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 those ancient Poets restrained: that Satire and Comedy were become more juft and useful; that whatever extravagancies were left on the Stage, were owing to the Ill Taste of the Nobility; that Poets, under due Regulations, were in many respects useful to the State, and concludes, that it was upon them the Emperor himself muft 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. P. EPISTOLA I. Ad AUGUSTUM. UM tota fuftineas et tanta negotia folus, CU Res Italas armis tuteris, moribus ornes, Legibus emendes ; in publica commoda peccem, Si longo fermone morer tua tempora, Caefar. Romulus, et Liber pater, et cum Castore Pollux, d Post ingentia facta, Deorum in templa recepti, Dum terras hominumque colunt genus, afpera bella Componunt, agros adfignant, oppida condunt; e • Ploravere fuis non refpondere favorem Speratum meritis. diram qui contudit Hydram, Comperit invidiam fupremo fine domari. NOTES. Book ii. Epift. 1.] The Poet always rifes with his original; and very often, without. This whole Imitation is extremely noble and fublime. VER. 7. Edward and Henry, etc.] Romulus, et Liber Pater, etc. Horace very judiciously praifes Auguftus for the colonies he founded, not for the victories he won; and therefore compares 1 EPISTLE W To AUGUSTU S. a I. Hile you, great Patron of Mankind! a fuftain The balanc'dWorld, and open all the Main; Your Country, chief, in Arms abroad defend, At home, with Morals, Arts, and Laws amend How fhall the Mufe, from fuch a Monarch, steal An hour, and not defraud the Public Weal? с Edward and Henry, now the Boaft of Fame, And virtuous Alfred, a more 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; * Clos'd their long Glories with a figh, to find Th' unwilling Gratitude of base mankind! All human Virtue, to its latest breath, f Finds Envy never conquer'd, but by Death. NOTES. 10 15 him, not to thofe who defolated, but to those who civilized mankind. The imitation wants this grace: and, for a very obvious reafon, could not aim at it. VER. 13. Clos'd their long Glories with a figh,] The expreffion is extremely beautiful; and the ploravere judiciously placed. VER. 16. Finds envy never conquer'd, etc.] It hath been the *L & Urit enim fulgore fuo, qui praegravat artes Infra fe pofitas: extinctus amabitur idem. 1 Praefenti tibi maturos largimur honores, 1 Jurandafque tuum per numen ponimus aras, * Nil oriturum alias, nil ortum tale fatentes. Sed tuus hoc populus fapiens et justus in uno, Te noftris ducibus, te Graiis anteferendo, NOTES. common practice of those amongst us, who have diftinguished themselves in the learned world, to afcribe the ill treatment they meet with, from those they endeavour to oblige, to fo bad a caufe as envy. But furely without reafon; for we find our Countrymen of the fame candid difpofition which Socrates, in the Euthyphro of Plato, afcribes to the Athenians of his time, They are well content (fays he) to allow the Pretenfions of reputed eminence; it is only when a man will write, and prefume to give a proof of it, that they begin to grow angry. And how readily do we allow the reputation of eminence, in all the Arts, to those whose modesty has made them decline giving us a fpecimen of it in any. A temper furely very diftant from envy. We ought not then to afcribe that violent ferment good men are apt to work themselves into, and the ftruggle they make to suppress the reputation of him who pretends to give a proof of what they are fo willing to take for granted, to any thing but an eager 20 The great Alcides, ev'ry Labour past, As Heav'n's own Oracles from Altars heard. NOTES. concern for the public welfare. This, nothing better fecures than the early damping that dangerous thing, Popularity; which when jointed to what is as easily abused, great Talents, may be productive of, one does not know what, mifchief. SCRIBL. VER. 17. The great Alcides,] This inftance has not the fame grace here as in the original, where it comes in well after those of Romulus, Bacchus, Caftor, and Pollux, tho' aukwardly after Edward and Henry. But it was for the fake of the beautiful thought in the next line; which, yet, does not equal the force of his original. VER. 21. Oppress'd we feel, etc.] "Les hommes, nez ingrats "et jaloux (fays an ingenious French Writer with becoming "indignation) ne pardonnent pas à qui prétend à leur admira tion: de la mériter ils en font un crime, qu'ils puniffent par "des calomnies, des critiques ameres, et des mépris affectez. La "Poftérité le vengera de fes oppreffeurs, en le comblant de lou |