[]
THE FIRST EPISTLE OF THE FIRST BOOK OF HORACE IMITATED.
By Mr. POPE.
LONDON: Printed for R. DODSLEY at Tully's Head in Pall-mall, and ſold by T. Cooper in Pater-noſter-row, MDCCXXXVII. [Pric. 1 s.]
THE FIRST EPISTLE OF THE FIRST BOOK OF HORACE.
[]Q. HORATII FLACCI
EPIST. I. LIB. I.
AD MAECENATEM.
[]PRIMA dicte mihi, ſummâ dicende Camenâ!
2 Spectatum ſatis, & donatum jam rude, quaeris
(Maecenas) iterum antiquo me includere ludo?
Non eadem eſt aetas, non mens. 3 Vejanius Armis
4 Herculis ad poſtem fixis, latet abditus agro,
Ne populum 5 extremâ, toties, exoret arenâ.
[4]
6 Eſt mihi, purgatam crebro qui perſonet aurem;
" Solve 7 ſeneſcentem mature ſanus equum, ne
" Peccet ad extremum ridendus, & ilia ducat."
Nunc itaque, & 8 Verſus & caetera ludicra pono,
Quid 9 verum atque decens, curo & rogo, & omnis in hoc ſum.
10 Condo & compono quae mox depromere poſſim.
Ac ne forte roges, 11 quo me duce, quo Lare tuter?
Nullius addictus jurare in verba Magiſtri,
12 Quo me cunque rapit tempeſtas, deferor Hoſpes.
Nunc agilis fio, & merſor 13 civilibus undis,
Virtutis verae Cuſtos, 14 rigiduſque ſatelles.
[6]Et mihi res, non me rebus, ſubmittere conor.
16 Ut nox longa quibus mentitur amica, dieſque
Longa videtur opus debentibus, ut piger annus
Pupillis, quos dura premit cuſtodia matrum:
Sic mihi tarda 17 fluunt ingrataque tempora, quae ſpem
Conſiliumque morantur agendi gnaviter 18 id, quod
Aeque pauperibus prodeſt, locupletibus aeque,
Aeque neglectum pueris, ſenibuſque nocebit.
19 Reſtat, ut his ego me ipſe regam, 20 ſolerque, Ele⯑mentis.
21 Non poſſis oculo quantum contendere Lynceus,
Non tamen idcirco contemnas lippus inungi:
Nec, quia deſperes invicti membra Glyconis,
Nodosâ corpus nolis prohibere chiragrâ.
Eſt quâdam prodire 22 tenus, ſi non datur ultra.
[8]
23 Fervet Avaritia, miſeroque Cupidine pectus?
Sunt verba & voces, quibus hunc lenire dolorem
Poſſis, & 24 magnam morbi deponere partem.
Laudis amore tumes? ſunt 25 certa piacula, quae te
Ter pure lecto poterunt recreare libello.
26 Invidus, iracundus, iners, vinoſus, 27 Amator,
Nemo 28 adeo ferus eſt ut non miteſcere poſſit,
Si modo culturae patientem commodet aurem.
29 Virtus eſt vitium fugere, & Sapientia prima
Stultitia caruiſſe—
—Vides, quae 30 maxima credis
Eſſe mala, exiguum cenſum, turpemque repulſam,
Quanto devites animi, capitiſque labore?
Impiger extremos curris mercator ad Indos,
Per 31 mare pauperiem fugiens, per ſaxa, per ignes:
Ne cures 32 ea que ſtulte miraris & optas
Diſcere, & audire, & meliori credere non vis?**
[01]
" 33 Vilius argentum eſt auro, virtutibus aurum—
" 34 O cives, cives! quaerenda Pecunia primum eſt,
" Virtus poſt nummos—Haec 35 Janus ſummus ab imo
Prodocet: haec recinunt juvenes dictata, ſeneſque,
36 Laevo ſuſpenſi loculos tabulamque lacerto.
Eſt 37 animus tibi, ſunt mores, eſt lingua, fideſque—
Si quadringentis ſex, ſeptem millia deſint,
38 Plebs eris—
39 At pueri ludentes, 'Rex eris (aiunt)
" Si recte facies." Hic 40 murus aheneus eſto,
Nil conſcire ſibi, nullâ palleſcere culpâ!
41 Roſcia, dic ſodes, melior lex, an puerorum
Noenia? quae regnum recte facientibus offert,
[12]Et Maribus 42 Curiis, & decantata Camillis?
