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He, that th' unequal Mufes loves,

A Bard exalted by each Bowl,
With Glaffes nine his Flame improves ;

The naked 10 Graces, loth to heat the Soul,

And fearing Strife, but three allow --
I joy to rave-Let not the Lute
In Silence hang; the Hautboy blow,

II

And mellowly inspire the " Phrygian Flute.

I hate a Niggard - Roses spread :

12

Let ancient Lycus hear the Noife, And fhe, ill fuited to his Bed;

Let Lycus hear, repining at our Joys.

13 Thee, 14 Telephus, with spreading Hair,
Beauteous as Hefper's fparkling Ray,
Ripe Chloë feeks: With love-fick Care,
And lingering Flames, I doat on Glycera.

NOTES.

When Licinius Muréna was initiated Augur, Telephus, being in Company with Horace, ran out into long Difcourfes on the old Grecian Hiftory; but Horace interrupts him by finging this Ode, and admonishes him to turn his Thoughts to Subjects more fuitable to the prefent Occafion. This Ode was written after the 13th, the 23d, and the 33d of the first Book, and before the roth of the fecond, and the 11th of the fourth Book. Horace might then be about 43. DACIER.

1 Inachus founded the Kingdom of Argos in the Year of the World 2093, in the Time of the Patriarch Abraham; and Codrus, who was the laft King of Athens, de

voted himself for his Country in the Year of the World 2882, about the Time of Saul, 100 or 110 Years after the War of Troy : By which we fee, that from Inachus to Codrus there were 789 Years, or thereabouts.

DACIER.

2 The Athenians waged War with the Dorians; and Codrus having learned, that the Dorians were told by the Oracle they could not conquer, if they killed the King of Athens, he difguifed himfelf in the Habit of a Wood-man, and went into the Enemies Camp with a Hedging-hook in his Hand, and a Bundle of Sticks on his Back, where, provoking and wounding a Soldier, he purpofely fuffered himself to be killed, in order to fave his Country. DACIER.

3 Eacus was the Son of Jupiter and Ægina, and the Father of Peleus and Telamon.

4 Sacro fub Ilio.] Horace, like Homer, calls Troy, facred, both because the Walls were built by the Gods, and because it contained a great Number of Temples: For which Reafon Virgil calls it the Houfe of the Gods:

O patria, ô Divûm domus Ilium.

5 The Chian was esteemed one of the best Greek Wines. Horace fpeaks of it in other Places.

6 This Ode feems to have been indited at Table. Horace here, in an enthufiaftic Rapture, and without waiting for Telephus's Reply, calls for Wine, to fignify it was Time to celebrate this Festival, &c. This Ode has that free and easy Turn, which Men, who know the World, and have a good Genius, commonly give to every thing they say. DACIER.

Ib. Da Luna properè novæ ] Poculum is understood. Give me a Cup to the New Moon; that is, Give me a Cup, that I may drink to the New Moon. Thus, in the 8th Ode of this Book, Horace fays;

Sume, Macenas, cyathos amici
Sofpitis centum,

to fignify, Drink a hundred Cups to the Health of your
Friend, &c. He drinks to the New Moon, becaufe Mu-
réna was made Augur at that Time.

Ib. Da noctis media.] He drinks to Midnight, to intimate that the Banquet fhould continue till that Time.

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7 This is the fame Licinius Müréna, who afterwards confpired againft Augufius. See the Notes on the roth Ode of the fecond Book.

8 The College of Augurs was inftituted at Rome_by Numa. There were at firft but four, all Patricians. But this Honour being afterwards communicated to the People by the Ogulnian Law, five more were added to them; and Sylla added fix: So that the College at laft confifted of fifteen. They were held in high Repute, and their Office was one of the most important; fince it was in their Power to fruftrate all the Refolutions both of the Senate and of the People. On this Account, the chief Men of Rome, even they who had been Con fuls, and had triumphed, follicited for this Priesthood with great Zeal. The Augurs had this peculiar Privi lege, that if any one of them was convicted of a Crime, he could not be deprived of his Priesthood, without being deprived of his Life at the fame Time. It may perhaps be thought ftrange, that, in an Age when the Science of Augury was very much decried, and the Vanity of its Pretenfions well understood, this College fhould, nevertheless, ftill retain its Luftre. But who does not know the Force of Customs, and especially of Cultoms fupported by Religion ?.

DACIER.

9 Tribus aut novem cyathis.] The Ancients thought unequal Numbers fortunate in all things, and especially at their Feafts, where they drank three, five, feven, or nine Glaffes, &c.

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Nudis junta fororibus ]

As in the 7th Ode of the fourth Book,

Gratia cum Nymphis, geminifque fororibus.

The Graces were the three Daughters of Jupiter, or of the Sun, Aglaia, Euphrofyne, and Thalia.

Of all the Gods and Goddeffes in the old Mytholo gy, they were the most worthy of Regard: They prefided over Acts of Benevolence and Gratitude; they were the Dipenfers of Liberality, Eloquence, and Wifdom: An amiable Carriage, a Gaiety of Temper, an easy Behaviour, and thofe Qualities which · engage Mankind to one another in the Tyes of Love and Friendship, were all their Gift; and that winning Addrefs, which every body feels, and no body can de

fcribe;

fcribe; which alone fometimes fupplies the Place of Merit, and without which Merit itself is not beloved.* Thus Mr. Maieu expreffes himself, in his Differtation on this Subject.

Pindar has addreffed an elegant Ode to the GRACES, which is as elegantly tranflated by Mr. Hughes. See his Poems, printed for 7. Tonfon, 1735, Volume II. P. 154. D.

II

Cur Berecynthia

Ceffant flamina tibia?]

There were two Mountains called Berecynthia, one of which was in Crete, and the other in Phrygia, near the River Marfyas. Horace means the laft. The Berecynthian or Phrygian Flute was employed in the Feasts of Cybele. Horace demands it rather than any other, be cause it was the most proper for joyous Occafions, where Religion was concerned, as it was here, on account of Murena's facred Function. DACIER.

12 This Lycus is no-where else named by Horace.

13 The Thought in thefe laft four Lines arose from the Love of Lycus to his Neighbour: But Horace does not connect them with what goes before. Such unexpected Tranfitions are beautiful, especially in Drinking.Songs.

14 This is the fame Telephus mentioned in the 13th Ode of the first, and in the 11th Ode of the fourth Book.

15 Horace himself had been in Love with Chloë. See the 23d Ode of the first Book, where he alfo calls her tempeftivam; which fhows that the faid 23d Ode was written a little before this.

ODE

H

O DE XX.

To PYRRH US.

By Mr. DUNCOMBE, fen.

WOW from the Lionefs you bear

Her darling Cubs, rash Boy! beware; Or You shall foon, by coward Flight, Decline the Danger of the Fight:

When, fierce to feize her lovely Prey,
Through Crowds of Youths the cleaves her Way,
A furious Battle fhall enfue,

To fix the Prize with Her or You:

You aim the Shaft; while, dreadful, She
Sharpens her Fangs; and, careless, he,
The Combat's Arbiter, is faid

With naked Foot the Wreath to tread ;

1

Displaying with a graceful Air,

To the foft Breeze, his fcented Hair,
Adown his Shoulders loosely spread,
Like 2 Nireus, or like Ganymed!

NOTES.

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