Cover the Country, that a failing Kite Him, doft thou mean, who fpight of all his Store, Who cheats for Half-pence, and who doffs his Coat, Ever a Glutton, at another's Cost, But in whofe Kitchin dwells perpetual Frost? Thus fares the Drudge: But thou, whofe Life's a Dream Of lazy Pleafnres, tak'st a worse Extream. ris all thy bus'nefs, bus'ness how to fhun; To bask thy naked Body in the Sun; Name then living. I have Virgil invocates in the begin-tranflated this Paffage para-ning of his Second Georgique. phrastically, and loofly; and I give the Epithet of Better leave it for thofe to look on, to Ceres, because the firft who are not unlike the Pi-taught the Ufe of Corn for &ture. Bread, as the Poets tell us. Men, in the first rude Ages,feeding only on Acorns, or Maft, instead of Bread. 6 When he shou'd Thanks, &c. Pan the God of Shepherds, and Pales the Goddefs prefiding over rural Affairs, whom N Suppling Suppling thy ftiffned Joints with fragrant Oil: And this, thou think'ft, but vainly think'ft, unfeen. Thy Catamite, the Darling of thy Heart, Thou tak❜ft the Pleafure, which thou can'ft not give 7 The Depilation of thy modeft Fart, &c. Our Author here tasks Nero, covertly, with that Effeminate Custom now us'd in Italy, and especially by Harlots, of fmoothing their Bellies, and takting off the Hairs which grow about their Secrets. In Nero's time they were pull'd off with Pincers; but now they use a Paste, which apply'd to thofe Parts, when it is remov'd, carries away with it thofe Excrefcen cies. 8 Not five the frongeft, &c. The Learned Holiday, (who } Tho has made us amends for his. bad Poetry in this and the reft of these Satyrs, with his excellent Illuftrations,) here tells us, from good Authority, that the Number Five does not allude to the Five Fingers of one Man, who us❜d them all, in taking off the Hairs before mentioned; but to Five ftrong Men, fuch as were skilful in the five robuft Exercifes, then in practice at Rome, and were performed in the Circus, or Publick Place, ordained for them. Thefe Five he reckons up in this manner: Tho' fuppled first with Soap, to ease thy pain, Nor can't thou cheat thy 9 Nerve, who cheat'ft the Croud The loud Applaufes which the Vulgar give? If thou do'ft Wealth, with longing Eyes, behold; And, greedily, art gaping after Ge'd; If fome alluring Girl, in gliding by, Shall tip the Wink, with a lascivious Eye, } Leaping: And the Fifth Wrest ling naked, and besmear'd with Oil. They who were practis'd in these Five Manly Exete cifes, were call'd Пivτabor manner: 1. The Caftus, or Whirlbats, defcrib'd by Virgil, in his fifth Æneid; and this was the most dangerous of all the reft. The Second was the Foot-race. The Third the Dif 9 Thy Nerve, &c. That is, cus, like the throwing a weigh- thou canst not deceive thy, ty Ball; a Sport now us'd in obfcene Part, which is weak, Cornwall, and other Parts of or impotent, tho' thou mak'st England; we may fee it daily Oftentation of thy Perfor practis'd in Red-Lion Fields.mances with Women, The Fourth was the Saltus, or If, with thy 10 Guards, thou fcour'ft the Streets by Night, 10 If with thy Guars. &c. Perfius durft not have een fo bold with Nero, as I dare now; and therefore there is only an intimation of that in him, which I publickly fpeak: I mean of Nero's walking in the Streets by Night, in difguife, and committing all forts of Outrages; for which he was fometimes well beaten. II Survey thy Soul, &c. That is, look into thy felf, and examine thy own Confcience; there thou shalt find, that how wealthy foever thou appeareft to the World, yet thou art but a Beggar; because thou art deftitute of all Virtues, which are the Riches of the Soul. This also was a Paradox of the Stoick School, PERSIUS |