And fo all Satyr's loft. The lavish Slave
Six thousand Pieces for a Barbel gave:
A Sefterce for each Pound it weigh'd, as they
Give out, that hear great things, but greater fay.
If by this Bribe well plac'd, he would enfnare
Some faplefs Ufurer that wants an Heir;
Or if this Present the fly Courtier meant,
Should to fome Punk of Quality be fent,
That in her eafy Chair in State does ride,
The Glaffes all drawn up on ev'ry fide,
I'd praise his Cunning; but expect not this,
For his own Gut he bought the ftately Fish.
Now ev'n 3 Apicius Frugal feems, and Poor,
Outvy'd in Luxury unknown before.
Gave you, Crifpinus, you this mighty Sum?
You, that, for want of other Rags, did come
In our own Country Paper wrapp'd, to Rome?
Do Scales and Fins bear Price to this Excefs?
You might have bought the Fisherman for lefs.
For lefs fome Provinces whole Acres fell,
Nay, in Apulia, if you bargain well,
A Manor wou'dcoit lefs than fuch a Meal.
What think we then of his 5 luxurious Lord ?
What Banquets loaded that Imperial Board?
2 Six thousand Pieces. Six | Italy, near the Adriatick Gulf, thousand of the Roman Seftertii, which make fix Seftertia, according to our Account, 461. 17 s. 6 d.
3 Now even Apicius. A Man for Gluttony and Prodigality famous even to a Proverb, who having spent most of his vaft Eftate upon his Gut, for fear of Want poyfon'd himfelf. Senec.
4 Nay in Apulia. Part of
where Land it feems was very cheap, either for the barrennefs and cragged height of the Mountains, or for the unwholfomeness of the Air, and the Wind Atabulus. Horat. Lib. 1. Sat. 5. Montes Apulia notos --quos torret Atabulus & quos nunquam erepfemus, &c.
s His luxurious Lord, The Emperor Domitian.
When in one Dish, that taken from the reft
His conftant Table wou'd have hardly mist,
So many Sefterces were fwallow'd down,
To ftuff one Scarlet-coated Court Buffoon,
Whom Rome of all her Knights now Chiefeft greets,
From crying ftinking Fish about the Streets.
Begin, Calliope, but not to fing:
Plain, honeft Truth we for our Subject bring.
Help then, ye young Pierian Maids, to tell
A downright Narrative of what befel.
Afford me willingly your facred Aids,
Me that have call'd you young, me that have ftyl'd you
When he, with whom the Flavian Race decay'd,
The groaning World with Iron Scepter sway'd,
When 7a bald Nero reign'd, and fervile Rome obey'd,
Where Venus' Shrine does fair Ancona grace,
A Turbut taken of prodigious Space,
Fill'd the extended Net, not less than those
That dull Maotis does with Ice enclose,
Till conquer'd by the Sun's prevailing Ray,
It opens to the Pontick Sea their way;
And throws them out unweildy with their Growth,
Fat with long ease, and a whole Winter's sloth:
The wife Commander of the Boat and Lines
For our High-Prieft the stately Prey designs;
with Patience the mention of baldness, tho' in Jeft only, and objected to another, as Sueto nius in his Life tells us. And who, for his Cruelty, is here call'd a fecond Nero.
6 The Flavian Race decay'd. I who could not fo much as bear Domitian was the laft and worst of the Flavian Family, which tho' at firft obfcure, yet had produc'd great and good Men. Reipublica nequaquam pœnitenda, fays Sueton. 9. For of this Family were Vefpafian and Titus.
8 Our High-Priest. The Emperor Domitian call'd so, either
And fo all Satyr's loft. The lavish Slave
Six thousand Pieces for a Barbel gave:
A Sefterce for each Pound it weigh'd, as they
Give out, that hear great things, but greater fay.
If by this Bribe well plac'd, he would enfnare
Some fapless Ufurer that wants an Heir;
Or if this Present the fly Courtier meant,
Should to fome Punk of Quality be fent,
That in her eafy Chair in State does ride,
The Glaffes all drawn up on ev'ry fide,
I'd praise his Cunning; but expect not this,
For his own Gut he bought the stately Fish.
Now ev'n 3 Apicius Frugal feems, and Poor,
Outvy'd in Luxury unknown before.
Gave you, Crifpinus, you this mighty Sum?
You, that, for want of other Rags, did come
In our own Country Paper wrapp'd, to Rome?
Do Scales and Fins bear Price to this Excefs?
You might have bought the Fisherman for lefs.
For lefs fome Provinces whole Acres fell,
Nay, in Apulia, if you bargain well,
A Manor wou'dcost less than fuch a Meal.
