10 15 Neptunum procul è terrâ fpectare furentem. Quadrigis petimus bene vivere. Quod petis, hic eft; 20 25 30 EPIST. 10. Neptunum procul è terrâ.] This Image perfectly well reprefents the Condition of Rome and Italy. A Sea, agitated by Tempefts, is a natural Figure of a State, diftracted by the Diffenfions of an inteftine War. SAN, 17. Incolumi.] After that Horace hath turned into Ridicule the Reafons with which Bullatius defends his living in Afia, he prevents the only Thing he could reasonably fay in his Juftification, that he was not influenced by Uneafinefs or Melancholy of Temper, but by the real Beauties and Pleafures of the Country. Thefe to a found Mind, incolumi, which was fecure and fafe from outward Accidents, were infufficient Reasons to make a Man forget his Friends, and the Place of his Birth. DAC. 19. Caminus.] Was a Room open to the South, and contrived in-fuch a Manner as to collect the Rays of the Sun in Winter. It was called Heliocaminus and folarium, Enjoy the Calm of Life, and safe on Shore, A Traveller, though wet with Dirt and Rain, Or pierc'd with Cold, and joying in the Heat Believe me, at delicious Rhodes to live Or to a Swimmer Tiber's freezing Stream, Not the bold Site, that wide commands the Sea; `In defert Ulubræ the Blifs you'll find, If you preferve a firm, and equal Mind. D 5 EPIST. 25. Si ratio & prudentia curas.] Á wife Man is a Citizen of the World, and can fecure his own Happiness, in whatever Part of it he lives. The fi, as Mr. Dacier well obferves, is to be underftood, and conftrued with cœlum non animum mutant, ftrenua nos exercet inertia. 28. Strenua inertia.] This Oppofition in the Words is very pret ty, and contains much moral, good Senfe. All these Purfuits of Happiness are but a laborious Idleness. (82 F EPIST. XII. Ad ICCIUM. RUCTIBUS Agrippa Siculis, quos colligis, Icci, Si rectè frueris, non eft ut copia major Ab Jove donari poffit tibi. Tolle querelas : 10 We find, by the twenty-ninth Ode of the first Book, that Horace had fuch a Degree of Intimacy with Iccius as allows of much innocent Raillery. He there reprefents him as a philofophical Soldier, and here as a philofophical Mifer, but equally ridiculous in either Character, while the Poet maintains his own good Humour with equal Spirit. By the laft Lines of it, we may date the Letter in Autumn 734. SAN. Verfe 1. Fructibus Agrippa Siculis.] Auguftus was obliged to Agrippa for the Reduction of Sicily, and gave him, in acknowledgment, an Eftate there, to which Iccius was Agent, or Farmer. His Father had been Governor of the Mand four and twenty Years before. Quos colligis.] This Expreffion, and the laft Line of the Letter,feem to fay, that it was Harveft-Time both in Sicily and Italy, which will more exactly direct us to fix the Date of it. SAN. 8. Herbis vivis & urticâ.] By tranflating urtica Nettles, the Commentators have made Horace fpeak in a Manner as ridiculous, ag W EPIST. XII. To ICCIUS. HILE Iccius farms Agrippa's large Estate, No greater Riches Jove himself can give ; Then cease complaining, Friend, and learn to live. Are you with Food, and Warmth, and Raiment blest? Not royal Treasures are of more possest; And if, for Herbs and Shell-fish at a Feast, a Man, who should invite his Guests to Meat and Mutton; Wildfowl and Partridge; Fish and Turbot. But the Poet, as if he had foreseen that he might poffibly be misunderstood, hath repeated his Meaning in the twenty-first Verfe, and particularly marked the Herbs by the Names of porrum and cæpe, and the Fish by Urtica. This was a cheap and tastelefs Fish, eaten only by the Poor. SAN. Sic vives protinus, ut te.] Ut here fignifies quamvis, which only can determine the Senfe. Protinus is for une codemque tenore, in one continued, unbroken Length. TORR. 10. Vel quia naturam.] Horace would feem to believe, that the Contentment, which Iccius finds in his Frugality, proceeds from one of these two Reafens; either because he is perfuaded, that Riches cannot make a Man happy against his natural Difpofition, or that he was convinced, they are lefs eftimable than Virtue. DAC Miramur, fi Democriti pecus edit agellos 15 Cultaque, dum peregre eft animus fine corpore velox? 20 25 Arme 12. Miramur, fi Democriti.] This Comparifon hath much ironical Pleafantry. Democritus was fo engaged in his philofophical Speculations, that he left his Eftate a Prey to his Neighbours. But the fevere and frugal Life of Iccius rofe from very different Principles. He denied himself only thofe Pleafures, which his Avarice would not allow him to purchase. But Virtue, fays our laughing Poet, was a Source of real Wealth to him, and he wanted only thofe Riches, which his Stoical Wisdom had taught him to defpife. SAN. 13. Dum peregre eft animus.] The Platonics, explaining the Powers of the Soul, talk as if they could really, by Strength of Imagination, feparate the Soul from the Body, and raise it above all earthly Ideas. Ariftophanes, to ridicule this Language, introduces Socrates, telling his Difciples, that he could never have penetrated into Things fublime, but by mixing his moft refined Ideas with Air most like them. He then pleafantly advises them, not to reftrain their Imagination, but let it foar like a Butterfly, which Boys tie to a Thread. 15. Sublimia cures.] It was now feventeen Years fince Iccius had quitted Philofophy for the Army, but as his Arabian Expedition had not the Succefs it promised, our new Soldier returned to his firft Profeffion. SAN. |