For who that Lordly Fish durft fell or buy,
So many Spies and Court Informers nigh?
No Shoar but of this Vermin Swarms does bear,
Searchers of Mud and Sea-Weed! that would fwear
The Fish had long in Cafar's Ponds been fed,
And from its Lord undutifully fled;

So, justly ought to be again reftor'd.
Nay, if you credit Sage 9 Palphurius' Word,
Or dare rely on Armillatus' Skill,
Whatever Fish the vulgar Fry excel
Belong to Cæfar, wherefoe'er they swim,
By their own Worth confiscated to him.

The Boat-man then fhall a wife Present make,
And give the Fish, before the Seizers take.
Now fickly Autumn to dry Frofts gave way,
Cold Winter rag'd, and fresh preferv'd the Prey;
Yet with fuch hafte the bufy Fishes flew,

As if a hot South-Wind Corruption blew :

And now he reach'd the Lake, 10 where what remains Of Alba, fill her ancient Rites retains,

from his Inftituting the College of the Alban Priests, of whom he was as it were Chief; or for taking upon him the Office of Pontifex Maximus, in the Condemnation of the Veftal Virgin Cornetia ; or, more generally. because often the Emperors affum'd both the Title and Office of High-Prieft.

&c. Alba Longa built by Afcauius, about fifteen Miles from Rome, was deftroy'd after by Tullus Hoftilius, the Temples only excepted, (Liv. l. 1.) The Albans upon this their Misfortune neglecting their Worship, were by fundry Prodigies commanded to restore their ancient Rites, the chief of which was the keeping perpetually burning the Vestal Fire, which was brought thither by Aneas and his Trojans as a fatal Pledge of the Perpetuity of

9 Palpburius and Armillatus, Both Men of Confular Degree: Lawyers, and Spies, and Informers, and fo Favourites of Domitian. 10 What remains of Alba, the Roman Empire.

Still worships Vefta, 1 tho' an humbler way,
Nor lets the hallow'd Trojan Fire decay.

The Wondring Croud that to strange Sights refort,
And choak'd a while his Paffage to the Court,
At length gives way; ope flies the Palace-Gate,
The Turbut enters in, without the 12 Fathers wait.
The Boat man ftrait does to Aftrides press,
And thus prefents his Fish, and his Address:
Accept, Dread Sir, this Tribute from the Main,
Too great for private Kitchins to contain.
To your glad Genius facrifice this Day,
Let common Meats refpectfully give way.
Hafte to unload your Stomachs to receive
This Turbut, that for you did only live.
So long preferv'd to be Imperial Food,
Glad of the Net, and to be taken proud.

How fulfom this! how grofs! yet this takes well,
And the vain Prince with empty Pride does fwell.
Nothing fo monstrous can be faid or feign'd,
But with Belief and Joy is entertain'd,

When to his Face the worthlefs Wretch is prais'd·
Whom vile Court Flatt'ry to a God has rais'd.

But oh hard Fate! the Palace Stores no Dish
Afford, capacious of the mighty Fish.
To fage Debate are fummon'd all the Peers,
His trusty and much hated Counsellors.
In whofe pale Looks that ghaftly Terror fat,
That haunts the dangerous Friendship of the Great.
13 The loud Liburnian that the Senate call'd,
Run, run; be's fet, he's fet, no fooner baul'd,

But with his Robe fnatch'd up in hafte, does come
Pegafus, 14 Bailiff of affrighted Rome.

What more were Præfects then? The Beft he was,
And faithfullest Expounder of the Laws.

Yet in ill times thought all things manag'd best,
When Juftice exercis'd her Sword the least.

Old Crifpus next, Pleasant, tho' Old, appears ;
His Wit nor Humour yielding to his Years:
His Temper mild, good Nature join❜d with Senfe,
And Manners charming as his Elopuence.
Who fitter for a useful Friend than he,
To the great Ruler of the Earth and Sea,

If as his Thoughts were juft, his Tongue were free
If it were fafe to vent his Gen'rous Mind

To Rome's dire Plague, and Terror of Mankind,
If cruel Pow'r could softning Counsel bear
But what's fo tender as a Tyrant's Ear?
With whom whoever, tho' a Fav'rite spake,
At ev'ry Sentence fet his Life at stake,
Tho' the Difcourfe were of no weightier things,
Than fultry Summers, or unhealthful Springs,

lyricum, the Romans made their Cryers, because of their loud Voices. Others take Liburnus for the proper Name of one Man---Liburnus that the Senate call'd.

