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This well he knew, and therefore never try'd
With his weak Arms to ftem the stronger Tyde.
Nor did all Rome, grown Spiritlefs, fupply.
A Man that for bold Truth durft bravely die.
So fafe by wife complying Silence he
Ev'n in that Court did fourfcore Summers fee.
Next him Acilius, tho' his Age the fame,
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 deftin'd End
No well-diffembled Madness could defend ;
When naked in the Alban Theater,

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In Libyan Bears he 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?
Thofe honeft Times might fwallow this Pretence,
When 18 the King's Beard was deeper than his Senfe.

16 Of Giants Birth. Offan ebfcure and unknown Family 17 The part old Brutus play'd 'Tis a known Story, how Bri tus finding that his own Bro ther, and fome of the most confiderable Men of Rome had been put to Death by Tarquis nina Superbus, counterfeited himself a Madman or Fool, and fo avoided the Tyrant's

| Cruelty, till he had Igain'dea fit time to destroy him,revenge his Brother's and Countrymens Deaths, and free Rome.

18 When the Kings Beard. In those ancient and more fim ple times, when it was the Cuftom never to have their Beards: For 400 Years there was no fuch thing as a Barber heard of in Rome,

Next Rubrius came, 19 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 fweating 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 soft Whisper, came.
Next Fufcus, he who many a peaceful Day
For 21 Dacian Vultures was reserv'd a Prey,
Till having study'd War enough at home,
He led abroad th' unhappy Arms of Rome.
Cunning Veiento 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 worft Age out-vies,.
Confpicuous and above the common Size.

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

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

and Debauchery.Tac. Ann, 15.

21 For Dacian Vultures. Cornelius Fufcus, a Nobleman of no manner of Experience, or more knowledge of War-Affairs, than what he had ftudied in his own Country Retirement, was yet by Domitian twice sent with anArmy against the Dacians, in the laft of which his Army was defeated, and himself flain,

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

And blefs each paffing Waggon and its Load.
None more admir'd the Fish; 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 unseen Turbut lay.
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 Veiento short; but as inspir'd
By thee, Bellona, by thy Fury fir'd,

Turns Prophet: See, the mighty Omen, see,
He cries, of feme illuftrious Victory!

Some Captive King thee his new Lord shall 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 his Age.

At length by Cæfar the grand Question'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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the fharp Fins rifing on the Fish's back, Spears; and to fignify and portend that Domitian hall ftick the like in fome Foreign Enemy.

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A Pot of finest Earth, thin, deep, and wide,

Some 25 skilful quick Prometheus must provide.
Clay and the forming Wheel prepare with speed.
But, Cafar, be it from henceforth decreed,
That Potters on the Royal Progrefs wait,
T'affift in these Emergencies of State.

This Counsel pleas'd; nor cou'd it fail to take,
So fit, fo worthy of the Man that spake,
The old Court Riots he remember'd well,
Could Tales of Nero's Midnight Suppers tell,
When Falern Wines the lab'ring Lungs did fire,
And to new Dainties kindled falfe Defire.
In Arts of Eating none more early Train'd,
None in my time had equal Skill attain'd.
He whether 26 Circe's Rock his Oysters bore,
Or 27 Lucrine Lake, or 28 the Rutupian Shore,
Knew at first taste; nay, at first fight could tell
A Crab or Lobfter's Country by its Shell.

They rife, and ftraight all with respectful Awe,
At the Word giv'n, obfequiously withdraw,
Whom full of eager hafte, furprize, and fear,
Our mighty Prince had fummon'd to appear;
As if fome News he'd of the Catti tell,
Or that the fierce Sicambrians did rebel :
As if Expreffes from all Parts had come
With fresh Alarms threatning the Fate of Rome.

as Some skilful quick Prometheus. Some skilful Potter. AlJuding to the old Fable of Prometheus, whofe skill in this Art was fuch that he made a

Man of Clay.

26 Circe's Rock, The Circean Promontory,nam'd from Circe that liv'd there, on the Shore caf Campania.

27 The Lucrine Lake, Between Baia and Puteoli.

28 The Rutupian Shore. Ru tupa, or Rutupi, an ancient Town's Name on the Kentish Shore, fuppos'd to be our Richborough. These were all famous in thofe Times for Oyfters.

What

What Folly this! but oh! that all the rest
Of his dire Reign had thus been spent in Jest!
And all that Time fuch Trifles had employ'd
In which fo many Nobles he destroy'd!
He fafe, they unreveng'd, to the Disgrace
Of the furviving, tame, Patrician Race!
But when he dreadful to the Rabble grew,
Him, who so many Lords had flain, they flew.

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