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The old and tired clients go away from the vestibules,

And lay aside their wishes, altho' the man has had a very long

Expectation of a supper: pot-herbs for the wretches, and fire is to be bought.

Meanwhile their lord will devour the best things of the woods, and of the sea,

And he only will lie on the empty beds:

For from so many beautiful, and wide, and ancient dishes, They devour patrimonies at one meal.

135

There will now be no parasite: but who will bear that Filthiness of luxury? how great is the gullet, which, for itself, puts

Whole boars, an animal born for feasts?

140

Yet there is a present punishment, when you put off your clothes,
Turgid, and carry an indigested peacock to the baths:
Hence sudden deaths, and intestate old age.

138. At one meal.] Mensa-lit. table -which (by meton.) stands here for what is set upon it. Thus they waste and devour their estates in this abominable and selfish gluttony.

139. No parasite.] From raga, near, and airy, food.

These were a kind of jesters, and flatterers, who were frequently invited to the tables of the great; and who, indeed, had this in view, when they flattered and paid their court to them. Terence, in his Eunuch, has given a most spirited and masterly specimen of parasites, in his inimitable character of Gnatho.

But so fallen were the great into the meanest avarice, and into the most sordid luxury, that they could gormandize by themselves, without even inviting a parasite to flatter or divert them. But who, even though a parasite, would endure (feret) such a sight?

140. Filthiness of luxury.] Sordes, nastiness; a happy word to describe the beastliness of such gluttony with regard to the patron himself, and its stinginess and niggardliness, with respect to others. -How great is the gullet.] The gluttonous appetite of these men.

-Puts.] Ponit, sets, places on the table.

141. Whole boars, &c.] A whole boar at a time, the wild boar, especially the

Tuscan, was an high article of luxury at all grand entertainments. The word natum is here used as the word natis. HOR. lib. i. od. xxvii. 1. 1. See also OVID. Met. lib. xv. l. 117.

Quid meruistis, oves, placidum pecus, in-
que tuendos
NATUM homines?

Juvenal speaks as if boars were made and produced for no other purpose than convivial entertainments.

142. A present punishment.] Of such horrid gluttony.

-Put off your clothes.] Strip yourself for bathing.

143. Turgid.] Turgidus, swoln; puffed up with a full stomach.

-An indigested peacock.] Which you have devoured, and which is crude and indigested within you.

-To the baths.] It was the custom to bathe before meals; the contrary was reckoned unwholesome. See PERS. sat. iii. 1. 98-105. and Hor. Epist. lib. i. Ep. vi. 1. 61.

144. Sudden deaths.] Apoplexies and the like, which arise from too great repletion. Bathing with a full stomach must be likely to occasion these, by forcing the blood with too great violence towards the brain.

-Intestate old age.] i. e. Old gluttons thus suddenly cut off, without time to make their wills.

It nova, nec tristis per cunctas fabula cœnas:
Ducitur iratis plaudendum funus amicis.
Nil erit ulterius, quod nostris moribus addat
Posteritas: eadem cupient, facientque minores.
OMNE IN PRÆCIPITI VITIUM STETIT: utere velis,
Totos pande sinus. Dicas his forsitan, "unde
"Ingenium par materiæ ? unde illa priorum
"Scribendi quodcunque animo flagrante liberet
"Simplicitas, cujus non audeo dicere nomen ?
"Quid refert dictis ignoscat Mutius, an non?
"Pone Tigellinum, tædâ lucebis in illâ,
"Quâ stantes ardent, qui fixo gutture fument,
"Et latum mediâ sulcum deducis arena.

145. A new story, &c.] A fresh piece of news, which nobody is sorry for.

146. A funeral is carried forth.] The word ducitur peculiarly used to denote the carrying forth a corpse to burial, or to the funeral pile. So VIRG. Geor. iv. 256.

Exportant tectis, et tristia funera DU

CUNT.

Owing, perhaps, to the procession of the friends, &c. of the deceased, which went before the corpse, and led it to the place of burning, or interment.

146. Applauded by angry friends.] Who, disobliged by having nothing left them, from the deceased's dying suddenly, and without a will, express their resentment by rejoicing at his death, instead of lamenting it. See PERS. sat. vi. 33, 4.

148. To our morals.] Our vices and debaucheries, owing to the depravity and corruption of our morals.

-Those born after us.] Minores, i. e. natu, our descendants; the opposite of majores natu, our ancestors.

149. All vice is at the height.] In præcipiti stetit, hath stood, hath been for some time at its highest pitch, at its summit, so that our posterity can carry it no higher. Compare the two preceding

lines.

Vice is at stand, and at the highest flow. DRYDEN.

On tip toe. A:NSW.

149, 50. Use sails, Spread, &c.] A metaphor taken from sailors, who, when they have a fair wind, spread open their sails as much as they can. The poet here insinuates, that there is now a fair

145

150

155

opportunity for satire to display all its powers.

