rage,

(22)

Whoe'er has felt the bold Cratinus'
Or pallid grown at Eupolis's page,
Or his, as great in pow'rs as age-look here,
And if aught more refined and pure appear,
Then turn yet warm to me with fav'ring ear.

Here none who meanly rails at folks who wear
Their shoes tied on with philosophic air,
Who in plain truth will tell a man he squints,
And thinks it wit-who at his honours hints,
Because as Edile of a paltry state

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He struts about, and breaks the cheating weight:
Nor one who sand and horn-books would despise,
And ridicule the way to make men wise,
Who chuckles if, in public as he goes,
A strumpet tweaks a Cynic by the nose:
To such as these, for pastime I decree
Edicts by day, at night Callirhöe. (23)

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NOTES.

(1) Line 1. O cares of man! alas! how vain! how weak!

The opening of this Satire requires some explanation. The Poet may be supposed to be repeating to himself the first line of his composition, when his friend comes in and overhears him, and he tells him that, in the taste of the town at that time, such serious reflections would not be listened to. The Poet remonstrates, but the friend perseveres in stating that perhaps one or two, but not more, might be induced to read his lines, but that it would be hard upon him, and a sad disappointment. Why so?" says Persius. 'Do you think I care, though a poor scribbler, such as Labeo, may be preferred to me ?" and he then proceeds to justify himself, and to enter upon the subject he had proposed-namely, to expose the bad taste of the Poets of the day, and of the public that encouraged them.

(2) Line 4-6. Lest the Trojan crew,

Led by Polydamas, to me prefer
A scribbling Labeo.

Some have imagined that the Emperor Nero and his court are alluded to under the names of Polydamas and the Trojans, but it is probable that this passage in Homer (Il. 22, v. 100-5) was familiar to the Romans, and had become a common cant expression, applicable to any case when the reproaches of idle and ignorant persons might be apprehended. Gifford considers it in this light.

(3) L. 12. What I dare not name.

The commentators give different meanings to the break in the original-quis non; but the most easy and obvious seems to be, who at Rome does not do that which is the subject of complaint, namely, form a false judgment by adhering to the opinions and bad taste of the critics of the day? It may be as well, however, to imitate the mystery of the original.

(4) L. 14. And surely now to solemn thoughts inclin'd,

Different interpretations have been given to the corresponding passage. One applying it to Persius himself, as excusing his Satires upon others, on account of his own grave and severe deportment; another considering it as reflecting upon the affected gravity and severity of the vain and vicious characters of the day. To the first, the word "canitiem" may be objected, Persius being a young man; but it is probable that he did not wish to describe himself, so as to be known; and the language of the passage better suits the application to a real, than an affected gravity of character.

(5) L. 19. We in our closets write,

The dialogue is differently divided in different editions, as to the parts of the text ascribed to Persius or his Monitor. The Delphin does not mark the divisions of the dialogue, but leaves them to the judgment, or the fancy of the reader; and this line might be given to the Poet, or his Monitor. At the fifteenth line in the original, the Poet assumes his own character and begins, and from thence pursues his subject; and though he uses the second person, "leges" and "collueris," he does not address himself to the person introduced into the dialogue, but attacks all the vain scribblers of the day. In the 20th line of the translation, and 14th of the original, "Grande aliquid," the Poet is made, by some Translators and Commentators, to break in upon the Monitor, when he

mentions "something sublime," with his satirical invective on the public recitations; which seems more agreeable to the sense of the context, than putting those words into the mouth of the Monitor. He objects to the Poet's publishing his Satires, and recommends his writing in his closet, for the amusement of himself and his friends, when the Poet breaks out and pursues his Satire with much force and humour.

(6) L. 34. "But why the plague of study, &c.

The corresponding lines are harsh and unmusical in their construction, and obscure in their interpretation; but that given in the translation is the most obvious. This remark (1. 24-25 of the original), and that which occurs 1. 28-30, " At pulchrum est," seem to be objections thrown in by the Poet himself, which he answers; rather than the words of the Monitor, who is introduced at the beginning of the Satire. In 1. 40, the word "ait" shows that the Poet is using the supposed words of some objector.

(7) L. 45. "And giv'n as themes to curly-pated youth,

The line in the original (29) affords another instance of Persius's own peculiar language, "Te dictata fuisse."

66

(8) L. 49. Behold in violet-color'd robe appear

The trim reciter—

Aliquis," in the original, seems to imply some coxcomb who recites the verses of others. "Vatum plorabile si quid," "cinis ille poetæ," and the "cippus," apply to some deceased poet, and not, as has been supposed by some, to the reciter, representing him as reciting his

own verses.

(9) L. 84-5. But how can they speak out? If you will know, Yon trifle, bald pate! see that paunch below.

How can you pretend to art or fancy, you, an old fellow, whose paunch shows nothing but gluttony?

(10) L. 98. Whether He ridicules the ways of man, &c.

This passage is considered as having reference to comedy, "in mores"-to satire, "in luxum"-and to tragedy, "in prandia regum," in allusion to the story of Thyestes; and this distinction has been observed in the translation. The whole passage from 1. 95 to 102 of the translation, and 63 to 68 of the original, is the supposed language of the flattering friend, and has reference to 1. 82-3.

(11) L. 103-114. Some now their skill in bold heroics try, &c.

This is one of the most puzzling passages to be met with in these Satires. The explanations given to it are various. It is probable that some particular poem is alluded to, in which the several subjects specified were jumbled together; and the reflection most probably intended to be conveyed seems to be, that those who cannot describe the commonest objects in tolerable verse, yet attempt heroics and a high strain of poetry. But a difficulty lies in applying this idea to the subjects alluded to in the three last of these lines, which, though they are connected with and might follow a description of the country, are not of the same humble character as those which precede them, and might furnish or belong to a higher strain of poetry.

(12) L. 119. When "her grief-stricken heart is propp'd by woe."

L. 142. Of" Attis and the Berecynthian crew.'

L. 151. “Harsh horns blew blasts of Mimallonian wind,” &c.

The Satire is, in these quotations or imitations, directed against some well-known poems of the day. The first is probably a line from a tragedy of Pacuvius. In translating these passages, the object is to show that it was intended to ridicule them; but the humour is lost with the original verses, though the bombastic absurdity is sufficiently obvious as a subject of satire. Line 95 in the original is supposed to allude to some poem on Hannibal's passage into Italy.