See Libels, Satires-here you have it—read. P. "Libels and Satires! lawless things indeed! 150 But grave Epiftles, bringing Vice to light, Such as a King might read, a Bishop write, Such as Sir ROBERT would approve― F. Indeed? The cafe is alter'd-you may then proceed; 155 NOTES. the Patron both of Law and Gofpel, is named as approving them, he changes his note, and, in the language of old Plouden, owns, the Cafe is alter'd. Now was it not as natural, when Horace had given a hint that Auguftus himself supported him, for Trebatius, a Court Advocate, who had been long a Client to him and his uncle, to confefs the Cafe was alter'd? W.-To laugh at the folemnity of Trebatius, which throughout the Dialogue is exactly kept up, Horace puts him off with a mere play upon words. But our important Lawyer takes no notice of the jeft, and finishes with a gravity fuited to his character: "Solventur rifu tabulæ : tu miffus abibis." SATIRA II. UÆ virtus et quanta, boni, fit vivere parvo, (Nec meus hic fermo; fed quæ præcepit Ofellus, Rufticus, abnormis Sapiens, craffaque Minerva,) d Difcite, non inter lances menfaque nitentes ; Cum ftupet infanis acies fulgoribus, et cum Cur hoc? * Verum hic impranfi mecum difquirite. NOTES. Cum VER. 2. To live on little] This difcourfe in praise of temperance lofes much of its grace and propriety by being put into the mouth of a person of a much higher rank in life than honest countryman Ofellus; whofe patrimony had been feized by Augustus, and given to one of his foldiers named Umbrenus, and whom, perhaps, Horace recommended to the Emperor, by making him the chief speaker in this very fatire. We may imagine that a discourse on temperance from Horace raised a laugh among the courtiers of Augustus; and we see he could not venture to deliver it in his own perfon. This Imitation of Pope is not equal to most of his others. Whenever I have ventured to cenfure any passage of Pope, I wish conftantly to add the following words of Fontenelle: "La cenfure que l'on exerce fur les ouvrages d'Autrui, n'engage point à en faire de meilleurs, à moins qu'elle ne foit amere, chagrine, et orgueilleufe." SATIRE II. TO MR. BETHEL. WHAT, and how great, the Virtue and the Art To live on little with a cheerful heart; (A doctrine fage, but truly none of mine ;) C Let's talk, my friends, but talk before we dine. Turns you from found Philosophy afide; 5 Hear BETHEL'S Sermon, one not vers'd in schools, But ftrong in sense, and wife without the rules. 10 Go work, bunt, exercife! (he thus began,) Then scorn a homely dinner if you can. NOTES. Your VER. 9. BETHEL] The fame to whom feveral of Mr. Pope's Letters are addressed. W. VER. 11. Go work, bunt,] These fix following lines are much inferior to the original, in which the mention of many particular exercises gives it a pleafing variety. The fixth and feventh lines in Horace are nervous and strong. The third in Pope is languid and wordy, which renders foris eft promus. Defendens, and latrantem, and caro, and pinguem, and album, are all of them very expreffive epithets: And the allufion to Socrates's conftant exercise, tu pulmentaria, &c. ought not to have been omitted. Pope's two laft lines in this paffage are very exceptionable. We are informed by Mr. Stuart, in his Athens, that the honey of Hymettus, even to this time, continues to be in vogue; and that the feraglio of the Grand Seignor is served with a stated quantity of it yearly. |