Papift or Proteftant, or both between, 65 Like good Erasmus in an honest Mean, In moderation placing all my glory, While Tories call me Whig, and Whigs a Tory. f Satire's my weapon, but I'm too discreet To run a muck, and tilt at all I meet; I only wear it in a land of Hectors, Thieves, Supercargoes, Sharpers, and Directors. ▾ Save but our Army! and let Jove incrust Swords, pikes, and guns, with everlasting ruft! NOTES. 70 Cervius for informing, Canidia for poisoning, and Turius for paffing fentence. The turn of this ludicrous argumentation is fine and delicate; and we find his Imitator saw the whole force of it. VER. 71. I only wear it in a land of Hectors, etc.] Supe rior to, tutus ab infeftis latronibus, which only carries on the metaphor in enfis. Vagina tectus, whereas the imitation does more; for, along with the metaphor, it conveys the image of the fubject, by prefenting the reader with the feveral objects of fatire. VER. 72. Thieves, Supercargoes,] The names, at that time, ufually bestowed on thofe whom the trading Companies fent with their Ships, and intrufted with their concerns, abroad. VER. 73. Save but our Army! etc.] « Une Maladie nou"velle (fays the admirable Author de L'esprit des Loix) s'eft "répandue en Europe; elle a faifi nos Princes, et leur fait "entretenir un nombre defordonné de Troupes. Elle a fee W Nec quifquam noceat cupido mihi pacis! at ille, Qui me commôrit, (melius non tangere, clamo) * Flebit, et infignis tota cantabitur urbe. y Cervius iratus leges minitatur et urnam; Canidia Albutî, quibus eft inimica, venenum; Grande malum Turius, fi quid fe judice certes: * Ut, quo quifque valet, fufpectos terreat, utqué Imperet hoc Natura potens, fic collige mecum. Dente lupus, cornu taurus petit; unde, nifi intus Monftratum? Scaevae vivacem crede nepoti a Matrem; nil faciet fceleris pia dextra (mirum ? Ut neque calce lupus quemquam, neque dente petit bos) Sed mala tollet anum vitiato melle cicuta. NOTES. "redoublemens, et elle devient necessairement contagieufe. "Car fi-tot qu'un Etat augmente ce qu'il appelle fes Troupes, "les autres foudain augmentent les leurs, de façon qu'on ne "gagne rien par-là que la Ruïne commune. Chaque Mo"narque tient fur pied toutes les Armées qu'il pourroit avoir "fi fes Peuples étoient en danger d'étre exterminés ; et on " nomme Paix cet état d'effort de tous contre tous. Auffi l'Eu"rope eft-elle fi ruïnée, que les particuliers, qui feroient dans "la fituation où font les trois Puiffances de cette partie du "monde les plus opulentes, n'auroient pas de quoi vivre. "Nous fommes pauvres avec les Richeffes & le commerce de "tout l'Univers; & bientôt, à force d'avoir des Soldats, nous "n'aurons plus que des Soldats, & nous ferons comme des "Tartares." W Peace is my dear delight---not FLEURY's more:75 But touch me, and no minister so fore. Whoe'er offends, at fome unlucky time * Slides into verse, and hitches in a rhyme, Sacred to Ridicule his whole life long, And the fad burthen of fome merry fong. 80 * Slander or Poifon dread from Delia's rage, Hard words or hanging, if your Judge be Page. From furious Sappho scarce a milder fate, P-x'd by her love, or libell'd by her hate. z Its proper pow'r to hurt, each creature feels; 85 Bulls aim their horns, and Affes lift their heels; "Tis a Bear's talent not to kick, but hug; And no man wonders he's not stung by Pug. a So drink with Walters, or with Chartres eat, They'll never poison you, they'll only cheat. 90 NOTES. VER. 81-84. Slander - libell'd by her hate.] There feems to be more spirit here than in the original. But it is hard to pronounce with certainty. For tho' one may be confident there is more force in the 83a and 84th lines than in Canidia Albutî, quibus eft inimica, venenum; yet there might be fomething, for ought we know, in the Character or Hiftory of Cervius, which might bring up that line to the spirit and poignancy of the 82a verfe of the Imitation. VER. 84-90. It's proper power to hurt, etc.] All, except the two last lines, inferior to the elegance and precision of the Original, "Ne longum faciam: feu me tranquilla fenectus Exfpectat, feu mors atris circumvolat alis ; Dives, inops; Romae, feu fors ita jufferit, exful; VER. 93-96. Whether old age more finished, and even fublime. wrap me in the universal shade, has unusual with our author. fhade] The Original is Befides, the laft verfe-To a languor and redundancy VER. 97. Whether the darken'd room-Or whiten'd wall-] This is only a wanton joke upon the terms of his Original Quifquis erit vitae color. VER. 99. In durance, exile, Bedlam, or the Mint,] The Poet, in our equal Government, might talk of the difafters incident to wit, at his ease, and with all this levity of ftyle. But it was a serious matter with Horace; and is so ftill with our witty Neighbours; one of whom has well expreffed their condition, in the following lines, Eh! Que fait-on? Un fimple badinage, ray, Then, learned Sir! (to cut the matter short) Whate'er my fate, or well or ill at Court, Whether Old age, with faint but chearful Attends to gild the Ev'ning of my day, Or Death's black wing already be display'd, Το wrap me in the universal shade; 95 Whether the darken'd room to mufe invite, NOTES. Peut vous jetter fur un autre rivage: Pour perdre un Sage, il ne faut qu'un Bigot. pen, VER. 104. Will club their Tefters, &c.] The image is exceeding humourous, and, at the fame time, betrays the injuftice of their refentment in the very circumftance of their indulging it; as it fhews the Poet had faid no more of their avarice, than what was true. Our Author's abundance of Wit has made his readers backward in acknowledging his talent for Humour. But the veins are equally rich; and the one flows with ease, and the other is always placed with propriety. VER. 105.-120. What? arm'd for Virtue, etc.] This is not only fuperior to Horace, but equal to any thing in himself. VOL. IV, F |