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PROLOGUE

TO

SATIRE I.

ARGUMENT.

writes for bread. After this he breaks into the business of the first Satire, which is chiefly to decry the poetry then in fashion, and the impudence of those who were endeavouring to pass their stuff upon the world." DRYDEN.

I HAVE neither moistened my lips with the Caballine fountain, Nor to have dreamed in two-headed Parnassus,

Do I remember, that thus I should suddenly come forth a poet. Both the Heliconides, and pale Pirene,

I leave to those, whose images the pliant ivy-boughs

without any pains or study-by immediate inspiration, as it were.

4. Heliconides.] The Muses, so called from Helicon. See l. 1, note.

-Pirene.] Pirene was another fountain near Corinth, sacred to the Muses; so called from Pirene, the daughter of Achelous, who is fabled to have wept forth from her eyes the fountain called by her name. The epithet pale may refer to the complexion of Pirene pale with grief or, as some think, is to be understood figuratively, to denote the paleness of those poets who studied and laboured hard to make their verses. See sat. i. 1. 124, and note.

5. Those, whose images, &c.] The poet feigns himself to be an untutored rustic, and to write merely from his own rude genius, without those assistances which

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others have derived from the Muses and the sacred fountains: these, says he, I leave to such great men as have their images set up in the temple of the Muses, and crowned with ivy, in token of ho

nour.

Me doctarum hederæ præmia frontium
Diis miscent superis.

HOR. ode i. lib. i. 1. 29, 30. The pliant ivy.] The ivy bends, and intwines whatever it is planted against, and may be said to follow the form and bent thereof: hence the epithet sequaces. So, when gathered and made into chaplets, it follows exactly the circular form of the head on which it is placed, easily bending and entwining it. Some think that sequaces here intimates its following distinguished poets as their reward.

Hederæ sequaces. Ipse semipaganus
Ad sacra vatum carmen affero nostrum.
Quis expedivit psittaco suum xaige?
Picasque docuit verba nostra conari?
/ Magister artis, ingenîque largitor

Venter, negatas artifex sequi voces.
Quod si dolosi spes refulserit nummi,
Corvos poetas, et poetrias picas,
Cantare credas Pegaseium melos.

6. Touch softly.] Lambo properly signifies to lick with the tongue-hence, to touch gently or softly.

-I, half a clown.] See above, note on

1. 5.

7. Consecrated repositories, &c.] i. e. The temple of Apollo and the Muses built by Augustus on mount Palatine, where the works of the poets were kept and recited. See Juv. sat. i. 1. 1,

note.

8. Who has expedited, &c.] Expedivit lit. hastened.-q. d. Who has made a parrot so ready at speaking the word Xaigs. This, like salve, ave, or the like, was a salutation among the ancients at meeting or parting: this they taught their parrots, or magpies, who used to utter them, as ours are frequently taught to speak some similar common word. See MART. lib. xiv. ep. 73-6.

9. Taught magpies, &c.] The magpie,

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Touch softly. I, half a clown,

Bring my verse to the consecrated repositories of the poets. Who has expedited to a parrot his xaige?

And taught magpies to attempt our words?

A master of art, and a liberal bestower of genius,
The belly, cunning to follow denied words.

But if the hope of deceitful money should glitter,
Raven-poets, and magpie-poetesses,

You may imagine to sing Pegaseian melody.

of the animals, taught to horses, dogs, and even to swine.

The poet means, that as parrots and magpies are starved into learning to speak, which by nature is denied them, so the scribblers, which he here intends to satirize, are driven into writing verses, by their poverty and necessity, without any natural genius or talents whatso

ever.

12. If the hope, &c.] These poor poets, who are without all natural genius, and would therefore never think of writing; yet, such is their poverty, that if they can once encourage themselves to hope for a little money by writing, they will instantly set about it.

12. Deceitful money.] Money may, on many accounts, deserve the epithet here given it. But here, in particular, it is

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so called, from its deceiving these' scribblers into doing what they are not fit for, and by doing of which they expose themselves to the utmost contempt and derision.

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13. Raven-poets, &c.] Once let the gilded bait come in view, you will hear such a recital of poetry, as would make you think that ravens and magpies were turned poets and poetesses, and had been taught to receive their performances.

