER. 105---120. What? armed for Virtue, etc.] This is not only fuperior to Horace, but equal to any thing in himself. VER. 110. Lights of the Church, or Guardians of the Ldros? Becaufe juft Satire is an ufeful fupplement to the fanctions of Law and Religion; and has, therefore, a claim to the protection of those who prefide in the administration either of church or state. Whether the darken'd room to muse invite, Or whiten❜d wall provoke the skew'r to write : In durance exile, Bedlam, or the Mint, C Like Lee or Budgell, I will rhyme and print. 100 F. d Alas young man! your days can ne'er be long, In flow'r of age you perish for a fong! 106 Plums and Directors, Shylock and his Wife, 115 VER. 111. Could penfion'd Boileau---Could Laureat Dryden] It was Horace's purpose to compliment the former times, and therefore he gives the virtuous examples of Scipio and Lælius; 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 æquus virtuti atque ejus amicis, lofes fomething of its fpirit in the imitation; for the amici, referred to, were Scipio and Lælius. Ingenio offenfi? aut laefo doluere Metello, AMICIS. h Quin ubi fe a vulgo et fcena in fecreta remôrant Quidquid fum ego, quamvis Infra Lucili cenfum, ingeniumque; tamen me i Cum magnis vixiffe invita fatebitur ufque Invidia; et fragili quaerens illidere dentem, Offendet folido: VER.129. And HE, whose lightning, etc.] Charles Mordaunt Earl of Peterborow, who in the year 1705 took Barcelona, and in the winter following with only 280 horse and 900 foot enterprized and accomplished the Conqueft of Valentia. VER: 133: Envy must own, etc:] Horace makes the point of honour to confift fimply in his living familiarly with the Great, I will, or perish in the gen'rous cause: Hear this, and tremble! you, who 'scape 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, i Envy 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 This, all who know me, know; who love me, tell; Cum magnis vixiffe invita fatebitur ufque Invidia. Our poet, more nobly, in his living with them on the footing of an honest man.-) -He prided himself in this fuperiority, as appears from the following words, in a letter to Dr. Swift, "To have pleafed great men, according to Horace, is a "praife; but not to have flattered them, and yet not have displeased them, is a greater." Let. vii. Jan. 12, 1723. VOL. IV. E 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: 66 “Si mala condiderit in quem quis carmina, jus efi Judiciumque." n H. Eto, fiquis mala. fed bona fi quis Judice condiderit laudatus CAESARE? fi quis Opprobrijs dignum laceraverit, integer ipfe? 'T. Solventur rifu tabulæ; tu miffus abibis. VER. 146. A man was hang'd, &c.] Si mala condiderit.--A great French Lawyer explains this matter very truly: "L'Ariftocratie eft le Gouvernment qui profcrit les plus les "Ouvrages fatiriques, Les Magiftrats y font de petits fove"rains, qui ne font pas affez grands pour meprifer les injures, "Si dans la Monarchie quelque trait va contre le Monarque, "il eft fi haut que le trait n'arrive point jufqu' à lui; un "Seigneur Ariftocratique en eft percé de part en part. "Auffi les Decemvirs, qui formoient une Aristocratie, puni"rent-ils de mort les Ecrits Satiriques." De L'Esprit des Loix, L. xii. c. 13. VIR. 150. Libels and Satires! lawless things indeed! But grave Epifiles, etc.] The legal objection is here more juftly and decently taken off than in the Orginal. 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 justifiable; which the integer ipfe of the Original does not: for however this might plead in mitigation of the offence, nothing but their being grave Epifles could justify the attack. VER. 152. F. Indeed ?] Hor. |