What think we then of his 5 luxurious Lord ?
What Banquets loaded that Imperial Board?
2 Six thousand Pieces. Six | Italy, near the Adriatick Gulf, thousand of the Roman Seftertii, which make fix Seftertia, according to our Account, 461. 17 s. 6 d.
3 Now even Apicius. A Man for Gluttony and Prodigality famous even to a Proverb, who having spent most of his vaft Eftate upon his Gut, for fear of Want poyfon'd himfelf. Senec.
4 Nay in Apulia. Part of
where Land it feems was very
cheap, either for the barren-
nefs and cragged height of the
Mountains, or for the unwhol
fomeness of the Air, and the
Wind Atabulus. Horat. Lib. 1.
Sat. 5. Montes Apulia notos ---
quos torret Atabulus & quos
nunquam erepfemus, &c.
s His luxurious Lord. The
Emperor Domitian.
When in one Dish, that taken from the reft
His conftant Table wou'd have hardly mist,
So many Sefterces were fwallow'd down,
To stuff one Scarlet-coated Court Buffoon,
Whom Rome of all her Knights now Chiefeft greets,
From crying stinking Fish about the Streets.
Begin, Calliope, but not to sing:
Plain, honeft Truth we for our Subject bring.
Help then, ye young Pierian Maids, to tell
A downright Narrative of what befel.
Afford me willingly your facred Aids,
Me that have call'd you young, me that have ftyl'd you
When he, with whom the Flavian Race decay'd,
The groaning World with Iron Scepter sway'd,
When 7a bald Nero reign'd, and fervile Rome obey'd,
Where Venus' Shrine does fair Ancona grace,
A Turbut taken of prodigious Space,
Fill'd the extended Net, not lefs than those
That dull Maotis does with Ice enclose,
Till conquer'd by the Sun's prevailing Ray,
It opens to the Pontick Sea their way;
And throws them out unweildy with their Growth,
Fat with long eafe, and a whole Winter's floth:
The wife Commander of the Boat and Lines
For our High-Prieft the ftately Prey designs;
6 The Flavian Race decay'd. I who could not fo much as bear Domitian was the laft and worft with Patience the mention of of the Flavian Family, which baldness, tho' in Jeft only, and tho' at firft obfcure, yet had objected to another, as Suetoproduc'd great and good Men.nius in his Life tells us. And Reipublica nequaquam pænitenda, who, for his Cruelty, is here fays Sueton. 9. For of this Fa- call'd a fecond Nero. mily were Vefpafian and Titus. ↑ A bald Nero. Domitian,
8 Our High-Priest. The Emperor Demirian call'd so, either
For who that Lo:dly Fish durft fell or buy,
So many Spies and Court-Informers nigh?
No Shoar but of this Vermin Swarms does bear,
Searchers of Mud and Sea-weed! that would fwear
The Fifh had long in Cafar's Ponds been fed,
And from its Lord undutifully fled;
So, justly ought to be again reftor'd.
Nay, if you credit Sage 9 Palphurius' Word,
Or dare rely on Armillatus' Skıll,
Whatever Fish the vulgar Fry excel
Belong to Cafar, wherefoe'er they fwim,
By their own Worth confifcated to him.
The Boat-man then shall a wife Prefent make,
And give the Fish, before the Seizers take.
Now fickly Autuma to dry Frofts gave way,
Cold Winter rag'd, and fresh preferv'd the Prey;
Yet with fuch hafte the bufy Fishes flew,
As if a hot South-Wind Corruption blew:
And now he reach'd the Lake, 10 where what remains
Of Alba, still her antient Rites retains,
from his Inftituting the Col-&c. Alba Longa built by Allege of the Alban Priefts, of canius,about fifteen Miles from whom he was as it were Chief; Rome, was deftroy'd after by or for taking upon him the Tullus Hoftilius, the Temples Office of Pontifex Maximus, in only excepted, (Liv. l. 1.) The the Condemnation of the Ve- Albans upon this their Misfor ftal Virgin Cornetia; or, more tune neglecting their Worship, generally, because often the were by fundry Prodigies comEmperors affum'd both the manded to reftore their anTitle and Office of High-Prieft. cient Rites, the chief of which 9 Palphurius and Armillatus. was the keeping perpetually Both Men of Confular Degree: burning the Veftal Fire, which Lawyers, and Spies, and In- was brought thither by Eneas formers, and fo Favourites of and his Trojans as a fatal Pledge Domitian. of the perpetuity of the Re10 What remains of Alba, man Empire,
|