CORNUTUS. Nature is ever various in her frame: Each has a different will, and few the fame: The greedy merchants, led by lucre, run To the parch'd Indies, and the rising fun; 70 From thence hot pepper, and rich drugs they bear, Bartering for fpices their Italian ware ; ground; Then his lewd follies he would late repent; And his past years, that in a mist were spent. PERSIUS. 80 But thou art pale, in nightly ftudies, grown, To make the Stoick institutes thy own; Thou long, with ftudious care, haft till'd our youth, 85 And fown our well-purg'd ears with wholesome truth. Ver. 84. Zeno was the great mafter of the Stoick philofophy, and Cleanthes was fecond to him in reputation. Cornutus, who was master or tutor to Perfius, was of the fame school. From thee both old and young, with profit, learn The bounds of good and evil to difcern. CORNUTUS. Unhappy he who does this work adjourn, And to to-morrow would the fearch delay: 90 His lazy morrow will be like to-day. PERSIUS. But is one day of eafe too much to borrow? CORNUTUS. Yes, fure: for yefterday was once to-morrow. That yesterday is gone, and nothing gain'd : And all thy fruitlefs days will thus be drain'd; 95 For thou haft more to-morrows yet to ask, And wilt be ever to begin thy task ; Who, like the hindmoft chariot-wheels, art curft, Still to be near, but ne'er to reach the first. O freedom! first delight of human kind! 100 Not that which bondmen from their masters find, The privilege of doles; not yet to inscribe Ver. 102. When a flave was made free, he had the privilege of a Roman born, which was to have a fhare in the donatives or doles of bread, &c. which were distributed by the magiftrates amongst the people. Ver. 103. The Roman people was diftributed into feveral tribes: he who was made free was enrolled into fome one of them, and thereupon enjoyed the common privileges of a Roman citizen. 110 That falfe enfranchisement with eafe is found: 115 } What can we farther from our caps receive, 121 Ver. 105. The mafter, who intended to infranchise a slave, carried him before the city prætor, and turned him round, using thefe words, "I will that this man be free." Ver. 111. Slaves had only one name before their freedom; after it they were admitted to a Prænomen, like our christened names; fo Dama is now called Marcus Dama. Ver. 117. At the proof of a teftament, the magiftrates were to fubfcribe their names, as allowing the legality of the will. Ver. 118. Slaves, when they were fet free, had a cap given them, in fign of their liberty. Ver. 121. Brutus freed the Roman people from the tyranny of the Tarquins, and changed the form of the government into a glorious commonwealth. I grant true freedom you have well defin'd: 131 Hear me with patience, while thy mind I free From those fond notions of falfe liberty : 'Tis not the prætor's province to bestow True freedom; nor to teach mankind to know What to ourselves, or to our friends, we owe. He could not fet thee free from cares and ftrife, Nor give the reins to a lewd vicious life : 136 As well he for an afs a harp might string, Which is against the reafon of the thing; For reafon still is whispering in your ear, Where you are fure to fail, the attempt forbear. No need of public fanctions this to bind, 141 Which Nature has implanted in the mind: Not to pursue the work, to which we're not defign'd. Unfkill'd in hellebore, if thou should'st try To mix it, and mistake the quantity, 145 The rules of phyfic would against thee cry. Ver. 129. The text of the Roman laws was written in red letters, which was called the Rubrick, translated here, in more general words, "The Letter of the Law." The high-thoo'd ploughman, fhould he quit the land, To take the pilot's rudder in his hand, The gods would leave him to the wayes and wind, 150 And think all shame was loft in human kind. Tell me, my friend, from whence hadft thou the skill, 160 So nicely to diftinguish good from ill? 165 170 |