Prodigus et stultus donat quæ spernit et odit: Fortè per angustam tenuis vulpecula rimam NOTES. Ver. 45. the lively eye,] It is said, that Pope's eyes were remarkably expressive. He seems often in his writings to keep this in mind; but the passage is very unequal to the closeness and pleasing painting of the original. Perhaps four lines never were so well expressed, as forming a delineation or accurate portrait of the Roman bard. We see the "forte latus," "nigros angustá fronte capillos;" the "dulce loqui," and "ridere decorum." The words of the first line set the person of Horace immediately before us, and nothing can be so characteristic of his style in his Epistles, as the words DULCE LOQUI; RIDERE DECORUM.-Bowles. The lines of Pope are perhaps in no respect inferior to those of Horace ; and the "laugh'd down many a summer sun, And kept you up so oft till one,” is more sprightly, as well as more decent than the Inter vina fugam Cynaræ, &c. Ver. 50. As when Belinda] A compliment he pays himself and the public on his Rape of the Lock.-Warburton. Ver. 51. A weasel once] Horace shines particularly in these short fables which he was so fond of introducing; as he does indeed in that difficult art of telling a story well, of which the story of Philippus, “Strenuus et fortis," &c. is a master-piece. We are in no one respect so very inferior to the French as in our fables; we have no La Fontaine. The fables of Gay, esteemed our best, are written in a pure and neat style, but have not much nature or humour. Horace's mice are inimitable. The long introductions to the fables of Gay's second volume of fables read like political pamphlets.-Warton. Thus fools with compliments besiege ye, 30 Ingratitude's the certain crop; And 'tis but just, I'll tell ye wherefore, You give the things you never care for. 35 Be mighty ready to do good; But makes a difference in his thought Now this I'll say, you'll find in me, To give me back my constitution! 40 The sprightly wit, the lively eye, 45 The engaging smile, the gaiety, That laugh'd down many a summer sun, And all that voluntary vein, As when Belinda raised my strain. 50 A weasel once made shift to slink In at a corn-loft through a chink; All that may make me none of mine. 55 60 Sæpe verecundum laudâsti; Rexque, Paterque Parvum parva decent. Mihi jam non regia Roma, NOTES. Ver. 67. Craggs and Child,] Mr. Craggs gave him some South-Sea subscriptions. He was so indifferent about them as to neglect making any benefit of them. He used to say, it was a satisfaction to him that he did not grow rich, as he might have done, by the public calamity. Warburton. South-sea subscriptions take who please, To set this matter full before ye, 65 70 75 80 SATIRA VI. Hoc erat in votis: modus agri non ita magnus, Si veneror stultus nihil horum; O si angulus ille Illum ipsum mercatus, aravit, dives amico Hercule: si, quod adest, gratum juvat: hâc prece te oro, Pingue pecus domino facias, et cætera, præter NOTES. Ver. 22. And to be kept in my right wits;] An apprehension of the loss of intellect gave the Dean great uneasiness through life. Some hereditary expectation, or some peculiarity of feeling, I presume, occasioned a perpetual anticipation of that sad event, which at length befel him. Pope's part of the imitation begins at verse 125, but I cannot accede to Warburton's opinion, that his portion of the performance is executed with more dexterity than that of Swift, who is unexceptionably excellent, and preserves with most happy accommodation the playful urbanity of his author. There are indeed several strokes in the more humorous passages of Pope's division, after Swift's best manner; but the following seems to me the most successful: Tells all their names, lays down the law : 66 Que ça est bon! Ah goutez ça! That jelly's rich, this malmsey healing: Pray dip your whiskers and your tail in !”—Wakefield. |