See Libels, Satires,-here you have it-read. P. "Libels and Satires! lawless things indeed! 150 But grave Epistles, bringing Vice to light, Such as a King might read, a Bishop write, Such as Sir ROBERT would approve F. Indeed? 155 The case is alter'd-you may then proceed; NOTES. the Patron both of Law and Gospel, is named as approving them, he changes his note, and, in the language of old Plouden, owns, the Case is alter'd. Now was it not as natural, when Horace had given a hint that Augustus himself supported him, for Trebatius, a Court Advocate, who had been long a client to him and his uncle, to confess the Case was alter'd? W.--To laugh at the solemnity 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 jest, and finishes with a gravity suited to his character: "Solventur risu tabulæ: tu missus abibis." с SATIR A II. QUE virtus et quanta, boni, sit vivere parvo, (Nec meus hic sermo; sed quæ præcepit Ofellus, Rusticus, abnormis Sapiens, crassaque Minerva,) d Discite, non inter lances mensasque nitentes; Cum stupet insanis acies fulgoribus, et cum Acclinis falsis animus meliora recusat: Verum hic impransi mecum disquirite. Cur hoc? Dicam, si potero. male verum examinat omnis NOTES. Ver. 2. To live on little.] This discourse in praise of temperance loses much of its grace and propriety by being put into the mouth of a person of a much higher rank in life than the honest countryman Ofellus; whose patrimony had been seized by Augustus, and given to one of his soldiers named Umbrenus, and whom, perhaps, Horace recommended to the Emperor, by making him the chief speaker in this very satire. 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 person. This Imitation of Pope is not equal to most of his others. Whenever I have ventured to censure any passage of Pope, I wish constantly to add the following words of Fontenelle: "La censure que l'on exerce sur les ouvrages d'Autrui, n'engage point à en faire de meilleurs, à moins qu'elle ne soit amere, chagrine, et orgueilleuse." a SATIRE II. TO MR. BETHEL. WHAT, and how great, the Virtue and the Art To live on little with a cheerful heart; b e (A doctrine sage, 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 sound Philosophy aside; 5 Hear BETHEL's Sermon, one not vers'd in schools, But strong in sense, and wise without the rules. 10 h Go work, hunt, exercise! (he thus began), Then scorn a homely dinner if you can. NOTES. Ver. 9. BETHEL] The same to whom several of Mr. Pope's Letters are addressed. Ver. 11. Go work, hunt,] These six following lines are much inferior to the original, in which the mention of many particular exercises gives it a pleasing variety. The sixth and seventh lines in Horace are nervous and strong. The third in Pope is languid and wordy, which renders foris est promus. Defendens, and latrantem, and caro, and pinguem, and album, are all of them very expressive epithets: and the allusion to Socrates's constant exercise, tu pulmentaria, &c. ought not to have been omitted. Pope's two last lines in this passage 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 seraglio of the Grand Seignor is served with a stated quantity of it yearly. |