The Grave, a gay Companion, fhun; Far from the Sad the Jovial run ; The Gay, the Witty, and Sedate, And they, who quaff their midnight Glass, When 102. Quid purè tranquillet.] Horace adds the Word pure because a falfe Tranquillity may deceive, but is incapable of fatisfying us. The Tranquillity, which Honours, Reputation, Riches and Employments yield, is very different from that, which Virtue beftows, undifturbed by Defires, Hopes, or Fears. DAC. Me quoties reficit gelidus Digentia rivus, 105 Quem Mandela bibit, rugofus frigore pagus ; 110 104. Me quoties reficit.] Inftead of methodically deciding what kind of Life yields greatest Happiness, he proposes his own Example and Experience. A manner of Reasoning more decifive and powerful than a thousand Arguments, which often derive their whole Force from the Authoriy and Affistance of Examples. DAC. 109. Provifa frugis in annum copia.] The Poet wishes he may always have a Year's Income in his Purfe, that he may not be continually perplexed with an anxious Concern for To-morrow, or de pend upon the various and uncertain Accidents of it. He prays only for the Conveniences and Happiness of the Body, which are usually called the Gifts of Fortune, but asks not her Affiftance for the Cultivation of his Understanding and his Improvement in Virtue. Such were the Sentiments, not of any particular Sect, but of the Philofophers in general. 112. Equum mi animum.] Mr. Sanadon reads animum mihi.ego ipfe parabe, upon Authority of one Manufcript, fupported by a Wri ter of the twelfth Century, who thus quotes the Line. Certainly this Reading does not want Merit; for when the Poet prays for Life and a moderate Fortune, there is no need of an Equality of Mind, æquum, to enjoy them. This is a Virtue better proved in doubtful or unhappy Circumstances.. When happy in my rural Scene, Let me poffefs My present Wealth, or even lefs, pray, EPIST. 1 P EPIST. XIX. Ad MECENATEM. RISCO fi credis, Mæcenas docte, Cratino, ad arma Hoc This Epiftle is a Satire on the Poets, in our Author's Time, who under Pretence that Bacchus was God of Poetry, and that the best ancient Bards loved Wine, imagined they might equal their Merit by drinking as largely. Horace laughs at fuch ridiculous Imitation. He raillies the methodical Dulness of their Compofitions; nor makes a Difficulty of propofing his own Example in imitating Alcæus and Ar chilochus. DAC. Verfe 1. Do&e Macenas, Cratino.] This is not an Expreffion of Flattery, for Mæcenas had not only very confiderable Abilities for the Field, and the Council, but was really a Man of Learning. Cratinus loved Wine to fuch Excefs, that Ariftophanes tells us he died with Grief at feeing a Hogfhead broken, and the Wine running out. 2 Nulla placere diu.] This was probably one of Cratinus his Verfes which Horace hath tranflated. A Greek Epigram hath preferved one of his drinking Maxims; that Wine is a Race-horse to a Poet of Genius, and that a Water-drinker never made a goood Dithy. rambic. Some Imaginations are indeed fo naturally cold, that Wine may warm them, but it feldom produces a correct and regular Poem. Such phlegmatie Rhimers would do well to remember, that there is fome Difference between drinking and being drunk. DAC. EPIST. XIX. To MÆCENAS. Tofage Cratinus if You Credit give, No Water drinker's Verses long shall live, Soon 6. Laudibus arguitur vini.] Homer calls Wine, fweet and freet as Honey, generous, joyous to the Spirits, and a divine Beverage, that foftens the Rudeness of our Tempers. From whence, perhaps, Tully reproaches Antony with fuch an Afperity and Ferocity of Temper, as Wine with all its natural Softness could not meliorate. Yet, as Mr. Sanadon obferves, this is but an uncertain Proof, for Homer might have written Verfes in Praise of Wine, as a Poet may write LoveVerses without being in Love. 8. Forum putealque.] Torrentius firft perceived, that these Words could not be spoken either by Cratinus or Ennius, who were both dead long before Libo was born; nor by Bacchus, who furely would not have waited fo long to publish a Decree, which the Usages of fo many Poets had already established; nor by Mæcenas, unless we read edixti and pallers, contrary to all the Manufcripts. We must therefore acknowledge Horace himself, giving forth his Laws in the Style and Tone of a Legiflator, Hoc fimul edixi, which is of more than five Manufcripts, and received by our beft Editors. |