THE ΕΙΕΤΗ SATIRE PER SI U S. A R GUM E N T.. THE judicious Cafaubon, in his proem to this fatire, tells us, that Ariftophanes the grammarian being afked, what poem of Archilochus's Iambics he preferred before the reft; anfwered, the longest. His answer may juftly be applied to this fifth fatire; which, being of a greater length than any of the reft, is alfo, by far, the most inftructive: for this reafon I have felected it from all the others, and inscribed it to my learned mafter, Doctor Bulby; to whom I am not only obliged myself for the best part of my own education, and that of my two sons ; but have alfo received from him the first and trueft taste of Perfius. May he be pleased to find in this translation, the gratitude, or at least fome small acknowledgment of his unworthy scholar, at the diftance of twenty-four years, from the time when I departed from under his tuition. This fatire confists of two distinct parts: the first contains the praises of the ftoick philofopher Cornutus, mafter and tutor to our Perfius. It alfo declares the love and piety of Perfius, to his well-deferving mafter; and the mutual friendship which continued betwixt them, after Perfius was now grown a man. As alfo his exhortation to young noblemen, that they would enter themfelves into his inftitution. From whence he makes an artful transition into the fecond part of his subject: wherein he first complains of the floth of scholars, and afterwards perfuades them to the purfuit of their true liberty: Here our author excellently treats that paradox of the Stoicks, which affirms, that only the wife or virtuous man is free; and that all vicious men are naturally flaves. And, in the illuftration of this dogma, he takes up the remaining part of this inimitable fatire. Ο Fancient ufe to poets it belongs, To with themfelves an hundred mouths and Whether to the well lung'd tragedian's rage CORNUTUS. And why would'ft thou thefe mighty morfels chufe, Of words unchew'd, and fit to choak the Mufe? Let fuftian poets, with their stuff, be gone, And fuck the mifts that hang o'er Helicon; Like rolling thunder till it breaks the cloud, Gentle Gentle or fharp, according to thy choice, Hence draw thy theme, and to the stage permit 'Tis task enough for thee t' expose a Roman feast. 'Tis not, indeed, my talent to engage •} And, through the veil of words, thou view'ft the naked mind. For this a hundred voices I defire, To tell thee what a hundred tongues would tire; How deeply thou art feated in my breast. } On On thy wife bofom I repos'd my head, Sure on our birth fome friendly planet fhone; Nature is ever various in her frame: Another |