Or Hirelings, at a Prize, their Fortunes try;
Certain to fall unpity'd if they Dye;
Since none can have the favourable Thought
That to Obey a Tyrant's Will they Fought,
But that their Lives they willingly expose,
Bought by the Prætors to adorn their Shows.

Yet fay, the Stage and Lifts were both in fight,
And you must either chuse to Act, or Fight;
Death never fure bears fuch a ghastly Shape,
That a rank Coward bafely wou'd escape
By playing a foul Harlot's jealous Tool,
Or a feign'd Andrew to a real Fool.
Yet a Peer Actor is no Monftrous thing,
Since Rome has own'd a 23 Fidler for a King:
After fuch Pranks, the World it felf at beft
May be Imagin'd nothing but a Jeft.

Go 24 to the Lifts where Feats of Arms are shown,
There you'll find Gracchus, (from Patrician,) grown
A Fencer and the Scandal of the Town.

23 Meaning Nero, whom he | cenfures feverely in the Pages following, Fig. 33.

24 This Period is perplext, and I fear will not be underftood in our Language, being

right Hand a Javelin fork'd' like a Trident, call'd Fuscina z and on his left Arm a Net, in which he endeavour'd to catch his Adversary, and fromthence was call'd Retiarius. The mean

only a Defcription of the Roing of the Poet is, to reprehend

man Gladiators, who were of two forts, and had different Names according to the Arms and Habit they appear'd with ; one fought with a Cymiter in his right Hand, a Target on his left Arm, and an Helmet on his Head; he was call'd Mirmillo, or Secutor. The other wore a fhort Coat without Sleeves, call'd Tunica; a Hat on his Head; he carried in his

Gracchus (whom he had before rebuked in the fecond Satyr), for three Vices at once: For his Bafeness, forafmuch as be ing a Nobleman he will condefcend to fight upon the publick Theatre: For his Impudence, in not chufing an Habit which might have kept him difguis'd, and hindred him from being known: And for his Cowardife in running away.

Nor

Nor will he the Mirmillo's Weapons bear,

The Modeft Helmet he Difdains to wear;
As Retiarius he Attacks his Foe:

Firft waves his Trident ready for the Throw,
Next cafts his Net, but neither levell'd right,
He ftares about expos'd to publick fight,
Then places all his Safety in his Flight.
Room for the Noble Gladiator! See
His Coat and Hatband shew his Quality.
Thus when at last the brave Mirmillo knew
'Twas Gracchus was the Wretch he did pursue,
To Conquer fuch a Coward griev❜d him more,
Than if he many Glorious Wounds had bore.

Had we the Freedom to express our Mind,
There's not a Wretch so much to Vice inclin'd,
But will own 16 Seneca did far excell
His Pupil, by whofe Tyranny he fell:

Το

Knowledge of the Confpiracy which Pife was carrying on against his Perfon, Nere laid hold on this Opportunity to rid himself of the unealy Cenfurer of his Vices, yet allow'd him the Liberty of chu

25 For the clearer under- f ftanding of what follows, it may be neceffary to give a short Abridgment of Nero's Cruelties, Follies and End: Which may be found at large in his Life, written by Suetonius and Tacitus, and in the Continua-fing the Manner of his Death. tion which Mr. Saville has added to his Tranflation of the laft of these Authors, by way of Supplement to what is wanting betwixt the Annals and the Hiftory. But I fhall only relate what I find mention'd in this Satyr, and shall begin with his Parricides.

26 Upon Suspicion that Seneca his Tutor had fome

Seneca was apprehenfive of Pain, and therefore defir'd to have his Veins open'd, which he judg'd might be the most eafy and pleafant Method of Dying; but finding it too tedious, he prevail'd with his Friend and Physician, Annaus Statius, to give him a Draught, of Poyfon,which too operating very flowly, by reason his Veins

were

To expiate whofe Complicated Guilt,
With fome Proportion to the Blood he fpilt,

Rome 2 fhou'd more Serpents, Apes, and Sacks provide
Than one, for the Compendious Parricide.

'Tis true 28 Orestes a like Crime did act ;

Yet weigh the Caufe, there's difference in the Fact:

were exhausted, and his Limbs | help of Egyftheus, at his first
chill'd, the Standers-by, to
make quicker Dispatch, smo- |
ther'd him with the Steem of
an hot Bath. Juvenal not un-
juftly places this Murder of Se-
neca among Nero's Parricides,
fince a Tutor ought to be e-
fteem'd as a Civil Parent.
27 This bold Thought and Ex-
preffion of Juvenalis ground-
ed on the Roman Laws, where-
by Parricides were condemn'd
to be fow'd up in a Bag (call'd
Culeus) with a Cock, a Mon-
key, a Serpent and a Dog, and
thrown together into the Sea,
or any Neighbouring River.
Thi Pu fhment of drowning
in a Sack is ftill us'd in feveral
Parts of Germany, but without
the Company of thofe Crea-
tures above mention'd.

