Fit to be piss'd againft, and fomewhat more. The great man, home conducted, fhuts his door; Old clients, weary'd out with fruitless care, Difmifs their hopes of eating, and defpair. 201 Though much against the grain forc'd to retire, Buy roots for fupper, and provide a fire. Mean time his lordship lolls within at ease, (A creature form'd to furnish out a feaft.) His fate makes table-talk, divulg'd with fcorn, No age can go beyond us; future times 220 Can add no farther to the present crimes. where the ftatues of the famous Romans were fet in ranks on pedestals: amongst which ftatues were feen thofe of foreigners, fuch as Arabs, &c. who for no defert, but only on the account of their wealth, or favour, were placed amongst the nobleft. Our fons but the fame things can wifh and do;' Vice is at ftand, and at the highest flow. Then Satire spread thy fails; take all the winds can blow. Some may, perhaps, demand what Mufe can yield 225 Sufficient ftrength for such a spacious field? 231 Death is your doom, impal'd upon a stake. 235. Of pois'nous juice, be then in triumph brought, throw Difdainful glances on the crowd below? 241 Ver. 231. Ere fcandalum] A ftrange introduction of an offence purely English, followed immediately by a Roman punishment. So alfo above, ver. 189, the mention of her ladyfhip, and his lordship, ver. 204. Dr. J. WARTON. Be filent, and beware, if fuch you fee; "Tis defamation but to fay, That's he! 250 Against bold Turnus the great Trojan arm, Amidft their ftrokes the poet gets no harm: 246 Achilles may in epique verfe be flain, And none of all his Myrmidons complain : Hylas may drop his pitcher, none will cry; Not if he drown himself for company : But when Lucilius brandishes his pen, And flashes in the face of guilty men, A cold sweat stands in drops on ev'ry part; And rage fucceeds to tears, revenge to smart. Mufe, be advis'd; 'tis paft confid'ring time, 255 When enter'd once the dang'rous lifts of rhyme: Since none the living villains dare implead, Arraign them in the perfons of the dead. Ver. 245. Against bold Turnus, &c.] A poet may fafely write. an heroic poem, such as that of Virgil, who defcribes the duel of Turnus and Æneas; or of Homer, who writes of Achilles and Hector; or the death of Hylas the Catamite of Hercules; who stooping for water, dropt his pitcher, and fell into the well after it. But 'tis dangerous to write fatire like Lucilius. THE THIRD SATIRE OF JUVENAL. THE ARGUMENT. The ftory of this fatire speaks itself. Umbritius, the fuppofed friend of Juvenal, and himself a poet, is leaving Rome, and retiring to Cuma. Our author accompanies him out of town. Before they take leave of each other, Umbritius tells his friend the reasons which oblige him to lead a private life, in an obfcure place. He complains that an honeft man cannot get his bread at Rome. That none but flatterers make their fortunes there: that Grecians and other foreigners raife themselves by thofe fordid arts which he defcribes, and against which he bitterly inveighs. He reckons up the several inconveniencies which arife from a city life; and the many dangers which attend it. Upbraids the noblemen with covetousness, for not rewarding good poets; and arraigns the government for Starving them. The great art of this fatire is |