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46 Horace here alludes to that Fable of fop, which fuppofes, that every Man carries two Wallets; that which hangs before containing the Vices of others, and that which hangs behind filled with his own; by which Means, thofe are eafily feen, while thefe are overlooked.

47 Agavé, after he had torn her Son Pentheus in Pieces for defpifing the Rites of Bacchus, was fo far from being confcious that he had committed a Crime, or done any thing wrong, that the carried his Head on the Point of her Spear, as if it had been the Head of a wild Boar, whom the had flain.

Euripides has finely treated this Subject in his Bacchantes.

48 Turbo was a celebrated Gladiator, of fmall Size and Stature.

49 An quodcunque facit Mecenas, &c.] We fondly imitate those whom we admire. This Reproach would therefore naturally confirm the Love and Affection of his Patron Macenas for him.

50 Abfentis ranæ pulis, &c.] This Fable is not in the prefent Collection which palles under the Name of Æjep. But we find it in Phædrus, who wrote foon after Horace. The Circumft mces are there fomewhat varied. He fays, that a Frog beheld a Bull in a Meadow; and, envying his Bulk, pulled out her Body, in order to imitate him,' &c. But Horace's Manner of telling it is more lively.

51 Adde poëmata nunc, &c.] The Stoics condemned Poetry abfolutely. But there is fomething droll in this Paffage. Damojippus, who here cenfures Poets with fo much Severity, forgets that at the Beginning of this very Satire he reproached Horace for not entertaining the Public with Verfe, and exhorted him to write again as ufual.

This Contradiction gives us a lively Image of the Temper of Mankind, who now condemn what they applauded the Moment before; who judge only by Caprice, and have as many different Rules of judging, as there

14

are

are different Degrees of Heat and Fire in their Imagina◄ tions. DACIER.

52 Non dico horrendam rabiem.] Horace was paffionate, and eafily provoked: Irafci celer, as he himself owns. See Epistle XX, Book Í. The Stics professed Patience.

53

Majorem cenfu.]

Cultum

He loved to go elegantly dreffed, and was fond of gay Cloaths. This Tafte he had contracted from the Manner of his Education. What that was, he tells us in Book I. Sat. VI.

Viftem fervofque fequentes
In magno ut populo fi quis vidiffet, avitá
Ex re praberi fumptus mibi crederet illos.

Ver. 78. & feq.

But the Stoics, like our Quakers, affected a Simplicity in their Habit, and wore nothing but what was abfolutely neceffary.

This Satire would, perhaps, have appeared more lively and animated, if the Dialogue had paffed between Stertinius and Horace, instead of Stertinius and Damafippus ; but then he would have deprived himself of his defenfive Arms, and could not have retorted, That the Philofopher was guilty of greater Faults than those with which he charged the Poet. By which it is evident, that there was a good deal of Art and Address in his Conduct.

SATIRE IV.

By Mr. J. DUNCOMBE.

A Dialogue between HORACE and CATIUS, an Epicurean Philofopher, on the Art of Cookery.

HORACE.

SAY, Catius, whence and whither?

CATIUS.

No Delay,

My Friend, I beg; no Time have I to stay:
Eager to treasure in my penfive Mind

Some Maxims new; and, trust me, you will find
That not Pythagoras, nor Socrates,

Nor Plato's felf, e'er gave such Rules are these.

I crave your

HORACE.

Pardon. 'Twas indeed a Crime To break your Chain of Thought at fuch a Time. But you, who, both by Nature and by Art, Can all the Rules of Memory impart, Will foon unite the broken Links again.

CATIUS.

All I had heard I labour'd to retain.

Fine are the Precepts, and as finely told.

HORACE.

Your Author's Name, I pray you, first unfold, A Foreigner or Native?

[blocks in formation]

CATIUS.

I conceal

His Name; his Precepts freely I'll reveal.

Ι

I Long Eggs prefer to round; with richer Juice They always fwell, and Cocks their Yolks produce.

2 More fweet the Cale that grows in fandyFields Than what our City Soil, well-water'd, yields. Should an unlook'd-for Gueft drop in at Night, Thus learn to footh his craving Appetite: In Wine and Water dip your Fowl alive; For thence the Flesh will Tenderness derive.

3 The Meadow-Mushroom you may safely prize; But often in the others Poifon lies.

The Man who eats, 4 when Dinner-time is o'er, Ripe Mulb'ries, gather'd from the Tree, before Too fiercely rage the fcorching folar Rays, Will pafs, fecure of Health, the Summer Days.

Let not Aufidius' Morning-draught be thine! With Honey fweeten'd, harth Falernian Wine He quaff'd ; but to thy empty Veins alone Let Liquors fmooth, like lenient Mead, be known. Pound Cockle-fhells, when Coftiveness prevails, And with Dwarf-forrel mix and Juice of Snails; Then fafting drink it in white Coan Wine:

So your

heal'd Bowels will no more repine.

5 With growing Moons the loos'ning Shell

fifh fwell:

The nobler Kinds not in all Oceans dwell.

The

The fweeteft Oyfters we at Circé take,
But far the largest in the Lucrine Lake.
Cray-fifh Mifenum's Promontory love,
While Cockles foft Tarentum's Coast approve.
What boots it that the choiceft Fish you buy,
Unless with critic Tafte you well defcry

Which needs moft Sauce, which least, and thus excite,

By various Means, the languid Appetite?

The Boar (if you're difpleas'd with flabby Food) Who crunches Acorns in the Umbrian Wood, On your wide Dish may spread his ample Size; 6 Those which in Marthes feed we never prize.

Kids, which inVineyards browze, forbear to eat. 7 The Wings of pregnant Hares are dainty Meat.

None before Me could by their Taste engage To know of Fish and Fowl the Kind and Age.

To mold the brittle Pafte is paltry Fame, And far too trivial all our Care to claim: As if, though richest Wines your Cellars ftore, Yet on your Fish you ftinking Oyl fhould pour.

Expofe your Maffic when the Skies are clear; If dreggy, 'twill be purg'd by nightly Air, And lofe that Odour which the Spirits waftes; But through fine Linnen ftrain'd it vapid tastes. He, who, his grofs Falernian to refine, Pours on the flimy Lees Surrentine Wine,

I 6

Should

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