EPISTOLA II. FLORE, bono claroque fidelis amice Neroni, 'Si quis forte velit puerum tibi vendere natum Tibure vel Gabiis, et tecum sic agat: "Hic et Candidus, et talos a vertice pulcher ad imos, Fiet eritque tuus nummorum millibus octo; Verna ministeriis ad nutus aptus heriles; Litterulis Græcis imbutus, idoneus arti Cuilibet: argilla quidvis imitaberis uda: Quin etiam canet indoctum, sed dulce bibenti. Multa fidem promissa levant, ubi plenius æquo Laudat venales, qui vult extrudere, merces. Res urget me nulla: meo sum pauper in ære. Nemo hoc mangonum faceret tibi: non temere a me Quivis ferret idem: semel hic cessavit, et (ut fit) In scalis latuit metuens pendentis habenæ : Des nummos, excepta nihil te si fuga lædit." NOTES. Ver. 1. Dear Col'nel,] Addressed to Colonel Cotterell of Rousham near Oxford, the descendant of Sir Charles Cotterell, who, at the desire of Charles the First, translated Davila into English. The second line of this Imitation, "You love," &c. is feeble and useless. Horace, without preface, enters at once in his second line on the story, "Si quis forte," &c. And the fifteenth line, "But, Sir, to you," is uncommonly languid and prosaic. Ver. 4. This Lad, Sir, is of Blois :] A Town in Beauce, where the French tongue is spoken in great purity. W. Ver. 20. it is, to steal.] The fault of the Slave-seller's Boy is only his having run away; but the young Frenchman has been EPISTLE II. DEAR Col'nel, COBHAM's and your country's You love a Verse, take such as I can send. b A Frenchman comes, presents you with his Boy, Bows and begins-"This Lad, Sir, is of Blois : Observe his shape how clean! his locks how curl'd! My only son, I'd have him see the world: His French is pure; his voice too-you shall hear. 6 11 To say too much, might do my honour wrong. 15 (Could you o'erlook but that), it is, to steal." 20 NOTES. guilty of stealing; this makes his behaviour more unpardonable, and less likely to be overlooked by the purchaser: a circumstance that alters the nature of the illusion, and the probability of the bargain. с Ille ferat pretium, pœnæ securus, opinor. Prudens emisti vitiosum: dicta tibi est lex. Insequeris tamen hunc, et lite moraris iniqua. Dixi me pigrum proficiscenti tibi, dixi Talibus officiis prope mancum: ne mea sævus Jurgares ad te quod epistola nulla veniret. Quid tum profeci, mecum facientia jura Si tamen attentas? quereris super hoc etiam, quod Exspectata tibi non mittam carmina mendax. e Luculli miles collecta viatica multis Ærumnis, lassus dum noctu stertit, ad assem Perdiderat: post hoc vehemens lupus, et sibi et hosti Præsidium regale loco dejecit, ut aiunt, NOTES. Ver. 24. I think Sir Godfrey] An eminent Justice of Peace, who decided much in the manner of Sancho Pancha. Sir Godfrey Kneller. W. P. Ver. 27. Consider then,] Horace offers seven reasons by way of apology for not sending an epistle to his friend Florus; that he told him he was naturally indolent; that no man in his senses would write verses, if not compelled by necessity; that he was now too old to be writing verses; that it was impossible to gratify the different tastes of readers that it was also impossible to write amidst the noise and bustle of Rome; that the profession of a poet is subject to many inconveniences, arising from envy, jealousy, and flattery; that it is time to leave off trifling. studies and pursuits, and fix his whole attention on morals and the duties of life. Ver. 33. In Anna's Wars, &c.] Many parts of this story are well told; but, on the whole, it is much inferior to the Original. W. Marlborough is placed here to answer Lucullus in the Original. The character of the latter is so well and elegantly drawn If, after this, you took the graceless lad, I think Sir Godfrey should decide the suit; d Consider then, and judge me in this light; I told you when I went, I could not write; 25 You said the same; and are you discontent Had dearly earn'd a little purse of gold: Tir'd with a tedious march, one luckless night, 35 Prodigious well;" his great Commander cried, Gave him much praise, and some reward beside. NOTES. 40 by Middleton in the first volume of the Life of Tully, as to make it one of the most pleasing parts of that celebrated work. Ver. 37. This put the Man, &c.] Much below the Original, "Post hoc vehemens lupus, et sibi et hosti Iratus pariter, jejunis dentibus acer." The last words are particularly elegant and humorous. W. Ver. 43. Gave him much praise, and some reward beside.] For the sake of a stroke of Satire, he has here weakened that circumstance, on which the turn of the story depends. Horace avoided Clarus ob id factum, donis ornatur honestis, Verbis, quæ NOTES. it, though the avaricious character of Lucullus was a tempting occasion to indulge his raillery. W. Ver. 45. Its name] An idle expletive line. As also is verse 49, below, Don't you remember; evidently taken from Dacier; ne savez vous l'histoire du soldat de Lucullus? Ver. 50. D'ye think me,] Dunkin's translation of these two lines is Horatian; An't please you, Captain, let another trudge it, The man may venture, who has lost his budget. Ver. 51. Let him take castles who has ne'er a groat.] This has neither the force nor the justness of the Original. Horace makes his Soldier say, Ibit, "Ibit eo, quo vis, qui zonam perdidit;" for it was not his poverty, but his loss, that pushed him upon danger; many being sufficient to poverty, who cannot bear the sudden change of condition occasioned by losses. What betrayed our Poet into this inaccuracy of expression was, its suiting bet |