150, 1. Whence is there genius, &c.] Here he is supposed to be interrupted by some friend, who starts an objection, on his invocation to Satire to spread all its sails, and use all its powers against the vices of the times.

Where shall we find genius equal to the matter? equal to range so wide a field? equal to the description and due correction of so much vice?

151. Whence that simplicity, &c.] That simple and undisguised freedom of reproof, which former writers exercised. Alluding, perhaps, to Lucilius, Horace, and other writers of former times.

153. A burning mind.] Inflamed with zeal, and burning with satiric rage against the vices and abuses of their times.

-Of which I dare not, &c.] It is hardly safe now to name, or mention, the liberty of the old writers; it is so sunk and gone, that the very naming it is dangerous.

154. Mutius.] Titus Mutius Albutius, a very great and powerful man. He was satirized by Lucilius, and this most severely by name. See note on PERS. sat. i. I. 115.

Lucilius feared no bad consequences of this, in those days of liberty.

155. Set down Tigellinus.] i. e. Expose him as an object of satire-satirize this creature and infamous favourite of Nero's, and most terrible will be the consequence.

-In that torch.] This cruel punishment seems to have been proper to in

A new story, nor is it a sorrowful one, goes thro' all companies :

145

A funeral, to be applauded by angry friends, is carried forth. There will be nothing farther, which posterity can add

To our morals: those born after us will desire and do the same things.

ALL VICE IS AT THE HEIGHT.

Use sails,

Here, perhaps, you'll say

150

Spread their whole bosoms open. "Whence "Is there genius equal to the matter? Whence that simplicity "Of former(writers), of writing whatever they might like, with "A burning mind, of which I dare not tell the name. "What signifies it, whether Mutius might forgive what they "said, or not?

"Set down Tigellinus, and you will shine in that torch, 155 "In which standing they burn, who with fixed throat smoke; 66 And you draw out a wide furrow in the midst of sand.

cendiaries, in which light the poet humourously supposes the satirizers of the emperor's favourites, and other great men, to be looked upon at that time. After Nero had burnt Rome, to satisfy his curiosity with the prospect, he contrived to lay the odium on the Christians, and charged them with setting the city on fire. He caused them to be wrapped round with garments, which were bedaubed with pitch, and other combustible matters, and set on fire at night, by way of torches to enlighten the streets; and thus they miserably perished. See KENNETT, Ant. p. 147.

156. Standing.] In an erect posture. —With fixed throat.] Fastened by the neck to a stake.

157. And you draw out a wide furrow, &c.] After all the danger which a satirist runs of his life, for attacking Tigellinus, or any other minion of the emperor's, all his labour will be in vain; there is no hope of doing any good. It would be like ploughing in the barren sand, which would yield nothing to reward your pains.

Commentators have given various explanations of this line, which is very difficult, and almost unintelligible where the copies read deducet, as if relating to the fumant in the preceding line; but this cannot well be, that the plural

VOL. I.

.

should be expressed by the third person singular. The talk of the sufferers making a trench in the sand, by running round the post, to avoid the flames; but how can this be, when the person has the combustibles fastened round him, and must be in the midst of fire, go where he may ? Besides, this idea does not agree with fixo gutture, which implies being fastened, or fixed, so as not to be able to stir.

Instead of deducet, or deducit, I should think deducis the right reading, as others have thought before me. This agrees, in number and person, with lucebis, 1. 155, and gives us an easy and natural solution of the observation; viz. that, after all the danger incurred by satirizing the emperor's favourites, no good was to be expected; they were too bad to be reformed.

The Greeks had a proverbial saying, much like what I contended for here, to express labouring in vain; viz. Aμμov ergus-Arenam metiris, you measure the sand-i. e. of the sea.

Juvenal expresses the same thought, sat. vii. 48, 9. as I would suppose him to do in this line:

Nos tamen hoc agimus, tenuique in pul

vere sulcos

Ducimus, et littus sterili versamus aratro.

F

1

"Qui dedit ergo tribus patruis aconita, vehetur
"Pensilibus plumis, atque illinc despiciet nos?
"Cum veniet contra, digito compesce labellum :
"Accusator erit, qui verbum dixerit, hic est.
"Securis licet Æneam, Rutilumque ferocem
"Committas: nulli gravis est percussus Achilles :
"Aut multum quæsitus Hylas, urnamque secutus.
"Ense velut stricto quoties Lucilius ardens
"Infremuit, rubet auditor, cui frigida mens est
"Criminibus, tacità sudant præcordia culpâ :
"Inde iræ, et lachrymæ. Tecum prius ergo voluta
"Hæc animo ante tubas; galeatum sero duelli
"Pœnitet." Experiar quid concedatur in illos,

160

165

170

158. Wolf's bane.] Aconitum is the Latin for this poisonous herb; but it is used in the plural, as here, to denote other sorts of poison, or poison in general. See OvID, Met. i. 147.

