Horace, Ode VIII. Book IV. but placed here rather for its substance than form. Q. HORATII FLACCI, CARMEN VIII. LIB. IV. a DONAREM pateras, grataque commodus, Donarem tripodas, praemia fortium b Quas aut Parrhasius protulit, aut Scopas; Solers nunc hominem ponere, nunc deum. Guades carminibus.] The imitator found himself obliged to deviate in this place a little further from his original, than perhaps the strict critic will tolerate. But as he was not quite so certain of Sir Fletcher's fondness for poetry, as Horace seems to have been about the taste of Censorinas, he thought it best to express himself with a mo, dest diffidence on that subject. . ib. Ejus, qui domita nomen ab Africa Laudes, quam Calabrae1 Pierides: neque n m Quid foret Iliae Mavortisque puer, si taciturnitas To hit a Jollux or a king ;] A phrase used by the bon ton for a fat parson. See a set of excellent Caricatures published by Bretherton, in New Bond-street. 78. Unless his Treasurer in an Ode,] The late promotion of a poet to the treasurership of the household, must necessarily give to all true votaries of the muses (as it does to me) great delectation. 'Tis whispered, by some people in the secret, that the very pacific cast of the Laureat's birth-day ode, occasioned the noble bard's ex altation; as it was thought expedient to have another poetical placeman in readiness to celebrate the final overthrow of the American rebels. Nay, it is assured, that a reversionary grant of the office of laureat has in this instance been superadded to the treasurership, yet with the defalcation of the annual butt of sack, which the Lord Steward calculates will be a considerable saving to the nation. ODE XVIII. Page 81. This Ode was occasioned by Sir W. Browne's legacy of two gold medals, to be disposed of annually, for the encouragement of poetry in the university of Cambridge; and to it the following Advertisement was prefixed. "In an age of unbounded liberty as the present, when even the * Regius Professor of Divinity himself dares publicly advance a vindication of the absurd principles of the Revolution, what are we not to expect? "Is there no chosen + David in the University, who will boldly go forth, and bid defiance to this proud and gigantic Philistine? Must the sublime doctrine of passive-obedience and non-resistance fall into disrepute ? "I trust there are some devout men in this pious seminary of sound learning, and religious education, who would not blush to profess tenets which I once was weak enough to believe were inculcated only in * See a Sermon lately published by Dr. Watson. the loyal Universities of St. Andrew's, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Aberdeen. 6.6 My learned Tutor, in particular, from whom all men profess the sincerest veneration and esteem, has delivered such divine doctrines from the pulpit, as doubtless must render him, in the eyes of all good men, truly worthy of the highest elevation. "There is one expression in the discourse to which I mean particularly to allude, which surely deserves to be engraven in letters of gold, 'Even a Nero was commanded to be obeyed,' "To him likewise we are indebted for the sub. ject of the Odes for the present year; a subject than which none can be imagined more excellent, since, as Waller very justly observed, on an occasion at least as remarkable as the present, "poets always excel in--fiction." Eman, Coll, June 10th, 1776. 81. Shall equal, O sublime Layard! And thine, sublimer Hayes !] See two late Poems upon Duelling, which obtained, and surely very deservedly, Mr. Seaton's prize. 83. Horatian Latin, Sapphic Greek,] It was stipulated in Sir William Browne's will, that the odes written for his medals should be, one in Greek, in imitation of Sappho; the other in Latin, after the manner of Horace. The subject given out last year was, 66 Laus Gulielmi Browne;" that for the present, "Bellum Americanum." The Vice-Chancellor names the subject, and con. fers the prizes. ib. Thy plains, Newmarket! never taught Young Wallop so divine a thought] The Honorable and Reverend Mr. Wallop, Mas-* ter of Magdalen College, was Vice-chancellor last year. ib. Should by his Horace be bestow'd;] Sir William was remarkably fond of this author, whose works he always carried in his pocket, and even ordered by his will that they should be buried with him in his coffin, which order was punctually obeyed. ib. Farmer! that task is thine!] Dr. Farmer, master, and at the same time tutor, of Emanuel college, bears the office of Vice-chancellor this year. 84. Sure, Sappho, thy melodious shell On such a theme will love to dwell! In Percy's youthful train] Why in vain? The author must surely mean, that Sappho, with so many kind Phaons to console her, would have no occasion to indulge the peculiar passion to which she is said to have been unhappily addicted: he cannot certainly hint, that the fair Americans would in vain display their charms to so many English Phaons; especially, as we may fairly conclude they would naturally be proud to imitate that gallantry for which their noble leader, P-rc-y, has ever been so remarkable. |