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 phrase for the richest. Metre-not used here, purely to help the verfe, but to fhew what it is a Citizen esteems the greatest aggravation of the offence. VER. 41. What should ail them?] Horace hints at one reafon, that each fears his own turn may be next; his imitator gives F. Then all your Mufe's fofter art display, Let CAROLINA smooth the tuneful lay, Lull with AMELIA's liquid name the Nine, And fweetly flow thro' all the Royal Line. 39 P. Alas! few verses touch their nicer ear; They scarce can bear their Laureate twice a year; And justly CAESAR fcorns the Poet's lays, It is to Hiftory he trufts for Praise. 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, not, hate you. P. What should ail them? 35 49 F. A hundred fmart in Timon and in Balaam: The fewer still you name, you wound the more; Bond is but one, but Harpax is a score. P. Each mortal has his pleafure: 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 justice 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, noftrûm 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 defcripta 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 purfuits directly contrary; yet there is nothing strange, 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 use great liberties of speech, and to profefs faying 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; 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 feen, The Soul stood forth, nor kept a thought within; In me what spots (for spots I have) appear, 55 Will prove at least the Medium must be clear. In this impartial glafs, my Mufe intends Fair to expose myself, my foes, my friends; Publish the present age; but where my text Is Vice too high, reserve it for the next: My foes shall wish my life a longer date, And ev'ry friend the lefs lament my fate. My head and heart thus flowing thro' my quill, 'Verfe-man or Profe-man, term me which you will, NOTES. 60 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 difcovered. 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 Perfius alluded to this idea, when he said, 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 monkifh 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 wolf 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 ufe; it was to oppose to the noxious qualities which nature had given |