43 Iſne tibi melius ſuadet, qui "Rem facias, rem,
" Si poſſis, recte, ſi non, quocunque modo rem."
Ut 44 proprius ſpectes lacrymoſa Poemata Pupi!
An, 45 qui Fortunae te reſponſare ſuperbae
Liberum & erectum, 46 praeſens hortatur, & aptat?
47 Quod ſi me Populus Romanus forte roget, cur
Non, ut 48 porticibus, ſic judiciis fruar iiſdem,
Nec ſequar aut fugiam, quos diligit ipſe, vel odit?
Olim quod 49 Vulpes aegroto cauta Leoni
Reſpondit, referam: "Quia me veſtigia terrent
" Omnia te adverſum ſpectantia, nulla retrorſum.
[14]
50 Bellua multorum eſt capitum, nam quid ſequar aut quem?
Pars hominum geſtit 51 conducere Publica. Sunt qui
52 Cruſtis & Pomis, Viduas venentur avaras,
Excipiantque Senes quos in vivaria mittunt.
53 Multis occulto creſcit res foenore—
—54 Verum
Eſto, aliis alios rebus, ſtudiiſque teneri:
Iidem eadem poſſunt horam durare probantes?
55 " Nullus in orbe locus Baiis prelucet amaenis:"
Si dixit Dives, 56 lacus & mare ſentit amorem
[16] Feſtinantis heri. Cui ſi 57 vitioſa Libido
Fecerit auſpicium, cras, "ferramenta Teanum
" Tolletis fabri!—
—58 Lectus genialis in aula eſt?
Nil ait eſſe prius, melius nil caelibe vita:
59 Si non eſt, jurat bene ſolis eſſe maritis.
60 Quo teneam vultus mutantem Protea nodo?
Quid 61 pauper? ride: mutat 62 caenacula, lectos,
Balnea, 63 tonſores; conducto 64 navigio, aequè
Nauſeat ac locuples, quem ducit priva tirremis.
65 Si curtatus inaequali tonſore capillos
Occurro, rides; ſi forte ſubucula pexae
Trita ſubeſt tunicae, vel ſi toga diſſidet impar,
[18]Rides: quid? 66 mea cum pugnat Sententia ſecum,
Quod petiit, ſpernit; repetit quod nuper omiſit;
67 Aeſtuat, & Vitae diſconvenit ordine toto;
68 Diruit, aedificat, mutat quadrata rotundis?
69 Inſanire putas ſolennia me; neque rides,
Nec 70 Medici credis, nec Curatoris egere
A Praetore dati? rerum 71 Tutela mearum
Cum ſis, & pravè ſectum ſtomacheris ob unguem,
De te pendentis, te ſuſpicientis, Amici.
Ad ſummam, Sapiens uno 72 minor eſt Jove! 73 Dives!
74 Liber! 75 honoratus! 76 pulcher!—
— 77 Rex denique regum!
Praecipue ſanus—
— 78 Niſi cum pituita moleſta eſt.
EPISTLES OF HORACE.
BOOK I.
EPISTLE I.
[]S** whoſe love indulg'd my labours paſt,
Matures my preſent, and ſhall bound my laſt!
Why 2 will you break the Sabbath of my days?
Now ſick alike of Envy and of Praiſe.
Publick too long, ah let me hide my Age!
See modeſt 3 Cibber now has left the Stage:
Our Gen'rals now, 4 retir'd to their Eſtates,
Hang their old Trophies o'er the Garden gates,
In Life's cool evening ſatiate of applauſe,
Nor 5 fond of bleeding, ev'n in BR [...]'s cauſe.
[5]
6 A Voice there is, that whiſpers in my ear,
('Tis Reaſon's voice, which ſometimes one can hear)
" Friend Pope! be prudent, let your7 Muſe take breath,
" And never gallop Pegaſus to death;
" Leſt ſtiff, and ſtately, void of fire, and force,
" You limp, like Blackmore, on a Lord Mayor's horſe.'
Farewel then 8 Verſe, and Love, and ev'ry Toy,
The rhymes and rattles of the Man or Boy:
What 9 right, what true, what fit, we juſtly call,
Let this be all my care-for this is All:
To lay this 10 harveſt up, and hoard with haſte
What ev'ry day will want, and moſt, the laſt.
But ask not, to what 11 Doctors I apply?
Sworn to no Maſter, of no Sect am I:
As drives the 12 ſtorm, at any door I knock,
And houſe with Montagne now, or now with Lock.
