always fufpicious, when the Privileges of Subjects were concern'd.

It had been much fairer, if the modern Criticks, who have embark'd in the Quarrels of their Favorite Authors, had rather given to each his proper Due; without taking from another's Heap, to raise their own. There is Praise enough for each of them in particular, without encroaching on his Fellows, and detracting from them, or enriching themfelves with the Spoils of others. But to come to Particulars: Heinfius and Dacier are the most principal of thofe, who raife Horace above Fu venal and Perfius. Scaliger the Father, Rigaltius, and many others, debafe Horace, that they may fet up Juvenal: And Cafaubon, who is almoft fingle, throws Dirt on Juvenal and Horace, that he may exalt Perfius, whom he understood particularly well, and better than any of the former Commenta tors; even Stelluti, who fucceeded him. I will begin with him, who, in my Opinion, defends the weakest Caufe, which is that of Perfius; and labouring, as Tacitus profeffes of his own Wri tings, to diveft my felf of Partiality, or Prejudice, confider Perfius, not as a Poet whom I have wholly tranflated, and who has coft me more Labour and Time than Javenal; but according to what I judge to be his own Merit; which I think not equal in the main, to that of Juvenal or Horace; and yet in fome things to be preferred to both of them.

Firft, then, for the Verfe, neither Cafaubon himfelf, nor any for him, can defend either his Numbers, or the Purity of his Latin, Cafaubon gives. this Point for loft; and pretends not to justify ether the Measures, or the Words of Perfins He ́is evidently beneath Horace and Juvenal, in both.

Then,

Then, as his Verfe is fcabrous, and hobling, and his Words not every where well chofen, the Purity of Latin being more corrupted, than the time of Juvenal, and confequently of Horace, who writ when the Language was in the height of its Perfection; fo his Diction is hard; his Figures are generally too bold and daring; and his Tropes, particularly his Metaphors, infufferably ftrain'd..

In the third Place, notwithstanding all the Diligence of Cafaubon, Stelluti, and a Scotch Gentleman (whom I have heard extreamly commended for his Illuftrations of him;) yet he is ftill obfcure: Whether he affected not to be understood, but with Difficulty; or whether the fear of his Safety under Nero, compell'd him to this Darknefs in fome places; or that it was occafioned by his clofe way of thinking, and the Brevity of his Style, and crowding of his Figures; or laftly, whether after fo long a time, many of his Words have been corrupted, and many Cuftoms, and Stories relating to them, loft to us; whether fome of thefe Reafons, or all, concur'd to render him fo clou dy; we may be bold to Affirm, that the best of Commentators can but guefs at his Meaning, in many Paffages: And none can be certain that he has divin'd rightly. Ay

After all, he was a young Man, like his Friend and Contemporary Lucan; Both of them Men of extraordinary Parts, and great acquir'd Knowledge, confidering their Youth. But neither of them had arriv'd to that Maturity of Judgment, which is neceflary to the accomplishing of a form'd Poet. And this Confideration, as on the one hand it lays fome Imperfections to their Charge, fo, on the other fide, 'tis a candid Excufe for thofe Failings,

which are incident to Youth and Inexperience; and we have more reafon to wonder, how they, who died before the Thirtieth year of their Age, cou'd write fo well, and think fo ftrongly than to accuse them of thofe Faults, from which Human Nature, and more especially in Youth, can never poffibly be exempted.

To confider Perfius yet more clofely: He rather infulted over Vice and Folly, than expos'd them, like Juvenal and Horace. And as chafte and modeft as he is efteem'd, it cannot be deny'd, but that in fome Places he is broad and fulfom, as the latter Verfes of the Fourth Satyr, and of the Sixth, fufficiently witnefs. And 'tis to be believ'd, that he who commits the fame Crime often, and without Neceffity, cannot but do it with fome kind of Pleasure.

