HORACE

HMH? Hor. Lib. 1. Sat. 9. yes; I will begin and Ode so; & it shall be to Mecoenas. Swell me a bowl with lusty wine, Till I may see the plump Lyaeus swim Above the brim: I drink, as I would wright; In flowing measure, filled with Flame, & spright. Not greatly gallant, Sir: Like my Fortune's; well. I'm bold to take my leave Sir, you'd nought else Sir, would you? A Scholar Sir? I shall be covetous of your fair know ledge. To the proportion of your beard, I think it sir. Thanks, great Apollo: I will not slip thy favour of feared me in my escape, for my Fortune's. How? Treason? Phœbus himself shall kneel at Caesars Shrine, And deck it with Bay Grlands deaw'd with Wine, To quite the worship Caesar does to him: Where other Princes, hoisted to their thrones By Fortune's passionate and disordered power, Fit in their height, Like Clouds, before the Sun, Hindering his comforts; and (by their excess Of cold in Virtue, and cross heat in Vice) Thunder and tempest, on those learned heads, Whom Caesar with such Honour does advance. Caesar speaks after common men, in this, To make a difference of me, for my poorness: As if the filth of Poverty sunk as deep Into a knowing spirit, as the Bane Of riches does, into and ignorant soul. No Caesar; they be pathless, moorish minds, That being once made rotten with the dung Of damned Riches, ever after sink Beneath the steps of any Villainy. But Knowledge is the Nectar, that keeps sweet A perfect Soul even in this Grave of sin; And for my Soul, it is as free, as Caesars: For, what I know is endue, I'll give to all. "He that detracts, or envies virtuous Merit, "Is still the covetous, and the ignorant spirit. I judge him of a rectified spirit, By many revolutions of discourse (In his bright reasons influence) refined From all the tartarous Moods of common Men; Bearing the Nature, and similitude Of a right heavenly Body; most severe In fashion, and collection of himself; And then as clear, and confident, as Jove. His Learning labours not the School-like Gloss, That most consists in Echoing Words, and Terms, And soonest wins a man and Empty name; Nor any long, or farfetched Circumstance, Wrapped in the curious General'ties of Arts: But a direct, and Analyticke Sum Of all the worth and first effects of Arts. And for his Poesy, it's so rammed with Life, That it shall gather strength of Life, with being; And live hereafter, more admired, then now. I am content. I. Please it great Caesar, I have Pills about me (Mixed with the whitest kind of Ellebore ) Would give him a light vomit; that should purge His Brain, and Stomach of those tumorous heats: Might I have leave to minister unto him. They are somewhat bitter, but wholesome; Take another, yet; so: Stand by, they'll work anon. My Physic begins to work with my Patient, I see. If this be all; faith, I forgive thee freely. Envy me still; so long as Virgil loves me, Gallus, Tibullus, and the best-best Caesar, My deer Mecoenas; while these, with many more (Whose names I wisely slip) shall think me worthy Their honoured and adored Society, And read, and love, prove, and applaud my Poems; I would not wish but such as you should spite them. A Basin, a Basin, quickly; our Physic works. Faint not, man. Retrograde, Reciprocal, and Incubus are come up. Well said: here's some store. Glibbery, Lubricall, and Defunct. Nothing, yet. I. What cheer, Crispinus? Good. Again. That Clumsy stuck terribly. Spurious, Snotteries, Chilblained, Clumsy. Doubtless, this Gallants tongue has a good turn, when he sleeps. No Sir; but I am in some fear, I must, now. With your silver Bodkin, it does well, Sir. Is't not possible to make and escape from him? Heres he, could wish you had else. You put your Memory to too much trouble, Sir. I cry you mercy; then, they are my Ears That must be tortured; well, you must have patience, Ears. Yes Sir: your Satin sleeve begins to fret at the 1 page duplicate 1 page duplicate Rug that is underneath it, I do observe; And your ample Vel vet hose are not without evident stains of a hight disposition Naturally. 