the Town, whofe 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 bis Time great advantages over their Predeceffors; that their Morals were much improved, and the Licence of those ancient Poets reftrained: that Satire and Comedy were become more just and useful; that whatever extravagancies were left on the Stage, were owing to the Ill Tafte of the Nobility; that Poets under due Regulations, were in many refpects useful to the State; and concludes, that it was upon them the Emperor himself must depend, for his Fame with Pofterity.

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

EPISTLES

EPISTLES

O F

HORA CE.

W

BOOK II.

EPISTLE I.

Hile You, great

Patron of Mankind! I sustain

The balanc'd World, and open all the Main ; Your Country, chief, in Arms abroad defend, At home, with Morals, Arts, and Laws amend; 2 How fhall the Muse, from fuch a Monarch, fteal An hour, and not defraud the Publick Weal?

CU

UM tot 1 fuftineas & tanta negotia, folus ; Res Italas armis tuteris, moribus ornes, Legibus emendes; in 2 publica commoda peccem, Si longo fermone morer tua tempora, Cafar.

3 Edward

3

Edward and Henry, now the Boast of Fame,
And virtuous Alfred, a more 4 facred Name,
After a Life of gen'rous Toils endur'd,
The Gaul fubdu'd, or Property fecur'd,
Ambition humbled, mighty Cities ftorm'd,
Or Laws establish'd, and the world reform'd
5 Clos'd their long Glories with a figh, to find
Th' unwilling Gratitude of bafe mankind!
All human Virtue, to its latest breath,

6 Finds Envy never conquer'd, but by Death.
The great Alcides, ev'ry Labour past,
Had ftill this Monster to fubdue at last.
7 Sure fate of all, beneath whose rifing ray
Each ftar of meaner merit fades
away!
Opprefs'd we feel the beam directly beat,
Thofe Suns of Glory please not till they fet.
To thee, the World its prefent homage pays,
The Harveft early, 8 but mature the praise :

10

15

20

3 Romulus, & Liber pater, & cum Caftore Pollux, Poft ingentia falta, 4 Deorum in templa recepti, Dum terras hominumque colunt genus, afpera bella Componunt, agros adfignant, oppida condunt; 5 Ploravere fuis non refpondere favorem Speratum meritis. Dirum qui contudit Hydram, Notaque fatali portenta labore fubegit, Comperit 6 Invidiam fupremo fine domari. 7 Urit enim fulgore fuo qui prægravat artes Infra fe pofitas: extinctus amabitur idem. 8 Præfenti Tibi maturos largimur honores :

Great

Great Friend of LIBERTY! in Kings a Name
Above all Greek, above all Roman Fame :
Whofe Word is Truth, as facred and rever'd,
9 As Heav'n's own Oracles from Altars heard.
Wonder of Kings! like whom, to mortal eyes
10 None e'er has risen, and none e'er shall rife.
Juft in one inftance, be it yet confeft
Your People, Sir, are partial in the rest :
Foes to all living worth except your own,
And Advocates for folly dead and gone.

25

30

Authors, like coins, grow dear as they grow old; 35 It is the ruft we value, not the gold.

11 Chaucer's worst ribaldry is learn'd by rote, And beaftly† Skelton Heads of houfes quote:

9 Jurandafque tuum per nomen ponimus aras,
10 Nil oriturum aliàs, nil ortum tale fatentes.
Sed tuus hoc populus fapiens & juftus in uno,
Te noftris Ducibus, Te Graiis anteferendo,
Cætera nequaquam fimili ratione modoque
Eftimat; &, nifi quae terris femota, fuifque
Temporibus defuncta videt, faftidit & odit.
11 Sic fautor Veterum, ut tabulas peccare vetantes
Quas bis quinque viri fanxerunt, fœdera regum
Vel Gabiis, vel cum rigidis æquata Sabinis,
Pontificum libros, annofa volumina vatum,

+ Skelton, Poet Laureat to Hen. 8. a volume of whofe verfes has been lately reprinted, confifting almoft wholly of ribaldry, obfcenity, and fcurrilous lan

guage.

D

One

One likes no language but the Faery Queen;

A Scot will fight for * Chrift's Kirk o' the Green; 40 And each true Briton is to Ben fo civil,

12 He fwears the Muses met him at the Devil.

Tho' juftly 13 Greece her eldeft fons admires,
Why should not We be wiser than our fires?
In ev'ry Publick Virtue we excell,

45

We build, we paint, 14 we fing, we dance as well,
And 15
learned Athens to our art must stoop,
Could she behold us tumbling thro' a hoop.

If 16 Time improve our Wit as well as Wine,
Say at what age a Poet grows divine?
Shall we, or fhall we not, account him fo,
Who dy'd, perhaps, an hundred years ago ?
End all difpute; and fix the year precise
When British bards begin t'immortalize ?

12 Dictitet Albano Mufas in monte locutas

Si, quia 13 Græcorum funt antiquiffima quaeque
Scripta, vel optima; Romani penjantur eadem
Scriptores trutina, non eft quod multa loquamur :
Nil intra eft oleam, nil extra eft in nuce duri.
Venimus ad fummum fortune; 14 pingimus, atque
Pfallimus, & 15 luctamur Achivis doctius unctis.

Si 16 meliora dies, ut vina, poemata reddit ;
Scire velim, chartis pretium quotus arroget annus ?
Scriptor ab hinc annos centum qui decidit, inter
Perfectos veterefque referri debet, an inter
Viles atque novos ? excludat jurgia finis.

50

* Chrift's Kirk o' the Green, a Ballad made by a King of Scotland.

+ The Devil Tavern, where Ben Johnson held his Poetical Club. "Who