And when the inwards are scratch'd with the tremulous verse. Dost thou, O old man, collect food for the ears of others? For ears, to which even thou, in skin destroy'd, may'st say— Enough." 66 "For what purpose to have learnt, unless this ferment, and "what once "Is within innate, the wild fig-tree, should come forth from "the bursten liver ?" 25 Lo, paleness and old-age! O manners! is your knowing, then, Altogether nothing, unless another should know that you know it? "But it is pleasant to be shewn with the finger, and to be "said-This is he." "For thee to have been the exercises of an hundred curl-pates, "talents do me?" The ancients reckoned the liver as the seat of the concupiscible and irascible passions. See Juv. sat. i. 1. 45, note. Here Persius uses the word jecore for the inward mental part, which contained the genius and talents of the poet, and was to be broken through by the energy of their exertions. 26. Lo, paleness and old-age !] These words are by some supposed to be the end of the apologist's speech, as if he had said-See how pale I am with study and application, and that in my old-age, a time of life when others retire from labour and shall I meet with no reward for all this? Others suppose the words to be the reply of Persius, and a continuation of his reproof. "Lo, paleness of counte"nance and old-age! and yet thou dost "not cease from such vain toils!" See Juv. vii. 96, 7. -O manners!] Like that of Tully-O tempora! O mores! q. d. What are we come to! what can we say of the manners of the times, when an old fellow can write such obscenity, and can find hearers to approve his repetition of it! 27. Altogether nothing, unless, &c.] Persius here imitates a passage of Lucilius. the world of it? have you no pleasure or satisfaction in what you know, without you exert a principle of vain glory, by cultivating the applause of others? Is this the end of your study and application? Scire tuum-i. e. scientia tua. Græcism. Comp. istud vivere, 1. 9. 28. "Shewn with the finger."] Here is an ironical prolepsis-the poet anticipates some of the pleas of these writers for their proceedings. It is a pleasant thing, perhaps, you may say, to be so famous for one's writings, as to be pointed at as one goes along by the passers by, and to hear them say, "That's "he"" that's the famous poet." Horace disgraces one of his finest odes, by mentioning, with pleasure, such a piece of vanity Quod monstror digito prætereuntium Ode iii. lib. iv. l. 22, 3. CICERO, Tusc. v. 36, mentions it as an instance of great weakness in Demosthenes, in that he professed himself much pleased with hearing a poor girl, who was carrying water, say to another, as he passed by," There, that's the fa mous Demosthenes."-"Quid hoc le"vius?" says Tully-" At quantus ora"tor?-Sed apud alios loqui videlicet didicerat, non multum ipse secum." 29. The exercises, &c.] Dictata. Precepts or instructions of any kind—particularly, and most frequently, lessons which the master pronounceth to his scholars; school-boys' exercises. AINSW. The poet continues his banter Is it nothing, think you, to have your verses taught to the children of the no "Pro nihilo pendas ?"-Ecce, inter pocula, quærunt ✔ Romulidæ saturi, quid dîa poemata narrent! Hic aliquis, cui circum humeros hyacinthina læna est, bles at school; to have an hundred such boys getting them by heart, and repeating them as their lessons, or writing themes on passages of your works? The poet, here, has a fling at the emperor Nero, who ordered his poems to be taught in the schools for youth. 29. Curl-pates.] i. e. The young nobility, so called, from having their hair dressed and curled in a particular man ner. 30, 31. Satiated Romans, &c.] He calls the Roman nobility, Romulida, dim. from Romulus their great progenitor; and he means hereby to insinuate, sarcastically, their declension and defection from the sober and virtuous manners of their ancestors. Comp. Juv. sat. i. 1. 100, note. Here we see them at table, gormandizing, and filled with eating and drinking; then calling for somebody to repeat passages from the writings of poets for their entertainment, or perhaps that they might inquire into the merit of them. 31. Divine poems.] Dia, from Gr. dios, divinus. The science of poetry was reckoned divine; but the poet's use of the epithet, in this place, is ironical, meaning to satirize those productions which these Romulidæ saturi were so pleased with. Quid narrent-i. e. what they may contain and set forth. 32. Here.] i. e. Upon this occa sion. -Some one, &c.] Some noble and delicate person, dressed in a violet-coloured garment, which was a sign of effeminacy, and greatly in fashion among such of the Roman nobility who were the beaux of the time. 33. Something rankish, &c.] i. e. Re 30 35 40 peated something of the obscene or filthy kind, though with a bad voice, uttered through his nose by way of preface to what follows. 34. Phylisses.] Phyllis, the daughter of Lycurgus, who fell in love with Demophoon, the son of Theseus, on his return from Troy, and entertained him at bed and board. He, after some time, going from her, promised to return again; but not performing his promise, she hanged herself upon an almondtree. Hypsipyla.] Hypsipyle was the daughter of Thoas, and 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 bad twins by him. The poet mentions the names of these women in the plural number; 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. -Some lamentable matter, &c.] Some mournful love-tale, either invented or related by the poets. ner, 35. Supplants words, &c.] He does not utter the words in a plain, manly manbut 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 antagonists, are said-supplantare. "Dost thou esteem as nothing?" Lo, among their cups, the satiated Romans inquire, what divine poems may relate. 30 Here, some one, who has round his shoulders a hyacinthine cloak, (Having spoken something rankish from a snuffling nostril,) If he hath gently sung Phyllises, Hypsipylæ, and some lamentable matter 35 Of the poets, and supplants words with a tender palate, -His refining throat Fritters, and melts, and minces ev'ry note. BREWSTER. His dainty palate tripping forth his words. HOLYDAY. 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 company. -Ashes of that poet, &c.] Cinis ille poetæ i. e. cinis illius poeta. Hypal. lage. 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 a drunken people, must be happy! Iron. 37. Lighter hillock.] Cippus is a gravestone, 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. 38. The guests praise.] Now they all break forth into the highest commendation. an hillock, or heap of earth; also a tomb, grave, or sepulchre. AINSW. -Fortunate ember. ] Favilla (from xvw, 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. 2 F Naribus indulges: an erit qui velle recuset 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: Nec Ut plerique solent, naso suspendis adunco The ideas of scorn and contempt are often expressed among us by turning up the nose. -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 cedar, &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 45 50 55 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 I 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. 1, 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. l. 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. 1. 31. q. 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 Well done! fine! bravo! which were acclamations of Your hooked nostrils. Will there be, who can refuse to be willing 41 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, Ŏ thou, whom I just now made to speak on the adverse part, I, when I write, if haply something more apt comes forth, 45 (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. 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 applause. See Juv. sat. vii. 1. 44, note. 49. 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 there so 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, I. 4. Is not even this contained 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 inexperienced 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, &c.] The poet still continues to satirize empty applause, by shewing that it may be gained by the lowest and most abject means. 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. 1. 37, 8. 55. "I love truth," &c.] Then, when you have given a good dinner to some, |
