་ more refin'd, so much more capable it was of receiving the Grecian Beauties in his Time: Horace and Quintilian could mean no more, than that Lucilius writ better than Ennius and Pacuvius: And on the fame account we prefer Horace to Lucilius: Both of them imitated the old Greek Comedy; and fo did Ennius and Pacuvius before them. The Polishing of the Latin Tongue, in the Succef fion of Times, made the only Difference. And Horace himself, in two of his Šatyrs, written purpofely on this Subject, thinks the Romans of his Age were too partial in their Commendations of Lucilius; who writ not only loosely, and muddily, with little Art, and much less Care, but also in a time when the Latin Tongue was not yet fufficiently purg'd from the Dregs of Barbarifm; and many fignificant and founding Words, which the Romans wanted, were not admitted even in the Times of Lucretius and Cicero; of which both complain.

But to proceed, Dacier juftly taxes Cafaubon, faying, that the Satyrs of Lucilius were wholly different in Specie, from thofe of Ennius and Pacuvius. Cafaubon was led into that Miftake by Diomedes the Grammarian, who in effect fays this: Satyr among the Romans, but not among the Greeks, was a biting invective Poem, made after the Model of the ancient Comedy; for the Repre henfion of Vices: Such as were the Poems of Lucilius, of Horace, and of Perfius. But in former Times, the Name of Satyr was given to Poems, which were compos'd of feveral Sorts of Verfes; fuch as were made by Ennius and Pacuvius; more fully expreffing the Etymology of the Word Satyr, from Satura, which we have obferv'd. Here 'tis manifeft, that Diomedes makes a Specifical DiDinction betwixt the Satyrs of Ennins and thofe

of

him: Which Perfius obferves, in his Sixth Satyr: Poftquam deftertuit effe Mæonides. But this being only the private Opinion of so inconfiderable a Man as I am, I leave it to the farther Difquifition of the Criticks, if they think it worth their Notice. Moft evident it is, that whether he imitated the Roman Farce, or the Greek Comedies, he is to be acknowledg'd for the firft Author of Roman Satyr, as it is properly fo called, and distinguished from any fort of Stage-Play.

Of Pacuvius, who fucceeded him, there is little to be said, because there is fo little remaining of him: Only that he is taken to be the Nephew of Ennius, his Sifter's Son; that in probability he was inftructed by his Uncle, in his way of Satyr, which we are told he has copy'd; but what Advances he made we know not.

Lacitins came into the World, when Pacuvius flourish'd most; he alfo made Satyrs after the Manner of Ennius, but he gave them a more graceful Turn; and endeavour'd to imitate more clofely the vetus Comedia of the Greeks: Of the which the old original Roman Satyr had no Idea, 'till the time of Livius Andronicus. And tho' Horace feems to have made Lucilius the first Author of Satyr in Verfe amongst the Romans, in these Words, Qaid tum eft Lucilius aufus Primus in bane operis componere carmina morem: He is only thus to be un derstood, that Lucilius had given a more graceful Turn to the Satyr of Ennius and Pacuvins; not that he invented a new Satyr of his own: And Quintilian teems to explain this Pallage of Horace in these Words: Satira quidem tota noftra est, in qua primus infignem laudem adeptus eft Lucilius.

Thus, both Horace and Quintilian give a kind of Primacy of Honour to Lucilias, amongst the Latin Satyrifts. For as the Roman Language grew

more

more refin'd, fo much more capable it was of receiving the Grecian Beauties in his Time: Horace and Quintilian could mean no more, than that Lucilius writ better than Ennius and Pacuvius: And on the fame account we prefer Horace to Lucilius: Both of them imitated the old Greek Comedy; and fo did Ennius and Pacuvius before them. The Polishing of the Latin Tongue, in the Succef fion of Times, made the only Difference. And Horace himself, in two of his Satyrs, written purpofely on this Subject, thinks the Romans of his Age were too partial in their Commendations of Lucilius; who writ not only loosely, and muddily, with little Art, and much less Care, but also in a time when the Latin Tongue was not yet fufficiently purg'd from the Dregs of Barbarifm; and many fignificant and founding Words, which the Romans wanted, were not admitted even in the Times of Lucretius and Cicero; of which both complain.

