T. Attamen et juftum poteras et fcribere fortem,

Scipiadam ut fapiens Lucilius.

H. Haud mihi deero,

Cum res ipfa feret: 'nifi dextro tempore, Flacci
Verba per attentam non ibunt Caefaris aurem :

Cui male fi palpere, recalcitrat undique tutus.

m

T. Quanto rectius hoc, quam trifti laedere verfu

Pantolabum fcurram, Nomentanumve nepotem?

? Cum fibi quifque timet, quamquam eft intactus, et odit.

H. Quid faciam? faltat Milonius, ut femel icto

Acceffit fervor capiti, numerufque lucernis.

NOTES.

charged at the battle of Oudenard; when the Pretender, and the Princes of the blood of France, fled before him.

VER. 39. Abufe the City's beft good men in metre,] The best good Man, a City phrafe for the richeft. Metre-not used here, purely to help the verfe, but to fhew what it is a Citizen efteems the greatest aggravation of the offence.

VER. 41. What Should qil them?] Horace hints at one reafon, that each fears his own turn may be next; his imitator gives

k

F. Then all your Mufe's fofter art display, Let CAROLINA smooth the tuneful lay, Lull with AMELIA's liquid name the Nine, And sweetly flow thro' all the Royal Line.

30

P. Alas! few verfes touch their nicer ear;
They scarce can bear their Laureate twice a year;
And juftly CAESAR fcorns the Poet's lays,
It is to Hiftory he trufts for Praife.

F. Better be Cibber, I'll maintain it still,
Than ridicule all Tafte, blafpheme Quadrille,
Abufe the City's beft good men in metre,
And laugh at Peers that put truft in Peter.
"Ev'n those you touch not, hate you.

P. What fhould ail them?

35

49

F. A hundred fmart in Timon and in Balaam : The fewer ftill you name, you wound the more; Bond is but one, but Harpax is a score.

P. Each mortal has his pleasure: none deny45 Scarfdale his bottle, Darty his Ham-pye;

NOTES.

another, and with more art, a reafon which infinuates, that his very lenity, in ufing feigned names, increases the number of his Enemies.

VER. 46. Darty his Ham-pye;] This Lover of Ham-pye own'd the fidelity of the poet's pencil; and faid, he had done juftice to his tafte; but that if, inftead of Ham-pye, he had given him Sweet-pye, he never could have pardoned him.

Caftor gaudet equis; ovo prognatus eodem,

Pugnis. quot capitum vivunt,. totidem ftudiorum'

Millia. me pedibus delectat claudere verba,

Lucilî ritu, nostrûm melioris utroque.

Ille velut fidis arcana fodalibus olim

Credebat libris; neque, fi male gefferat, ufquam

Decurrens alio, neque fi bene: quo fit, ut omnis

Votiva pateat veluti descripta tabella

Vita fenis. fequor hunc, Lucanus an Appulus,

anceps:

[Nam Venufinus arat finem fub utrumque colonus,

NOTES.

VER. 50. Like in all elfe, as one Egg to another.] This has neither the juftness nor elegance of

ovo prognatus eodem.

For tho' it may appear odd, that those who come from the fame Egg fhould have tempers and pursuits directly contrary; yet there is nothing ftrange, that two Brothers, alike in all things elfe, fhould have different amusements.

VER. 52. As downright Shippen, or as old Montagne:] They had this, indeed, in common, to ufe great liberties of speech, and to profess saying what they thought. Montagne had many qualities, that have gained him the love and efteem of his Readers: The other had one, which always gain'd him the favour

Ridotta fips and dances, till the fee

The doubling Luftres dance as fast as she;
PF- loves the Senate, Hockley-hole his brother,
Like in all elfe, as one Egg to another.

50

I love to pour out all myself, as plain As downright SHIPPEN, or as old Montagne : In them, as certain to be lov'd as seen, The Soul ftood forth, nor kept a thought within; In me what spots (for spots I have) appear, Will prove at least the Medium must be clear. In this impartial glass, my Muse intends Fair to expose myself, my foes, my friends; Publish the present age; but where but where my text

Is Vice too high, reserve it for the next:

My foes shall wish my life a longer date,

55

60

And ev'ry friend the less lament my fate. My head and heart thus flowing thro' my quill, 'Verse-man or Profe-man, term me which you will,

NOTES,

able attention of his Hearers. For as a celebrated Roman Orator obferves, "Maledicit IN ERUDITUS apertius et faepius, cum "periculo etiam fuo. Affert et ifta res OPINIONEM, quia li"bentiffime homines audiunt ea quae dicere ipfi noluiffent.”

VER. 56. the medium must be clear.] Allufion to a fountain of limpid water, thro' which the contents of the bottom are discovered. This thought affifted him in the easy and happy change of the metaphor in the following line.

VER. 63. My head and heart thus flowing thro' my quill,] Inferior to the Original;

Miffus ad hoc, pulfis (vetus eft ut fama) Sabellis,

Quo ne per vacuum Romano incurreret hoftis;

Sive quod Appula gens, feu quod Lucania bellum Incuteret violenta.]' fed hic ftylus haud petet ultro Quemquam animantem, et me veluti cuftodiet enfis

Vagina tectus, quem cur deftringere coner,

V

Tutus ab infeftis latronibus? "O pater et rex

Jupiter, ut pereat pofitum rubigine telum,

NOTES.

Ille velut fidis arcana fodalibus olim
Credebat libris, etc.

Perfius alluded to this idea, when he faid,

Vidi, vidi ipfe, Libelle! etc.

VER. 64. Verfe-man or Profe-man, term me which you will, Papift or Proteftant, etc.] The original thought (which is very flat, and fo ill and "aukwardly expreffed, as to be taken for a monkish Addition) is here admirably imitated, in a lively character of himself, and his Writings.

VER. 69. Satire's my Weapon] In thefe Words, our Author has happily explained the true Character of Horace's ironical Apology, which is to this purpose: Nature, fays he, has given all Creatures the means of offence and defence: The walf has teeth, the bull has horns, and I have a talent for fatire. And, at the fame time that he vindicates his claim to this his natural weapon, Satire, he fhews its moral use; it was to oppofe to the noxious qualities which nature had given