That You may rife diftinguish'd in the Pit, And view the weeping Scenes that Pupius writ. But what a many-headed Beaft is Rome? By 75. Bellua multorum eft capitum.] The Poet hath already fhewn the Danger of imitating the People; he now afferts that it is equal Folly, because their Inconftancy perpetually hurries them from the Pursuit of one Object to another. He no longer addreffes himself to the People, from whence, through a Careleffness of Attention, the common Editions read Bellua es. BENT. CUN. 76. Conducere publica.] We must understand vectigalia or tributa. Itis amazing to examine the public Revenues of the Roman Empire; we are foon loft in the Account, and know not what to believe. They, who have made the most exact Computations, fhew, that the Capitation of the Gauls alone, fuppofing them fifteen Millions of Men, amounted to an immenfe Sam. Then how can we conceive the Total produced by Rome, Italy, and all the Provinces of her Empire? The Receipt of these Revenues was farmed to Perfons called publicani, Multis occulto crefcit res fœnore. Verùm Efto, aliis alios rebus ftudiifque teneri: Iidem eadem poffunt horam durare probantes ? 80 85 90 Si 80. Efto, aliis alios, &c] It were of little Confequence, that Mankind differed from each other, if they could agree with themfelves. We might believe they had found the Way to Happiness, if they would always continue in it. But how can they direct us with Certainty, who are not determined themselves? 84. Vitiofa libido fecerit aufpicium.] The vicious and corrupted Paffions of his Heart are of facred, religious Authority to this Man of Wealth. He hath founded a magnificent Palace on the Baian Shore; his Fancy changes, and he orders the Builders to Teanum, a large and populous City of Campania. The Commentators have neglected to remark, that Teanum, in Oppofition to his first Situation, is an inland Town; yet in this Senfe alone the Force and Spirit of the Paffage appear. 86. Lectus genialis in aulâ ] The nuptial Bed was confecrated to Genius, the God of Nature, who prefided over the Birth of Human Kind. It was placed in the Aula, or Atrium, the Hall, where the Statues of the Ancestors of the Family were ranged, and where the Women generally fat to let the Public be Witneffes of their domeftic Industry. Matres-familias veftræ in atriis operantur domorum, induftrias teftificantes fuas. ARNOBIUS. 90. Quid pauper?] It might well feem, that this Inconfiftency, this wandering of Spirit, might be the peculiar Folly of the Rich But By dark Extortion some their Fortunes raise ; He fwears, are of the bridal Joy poffeft. Say, while he changes thus, what Chains can bind And lo! what Scenes of Ridicule arife. To change his Barbers, Baths, and Beds and Rooms, He hires a Boat and pukes in mimic Pride. If But it is the Folly of human Nature, to which the Poor are equally liable, although they are guilty of it only in Miniature. The wealthier People of Rome indulged to fuch exceffive Luxury, that they had Apartments, not only for every Seafon, but for every Month, in the Year; and in Juvenals's Time they had lighter or heavier Rings for Summer and Winter. The French Commentators, perhaps, with too much Refinement, imagine, that Horace fpeaks of himself in the Perfon of the Poor, though it must be confeffed, that this kind of Inconftancy was Part of his Character. Si curatus inæquali tonfore capillos བ་ Occurro, rides fi fortè fubuçula pexæ Trita fubeft tunicæ, vel fi toga diffidet impar; Rides. Quid? meá quùm pugnat fententia fecum ; Ad fummam, fapiens uno minor eft Jove, dives, 95 100 105 93. Curatus.] This is the Reading of all the Manufcripts. The Romans ufed curare capillos, for tondere, fecare; Cura and curatio capillorum for capillorum fectio and tonfura. Curtatus, which hath been received by very many Editors, is entirely useless, and can by no means agree with the Poet's Thought. He is not ridiculous because the Barber hath cut his Hair too fhort, but because he hath cut it unequally, inæqulis tonfor. BENT. CUN. SAN. 96. Mea quùm pugnat fententia fecum.] Horace, with equal Address and Pleasantry, by fuppofing himself guilty of all thefe Extravangancies, reproaches Mecenas, for carelessly fuffering his Vices, though he be offended with inconfiderable Faults. Thus he teaches us an important Point of Morals, that we fhould bear the Frailties of our Friends, but oppose their Vices. These Reproaches are foftened by the utmoft Tenderness, while he reprefents Mæcenas, as his Guardian and Protector, on whom his Fortune and Happiness depend; on whom he looks with Awe and Reverence, as the Eyes of a Servant wait upon his Mafter, whofe Orders he is always ready to obey: Such is the Force of refpicientis amici. DAC. SAN. 105. Ad fummam.] Our Poet here returns to his Subject, and undeceives his Readers, who by fo many Stoical Precepts might well believe him a perfect Stoic. He turns their wifeft Maxims into Ridicule, and manages his Raillery with so much Art, as that it does not appear until the laft Line. SAN. If fome unlucky Barber notch my Hair, Nor laugh, nor think Trustees should be affign'd In fhort, the Wife is only less than Jove, 107. Quùm pituita.] This Ridicule will appear in a ftronger Light by reading a Paffage of Epictetus, which hath been preferved to us by Arrian. Can there be a Providence, cries an Epicurean, or could it fuffer this continual Defluxion to torment me thus? Slave as thou art, fays Epicurus, why are you formed with Hands? Were they not given you to wipe your Nofe? Yes; but were it not better, anfwers the Difciple, that there was no fuch Thing as Phlegm in the World? And is it not better, replies Epicurus, to wipe your Nofe, than deny the Being of Providence? EPIST. |