Page images
PDF
EPUB

Utilitas expreffit nomina rerum.

DACIER.

There was a Time, fays Cicero, when Men wandered about in the Fields like Beafts, and fubfifted on the 'fame Food.'

19 Unguibus & pugnis, dein fuftibus.] Thus Lucretius, in his fifth Book, ver. 1282, & feq.

Arma antiqua, manus, ungues, dentefque fuerunt,
Et lapides, item fylvarum fragmina rami;
Et flamma, atque ignes poftquam funt cognita ;
Pofterius ferri vis eft ærifque reperta,
Et ferro capere folum profcinders terra;
Exaquataque funt creperi certam na belli.

Ere Cruelty was yet improv'd by Art,

And Rage unfurnish'd with the Sword or Dart,
With Hands, Nails, Teeth, or lubs, our Fathers fought,
Or Stones, the only Weapons Nature taught.-
Then hire was ftruck: By Fire the Iron Share
Was forg'd for Peace; the Sword for doubtful War.-
D.

20 Armis, quæ poft fabricaverat ufus.] The Antiquity of Iron Work appears from Holy Writ: Tubal Cain was an inftructor of every Artificer in Brass and Iron.' Gen. iv. 22.

21 Donec verba quibus voces, &c.] This Brutality continued till they had found Words to make themselves understood, and had given fixed Names to things, which removed Confufion, and established Order.

[ocr errors]

22 Oppida cœperunt munire, & ponere leges.] Nicocles follows the fame Order in Ifocrates; for he fays, 'When we had found out the Secret of making ourfelves understood, and of perfuading one another, we not only quitted this brutal Life, but, affembling in Societies, "we built Cities, made Laws, &c.'

23 Jura inventa metu injufti.] Horace fays in brief, that if we trace Hiftory from the earliest Times, we shall be obliged to own, that the Fear of Oppreffion and In. juftice gave Rife to Laws. Taking it in this Light, VOL. III. C

Justice

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

Juftice is manifeftly the Daughter of Utility; for it is Utility, and our own Intereft, that inspire this Fear. Thrajea fays in Tacitus, that evil Actions are the Parents of Laws: Nam culpa quam pœna tempore prior; emendari quam peccare pofterius eft. Crimes precede Penalties; and we must be wicked before we can be reformed.' What therefore Horace fays here is true of written Laws; but the Laws of Nature, which is the primitive Justice, are quite another thing. Thus Cicero excellently obferves, in his fecond Book De Legibus: There was a Reason ' which sprung from the Bosom of Nature herself. This 6 prompts to Good, and deters from Evil. This Reafon did not then begin to be a Law, when it began to be written, but was fuch from its firft Existence; and it was coaval with the Divine Understanding. On which Account, the true and original Law, which ought to be enforced by human Laws, is no other than the Reason of the Great GOD himself.' So that, according to this Doctrine, which is agreeable to Truth and Reafon, when Cain killed his Brother Abel, though long before the written Law, which fays, Thou shalt not kill, this Murder was nevertherlefs a Sin; because it was committed against the Law of Nature. DACIER.

24-idemque

Qui teneros caules, &c.] This Inftance is taken from the Laws of Draco, which exprefly ordain, that the Man who fteals a few Coleworts fhall be as feverely punished as if he had committed Sacrilege.

25

-fi dives, qui fapiens eft.] The End of this Satire is a cutting Raillery. Horace breaks off the Dispute, and, on the Stoic's faying, that if they were Kings they would punish the fmalleft Faults as feverely as the greateft, he takes Occafion to railly them on their pretended Royalty. For one of their principal Opinions was, that their wife Man is every thing; that he alone is a good Shoemaker, a good Cook; that he alone is rich, beautiful, and in fhort a KING. Horace, therefore, fays to them, 'Why are you fo inconfiftent with yourselves? Why do you wifh for what you have already? For you 6 are even now Kings according to your own Principles."

But

But we must not forget, that the Railleries which Horace here ufes did not hinder him from drawing, in other Places, excellent Truths from this very Opinion. In fact, if we reduce this Notion to its first Principle, we fhall find, that the Founder of this Sec, Zeno, meant no more than that the Wife and the Virtuous are fuperior to Kings; and that Virtue beftows on her Votaries Sceptres and Crowns, more valuable than those which are derived from the Suffrage of the People. See Book ii. Ode 2. and Book iv. Ode 9.

