Si virtus hoc una poteft dare; fortis omiffis 30 35 40 Qui poffum tot? ait: tamen & quæram, & quot habebo, Mittam. Poft paulò fcribit, fibi millia quinque Effe domi chlamydum, partem vel tolleret omnes. Exilis 30. Si virtus boc una poteft] If Riches and Honours cannot cure the Body, much lefs can they cure the Disorders of the Soul. But if You think, that Religion and Virtue are meer Creatures of our Imagination, then pursue the Pleasures of Life; give a Loose to the Paffions, and enter into Trade, that You may get Wealth to fupport them. 34 Rotundentur] Rotundare and quadrare were Terms of the Treasury to fignify a complete Sum. Cicero fays, quadrare feftertia. The Tranflator hath taken the Liberty of using a modern mercantile Term of Art, a Plumb, an hundred thousand Pounds. 39. Mancipiis locuples eget æris.] It is nor eafy, fays our Poet, to be rich. The Defign is of vaft Extent. Confequently, whoever places his Happiness in Riches, will for ever want fome little Addition to make it complete. DAC. Cappadocum.] Thefe People, were fo born for Slavery, that when, the Romans offered them Freedom, they refused it, and faid, they were not able to fupport Liberty. They were fo poor, that in the Time of Lucullus, an Ox was fold for Four-pence, and a Man for about Sixteen-pence. But they loved their Slavery and Poverty, with the fame Ardour, with which others purfue Liberty and Riches. All things confidered, fays Mr. Sanadon, they were perhaps more bappy. A Remark well worthy of a Cappadocian or a Frenchman. With ardent Spirit Her alone pursue, And with Contempt all other Pleasures view. Nor let the rich Bithynian Trade be loft. And add a fourth to make the Mafs a Square ; 41. Si poffet centum fenæ præbere.] Thefe Robes were probably wanted for iome fach' Entertainment, as we find in the first Epistle of the fecond Book; though Plutarch tells us, Horace calls them five thousand, that he may enliven his Tale by fuch an Exaggeration, ▾ for the real Number was two hundred. The Point and Moral of the Story is to convince us, that the Neceffaries and Convenienties of Life are not fufficient to make us happy. There must be some fuperfluous Wealth, beyond what the Poffeffor enjoys; yet if he knows but half his Wealth, he confequently can enjoy but half of it. Exilis domus eft, ubi non & multa fuperfunt, Et dominum fallunt, & profunt furibus. Ergo, Si res fola poteft facere & fervare beatum ; 45 Hoc primus repetas opus, hoc poftremus omittas. Mercemur fervum, qui dictet nomina, lævum 50 55 Frater, pater, adde, Ut cuique eft ætas; itâ quemque facetus adopta. Si bene qui cœnat, bene vivit; lucet, eamus Quò ducit gula: pifcemur, venemur, ut olim Gargilius, qui mane plagas, venabula, fervos, Differtum tranfire forum campumque jubebat: Unus ut è multis, populo fpectante, referret Emtum mulus aprum. Crudi tumidique lavemur, 60 Quid 49. Si fortunatum.] After having spoken of Riches in generat, he now fpeaks of the different Ufe we make of them; either to fupport a Magnificence of Equipage, a Luxury of eating, or the Pleasures of Love and Mirth. But if all together cannot make us happy, (and certainly they cannot) it were ridiculous to expect our Happiness from any one of them. DAC. Species.] Magnificence in Drefs, Equipage, &c. Gratia, public Authority, Popularity. 51. Trans pondera dextram porrigere.] The Streets of Rome were crouded with Coaches and Waggons. The Nomenclator, qui diet nomina, directs his Mafter to turn these Impediments to his Advantage, by making an Acquaintance with them, who are stopped with him, or by croffing to them, who are on the other Side of the Way. But perhaps our Poet by a Kind of pleasant Hyperbole of ftretching the Hand across the Street, when crouded with Carts or Waggons, trans pondera, only means, that the Candidate throws out his Hand to his Voter, in fomewhat the modern Manner of Salutation. 53. Is fafces dabit.] Is marks a third Perfon, and regularly follows bic and ille. By reading bic we feem to return to Him, who hath fo much Intereft in the Fabian and Velinian Tribe. The prefent Reading is of four Manufcripts. DAC. 56. Si bene qui coenat, bene vivit.] A luxurious Table is the feand Ufe of Riches, by which we hope for Happiness. 19. Ferum campumque.] The Manufcripts and old Editions read forum Poor House! where no fuperfluous Wealth's unknown If he lives well, who revels out the Night, C 3 Forgetting forum populumque. But populum and populo in two Lines have a very bad Effect. Differtum forum populumque is unintelligible, and the Adjective can agree with only the first of these two Subftantives. We cannot fay differtus populus. Horace is not fpeaking of a Street, but of fome open Place, where the People used to meet, fuch as the Forum or the Campus Martius. The Distance between these two Places makes the ridiculous Parade of Gargilius more probable. BENT. SAN. 61. Crudi tumidique lavemur.] The ancient Epicureans in good eating used to bathe after Dinner, that they might haften the na tural Digestion, and prepared themselves for another Entertain ment. SANO Quid deceat, quid non, obliti; Cærite cerâ 65 62. Cærite cerâ digni.] The Cærites having received the Vestal Virgins, and tutelary Gods of Rome, when it was facked by the Gauls, the Romans in Gratitude gave them the Privileges of Citizens. But having engaged in the Caufe of Tarquin, they were deprived of the Right of voting at Elections, and a particular Roll was made for their Names, to which thofe of other infamous Citizens were afterwards added. From thence came a Manner of Speaking, dignus Cæritum tabulis ; Cærite cerâ digni, TOR. Mr. Hardoin, the Jefuit, hath a Remark, on this Paffage, of much Sagacity. He would underftand, Carite cerâ digni, as if it were applied to remigium vitiofum, and fignified Men fo brutal and stupid, that they ought to have their Ears ftopped with Wax, like the Companions of Ulyffes, that they might not be feduced by the Songs UINQUE dies tibi pollicitus me rure futurum, Si me vivere vis fanum recteque valentem ; Quan Liberty is the greatest of all Bleffings. It gives a Relish to all other Enjoyments. Mankind are prepoffeffed in Favour of thefe Sentiments, and tell us, that they are born for Freedom, and confider it as the most glorious Privilege of their Nature. Yet there is nothing, which they fo carelessly refign. Among all the Slaves in Life, they, who have engaged themselves in the Service of the Great, are most to be lamented. Their whole Being is one continual Servitude, and he, whom they call their Patron, is properly their Tyrant. Our Poet was not of a Temper to facrifice his Liberty to his Intereft. However obliged by Maecenas, he knew how to distinguish Grati tude |