He, who his fubject happily can chufe, Order, I trust, may boaft, nor boast in vain, To words establish'd by long usage, true, 60 65 70 Take without blame, yet take with coynefs too, New, or but recent, words fhall have their courfe, If drawn difcreetly from the Grecian source. 80 What Plautus and Cecilius fafely claim, Shall Rome in Virgil, and in Varius, blame? Or 60 Si poffum, invideor; cùm lingua Catonis et Ennî Or if myself should fome few words explore, As branching woods let fall, and change their leaves, Our language too a change of words receives: While young ones bud and flourish in their place. A work imperial! takes a harbour's form, Now furrow'd by the plough, a laughing plain, 100 Feeds all the cities round with fertile grain; Or if the River, by a prudent force, The corn once flooding, learns a better course. And words are grac'd and honour'd but a day: 105 4 Cuftom fi volet ufus, Quem penés arbitrium eft, et jus, et norma loquendi. Res geftæ regumque ducumque et triftia bella, Quo fcribi poffent numero, monftravit Homerus. Verfibus impariter junctis querimonia primúm, 75 Pòft etiam inclufa eft voti fententia compos. Quis tamen exiguos elegos emiferit auctor, Grammatici certant, et adhuc fub judice lis eft. Archilochum proprio rabies armavit iambo. Hunc focci cepêre pedem, grandefque cothurni, 80 Alternis aptum fermonibus, et populares Vincentem ftrepitus, et natum rebus agendis. Custom alone their rank and date can teach, For deeds of kings and chiefs, and battles fought, What numbers are most fitting, Homer taught: Couplets unequal were at firft confin'd Archilochus, refentment's bitter rage Arm'd with his own Iambicks to engage: With these the humble Sock, and Bufkin proud, 120 Shap'd dialogue; and still'd the noisy croud; Embrac'd the measure, prov'd its eafe and force, And found it apt for business or difcourfe. Gods, and the fons of Gods, in Odes to fing, The Muse attunes her Lyre, and ftrikes the ftring; 125 Victorious Boxers, Racers, mark the line, The cares of youthful love, and joys of wine. The various outline of each work to fill, If nature gives no pow'r, and art no fkill; VOL. III. D If |