Quid vici profunt, aut horrea? quidve Calabris

Saltibus adjecti Lucani; fi metit Orcus

Grandia cum parvis, non exorabilis auro?

* Gemmas, marmor, ebur, Tyrrhena figilla, ta

bellas,

Argentum, veftes Gaetulo murice tinctas,

Sunt qui non habeant; eft qui non curat habere.

b Cur alter fratrum ceffare, et ludere, et ungi

Praeferat Herodis palmetis pinguibus; alter

Dives et importunus, ad umbram lucis ab ortu

Silveftrem flammis et ferro mitiget agrum :

NOTES.

VER. 273 All Townshend's Turnips.] Lord Townfhend, Secretary of State to George the Firft and Second.When this great Statesman retired from business, he amused

All vaft poffeffions (just the same the cafe

Whether you call them Villa, Park, or Chace) 255

Alas, my BATHURST! what will they avail?
Join Cotfwood hills to Saperton's fair dale,
Let rifing Granaries and Temples here,
There mingled farms and pyramids appear,
Link towns to towns with avenues of oak,
Enclose whole downs in walls, 'tis all a joke!
Inexorable Death fhall level all,

260

And trees, and ftones, and farms, and farmer fall.
* Gold, Silver, Iv'ry, Vafes fculptur'd high,
Paint, Marble, Gems, and robes of Perfian dye, 265
There are who have not-and thank heav'n there are,
Who, if they have not, think not worth their care.
Talk what you will of Tafte, my friend, you'll

find,

Two of a face, as foon as of a mind.

Why, of two brothers, rich and restless one

Plows, burns, manures, and toils from fun to fun;
The other flights, for women, fports, and wines,
All Townshend's Turnips, and all Grovenor's mines:
Why one like Bu-with pay and fcorn content,
Bows and votes on, in Court and Parliament;

NOTES.

275

himself in Husbandry; and was particularly fond of that kind of rural improvement which arifes from Turnips; it was the favourite fubje&t of his conversation.

Scit Genius, natale comes qui temperat aftrum:
NATURAE DEUS HUMANAE, mortalis in unum-
Quodque caput, vultu mutabilis, albus, et ater.

Utar, et ex modico, quantum res pofcet, acervo
Tollam: nec metuam, quid de me judicet haeres,
Quod non plura datis invenerit. et tamen idem
Scire volam, quantum fimplex hilarifque nepoti
Difcrepet, et quantum discordet parcus avaro.
Diftat enim, fpargas tua prodigus, an neque fumtum
Invitus facias, nec plura parare labores ;

Ac potius, puer ut feftis Quinquatribus olim,
Exiguo gratoque fruaris tempore raptim.

f Pauperies immunda procul procul abfit: ego, utrum Nave ferar magna an parva; ferar unus et idem.

NOTES.

VER. 277. fly, like Oglethorpe,] Employed in fettling the Colony of Georgia.

VER. 280. That God of Nature, etc.] Here our Poet had an opportunity of illuftrating his own Philofophy; and thereby giving a much better fenfe to his Original; and correcting both the naturalism and the fate of Horace, which are covertly conveyed in these words,

One, driv'n by strong Benevolence of foul,
Shall fly, like Oglethorpe, from pole to pole:
Is known alone to that Directing Pow'r,
Who forms the Genius in the natal hour;
That God of Nature, who, within us still,
Inclines our action, not conftrains our will;
Various of temper, as of face or frame,
Each individual; His great End the fame.

e

Yes, Sir, how small foever be my heap,
A part I will enjoy, as well as keep.
My heir may figh, and think it want of grace
A man fo poor would live without a place :
But fure no ftatute in his favour fays,
How free, or frugal, I fhall pafs my days:
I, who at fome times fpend, at others fpare,
Divided between carelefnefs and care.
'Tis one thing madly to difperfe my store;
Another, not to heed to treasure more;
Glad, like a Boy, to snatch the first good day,
And pleas'd, if fordid want be far away.

f What is't to me (a paffenger God wot)
Whether my veffel be firft-rate or not?
The Ship itself may make a better figure,
But I that fail, am neither less nor bigger.

NOTES.

A

Scit Genius, natale comes qui temperat aftrum,
NATURAE DEUS HUMANAE.

280

285

290

295

VER. 288. But fure no ftatute] Alluding to the ftatutes made in England and Ireland, to regulate the Sueceffion of Papifts, etc.

Non agimur tumidis velis Aquilone fecundo:
Non tamen adverfis aetatem ducimus Auftris.
Viribus, ingenio, fpecie, virtute, loco, re,
Extremi primorum, extremis ufque priores.

• Non es avarus: abi. quid? caetera jam fimul ifto Cum vitio fugere? caret tibi pectus inani

Ambitione? caret mortis formidine et ira?

Somnia, terrores magicos, miracula, fagas,
Nocturnos lemures, portentaque Theffala rides?
Natales grate numeras? ignofcis amicis?

Lenior et melior fis accedente senecta ?

Quid te exemta levat fpinis de pluribus una?

Vivere fi recte nefcis, decede peritis.

Lufifti fatis, edifti fatis, atque bibisti :

Tempus abire tibi eft: ne potum largius aequo
Rideat, et pullet lasciva decentius aetas.

NOTES.

VER. 312. Survey both worlds,] It is obfervable with what fobriety he has corrected the licentioufness of his Original, which made the expectation of another world a part of that fuperftition, he would explode; whereas his