125 Or for a titled punk, or foreign flame, e? The man that loves and laughs, must fure do well. Cui potior [u] patria fuit interdicta voluptas. [x] Si, Mímnermus uti cenfet, fine amore jocifque Nil eft jucundum; vivas in amore jocifque. [y] Vive, vale. fi quid novifti rectius iftis, Candidus imperti: fi non, his utere mecum. VOL. II, I THE THE FIRST EPISTLE Of the SECOND BOOK of HOR A CE. ADVERTISEMENT. to HE reflections of Horace, and the judgments THE Tpaled in his passed in his epiftle to Auguftus, feemed fo feafonable to the prefent times, that I could not help applying them to the use of my own country. The author thought them confiderable enough to address them to his prince; whom he paints with all the great and good qualities of a monarch, upon whom the Romans depended for the increase of an abfolute empire. But to make the poem entirely English, I was willing to add one or two of thofe which contribute to the happiness of a free people, and are more confiftent with the welfare of our neighbours. This epiftle will fhow the learned world to have fallen into two mistakes: one, that Auguftus was a patron of poets in general; whereas he not only prohibited all but the beft writers to name him, but recommended that care even to the civil magiftrate. Admonebat prætores, ne paterentur nomen. fuum fuum obfolefieri, &c. The other, that this piece was only a general difcourfe of poetry; whereas it was an apology for the poets, in order to render Augu ftus more their patron. Horace here pleads the cause of his contemporaries, first, against the tatie of the town, whose humour it was to magnify the authors of the preceding age: fecondly, again!t the court and nobility, who encouraged only the writers for the theatre; and, laftly, againit the Emperor himfelf, who had conceived them of litte ufe to the government. He fhews (by a view of the progress of learning, and the change of take among the Romans) that the introduction of the polite arts of Greece had given the writers of his time great advantages over their predeceffors; that their morals were much improved, and the licence of those ancient poets restrained: that fatire and comedy were become more just and useful; that whatever extravagancies were left on the ftage, were owing to the ill taste of the nobility; that poets, under due regulations, were in many refpects ufeful to the State, and concludes, that it was upon them the Emperor himself muft depend, for his fame with posterity. We may farther learn from this epiftle, that Horace made his court to this great prince by writing with a decent freedom toward him, with a just contempt of his low flatterers, and with a manly regard to his own character. W EPISTLE I. To AUGUSTUS. HILE you, great patron of mankind! («) fuftain The balanc'd world, and open all the main; 6 (c) Edward and Henry, now the boast of fame, And virtuous Alfred, a more (d) facred name, After a life of gen'rous toils endur'd, The Gaul fubdu'd, or property fecur'd, C EPISTOLA I. Ad AUGUSTUM. 10 UM tot (a) fuftineas et tanta negotia folus, Res Italas armis tuteris, moribus ornes, Legibus emendes; in (b) publica commoda peccem, Si longo fermone morer tua tempora, Cæfar. (c) Romulus, et Liber pater, et cum Castore Pollux, Post ingentia facta, (d) deorum in templa recepti, Dum terras hominumque colunt genus aspera bella Componunt, agros adfignant, oppida condunt; Ambition Ambition humbled, mighty cities ftorm'd, 15 20 (f) Finds Envy never conquer'd but by Death. The great Alcides, every labour past, Had ftill this moniter to fubdue at last. (g) Sure fate of all, beneath whofe rifing ray Each star of meaner merit fades away! Opprefs'd we feel the beam directly beat, Thofe funs of glory please not till they fet. To thee the world its prefent homage pays, The harvest early, (b) but mature the praile: Great friend of LIBERTY! in kings a name Above all Greek, above all Roman fame *: Whose word is truth, as facred and rever'd, (i) As Heav'n's own oracles from altars heard. Wonder of kings! like whom, to mortal eyes (k) None e'er has ris'n, and none e'er fhall rife. 30 (e) Ploravere fuis non refpondere favorem (b) Præfenti tibi maturos largimur honores, (i) Jurandafque tuum per numen ponimus aras, (k) Nil oriturum alias, nil ortum tale fatentes. Sed tuus hoc populus fapiens et juftus in uno, *Te nofirus ducibus, te Graiis anteferendo, Cetere nequaquam fimili ratione modoque T 25 |