28 The Story of Oreffes (be-
twixt whom and Nero, Juvenal
wou'd draw a Parallel) is this;
his Mother Clytemneftrafinding |
her Husband Agamemnon was
return'd alive from the Siege
of Troy, and fearing he might
Revenge her Amours with E-
gyftheus, with whom he had
lived in Adultery during her
Husband's Abfence,fhethought
the fafeft way might be to Af-
faffinate Agamemnon, by the

Reception, and before he could fuspect such an Attempt. The manner how they difpa ch'd him, is reported differently. Some Authors relate, that as he was changing his Linnen, he was ftifled in a Shirt fow'd together at the Neck. But Homer in the 4th and 11th Books of his Odyssey, where he defcribes this Murder, is of Juvenal's Opinion, that he was kill'd at a Banquet, when he little expected fuch Treatment. Egyftheus after this Murder married Clytemnestra, and Ufurp'd the Kingdom of Mycena, 7 Years: During which time Oreftes grew up to Man's Eftate, and by the inftigation of his Sifter Electra, and the Affiftance of fome Neighbouring Princes, march'd from Athens, Deftroy'd and Murther'd the Ufurper; and at laft, under pretence of being Mad, stabb’d his Mother. Homer (as well as our Author) juftifies this Revenge, as being undertaken by the Advice of the Gods: And Paterculus infers, they muft needs have approved the Action, fince Oreftes (after it) lived long, and reigned happily.

G

He

He 29 flew his Mother at the Gods'Command,
They bid him ftrike, and did direct his Hand;
To punish Falsehood, and appease the Ghoft
Of his poor Father treacherously loft,

Juft in the Minute when the flowing Bowl
With a full Tide inlarg'd his Chearful Soul.
Yet kill'd he not his 31 Sifter, or his 30 Wife,
Nor 32 aim'd at any near Relation's Life ;
Oreftes, in the Heat of all his Rage,
Ne'er 33 Play'd or Sung upon a Publick Stage;

29 Nero cou'd not fuffer his Mother Agrippina, because of | her encroaching on his Government; for which Reafon he made frequent Attempts upon her Life, but without Succefs, till at laft Anicetus his Bondman undertook to ftab her; which she perceiving, and gueffing by whofe Orders he came, clapt her Hand upon her Belly, and bid him (with great Presence of Mind) ftrike there, fuppofing it deferv'd that Punishment for bearing fuch a M nfter.

30 He ordered his firft Wife Octavia to be publickly execu ted, upon a falfe Accufation of Adultery, and kill'd his fe cond Wife Poppaa, when the was big with Child, by a kick on the Belly.

31. Britannicus (his Brother by Adoption) was poifon'd by his Orders, out of jealousy left he fhou'd fupplant him. And Antonia (Claudius's Daughter) |

Never

was executed under pretence of a Conspiracy, but in truch because the refused to marry Nero after the Death of Poppaa.

32 He caus'd Rufinus Crifpinus, Son to Poppaa, to be drown'd as he was Fishing; and Aulus Plancus, a Relation of his Mother's, to be kill'd, because the was fond of him.

I need mention no more of thefe unnatural Murders, but go on to his other Extravagancies.

33 He was Industrious to be efteem'd the best Musician of his Age; and at his Death regretted nothing more fenfibly, than that the World fhou'd lofe fo great a Mafter. To maintain this Reputation, he frequently condescended to Act and Sing upon the Theater among the ordinary Comedians, and took a Journey to Greece on purpose to try his

Never 34 on Verfe did his wild Thoughts employ,
To paint the horrid Scene of burning Troy,
Like Nero, who to raise his Fancy higher,
And finish the great Work, fet Rome on Fire.
Such 35 Crimes make Treafon juft, and might compel
Virginius, Vindex, Galba, to Rebel:

of that Country) soon persuaded the Armies under his Command to fall from their Al

Skill against the most Famous Artifts of that Country; from whom he bore away the Garland (which was the ufual Re-legiance; and folicired Sercompence of the best Performer) return'd to Rome in Triumph, ås if he had conquer'd a Province; and order'd both the Garland and Inftrument to be hung up among the Banners and Honours of his Family.

34 He had likewise a great Vanity towards being thought a good Poet, and made Verfes on the Destruction of Troy, call'd Troica; and 'tis reported he burnt Rome, to be more lively and natural in his Defcription: Tho' 'tis more probable he deftroy'd the OldFashion'd Buildings, out of diflike to the narrowness and crookedness of the Streets, and to have the Honour of rebuilding the City better, and calling it by his own Name..

gus Galba, who was Lieutenant-General in Spain, to do the like, by offering him the Empire inFavour of Mankind; which he at laft accepted, upon intimation that Nere had iffu'd out fecret Orders to difpatch him; and match'd with all the Forces he cou'd gather, towards Rome. Nero not being in a Condition to oppofe fuch Troops, fell into Despair, which turn'd to an Uncertainty what Measures to take,whether to Poyfon himself, or beg Parden of the People, or endeavour to make his Escape. The laft of these Methods feem'd moft Adviseable; he therefore put himself into Disguise, and crept withfour Attendants only into a poor Cottage; where perceiving he was purfued, as a Sacrifice to the Publick Vengeance, and apprehending the Rabble wou'd Treat him Bat

35 Thele monstrous Frolicks and Cruelties cou'd not but make his People weary of his Government. Virginius Rufus, who was his Lieutenant-Gene-baroully, if he fell into their. ral in Gaul, by the Affiftance of Junius Vindex (a Nobleman

Hands; with much ado he refolv'd to Stab himself.