ro, Catiline; and in oppofition to thefe, difplays the Worth of Perfons meanly Born, fuch as Ci-1 cero, Marius, Servius Tullius and the Decii
The Tranflator of_this_Satyr industriously avoided impofing upon the Reader, and perplexing the Printer with tedious Common-place Notes; but finding towards the latter End many Examples of Noblemen who disgrac'd their Ancestors by vicious Practices, and of Men meanly born, who ennobled their Families by virtuous and brave Actions, he thought fome Hiftorical Relations were neceffary. towards rendring those Inftances more Intelligible; which is all he pretends to by his Remarks. He won'd gladly have left out the heavy Paffage of the Mirmillo and Retiarius, which he boneftly confelles be either does not rightly understand, or cannot fufficiently explain. If he has not confin'd bimfelf to the ftrict Rules of Translation, but has frequently taken the Liberty of Imitating, Paraphrafing, or Reconciling the Roman Customs to our Modern Ulage; he hopes this Freedom is pardonable, fince he has not us'd it, but when he found the Original flat, obfcure, or defective; and where the Humour and Connexion of the Author might naturally allow of fuck a Change.
Hat's the Advantage, or the real Good,
In tracing from the Source our ancient Blood?
To have our Ancestors in Paint or Stone,
Preferv'd as Relicks, or, like Monster's, fhewn?
The Brave Æmilii, as in Triumph plac'd,
The Virtuous Curii, half by time defac'd ;
Corvinus, with a mould'ring Nofe, that bears
Injurious Scars, the fad Effects of Years;
And Galba grinning without Nofe or Ears?
Vain are their Hopes, who fancy to inherit By Trees of Pedigrees, or Fame, or Merit; Tho' plodding Heralds thro' each Branch may Old Captains and Dictators of their Race, While their fll Lives that Family bely,
And grieve the Brass which stands difhonour'd by.
'Tis meer Burlesque, that to our Gen'rals Praise,
Their Progeny immortal Statues raife,
Yet (far from that old Gallantry) delight
To game before their Images all Night,
And steal to Bed at the approach of Day,
The Hour when thefe their Enfigns did display.
Why fhou'd foft Fabius impudently bear
Names gain'd by Conquefts in the Gallic War P
Why lays he claim to Hercules his Strain,
Yet dares be Bafe, Effeminate and Vain ?
The glorious Altar to that Hero built,
Adds but a greater Luftre to his Guilt,
Whofe tender Limbs, and polish'd Skin, difgrace
The grifly Beauty of his Manly Race;
And who by practifing the difmal Skill
Of pois'ning, and fuch treach'rous ways to kill,
Make his unhappy Kindred-Marble sweat,
When his degen'rate Head by theirs is fet.
Long Galleries of Ancestors, and all
The Follies which ill-grace a Country-Hall,
1 The Family of the Fabii France (formerly known by the were defcended of Hercules (in Name of Allobroges) was SurHonour of whom the Romansnam'd Allobrogicus ; which Tíbuilt a Temple in the Ford tle his Son wou'd have affuBoario.) Fabius Maximus in re-med, whom our Author here membrance of his Services in Cenfures, as a Man of an Efthe Wars, against the People feminate Person, a profligate of Provence, Languedoc, Dau-Life, and of Dangerous Pra phiny, and other Provinces off&tices.
Challenge no Wonder or Efteem from me;
"Virtue alone is true Nobility.
Live therefore well: To Men and Gods appear,
Such as good Paulus, Coffus, Drufus, were;
And in thy Confular triumphal Show,
Let 1 hefe before thy Father's Statues go;
Place 'em before the 3 Enfigns of the State,
As chufing rather to be Good than Great.
Convince the World that you're devout and true,
Be juft in all you fay, and all you do;
Whatever be your Birth, you're fure to be
A Peer of the First Magnitude to me:
Rome for your fake shall push her Conquests on,
And bring New Titles home from Nations won,
To Dignify fo Eminent a Son.
With your blest Name shall ev'ry Region found,
Loud as mad Egypt, when her Priests have found
A new 5 Ofyris, for the Ox they drown'd.
