210

Stultitiâne erret, nihilum diftabit, an irâ.
Ajax, cùm immeritos occidit, defipit, agnos;
Cùm prudens fcelus ob titulos admittis inanes:
Stas animo? & purum eft, vitio tibi cùm tumidum est

cor?

214

Si quis lecticâ nitidam geftare amet agnam ;
Huic veftem, ut natæ, paret ancillas, paret aurum ;
Pupam aut pupillam adpellet, fortique marito
Deftinet uxorem; interdicto huic omne adimat jus
Prætor, & ad fanos abeat tutela propinquos.
Quid fi quis natam pro mutâ devovet agnâ,
Integer eft animi? Ne dixeris. Ergo ubi prava 220
Stultitia, hic fumma eft infania: qui fceleratus,
Et furiofus erit. Cepit quem vitrea fama,
Hunc circùm tonuit gaudens Bellona cruentis.
Nunc, age, luxuriem & Nomentanum arripe mecum:
Vincet enim ftultos ratio infanire nepotes..
Hic fimul accepit patrimonî mille talenta,
Edicit, pifcator uti, pomarius, auceps,
Unguentarius, ac Tufci turba impia vici,

225

Cum fcurris fartor, cum Velabro omne macellum, Manè domum veniant. Quid enim? Venere frequentes; Verba facit leno: Quidquid mihi, quidquid & horum

Cuique

the Paffions, this deteftable Crime was clothed with a fpecious Appearance of public Good, and disguised under the Names of Heroifm and Generofity.

210. Ira.] Anger is here understood of any of the Paffions. SAN, 214. Si quis lectica.] The Stoic gives the Grecian Monarch no Quarter. He hath already fhewn, that his Folly was criminal, he now proves that it was ridiculous.

SAN.

216. Pupam aut pupillam.] The Commentators have had much Trouble with thefe two Words, and the Manufcripts differ greatly. Pufam aut pufillam, putam aut putillam, pupam aut pufinnam, Rufam aut Rufillam, Rufam aut Pofillam. The prefent Reading is taken from the Manufcripts of Lambinus, and feems to have that 1 Childish

The Images of Right and Wrong mistakes,

And Rage or Folly no great Difference makes.

Was Ajax mad, when thofe poor Lambs he flew,
And are your Senfes right, while you purfue,
With every Crime, an empty Title's Fame?
Is the Heart pure high-fwelling for a Name?
Should a Man take a Lambkin in his Chair;
With fondling Names carefs the fpotless Fair;
Clothes, Maids and Gold, as for his Child provide,
And a flout Husband for the lovely Bride,

His civil Rights the Judge would take away,
And to Trustees in Guardianship convey.

Then fure you will not call him found of Brain,
By whom his Daughter for a Lamb was flain.
Blood-ftain'd Bellona thunders round his Head,
Who is by glaffy Fame in Triumph led.

Now try the Sons of Luxury, you'll find,
That Reafon proves the Fools of madding Kind.
A thousand Talents yonder Youth receives,
Paternal Wealth, and ftreight his Orders gives,
That all the Trades of Elegance and Tafte,
All who with Wit and Humour joy a Feast,
The impious Croud, that fills the Tuscan Street,
And the whole Shambles at his House should meet.
What then? They frequent his Command obey'd,
And thus his Speech the wily Pander made.

What

Childishness of Language, which is ufually spoken to Children. My Baby, pupa; my little Baby, pupillam.

223. Hunc circumtonuit Bellona.] None but a Stoic durft treat a King fo familiarly. The laft Compliment he makes him is, that Ambition hath turned his Brain. The Poet hath raised this Verse, with greater Pomp of Images, Expreffion, and Cadence. SAN.

224. Nunc age, luxuriem.] The People of Luxury now appear at the Bar, to be convicted of Madness.

Cuique domi eft, id crede tuum; & vel nunc pete, vel

cras.

232

Accipe, quid contra juvenis refponderit æquus :
Tu nive Lucanâ dormis ocreatus, ut aprum
Conem ego: tu pisces hyberno ex æquore verris: 235
Segnis ego, indignus qui tantum poffideam. Aufer;
Sume tibi decies; tibi tantumdem; tibi triplex,
Unde uxor mediâ currit de nocte vocata.
Filius Æfopi detractam ex aure Metellæ
(Scilicet ut decies folidum exforberet) aceto
Diluit infignem baccam: quî fanior, ac fi
Illud idem in rapidum flumen, jaceretve cloacam?
Quinti progenies Arrî, par nobile fratrum,

240

Nequitie & nugis, pravorum & amore gemellum,
Lufcinias foliti impenfo prandere coëmtas:

245

Quorfum abeant? fanin'? cretâ an carbone notandi ?
Edificare cafas, ploftello adjungere mures,

Ludere par impar, equitare in arundine longâ,
Si quem delectet barbatum; amentia verfet.
Si puerilius his ratio effe evincet amare;

250 Nec

234. Tu nive.] It is thus quoted by Johnfon in his Notes on Grotius, and has been received by our best modern Editors. In muft be understood, and tu is neceffary to distinguish the Perfons to whom our Prodigal fpeaks.