14 Pegafus, Bailiff. A Citizen of Alba, a very learned Lawyer, and Præfect or Chief Magiftrate of Rome. He calls him here Bailiff: As if Rome by Domitian's Cruelty, had fo far loft its Liberty and Privileges, that it now was no better than a Country Village,

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and fit to be govern'd by no better than a Bailiff.

15 Old Crifpus, (Vibius Crifpus.) This was he that made the known Jeft uponDomitian's killing Flies. When one Day Domitian being alone in his Closet, and being ask'd, Whether there was any one left within with the Emperor? He answer'd No, not so much as a Fly. The Names and Characters of most of these Senators here mention'd may be found in Suetonius's Life of of Domitian, and in Tacitus,

This well he knew, and therefore never try'd
With his weak Arms to ftem the stronger Tyde.
Nor did all Rome, grown Spiritlefs, fupply
A Man that for bold Truth durft bravely die.
So fafe by wife complying Silence, he
Ev'n in that Court did fourfcore Summers fee.
Next him Acilius, tho' his Age the fame,
With eager hafte to the Grand Council came:
With him a Youth, unworthy of the Fate
That did too near his growing Virtues wait,
Urg'd by the Tyrant's Envy, Fear, or Hate.
(But 'tis long fince old Age began to be
In Noble Blood no lefs than Prodigy,
Whence 'tis I'd rather be of Giant's Birth,
A Pigmy Brother to thofe Sons of Earth.)
Uunappy Youth! whom from his deftin'd End,
No well diffembled Madness could defend ;
When naked in the Alban Theatre,

In Libyan Bears he fixt his hunting Spear.
Who fees not now thro' the Lord's thin Difguife,
That long feem'd Fools do prove at last more wife?
That State-Court Trick is now too open laid:
Who now admires the 17 Part old Brutus play'd ?
Thofe honeft Times might fwallow this Pretence,
When 18 the King's Beard was deeper than his Senfe.

16 Of Giants Birth. Of an obfcure and unknown Family. 17 The part old Brutus play'd. 'Tis a known Story, how Brutus finding that his own Brother, and fome of the most confiderable Men of Rome had been put to Death by Tarquinius Superbus, counterfeited himself a Madman or Fool, and fo avoided the Tyrant's

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Cruelty, till he had gain'd a fit time to deftroy him, revenge his Brother's and Countrymens Deaths, and free Rome.

18 When the King's Beard. In those ancient and more fimple times, when it was the Cuftom never to fhave their Beards: For 400 Years there was no fuch thing as a Barber heard of in Rome. G 3

Next

Next Rubrius came, 19 tho' not of Noble Race,
With equal Marks of Terror in his Face.
Pale with the gnawing Guilt and inward Shame
Of an old Crime that is not fit to Name.
Worfe, yet in Scandal taking more delight,
Than 20 the vile Patkick that durft Satyr write.
Montanus' Belly next, advancing flow,
Before the fweating Senator did go.

Grifpinus after, but much sweeter, comes,
Scented with coftly Oils and Eastern Gums,
More than would ferve two Fun'rals for Perfumes.
Then Pompey, none more skill'd in the Court-Game
Of cutting Throats with a foft Wisper, came.
Next Fufcus, he who many a Peaceful Day
For 21 Dacian Vultures was referv'd a.Prey,
Till having ftudy'd War enough at home,
He led abroad th' unhappy Arms of Rome.
Cunning Vejento next, and by his fide
Bloody Catullus leaning on his Guide,
Decrepit, yet a furious Lover he,

And deeply fmit with Charms he could not fee.
A Monster, that even this worft Age out-vies,
Confpicuous and above the common fize.

19 Tho' not of Noble Race, with equal Marks of Terror. For Domitian's Cruelty reach'd even to the common People, and thofe of lower Birth, which (in the end of this Satyr) the Poet tells us, caus'd his Deftrnction.

20. The vile Pathick. Nero, who wrote a Satyr upon Quintianus, whom he charges with his own profligate Lewdness

and Debauchery. Tac. Ann. 15.

21 For Dacian Vultures. Cornelius Fufcus, a Nobleman of no manner of Experience, or more knowledge in War-Affairs, than what he had studied in his own Country Retirement, was yet by Domitian twice fent with an Army against the Dacians, in the last of which his Army was defeated, and himself flain.

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