Ipfe Deus, fimul atque volam, me folvet. HORAT. Opinor, Hoc fentit: Moriar. Mors ultima linea rerum eft. 79. Moriar.] This could not be the Senfe of Bacchus in Euripides, because he would have Pentheus acknowledge him a God, and of Confequence immortal. Horace therefore leaves the Grecian Poet, and explains the Words conformably to his own Defign of fhewing, that the Fear even of Death is not capable of fhaking the Courage of a good Man, or obliging him to abandon the Caufe of Virtue. SAN. Mors ultima linea rerum.] This does not mean, as it is generally understood, that Death is an End of all Things, but of all our Misfortunes. Rerum for rerum malarum, as in Virgil, fefsi rerum, funt lacrymæ rerum, trepida rerum. Linea,] Was a Trench drawn round the Arena, to mark the Courfe for them, who entered the Lifts. TORR. SAN. A God fhall fet me free, whene'er I please. Death is that God, the Poet here intends, EPIST. EPIST. XVII. Ad SCÆVAM. 5. UAMVIS, Scæva, fatis per te tibi confulis, & scis Quo tandem pacto deceat majoribus uti; Ditce, docendus adhuc quæ cenfet amiculus: ut fi Cæcus iter monftrare velit ; tamen afpice, fi quid Et nos, quod cures proprium feciffe, loquamur... Si te grata quies, & primam fomnus in horam Delectat; fi te pulvis ftrepitufque rotarum, Si lædit caupona; Ferentinum ire jubebo. Nam neque divitibus contingunt gaudia folis Nec vixit malè, qui natus morienfque fefellit. 10 Si Our Author in this Epiftle gives his young Friend fome Inftructions for his Conduct at Court, that he may not only fupport his own Character, but proceed with Happiness in that dangerous and flippery Road. He fhews, that an active Life; the Life of a Man, who with Honour attempts to gain and preferve the Favour of the Great, is more honeft and glorious, than an idle Life without Emulation or Ambition. He then affures him, that nothing can more probably ruin him at Court, than a mean, and fordid Defign of amaffing Money by asking Favours. SAN. Verfe 1. Scava.] As this and the next Epiftle are written upon the fame Subject, the Copyifts probably joined them together, from whence the Scholiaft and Mr. Baxter believe they were addreffed to the fame Perfon, whom they call Scava Lollius. But we do not find, that the Houfe of Lollius ever took the Surname of Scava, which appears in the Junian and Caffian Families only. Who Scava was we know not, but certainly Lollius and he were different Perfons. SAN. 6. Si te grata quies.] There are two principal Paffions, Indolence and Ambition, in the Breaft of Man, which are perpetually fetting him at Variance with himself. Horace propofes two different Parties to Scava with Regard to thele two different Paffions, either a private Life or a Court. He fets them both before him with all their Advantages, and declares in Favour of the latter. TORR, SAN EPIST. XVII. To SCEVA. LTHOUGH my Scæva knows with Art complete, A1 How to converse familiar with the Great, Yet to th' Inftruction of an humble Friend, But Et primam fomnus in boram.] The Romans began to reckon the Hours of the Day from the Time when the Sun rofe, but as it rofe much earlier in Summer than Winter, a Man might be called an early Rifer, who got up in Summer at Sun-rife. The Poet would only fay, that he, whom the Sun finds always in Bed, may well be called indolent and lazy. SAN. 10. Qui natus morienfque fefellit.] Epicurus, according to Seneca, ufed to fay, that a wife Man fhould never engage in public Affairs, unless upon extraordinary Occafions. A Maxim of much good understanding. It belongs to the fupreme Magiftrate to chufe those Perfons, who have the beft Talents for Bufinefs, and not to employ them until he is well affured of their Capacity. They, who come forward of their own accord to fill the publick Employments may juftly be fufpected. Intereft and Ambition are ufually their Motives, not a Zeal for their King or Country. SAN. Si prodeffe tuis, paulóque benigniùs ipfum Te tractare voles; accedes ficcus ad unctum. Namque Scurror ego ipfe mihi, populo tu: rectius hoc & Dante minor; quamvis fers te nullius egentem. 25 Alter 12. Accedes ficcus ad un&tum.] People of eafy Fortunes never lay down at Table without perfuming themselves with Effences; from whence the Words unctus and ficcus were used to fignify a rich and a poor Man. TORR. 13. Si pranderet olus.] This Dialogue between Ariftippus and Diogenes is told, in almoft the fame Manner, by Laertius. The Characters are well maintained, and give Strength and Spirit to the Poet's reafoning. 19. Scurror ego ipfe mibi.] Ariftippus does not acknowledge he was a Buffoon, but he makes ufe of the Term to infult Diogenes, and dexterously puts other Words of civiler Meaning into the Place of it, when he fpeaks of himself, Officium facio. My Buffoonery, fays he, procures me Profit and Honour; yours leaves You in Meannefs, Indigence, Naftiness and Contempt. My Dependance is on Kings, to whom we are born in Subjection; You are a Slave to the People, whom a wife Man fhould despise. SAN. 21. Officium facio.] Aristippus pays his Court to Dionyfius without making any Requeft. Diogenes afks even the vileft Things from the vileft of People. He would excufe himself by faying, he afks, only because what he afks is of little Value; but if the Perfon, who receives an Obligation, is inferior, at that Time, to the Perfon, who bestows it, he is inferior in Proportion to the Meanness of the Favour he receives. DAC. |