Sometimes a 13 Patriot, active in debate,
Mix with the World, and battle for the State,
Free as young Lyttleton, her cauſe purſue,
Still true to Virtue, 14 and as warm as true:
Sometimes, with Ariſtippus, or St. Paul,
Indulge my Candor, and grow all to all;
[7]Back to my 15 native Moderation ſlide,
And win my way by yielding to the tyde.
16 Long, as to him who works for debt, the Day,
Long as the Night to her whoſe love's away;
Long as the Year's dull circle ſeems to run,
When the brisk Minor pants for twenty-one;
So ſlow th' 17 unprofitable Moments roll,
That lock up all the Functions of my ſoul;
That keep me from Myſelf; and ſtill delay
Life's inſtant buſineſs to a future day:
That 18 task, which as we follow, or deſpiſe,
The eldeſt is a fool, the youngeſt wiſe;
Which done, the pooreſt can no wants endure,
And which not done, the richeſt muſt be poor.
19 Late as it is, I put my ſelf to ſchool,
And feel ſome 20 comfort, not to be a fool.
21 Weak tho' I am of limb, and ſhort of ſight,
Far from a Lynx, and not a Giant quite,
I'll do what MEAD and CHESELDEN adviſe,
To keep theſe limbs, and to preſerve theſe eyes.
Not to 22 go back, is ſomewhat to advance,
And Men muſt walk at leaſt before they dance.
[9]
Say, does thy 23 blood rebel, thy boſom move
With wretched Avarice, or as wretched Love?
Know, there are Words, and Spells, which can controll
(24 Between the Fits) this Fever of the ſoul:
Know, there are Rhymes, which (25 freſh and freſh ap⯑ply'd)
Will cure the arrant'ſt Puppy of his Pride.
Be 26 furious, envious, ſlothful, mad or drunk,
27 Slave to a Wife or Vaſſal to a Punk,
A Switz, a High-dutch, or a Low-dutch 28 Bear—
All that we ask is but a patient Ear.
29 'Tis the firſt Virtue, Vices to abhor;
And the firſt Wiſdom to be Fool no more.
But to the world, no 30 bugbear is ſo great,
As want of figure, and a ſmall Eſtate.
To either India ſee the Merchant fly,
Scar'd at the ſpectre of pale Poverty!
See him, with pains of body, pangs of ſoul,
Burn through the Tropic, freeze beneath the Pole!
Wilt thou do nothing for a nobler end,
Nothing, to make Philoſophy thy friend?
To ſtop thy fooliſh views, thy long deſires,
And 32 eaſe thy heart of all that it admires?
[11]
Here, Wiſdom calls: 33 "Seek Virtue firſt! be bold!
" As Gold to Silver, Virtue is to Gold."
There, London's voice: 34 "Get Mony, Mony ſtill!
" And then let Virtue follow, if ſhe will."
This, this the ſaving doctrine, preach'd to all,
From 35 low St. James's up to high St. Paul;
From him whoſe 36 quills ſtand quiver'd at his ear,
To him who notches Sticks at Weſtminſter.
BARNARD in 37 ſpirit, ſenſe, and truth abounds.
" Pray then what wants he?" fourſcore thouſand pounds,
A Penſion, or ſuch Harneſs for a ſlave
As Bug now has, and Beſtia fain would have.
BARNARD, thou art a 38 Cit, with all thy worth;
Beſtia and Bug, Their Honours, and ſo forth.
Yet every 39 child another ſong will ſing,
" Virtue, brave boys! 'tis Virtue makes a King."
True, conſcious Honour is to feel no ſin,
He's arm'd without that's innocent within;
Be this thy 40 Screen, and this thy Wall of Braſs;
Compar'd to this, a Miniſter's an Aſs.
41 And ſay, to which ſhall our applauſe belong,
This new Court jargon, or the good old ſong?
[13]The modern language of corrupted Peers,
Or what was ſpoke at 42 CRESSY and POITIERS?
43 Who counſels beſt? who whiſpers, "Be but Great,
" With Praiſe or Infamy, leave that to fate;
" Get Place and Wealth, if poſſible, with Grace;
" If not, by any means get Wealth and Place.
For what? to have a 44 Box where Eunuchs ſing,
And foremoſt in the Circle eye a King.
Or 45 he, who bids thee face with ſteddy view
Proud Fortune, and look ſhallow Greatneſs thro':
And, 46 while he bids thee, ſets th' Example too?
