THE SIXTH EPISTLE OF THE FIRST BOOK OF HORACE
By Mr. POPE.
DUBLIN: Printed by and for
J. Jones
in
Clarendon-Sreet,
opposite to
Coppinger
's-
Lane,
1738. (Price 2
d.
)
Q. HORATII FLACCI EPIST. VI. LIB. I. AD NUMICIUM.
N IL Admirari,
prope res est una, Numici!
Solaque, quae possit facere & servare beatum.
2 Hunc Solem, & Stellas, & decedentia certis
Tempora momentis, sunt qui 3 formidine nulla
Imbuti, spectent.—
—4 Quid censes munera Terrae?
Quid Maris, extermos Arabas 5 ditantis, & Indos?
Ludicra quid, 6 plausus, & amici dona Quiritis,
Quo spectanda modo, 7 quo
sensu
credis, &
ore
?
8 Qui
timet
his adversa, fere miratur eodem
Quo
cupiens
pacto; pavor est
utrique
molestus;
Improvisa simul species exterret
utrumque.
9 Gaudeat, an doleat, cupiat, metuatne, quid ad rem?
Si, quicquid vidit melius, pejusve sua spe,
Defixis oculis, animoque & corpore torpet?
10 Insani sapiens nomen ferat, aequus iniqui,
Ultra quam satis est,
virtutem
si petat ipsam.
11 I nunc, argen um & marmor 12
vetus,
aeraque &
artes
Suspice; cum gemmis 13 Tyrios mirare colores:
Gaude, quod spectant oculi te mille loquentem:
Gnavus 15 mane forum, & vespertinus pete tectum:
16 Ne plus frumenti dotalibus emetat agris
Mucius. Indignum, quod sit pejoribus ortus!
17 Hic tibi sit potius, quam tu mirabilis illi?
18 Quicquid sub terra est, in apricum proferet AEtas,
Defodiet, condetque nitentia. 19 Quum bene notum
Porticus Agrippae, & via te conspexerit Appi,
Ire tamen restat
Numa
20 duo devenit &
Ancus.
21 Si latus, aut renes morbo tententur acuto,
Quaere fugam morbi—
—22 Vis recte vivere? quis non?
Si Virtus hoc
una
potest dare, fortis
omissis
Hoc age
deliciis—
—23 Virtutem verba putas, ut
Lucum ligna? 24 cave ne portus occupet alter,
Ne Cybiratica, ne Bityhina negotia perdas.
25 Mille talenta
rotundentur,
totidem altera: porro
Tertia succedant, & quae pars
quadret
acervum.
Scilicet 26 Uxorem
cum dote fidemque,
& 27
Amicas,
Et
genus
&
formam
regina 28 Pecunia donat:
Ac bene nummatum decorat Suadela, Venusque.
Mancipiis locuples, eget aeris 29
Cappadocum rex
;
Ne fueris hic tu—
—30 Chlamydes Lucullus (ut aiunt)
Si posset centum Scenae praebere rogatus,
Qui possum tot? ait: tamen & quaeram, & quot habebs
Mittam. Post paulo scribit, sibi millia quinque
Esse domi chlamydum: partem, vel tolleret omnes.
31 Exilis domus est, ubi non & multa
supersunt,
Et
dominum fallunt,
&
prosunt furibus.
32 Ergo,
Si res sola potest facere & servare beatum,
Hoc primus repetas opus, hoc postremus omittas.
33 Si Fortunatum species & gratia praestat,
34
Mercemur
servum, qui dictet nomina, laevum
Qui fodiat latus, & cogat trans pondera dextram
Porrigere, 36 Hic multum in
Fabia
valet, ille
Velina:
Cuilibet hic fasces dabit, eripietque curule
Cui volet
importunus
ebur. 37 Frater, Pater, adde:
Ut cuique est aetas, ita quemque 38
facetus
adopta.
Si, 39 bene qui caenat, bene vivit; "lucet, eamus
" Quo ducit gula: piscemur, venemur:" ut 40 olim
Gargilius, qui mane plagas, venabula, servos,
Differtum transire forum populumque jubebat,
Unus ut e multis populo spectante referret
Emptum mulus aprum—
—41 Crudi, tumidique lavemur,
Quid
deccat,
quid non, obliti: Cerite cera
Digni, 42
remigium vitiosum
Ithacensis Ulyssei,
Cui
potior
43
patria
fuit interdicta voluptas.
44 Si (Mimnermus uti censet) sine
amore, jocisque,
Nil est jucundum; vivas in amore, jocisque.
45 Vive, vale! si quid novisti rectius istis,
Candidus imperti: si non, his utere mecum.
FINIS.
THE SIXTH EPISTLE OF THE FIRST BOOK OF HORACE.
" N OT to Admire, is all the Art I know,
" To make men happy, and to keep them so.
[Plain Truth, dear MURRAY, need no flow'rs of speech,
So take it in the very words of
Creech.
]
2 This Vault of Air, this congregated Ball,
Self-centred Sun, and Stars that rise and fall,
There are, my Friend! whose philosophic eyes
Look thro', and trust the Ruler with his Skies,
To him commit the hour, the day, the year,
And view 3 this dreadful All without a fear.
Admire we then what 4 Earth's low entrails hold,
Arabian shores, or Indian seas infold?
All the mad trade of 5 Fools and Slaves for Gold?
Or 6 Popularity, or Stars and Strings?
The Mob's applauses, or the gifts of King's?
Say with what 7 eyes we ought at Courts to gaze,
And pay the Great our homage of Amaze?
