"For thee to have been the exercises of an hundred curlpates, "Dost thou esteem as nothing? Lo, among their cups, the sati. ated Romans inquire, what divine poems may relate. Here, some one, who has round his shoulders a hyacinthine cloak, (Having spoken something rankish from a snuffling nostril,) 30 If he hath gently sung Phyllises, Hypsipylæ, and some lamentable matter Of the poets, and supplants words with a tender palate, 35 queen of Lemnos, who, when all the women in the island slew their male kindred, preserved her father, for which pious deed she was banished. She entertained Jason in his way to Colchos, and had twins by him. The poet mentions the names of these women in the plural nun ber; by which we may understand, that he means any women of such sort of character, who have suffered by their amours in some disastrous way or other, and have been made subjects of verse. Eliquo signifies to melt down, or make liquid. Hence, to sing, or speak softly and effeminately. AINSW. 34. Some lamentable matter, &c.] Some mournful love-tale, either invented or related by the poets. 35. Supplants words, &c.] He does not utter the words in a plain, manly manner, but minces and trips them up, as it were, in their way through his palate, to make them sound the more apposite to the tender subject. A metaphor, from wrestlers, who, when they trip up their antago nists, are said-supplantare. -His refining throat Fritters, and melts, and minces ev'ry note. His dainty palate tripping forth his words. BREWSTER 36. The men have assented.] The poet uses the word viri, here, as a mark of censure that those who were called men, should be delighted with such verses, so repeated. They all assented to the approbation given by some of the com pany. Ashes of that poet, &c.] Cinis ille poeta-i. e. cinis illius poetæ. Hypallage. It was the custom to burn the bodies of the dead, and to gather up their ashes, and put them into urns, in order to preserve them. To be sure, the very ashes of a poet, thus approved by a set of drunken people, must be happy! Iron. 37. Lighter hillock.] Cippus is a grave-stone, or monument; also a little hill of earth, such as are raised over graves. This line alludes to the usual superstitious wish which the Romans expressed for a deceased friend-Sit tibi terra levis-may the earth be light upon thee!-The cippus marked the grave. Felix? nunc levior cippus non imprimit ossa? Linquere nec scombros metuentia carmina, nec thus ? 40 45 38. The guests praise.] Now they all break forth into the highest commendation. Manes.] Signifies the spirit, or ghost, of one departed— sometimes what we call the remains, or dead body. Sepulchra diruta, nudati manes, Liv. and this seems the sense of it here. 39. From the tomb.] Tumulus signifies an hillock, or heap of earth; also a torib, grave, or sepulchre. AINSW. Fortunate ember.] Favilla (from Qave, to shine) a hot ember; the white ashes wherein the fire is raked up. Here it means the embers of the funeral pile, some of which were mixed with the bones in the urn. ་ 40. Violets spring up. It was usual among the Greeks and Romans, when they would extol a living person, to speak of flowers springing up under his footsteps; and of the favoured dead, to speak of sweet-smelling flowers growing over their graves. Perhaps this idea was first derived from the custom of strewing flowers in the way of eminent persons as they walked along, and of strewing flowers over the graves of the departed. It is easy to see that Persius is jeering the person to whom he is speaking, when he mentions the above circumstances of honour and happiness, attending the writers of such verses, as are repeated to, and approved by, a set of drunken libertines at a feast. Juvenal, on another occasion, has collected all the above ideas, as the gifts of the gods to the good and worthy. Sat. vii. 1. 207, 208. You laugh says he, &c.] The defender of such writings is not a little hurt with the ironical sneer of Persius.--O, says the galled poet, you are laughing all this while; you are too severe upon us. C 41. Hooked nostrils.] Uncis naribus indulges-a phrase for indulging scorn and sneering; taken from the wrinkled and distorted shape assumed by the nose on such occasions. Thus HoR. lib. i. sat. vi. 1. 5, where he is observing, that "Mæcenas does not, as too many are apt to do, look with scorn and contempt on people of "obscure birth," expresses himself in this manner: 66 Nec Happy? now does not a lighter hillock mark his bonés ? To have deserved the countenance of the people? and having spoken things worthy of cedar, To leave verses fearing neither little fishes, nor frankincense? Whoever thou art, O thou, whom I just now made to speak on the adverse part, 45 I, when I write, if haply something more apt comes forth, (Since this is a rare bird,) yet if something more apt comes forth, Would not fear to be praised; nor indeed are my inwards so horny. Ut plerique solent, naso suspendis adunco Ignotos. The ideas of scorn and contempt are often expressed among us by turning up the nose. 41. Will there be, &c.] i. e. Is such a person to be found, who is so lost to all desire of praise, continues the apologist, as to have no concern at all to merit the approbation and countenance of the public? 42. Worthy of cedur, &c.] i. e. Worthy to be preserved. Cedar was looked upon as an incorruptible wood, which never decayed. From the cedar they extracted a juice, which being put on books, and other things, kept them from moths, worms, and even decay itself. 