66 Tange, miser! venas, et pone in pectore dex tram; Nil calet hic: summosque pedes attinge manusque; Cor tibi rite salit? Positum est algente catino VER. 191. But why to me? &c.] The conclusion of the satire is worked up with equal spirit and ingenuity. Drowsy as the poet's youthful companion (unus comitum) is represented, he is yet alert enough to discover, that he is somehow or other involved in the present apologue. As the preceptor, however, appears to him to labour under a considerable mistake, he prepares to set him right; and in a somewhat indignant tone (this is the import of miser,) affirms himself to be in no danger of "trumpets and torches," as is falsely insinuated, for that his state of health is excellent. It is now that the philosopher sees his advantage, and turns upon the poor dreamer with the moral of his fable, which he enforces with all the poignancy of satire, and all the dignity of truth. The student can no longer mistake, for he is presented with an epitome of his most besetting vices, and, among the rest, that of ungovernable passion-of which he had furnished a tolerable specimen in the opening lines "But why, to me? Examine every part; My pulse-and lay your finger on my heart, You'll find no fever; touch my hands and feet, A natural warmth, and nothing more, you'll meet." 'Tis well! But if you light on gold by chance, If a fair neighbour cast a sidelong glance, Still will that pulse with equal calmness flow; And still that heart no fiercer throbbings know? Try yet again. In a brown dish behold, Coarse gritty bread, and coleworts stale and cold: Now, prove your taste. Why those averted eyes ? Hah! I perceive a secret ulcer lies : Within that pamper'd mouth, too sore to bear Where dwells this natural warmth, when danger's near, And" each particular hair" starts up with fear? Inflames the bosom; when the veins run fire, Would give you up at once, to chains and straw! SATIRE IV. Argument. This Satire is founded on the first Alcibiades of Plato, and many of the expressions are closely copied from that celebrated dialogue. It naturally arranges itself under three heads; the first of which treats of the preposterous ambition of those who aspired to take the lead in State affairs, before they had learned the first principles of civil government. The second division, which is of singular merit, and possesses a rich vein of strong but appropriate humour, and acute reasoning, turns on the general neglect of self-examination, enforcing, at the same time, the necessity of moral purity, from the impossibility of escaping detection; and of restraining all wanton propensity to exaggerate the foibles of others, from its tendency to provoke severe recrimination on our own vices. The conclusion, or third part, reverts to the subject with which the Satire opens, and arraigns, in terms of indignant severity, the profligacy of the young nobility, and their sottish vanity in resting their claims to approbation on the judgment of a worthless rabble. "The commentators before Casaubon, (Dryden says) were ignorant of our author's secret meaning; and thought he had only written against young noblemen in general, who were too forward in aspiring to publick magistracy: but this excellent scholiast has unravelled the whole mystery, and made it apparent that the sting of this Satyr was particularly aimed at Nero." Casaubon has sufficient merit of his own, and needs not therefore be complimented at the expense of others. The translator's acquaintance" with the commentators" was of a limited kind, or he might have known, that Casabon had been preceded by many in |