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Ay; there's the man, who loos'd from luft and pelf,

Lefs to the prætor owes, than to himself.
But write him down a flave, who, humbly proud,
With prefents begs preferments from the crowd
That early fuppliant who falutes the tribes,
And fets the mob to scramble for his bribes :
That fome old dotard, fitting in the fun,

On holidays may tell, that fuch a feat was done:
In future times this will be counted rare.

Thy fuperftition too may claim a fhare: When flow'rs are ftrew'd, and lamps in order plac'd,

And windows with illuminations grac'd,
On Herod's day; when sparkling bowls go round,
And tunny's tails in favoury fauce are drown'd,
Thou mutter'st pray'rs obfcene; nor dost refuse
The fasts and fabbaths of the curtail'd Jews.
Then a crack'd egg-fhell thy fick fancy frights,
Befides the childish fear of walking sprights.
Of o'ergrown gelding priests thou art afraid;
The timbrel, and the fquintifego maid
Of Ifis, awe thee: left the Gods for fin,
Should, with a swelling dropfy, stuff thy skin:
Unless three garlick heads the curfe avert,
Eaten each morn, devoutly, next thy heart.

Preach this among the brawny guards, fay'ft

thou,

And fee if they thy doctrine will allow :
The dull fat captain, with a hound's deep throat,
Would bellow out a laugh, in a base note;
And prize a hundred Zeno's just as much
As a clipt fixpence, or a fchilling Dutch.

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THE

SIXTH SATIRE

O F

PERSIU S.

This fixth fatire treats an admirable common-place of moral philofophy; of the true ufe of riches. They are certainly intended by the Power who beflows them, as inftruments and helps of living commodiously ourselves; and of adminiftring to the wants of others, who are oppressed by fortune. There are two extremes in the opinions of men concerning them. One error, tho on the right hand, yet a great one, is, that they are no helps to a virtuous life; the other places all our happinefs in the acquifition and poffeffion of them; and this is, undoubtedly, the worse extream. mean betwixt thefe, is the opinion of the Stoicks; which is, that riches may be useful to the leading a virtuous life; in cafe we rightly understand how to give according to right reafon;

ceive what is given us by others.

The

and how to re

The virtue of

giving well, is called liberality: and it is of this

virtue that Perfius writes in this fatire; wherein be not only fhews the lawful ufe of riches, but also Sharply inveighs against the vices which are op= pofed to it; and especially of those, which confift in the defects of giving or spending; or in the abufe of riches. He writes to Cafius Baffus bis friend, and a poet also. Enquires firft of his health and ftudies; and afterwards informs him of his own, and where he is now refident, He gives an account of himself, that he is endeavour ing by little and little to wear off bis vices; and particularly, that he is combating ambition, and the defire of wealth. He dwells upon the latter vice and being fenfible that few men either defire or ufe riches as they ought, he endeavours to convince them of their folly; which is the main defign of the whole fatire,

THE

SIXTH

SATIRE.

To CESIUS BASSUS, a Lyric Poet,

HAS

AS winter caus'd thee, friend, to change thy feat,

And seek in Sabine air a warm retreat?

Say, do'st thou yet the Roman harp command Do the ftrings answer to thy noble hand ?

Great mafter of the mufe, infpir'd to fing
The beauties of the firft created fpring;
The pedigree of nature to rehearse,

And found the Maker's work, in equal verfe.
Now fporting on thy lyre the loves of youth.
Now virtuous age, and venerable truth;
Expreffing juftly Sappho's wanton art
Of odes, and Pindar's more majestic part.
For me, my warmer conftitution wants
More cold, than our Ligurian winter grants;
And therefore to my native fhoars retir'd,
I view the coaft old Ennius once admir'd;
Where clifts on either fides their points dif-
play;

And, after, opening in an ampler way,
Afford the pleafing prospect of the bay.
"Tis worth your while, O Romans, to regard
The port of Luna fays our learned bard;
Who in a drunken dream beheld his fou!
The fifth within the tranfmigrating roll;
Which first a peacock, then Euphorbus was,
Then Homer next, and next Pythagoras;
And laft of all the line did into Ennius pafs.
Secure and free from business of the state;
And more fecure of what the vulgar prate,

Here

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