Still worships Vefta, 11 tho' an humbler way,
Nor lets the hallow'd Trojan Fire decay.

The wondring Croud that to strange Sights refort,
And choak'd a while his Paffage to the Court,
At length gives way; ope flies the Palace-Gate,
The Turbut enters in, wirhout the 12 Fathers wait.
The Boat-man ftrait does to Aftrides prefs,
And thus prefents his Fish, and his Addrefs :
Accept, Dread Sir, this Tribute from the Main,
Too great for private Kitchins to contain,
To your glad Genius facrifice this Day,
Let common Meats refpectfully give way.
Hafte to unload your Stomachs to receive
This Turbut, that for you did only live.
So long preferv'd to be Imperial Food,
Glad of the Net, and to be taken proud.

How fulfom this! how grofs! yet this takes well,
And the vain Prince with empty Pride does swell.
Nothing so monftrous can be faid or feign'd,
But with Belief and Joy is entertain'd,

When to his Face the worthless Wretch is prais'd,
Whom vile Court-Flatt'ry to a God has rais'd.
But oh hard Fate! the Palace Stores no Dish
Afford, capacious of the mighty Fish.
To fage Debate are fummon'd all the Peers,
His trufty and much-hated Counsellors.
In whofe pale Looks that ghaftly Terror fat,
That haunts the dangerous Friendship of the Great.
13 The loud Liburnian that the Senate call'd,
Run, run; he's fet, he's fet, no fooner baul'd,

II Tho' an humbler way. There was a more stately Temple erected to Vefta at Rome by Numa, than this at Alba, where the fame Ceremonies were us'd.

12 The Fathers. The Senate always fo call'd. Patres Con fcripti,

13 The loud Liburnian. Some fay that of the People of this Country, which is part of Il

lyricum,

But with his Robe fnatch'd up in hafte, does come
Pegafus, 14 Bailiff of affrighted Rome.

What more were Præfects then? The Beft he was,
And faithfullest Expounder of the Laws.
Yet in ill times thought all things manag'd beft,
When Justice exercis'd her Sword the leaft.

Old Crifpus next, Pleafant, tho' Old, appears;
His Wit nor Humour yielding to his Years:
His Temper mild, good Nature join'd with Senfe,
And Manners charming as his Eloquence.

Who fitter for a useful Friend than he,

To the

great Ruler of the Earth and Sea,

If as his Thoughts were juft, his Tongue were free?
If it were fafe to vent his Gen'rous Mind

To Rome's dire Plague, and Terror of Mankind,

If cruel Pow'r could softning Counsel bear;
But what's fo tender as a Tyrant's Ear?
With whom whoever, tho' a Fav'rite, spake,
At ev'ry Sentence fet his Life at stake,

Tho' the Discourse were of no weightier things,
Than fultry Summers, or unhealthful Springs.

lyricum, the Romans made their | than a Bailiff.

}

Cryers, because of their loud Is Old Crifpus, (Vibius CrifVoices. Others take Liburnus pus.) This was he that made for the proper Name of one the known Jeft upon Domitian's Man- Liburnus that the Se-killing Flies. When one Day nate call'd. Domitian being alone in his 14 Pegafus, Bailiff. A Citi-Clofet, and being ask'd, Whezen of Alba, a very learned ther there was any one left Lawyer, and Præfect or Chief within with the Emperor? He Magiftrate of Rome. He calls anfwer'd, No, not so much as him here Bailiff: As if Rome a Fly. The Names and Chaby Domitian's Cruelty, had fo racters of most of these Senafar loft its Liberty and Privi-tors here mention'd may be leges, that it now was no better found in Suetonius's Life of than a Country Village, and fit Domitian, and in Tacitus. to be govern'd by no better.

This well he knew, and therefore never try'd
With his weak Arms to stem the stronger Tyde.
Nor did all Rome, grown Spiritless, supply
A Man that for bold Truth durst bravely die.
So fafe by wife complying Silence, he .
Ev'n in that Court did fourscore Summers see.
Next him Acilius, tho' his Age the same,
With eager hafte to the Grand Council came :
With him a Youth, unworthy of the Fate
That did too near his growing Virtues wait,
Urg'd by the Tyrant's Envy, Fear, or Hate.
(But 'tis long fince Old Age began to be
In Noble Blood no less than Prodigy,
Whence 'tis I'd rather be of 16 Giants Birth,
A Pigmy-Brother to those Sons of Earth.)
Unhappy Youth! whom from his destin'd End,
No well-diffembled Madness could defend;
When naked in the Alban Theater,

In Libyan Bears be fixt his hunting Spear.
Who fees not now thro' the Lord's thin Disguise,
That long feem'd Fools do prove at last more wife?
That State-Court Trick is now too open laid:
Who now admires the 17 Part old Brutus play'd?
Those honeft Times might swallow this Pretence,
When 18 the King's Beard was deeper than his Sense.