43. To leave verses, &c.] i. e. In no danger of being used as waste paper, either by fishmongers, to wrap or pack their fish in when they sell it, or by perfumers, for their frankincense or other perfumes. See HoR. lib. ii. epist. i. 1. 266, &c. here imitated by Persius. 44. Whoever thou art, &c.] The poet here, after having severely satirized a desire of false praise, and empty commendation of what really deserves no praise at all, now allows, that praise, where properly bestowed, is not to be despised. Made to speak, &c.] i. e. Whom 1 have been setting up as a supposed adversary, or opponent, in this dispute. Whosoever thou art, that findest what I have been saying applicable to thyself, let me confess to thee, that- 45. I, when I write, &c.] i. e. When I compose verses--if by chance any thing well adapted to the subject, and well expressed, flows from my pen, (since I confess this happens but seldom, and therefore gives me the greater satisfaction,) I should not fear commendation. Comp. Juv. vi. 1. 164. 47. Inwards so horny.] Fibra, the inwards or entrails-here, by met, the inward man, the moral sense. Horny--hard--insensible like horn. See sat. i. l. 31. Sed recti finemque extremumque esse recuso O Jane, a tergo quem nulla ciconia pinsit, 50 55 4. d. I am not so callous, so insensible, or unfeeling, as not to be pleased, as well as touched, with deserved praise. 48. But to be the end, &c.] But that the eulogies of fools and sots should be the end and aim of writing, I deny; or, indeed, that, merely to gain applause, should be the view and end of even doing right, I cannot allow. 49. Your "Well done! O fine!"] Euge!-belle! like our Welt done! fme! bravo! which were acclamations of applause. See Juv. sat. vii. 1. 44, note. Examine this whole "O fine!"] Sift, canvass well this mark of applause which you are so fond of. 50. What has it not within? &c.] What is ther absurd, that you will not find it applied to as the object of it? in short, what is not contained within it? The Iliad of Accius.} Accius Labeo, who made a wretched translation of Homer's Iliad. See note above, 1. 4. Is not even this coutained within the compass of your favourite terms of applause ? 51. Drunk with hellebore.] The ancients made use of hellebore, not only when they were disordered in the head, but also when in health, in order to quicken the apprehension. This the poet humourously supposes Accius to have done, but in such a quantity as to stupify his senses. Is there not, if crude nobles, &c.] Are not the flimsy and silly little elegies and sonnets, which our raw and unexperienced nobles write and repeat, all subjects of your favourite Belle? Is not this constantly bestowed upon them? 52. Is there not lastly, &c.] The citron wood was reckoned very valuable and precious; of this the nobles had their beds and couches made, on which they used to lie, or sit, when they wrote. Lastly, says Persius, all the trash which issues forth from the citron couches of the great is contained within the compass of this mark of applause; therefore your making it your end and aim is but very little worth your while it is so unworthily bestowed, as to be no sort of criterion of excellence and desert. 53. How to place, &e.] The poet still continues to satirize empty applause, by shewing that it may be gained by the lowest and most abject means. But to be the end and extreme of right I deny Your "Well done!" and your "O fine!" for examine this whole "O fine," What has it not within? Is not the Iliad of Accius here, 50 Drunk with hellebore? Is there not, if crude nobles have dictated Your fat paunch stands forth with a hanging-down foot and an half. He therefore attacks those who bribe for it. You know how, says he, to place on your table a dainty dish. See Juv. sat. xi. 81, note. 54. You know to present, &c.] You know the effect of giving an old shabby coat to one of your poor dependents. Comp. HoR. epist. xix. lib. ii. l. 37, 8. 55. "I love truth, &c.] Then, when you have given a good dinner to some, and still meaner presents to others, in order to purchase their applause, you ask them their opinion, desiring them to speak the truth, 56. How is it possible, i. e. That they should speak the truth, when they are afraid of offending you if they did? You have obliged them, and they fear to disoblige you, which, if they spake their real thoughts, they would most probably do. Would you have me say it] Says Persius, who am no dependent of yours, or under any obligation to disguise my sentiments. You trifle, &c.] I tell you plainly, and without disguise, that you are an old trifler, to pretend to wit or poetry, with that great belly of yours, that hangs down at least a foot and an half be. low your middle, and bespeaks a genius for gluttony, but for nothing else. Perhaps the poet hints at the Greek proverb. Παχειμ γαςής λεπτον & τίκτεί Yooy, "A fat belly produceth not a subtle mind." 58. 0 Janus !] Janus was the first king of Italy, who gave refuge to Saturn, when he fled from his son Jupiter from Crete. From his name the first month of the year is called January. He was pictured with two faces, one before and one behind, as regarding the time past and future. q. d. Thou art happy, O Janus, inasmuch as, being able to see both before and behind, thou art in no danger of being ignorant of what passeth behind thy back, and, therefore, of enduring the flouts and |