Who gelt a boy deform'd, to hear him sing. 475 Sporus, his spouse, nor crooked was, nor lame, Adult'rers are with dangers round beset; 480 485 490 But your Endymion, your smooth, smockfac'd Unrivall'd, shall a beauteous dame enjoy: [boy, Not so: one more salacious, rich, and old, Outbids, and buys her pleasure for her gold: Now he must moil, and drudge, for one he loaths, She keeps him high in equipage and clothes: She pawns her jewels, and her rich attire, And thinks the workman worthy of his hire: In all things else immoral, stingy, mean; But, in her lusts, a conscionable queen. 500 She may be handsome, yet be chaste, you say; Good observator, not so fast away: Did it not cost the modest youth his life, 505 The ladies charg'd 'em home, and turn'd the tale; With shame they redden'd, and with spite grew pale. 'Tis dang'rous to deny the longing dame; Now Silius wants thy counsel, give advice; 510 515 503 Hippolytus, the son of Theseus, was loved by his mother-in-law Phædra; but he not complying with her, she procured his death. 505 Bellerophon, the son of king Glaucus, residing some time at the court of Pætus, king of the Argives, the queen, Sthenobæa, fell in love with him; but he refusing her, she turned the accusation upon him, and he narrowly escaped Pætus's vengeance. 512 Messalina, wife to the emperor Claudius, infamous for her lewdness. She set her eyes upon C. Silius, a fine youth, forced him to quit his own wife, and marry her with all the formalities of a wedding, whilst Claudius Cæsar was sacrificing at Hostia. Upon his return, he put both Silius and her to death. 520 525 Which in a Roman marriage is profest. But looks more kindly through a lady's eyes. What then remains? Are we depriv'd of will, Must we not wish, for fear of wishing ill? Receive my counsel, and securely move; 530 535 540 Ah that we lov'd ourselves but half so well! 550 A soul, that can securely death defy, To dalliance, banquet, and ignoble ease. The path to peace is virtue: what I show, Thyself may freely on thyself bestow : Fortune was never worshipp'd by the wise; But, set aloft by fools, usurps the skies. 560 THE SIXTEENTH SATIRE OF JUVENAL. THE ARGUMENT. THE poet in this satire proves, that the condition of a soldier is much better than that of a countryman: first, because a countryman, however affronted, provoked, and struck himself, dares not strike a soldier; who is only to be judged by a court martial: and by the law of Camillus, which obliges him not to quarrel without the trenches, he is also assured to have a speedy hearing, and quick dispatch: whereas, the townsman or peasant is delayed in his suit by frivolous pretences, and not sure of justice when he is heard in the court. The soldier is also privileged to make a will, and to give away his estate, which he got in war, to whom he pleases, without consideration of parentage or relations, which is denied to all other Romans. This satire was written by Juvenal when he was a commander in Egypt: it is certainly his, though I think it not finished. And if it be well observed, you will find he intended an invective against a standing army. WHAT vast prerogatives, my Gallus, are Though raw in arms, and yet afraid to fight, 1 What vast prerogatives] This satire is much inferior to the rest. The old scholiast denies that it is by Juvenal. I suppose Dryden was forced to add it to fill up his volume. -Barten Holyday's notes, added to his translation of Juvenal, are worth reading. Dr. J. W. |