Cæfar falutes the queen and fenate thus:
My arms are, on the Rhine, victorious.

From mourning altars fweep the dust away: 100 Cease fafting, and proclaim a fat thanksgiving

day.

The goodly emprefs, jollily inclin'd,

105

Is to the welcome bearer wonderous kind:
And, fetting her good housewifry afide,
Prepares for all the pageantry of pride.
The captive Germans, of gigantic fize,
Are rank'd in order, and are clad in frize:
The fpoils of kings, and conquer'd camps we
boast,

Their arms in trophies hang on the triumphal poft.

Ver. 98. Cæfar falutes &c.] The Cæfar here mentioned is Caius Caligula, who affected to triumph over the Germans, whom he never conquered, as he did over the Britons; and accordingly fent letters, wrapt about with laurels, to the Senate, and the Empress Cæfonia, whom I here call Queen, though I know that name was not ufed amongst the Romans; but the word Emprefs would not stand in that verfe, for which reafon I adjourned it to another. The duft which was to be swept away from the altars was either the afhes which were left there, after the laft facrifice for victory, or might perhaps mean the duft or afhes which were left on the altars fince fome former defeat of the Romans by the Germans: after which overthrow, the altars had been neglected.

Ver. 102. Cæfonia, wife to Caius Caligula, who afterwards, in the reign of Claudius, was propofed, but ineffectually, to be married to him, after he had executed Metalina for adultery.

Ver. 106. The captive Germans, &c.] He means only fuch as were to pafs for Germans in the triumph; large bodied men, as they are still, whom the Emprefs cloathed new, with coarfe garments, for the greater oftentation of the victory.

110

Now, for fo many glorious actions done In foreign parts, and mighty battles won : For peace at home, and for the public wealth, I mean to crown a bowl to Cæfar's health: Besides, in gratitude for fuch high matters, Know I have vow'd two hundred gladiators. 115 Say, wouldst thou hinder me from this expence? I difinherit thee, if thou dar'ft take offence. Yet more, a public largess I defign

heir:

125

Of oil and pies, to make the people dine:
Controul me not, for fear 1 change my will. 120
And yet methinks I hear thee grumbling ftill,
You give as if you were the Perfian king:
Your land does no fuch large revenues bring.
Well; on my terms thou wilt not be my
If thou car'ft little, lefs fhall be my care:
Were none of all my father's fifters left;
Nay, were I of my mother's kin bereft ;
None by an uncle's or a grandame's fide,
Yet I could fome adopted heir provide.
I need but take my journey half a day
From haughty Rome, and at Aricia stay,
Where fortune throws poor Manius in my

way.

130

Him will I choofe: What him, of humble birth, Obfcure, a foundling, and a fon of earth?

Ver. 115. Know, I have vow'd two hundred gladiators.] A hundred pair of gladiators were beyond the purfe of a private man to give; therefore this is only a threatening to his heir, that he could do what he pleased with his estate.

Obfcure? Why pr'ythee what am I? I know 135
My father, grandfire, and great grandfire too:
If farther I derive my pedigree,

I can but guess beyond the fourth degree.
The reft of my forgotten ancestors

Were fons of earth, like him, or fons of whores.

Yet why wouldft thou, old covetous wretch,

141

afpire To be my heir, who might'st have been my fire? In nature's race, fhouldft thou demand of me My torch, when I in courfe run after thee? Think I approach thee like the god of gain, 145 With wings on head and heels, as poets feign: Thy moderate fortune from my gift receive; Now fairly take it, or as fairly leave. But take it as it is, and ask no more. What, when thou haft embezzled all thy ftore? Where's all thy father left? "Tis true, I grant, Some I have mortgag'd, to fupply my want: The legacies of Tadius too are flown;

149

All spent, and on the self-fame errand gone. How little then to my poor fhare will fall? 155 Little indeed; but yet that little's all.

Nor tell me, in a dying father's tone,

Be careful still of the main chance, my fon;

Ver. 143. fhouldst thou demand of me my torch, &c.] Why shouldst thou, who art an old fellow, hope to outlive me, and be my heir, who am much younger. He who was first in the course, or race, delivered the torch, which he carried, to him who was fecond.

Put out the principal in trufty hands:

Live of the ufe; and never dip thy lands: 160 But yet what's left for me? What's left, my friend!

165

Ask that again, and all the reft I spend.
Is not my fortune at my own command ?
Pour oil, and pour it with a plenteous hand,
Upon my fallads, boy: Shall I be fed
With fodden nettles, and a fing'd fow's head?
'Tis holiday; provide me better cheer;
"Tis holiday, and fhall be round the
year.
Shall I
my houfhold gods and Genius cheat, 169
To make him rich, who grudges me my meat,
That he may loll at eafe; and pamper'd high,
When I am laid, may feed on giblet-pie?
And when his throbbing luft extends the vein,
Have wherewithal his whores to entertain?
Shall I in homespun cloth be clad, that he 175
His paunch in triumph may before him fee?

Go, mifer, go; for lucre fell thy foul; Truck wares for wares, and trudge from pole to pole :

That men may fay, when thou art dead and

gone,

See what a vast estate he left his fon!

How large a family of brawny knaves,
Well fed, and fat as Cappadocian flaves!

180

Ver. 183. Well fed, and fat as Cappadocian faves!] Who were famous for their luftinefs, and being, as we call it, in good

Increase thy wealth, and double all thy ftore; 'Tis done: Now double that, and fwell the

score;

184

To every thousand add ten thousand more. Then fay, Chryfippus, thou who wouldft con

fine

Thy heap, where I shall put an end to mine.

liking. They were fet on a ftall when they were expofed to fale, to fhew the good habit of their body, and made to play tricks before the buyers, to thew their activity and strength.

Ver. 187. Then fay, Chryfippus, &c.] Chryfippus, the Stoick, invented a kind of argument, confifting of more than three propofitions, which is called Sorites, or a heap. But as Chryfippus could never bring his propofitions to a certain ftint, fo neither can a covetous man bring his craving defires to any certain meafure of riches, beyond which he could not with for any more.