14. Pegaseian melody.] They would do this with so much effrontery, that instead of the wretched stuff which they produced, you would think they were reciting something really poetical and sublime, as if they had drunk of Hippocrene itself, (see above, note on 1. 1.) or had mounted and soared aloft on the winged Pegasus.

SATIRA I.

ARGUMENT.

This Satire opens in form of a dialogue between Persius and a friend. We may suppose Persius to be just seated in his study, and beginning to vent his indignation in satire. An acquaintance comes in, and, on hearing the first line, dissuades the poet from an undertaking so dangerous; advising him, if he must write, to accommodate his vein to the taste of the times, and to write like other people.

Persius acknowledges, that this would be the means of gaining applause; but adds, that the approbation of such patrons as this compliance would recommend him to was a thing not to be desired.

PERSIUS. MONITOR.

P. O Curas hominum! ô quantum est in rebus inane !
M. Quis leget hæc? P. Min' tu istud ais? M. Nemo,
Hercule. P. Nemo?

M. Vel duo, vel nemo; turpe et miserabile. P. Quare?
Ne mihi Polydamas et Troiades Labeonem

Prætulerint nuga!-Non, si quid turbida Roma

Line 1. O the cares, &c.] Persius is supposed to be reading this line, the first of the Satire which he had composed, when his friend is entering and overhears it. Comp. Eccl. i. 2-14.

2. Who will read these?] Says his friend to him-i. e. Who, as the present taste at Rome is, will trouble themselves to read a work which begins with such serious reflections? Your very first line will disgust them-they like nothing but trifles.

-Do you say that, &c.] Do you say that to me and my writings?

-Nobody.] Yes I do, and aver that you will not have a single reader; nay, I will swear it by Hercules-an usual

oath among the Romans.

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-Nobody?] Says Persius-Do you literally mean what you say?

3. Perhaps two, &c.] It may be, replies the friend, that here and there a few readers may be found; but I rather think that even this will not be the case: I grant this to be very hard, after the pains which you have bestowed, and very shameful.

-Wherefore?] Wherefore do you call it a miserable, or a shameful thing, not to have my writings read? Are you afraid that I should be uneasy at seeing my performances thrown aside, and those of a vile scribbler preferred?

4. Polydamus and the Troiads, &c.] The

SATIRE I.

ARGUMENT.

After this, he exposes the wretched taste which then prevailed in Rome, both in verse and prose, and shews what sad stuff the nobles wrote themselves, and encouraged in others. He laments that he dares not speak out, as Lucilius and Horace did-but it is no very difficult matter to perceive that he frequently aims at the emperor Nero.

He concludes, with a contempt of all blockheads, and says, that the only readers, whose applause he courts, must be men of virtue and sense.

PERSIUS. MONITOR.

P. O The cares of men! O how much vanity is there in things!

M. Who will read these? P. Do you say that to me? M. Nobody, truly. P. Nobody?

M. Perhaps two, perhaps nobody; it is a shameful and lamentable thing. P. Wherefore?

Lest Polydamas and the Troiads should prefer Labeo
To me?-trifles!-do not, if turbid Rome should disparage 5

poet dares not speak out, therefore designs Nero and the Romans, under the feigned name of Polydamas and the Trojans, in allusion to Hector's fearing the reproaches of Polydamas (the sonin-law of Priam, and who is said to have betrayed Troy to the Greeks) and of the Trojan men and women, if he retired within the walls of Troy. See Il. x. 1. 100-5.

-Labeo.] A wretched poet, who made a miserable translation of Homer's Iliad. He was a court-poet, and a minion of

Nero.

VOL. II.

5. Trifles.] So far from its being the miserable thing which you imagine, I look on it as ridiculous and trifling, nor do I trouble my head about it.

-If turbid Rome, &c.] Metaph. from waters, which, by being disturbed, are muddy, thick, turbid, as we say.

If the people of Rome, says the poet, turbid, i. e. muddy, not clear in their judgment, having their minds vexed and disturbed too with what is written against them, disparage any work, and speak lightly of it, through anger and prejudice, I desire you will not agree with

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