The guiltless horfes, and the chariot wheel, 90 Ver. 93. Sejanus was Tiberius's firft favourite, and while he continued fo had the highest marks of honour bestowed on him: ftatues and triumphal chariots were every where erected to him; but as foon as he fell into difgrace with the Emperor, thefe were all immediately difmounted, and the fenate and common people infulted over him as meanly as they had fawned on him before. Ver. 94. The great Sejanus] Modern hiftory could not afford a more proper substitute for Sejanus, to exemplify the lamentable end of ambitious projects, than what Johnfon has given us in the following lines, in the character and fate of Wolfey: In full-blown dignity fee Wolfey ftand, Law in his voice, and fortune in his hand: To him the church, the realm, their pow'rs confign, Dr. J. WARTON. Form'd in the forge, the pliant brafs is laid 95 On anvils; and of head and limbs are made Pans, cans, and pifs-pots, a whole kitchen trade. 100 Adorn your doors with laurels ; and a bull, How foul a fnout, and what a hanging face! 105 110 What is the charge, and who the evidence, They follow fortune, and the common cry But long, long fince, the times have chang'd their face, 120 The people grown degenerate and base; Our wife forefathers, great by fea and land, Had once the power and abfolute command; 125 All offices of truft, themfelves difpos'd; Rais'd whom they pleas'd, and whom they pleas'd depos'd. But we, who give our native rights away, Are now reduc'd to beg an alms, and On holidays to fee a puppet-show. go 130 There was a damn'd defign, cries one, no doubt; For warrants are already iffued out: I met Brutidius in a mortal fright; He's dipt for certain, and plays least in fight; 135 Ver. 135. ideas. plays leaft] One of his vulgar modern Dr. J. WARTON. Now tell me truly, wouldft thou change thy fate 145 To be, like him, firft minifter of ftate? 154 While he, intent on fecret lufts alone, Ev'n they would have the power, who want the will: 161 But wouldst thou have thy wishes understood, To take the bad together with the good, Wouldft thou not rather chufe a fmall renown, To be the mayor of fome poor paltry town, Ver. 146. To have] Here are fix nervous and finished lines to atone for 135. Dr. J. WARTON. Ver. 154. The island of Capreæ, which lies about a league out at fea from the Campanian fhore, was the fcene of Tiberius's pleafures in the latter part of his reign. There he lived for fome years with diviners, footh fayers, and worfe company; and from thence difpatched all his orders to the fenate. Bigly to look, and barbarously to speak ; To pound falfe weights, and fcanty measures break? Then, grant we that Sejanus went aftray 165 In ev'ry wish, and knew not how to pray: 171 What did the mighty Pompey's fall beget? It ruin'd him, who, greater than the Great, The ftubborn pride of Roman nobles broke; And bent their haughty necks beneath his yoke: What elfe but his immoderate luft of power, 176 Prayers made and granted in a luckless hour? For few ufurpers to the fhades defcend By a dry death, or with a quiet end. 181 The boy, who fcarce has paid his entrance down To his proud pedant, or declin'd a noun, (So fmall an elf, that when the days are foul, He and his fatchel must be born to school,) Yet prays, and hopes, and aims at nothing less, To prove a Tully, or Demofthenes : 485 Ver. 173. Julius Cæfar, who got the better of Pompey, that was filed the Great. Ver. 185. Demofthenes and Tully both died for their oratory. Demofthenes gave himself poifon to avoid being carried to Antipater, one of Alexander's captains, who had then made himfelf master of Athens. Tully was murdered by Mark An, thony's order, in return for thofe invectives he had made against him, |