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When, fudden, fhouting from afar. See his Antagonist appear!

The Bailiff feiz'd him, quick as Thought, "Ho! Mr. Scoundrel, are you caught! "Sir! you are Witness to th' Arrest.”.

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Aye! marry, Sir, I'll do my beft.'---
The Mob huzzas---away they trudge,
Culprit and all, before the Judge ;
Mean-while I, luckily enough,
(Thanks to Apollo,) got clear off.

NOTE S.

1 Ibam, &c.] The Design of Horace in his Satires is to lay down Precepts to form the Manners, and to distinguish Virtue and Vice. But as mere Precepts must neceffarily have a Dryness in them, which is apt to tire the Reader, Horace chufes to inftru&t by Pictures. There is nothing fo difficult, and at the fame Time fo useful, as to propofe Images and Characters, which, being presented to the Eye, kindle in the Heart the Love of Virtue, and the Hatred of Vice. Perfius, in his fifth Satire, ver. 37. very justly calls this Rule, fallere folers :

tunc fallere folers

Appofita intortos extendit regula mores.

Then thy ftrait Rule fet Virtue in my Sight;
The crooked Line reforming by the right.

DRYDEN.

He means, that Cornutus had inftructed him by Examples. Theophraftus was the Inventor of this Kind of Writing, or purfued the Idea which he had drawn from Homer. However, he is the first who has exemplified these Rules in the Fragment which he has left, entitled, Characters. But Horace excells him in the Picture he has here drawn

of

of an Impertinent. It is perfect in its Kind, both with Regard to the Likeness and the Height of the Colouring.

DACIER.

2

domus hâc nec purior ulla eft,

Nec magis his aliena malis.]

In the Houses of the Great every thing is ufually carried by Cabal and Party. Their Domestics and Favourites generally get fuch an Ascendant over their Minds, that they warp their Efteem and Friendship at their Pleasure. Mecenas did not suffer himself to be thus governed. He faw with his own Eyes, judged of every thing himself, and valued every Man according to his Merit. Virgil did not prejudice Horace in his Efteem, nor Horace Varius or Virgil. Every one held the Rank which he deserved-Eft locus unicuique fuus. DACIER.

SATIRE X.

By Mr. J. DUNCOMBE.

He juftifies the Opinion he had given of LuciLIUS, and lays down fome excellent Rules for writing Satire.

*I Said, 'tis true, Lucilius' Lines were rough,

And what Admirer has he weak enough
To contradict it? But with genuine Wit
His Satires, as I freely own'd, were writ.
Yet though I grant him a due Share of Praife,
I never thought Perfection crown'd his Lays.
I, for their 2 Beauty, might as well pretend
Your Pantomimes, Laberius, to commend.

'Tis not enough that we your Poems read WithLaughter, though fome Merit this may plead; For Brevity and Smoothness we require;

Words harsh, or ufelefs, foon our Ears will tire.
Be ferious now, and now jocofe your Strain,
The Bard and Orator by Turns fuftain,
Or, like a Courtier, with the subtleft Skill,
Of Words be fparing, and your Strength conceal.
Well-feafon'd Irony will oft prevail,

When ftern Rebukes and strongest Reasonings fail.
The Writers of the ancient Comic Lay
In this excell, and point us out the Way.
Though fair Hermogenes has never read

Their Works, nor that mifhapen Bard, whofe Head
Is fill'd with Calvus' and Catullus' Lines.

But Praife Lucilius merits, fince he joins

• Greek Words with Latin.' Do you think that hard,
Pedantic Fools! which by the Rhodian Bard
Was practis'd? But (you cry) more fweetly flows
That vary'd Metre which both Tongues compofe,
Like rough Falernian in a Chian Cask.'
Well, fince you Verses write, I fain would ask,
3 Were you retain'd to plead Petillius' Caufe,
Would you in foreign Phrafe enforce the Laws;
Though born at Rome, the Roman Tongue refufe,
And rather the Canufian Jargon ufe,

While Pedius and Corvinus ably ftrove,

Your Plea in pureft Language to disprove?

VOL. III.

F

When

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When I in Grecian Numbers thought to write,
I, born in Latium; at the Dead of Night,
When Dreams are real, Romulus, difclos'd
To View, my rash Intention thus oppos'd:
< Who to the Wood fends Timber is lefs mad
Than he, who to the Grecian Bards would add.'
Hence, while the chryftal Current of the Rhine
Alpinus ftains with many a turgid Line,
And ftabs his Memnon, I fuch sportive Verfe
At Leisure write, as I would ne'er rehearse
Where Tarpa judges; nor, the People's Ears
To charm, repeat in crowded Theatres.

Fundanius, you alone of all the Tribe
Of Moderns, can in comic Scenes describe
A crafty Slave or Harlot. Pollio fings,
In bold Tämbic Lays, the Deeds of Kings.
Who can like Varius foar to Epic Heights?
4 The Muse, which in the Sylvan Scene delights,
Gives 5 Eafe and Elegance to Virgil's Strain.
Satire remain'd, by Varro try'd in vain,
And many more, whom though I could outvye,
I to th' Inventor yield; nor would I try
To tear the Ivy Garland from his Head,
Worn with fuch juft Applauses. But I said,
That rough and turbid was Lucilius' Lay,
And oft chufe lefs than I fhould throw away.
Say, does great Homer always merit Praise ?
Did not Lucilius alter Attius' Plays?

6 Has

Has he not various Faults in Ennius found,
Yet grants as great in his own Lines abound?
And may not we with equal Reafon afk,
Whether the Hardness of the Poet's Task,
Or Want of Care, produc'd fuch rugged Strains?
Who thinks that Verfe is finifh'd, which contains
Six Feet, may write two hundred Lines, before
He dines, and afterwards as many more:
Like Tufcan Caffius, whofe Invention flows
Swift as a Flood; of whom the Story goes,
That his own Writings form'd his funeral Pile.
Grant then Lucilius witty, grant his Style

Much more correct than his, the Way who led
Thro'Paths,where Grecians never dar'd to tread,
Or than our ancient Bards, yet I'll engage,
That had his Life been lengthen'd to this Age,
Superfluous Lines he would have prun'd away,
Nor fpar'd one useless, ornamental Lay,

But oft, while, loft in Thought, he Verses writ,
His Head he would have scratch'd, his Nails have
bit.

7 Employ a Spunge, and write with Care again
What merits to be read, nor wish your Strain
Should charm all Readers; be content with few.
Would you expose your Verses to the View
Of paltry Schools? Not so would I --- My Care
Is only to delight th' Equestrian Ear.

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