Well, is call'd Liberality: And 'tis of this Virtue that Perfius writes in this Satyr; wherein he not only fhews the lawful Ufe of Riches, but also sharply inveighs against the Vices which are oppos'd to it; and efpecially of thofe, which confist in the Defects of Giving or Spending; or in the Abuse of Riches. He writes to Cælius Baffus bis Friend, and a Poet also. Enquires first of his Health and Studies; and afterwards informs him of his own, and where he is now refident. He gives an account of himself, that he is endeavouring by little and little to wear off his Vices; and particularly, that he is combating Ambition, and the Defire of Wealth. He dwells upon the latter Vice: And being fenfible that few Men either defire or ufe Riches as they ought, he endeavours to convince them of their Folly; which is the main Defign of the whole Satyr.

The SIXTH SATYR.

To Cæfius Baffus, a Lyrick Poet.

HAS Winter caus'd thee, Friend, to change thy Scat,

And feek in Sabine Air a warm Retreat?

Say, do'ft thou yet the Roman Harp Command?
Do the Strings Answer to thy Noble Hand?
Great Master of the Muse, infpir'd to Sing
The Beauties of the firft-created Spring;
The Pedigree of Nature to rehearse,
And found the Maker's Work, in equal Verse.

1 And feek, in Sabine Air, &c. All the Studious, and particularly the Poets, about the end of Auguft, began to fer themselves on Work: Refraining from Wriring, during the Heats of the Summer. They wrote by Night, and fat up the greatest part of it: For which Reafon the Produc

of their Studies, was call'd their Elucubrations, or Nightly Labours. They who had CountrySeats, retir'd to them while they Studied: As Perfius did to his, which was near the Port of the Moon in Etruria; and Bassustohis which was in the Country of the Sabines, nearer Rome."

Now

2

Now fporting on thy Lyre the Loves of Youth,
Now Virtuous Age, and Venerable Truth;
Expreffing justly Sapho's wanton Art

Of Odes, and Pindar's more Majestick Part.

For me, my warmer Conftitution wants
More Cold, than our Ligurian Winter grants;
And therefore to my Native Shoars retir'd,
I view the Coaft old Ennius once admir'd;
Where Clifts on either fide their Points difplay
And, after, opening in an ampler way,
Afford the pleafing Profpect of the Bay.
"Tis worth your while, O Romans, to regard
The Port of Luna, fays our Learned Bard;
Who in 3 a drunken Dream beheld his Soul
The Fifth within the Tranfmigrating Roll;
Which firft a Peacock, then Euphorbus, was,
Then Homer next, and next Pythagoras;.
And laft of all the Line did into Ennius pafs.
Secure and free from Bufinefs of the State
And more fecure of what the Vulgar prate,
Here I enjoy my private Thoughts; nor care
What Rots for Sheep the Southern Winds prepare:
Survey the Neighb'ring Fields, and not repine,
When I behold a larger Crop than mine:

2 Now fporting on thy Lyre. &c. | This proves Cafius Baffus to have Been a Lyrick Poet, 'Tis faid of him, that by an Eruption of the Flaming Mountain Vefuvius, near which the greateft Part of his Fortune lay, he was burnt himself, together with all his Writings.

3. Who in a drunken Dream, &c. I call it a Drunken Dream of Ennius; not that my Author in this place gives me any encouragement for the Epithet; but because Horace, and all wha mension Ennius, fay he was an excel

M

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fiveDrinker of Wine. In aDream, or Vision, call you it which you pleafe, he thought it was reveal'd to him, that the Soul of Pytha goraswas.tranfmigrated into him: As Pythagoras, before him believed, that himself had been E phorbus in the Wars of Troy. Com mentators differ in placing the Order of this Soul, and who had it fift I have here given it to the Peacock, because it looks more according to the Order of Nature, that it houd lodge in a Creature of an inferior Species; and fo by Gradation

To fee a Beggar's Brat in Riches flow,
Adds not a Wrinkle to my even Brow;

Nor, envious at the fight, will I forbear

My plenteous Bowl, nor bate my bounteous Cheer.
Nor yet unfeal the Dregs of Wine that stink
Of Cask; nor in a nafty Flaggon drink;
Let others stuff their Guts with homely Fare;
For Men of diffrent Inclinations are;

Tho' born perhaps beneath one common Star.
In Minds and Manners Twins oppos'd we fee
In the fame Sign, almoft the fame Degree:
One, frugal, on his Birth-Day fears to Dine;
Does at a Penny's coft in Herbs repine,

And hardly dares to dip his Fingers in the Brine.
Prepar'd as Priest of his own Rites to ftand,
He sprinkles Pepper with a fparing hand.
His Jolly Brother, oppofite in Senfe,

Laughs at his Thrift; and lavish of Expence,
Quaffs, Crams, and Guttles, in his own defence.
For me, I'll ufe my own; and take my fhare;
Yet will not Turbots for my Slaves prepare:
Nor be fo nice in Tafte my felf, to know
If what I fwallow be a Thrush, or no.
Live on thy Annual Income; Spend thy Store;
And freely grind, from thy full threshing-Floor;
Next Harvest promises as much, or more.
Thus I wou'd live: But Friendship's holy Band,
And Offices of Kindness hold my hand:

My 4 Friend is Shipwreck'd on the Brutian Strand,
His Riches in th' Ionian Main are loft;

And he himself stands fhiv'ring on the Coast;

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Where,

rife to the informing of a Man., and not, that any fuch AcciAnd Perfius favours me, by fay-dent had happen'd to one of the ing, that Fnnius was the Fifth from the Pythagorean Peacock.

4 My Friend is Shipwreck'd, &c. Perhaps this is only a fine Tranfition of the Poet, to introduce the Business of the Satyr;

Friends of Perfius. But, however, this is the moft Poetical Defcription of any in our Author: And fince he and Lucan were fo great Friends, I know not but Lucan might help him,