'Hart! I have put him now in a fresh way To vex me more: Faith Sir, your Mercers book Will tell you with more patience, then I can; For I am crossed, and so's not that, I think. Rack not your thoughts, good Sir; rather, defer it To a new Time; I'll meet you at your lodging, Or where you please: Till then, Jove keep you Sir. Yes Sir. Apollo, Hermes, Jupiter, look down up on me. Excellent. Troth Sir, I must be abrupt, & leave you. I shall not? what remedy? Fie, how I sweat with suffering. Pray Sir, give me leave to wipe my face a little. Thank you Sir. Death! must crave his leave to piss anon; Or that I may go hence with half my teeth, I am in some such fear: This Tyranny Is strange; to take mine Ears up by Commission, (Whither I will or no) and make them stalls To his lewd Solecisms, and worded trash. Happy the bold Bolanus, now, I say; Rome's Common Buffon: His free Impudence Would, long ere this, have called this fellow; Fool; And rank, and tedious Fool, and have slung jests As hard as stones, till he had pelted him Out of the place: whilst my tame Modesty Suffers my Wit be made a solemn Ass To bear his Fopperies.— Sir, I am going to visit a Friend, that's sick. No Sir, you do not know him; and it's not the worse for him. Where, I shall be fearful to draw you out of your way, Sir; a great way hence; Pray sir, let's partly. On the far side of all Tiber yonder, by Caesars Gardens. Yes Sir: marry the Plague is in that partly of the City; I had almost forgotten to tell you, Sir. I have, it seems; or else this heavy scourge Could never have lighted on me.— I am to go down some half mile, this way, Sir, first; to speak with his Physician: And from thence to his Upon thecary, where I shall stay the mixing of diverse drug— Oh, that I knew a Name would fright him now. Rhadamanthus Sir: Ther's one so called, is a joust Judge in hell; And does inflict strange vengeance on all those, That (here on earth) torment poor patient spirits. Your Apothecary does, Sir. Sir, I have made a most solemn vow: I will never Bail any man. That may be Sir: I but guest at his name by his Sign. But your Minos is a Judge to, Sir? I can not Bail you yet, Sir. Nor yet. If you may be trusted, Sir. Is your Mother living, Sir? You have much of the Mother in you, Sir: your Fa there is dead? The more their happiness; that rest in peace, Free from th'aboundant torture of thy tongue; Would I were with them too. I now remember me, Sir, of a sad fate A Cunning woman, on Sabella sung, When in her Urn, she cast my destiny, I being but a Child. She told me, I should surely never perish By Famine, Poison, or the Enemies sword; The Hecticke Fever, Cough, or Pleurisy, Should never hurt me; nor the tardy Gout: But in my Time, I should be once surprised, By a strong tedious Talker, that should vex And almost bring me to Consumption. Therefore (if I were wise) she warned me shun All such long-winded Monsters, as my bane; For if I could but escape that one Discourser, I might (no doubt) prove and old aged man. By your leave Sir? Now let me die Sir, if I know your Laws; Or have the power, to stand half so long In their ( _____ ) Courts, as while a Case is Argued. Beside, you know Sir where I am to go, and the Necessity.— I hope the hour of my release be come: He will (upon this Consideration) discharge me sure. Oh Jupiter, me Sir; me, by any means: I beseech you, me, Sir. Nay then, I am desperate: I follow you Sir. It's hard contending with a man that overcomes thus. He's still himself, Sir. Gods, You do know it, I can hold no longer; This Brize hath pricked my Patience: Sir, your Silkenesse Clearly mistakes Mecoenas; and his house; To think, there breathes a Spirit beneath his Roof, Subject unto those poor affections Of undermining Envy, and Detraction, Moods, only proper to base groveling minds: That Place is not in Room, I dare affirm, More pure, or free, from such low common Evils. There's no man grieved, that this is thought more Rich, Or this more Learned; Each man hath his Place, And to his merit, his reward of Grace: Which with a mutual love they all embrace. I am no Torturer, to enforce you to believe it, but 'tis so. Tut, you'll conquer him, as you have done me; There's no standing out against you Sir, I see that. Either your Importunacy, or the Intimation of your good Parts; or— And Impudence. Archer of Heaven; Phœbus take thy Bow And with a full drawn shaft, nail to the earth This Python; that I may yet run hence, and live: Or Brawny Hercules, do thou come down; And (though thou makest it up thy thirteenth labour) Rescue me from this Hydra of discourse here. Oh welcome my Redeemer. Aristius, as thou love me, Ransom me. Death, I am seazd on here By a Land- Remora, I cannot stir; Not move, but as he please. 