their noble Poetafters not only fcribbled themselves, but encouraged in others. Of these their miserable Attempts in the Way of Poetry, the Author exhibits to us a small Specimen: At the fame Time lamenting, that he dares not Speak out with the Freedom allowable in former Times, and practifed by his Predeceffors in Satire, Lucilius and Horace. He then concludes, expressing a generous Difdain for all worthless Blockheads whatever: The only Readers whofe Applause he covets, must be Men of Virtue, and Men of Senfe.

THE

THE

FIRST SATIRE

OF

PERSIUS.

PERSIUS. MONITOR. *

P. Ain

Ain Cares of Man! all earthly Things how vain! M. Good Heav'ns! Who'll read this canting, preaching Strain ?

P. Speak'ft thou to me? Not one, i'faith, not one.

M. Yes, two perhaps, or P. None, most likely, none.

M. The Cafe is piteous-P. Why a piteous Cafe?

Polydamas forfooth, and all the Race

Of Mafter-Miffes, join in my Difgrace!TM

5

Ver. 6. Polydamas forfooth!] He means here Nero and his Minions; alluding to a Paffage in a Speech of Hector's. Hom. Iliad. B. XXII. V. 100 and 105.

.

B 4

Admit

Admit they do, need I for this repine,

That fuch e'en Labeo's Page prefer to mine?
Ridiculous! If muddy-headed Rome

Condemn our Wit, must we abide the Doom?
Stand to th' Award of an ill-judging Town?
And by their falfer Scale, adjust our own?

No, no; for others Judgments ask no more:

10

To know thy felf, thy felf alone explore.

15

For who at Rome is not a-? Might I fay,
O might I mention what! — But Yure I may.
For fee what Toys, their fenfelefs Lives engage,
From playful Childhood up to reverend Age!
Yet mark the folemn Cheat, the fage Grimace!
Cenforian Beard, Severity of Face!

Viewing these hoary Fools, enrag'd I glow:

Out, out it muft-You must excuse me. M. No.

20

Ver. 9. Labeo's Page] Actius Labeo was a Court-Scribler, who made a literal and wretched Translation of feveral Books of Homer's Iliad into Latin. See Verfe 115 and 272.

Ver. 14. No, no; for others Judgments] This is fpoken conformably to that Principle of the Stoic Philofophy, which 'maintained that a wife Man should not make other People's Opinion, but his own right Reason only, his Rule of A☆ion.

P. But

P. But my unruly Spleen with Laughter fwells: What must I do, when Nature thus rebels?

M. What muft

you

do? The fame that others do:

25

Obferve the Courfe our other Bards purfue.

Pent in their lonely Studies, they compofe,

Some, meafur'd Numbers, fome, unfetter'd Profe:

But, be it Profe or Numbers, all they write

Is quite fublime. P. Sublime, no doubt on't, quite !
Alike fublime: For fee, from first to last,
The Profe is Fuftian, and the Verfe Bombaft!
It's Author too, alike, the heavy Load

Puffs from his huge, rehearfing Lungs, abroad.
And lo the promis'd Day! At length, 'tis here:
New-cloath'd, new-powder'd, fee the Wit appear!
A finish'd Beau, forfooth, behold him stand,

A Birth-Day Jewel sparkling on his Hand!

A fofening Gargle tunes his warbling Throat,

And fits the varying Pipe for every Note.

A Desk, rais'd high, the liftening Throng controlls; He mounts, and out the melting Poem rolls.

30

35

40

His Eye, a Comment to his Sense affords;

And adds lafcivious Looks, to luscious Words.

45

These are the Means, the shameful Means! that please : Rome's very Nobles own the Power of these.

Soon as the lewd, the luft-provoking Line (Affifted by the foft, falacious Whine)

Shoots thro' the Bones it's prurient Influence,

And wakes the tickled Marrow's inmoft Sense;

50

Lo, how they all a wriggling Joy confefs,

And vile Applause, in broken Sounds, express!

What! at this Age, with these grey reverend Hairs,

Turn'ft thou a Pander to fuch Ears as theirs?

55

Theirs! at whose glutting Praise, ev'n thou wou'dft cry,

Forbear! Forbear! or else I burst, I die.

"Well but, (Say you) what Ufe does Science yield,

"If in the parent Mind it lie conceal'd?

"If there the Leaven fwell, in vain, for Vent,

"If there the barren Fig-tree still be pent?

O Men!