T H E

FIRST EPISTLE

OF THE

FIRST BO O K

OF

HO RA C E.

E PISTOL A I.

RIMA diete mihi, summa dicende camena,

PRIM

, ,

• Spectatum fatis, et donatum jam rude, quaeris,

Ver. 3. Sabbath of my days ?] i. e. The 49th year, the age of the Author.

Ver. 8. Hang their old Trophies o'er the Garden gates,] An occasional stroke of Satire on ill-placed ornaments. He has more openly ridiculed them in his Epifle on Tafte.

EPIST LEI.

To L. BOLINGBROKE.

Matures my prefent, and shall bound

my
Why will you break the Sabbath of my days ? ·
Now fick alike of Envy and of Praise.
Public too long, ah let me hide my Age!

5
See Modeft < Cibber now has left the Stage:
Our Gen'rals now, retir'd to their Eftates,
Hang their old Trophies o’er the Garden gates,
In Life's cool Ev’ning satiate of Applause,
Nor e fond of bleeding, ev'n in BRUNSWICK's cause.

f A Voice there is, that whispers in my ear,
('Tis Reason's voice, which fometimes one can hear)
“ Friend Pope! be prudent, let your & Muse take

66 breath,
“ And never gallop Pegasus to death;

II

Notes.

• Load fome vain Church with old theatric state,

“ Turn Arcs of Triumph to a garden gate. Ver. 10. ev'n in Brunswick's cause.] In the former Editions it was, Britain's caufe. Bue the terms are synony: mous,

Nunc itaque et " versus, et caetera ludicra pono:

Quid ' verum atque decens, curo et rogo, et omnis in

hoc sum:

k Condo, et compono, quae mox depromere poffim.

Nunc agilis fio, et merfor a civilibus undis,

Virtutis verae cuftos, rigidusque fatelles :

Nunc in * Aristippi P furtim praecepta relabor,

Et mihi res, non me rebus, fubjungere conor.

9 Ut nox longa, quibus mentitur amica; diesque

. Omnis Aristippum decuit color, et status, et res.

P.

Notes. Ver. 16. You limp, like Blackmore on a Lord Mayor's borse. The fame of this heavy Poet, however problematical elsewhere, was universally received in the City of London. His yersification is here exactly described : stiff,