If 47 ſuch a Doctrine, in St. James's air,
Shou'd chance to make the well-dreſt Rabble ſtare;
If honeſt S* take ſcandal at a ſpark,
That leſs admires the 48 Palace than the Park;
Faith I ſhall give the anſwer 49 Reynard gave,
" I cannot like, Dread Sir! your Royal Cave;
" Becauſe I ſee by all the Tracks about,
" Full many a Beaſt goes in, but none comes out."
Adieu to Virtue if you're once a Slave:
Send her to Court, you ſend her to her Grave.
[15]
Well, if a King's a Lion, at the leaſt
The 50 People are a many-headed Beaſt:
Can they direct what meaſures to purſue,
Who know themſelves ſo little what to do?
Alike in nothing but one Luſt of Gold,
Juſt half the land would buy, and half be ſold:
Their 51 Country's wealth our mightier Miſers drain,
Or croſs, to plunder Provinces, the Main:
The reſt, ſome farm the Poor-box, ſome the Pews;
Some keep Aſſemblies, and wou'd keep the Stews;
Some 52 with fat Bucks on childleſs Dotards fawn;
Some win rich Widows by their Chine and Brawn;
While with the ſilent growth of ten per Cent,
In Dirt and darkneſs 53 hundreds ſtink content.
Of all theſe ways, if each 54 purſues his own,
Satire be kind, and let the wretch alone.
But ſhow me one, who has it in his pow'r
To act conſiſtent with himſelf an hour.
Sir Job 55 ſail'd forth, the evening bright and ſtill,
" No place on earth (he cry'd) like Greenwich hill!"
56 Up ſtarts a Palace, lo! th' obedient baſe
Slopes at its foot, the woods its ſides embrace,
The ſilver Thames reflects its marble face.
[17]Now let ſome whimzy, or that 57 Dev'l within
Which guides all thoſe who know not what they mean
But give the Knight (or give his Lady) ſpleen;
" Away, away! take all your ſcaffolds down,
" For Snug's the word: My dear! we'll live in Town."
At am'rous Flavio is the 58 Stocking thrown?
That very night he longs to lye alone.
59 The Fool whoſe Wife elopes ſome thrice a quarter,
For matrimonial Solace dies a martyr.
Did ever 60 Proteus, Merlin, any Witch,
Transform themſelves ſo ſtrangely as the Rich?
" Well, but the 61 Poor—the Poor have the ſame itch:
They change their 63 weekly Barber, weekly News,
Prefer a new Japanner to their ſhoes,
Diſcharge their 62 Garrets, move their Beds, and run
(They know not whither) in a Chaiſe and one;
They 64 hire their Sculler, and when once aboard,
Grow ſick, and damn the Climate—like a Lord,
65 You laugh, half Beau half Sloven if I ſtand,
My Wig all powder, and all ſnuff my Band;
You laugh, if Coat and Breeches ſtrangely vary,
White Gloves, and Linnen worthy Lady Mary!
[19]But when 66 no Prelate's Lawn with Hair-ſhirt lin'd,
Is half ſo incoherent as my Mind,
When (each Opinion with the next at ſtrife,
One 67 ebb and flow of follies all my Life)
I 68 plant, root up, I build, and then confound,
Turn round to ſquare, and ſquare again to round;
69 You never change one muſcle of your face,
You think this Madneſs but a common caſe,
Nor 70 once to Chanc'ry, nor to *Hales apply;
Yet hang your lip, to ſee a Seam awry!
Careleſs how ill I with myſelf agree;
Kind to my dreſs, my figure, not to Me.
Is this my 71 Guide, Philoſopher, and Friend?
This, He who loves me, and who ought to mend?
Who ought to make me (what he can, or none,)
That Man divine whom Wiſdom calls her own,
Great without Title, without Fortune bleſs'd,
Rich 73 ev'n when plunder'd, 75 honour'd while op⯑preſs'd,
Lov'd 76 without youth, and follow'd without power,
At home tho' exil'd, 74 free, tho' in the Tower.
In ſhort, that reas'ning, high, immortal Thing,
Juſt 72 leſs than Jove, and 77 much above a King,
Nay half in Heav'n—78 except (what's mighty odd)
A Fit of Vapours clouds this Demi-god.
Notes
*
Omnis Ariſtippum decuit color, & ſtatus, & res.
*
The Doctor of Bedlam.
- Citation Suggestion for this Object
- TextGrid Repository (2016). TEI. 3677 The first epistle of the first book of Horace imitated By Mr Pope. University of Oxford Text Archive. University of Oxford, License: Distributed by the University of Oxford under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/]. https://hdl.handle.net/11378/0000-0005-D2A4-4