But the fame thing has happened to Zeno, which commonly happens to the Founders of new Sects. Thofe who fucceed them often interpret their Rules in fo grofs and foolish a Manner, that is gives Occafion for turning into Ridicule both them and their Opinions. DACIER.

26 Pater Chryfippus.] Chryfippus was the Difciple of Zeno. The Stoic here calls him the Father of the Sect, because he was the first who put that abfurd Construction on the Words of Zeno, which is here adopted.

27 Alfenus vafer.] Alfenus, furnamed Varus, after following, at Cremona, the Trade of a Barber, or (as fome fay) a Shoemaker, came to Rome, where he studied the Law under Servius Sulpicius, and at length was chofen Conful in the Year of Rome 755.

28 Sicrex folus.] The wife Man may be more truly ftyled a King than Tarquin, who could govern neither himfelf nor his Subjects; he is more truly the Mafter of the People (for fuch is a Dictator) than Sylla, who was Malter of three deftructive Vices, Luxury, Avarice, and Cruelty; he is more truly rich than Craffus, who would never have paffed the Euphrates without any Pretence for War, if he had not been indigent. He may truly be faid to poffefs all things, who alone knows how to use all things. He may also truly be ftyled beautiful, as the Features of the Mind are more beautiful than thofe of the Body; he is truly free, being no Slave to his Passions; and truly invincible, fince, though his Body may be bound, no Fetters can be put on his Mind. CICERO.

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small]
[ocr errors]

29 Inque vicem illorum patiar delicta libenter.] Pliny has given fome Advice for our Conduct towards our Friends agreeable to the Rules here laid down by Horace. I must fteem (lays he) that Man the best and the most perfect, who acts by forgiving Errors, as if he was continually committing them; and yet abftains from Faults, as if he never pardoned them.' And afterwards: We 'fhould ever keep in Remembrance the Maxim of Thrafea, whofe remarkable Humanity rendered his Greatness confpicuous in that Virtue as in all others. He who hates Faults, hates Mankind. Pliny's Epiftles, Book viii. Epifle 22. tranflated by the Earl of CORKE.

The noble and learned Translator (whose Observations are no lefs valuable than the Text) justly remarks, that Pliny here writes as if he had been influenced by the Doctrines fo excellently displayed in the Gospel. D.

Notwithstanding the Raillery of Horace, which is carried to a great Length, we are not to imagine that Zeno and all his Followers abfolutely banished Complaifance and Compaffion. Epictetus, or his Commentator Simplicius, fomewhere fays, That we ought to extenuate the Faults which our Friends commit against us, in order to pardon them; and to aggravate those we 'commit against them, to correct and reform ourselves.'

The Stoic Philofophers, who were for a long time the Repositories of Virtue and Wisdom, knowing the Weaknefs of Human Nature, urged the Practice of Duties incompatible with it; that Mankind, by making an Effort to follow their Precepts, might, as it were, top in the Middle; as we bend a Tree farther to the oppofite Side, to make it grow ftrait. DACIER.

SATIRE IV.

By Mr. J. DUNCOMBE.

He excufes the Liberty taken by Writers of Satire, and especially that which he takes himself.

'HE comic Poets of the Grecian Stage,

THE

Who form'd the rifing Manners of the Age,
Dar'd Murder, Theft, Adultery, to blame,
Nor fear'd notorious Criminals to name.
The fame free Spirit in 2 Lucilius reigns,

The Metre chang'd; but carelefs are his Strains,
And rough his Diction. 'Twas his chief Delight
Two hundred Verfes in an Hour to write:
Through Indolence he never could fuftain
The Toil of writing; writing well I mean :
For writing much can claim no Share of Praife.
But fee! Grifpinus dares me. Take, he fays,
Pen, Ink, and Paper, and the Tafk be thine,
. Both Time, and Place, and Keepers to affign;
Then fee which of us two can write the most.'

HORACE.

[ocr errors]

I, Thanks to Heaven, an humble Spirit boast ;
Little I speak, and feldom. You may blow
Your fwelling Bellows, 'till the Metals glow,
Pliant and foft. Fannius in Phoebus' Shrine
Can place his Buft and Poems: None read mine;

[blocks in formation]
« PreviousContinue »