If weak the 8 pleasure that from these can spring,
The fear to want them is as weak a thing:
Whether we dread, or whether we desire,
In either case, believe me, we admire;
Whether we 9 joy or grieve, the same the curse,
Surpriz'd at better, or surpriz'd at worse.
Thus good, or bad, to one extreme betray
Th' unbalanc'd Mind, and snatch the Man away;
For 10 Vertue's self may too much Zeal be had:
The worst of Madmen is a Saint run mad.
11 Go then, and if you can, admire the state
Of beaming diamonds, and reflected plate;
Procure a
Taste
to double the surprize,
And gaze on 12 Parian Charms with learned eyes:
Be struck with bright 13 Brocade, or Tyrian Dye,
Our Birth-day Nobles splendid Livery:
If not so pleas'd, at 14 Council-board rejoyce,
To see their Judgments hang upon thy Voice;
From 15 morn to night, at Senate, Rolls, and Hall,
Plead much, read more, dine late, or not at all.
But wherefore all this labour, all this strife?
For 16 Fame, for Riches, for a noble Wife?
Shall 17 One whom Nature, Learning, Birth conspir'd
To form, not to admire, but be admir'd,
Sigh, while his Chloë, blind to Wit and Worth,
Weds the rich Dulness of some Son of earth?
Yet 18 Time ennobles, or degrades each Line;
It brighten'd CRAGS'S, and may darken thine:
And what is Fame? the Meanest have their day,
The Greatest can but blaze, and pass away,
Grac'd as thou art, 19 with all the Power of Words,
So known, so honour'd, at the House of Lords;
Conspicuous Scene! another yet is nigh,
(More silent far) where Kings and Poets lye;
Where MURRAY (long enough his Country's pride).
Shall be no more than TULLY, or than HYDE!
21 Rack'd with Sciatics, martyr'd with the Stone,
Will any mortal let himself alone?
Rather than so, see Ward invited over,
And desp'rate Misery lays hold on Dover.
The case is easier in the Mind's disease;
There, all Men may be cur'd, whene'er they please.
Would ye be 22 blest? despise low Joys, low Gains;
Disdain whatever CORNBURY disdains;
Be Virtuous, and be happy for your pains.
23 But art thou one, whom new opinions sway,
One, who believes as Tindal leads the way,
Who Virtue and a Church alike disowns,
Thinks that but words, and this but brick and stones?
Fly 24 then, on all the wings of wild desire!
Admire whate'er the maddest can admire.
Is wealth thy passion? Hence! from Pole to Pole,
Where winds can carry, or where waves can roll,
For Indian spices, for Peruvian gold,
Prevent the greedy, and outbid the bold:
25 Advance thy golden Mountain to the skies;
On the broad base of fifty thousand rise,
Add one round hundred, and (if that's not fair)
Add fifty more, and bring it to a square.
For, mark th' advantage; just so many score
Will gain a 26 Wife with half as many more,
Procure her beauty, make that beauty chaste,
And then such 27 Friends—as cannot fail to last.
A 28 Man of wealth is dubb'd a Man of worth,
Venus shall give him Form, and Anstis Birth.
(Believe me, many a 29 German Prince is worse,
Who proud of Pedigree, is poor of Purse)
His Wealth brave 30 Timon gloriously confounds;
Ask'd for a great, he gives a hundred pounds;
Or if three Ladies like a luckless Play,
Takes the whole House upon the Poet's day.
31 Now, in such exigencies not to need,
Upon my word, you must be rich indeed;
A noble superfluity it craves,
Not for your self, but for your Fools and Knaves;
Something, which for your Honour they may cheat,
And which it much becomes you to forget.
32 If Wealth alone then make and keep us blest,
Still, still be getting, never, never rest.
33 But if to Pow'r and Place your Passion lye,
If in the Pomp of Life consist the Joy:
Then 34 hire a Slave, or (if you will, a Lord)
To do the Honours, and to give the Word;
Tell at your Levee, as the Crouds approach,
To whom 35 to nod, whom take into your Coach,
Whom honour with your hand: to make remarks,
Who 36 rules in Cornwall, or who rules in Berks;
" This may be troublesome, is near the Chair;
" That makes three Members, This can chuse a May'r."
Instructed thus, you bow, embrace, protest,
Adopt him 37 Son, or Cozen at the least,
Then turn about, and 38 laugh at your own Jest.
Or if our life be one continu'd Treat,
If 39 to live well means nothing but to eat;
Up, up! cries Gluttony, 'tis break of day,
Go drive the Deer, and drag the finny-prey;
With hounds and horns go hunt an Appetite—
So 40 Russel did, but could not eat at night,
Call'd happy Dog! the Beggar at his door,
And envy'd Thirst and Hunger to th
Poor.
Or shall we 41 ev'ry Decency confound,
Thro' Taverns, Stews, and Bagnio's take our round,
Go dine with Charters, in each Vice out-do
42 K
's lewd Cargo, or Ty
y's Crew,
From Latian Syrens, French Circaean Feasts,
Return well travell'd and transform'd to Beasts,
Or for a Titled Punk, or Foreign Flame,
Renounce our 43 Country, and degrade our Name?
If, after all, we must with 44 Wilmot own,
The Cordial Drop of Life is Love alone,
And Swift cry wisely, "Vive la Bagatelle!"
The Man that love and laughs, must sure do well.
45 Adieu—if this advice appear the worst,
E'en take the Counsel which I gave you first:
Or better Precepts if you can impart,
Why do, I'll follow them with all my heart.
FINIS.