THE

SECOND EPISTLE

OF THE

SECOND BOOK

OF

HORACE.

Ludentis speciem dabit, et torquebitur. HOR.

EPISTLE II.

DEAR Col'nel, COBHAM's, and your Country's Friend! You love a Verse, take such as I can send.

b A Frenchman comes, presents you with his Boy, Bows and begins-" This Lad, Sir, is of Blois :

"Observe his shape how clean! his locks how curl'd! My only son, I'd have him see the world:

"His French is pure; his Voice too-you shall hear.
"Sir, he's your slave, for twenty pound a year.
"Mere wax as yet, you fashion him with ease,
"Your Barber, Cook, Upholst'rer, what you please:
"A perfect genius at an Op'ra-song-

"To say too much, might do my honour wrong.
"Take him with all his virtues, on my word;
"His whole ambition was to serve a Lord:

$6

11

EPISTOLA II.

FLORE, bono claroque fidelis amice Neroni,
'Si quis forte velit puerum tibi vendere natum
Tibure vel Gabiis, et tecum sic agat: "Hic et
"Candidus, et talos a vertice pulcher ad imos,
"Fiet eritque tuus nummorum millibus octo;
"Verna ministeriis ad nutus aptus heriles;
"Litterulis Graecis imbutus, idoneus arti
"Cuilibet: argilla quidvis imitaberis uda:

Quin etiam canet indoctum, sed dulce bibenti.

"Multa fidem promissa levant, ubi plenius aequo

NOTES.

Ver. 4. This Lad, Sir, is of Blois:] A town in Beauce, where the French tongue is spoken in great purity.

15

"But, Sir, to you, with what would I not part?

“ Tho' faith, I fear, 'twill break his Mother's heart.
"Once (and but once) I caught him in a lye,
"And then, unwhipp'd, he had the grace to cry:
"The fault he has I fairly shall reveal,
"(Could you o'erlook but that) it is, to steal."

If, after this, you took the graceless lad,
Could you complain, my Friend, he proved so bad?
Faith, in such case, if you should prosecute,
I think Sir Godfrey should decide the suit;
Who sent the Thief that stole the Cash, away,
And punish'd him that put it in his way.

Consider then, and judge me in this light;
I told you when I went, I could not write;
You said the same; and are you discontent
With laws, to which you gave your own assent?

20

25

30

"Laudat venales, qui vult extrudere, merces. "Res urget me nulla: meo sum pauper in aere. "Nemo hoc mangonum faceret tibi: non temere a me Quivis ferret idem: semel hic cessavit, et (ut fit) "In scalis latuit metuens pendentis habenae: "Des nummos, excepta nihil te si fuga laedit." e Ille ferat pretium, poenae securus, opinor. Prudens emisti vitiosum: dicta tibi est lex. Insequeris tamen hunc, et lite moraris iniqua. b Dixi me pigrum proficiscenti tibi, dixi Talibus officiis prope mancum: ne mea saevus Jurgares ad te quod epistola nulla veniret. Quid tum profeci, mecum facientia jura

NOTES.

Ver. 24. I think Sir Godfrey] An eminent Justice of Peace, whe decided much in the manner of Sancho Pancha.-Sir Godfrey Kneller.

Nay worse, to ask for Verse at such a time!
D'ye think me good for nothing but to rhyme?

e

In ANNA'S Wars, a soldier poor and old
Had dearly earn'd a little purse of gold:

Tir'd with a tedious march, one luckless night,.
He slept, poor dog! and lost it, to a doit.
This put the man in such a desp❜rate mind,
Between revenge, and grief, and hunger join'd,
Against the foe, himself, and all mankind,
He leap'd the trenches, scal'd a Castle-wall,
Tore down a Standard, took the Fort and all.
"Prodigious well!" his great Commander cry'd,
Gave him much praise, and some reward beside.

Si tamen attentas? quereris super hoc etiam, quod
Exspectata tibi non mittam carmina mendax.

e Luculli miles collecta viatica multis
Aerumnis, lassus dum noctu stertit, ad assem
Perdiderat: post hoc vehemens lupus, et sibi et hosti
Iratus pariter, jejunis dentibus acer,

Praesidium regale loco dejecit, ut aiunt,
Summe munito, et multarum divite rerum.
Clarus ob id factum, donis ornatur honestis,
Accipit et bis dena super sestertia nummûm.
Forte sub hoc tempus castellum evertere praetor

NOTES.

5

40

Ver. 33. In Anna's wars, etc.] Many parts of this story are well told; but, on the whole, it is much inferior to the original.

Ver. 37. This put the man, etc.] Greatly below the original,

Post hoc vehemens lupus, et sibi et hosti

Iratus pariter jejunis dentibus acer.

The last words are particularly elegant and humorous.

Ver. 43. Gave him much praise, and some reward beside.] For the sake of a stroke of satire, he has here weakened that circumstanc on which the turn of the story depends. Horace avoided it, though the avaricious character of Lucullus was a tempting occasion to indulge his raillery. VOL. II.

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