But who will call thofe Noble, who deface,
By meaner Acts, the Glories of their Race;
Whofe only Title to our Father's Fame
Is couch'd in the dead Letters of their Name?
A Dwarf as well may for a Giant pafs;
A Negro for a Swan; a Crook-back'd Lafs
2 Brave and virtuous Re-Shape of an Ox, which the
3 The Rods and Ax, which were carried in Proceffions, as Badges of the Confular Dignity.
4 Such as Getulicus, Africanus, Numantinus, Creticus.
s Ofyris, for teaching the Egyptians Husbandry, had a Temple built at Memphis; where he was worship'd in the
Priefts ufed to drown at a cettain Age; and gave out, their God was withdrawn, and abfented himself for a few Days; during which time 'twas their Custom to go Mourning and searching up and down till they found another Ox to supply his place, and then they broke out with thefe Exclamations, We have found him, letʼs rejoice.
Be call'd Europa; and a Cur may
The Name of Tyger, Lion, or whate'er
Denotes the Nobleft or the Fierceft Beaft:
Be therefore careful, left the World in jeft
Shou'd thee just fo with the Mock-titles greet,
Of Camerinus, or of Conquer'd Crete.
To whom is this Advice and Cenfure due?
Rubellius Plancus, 'tis apply'd to you;
Who think your Perfon fecond to Divine,
Because defcended from the Drufian Line;
Tho' yet you no Illuftrious Act have done,
To make the World diftinguish Julia's Son
From the vile Offspring of a Trull who fits
By the Town-Wall, and from her Living knits.
You are poor Rogues (you cry) the bafer Scum
And inconfiderable Dregs of Rome;
Who know not from what Corner of the Earth
The obfcure Wretch, who got you, ftole his Birth:
Mine, I derive from Cecrops
6 May your Grace
Live, and enjoy the Splendor of your Race-.
Yet of these base Plebeians we have known
Some, who, by charming Eloquence, have grown
Great Senators, and Honours to that Gown:
Some at the Bar with Subtilty defend
The Caufe of an unlearned Noble Friend;
Or on the Bench the knotty Laws untye:
Others their stronger Youth to Arms apply,
Go to Euphrates, or thofe Forces join
Which Garrison the Conquests near the Rhine.
While you, Rubellius, on your Birth rely;
Tho' you refemble your Great Family
No more, than thofe rough Statues on the Road
(Which we call Mercuries) are like that God:
The firft King of Athens,
Your Blockhead tho' excels in this alone,
You are a Living Statue, that of Stone.
Great Son of Troy, who ever prais'd a Beast
For being of a Race above the rest,
But rather meant his Courage, and his Force?
To give an Inftance We commend a Horse
(Without regard of Pafture or of Breed)
For his undaunted Mettle and his Speed;
Who 7 wins most Plates with greatest case, and first
Prints with his Hoofs his Conqueft on the Dust.
But if fleet Dragon's Progeny at laft
Proves jaded, and in frequent Matches cast,
No favour for the Stallion we retain,
And no respect for the degen'rate Strain;
The worthlefs Brute is from New-Market brought,
And at an under-rate in Smithfield bought,
To turn a Mill, or drag a Loaded Life
Beneath two Panniers, and a Baker's Wife.
That we may therefore you, not yours, admire ;.
First, Sir, fome Honour of your own acquire;
Add to that Stock which justly we bestow
On thofe & Bleft Shade's to whom you all things owe.
This may fuffice the Haughty Youth to fhame,
Whofe fwelling Veins (if we may credit Fame)
Burft almoft with the Vanity and Pride,
That their Rich Blood to Nero's is ally'd:
The Rumour's likely; for "We feldom find
"Much Sense with an Exalted Fortune join'd.
But, Ponticas, I wou'd, not you shou'd raise
Your Credit by Hereditary Praife;
Let your own Acts Immortalize your Name ; -
'Tis Poor relying on another's Fame;
7 I have taken the Liberty of our Author to give this Simile a Modern
8 (Meaning your Ancestors)
Air, because it happens, to a-Rubellius Plancusq gree exactly with the Humour
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