(Believe me, many a German Prince is worse,
Who, proud of Pedigree, is poor of Purse)

His Wealth brave f Timon gloriously confounds;
Afk'd for a groat, he gives a hundred pounds;
Or if three Ladies like a luckless Play,
Take the whole Houfe upon the Poet's day.
g Now, in fuch exigencies not to need,
Upon my word, you must be rich indeed;
A noble fuperfluity it craves,

Not for yourself, but for your Fools and Knaves;
Something, which for your Honour they may cheat,
And which it much becomes you to forget.

85

90

b If Wealth alone then make and keep us bleft, Still, ftill be getting, never, never rest.

95

i But if to Power and Place your paffion lie,

If in the Pomp of Life confift the joy;

Then

Mancipiis locuples, eget aeris e Capadocum Rex:
Ne fueris hic tu. f chlamydes Lucullus, ut aiunt,
Si poffet centum fcenae praebere rogatus,

Qui poffum tot? ait: tamen et quaeram, et quot habebo

Mittam: poft paulo fcribit, fibi millia quinque

Efle domi chlamydum: partem, vel tolleret omnes.
g Exilis domus eft, ubi non et multa fuperfunt,
Et dominum fallunt, et profunt furibus. hergo,
Si res fola poteft facere et fervare beatum,
Hoc primus repetas opus, hoc poftremus omittas.
i Si fortunatum fpecies et gratia praeftat,

100

Then hire a Slave, or (if you will) a Lord,
To do the Honours, and to give the word;
Tell at your Levee, as the Crouds approach,
To whom I to nod, whom take into your Coach,
Whom honour with your hand: to make remarks,
Whom rules in Cornwall, or who rules in Berks: 105
"This may be troublesome, is near the Chair:

"That makes three Members, this can chuse a Mayor." Inftructed thus, you bow, embrace, protest,

Adopt him ʼn Son, or Cousin at the least,

Then turn about, and laugh at your own Jeft. 110
Or if your life be one continued Treat,

If p to live well means nothing but to eat ;
Up, up! cries Gluttony, 'tis break of day,
Go drive the Deer, and drag the finny-prey;
With hounds and horns go hunt an Appetite-
So Ruffel did, but could not eat at night,
Call'd happy Dog! the Beggar at his door,
And envy'd Thirst and Hunger to the Poor.

k Mercemur fervum, qui dictet nomina, laevum

1

Qui fodicet latus, et cogat trans pondera dextram
Porrigere: m Hic multum in Fabia, ille Velina :
Cui libet, is fafces dabit; eripietque curule,
Cui volet, importunus eburn Frater, Pater, adde:
Ut cuique eft aetas, ita quemque facetus adopta.
Sip bene qui coenat, bene vivit; lucet: eamus
Quo ducit gula: pifcemur, venemur, ut qolim
Gargilius: qui mane plagas, venabula, fervos,
Differtum tranfire forum populumque jubebat,
VOL. II.
P

115

Or

Or fhall wer every Decency confound,

Through Taverns, Stews, and Bagnios take our round,
Go dine with Chartres, in each Vice outdo
SK-l's lewd Cargo, or Ty-y's Crew,

From Latian Syrens, French Circæan Feasts,
Return'd well travel'd, and transform'd to Beasts,
Or for a titled Punk, or foreign Flame,

Renounce our t Country, and degrade our Name ?
If, after all, we must with " Wilmot own,
The Cordial Drop of Life is Love alone,
And Swift cry wifely, "Vive la Bagatelle !"

125

The Man that loves and laughs, muft fure do well. 130 w Adieu-if this advice appear the worst,

E'en take the Counsel which I gave you first :

Or better Precepts if you can impart,

Why do, I'll follow them with all my

heart.

Unus ut e multis populo fpectante referret.

r

Emtum mulus aprum. crudi, tumidique lavemur,
Quid deceat, quid non, obliti; Caerite cera
Digni; remigium vitiofum Ithacenfis Ulyffei;
Cui potior patria fuit interdiéta voluptas.

Si, Mimnermus uti censet, fine amore jocifque
Nil eft jucundum; vivas in amore jocifque.
w Vive, vale. fi quid novifti rectius iftis,
Candidus imperti: fi non, his, utere mecum.

EPISTLE I.

To AUGUSTUS.

ADVERTISEMENT.

THE
HE Reflections of Horace, and the Judgments

paft in his Epistle to Auguftus, feemed so seasonable to the present Times, that I could not help applying them to the use of my own Country. The Author thought them considerable enough to addrefs them to his Prince; whom he paints with all the great and good qualities of a Monarch, upon whom the Romans depended for the Increase of an abfolute Empire. But to make the Poem entirely English, I was willing to add one or two of those which contribute to the Happinefs of a Free people, and are more confiftent with the Welfare of our Neighbours.

This Epiftle will fhow the learned World to have fallen into Two mistakes: one, that Auguftus was a Patron of Poets in general; whereas he not only prohibited all but the Best Writers to name him, but recommended that Care even to the Civil Magistrate : " Admonebat Praetores, ne paterentur Nomen fuum ob"folefieri," &c. The other, that this Piece was only a general Discourse of Poetry; whereas it was an Apology for the Poets, in order to render Augustus more

their Patron. Horace here pleads the Cause of his Contemporaries, first against the Taste of the Town, whose humour it was to magnify the Authors of the preceding Age; fecondly against the Court and Nobility, who encouraged only the Writers for the Theatre; and lastly against the Emperor himself, who had conceived them of little Ufe to the Government. He fhews (by a View of the Progrefs of Learning, and the Change of Taste among the Romans) that the Introduction of the Polite Arts of Greece had given the Writers of his Time great advantages over their Predeceffors; that their Morals were much improved, and the licence of thofe ancient Poets reftrained: that Satire and Comedy were become more juft and useful; that whatever extravagances were left on the Stage, were owing to the Ill Taste of the Nobility; that Poets, under due Regulations, were in many refpects ufeful to the State; and concludes, that it was upon them the Emperor himself muft depend, for his fame with Posterity.

We may farther learn from this Epiftle, that Horace made his Court to this Great Prince, by writing with a decent Freedom towards him, with a juft Contempt of his low Flatterers, and with a manly Regard to his own Character.

EPISTLE