Sunt verba et voces, quibus hunc lenire dolorem Poffis, et magnam morbi deponere partem. a Laudis amore tumes? funt certa piacula, quae te Ter pure lecto poterunt recreare libello. C b Invidus, iracundus, iners, vinofus, amator, Nemo adeo ferus eft, ut non mitefcere poffit, • Virtus eft, vitium fugere; et fapientia prima, Stultitia caruiffe. vides, quae f maxima credis Effe mala, exiguum cenfum, turpemque repulfam, Quanto devites animi, capitifque labore. Impiger extremos curris mercator ad Indos, NOTES. VER. 58. Between the fits-] The sense of magnam morbi deponere partem is here very happily expreffed. And Ter pure lecto etc. in the following line, as happily varied. But the whole paffage, which defcribes the ufe and efficacy of fatire, is admirably imitated. VER. 70. Scar'd at the Spectre of pale Poverty!] Tho' Know, there are Words, and Spells, which can con troll z Between the Fits this Fever of the foul: Know, there are Rhymes, which apply'd fresh and fresh 69 Will cure the arrant'ft Puppy of his Pride. d A Switz, a High-dutch, or a Low-dutch & Bear; L • "Tis the firft Virtue, Vices to abhor; See him, with pains of body, pangs of foul, Burn through the Tropic, freeze beneath the Pole! Wilt thou do nothing for a nobler end, Nothing, to make Philosophy thy friend? NOTES. 65 70 this has all the fpirit, it has not all the imagery of the Original; where Horace makes Poverty purfue, and keep pace with the Mifer in his flight. Per mare Pauperiem fugiens, per faxa, per ignes. But what follows, Wilt thou do nothing, etc. far furpaffes the Original. Pers' mare pauperiem fugiens, per faxa, per ignés: h Difcere, et audire, et meliori credere non vis? 66 Vilius eft auro argentum, virtutibus aurum. Eft animus tibi, funt mores, eft lingua, fidefque: NOTES. VER. 77. Here, Wifdom calls: etc.] All from hence to 110, is a pretty clofe tranflation: but in general done with fo masterly a fpirit, that the Original, tho' one of the most finished paffages in Horace, looks only like the imitation of it. VER. 78. As Gald to Silver, Virtue is to Gold,] This perhaps is the moft faulty line in the whole collection. The Original is, Vilius eft auro argentum, virtutibus aurum. which only fays, that as Silver is of less value than Gold, fo Gold is of lefs value than Virtue in which fimple_inferiority, and not the proportion of it, is implied. For it was as contrary to the Author's purpose, as it is to common fenfe, to fuppofe, that Virtue was but just as much better than gold, as gold is better than filver. Yet Mr. Pope, too attentive to his conftant object, conciseness, has, before he was aware, fallen into this meaning. VER. 82. From low St. James's up to high St. Paul;] To ftop thy foolish views, thy long defires, And ease thy heart of all that it admires? 75 Here, Wisdom calls: "Seek Virtue first, be bold! "As Gold to Silver, Virtue is to Gold." 80. There, London's voice: "Get Money, Money ftill! A Barnard in fpirit, sense, and truth abounds; 85 "Pray then, what wants he?" Fourfcore thoufand pounds; NOTES. i. e. This is a doctrine in which both Whigs and Torie's agree. and VER. 83. From him whofe quills ftand quiver'd at his ear,] They who do not take the delicacy of this fatire, may think the figure of standing quiver'd, extremely hard quaint; but it has an exquifite beauty, infinuating that the pen of a Scrivener is as ready as the quill of a porcupine, and as fatal as the fhafts of a Parthian.-Quiverd at his ear, which describes the pofition it is ufually found in, alludes to the custom of the American canibals, who make use of their hair (tied in a knot on the top their heads) for a quiver for their poison'd arrows. VER. 84. notches flicks] Exchequer Tallies. of VER. 85. Barnard in fpirit, fenfe, and truth abounds;] Sir John Barnard. It was the Poet's purpose to say, that this great man (who does fo much honour to his Country) had a fine genius, improved and put in ufe by a true understanding; and both, under the guidance of an integrity Sed quadringentis fex feptem millia defint, • Plebs eris. at pueri ludentes, Rex eris, aiunt, Si recte facies. Hic murus aheneus efto, Nil confcire fibi, nulla pallefcere culpa. r Rofcia, dic fodes, melior lex, an puerorum eft * Ifne tibi melius fuadet, qui, "Rem facias; rem,. "Si poffis, recte; fi non, quocunque modo rem." Ut" propius fpectes lacrymofa poemata Pupi! An, ▾ qui fortunae te refponfare superbae Liberum et erectum, * praefens hortatur et aptat? Y Quod fi me Populus Romanus forte roget, cur NOTES. fuperior to all the temptations of intereft, honours, or any meaner paffion. Many events, fince the paying this tribute to his virtue, have fhewn how much, and how particularly it was due to him. |