237. Decies.] Centena millia feftertium, about feven hundred eighty-one Pounds five Shillings of our Money. The Tranflator ufes five hundred Pounds as a general Sum, which is, probably, all that the Original means.

238. Unde uxor.] The old Commentator tells us, that these Mer chants pretended they were married to their Slaves, that they might fell them at an higher Price.

242. Quinti progenies Arri.] We may believe they were the Sons of Arrius, mentioned in the eighty-fixth Verfe. Their Luxury was eating Nightingales, probably, because they could fing, as if the Mufic of the Bird made the Tafte more delicious; and as Mr. Da cier obferves, they eat them at Dinner, against all fober Cuftoms of the Romans.

246. Cretâ

Whate'er thefe People have; whate'er is mine; To-day, to-morrow fend, be fure is thine.

Hear the juft Youth this generous Answer make, "In clumfy Boots, dear Hunter, for my fake, "You fleep in wild Lucania's fnowy Waste, "That I at Night on a whole Boar may feast. "For Fish you boldly fweep the wintry Seas, "That I, unworthy, may enjoy my Ease. "Let each five hundred Pounds, with Pleasure, take, “To thee, dear Pander, I a Present make

"Of twice a thousand, that with all her Charms
"Your Wife at night may run into my Arms."
An Actor's Son diffolved a wealthy Pearl,
The precious Ear-ring of his favourite Girl,
In Vinegar, and thus luxurious quaff'd
A thousand folid Talents at a Draught.
Had he not equally his Wisdom shown,
Into the Sink or River were it thrown?

A noble Pair of Brothers; Twins in Truth,
In all th' Exceffes, Trifles, Crimes of Youth,
On Nightingales of monftrous Purchase din'd;
What is their Process? Are they found of Mind?
Suppofe, in childish Architecture skill'd,

A bearded Sage his Caftle Cottage build;
Play odd and even; ride his reedy Cane,
And yoke his harness'd Mice, 'tis Madness plain.
But what if Reafon, powerful Reason, prove
'Tis more than equal Childishness to love?

If

246. Cretâ an carbone notandi.] Are they to be marked with Chalk, or Charcoal? A proverbial Expreffion. Are they wife or foolish?

247. Edificare cafas.] The Paffion of Love is here represented both as Folly and Madness. In the first State, it diverts us with the

Nec quidquam differre, utrumne in pulvere, trimus
Quale priùs, ludas opus, an meretricis amore
Solleitus plores: quæro, faciafne, quod olim
Mutatus Polemo? ponas infignia morbi,

Fafciolas, cubital, focalia? potus ut ille

Dicitur ex collo furtim carpfiffe coronas,
Poftquam eft impranfi correptus voce magiftri.
Porrigis irato puero cùm poma, recufat:

255

Sume, Catelle: negat: fi non des, optet. Amator
Exclufus qui diftat? agit ubi fecum, eat, an non, 260
Quò rediturus erat non arceffitus ; & hæret
Invifis foribus: Ne nunc, cùm me vocat ultro,
Accedam? an potiùs mediter finire labores?
Exclufit, revocat, redeam ? non, fi obfecret. Ecce
Servus non paulò fapientior: O here, quæ res
Nec modum habet neque confilium, ratione atodoque
Tractari non vult. In amore hæc funt mala: bellum,
Pax rurfum. Hæc fi quis tempeftatis prope ritu
Mobilia, & cæca fluitantia forte laboret

265

Reddere

Ridiculoufnefs, which always attends it; in the fecond, it infpires us with Horrour, by the dreadful Effects it produces.

254. Polemo.] Polemon was a young Athenian, who running One Day through the Streets, inflamed with Wine, had the Curiofity to go into the School of Xenocrates to hear him. The Philo fopher dextrously turn'd his Difcourfe upon Sobriety, and spoke with fo much Force, that Polemon from that Moment renounced his Intemperance, and purfued his Studies with fuch Application, as to fucceed Xenocrates in his School. Thus, as Valerius Maximus remarks, being cured by the wholefome Medicine of one Oration, he became a celebrated Philofopher, from an infamous Prodigal.

255 Fafciolas, cubital, focalia.] The Difficulty of this Paffage confits in knowing whether thefe Words mean the Drefs of a Lover or a fick Man; and although the Tranflator hath chofen the firft Senfe, yet he dares not be pofitive, that he hath made the best Choice. If we understand the Paffage as applied to a fick Perfon, our Poet must then argue in this Manner; When a Patient recovers his Health, he throws off the Clothes he was obliged to wear in his Disorder. Will you do the fame? Will you quit the Marks

of