x

Is this my Guide, Philofopher, and Friend?

This he, who loves me, and who ought to mend? Who ought to make me (what he can, or none) That Man divine whom Wisdom calls her own; 180 Great without Title, without Fortune bless'd;

a

prefs'd;

Lov'd without youth, and follow'd without pow'r;
At home, tho' exil'd; 'free, tho' in the Tow'r ;
In fhort, that reas'ning, high, immortal Thing, 185
Juft lefs than Jove, and much above a King,
Nay, half in heav'n-except (what's mighty odd)
A Fit of Vapours clouds this Demy-God.

THE SIXTH EPISTLE

OF THE

FIRST BOOK OF HORACE.

NI

EPISTOLA VI.

IL admirari, prope res est una, Numici, Solaque quæ poffit facere et fervare beatum. b Hunc folem, et ftellas, et decedentia certis Tempora momentis, funt qui

с

formidine nulla Imbuti fpectent. quid cenfes, munera terræ ?

d

Quid, maris extremos Arabas ditantis et Indos?
Ludicra, quid, plaufus, et amici dona Quiritis?
Quo fpectanda modo, quo fenfu credis et ore?

go

NOTES.

Qui

VER. 3. Dear MURRAY,] This piece is the most finished of all his Imitations, and executed in the high manner the Italian Painters call con amore. By which they mean, the exertion of that principle, which puts the faculties on the stretch, and produces the fupreme degree of excellence. For the Poet had all the warmth of affection for the great Lawyer to whom it is addressed: and, indeed, no man ever more deserved to have a Poet for his friend. In the obtaining of which, as neither vanity, party, nor fear had any fhare, (which gave birth to the attachments of many of his noble acquaintance,) fo he supported his title to it by all the good offices of a generous and true Friendship.

W.

VER. 4. Creech.] From whose Translation of Horace the two first lines are taken.

P.

VER. 4. Words of Creech.] Who, in truth, is a much better tranflator than he is ufually fuppofed and allowed to be. He is a nervous and vigorous writer; and many parts, not only of his Lucretius, but of his Theocritus and Horace, (though now decried,) have not been excelled by other tranflators. One of his pieces may be pronounced excellent: his translation of the thir

teenth

EPISTLE VI.

TO MR. MURRAY.

OT to admire, is all the Art I know,

NOT

"To make men happy, and to keep them fo."

(Plain Truth, dear MURRAY, needs no flow'rs of

fpeech,

So take it in the very Words of Creech.)

b

This Vault of Air, this congregated Ball,
Self-center'd Sun, and Stars that rise and fall,
There are, my friend! whofe philofophic eyes
Look through, and truft the Ruler with his Skies,
To him commit the Hour, the Day, the Year,
And view this dreadful All without a fear.

с

d

Admire we then what Earth's low Entrails hold,
Arabian fhores, or Indian feas infold;

5

10

All the mad trade of Fools and Slaves for Gold?

Or 'Popularity? or Stars and Strings?

The Mob's applaufes, or the gifts of Kings?

15

And pay

Say with what eyes we ought at Courts to gaze, the Great our homage of Amaze?

If

NOTES.

teenth Satire of Juvenal; equal to any Dryden has given us of

that author.

VER. 8. Trust the Ruler] This laft line is quaint and even obfcure; the two firft vigorously expreffed. Horace thought of a striking and exalted paffage in Lucretius. Book v. 1. 1185,