THE

SECOND EPISTLE

OF THE

SECOND BOOK

OF

HORACE.

Ludentis fpeciem dabit, et torquebitur. HOR

DEAR

EPISTLE II.

EAR Col'nel, COBHAM's, and your country's
Friend!

You love a Verfe, take fuch as I can fend.

A Frenchman comes, prefents you with his Boy, Bows and begins-" This Lad, Sir, is of Blois : "Observe his fhape how clean! his locks how curl'd! "My only fon, I'd have him fee the world :

6

His French is pure; his Voice too-you shall hear. "Sir, he's your flave, for twenty pound a year. "Mere wax as yet, you fashion him with ease, "Your Barber, Cook, Upholft'rer, what you please : "A perfect genius at an Op'ra fong

"To fay too much, might do my honour wrong.
* Take him with all his virtues, on my word;
"His whole ambition was to ferve a Lord:

II

FLO

EPISTOLA II.

"Hic et

LORE, bono claroque fidelis amice Neroni, Si quis forte velit puerum tibi vendere natum Tibure vel Gabiis, et tecum fic agat: "Candidus, et talos a vertice pulcher ad imos, "Fiet eritque tuus nummorum millibus octo; "Verna minifteriis ad nutus aptus heriles; "Litterulis Graecis imbutus, idoneus arti

"Cuilibet: argilla quidvis imitaberis uda:

66

Quin etiam canet indoctum, fed dulce bibenti. "Multa fidem promiffa levant, ubi plenius aequo

NOTE S.

VER. 4. This Lad, Sir, is of Blois :] A Town in Beauce, where the French tongue is fpoken in great purity.

15

"But, Sir, to you, with what would I not part? "Tho' faith, I fear, 'twill break his Mother's heart. "Once (and but once) I caught him in a lye,

And then, unwhipp'd, he had the grace to cry : "The fault he has I fairly shall reveal,

20

" (Could you o'erlook but that) it is, to fteal."
If, after this, you took the graceless lad,
Could you complain, my Friend, he prov'd so bad?
Faith, in fuch cafe, if you fhould profecute,
I think Sir Godfrey fhould decide the fuit;
Who fent the Thief that ftole the Cash, away,
And punish'd him that put it in his way.

a Confider then, and judge me in this light;
I told you when I went, I could not write;
You faid the fame; and are you difcontent
With laws, to which you gave your own affent?

25

30

"Laudat venales, qui vult extrudere, merces. "Res urget me nulla: meo fum pauper in aere. "Nemo hoc mangonum faceret tibi: non temere a me

Quivis ferret idem: femel hic ceffavit, et (ut fit) "In fcalis latuit metuens pendentis habenae: "Des nummos, excepta nihil te fi fuga laedit." • Ille ferat pretium, poenae fecurus, opinor. Prudens emifti vitiofum: dicta tibi eft lex. Infequeris tamen hunc, et lite moraris iniqua. • Dixi me pigrum proficifcenti tibi, dixi Talibus officiis prope mancum ; ne mea faevus Jurgares ad te quod epiftola nulla veniret. Quid tum profeci, mecum facientia jura

NOTE S.

VER. 24. I think Sir Godfrey] An eminent Juftice of Peace, who decided much in the manner of Sancho Pancha.-Sir Godfrey Kneller.

VOL. II.

Nay worse, to ask for Verse at such a time!
D'ye think me good for nothing but to rhyme ?

e In ANNA's Wars, a Soldier poor and old
Had dearly earn'd a little purse of gold:
Tir'd with a tedious march, one luckless night,
He flept, poor dog! and loft it, to a doit.
This put the man in such a despʼrate mind,
Between revenge, and grief, and hunger join'd,
Against the foe, him felf, and all mankind,
He leap'd the trenches, fcal'd a Caftle-wall,
Tore down a Standard, took the Fort and all.
"Prodigious well!" his great Commander cry'd,
Gave him much praise, and fome reward befide.

Si tamen attentas? quereris fuper hoc etiam, quod
Exfpectata tibi non mittam carmina mendax.

35

40

e Luculli miles collecta viatica multis
Aerumnis, laffus dum noctu ftertit, ad affem
Perdiderat poft hoc vehemens lupus, et fibi et hofti
Iratus pariter, jejunis dentibus acer,

Praefidium regale loco dejecit, ut aiunt,
Summe munito, et multarum divite rerum.
Clarus ob id factum, donis ornatur honeftis,
Accipit et bis dena fuper feftertia nummûm.
Forte fub hoc tempus caftellum evertere praetor

NOTE S.

VER. 33. In Anna's wars, etc.] Many parts of this story are well told; but, on the whole, it is much inferior to the original. VER. 37. This put the man, etc.] Greatly below the original, Poft hoc vehemens lupus, et fibi et hofti Iratus pariter, jejunis dentibus acer.

The last words are particularly elegant and humorous.

VER. 43. Gave him much praise and fome reward befide.] For the fake of a ftroke of fatire, he has here weakened that circumftance on which the turn of the ftory depends. Horace avoided it, though the avaricious character of Lucullus was a tempting occafion to indulge his raillery.

45

- Next, pleas'd his Excellence a town to batter;
(Its name I know not, and 'tis no great matter)
"Go on, my Friend, (he cry'd) fee yonder walls!
"Advance and conquer! go where glory calls!
"More honours, more rewards, attend the brave."
Don't you remember what reply he gave ?
"D'ye think me, noble Gen'ral, fuch a Sot?
"Let him take caftles who has ne'er a groat."

f Bred up at home, full early I begun
To read in Greek the wrath of Peleus' fon.
Befides, my Father taught me from a lad,
The better art to know the good from bad:

59

55

Nefcio quod cupiens, hortari coepit eundem.
Verbis, quae timido quoque poffent addere mentem:
I, bone, quo virtus tua te vocat: i pede faufto,
Grandia laturus meritorum praemia: quid ftas?
Poft haec ille catus, quantumvis rufticus, "Ibit,
"Ibit eo, quo vis, qui zonam perdidit," inquit.
f Romae nutriri mihi contigit, atque doceri,
Iratus Graiis quantum nocuiffet Achilles,
Adjecere bonae paulo plus artis Athenae:
Scilicet ut poffem curvo dignofcere rectum,

NOTES.

VER. 51. Let him take cafties who has ne'er a great.] This has neither the force nor the justness of the original. Horace makes his foldier fay,

Ibit,

Ibit eo, quo vis, qui zonam perdidit.

For it was not his poverty, but his lofs, that pushed him upon danger; many being equal to the one, who cannot bear the other. What betrayed our poet into this inaccuracy of expreffion, was its fuiting better with the application. But in a great writer we pardon nothing. And such should never forget, that the expreffion is not perfect, but when the ideas it conveys fit both the tale and the application: for then they reflect mutual light upon one another.

VER. 53. To read in Greek the wrath of Peleus' fon.] This circumftance has a happier application in the imitation than in the original, and properly introduces the 68th verfe.