a Chorus and Dances of Satires, which had before been us'd in the Celebration of their Festivals; and there they were ever afterwards retain'd. The Character of them was alfo kept, which was Mirth and Wantonnefs: And this was given, I fuppofe, to the Folly of the common Audience, who foon grow weary of good Senfe; and as we daily fee, in our own Age, and Country, are apt to forfake Poetry, and ftill ready to return to Buffoonry and Farce. From hence it came, that in the Olympique Games, where the Poets contended for four Prizes, the Satirique Tragedy, was the laft of them; for in the reft, the Satires were excluded from the Chorus. Among the Plays of Euripides, which are yet remaining, there is one of thefe Satiriques, which is call'd the Cyclops; in which we may fee the Nature of thofe Poems, and from thence conclude, what Likenefs they have to the Roman Satyr.

The Story of this Cyclops, whofe Name was Polyphemus, fo famous in the Grecian Fables, was, That Ulyffes, who with his Company was driven on the Coaft of Sicily, where thofe Cyclops inhabited, coming to ask Relief from Silenus, and the Satires, who were Herdsmen to that one-ey'd Giant, was kindly receiv'd by them, and entertain'd; 'till being perceiv'd by Polyphemus, they were made Prifoners, against the Rites of Hofpitality, for which Ulyffes eloquently pleaded, were afterwards put down in the Den, and fome of them devour'd; After which, Ulfes having made him drunk, when he was asleep, thruft a great Firebrand into his Eye; and fo revenging his dead Followers, efcap'd with the remaining Party of the living: And Silenus, and the Satires, were freed from their Servitude under Polyphemus, and remitted to their first Liberty of attending and accompanying their Patron Bacchus.

This was the Subject of the Tragedy, which be ing one of those that end with a happy Event, is therefore by Ariftotle judg'd below the other Sort, whofe Succefs is unfortunate. Notwithstanding which, the Satines, who were part of the Dramatis Perfona, as well as the whole Chorus, were pro❤ perly introduc'd into the Nature of the Poem, which is mix'd of Farce and Tragedy. The Adventure of Ulyffes was to entertain the Judging Part of the Audience; and the uncouth Perfons of Silenus, and the Satires, to divert the Common People with their grofs Railleries.

Your Lordship has perceiv'd, by this time, that this Satinique Tragedy, and the Roman Satyr, have little Refemblances in any other Features. The very Kinds are different: For what has a Paftoral Tragedy to do with a Paper of Verses fatyrically written? The Character and Raillery of the Sa tires, is the only thing that cou'd pretend to a Like nefs: Were Scaliger and Heinfius alive to maintain their Opinion. An the brit Farces of the Romans, which were the Rudiments of their Poetry, were written before they had any Communication with the Greeks; or indeed, any Knowledge of that People.

And here it will be proper to give the Definition of the Greek Satirique Foem from Cafaubon, be fore I leave this Subject. The Satirique, fays he, is a Dramatique Poem, annex'd to a Tragedy; having a Chorus, which confifts of Satires: The Perfons reprefented in it, are illuftrious Men: The Action of it is great; the Style is partly ferious, and partly jocular; and the Event of the Action most commonly is happy.

The Grecians, befides thefe Satirique Tragedies, had another Kind of Poem, which they call'd Silli which were more of kin to the Roman Satyra

Thofe

a Chorus and Dances of Satires, which had before been us'd in the Celebration of their Festivals; and there they, were ever afterwards retain'd. The Character of them was alfo kept, which was Mirth and Wantonnefs: And this was given, I fuppofe, to the Folly of the common Audience, who foon grow weary of good Senfe; and as we daily fee, in our own Age, and Country, are apt to forfake Poetry, and ftill ready to return to Buffoonry and Farce. From hence it came, that in the Olympique Games, where the Poets contended for four Prizes, the Satirique Tragedy.was the last of them; for in the reft, the Satires were excluded from the Chorus. Among the Plays of Euripides, which are yet remaining, there is one of thefe Satiriques, which is call'd the Cyclops; in which we may fee the Nature of thofe Poems, and from thence conclude, what Likenefs they have to the Roman Satyr.

