Hic tamen ad melius poterit tranfcurrere quon dam; Sive diem feftum rediens advexerit annus, Seu recreare volet tenuatum corpus: ubique Accedent anni, et tractari mollius aetas i Imbecilla volet. Tibi quidnam accedet ad iftam, Quam puer et validus praefumis, mollitiem; feu Dura valetudo inciderit, feu tarda senectus ? k * Rancidum aprum antiqui laudabant: non quia nafus Illis nullus erat; fed, credo, hac mente, quod hofpes Tardius adveniens vitiatum commodius, quam Integrum edax dominus confumeret. 1hos utinam inter Heroas natum tellus me prima tuliffet. "Das aliquid famae, quac carmine gratior aurem Occupet humanam? grandes rhombi, patinaeque Grande ferunt una cum damno dedecus. adde n • Iratum patruum, vicinos, te tibi iniquum, Et fruftra mortis cupidum, cum deerit egenti NOTES. VER. 86. Or tir'd in fearch of Truth, or fearch of Rhyme.] A fine ridicule on the extravagance of human purfuits; where the 1 Not but we may exceed, fome holy time, 85 Or tir'd in search of Truth, or fearch of Rhyme; And more the sickness of long life, Old age; m When Luxury has lick'd up all thy pelf, 100 wrong, 105 Curs'd by thy neighbours, thy trustees, thyself, NOTES. moft trifling and most important concerns of life fucceed one another, indifferently. Quod fuperat, non eft melius quo infumere poffis? Non aliquid patriae tanto emetiris acervo? Uni nimirum tibi recte femper erunt res? NOTES. VER. 117, 118. Oh Impudence of wealth! with all thy store, How dart thou let one worthy man be poor?] Cur eget indignus. quifquam, te divite ? is here admirably paraphrafed. And it is obfervable in these Imitations, that where our Poet keeps to the fentiments of Horace, he rather piques himself in excelling the most finished touches of his Original, than in correcting or improving the more inferior parts. Of this elegance of ambition all his Writings bear fuch marks, that it gave countenance to an invidious imputation, as if his chief talent lay in copying finely. But if ever there was an inventive genius in Poetry it was Pope's. But his fancy was fo corrected by his judgment, and his imitation fo ! To friends, to fortune, to mankind a shame, ¶ "Right, cries his Lordship, for a rogue in need "To have a Taste is infolence indeed: "In me 'tis noble, fuits my birth and state, My wealth unwieldy, and my heap too great." ray, 116 Oh Impudence of wealth! with all thy store, As M**o's was, but not at five NOTES. per cent. 121 fpirited by his genius, that what he improved ftruck the vulgar eye more strongly than what he invented. VER. 122. As M* *o's was, etc.] I think this light ftroke of fatire ill placed; and hurts the dignity of the preceding mo rality. Horace was very serious, and properly so, when he said, cur, Improbe! carae Non aliquid patriae tanto emetiris acervo. He remembered, and hints with just indignation, at thofe luxurious Patricians of his old party; who, when they had agreed to establish a fund in the cause of Freedom, under the conduct of Brutus, could never be perfuaded to withdraw from their expenfive pleasures what was fufficient for the fupport of fo great O magnus pofthac inimicis rifus! uterne "Ad cafus dubios fidet fibi certius? hic, qui Pluribus affuêrit mentem corpufque fuperbum; An qui contentus parvo metuenfque futuri, In pace, ut fapiens, aptarit idonea bello? Quo magis his credas: puer hunc Ofellum Integris opibus novi non latius ufum, W ego parvus Quam nunc accifis. Videas, metato in agello, Cum pecore et gnatis, fortem mercede colonum, Non ego, narrantem, temere edi luce profesta X Quidquam, praeter olus fumofae cum pede pernae. NOTES. a caufe. He had prepared his apology for this liberty, in the preceding line, where he pays a fine compliment to Auguftus: |