SATIRE II.

To Mr. BETHEL.

W

HAT, and how great, the Virtue and the Art
To live on little with à chearful heart;

(A doctrine fage, but truly none of mine)
Let's talk, my friends, but talk before we dine.
* Not when a gilt Buffet's reflected pride

Turns you from found Philofophy afide;
Not when from plate to plate your eyeballs roll,
And the brain dances to the mantling bowl.

5

Hear BETHEL's Sermon, one not vers'd in schools, • But strong in sense, and wise without the rules. Go work, hunt, exercife! (he thus began)

Then scorn a homely dinner, if you can.

¡ Your wine lock'd up, your Butler ftroll'd abroad, Or fish deny'd (the river yet unthaw'd)

NOTES.

ΤΟ

VER. 9. BETHEL.] The fame to whom feveral of Mr. Pope's Letters are addreffed.

Defendens pifces hiemat mare: cum fale panis
Latrantem ftomachum bene leniet. unde putas, aut
Quî partum? non in caro nidore voluptas
Summa, fed in teipfo eft. tu pulmentaria quaere
Sudando. pinguem vitiis albumque neque oftrea,
Nec fcarus, aut poterit peregrina juvare lagois.
* Vix tamen eripiam, pofito pavone, velis quin
Hoc potius quam gallina tergere palatum ;
Corruptus vanis rerum : quia veneat auro
Rara avis, et picta pandat spectacula cauda:
Tamquam ad rem attineat quidquam. Num vefceris

ista,

Quam laudas, pluma ? coctove num adeft honor idem?
Carne tamen quamvis diftat nihil hac, magis illa;
Imparibus formis deceptum te patet. esto.
Unde datum fentis, lupus hic, Tiberinus, an alto
Captus hiet? pontefne inter jactatus, an amnis
Oftia fub Tufci? laudas, infane, trilibrem

Mullum; in fingula quem minuas pulmenta neceffe eft.
Ducit te fpecies, video. quo pertinet ergo

Proceros odiffe lupos ? quia fcilicet illis

Majorem natura modum dedit, his breve pondus.
Jejunus raro ftomachus vulgaria temnit.

m Porrectum magno magnum spectare catino Vellem, ait Harpyiis gula digna rapacibus, at vos

NOTES.

VER. 25. Oldfield] This eminent Glutton ran thro' a

If then plain bread and milk will do the feat,
The pleasure lies in you, and not the meat.

15

20

* Preach as I please, I doubt our curious men Will chufe a pheasant still before a hen; Yet hens of Guinea full as good I hold, Except you eat the feathers green and gold. 1 Of carps and mullets why prefer the great, (Tho' cut in pieces 'ere my Lord can eat) Yet for fmall Turbots fuch efteem profess? Because God made these large, the other lefs. " Oldfield with more than Harpy throat endu❜d, Cries" Send me, Gods! a whole Hog barbecu'd!"

NOTES.

25

fortune of fifteen hundred pounds a year in the fimple luxury of good eating.

VER. 26. a whole Hog barbecu'd!] The Poet has here given a beauty equivalent to that in the Original,

Porrectum magno magnum fpectare catino,

which, by the flowness of the Syllables, where four fpondees follow one another, well expreffes the enormous bulk of the fish which the Glutton pray'd for.

Ibid. Hog barbecu'd, etc.] A Weft Indian term of gluttony, a hog roafted whole, stuffed with fpice, and basted with Madera wine. P.

• Praefentes Auftri, coquite horum opfonia: quam

quam

Putet aper rhombufque recens, mala copia quando
Aegrum follicitat ftomachum ; cum rapula plenus

Atque acidas mavult inulas. necdum omnis abacta
Pauperies epulis regum: nam vilibus ovis

Nigrifque eft oleis hodie locus. Haud ita pridem
Galloni praeconis erat acipensere menfa

Infamis. quid? tum rhombos minus aequora alebant ?
P Tutus erat rhombus, tutoque ciconia nido,
Donec vos auctor docuit praetorius. ergo
• Si quis nunc mergos fuaves edixerit affos,
Parebit pravi docilis Romana juventus.

* Sordidus a tenui victus diftabit, Ofello
Judice: nam fruftra vitium vitaveris istud,
Si te alio pravus de torferis. s Avidienus,
* Cui Canis ex vero ductum cognomen adhaeret,

NOTES.

VER. 27. Oh blaft it, South-winds!] This has not the force, nor gives us the pleafant allufion in the original, coquite.

VER. 42. Bedford-head;] A famous Eating-house.

P.

VER. 43. Or ev'n to crack live Crawfish] There is force and humour in dixerit and parebit, which the imitation does not reach.

Oh blaft it," South-winds! till a stench exhale
Rank as the ripeness of a rabbit's tail.
By what Criterion do ye eat, d'ye think,
If this is priz'd for sweetness, that for stink?
When the tir'd glutton labours thro' a treat,
He finds no relifh in the sweetest meat,
He calls for fomething bitter, fomething four,
And the rich feast concludes extremely poor :

30

• Cheap eggs, and herbs, and olives ftill we fee; 35 Thus much is left of old Simplicity!

P The Robin-red-breaft till of late had reft,
And children facred held a Martin's neft,
Till Becca-ficos fold fo dev'lish dear

To one that was, or would have been a Peer.
9 Let me extol a Cat, on oyfters fed,
I'll have a party at the Bedford-head;
Or ev❜n to crack live Crawfish recommend,
I'd never doubt at Court to make a friend.

'Tis yet in yain, I own, to keep a pother About one vice, and fall into the other: Between Excefs and Famine lies a mean; Plain, but not fordid; tho' not splendid, clean. $ Avidien, or his Wife (no matter which,

t

For him you'll call a dog, and her a bitch)

NOTES.

40

45

50

VER. 50. For him you'll call a dog, and her a bitch] One cannot but admire the lively turn here given to the Original.