Would you to Nature's Laws Obedience yield ; As where the Country spreads its Bleffings round? A lofs fo touching, of fuch heart-felt Pain, their Roots where their Branches ought not to have afpired? Yet all thefe Arts, while they offer Violence to Nature, only prove the Tafte for Happiness, which the infpires. 26. Non, qui Sidonio ] Horace compares the Taste of Nature to the true Purple; and that of the Paffions to an adulterated, falfe Purple. Contendere aliquid alicui, to compare one Thing with another, nam una tendunt pannos qui comparare & internofcere volunt dif crimina. People, who compare Pieces of Stuff together, ftretch them out near each other, better to difcern the Difference. BAXTER. tecto 30 Certius accipiet damnum, propiufve medullis, Cui non conveniet fua res, ut calceus olim Si pede major erit, fubvertet; fi minor, uret. 35 40 45 Imperat 30. Quem res plus nimio.] They who bound their Defires within the Wants of Nature, and fuch is ufually the Temper of a Country Life, are independent of Fortune's Favours and Refentments; her Anger and Inconftancy. SAN. 34. Cervus equum, pugnâ melior.] If there be more Security, there is likewife more Servitude, in Cities than in the Country. Such is our Author's Application of this Fable, invented by Stefichorus, when the Hymerians were forming a Life-guard for Phalaris, whom they had appointed their General. 37. Victor vito difceffit ab hoftes.] This Reading, which appears in an Edition of the Year 1480, has been received by Mr. Cuningham and Sanadon; and Dr. Bentley is perfuaded, that it was taken from fome ancient Manufcript. We have in different Editions, vidor violens, viclens victor, violens victo, and this very Diffe rence juftly makes the Text suspected. As he, who can't, with Senfe of happier Kind, They, who in Fortune's Smiles too much delight, The frail Poffeffion we refign with Pain. Then leave the gaudy Bleffings of the Great, Where you may make a folid Bliss your own, And feel a haughty Mafter's galling Weight. And on my Head thy juft Repoach employ, D 3 } 40. Improbus.] For Improbe, fhamefully. The Latins used impro bus, for vilis, feedus, turpis. Lavit improba teter ora cruor. If VIRGI 45. Nec me dimittes incaßigatum.] The Poet makes use of this Corrective to foften that Advice, which he had given to his Friend. He defires to be treated with the fame Franknefs, whenever he fhall feem enflaved to the fame Paffions. SAN Imperat aut fervit collecta pecunia cuique, Tortum digna fequi potiùs quàm ducere funem. 50 48. Tortum digna fequi.] A Metaphor taken from Beasts, that are led with a Cord. Perfus hath used the fame Figure, funem reduco. SAN. 49. Prope fanum putre Vacunæ.] Vacuna was the Goddess of Vacations, whofe Festival was celebrated in December. There are fill Q EPIST. XI. Ad BULLATIUM. UID tibi vifa Chios, Bullati, notaque Lesbos? Quid concinna Samos? quid Crofi regia Sardis ? Smyrna quid, & Colophon? majora minorane famâ ? Cunctane præ campo & Tiberino flumine fordent? An venit in votum Attalicis ex urbibus una? An Lebedum laudas, odio maris atque viarum ? Scis, Lebedus quid fit? Gabiis defertior, atque Fidenis vicus: tamen illic vivere vellem; Oblitufque meorum, oblivifcendus & illis, 5 Neptunum We know not the Perfon to whom this Letter was written, but we may believe he had retired into Afia, when the laft Quarrel was breaking out between Octavius and Antony, that he might not again behold the Horrors of a Civil War. When it was ended, our Poet invites him to return to Rome, and gives him fuch excellent Maxims, as might be useful to a Perfon, who by an unchearful Caft of Mind is apt to defpair upon every Accident or Alteration of his Fortune. Such was probably the Difpofition of Bullatius. The Letter feems to have been written in 725. SAN. Verfe 7. Scis, Lebedus quid fit ?] Thefe Words, which the Poet puts into the Mouth of Bullatius, were certainly taken from some of If e'r, forgetful of my former Self, I toil to raise unneceffary Pelf, For Gold will either govern or obey, But better fhall the Slave, than Tyrant play. ftill fome Remains of her Temple on our Poet's Eftate. He dates his Letter behind this Temple, to infult Aftriftius with that Idlenefs and Liberty, which he enjoyed in the Country, in Opposition to the Bufinefs and Confinement of Rome. TORR. D O the fam'd Islands of th' Ionian Seas, Lesbos, or Chios, my Bullatius pleafe? Or Sardis, where great Crofus held his Court? Say, are they lefs, or greater than Report ? Does Samos, Colophon, or Smyrna, yield Compar'd to Tibur, or to Mars's Field! Would you, fatigu'd with Toils of Lands and Seas, In Lebedus, or Afia, fpend your Days? You tell me, Lebedus is now become More defert, than our Villages at home, Yet there you gladly fix your future Lot, Your Friends forgetting, by your Friends forgot; of his Letters, in which he excufed his not returning to Italy. Such a Manner of Writing is unknown, and would be perhaps unintelligible to an English Reader. The Tranflator has therefore chofen a Turn of Expreffion, familiar and usual among modern Letter-Writers. Since the Time of Lambinus, quam fit, which is not even Latin, hath infected all our Editions, but all the Manufcripes read quid fi |