Sub noctem gelidam lignis calefactat ahenum. Sed vocat ufque fuum, qua populus adfita certis "Sit proprium quidquam, puncto quod mobilis horæ, Nunc prece, nunc pretio, nunc vi, nunc morte fuprema, Permutet dominos, et cedat in altera jura. Sic, quia perpetuus nulli datur ufus, at hæres Hæredem alterius, velut unda fupervenit undam : Quid vici profunt, aut horrea? quidve Calabris Saltibus adjecti Lucani; fi metit Orcus Grandia cum parvis, non exorabilis auro? a Gemmas, marmor, ebur, Tyrrhena figilla, ta- Argentum, veftes Gætulo murice tinctas, NOTES. Cur VER. 248. hang in Fortune's pow'r-Loofe on the point of ev'ry wav'ring hour.] A modern idea (the magnetic needle) here fupplied the Imitator with expreffion much fuperior to his Original, WARBURTON. VER. 254. All vaft poffeffions,] The next ten lines are far fuperior to the Original, both for their poetry and philofophy; and for the artful introduction of the name of his excellent and amiable friend, Lord Bathurst. WARTON. VER. 257. Join Cotfwood hills to Saperton's fair dale,] Saperton. His feat is near the Cotswold hills: and his favourite paffion is well alluded to in ver. 260. Link towns to towns with avenues of oak: for the avenues of oaks at Saperton are very magnificent. Bennet. WAKEFIELD. The Laws of God, as well as of the land, Abhor, a Perpetuity should stand: Eftates have wings, and hang in Fortune's pow'r * Loose on the point of ev'ry wav'ring hour. Ready, by force, or of your own accord, 246 250 By fale, at least by death, to change their lord. Man? and for ever? wretch! what would't thou. have? Heir urges heir, like wave impelling wave. All vaft poffeffions, (just the fame the cafe And trees, and ftones, and farms, and farmer fall. a * Gold, Silver, Iv'ry, Vafes fculptur'd high, Paint, Marble, Gems, and robes of Persian dye, 260 There are who have not,-and thank Heav'n there are, 266 Who, if they have not, think not worth their care. NOTES. Talk VER. 264. Gold, Silver,] Thefe four lines are fine examples of the close, energetic, comprehenfive, ftyle of which he was fo perfect a master. WARTON. b Cur alter fratrum ceffare, et ludere, et ungi C Utar, et ex modico, quantum res pofcet, acervo Tollam: nec metuam, quid de me judicet hæres, NOTES. Quod VER 2-3. All Townsbenl's Turnips,] Lord Townshend, Secretary of State to George the First and Second - When this great Statesman retired from business, he amused himself in Husbandry ; and was particularly fond of that kind of rural improvement which arifes from Turnips; it was the favourite subject of his conversaWARBURTON. tion. He is faid to have been flow in his parts, rough in his manners, and impatient of contradiction, but generous and humane at bottom; and of itrong, good judgment. WARTON. VER. 274. like Bu-] Bubb Doddington, afterward Lord Melcombe, whofe curious Diary has difcovered many despicable court-fecrets and mean intrigues. WARTON. VER. 277. fly, like Oglethorpe,] Employed in festling the Colony of Georgia. POPE. Here are lines that will juftly confer immortality on a man who well deferved fo magnificent an eulogium. He was at once a great hero and a great legislator. The vigor of his mind and body have feldom been equalled. The vivacity of his genius continued to a great old age. The variety of his adventures, and the very different fcenes in which he had been engaged, makes one regret that his life has never been written. Dr. Johnfon once offered to do it, if the General would furnish the materials. Johnfon had a great regard for him, for he was one of the firft perfons that highly, in all companies, praised his London. His firft campaign was made under Prince Eugene, against the Turks; and this great General always fpoke of Oglethorpe in the highest terms.. Neither 'Talk what you will of Taste, my friend, you'll find Two of a face, as foon as of a mind. Why, of two brothers, rich and reflefs one 270 275 Plows, burns, manures, and toils from fun to fun; с Yes, Sir, how finall foever be my heap, 280 285 My Neither he nor Eugene loved Marlborough. He once told me, (for I had the pleasure of knowing him well,) that Eugene, fpeaking of Marlborough, faid, "There is a great difference in making war en maitre, or en avocat But his fettlement of the Colony in Georgia gave a greater luftre to his character than even his military exploits. WARTON. VER. 280. That God of Nature, &c] Here our Poet had an opportunity of illuftrating his own Philofophy; and fo giving a much better fenfe to his Original; and correcting both the Naturalism and the Fate of Horace, which are covertly conveyed in thefe words: "Scit Genius, natale comes qui temperat aftrum, WARBURTON. Quod non plura datis invenerit. et tamen idem Ac potius, puer ut feftis Quinquatribus olim, * Non es avarus: abi. quid? cætera jam fimul ifto NOTES. Lenior VER. 02. In pow'r, wit,] The fix words in the Original, "Viribus, ingenio, fpecie, virtute, loco, re," are wonderfully clofe, emphatical, and compact; but I think they could hardly be better expreffed than by our Author. He has not, perhaps, fucceeded fo well in imitating another line below, "Somnia, terrores magicos, miracula, fagas," a line of admirable brevity. WARTON. VER. 312. Survey both worlds,] It is obfervable with what fobriety he has corrected the licentioufnefs of his Original, which made the expectation of another world a part of that fuperstition, he would explode; whereas the Imitator is only for removing the false terors from the world of spirits; such as the diablerie of witchcraft and purgatory. WARBURTON. |