SATIRE VII. ARGUMENT. historians, lawyers, rhetoricians, grammarians, &c. These last were not only ill paid, but even forced to go to law for the poor pittance which they had earned, by the fatigue and labour of teaching school. BOTH the hope, and reason of studies, is in Cæsar only: To become criers; when, the valleys of Aganippe as it were, in the abodes of the Muses, no reward or recompence is likely to be obtained for all your poetical labours. Some read arca-but Pieria umbra seems best to carry on the humour of the metonymy in this and the preceding line. 9. Love the name, &c.] Machæra seems to denote the name of some famous crier of the time, whose business it was to notify sales by auction, and, at the time of sale, to set a price on the goods, on which the bidders were to increase; hence such a sale was called auctio. See AINSW. Præco, No. 1. q. d. If you find yourself pennyless, and so likely to continue by the exercise of poetry, then, instead of thinking it below you to be called a crier, you may cordially embrace it, and be glad to get a livelihood by auctions, as Machæra does. 5 10 10. Intrusted.] So Holyday. Commissus signifies any thing committed to one's charge, or in trust. Comp. sat. ix. 1. 93-96. Goods committed to sale by public auction are intrusted to the auctioneer in a twofold respect-first, that he sell them at the best price; and, secondly, that he faithfully account with the owner for the produce of the sales. Commissa may also allude to the commission, or licence, of the magistrate, by which public sales in the forum were appointed. Some understand commissa auctio in a metaphorical sense, alluding to the contention among the bidders, who, like gladiators matched in fight, commissi, (see sat. i. 163, note,) oppose and engage against each other in their several biddings. Stantibus, œnophorum, tripodes, armaria, cistas, Quanquam et Cappadoces faciant, equitesque Bithyni, Nemo tamen studiis indignum ferre laborem 11. To the standers by.] i. e. The people who attend the auction as buyers. 12. The Alcithoe-the Thebes, &c.] Some editions read Alcyonem Bacchi, &c. These were tragedies written by wretched poets, which Juvenal supposes to be sold, with other lumber, at an auction. 13. Than if you said, &c.] This, mean as it may appear, is still getting your bread honestly, and far better than hiring yourself out as a false witness, and forswearing yourself for a bribe, in open court. 14. The Asiatic knights.] This satirizes those of the Roman nobility, who had favoured some of their Asiatic slaves so much, as to enrich them sufficiently to be admitted into the equestrian order. These people were, notwithstanding, false, and not to be trusted. Minoris Asia populis nullam fidem esse adhibendam. Cic. pro Flacco. 15. The Cappadocians.] Their country bordered on Armenia. They were like the Cretans, (Tit. i. 12.) liars and dishonest to a proverb; yet many of these found means to make their fortunes at Rome. and were in high favour, and shared in titles and honours. 16. The other Gaul, &c.] Gallo-Græcia, or Galatia, another country of Asia Minor; from hence came slaves, who, like others, were exposed to sale with naked feet. Or it may rather signify, that these wretches (however afterwards highly honoured) were so poor, when they first came to Rome, that they had not so much as a shoe to their feet. The poet means, that getting honest bread, in however mean a way, was to be preferred to obtaining the greatest affluence, as these fellows did, by knavery. 16. Brings over.] Traducit signifies to bring, or convey, from one place to another. It is used to denote transplanting trees, or other plants, in gardens, &c. and is a very significant word here, to denote the transplanting, as it were, of these vile people from the east to Rome. 18. That joins, &c.] The perfection of heroic poetry, which seems here intended, is the uniting grand and lofty expression, eloquium vocale, with tuneful measures, modis canoris. Vocalis signifies sometimes loud-making a noise-therefore, when applied to poetry, lofty-high-sounding.-q. d. No writer, hereafter, who excels in uniting To the standers by, a pot, tripods, book-cases, chests, And the Cappadocians may do this, and the knights of Bithynia, Whom the other Gaul brings over barefoot. 15 But nobody to undergo a toil unworthy his studies Hereafter shall be compelled, whoe'er he be that joins, to tuneful Measures, melodious eloquence, and hath bitten the laurel. itself. 20 If you think protectors of your affairs are to be expected From elsewhere, and therefore the parchment of your saffroncolour'd tablet Is filled, get some wood quickly, and what You compose, Telesinus, give to the husband of Venus: 25 Or shut up, and bore thro' with the moth your books laid by. Wretch, break your pens, and blot out your watched battles, Who makest sublime verses in a small cell, That you may become worthy of ivy, and a lean image. loftiness of style with harmony of verse, shall be driven, through want, into employments which are below the dignity of his pursuits as a poet. Comp. I. 3—6. 19. Bitten the laurel.] Laurum momordit. It was a notion, that, when young poets were initiated into the service of the Muses, it was a great help to their genius to chew a piece of laurel, in honour of Apollo. Some think that the expression is figurative, and means those who have tasted of glory and honour by their compositions; but the first sense seems to agree best with what follows. 20. Mind this.] Hoc agite-lit. do this-i. e. diligently apply yourselves to poetry. -Of the emperor.] Ducis is here applied to the emperor, as the great patron and chief over the liberal arts. 21. Seeks matter for itself.] Carefully endeavours to find out its own gratification by rewarding merit. 