'Hart! He cleaves to me Like Alcides shirt, Tearing my Flesh, and Sin was; o I have been vexed And tortured with him, worse then forty Fevers. For Jove's sake, find some means, to take me from him. Nay, Aristius? Death! will a'leaue me? Fuscus Aristius, do you hear? Gods of Room, you said you had somewhat to say to me in private. Mischief, and torment! Oh my Soul, and Heart, How are you Cramped with anguish! Death it self Brings not the Like Convulsion. Oh this day, That ever I should view thy tedious face? Away, good Prodigy, afflictme not. A Friend, and mock me thus! never was man So left under the Axe— how now. Gentlemen, hear you the news? Our melancholic Friend, Propertius, Hath closed him self, up, in his Cynthia's Tomb; And will by no entreaties be drawn thence. Crispinus? Hide me, good Gallus; Tibullus shelter me. I am surprised again; Farewell. What, and be tired on, by yonder Vulture? No: Phœbus defend me. Exit. Let royal Bounty (Caesar) mediate. Nay, why pursue you not the Emperor for your re ward, now; Lupus? Thou base unworthy Groom. (Lupus.) I it's good. Was this the Treason? this, the dangerous plot, Thy clamorous tongue so bellowed through the Court? Hadst thou no other Project to increase Thy Grace with Caesar, but this Wolvish train; To pray upon the life of innocent Mirth, And harmless pleasures, bred, of noble wit? Away: I loath thy presence: Such as thou, They are the Moathes, and Scarabbes of a State; The Bane of Kingdoms; and the dregs of Courts: Who (to endear themselves to any 'mploiement) Care not, whose fame they blast; whose life they endanger: And under a disguised, and cobweb Masque Of love, unto their Sovereign, vomit forth Their own prodigious malice; and pretending To be the Props, and Columns of his safety, The Guards unto his Person, and his Peace, Disturb it most, with their false Lapwing cries. "Custom, in course of Honour, ever erres: "And they are best, whom Fortune least prefers. It is the imperfect Body of and Emblem, Caesar, I began for Mecoenas. A Just man cannot fear, thou foolish Tribune; Not, though the Malice of traducing Tongues, The open vastness of a Tyrants Ear, The senseless Rigor of the wrested Laws, Or the read Eyes of strained Authority Should, in a point, meet all to take his life: His Innocence is Armour against all these. Pish. Would, would: With reverence to great Caesar, worthy Romans, Observe but this ridiculous Commenter: The Soul to my Devise, was in this Distich. Thus, oft, the base and ravenous multitude Survive, to share the spoils of Fortitude: Which in this Body, I have figured here; A WLTVRE — And therefore must it be and Eagle? A WLTVRE and a WOLF — Praying upon the Carcase of and ASS — If you will needs take it, I cannot with Modesty give it from you. I am the worst Accuser, under Heaven. I take no knowledge, that they do malign me. Would the World knew How heartily I wish, A Fool should hate me. I only know him for a Motion, Caesar. And why, thou Motley Gull? why should they fear? When hast thou known us wrong, or tax a Friend? I dare thy malice, to betray it. Speak. Now thou curlst up, thou poor and nasty Snake; And shrinkest thy poisonous head into thy Bosom: Out Viper; thou that eatest thy Parents, hence. Rather, such speckled Creatures, as thy self, Should be eschewed, and shunned: such, as will bite And gnaw their absent Friends, not cure their Fame; Catch at the loosest Laughters, and affect To be thought Jesters; such, as can devise Things never seen, or herd, to impair men's Names, And gratify their credulous Adversaries; Will carry Tales; do basest offices; Cherish divided Fierce; and increase New Flames, out of old Embers; will reveal Each secret that's committed to their Trust: These be black Slaves; Romans, take heed of these. Barmy Froth, Puffy, Inflate, Turgidous, and Vento sity are come up. Here's a deal: Oblatrant, Obcaecate, Furibund, Fatuate, Strenuous. No: there's the often Conscious behind, still. It's come up, thanks to Apollo, and Aesculapius: Yet, there's another; you were best take a Pill more? Force your self then, a little with your Finger. Now it's come: Clutched. How now, Crispinus? How do you feel your self? Only (Grave Praetor ) here, in open Court, I crave the Oath, for good Behaviour, May be administered unto them both.