But Noble Scriblers are with Flatt'ry fed; For none dare find their Faults, who eat their Bread. What is't the common Reader takes for good? His Reader hopes no Rife, and fears no Fall. Friend. Hourly we fee, fome raw pin-feather'd thing Who knows not how to praise the Country Store, Nor paint the flow'ry Fields, that paint themselves before. 7 Where Romulus, &c. He fpeaks of the Country in the foregoing Verfes; the Praifes of which, are the moft eafy Theme for Poets; but which a bad Poet cannot naturally defcribe: Then he makes a digreffion to Romulus the first King of Rome, who had a Ruftical Education; and enlarges upon Quintius Cincinnatus, & Roman Senator, who was call'd from the Plough to be Dictator of Rome. She She wip'd the Sweat from the Dictator's Brow; Of wanton Smoothness, Female Poetry; For our old Dotards cannot keep their Seat; Others, by foolish Oftentation led, When call'd before the Bar, to fave their Head, With 8 Periods, Points, and Tropes he flurs his Crimes: "He Robb'd not, but he Borrow'd from the Poor; "And took but with Intention to restore. He lards with Flourishes his long Harangue; To tickle thee, and make thee wag thy Tail? 8 With Periods, &c. Ferfins here I place are meant for Rhetorical names Antithefes, or feeming Flourishes, as I think, with Contradictions; which in this Cafaubon. Say, fhou'd a Shipwreck'd Sailor fing his Woe, Perfius. He feems a Trap, for Charity, to lay: Friend. But to raw Numbers, and unfinish'd Verse, Sweet Sound is added now, to make it Terse: "'Tis tagg'd with Rhime, like 9 Berecynthian Atys, "The mid part chimes with Art, which never flat is, "The Dolphin brave, that cut the liquid Wave, Or he who in his Line, can chine the long-ribb'd Appennine. Perfius. All this is Dogrel ftuff. Friend. What if I bring A Nobler Verfe? 10 Arms and the Man I fing, Perfius. Why Name you Virgil with fuch Fops as these? He's truly great; and must for ever please; Not fierce, but awful, is his Manly Page; Friend. What Poems think you soft? and to be read With languishing Regards, and bending Head? Perfius. Their crooked Horns the Mimallonian Crew With Blafts infpir'd; and Baffaris who flew "The fcornful Calf, with Sword advanc'd on high, Made from his Neck his haughty Head to fly. "And Manas, when with Ivy-bridles bound, "She led the Spotted Lynx, then Evion rung around; "Evion from Woods and Floods repairing Echo's Sound. Berecynthian Atys, or Attin, &c. Foolish Verses of Nero, which the Poet repeats; and which cannot be tranflated properly into English. 10 Arms and the Man, &c. The fift Line of Virgil'sÆneid. 11 Their crooked Horns, &c. Other Verfes of Nero, that were meer Bombaft. I only note, That the Repetition of thefe and the former Verfes of Nero, might juftly give the Poet a caution to conceal his Name. Cou'd Cou'd fuch rude Lines a Roman Mouth become, : Perfius. Rather than fo, uncenfur'd let 'em be; My harmless Rhime fhall 'scape the dire Difgrace But lafh'd the City, and diffected Crimes. 12 Manas and Atys, Poems ↑ Two Snakes twin'd with each ́ on the Manades, who were other, were painted on the Priefteffes of Bacchus; and of Walls, by the Ancients, to fhew Atys, who made himself an the Place was Holy. Eunuch to attend on the Sacrifices of Cybele, call'd Berecynthia by the Poets; she was Mother of the Gods. 13 Two painted Serpents, &c. 13 Tet old Lucilius, &c. Lucilius wrote long before Horace z who imitates his manner of Satyr, but far excels him in the Defign, Unlike in Method, with conceal'd Design, Did crafty Horace his low Numbers join: Laugh'd at his Friend, and look'd him in the Face: Cou'd he do this, and is my Mufe controll'd Which thou think'ft nothing, Friend, thou fhalt not buy, 16 Thou, if there be a Thou in this bafe Town, Is King Midas, &c. The was Marthy; and when the Story is vulgar, that Midas Reeds grew up, they repeated King of Phrygia was made the Words which were spoken Judge betwixt Apollo and Pan, by the Barber. By Midas the who was the beft Mufician: Poet meant Nero. He gave the Prize to Pan; and Apollo in revenge gave him Affes Ears. He wore his Hair long to hide them; but his Barber difcovering them, and not daring to divulge the Secret, dug a hole in the Ground, and whisper'd into it: The place 16 Eupolis and Cratinus, as alfo Ariftophanes mention'd àfterwards, were all Athenian Poets; who wrote that fort of Comedy, which was call'd the old Comedy, where the People were Nam'd, who were Satiriz'd by thofe Authors. |