55 Nota refert meretricis acumina, fæpe catellam, 60 55. Sæpe catellam, fæpe perifcelidem.] As Bracelets are not of modern Fashion, the Tranflation uses the Word Girdle for catella, and Necklace for perifcelis, which properly fignifies a Garter. Our Ladies, as Mr. Dacier obferves of his Country-women, do not pique themselves upon having very rich Garters, because they do not fhew them in dancing, as the Roman Ladies did. 59. Planum,] In Greek fignifies a Vagabond. Decimus Laberius firft latinifed it, and Aulus Gellius blames the Boldness of it. But Cicero and Horace refute the Cenfure of the Grammarian. BOND. 60. Gfirin.] The God of Vagabonds, and Brother of Ifis, whofe Power of healing Distempers was fo univerfally believed, that, as Juvenal expreffes it, the maintained the Painters by votive Pictures to her Honour. Piores quis nefcit ab Ifide pasci? TORR! 62. Quare peregrinum.] This was a Trick fo frequent among Beggars, that it produced a Proverb, tollat te qui non novit. Is but the Trick, which wily Harlots try, And though with ftreaming Tears the Caitiff cries, S' EPIST. XVIII. Ad LOLLIUM. I bene te novi, metues, liberrime Lolli, 5 Virtus It appears that Horace had the Education of Lollius much at Heart. He had already written one Letter to him, to preserve him from fome Miftakes, that might be fatal to his Virtue ; and here inftructs him in the various Arts, which make us agreeable to Princes. In giving these Precepts to his young Courtier, he writes, at the fame Time, a delicate and lively Satire on the Lives of great Men, and leaves us to conclude, that there is no Servitude equal to that of a Court. We fhall find in the Notes, that the true Date of this Epiftle was in 734. SAN. Verse 1. Liberrime Lolli.] Sincerity never was the Virtue of Courts, and in proportion as Lollius had more Integrity and Franknefs, he had more occafion for Advice. If an honeft Man engages in the Service of a great Man, who loves Flattery, it is natural, at least it is not extraordinary, that he should facrifice his Honour to his Fortune. Whatever Difference there may be between Flattery and Friendship, Interest will eafily confound them. SAN. 3. Ut matrona meretrici difpar.] There are many pretty Sentiments in the Greek Authors upon this Subject, fome of which perhaps have not yet been seen in English. Harlots and Flatterers with every Bieffing to them, whom they love and converfe with, except Prudence and common Senfe. Flattery, fays Plato, is a pleafing, But a difhonourable Commerce, and Theophraftus calls it a fhameful, but L EPIST. XVIII. TO LOLLIUS. OLLIUS, if well I know your Heart, Your Franknefs can difdain an Art, A different Vice, though nothing lefs; With fhaggy Beard, and nafty Tooth, Fair Virtue, and pure Liberty : but not unprofitable Traffick. Socrates puts a Prostitute and a Flatterer in the fame Rank; agreeable, but dangerous Animals ; and Plutarch calls Flattery, the Friendship of a common Woman. 4. Difcolor.] Clothes of various Colours were worn only by Proftitutes. They were too gaudy for a Roman Matron of Reputa. tion and Virtue. DAC. 7. Commendat que fe intonfâ cute.] A conjectural Reading pro pofed by Mr. Sanadon, for all former Editions read, Quæ fe commendat tonfâ cute, in direct Oppofition to the Poet's Thought. The Critic is perfuaded that fome Grammarian, being willing to range the Words in their grammatical Order, put quæ fe commendat intonfa cute into the Margin, and that this Arrangement being afterwards taken into the Text, the firft Syllable of intonfå was thrown out, because it hurt the Profody of the Line. 10 > Virtus eft medium vitiorum, & utrimque reductum. Propugnat, nugis armatus: fcilicet, ut non Sit mihi prima fides ; &, verè quod placet, ut non Ambigitur quid enim ? Castor sciat an Docilis plus ? 15 20 Quem 10. Et imi derifor letti.] Thefe Words are generally explained, laughing at them, who lie on a Bed below him. But the Poet only fpeaks here of the Vice of flattering a great Man, which may be done without laughing at the Buffoons and Parafites, who lay on the lowest Beds, and who generally raillied others, rather than were raillied themselves. They were admitted to promote this Kind of Mirth, but when they changed Characters, and flattered the Mafter of the Feaft, they did it in a grofs and fervile Manner, fuch as Horace defcribes, Derifor vero plus laudatore movetur. 12. Sic iterat voces.] The Flatterer, according to an Expreffion of Plutarch, lives on a rich Man's Nod. He repeats his Words, and catches thofe, which are falling unobferved, that nothing may be loft. 14. Partes tractare fecundas.] An Actor, who plays the fecond Character in a Play; who imitates and affifts the principal Player; who conceals his own fuperior Abilities, that he may give him an higher Luftre. So far the Paffage is intelligible; but the true, peculiar Beauty and Juftness of the Comparison must be loft to us, as we can have no Conception of this fecond Actor on the Roman Stage. Seneca fays of Opimius, who was fond of applauding whatever Cælius faid, Opimius judicavit quidquid dixiffet fequi & fecundas agere. The Reader may find fome other Remarks on this Subject in the Notes on the forty-fixth Line of the ninth Satire. 15. Alter rixatar.] This Alteration rixater for rixatur, which is only of a fingle Letter, was proposed by Muretus, and has been received into the Text by Mr. Cuningham, Sanadon and Marveillius. Нстасе, |