23. Therefore the parchment, &c.] They wrote on parchment, which sometimes was dyed of a saffron-colour; sometimes it was white, and wrapped up in coloured parchment. The tabellæ were the books themselves-i. e. the pages on which their manuscripts were written. If, says the poet, you take the pains to write volumes full, in hopes of finding any other than Cæsar to reward you, you had better prevent your disappointment by burning them as fast as you can. Lignorum aliquid posce ocyuslose no time in procuring wood for the purpose. 25. Telesinus.] The poet to whom this Satire is addressed. The husband of Venus.] Vulcan, the fabled god of fire-here put for the fire itself. He was the husband of Venus. Spes nulla ulterior: didicit jam dives avarus the pains you have taken, you may have an image, i. e. a representation of your lean and starved person, with a little paltry ivy put round the head of it, in the temple of Apollo. 30. There is no farther hope.] You can expect nothing better, nothing beyond this. 32. As boys the bird of Juno.] As children admire, and are delighted with the beauty of a peacock, (see AINSW. tit. Argus,) which is of no service to the bird; so the patrons, which you think of getting, however rich and able to afford it they may be, will yet give you nothing but compliments on your performances: these will do you no more service than the children's admiration does the peacock. 32, 33. Your age passes away.] You little think that, while you are employing yourself to no purpose, as to your present subsistence, or provision for the future, by spending your time in writing verses, your life is gliding away, and old age is stealing upon you; your youth, which is able to endure the toils and dangers of the sea, the fatigues of wars, or the labours of husbandry, is decaying. 34. Then.] When you grow old. -Weariness, &c.] You'll be too feeble, in body and mind, to endure any la 30 35 40 45 bour, and become irksome even to yourself. 35. Hates both itself and its Terpsichore.] Your old age, however learned, clothed in rags, will curse itself, and the Muse that has been your undoing. Terpsichore was one of the nine Muses, who presided over dancing and music; she is fabled to have invented the harp; here, by meton. lyric poetry may be understood. 36. His arts, &c.] The artifices which your supposed patron will use, to have a fair excuse for doing nothing for you. 37. The temple, &c.] There was a temple of the Muses at Rome, which was built by Martius Philippus, where poets used to recite their works. Augustus built a library, and a temple to Apollo, on Mount Palatine, where the poets used also to recite their verses, and where they were deposited. See PERS. prol. 1. 7. and HOR. lib. i. epist. iii. 1. 17. Among the tricks made use of by these rich patrons, to avoid giving any thing to their poor clients, the poets, they affected to make verses so well themselves, as not to stand in need of the poetry of others; therefore they deserted the public recitals, and left the poor retainers on Apollo and the Muses to shift as they could. There is no farther hope: a rich miser hath now learnt 30 Himself makes verses, and yields to Homer alone, Because a thousand years [before him.] But if, with the desire of fame Inflamed, you repeat your verses, Maculonus lends a house; 40 And the house strongly barr'd is commanded to serve you, In which the door imitates anxious gates. He knows how to place his freedmen, sitting in the extreme part Of the rows, and to dispose the loud voices of his attendants. None of these great men will give as much as the benches may cost, And the stairs which hang from the hired beam, 45 And the orchestra, which is set with chairs, which are to be carried back. 38. Yields to Homer alone.] In his own conceit; and this only upon account of Homer's antiquity, not as thinking himself Homer's inferior in any other respect. 39. If, with the desire of fame, &c.] If you don't want to get money by your verses, and only wish to repeat them for the sake of applause. 40. Maculonus, &c.] Some rich man will lend you his house. 41. Strongly barr'd.] Longe-lit. exceedingly-very much-q. d. If you are thought to want money of him for your verses, the doors of his house will be barred against you, and resemble the gates of a city when besieged, and under the fear and anxiety which the besiegers occasion; but if you profess only to write for fame, he will open his house to you, it will be at your service, that you may recite your verses within it, and will procure you hearers, of his own freedmen and dependents, whom I he will order to applaud you. 43. He knows how to place, &c.] Dare, lit. to give.-q. d. He knows how to dispose his freedmen on the farthest seats behind the rest of the audience, VOL. 1. that they may begin a clap, which will be followed by those who are seated more forward. Ordo is a rank or row of any thing, so of benches or seats. 44. And to dispose, &c.] How to dispose his clients and followers, so as best to raise a roar of applause-euge!-bene!-bravo! as we say, among your hearers. All this he will do, for it costs him nothing. 46. The stairs, &c.] These were for the poet to ascend by into his rostrum, and were fastened to a little beam, or piece of wood, which was hired for the purpose. 47. The orchestra, &c.] The orchestra at the Greek theatres was the part where the chorus danced-the stage. Among the Romans it was the space between the stage and the common seats, where the senators and nobles sat to see plays acted. The poor poet is here supposed to make up such a place as this for the reception of the better sort, should any attend his recitals; but this was made up of hired chairs, by way of seats, but which were to be returned as soon as the business was over. Q |