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Virtutes habeat, fic collige: vatis avarus

Non temere eft animus: P verfus amat, hoc ftudet

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* Militiae quanquam piger et malus, utilis urbi ;

Si das hoc, parvis quoque rebus magna juvari.

▾ Os tenerum pueri balbumque poeta figurat:

NOTES.

VER. 201. Of little ufe, etc.] There is a poignancy in the following verles, which the original did not aim at, nor affect.

VER. 204. And (tho' no Soldier)] Horace had not acquitted himself much to his credit in this capacity (non bene relicta parmula) in the battle of Philippi. It is manifeft he alludes to himself, in this whole account of a Poet's character; but with an intermixture of irony: Vi

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Sometimes the Folly benefits mankind;

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And rarely Av'rice taints the tuneful mind.

Allow him but his plaything of a Pen,

He ne'er rebels, or plots, like other men:

Flight of Cashiers, or Mobs, he'll never mind; 195 And knows no loffes while the Mufe is kind.

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To cheat a Friend, or Ward, he leaves to Peter;

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The good man heaps up nothing but mere metre,
Enjoys his Garden and his book in quiet;
And then-a perfect Hermit in his diet.
Of little use the Man you may suppose,
Who says in verfe what others say in profe;
Yet let me show, a Poet's of fome weight,
And (tho' no Soldier) ufeful to the State.
▾ What will a Child learn fooner than a song?
What better teach a Foreigner the tongue ?
What's long or fhort, each accent where to place,
And speak in public with some sort of grace.
I scarce can think him fuch a worthless thing,
Unless he praise fome Monster of a King;

NOTES.

200

205

210

vit filiquis et pane fecundo has a relation to his Epicurism ; Os tenerum pueri, is ridicule: The nobler office of a Poet follows, Torquet ab obfcoenis - Mox etiam pectus — Recte facta refert, etc. which the Imitator has apply'd where he thinks it more due than to himfelf. He hopes to be pardoned, if, as he is fincerely inclined to praise what deferves to be praised, he arraigns what deferves to be arraigned, in the 210, 211, and 212th Verfes. P.

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VER. 226. the Idiot and the Poor.] A foundation for the maintenance of Idiots, and a fund for affifting the Poor, by lending fmall fums of money on demand.

P.

VER. 229. Not but there are, etc.] Nothing can be more truly humourous or witty than all that follows to Yet the noble fobriety of the original, or, at leaft, the appearance of fobriety, which is the fame thing here, is of a tafle vaftly fuperior to it.

240.

Or Virtue, or Religion turn to fport,
To please a lewd, or unbelieving Court.
Unhappy Dryden !-In all Charles's days,
Rofcommon only boasts unspotted bays;
And in our own (excufe fome Courtly ftains)
No whiter page than Addison remains.
He, from the taste obfcene reclaims our youth,
And fets the Paffions on the fide of Truth,
Forms the foft bofom with the gentleft art,
And pours each human Virtue in the heart.
Let Ireland tell, how Wit upheld her cause,
Her Trade fupported, and supplied her Laws;
And leave on SwIFT this grateful verse ingrav'd,
The Rights a Court attack'd, a Poet fav'd.

215

220

Behold the hand that wrought a Nation's cure, 225
Stretch'd to y' relieve the Idiot and the Poor,
Proud Vice to brand, or injur'd Worth adorn,
And * ftretch the Ray to Ages yet unborn.
Not but there are, who merit other palms;

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The Boys and Girls whom charity maintains, 231 Implore your help in these pathetic strains :

NOTES.

VER. 230. Sternhold.] One of the verfifiers of the old finging palms. He was a Courtier, and Groom of the Robes to Hen. VIII. and of the Bedchamber to Edward v1. Fuller, in his Church liftory, fays he was cfteemed an excellent Poet.

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Difceret unde preces, vatem ni Mufa dediffet?

Pofcit opem chorus, et praefentia numina fentit ;
Coeleftes implorat aquas, docia prece blandus;

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Avertit morbos, metuenda pericula pellit;

Impetrat et pacem, et locupletem frugibus annum. a Carmine Dî fuperi placantur, carmine Manes.

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Agricolae prifci, fortes, parvoque beati,

Condita poft frumenta, levantes tempore festo

Corpus et ipfum animum fpe finis dura ferentem,
Cum fociis operum pueris et conjuge fida,
Tellurem porco, Silvanum lacte piabant,

Floribus et vino Genium memorem brevis aevi.

Fefcennina per hunc inventa licentia morem
f Verfibus alternis opprobria ruftica fudit;
Libertafque recurrentes accepta per annos
Lufit amabiliter: donec jam faevus apertam
In rabiem coepit verti jocus, et per honeftas
Ire domos impune minax. doluere cruento

Dente laceffiti: fuit intactis quoque cura

NOTES.

VER. 241. Our rural Ancestors, etc.] This is almost literal; and shews, that the beauty and spirit, fo much ad

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