The Story of this Cyclops, whofe Name was Polyphemus, fo famous in the Grecian Fables, was, That Ulyffes, who with his Company was driven on the Coaft of Sicily, where thofe Cyclops inhabited, coming to ask Relief from Silenus, and the Satires, who were Herdsmen to that one-ey'd Giant, was kindly receiv'd by them, and entertain'd; 'till being perceiv'd by Polyphemus, they were made Prifoners, against the Kites of Hofpitality, for which Ulyffes eloquently pleaded, were afterwards put down in the Den, and fome of them devour'd; After which, Ulyffes having made him drunk, when he was alleep, thrust a great Firebrand into his Eye ; and fo revenging his dead Followers, efcap'd with the remaining Party of the living: And Silenus, and the Satires, were freed from their Servitude under Polyphemus, and remitted to their first Liberty of attending and accompanying their Patron Bacchus.

This was the Subject of the Tragedy, which be ing one of those that end with a happy Event, is therefore by Ariftotle judg'd below the other Sort, whofe Succefs is unfortunate. Notwithstanding which, the Satires, who were part of the Dramatis Perfona, as well as the whole Chorus, were pro❤ perly introduc'd into the Nature of the Poem, which is mix'd of Farce and Tragedy. The Adventure of Ulyffes was to entertain the Judging Part of the Audience; and the uncouth Perfons of Silenus, and the Satires, to divert the Cominon People with their grofs Railleries.

Your Lordship has perceiv'd, by this time, that this Saticique Tragedy, and the Roman Satyr, have little Refemblances in any other Features. The very Kinds are different: For what has a Paftoral Tragedy to do with a Paper of Verfes fatyrically written? The Character and Raillery of the Sa tires, is the only thing that cou'd pretend to a Like-> nefs: Were Scaliger and Heinfius alive to maintain their Opinion. An the firit Farces of the Romans, which were the Rudiments of their Poetry, were written before they had any Communication with the Greeks; or indeed, any Knowledge of that People.

And here it will be proper to give the Definition of the Greek Satirique Foem from Cafaubon, before I leave this Subject. The Satirique, fays he, is a Dramatique Poem, annex'd to a Tragedy;" having a Chorus, which confifts of Satires: The Perfons reprefented in it, are illuftrious Men: The Action of it is great; the Style is partly ferious, and partly jocular; and the Event of the Action most commonly is happy.

The Grecians, befides thefe Satirique Tragedies, had another Kind of Poem, which they call'd Silliz which were more of kin to the Roman Satyr a

Thofe

Thofe Silli were indeed invective Poems, but of a different Species from the Roman Poems of Ennius, Pacuvius, Lucilius, Horace, and the rest of their Succeffors. They were fo call'd, fays Cafanbon in one Place, from Silenus, the Fofter-Father of Bacchus; but in another Place, bethinking himfelf better, he derives their Name Sixíveiv, from their Scoffing and Petulancy. From fome Fragments of the Silli, written by Timon, we may find, that they were Satirique Poems, full of Parodies; that is, of Verfes patch'd up from great Poets, and turn'd into another Senfe than their Author intended them. Such among the Romans is the famous Cento of Aufonius; where the Words are Virgil's: But by applying them to another Sense, they are made the Relation of a Wedding-Night; and the Act of Confummation fulfomely defcrib'd in the very Words of the moft Modest amongst all Poets. Of the fame manner are our Songs, which are turn'd into Burlesque, and the serious Words of the Author perverted into a ridiculous Meaning. Thus in Timon's Silli the Words are generally those of Homer, and the Tragique Poets; but he applies them Satirically, to fome Cuftoms and Kinds of Philofophy, which he arraigns. But the Romans not ufing any of thefe Parodies in their Satyrs; fometimes, indeed, repeating Verfes of os ther Men, as Perfius cites fome of Nero's; but not turning them into another Meaning, the Silli cannot be fuppos'd to be the Original of Roman Satyr. To thefe Silli, confifting of Parodies, we may properly add the Satyrs which were written against particular Perfons; fuch as were the Iambiques of Archilochus against Lycambes, which Horace un. doubtedly imitated in fome of his Odes and Epodes, whofe Titles bear a fufficient Witnefs of it: I might alfo name the Invective of Ovid against Ibis;

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