To come to a conclufion, he is manifeftly below Horace; because he borrows most of his greatest Beauties from him: And Cafaubon is fo far from denying this, that he has written a Treatife purpofely concerning it; wherein he fhews a multitude of his Tranflations from Horace, and his Imitations of him, for the Crédit of his Author, which he calls Imitatio Horatiana. 4

To thefe Defects, which I cafually obferv'd, while I was Tranflating this Author, Scaliger has added others: He calls him, in plain Terms, a filly Writer, and a Trifler; full of Oftentation of Learning; and after all, unworthy to come into Competition with Juvenal and Horace.

"

After fuch terrible Accufations, 'tis time to hear what his Patron Cafaubon can alledge in his Defence. Instead of anfwering, he excufes for the most part; and when he cannot, accuses others of the fame Crimes. He deals with Scaliger, as a

modett

modeft Scholar with a Mauer. He Compliments him with fo much Reverence, that one wou'd fwear he fear'd him as much at least as he refpected him. Scaliger will not allow Perfius to have any Wit: Cafaubon interprets this in the mildeft Senfe; and confeffes his Author was not good at turning things into a pleasant Ridicule; or in other words, that he was not a laughable Writer. That he was ineptus, indeed, but that was non aptiffimus ad jocandum. But that he was oftentatious of his Learning, that, by Scaliger's good Favour, he denies. Perfius Thew'd his Learning, but was no Boafter of it; he did oftendere, but not oftentare; and fo, he fays, did Scaliger: Where, methinks, Cafaubon turns it handfomely upon that fupercilious Critick, and filently infinuates, that he himself was fufficiently Vain-glorious; and a Boafter of his own Knowledge. All the Writings of this Venerable Cenfor, continues Cafaubon, which are χρυσό χρυσότερη more golden than Gold it felf, are every where Imelling of that Thyme, which, like a Bee, he has gather'd from ancient Authors: But far be Oftentation and Vain-glory from a Gentleman, fo well Born, and fo nobly Educated as Scaliger. But, fays Scaliger, he is fo obfcure, that he has got himself the Name of Scotinus, a dark Writer: Now, fays Cafaubon, 'tis a wonder to me that any thing cou'd be obfcure to the Divine Wit of Sca liger; from which nothing cou'd be hidden. This is indeed a strong Compliment, but no Defence. And Cafaubon, who cou'd not but be fenfible of his Author's blind fide, thinks it time to abandon a Poft that was untenable. He acknowledges that Perfius is obfcure in fome Places: but fo is Plato, fo is Thucydides; fo are Pindar, Theocritus and Ariftophanes, amongst the Greek, Poets; and even

Horace

Horace and Juvenal, he might have added, amongst the Romans. The Truth is, Perfius is not fometimes, but generally obfcure; and therefore Cafaubon, at laft, is forc'd to excufe him, by alledging that it was fe defendendo, for fear of Nero; and that he was commanded to write fo cloudily by Cornatus, in vertue of holy Obedience to his Mafter. I cannot help my own Opinion; I think Cornutus needed not to have read many Lectures to him on 1 that Subject. Perfius was an apt Scholar; and when he was bidden to be obfcure in fome Places, where his Life and Safety were in queftion, took the fame Counfel for all his Book; and never afterwards wrote ten Lines together clearly. Cafaubon, being upon this Chapter, has not fail'd, we may be fure, of making a Compliment to his own dear Comment. If Perfius, fays he, be in himself obfcure, yet my Interpretation has made him intelligible. There is no queftion but he deferves that Praife, which he has given to himself: But the nature of the thing, as Lucretius fays, will not admit of a perfect Explanation. Befides many Examples which I cou'd urge, the very laft Verfe of his laft Satyr, upon which he particularly values himfelf in his Preface, is not yet fufficiently explicated. 'Tis true, Holiday has endeavour'd to juftifie his Conftruction; but Stelluti is against it: And, for my part, I can have but a very dark Notion of it. As for the Chastity of his Thoughts, Cafaubon denies not but that one particular Paffage, in the Fourth Satyr, At, fi undius ceffes, &c. is not only the most obfcure, but the moft obfcene of all his Works: I underffood it; but for that Reason turn'd it over. In defence of his boisterous Metaphors, he quotes Longinus, who accounts them as Inftruments of the Sublime; fit to move and