Thus prais'd by few, tho' by the Vulgar fcorn'd, 8 Shall low Pantilius' Sneers my Spleen provoke, In Friendship and in Learning; Men like these Go, Boy, and in my Book thefe Verses write. NOTE S. Lucilius had at Rome, in the Time of Auguftus, many Admirers, who were very extravagantly fo; on which Account, the Liberty which Horace had taken, in his fourth Satire, of cenfuring his Satires as harsh and obfcure, had given great Offence; for most People are very unwilling to give up Opinions they have once embraced. This gave Occafion to Horace's Enemies to fay, that he cenfured cenfured Lucilius through Envy, and in order to exalt himfelf above him. Horace, being informed of this Report, composed this Satire to maintain his former Judgment; which he performs with much Force and Addrefs. He refutes the Opinion of thote Bigots, who thought that the Satires of Lucilius were perfect, becaufe they excited Laughter: He shows, that a Piece may perhaps have this Quality, and yet be, in o her Refpects, full of Faults: He points out the principal Qualities it ought to have, to be elteemed perfect, and shows hereby the Difference between the Beautiful and the Agreeable. After this he attacks the Reasons that the Admirers of Lucilius gave for their Tafte, and proves their Abfurdity. He excufes the Liberty he has taken, by the Example of Lucilius himself, who had cenfured many things in the Works of Attius and Ennius, and by the Example of those who have found Faults in Homer, without pretending to place themfelves above him. I DACIER. incompofito dixi pede currere verfus.] This was in his fourth Satire, where he fays, and durus componere verjus, Cum flueret lutulentus, erat quod tollere velles. 2 ut pulchra poëmata.] Every thing which is agreeable is not therefore beautiful; for there is a great deal of Difference between the Agreeable, to do, and the Beautiful, to nav. Plato and Ariftotle never confound them. The agreeable is that which gives us Pleasure, and this is the Quality of Pantomimes and Farces; but the Beautiful is that which is decent, excellent, and worthy of high Praife, which the Pantomimes can by no means deferve. And therefore they ought not to be styled pulchra poëmata. DACIER. 3 Dura tibi peragenda rei fit caufa Petilli.] This is the fame Petillius whom he mentioned in the fourth Satire. He was accused of having ftolen a Crown of Gold from Jupiter's Statue in the Capitol, but was acquitted by the Favour of Auguftus. F 3 4 gaudentes rure Camena.] He calls Virgil's the Sylvan Mufe, on account of his Eclogues and Georgics. This is a Proof that this Satire was written before the Appearance of the Eneid. To fpeak properly, that Work was not publifhed 'till after the Death of Virgil. No Part of it had been feen under Auguftus's ninth Confulfhip. For while that Prince was in Spain he wrote to Virgil, defiring him to fend him the firft Sketch, or rough Draught, of that Poem, or at least fome Specimen of it. Virgil declined complying with his Requeft: But a good while afterwards he read to him the fecond, fourth, and fixth Books. Now Virgil died fix Years after this ninth Confulship. It clearly appears from hence, that Horace had not seen the Eneid when he wrote this Satire. therefore wrote it before he was forty-one Years old, viz. between the Year of Rome 723, when the Georgics were finished, and the Year 728. This is all that can be known with Certainty concerning the Date of this Piece. For it is impoffible to date it more precifely. DACIER. He From the 38th Verfe, in which the Temple of Apollo Palatine is mentioned, Sanadon proves that this Satire must have been compofed in the Year 727, or 728, becaufe that Temple was not dedicated before 726. 5 molle aique facetum Virgilio annuerunt.] Horace here juftly declares, that the rural Mufts have appropriated to Virgil their Elegance and Sweetnefs; who, as he copied Theocritus in his, Design, has resembled him alfo in his Success; for, if we except Calphurnius, an obfcure Author of the lower Ages, I know not that a fingle Paftoral was written after him by any Poet,till the Revival of Literature. WARTON. 6 Non ridet verfus Enni gravitate minores ?] Ennius was one of the greatest Poets that Rome ever had. He wrote his Annals in Hexameters, of which there are still fome beautiful Fragments left. He wrote also an Heroic Poem in Trochaic Verfe, in Honour of Scipio Africanus. The following fine Eragment is taken from that Work: Mundus Mundus cæli vaftus confiitit filentio, There is so much Strength and Beauty in these Lines, as juftifies the Opinion that Lucretius has given of his Works, when he fays of him; primus amœno The firft and fresheft Crowns of Laurel grow CREECH. Quintilian has given a Character of him no lefs juft than noble: Ennium ficut facras vetuftate lucos adoremus, in quibus grandia et antiqua robora jam non tantam habent Speciem, quantam religionem. We fhould efteem Ennius as we do thofe Groves, that are made venerable by Antiquity, in which the tall and aged Oaks have more religious Awe than Beauty.' 7 Sæpe ftylum vertas.] The Ancients wrote upon their Tablets with Steel Pens, made almost like he Pencils that we use for our Pocket-Books, fharp at one End, and flat at the other. The flat Part ferved to enace what had been written. 7 explofa Arbufcula.] Arbufcula was a celebrated Actress at that Time. Atticus, writing to Cicero, aks him if Arbuscula had performed her Part well in the indromache of Ennius, which was then acting. Cicero anfwers, Quaris nunc de Arbufcula. Vaide placuit. These Lines are happily imitated by the Earl of Rochefter: Can't thou be fuch a vain mistaken thing To wish thy Works may make a Play-house ring? F 4 Not Not I: I've no Ambition on that Score, When a Court Lady call'd her Buckhurst's Whore, } 9 Plotius Tucca is the fame who was mentioned in the fifth Satire. 10 Titus Valgius, to whom he addreffed the ninth Ode of the fecond Book. II Octavius.] An excellent Poet and Hiftorian. He died fuddenly at Dinner in a violent Paffion. 12- Vifcorum uterque.] The two Sons of Vibius Vifcus, a Roman Knight, who was highly efteemed by Auguftus. 13 Fufcus.] Ariftius Fufcus, to whom he addreffed the twenty fecond Ode of the fift Book, and the tenth Epistle of the first Book. 14 Polio.] C. Afinius Pollio, a great Poet, Orator, Hiftorian, and General. See the Notes on Ode I. Book II. 15 candide Furni.] This is the fame Furnius who was Conful home Years after with C. Julius Silanus, to whom icero wrote two Letters that are ftill extant. See his tenth Book 16-Meffala.] Meffala Corvinus, who had all the Endowments of the Head and Heart. See Book III. Ode XXI. 17- Servi.] The Son of Servius Sulpicius, to whom Cicero addreffed fome Letters. 18 Bibule.] This was perhaps the Son of that Bibulus, who was Conful with Julius Cæfar in the Year of Rome 695. The END of the FIRST BOOK. THE |