Sell their prefented partridges, and fruits,
And humbly live on rabbits and on roots:
"One half-pint bottle ferves them both to dine,
And is at once their vinegar and wine.

W

But on fome w lucky day (as when they found

A loft Bank bill, or heard their fon was drown'd)
At fuch a feaft, * old vinegar to fpare,

Is what two fouls fo gen'rous cannot bear :
Oil, tho' it ftink, they drop by drop impart,
But fowse the cabage with a bounteous heart.

y He knows to live, who keeps the middle state,
And neither leans on this fide, nor on that;
Nor aftops, for one bad cork, his butler's pay,
Swears, like Albutius, a good cook away;
Nor lets, like Nævius, ev'ry error pass,
The mufty wine, foul cloth, or greafy glass.

55

бо

65

• Now hear what bleffings. Temperance can bring (Thus faid our friend, and what he said I fing) Firft Health: the ftomach (cramm'd from ev'ry dish, A tomb of boil'd and roast, and flesh and fish, Where bile, and wind, and phlegm, and acid jar, And all the man is one inteftine war)

Remembers oft the School-boy's fimple fare,
The temp'rate fleeps, and fpirits light as air.

70.

74

f How pale, each Worshipful and Rev'rend guest Rife from a Clergy, or a City feast! What life in all that ample body, fay?

What heav'nly particle infpires the clay?

Alter, ubi dicto citius curata fopori

Membra dedit, vegetus praefcripta ad munia furgit. Hic tamen ad melius poterit tranfcurrere quon

dam;

Sive diem feftum rediens advexerit annus,

Séu recreare volet tenuatum corpus: ubique
Accedent anni, et tractari mollius aetas

Imbecilla volet. i Tibi quidnam accedet ad istam,
Quam puer et validus praefumis, mollitiem; feu
Dura valetudo inciderit, feu tarda fene&tus ?

*Rancidum aprum antiqui laudabant: non quia nafus

Illis nullus erat; fed, credo, haç mente, quod hofpes Tardius adveniens vitiatum commodius, quam Integram edax dominus confumeret.

inter

Heroas natum tellus me prima tuliffet.

1

hos utinam

m Das aliquid famae, quae carmine gratior aurem Occupet humanam? grandes rhombi, patinæque

VER. 79, 80. The Soul fubfides, and wickedly inclines---To feem but mortal ev'n in found Divines.] Horace was an Epicurean, and laughed at the immortality of the foul. He therefore defcribes that languor of the mind proceeding from intemperance, on the idea, and in the terms of Plato,

affigit humo divinae particulam aurae.

To this his ridicule is pointed. Our Poet, with more fobriety and judgment, has turned the ridicule, from the Doetrine, which he believed, upon thofe Preachers of it, whofe

The Soul fubfides, and wickedly inclines

To feem but mortal, ev'n in found Divines.

80

8 On morning wings how active springs the Mind That leaves the load of yesterday behind?

How eafy ev'ry labour it pursues ?

How coming to the Poet ev'ry Mufe?

Not but we may exceed, fome holy time,

85

Or tir'd in fearch of Truth, or fearch of Rhyme;
Ill health fome juft indulgence may engage;
And more the sickness of long life, Old age;
For fainting Age what cordial drop remains,
If our intemp❜rate Youth the veffel drains?

90

*Our fathers prais'd rank Ven'fon. You fuppofe,
Perhaps, young men! our fathers had no nose.
Not fo: a Buck was then a week's repast,
And 'twas their point, I ween, to make it last;
More pleas'd to keep it till their friends would come,

Than eat the sweetest by themselves at home.
Why had not I in thofe good times my birth,
Ere coxcomb-pyes or coxcombs were on earth?
Unworthy he, the voice of Fame to hear,
That fweeteft mufic to an honest ear;

94

100

feafts and compotations in Taverns did not edify him: and fo has added furprizing humour' and spirit to the eafy elegance of the Original.

VER. 81. On morning wings, etc.] Much happier and pobler than the original.

1.

VER. 86. Or tir'd in search of Truth, or search of Rhyme. ] A fine ridicule on the extravagance of human pursuits; where the most trifling and most important concerns of life fucceed pae another, indifferently,

Grande ferunt una cum damno dedecus. adde

Iratum patruum, vicinos, te tibi iniquum, Et fruftra mortis cupidum, cum deerit egenti PAs, laquei pretium.

r

4 Jure, inquit, Traufius iftis Jurgatur verbis: ego vectigalia magna, Divitiafque habeo tribus amplas regibus. Ergo, Quod fuperat, non eft metius quo infumere poffis, Cur eget indignus quifquam, te divite? quare • Templa ruunt antiqua Deûm? cur, improbe, carae Non aliquid patriae tanto emetiris acervo ?

Uni nimirum tibi recte femper erunt res ?

VER. 117, 118. Ob Impudence of wealth! with all thy ftore, How dar'ft thou let one worthy man be potr?]

Cur eget indignus quifquam, te divite?

is here admirably paraphrafed. And it is observable in these Imitations, that where our Poet keeps to the fentiments of Horace, he rather piques himself in excelling the most finished touches of his Original, than in correcting or improving the more inferior parts. Of this elegance of ambition all his Writings bear fuch marks, that it gave countenance to an invidious imputation, as if his chief talent lay in copying finely. But if ever there was an inventive genius in Poetry it was Pope's. But his fancy was fo corrected by his judgment, and his imitation so spirited by his genius, that what he improved ftruck the vulgar eye more strongly than what he invented,

VER. 122. As M**c's was, etc.] I think this light stroke of fatire ill placed; and hurts the dignity of the preceding mo. rality. Horace was very serious, and properly so, when he faid,

cur, Improbe! carae

Non aliquid patriae tanto emetiris acervo.

He remembered, and hints with just indignation, at thofe luxurious Patricians of his old party; who, when they had

(For 'faith, Lord Fanny! you are in the wrong,
The world's good word is better than a fong)
Who has not learn'd, a fresh fturgeon and ham-pye
Are no rewards for want, and infamy!

When Luxury has lick'd up all thy pelf,

Curs'd by thy neighbours, thy trustees, thyself,
To friends, to fortune, to mankind a shame,
Think how pofterity will treat thy name;
And P buy a rope, that future times
may tell
Thou haft at least beftow'd one penny well.

105

110

9 "Right, cries his Lordship, for a rogue in need. "To have a tafte is infolence indeed :

"In me 'tis noble, fuits my birth and state,

г

"My wealth unwieldy, and my heap too great." Then, like the Sun, let Bounty spread her ray, 115 And shine that fuperfluity away.

Oh Impudence of wealth! with all thy store,
How dar'st thou let one worthy man be poor ?
Shall half the new built churches round thee fall?
Make Keys, build Bridges, or repair White-hall:
Or to thy Country let that heap be lent,
As M**o's was, but not at five per cent.

121

agreed to establish a fund in the cause of Freedom, under the conduct of Brutus, could never be perfuaded to withdraw from their expenfive pleasures what was fufficient for the fupport of fo great a caufe. He had prepared his apology for this liberty, in the preceding line, where he pays a fine compliment to Auguftus:

quare

Templa ruunt antiqua Deûm?

which oblique Panegyric the Imitator has very properly turned into a just stroke of satire.