BUT how juft foever this Complaint may be, there are still fome Noble Spirits among us

---Anime, quales neque candidiores Terra tulit,

who are altogether free from this Imputation.

AMONG Thefe, Your Lord-. fhip justly claims the Pre-eminence; Your Liberality and Humanity are univerfally admir'd; and what is yet more furprizing, a Knowledge of Men, and a profound Intelligence of Things, which but feldom, very feldom, meet together, are reconciled in You.

To juftify the Truth of what I fay, I appeal from Your Lordfhip to the Publick Voice; who, in a juft Sense of Your uncommon Vertues, unanimously deçlar'd, at Your late Promotion, that His MAJESTY, whofe Love to His BRITISH Subjects is beyond Expreffion, neA 3

ver

ver gave 'em a greater Instance of it, than in making You his CHANCELLOR.

Dii dent virtuti tempora longa tuæ.

I am,

My LORD,

Your Lordship's

Moft Obedient

Humble Servant,

S. DUNSTER.

THE

PREFACE.

HE Criticks confider HORACE in a double Capacity, as a Writer of Odes, and a Satirift; they divide the Odes into Panegyrical, Moral, and Bacchanalian: The Defign of which, being rather to raise the Fancy than inform the Judgment, they accordingly confift of Pompous Numbers, Sublime Thoughts, bold and daring Figures and Expreffions. This is the Reafon that they will hardly admit of a Profe Tranflation; but this does not hold good as to his Satires and Epiftles; which were A 4 written,

written, as he himself affures us, for the Inftruction of Mankind; they abound with many excellent Rules and Precepts, the Knowledge of which contributes very much to the Improvement of Life, by imprinting in our Minds just and true and lively Sentiments of Moral Honefty and Vertue.

que pauperibus prodeft, locupletibus æque,

que neglectum pueris fenibufque nocebit.

Fervet avaritia, miferoq; cupidine pectus ?

Sunt verba & voces, quibus hunç lenire dolorem

Poffis, & magnam morbi deponere partem.

Laudis amore tumes? funt certa piacula, quæ Te

Ter pure lecto poterunt recreare libello.

Invidus,

Invidus, iracundus, iners, vinofus, amator,

Nemo adeo ferus eft, ut non mitefcere poffit,

Si modo culturæ patientem commodet aurem.

Lib. I. Epift. I. v. 25.

This being the principal Defign of our Poet, it was neceffary for him to change his Stile; here are none of those daring inimitable Flights, for which his Odes are fo justly admir'd; he is more a Philofopher and Critick than a Poet, his Satires and Epiftles being, as he himself profeffes, fermoni propiora, nearer Profe than Verfe.

This was the Motive which induc'd me to attempt the following Tranflation. I am very fenfible that the Grace and Delicacy of the Latin can't be turn'd into English; but our Language is not without its Beauties,