16 Of Giants Birth. Of an obfcure and unknown Family. 17 The part old Brutus play'd. 'Tis a known Story, how Brutus finding that his own Brother, and fome of the moft confiderable Men of Rome had been put to Death by Tarquinius Superbus, counterfeited himfelf a Madman or Fool, and fo avoided the Tyrant's

}

Cruelty, till he had gain'd a fit time to deftroy him, revenge his Brother's and Countrymens Deaths, and free Rome.

18 When the King's Beard. In thofe ancient and more fimple times, when it was the Cuftom never to fhave their Beards: For 400 Years there was no fuch thing as a Barber heard of in Rome.

Next Rubrius came, I tho' not of Noble Race, -
With equal Marks of Terror in his Face.

Pale with the gnawing Guilt and inward Shame
Of an old Crime that is not fit to name.

Worfe, yet in Scandal taking more delight,
Than 20 the vile Pathick that durft Satyr write.
Montanus' Belly next, advancing flow,
Before the sweating Senator did go.

Crifpinus after, but much sweeter, comes,
Scented with coftly Oils and Eaftern Gums,
More than would ferve two Fun'rals for Perfumes.
Then Pompey, none more skill'd in the Court-Game
Of cutting Throats with a foft Whisper, came.
Next Fufcus, he who many a peaceful Day
For 21 Dacian Vultures was referv'd a Prey,
Till having study'd War enough at home,
He led abroad th' unhappy Arms of Rome.
Cunning Vejento next, and by his fide
Bloody Catullus leaning on his Guide,
Decrepit, yet a furious Lover he,

And deeply fmit with Charms he could not fee.
A Monster, that even this worst Age out-vies,
Confpicuous and above the common fize.

19 Tho' not of Noble Race, with equal Marks of Terror. For Domitian's Cruelty reach'd even to the Common People, and thofe of lower Birth, which (in the end of this Satyr) the Poet tells us, caus'd his Deftruction.

20 The vile Pathick. Nero who wrote a Satyr upon Quin tianus, whom he charges with his own profligate Lewdness

and Debauchery. Tac. Ann. 15,

21 For Dacian Vultures. Cor nelius Fuscus, a Nobleman of no manner of Experience, or more knowledge in War-Affairs, than what he had ftudied in his own Country Retirement, was yet by Domitian twice fent with an Army against the Dacians, in the last of which his Army was defeated, and himself flain.

A

A blind bafe Flatt'rer, 22 from fome Bridge or Gate,,
Rais'd to a murd'ring Minifter of State.
Deferving ftill to beg upon the Road,

And bless each paffing Waggon and its Load.
None more admir'd the Filh; he in its Praise

With Zeal his voice, with Zeal his Hands did raise.

But to the left all his fine things did fay,

Whilft on his right the unfeen Turbut lay, it”

So he the fam'd Cilician Fencer prais'd,

And at each hit with Wonder feem'd amaz'd.
So did the Scenes and Stage Machines admire,
And Boys that flew thro' Canvas Clouds in Wyre.
Nor came Vejento fhort; but as infpir'd

By thee, Bellona, by thy Fury fir'd,
Turns Prophet: See, the mighty Omen, fee,
He cries, of fome illuftrious Victory!
Some Captive King, thee his new Lord fhall
own
Or from his British Chariot headlong thrown,
The 23 proud Arviragus come tumbling down!
The Monster's foreign. 24 Mark the pointed Spears
That from thy Hand on his pierc'd Back he wears!
Who Nobler could, or plainer things prefage?
Yet one thing 'fcap'd him, the Prophetick Rage
Shew'd not the Turbut's Country, nor its Age.
At length by Cefar the grand Queftion's put:
My Lords, your Judgment; Shall the Fish be cut?
Far be it, far from us! Montanus cries;
Let's not difhonour thus the Noble Prize!

22 From Bridge or Gate. The common Stands for Beggars. 23 The proud Arviragus. One of the ancient British Kings. 24 Mark the pointed Spears. He makes the Flatterer call

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