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Epist. 11.

IMITATIONS OF HORACE.

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Procure a taste to double the surprise,

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And gaze on Parian charms with learned eyes;
Be struck with bright 2 brocade, or Tyrian dye,
Our birth-day nobles' splendid livery.
If not so pleas'd, at3 council-board rejoice
To see their judgments hang upon thy voice;
From 4 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 5 fame, for riches, for a noble wife?

Shall 6 one whom Nature, learning, birth, conspir'd
To form, not to admire, but be admir'd,
Sigh, while his Chloe, blind to wit and worth,
Weds the rich dulness of some son of earth?
Yet7 time ennobles, or degrades each line;
It brighten'd Cragg'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 8 with all the pow'r of words,
So known, so honour'd, at the House of Lords:

Suspice: cum gemmis 2 Tyrios mirare colores: Gaude, quod spectant oculi te 3 mille loquentem : Gnavus 4 mane forum, et vespertinus pete tectum, 5 Ne plus frumenti dotalibus emetat agris Mucius: (indignum, quod sit pejoribus ortus) 6 Hic tibi sit potius, quam tu mirabilis illi. 7 Quicquid sub terra est, in apricum proferet atas; Defodiet, condetque nitentia. cum bene notum

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Conspicuous scene! another yet is nigh,
(More silent far) where kings and poets lie;

I Where Murray (long enough his country's pride) Shall be no more than Tully, or than Hyde!

2 Rack'd with sciatics, martyr'd with the stone, Will any mortal let himself alone?

See Ward, by batter'd beaux 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 3 bless'd? despise low joys, low gains;
Disdain whatever Cornbury disdains;

Be virtuous; and be happy for your pains.

4 But art thou one whom new opinions sway, One who believes as Tindal leads the way,

Who virtue, and a church alike disowns,

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Thinks that but words, and this but brick and stones? Fly 5 then on all the wings of wild desire,

Admire whate'er the maddest can admire.

Porticus Agrippæ, et via te conspexerit Appi,
Ire tamen restat Numa quo devenit et Ancus.

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Si latus aut renes morbo tentantur acuto,

Quære fugam morbi. 3 vis recte vivere ? quis non ? Si virtus hoc una potest dare, fortis omissis

Hoc age deliciis.

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virtutem verba putas, et

Lucum ligna? 5 cave ne portus occupet alter,

Is wealth thy passion? hence! from pole to pole,
Where winds can carry, or where waves can roll; 70
For Indian spices, for Peruvian gold,
Prevent the greedy, or outbid the bold;
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 2 wife with half as many more,
Procure her beauty, make that beauty chaste,
And then such 3 friends---as cannot fail to last.
A 4 man of wealth is dubb'd a man of worth;
Venus shall give him form, and Anstis birth.
(Believe me'many a German prince is worse,
Who, proud of pedigree, is poor of purse.)
His wealth, brave Timon gloriously confounds;
Ask'd for a groat, he gives a hundred pounds:

Ne Cibyratica, ne Bithyna negotia perdas :

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1 Mille talenta rotundentur, todidem altera; porro et
Tertia succedant, et quæ pars quadret acervum.
Scilicet 2 uxorem cum dote, fidemque, et 3 amicos,
Et genus, et formam, regina 4 pecunia donat;
Ac bene nummatum decorat Suadela, Venusque.
Mancipiis locuples, egit æris 5 Cappadocum rex:
Ne fueris hic tu. chlamydes Lucullus, ut aiunt,
Si posset centum scenæ præbere rogatus,

Or, if three ladies like a luckless play,
Take the whole House upon the poet's day.
I Now, in such exigencies not to need,
Upon my word you must be rich indeed :
A noble superfluity it craves,

Not for yourself, but for your fools and knaves;
Something which for your honour they may cheat,
And which it much behoves you to forget.

2 If wealth alone then make, and keep us, blest,
Still, still, be getting; never, never, rest.

3 But if to pow'r, and place, your passion lie, If in the pomp of life consists the joy,

Then 4 hire a slave, or (if you will) a lord,
To do the honours, and to give the word;
Tell at your levee, as the crowds approach,
To whom 5 to nod, whom take into your coach;

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Qui possum tot? ait: tamen et quæram, et quot habebo,

Mittam: post paulo scribit, sibi millia quinque Esse domi chlamydum; partem, vel tolleret omnes. 1 Exilis domus est, ubi non et multa supersunt, Et dominum fallunt, et prosunt furibus. 2 ergo Si res sola potest facere et servare beatum; Hoc primus repetas opus, hoc postremus omittas. 3 Si fortunatum species, et gratia præstat;

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4 Merçemur servum, qui dictet nomina, lævum Qui fodia latus, et 5 cogat trans pondera dextram

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Whom honour with your hand; to make remarks,

Who rules in Cornwall, or who rules in Berks:

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"This may be troublesome, is near the chair;

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"That makes three members, this can chuse a may'r."

Instructed thus, you bow, embrace, protest,

Adopt him son, or cousin, at the least,

Then turn about, and 3 laugh at your own jest.
Or if your life be one continu'd treat,
If 4 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 s Russel did, but could not eat at night;
Call'd, happy dog! the beggar at his door;
And envy'd thirst and hunger to the poor.
Or shall we 6 every decency confound,

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Thro' taverns, stews, and bagnios, take our round?

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Porrigere. Hic multum in Fabia valet, ille Velina:
Cui libet, is fasces dabit; eripietque curule,
Cui volet, importunus ebur, 2 frater, pater, adde:
Ut cuique est ætas, ita quemque 3 facetus adopta.
Si bene qui cœnat, bene vivit, lucet; eamus,
Quo ducit gula; piscemur, venemur: (ut 5 olim
Gargilius, qui mane plagas, venabula, servos,
Differtum transire forum, populumque jubebat:
Unus ut e multis populo spectante referret
Emptum mulus aprum.) crudi tumidi ̄ue lavemur,

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