PERSIUS

THE

FIFTH SATYR.

By Mr. DRYDEN.

The ARGUMENT.

The Judicious Cafaubon, in his Preem to this Satyr, tells us, That Ariftophanes the Grammarian being ask'd, what Poem of Archilochus his Iambicks he preferred before the reft; anfwer'd, The. longeft. His Answer may justly be apply'd to this Fifth Saytr; which, being of a greater length than any of the reft, is alfo, by far, the most inftructive For this reafon I have felected it from all the others, and infcrib'd it to my Learned Ma fter Dr. Busby; to whom I am not only obliged my felf for the best part of my own Education, and that of my two Sons; but have also receiv'd from him the first and trueft Taste of Perfius. May be be pleas'd to find in this Tranflation, the Gratitude, or at least fome Small Acknowledgement of his unworthy Scholar, at the Distance of 24.

3

Years,

Years, from the time when I departed from under his Tuition.

This Satyr confifts of two diftinct Parts: The firft contains the Praifes of the Stoick Philofopher Cornutus, Mafter and Tutor to our Perfius. It alfo declares the Love and Piety of Perfius, to his well-deferving Mafter; and the mutual Friendfhip which continued betwixt them, after Perfius was now grown a Man. As alfo his Exhortation to Young Noblemen, that they wou'd enter themfelves into his Inftitution. From hence he makes an artful Tranfition into the fecond Part of his Subject: wherein he first complains of the Sloth of Scholars, and afterwards perfwades them to the purfuit of their true Liberty: Here our Author excellently treats that Paradox of the Stoicks, which affirms, that the Wife or Virtuous Man is only free; and that all Vicious Men are naturally Slaves. And, in the Illuftration of this Dogma, be takes up the remaining Part of this inimitable Satyr.

Ο

The FIFTH SATYR.

Infcrib'd to the Reverend Dr. BUS BY.

The Speakers Perfius and Cornutus.

PERSIUS.

Fancient Ufe to Poets it belongs,

To wish themfelves an hundred Mouths and Tongues Whether to the well-lung'd Tragedians Rage

They recommend their Labours of the Stage,

Of

1

Or fing the Parthian, when transfix'd he lies,
Wrenching the Roman Jav'lin from his Thighs.

Corn. And why wou'dit thou these mighty Morfels chufe,
Of Words unchew'd, and fit to choak the Mufe?
Let Fuftian Poets with their Stuff be gone,

And fuck the Mifts that hang o'er Helicon;

2

When Progne's or Thyeftes' Feaft they write j
And, for the mouthing Actor, Verse indite.
Thou neither, like a Bellows, fwell'ft thy Face,
As if thou wert to blow the burning Mafs
Of melting Ore; nor canft thou ftrain thy Throat,
Or murmur in an undistinguish'd Note,

Like rowling Thunder till it breaks the Cloud,
And rattling Nonfenfe is discharg'd aloud.
Soft Elocution does thy Style renown,

And the fweet Accents of the peaceful Gown:
Gentle or sharp, according to thy choice,
To laugh at Follies, or to lafh at Vice.

Hence draw thy Theme, and to the Stage permit
Raw-head and Bloody-bones, and Hands and Feet,
Ragoufts for Tereus or Thyeftes dreft;

'Tis Task enough for thee t'expofe a Roman Feaft.
Perf. 'Tis not, indeed, my Talent to engage
In lofty Trifles, or to fwell my Page
With Wind and Noife; but freely to impart,
*As to a Friend, the Secrets of my Heart;
And, in familiar Speech, to let thee know
How much I love thee, and how much I owe.

1 Progne was Wife to Tereus, King of Thracia: Terens fell in Love with Philomela, Sifter to Progne, ravi'd her, and cut out her Tongue: In Revenge of which, Progne kill'd Itys, her own Son by Tereus; and ferv'd him up at a Feaft, to be

eaten by his Father.

2 Thyeftes and Atreus were Brothers, both Kings: Atreus, to Revenge himself of his unnatural Brother, kill'd the Sons of Thyeftes, and invited him to eat them.

Knock

Knock on my Heart: for thou haft skill to find

If it found folid, or be fill'd with Wind;

And, thro' the veil of Words, thou view'ft the naked Mind.

For this a hundred Voices I defire,

To tell thee what an hundred Tongues would tire;
Yet never could be worthily expreft,

How deeply thou art seated in my Breaft.
When firft my 3 childifh Robe refign'd the Charge,
And left me, unconfin'd, to live at large;
When now my golden Bulla (hung on high
To Houshold Gods) declar'd me past a Boy;
And my 4 white Shield proclaim'd my Liberty:
When, with my wild Companions, I cou'd rowl
From Street to Street, and fin without controul;
Juft at that Age, when Manhood fet me free;
I then depos'd my felf, and left the Reins to thee.
On thy wife Bofom I repos'd my Head,
And, by my better 5 Socrates, was bred:
Then thy ftreight Rule fet Virtue in my fight,.
The crooked Line reforming by the right.
My Reason took the bent of thy Command,
Was form'd and polish'd by thy skilful Hand:
Long Summer-days thy Precepts I rehearse;
And Winter-nights were fhort in our converse:

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2 By the Childish Robe, is | Roman Touths wore, were meant the Pratexta, or firft white, and without any ImGowns which the Roman Chil-prefs, or Device on them, to dren of Quality wore thefe fhew they had yer. Atchiev'd were welted with Purple; and nothing in the Wars. on thofe Welts were faften'd the Bulla, or little Bells; which when they came to the Age of Puberty, were hung up, and Confecrated to the Lares, or Houshold Gods.

4 The firft Shield which the

5. Socrates, by the Oracle, was declar'd to be the Wifeft of Mankind: He inftructed many of the Athenian Young Noblemen in Morality, and amongst the rest Alcibiades.

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