Serene and manly, harden'd to sustain
The load of life, and exercis'd in pain:
Guiltless of hate, and proof against desire ;
That all things weighs, and nothing can admire:
That dares prefer the toils of Hercules

To dalliance, banquet, and ignoble ease.

556

The path to peace is virtue: what I show, Thyfelf may freely on thyfelf bestow : Fortune was never worshipp'd by the wife; 560 But, fet aloft by fools, ufurps the skies.

THE

SIXTEENTH SATIRE

OF

JUVENAL.

THE ARGUMENT.

The poet in this fatire, proves, that the condition of a foldier is much better than that of a countryman: firft, because a countryman, however affronted, provoked, and ftruck himself, dares not ftrike a foldier; who is only to be judged by a court-martial: and by the law of Camillus, which obliges him not to quarrel without the trenches, he is also affured to have a speedy hearing, and quick dif patch: whereas, the townfman or peasant is delayed in his fuit by frivolous pretences, and not fure of juftice when he is heard in the court. The foldier is alfo privileged to make a will, and to give away his eftate, which he got in war, to whom he pleases, without confideration of parentage or relations, which is denied to all other Romans. This fatire was written by Juvenal, when he was a commander in Egypt: it is certainly his, though

I think it not finished. And if it be well obferved, you will find he intended an invective against a Standing army.

WHAT vaft prerogatives, my Gallus, are
Accruing to the mighty man of war !
For, if into a lucky camp I light,

Though raw in arms, and yet afraid to fight, Befriend me my good stars, and all goes goes right:

5

10

One happy hour is to a foldier better,
Than mother Juno's recommending letter,
Or Venus, when to Mars fhe would prefer
My fuit, and own the kindness done to her.
See what our common privileges are:
As, firft, no faucy citizen fhall dare
To strike a foldier, nor, when ftruck, resent
The wrong, for fear of farther punishment:
Not though his teeth are beaten out, his eyes
Hang by a ftring, in bumps his forehead rife,
Shall he prefume to mention his difgrace,
Or beg amends for his demolish'd face.
A booted judge fhall fit to try his caufe,
Not by the statute, but by martial laws;

16

. Ver.1. What vaft prerogatives,] This fatire is much inferior to the reft. The old fcholiaft denies that it is by Juvenal. I fuppofe Dryden was forced to add it to fill up his volume.— Barten Holyday's notes, added to his tranflation of Juvenal, are worth reading. Dr. J. WARTON.

Ver. 7. Juno was mother to Mars the god of war: Venus was his miftrefs.

Which old Camillus order'd, to confine
The brawls of foldiers to the trench and line:
A wife provision; and from thence 'tis clear,
That officers a foldier's cause should hear:
And taking cognizance of wrongs receiv'd,
An honeft man may hope to be reliev'd.
So far 'tis well: but with a gen'ral cry,
The regiment will rife in mutiny,

20

25

The freedom of their fellow-rogue demand, And, if refus'd, will threaten to disband. Withdraw thy action, and depart in peace; 30 The remedy is worse than the disease:

This cause is worthy him, who in the hall Would for his fee, and for his client, bawl: But wouldst thou, friend, who haft two legs

alone,

(Which, heav'n be prais'd, thou yet mayft call thy own)

Wouldst thou to run the gantlet these expofe To a whole company of hob-nail'd fhoes?

35

Ver. 20. Camillus, (who being firft banished by his ungrate ful countrymen the Romans, afterwards returned, and freed them from the Gauls,) made a law, which prohibited the fol diers from quarrelling without the camp, left upon that pretence they might happen to be abfent when they ought to be on duty.

Ver. 32. This caufe is worthy him, &c.] The poet names Modene fe lawyer, whom he calls Vagellius; who was fo impudent that he would plead any caufe, right or wrong, without fhame or fear.

Ver. 37. hob-nail'd fhoes?] The Roman foldiers wore plates of iron under their fhoes, or stuck them with nails, as countrymen do now.