But to proceed, Dacier juftly taxes Cafaubón, Taying, that the Satyrs of Lucilius were wholly different in Specie, from thofe of Ennius and Pacuvius. Cafaubon was led into that Mistake by Diomedes the Grammarian, who in effect fays this: Satyr among the Romans, but not among the Greeks, was a biting invective Poem, made after the Model of the ancient Comedy; for the Repre henfion of Vices: Such as were the Poems of Lucilius, of Horace, and of Perfius. But in former Times, the Name of Satyr was given to Poems, which were compos'd of feveral Sorts of Verfes; fuch as were made by Ennius and Pacuvius; more fully expreffing the Etymology of the Word Satyr. from Satura, which we have obferv'd. Here 'tis manifeft, that Diomedes makes a Specifical Diinction betwixt the Satyrs of Ennins and those

of

of Lucilius. But this, as we fay in English, is only a Diftinction without a Difference; for the Reafon of it is ridiculous, and abfolutely falfe. This was that which cozen'd honeft Cafaubon, who relying on Diomedes, had not fufficiently examin'd the Origin and Nature of thofe two Satyrs; which were entirely the fame, both in the Matter and the Form. For all that Lucilius perform'd beyond his Predeceffors, Ennius and Pacuvius, was only the adding of more Politenefs, and more Salt; without any Change in the Substance of the Poem: And tho' Lucilius put not together in the fame Satyr feveral Sorts of Verfes, as Ennius did; yet he compos'd feveral Satyrs, of feveral Sorts of Verfes; and mingl'd them with Greek Verses: One Poem confifted only of Hexameters ; and another was entirely of Iambiques; a third of Trochaiques; as is vifible by the Fragments yet remaining of his Works. In fhort, if the Satyrs of Lucilius are therefore said to be wholly different from those of Ennius, because he added much more of Beauty and Polishing to his own Poems, than are to be found in thofe before him; it will follow from hence, that the Satyrs of Horace are wholly different from thofe of Lucilius, because Horace has not lefs furpafs'd Lucilius in the Elegancy of his Writing, than Lucilius surpass'd Ennius in the Turn and Ornament of his. This Paffage of Diomedes has alfo drawn Doufa, the Son, into the fame Error of Cafaubon, which I fay, not to expofe the little Failings of thofe judicious Men, but only to make it appear, with how much Diffidence and Caution we are to read their Works; when they treat a Subject of fo much Obfcurity, and fo very ancient, as is this of Satyr.

Having thus brought down the Hiftory of Satyr from its Original to the Times of Horace, and fhewn

the

the feveral Changes of it; I fhould here discover fome of thofe Graces which Horace added to it, but that I think it will be more proper to defer that Undertaking, 'till I make the Comparison betwixt him and Juvenal. In the mean while, following the Order of Time, it will be neceffary to fay fomewhat of another Kind of Satyr, which alfo was defcended from the Ancients: 'Tis that which we call the Varronian Satyr, but which Varro himself calls the Menippean; because Varro, the most learned of the Romans, was the first Author of it, who imitated, in his Works, the Manners of Menippus the Gadarenian, who profess'd the Philofophy of the Cyniques.

This Sort of Satyr was not only compos'd of feveral Sorts of Verfe, like thofe of Ennius, but was alfo mix'd with Profe; and Greek was fprinkled amongst the Latin. Quintilian, after he had 1poken of the Satyr of Lucilius, adds what follow; There is another and former kind of Satyr, compos'd by Terentius Varro, the moft Learned of the Romans: In which he was not fatisfy'd alone with mingling in it feveral førts of Verfe. The only Difficulty of this Padage is, that Quintilian tells us, that this Satyr of Varro was of a former Kind.. For how can we poffibly imagine this to be, fince Varro, who was contemporary to Cicero, mult confequently be after Lucilius? But Quintilian meant not, that the Satyr of Varro was in Order. of Time before Lucilius; he would only give us. to understand, that the Varronian Satyr, with mixture of feveral Sorts of Verses, was more after the manner of Ennius and Pacuvius, than that of Lucilius, who was more fevere, and more corred; and gave himself lefs Liberty in the Mixture of his Verfes, in the fame Poem.