Lurida terribiles miscent ACONITA No

verca.

-Three uncles.] Tigellinus is here meant, who poisoned three uncles that he might possess himself of their estates. And, after their death, he forged wills for them, by which he became possessed of all they had. He likewise impeached several of the nobility, and got their estates. See more in AINSW. under Tigellinus.

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-Shall he, therefore, &c.] " And because there may be danger in writing satire, as things now are, is such a "character as this to triumph in his "wickedness unmolested? Shall he be "carried about in state, and look down "with contempt upon other people, and "shall I not dare to say a word ?" This we may suppose Juvenal to mean, on hearing what is said about the danger of writing satire, and on being cautioned against it.

159. With pensile feathers.] Pensilis means, literally, hanging in the air. It was a piece of luxury to have a mattress and pillows stuffed with feathers; on which the great man reposed himself in his litter. Hence the poet makes use of the term pensilibus to plumis, as being in the litter which hung in the air, as it was carried along by the bearers. See before, 1. 32. and note; and 1. 64, 5. and note.

-From thence.] From his easy litter. -Look down.] With contempt and disdain.

160. When he shall come opposite.] The moment you meet him, carried along in his stately litter, (says Juvenal's supposed adviser,) instead of saying any thing, or taking any notice of him, let him pass quietly-lay your hand on your mouth-hold your tongue-be silent.

161. There will be an accuser.] An informer, who will lay an accusation before the emperor, if you do but so much as point with your finger, or utter with your lips, "That's he." Therefore, that neither of these may happen, lay your finger upon your lips, and make not the slightest remark.

-(Of him) who.] Illi or illius is here understood before qui, &c.

162. Though, secure.] Though you must not meddle with the living, you may securely write what you please about the dead.

-Eneas and the fierce Rutilian.] i. e. Æneas, and Turnus, a king of the Rutilians, the rival of Æneas, and slain by him. See VIRG. Æn. xii. 919, &c.

163. You may match.] Committas is a metaphorical expression, taken from matching or pairing gladiators, or others, in single combat.

Martial says,

Cum JUVENALE meo cur me committere tentas?

Why do you endeavour to match me "with my friend Juvenal ?" i. e. in a poetical contest with him.

By committas we are therefore to

"Shall he, therefore, who gave wolf's bane to three uncles, "be carried

"With pensile feathers, and from thence look down on us "When he shall come opposite, restrain your lip with your

"finger

160

"There will be an accuser (of him) who shall say the word"That's he."

165

"Though, secure, Æneas and the fierce Rutilian "You may match: smitten Achilles is grievous to none: "Or Hylas much sought, and having followed his pitcher. "As with a drawn sword, as often as Lucilius ardent "Raged-the hearer reddens, who has a mind frigid "With crimes; the bosom sweats with silent guilt: "Hence anger and tears. Therefore first revolve, with thyself, "These things in thy mind, before the trumpets: the helmeted "late of a fight

"Repents." I'll try what may be allowed towards those, 170

understand, that one might very safely write the history of Æneas and Turnus, and match them together in fight, as Virgil has done.

-Smitten Achilles.] Killed by Paris in the temple of Apollo.

Is grievous to none.] Nobody will get into danger, or trouble, by writing the history of this event.

164. Hylas much sought.] By Hercules when he had lost him. See VIRG. Ecl. vi. 43, 44.

-Followed his pitcher.] With which he was sent, by Hercules, to the river Ascanius to draw some water: where being seen, and fallen in love with, by three river-nymphs, they pulled him into the stream.

On subjects like these, saith the adviser, you may say what you please, and nobody will take offence; but beware of attacking the vices of living characters, however infamous or obnoxious.

165. Ardent.] Inflamed with satiric rage against the vices of his day.

166. Raged.] Infremuit-roared aloud, in his writings, which were as terrible to the vicious, as the roaring of a lion, which the verb infremo signifies: hence Met. to rage violently, or tumultuously.

-Reddens.] With anger and shame. 166, 7. Frigid with crimes.] Chilled, as it were, with horror of consciencetheir blood ran cold, as we should say.

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168. Anger and tears.] Anger at the satirist-tears of vexation and sorrow at being exposed.

169. Before the trumpets.] A metaphor taken from the manner of giving the signal for battle, which was done with the sound of trumpets.

Think well, says the adviser, before you sound the alarm for your attackweigh well all hazards before you begin.

-The helmeted, &c.] When once a man has gotten his helmet on, and advances to the combat, it is too late to change his mind. Once engaged in writing satire, you must go through; there's no retreating.

170. I'll try, &c.] Well, says Juvenal, since the writing satire on the living is so dangerous, I'll try how far it may be allowed me to satirize the dead.

Hence he writes against no great and powerful person, but under the feigned name of some vicious character that lived in past time.

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