IMITATIONS OF HORACE. [OF the following Imitations of Horace the first two are rather imitations of Swift, Horace merely supplying the text for the travesty. For (as previous editors have not failed to point out), no styles could be found less alike one another than the bland and polite style of Horace and the downright, and often cynically plain, manner of Swift. With Pope the attempt to write in Swift's style was a mere tour de force, which he could indeed carry out with success through a few lines, but not further, without relapsing into his own more elaborate manner. Swift's marvellous precision and netteté of expression are something very different from Pope's pointed and rhetorical elegance. The latter was as ill suited by the Hudibrastic metre patronised by Swift, as was the comic genius of Butler himself by the wider, but nowise easier, garment of the heroic couplet. As it was Swift, and not Horace, whom Pope imitated in the first two of the following pieces, it is needless to follow Warton into a comparison between them and previous attempts at a real version of Horace. The Ode to Venus, which was first published in 1737, more nearly approaches the character of a translation.] 'T BOOK I. EPISTLE VII.1 Imitated in the Manner of Dr Swift. IS true, my Lord, I gave my word, Chang'd it to August, and (in short) 66 The Dog-days are no more the case. 'Tis true; but Winter comes apace: Then southward let your Bard retire, 5 10 16 1 [Horace's Epistle, which serves as the groundwork of the above, is addressed to Mæcenas, and intended as an excuse and a justification for his protracted absence from Rome. 40 45 Now this I'll say: you'll find in me A safe Companion, and a free; But if you'd have me always near— A word, pray, in your Honour's ear. I hope it is your Resolution To give me back my Constitution! The sprightly Wit, the lively Eye1, Th' engaging Smile, the Gaiety, That laugh'd down many a Summer Sun, And kept you up so oft till one: And all that voluntary Vein, As when Belinda2 rais'd my Strain. A Weasel once made shift to slink In at a Corn-loft thro' a Chink; But having amply stuff'd his skin, Could not get out as he got in: Which one belonging to the House ('Twas not a Man, it was a Mouse) Observing, cry'd, "You 'scape not so, 'Lean as you came, Sir, you must go.' 50 55 Sir, you may spare your Application, I'm no such Beast, nor his Relation; 60 Nor one that Temperance advance, Cramm'd to the throat with Ortolans: Extremely ready to resign 70 All that may make me none of mine. 66 But you may read it; I stop short. BOOK II. SATIRE VI.6 75 The first Part imitated in the Year 1714, by Dr SWIFT; the latter Part added afterwards. And not like forty other Fools: "To grant me this and t' other Acre: 21 25 Direct my Plough to find a Treasure:" I must by all means come to town, 'Tis for the service of the Crown. 30 35 Lewis, the Dean will be of use, "Send for him up, take no excuse.' The toil, the danger of the Seas; Great Ministers ne'er think of these; Or let it cost five hundred pound, No matter where the money's found, It is but so much more in debt, And that they ne'er consider'd yet. "Good Mr Dean, go change your gown, 40 This, humbly offers me his CaseThat, begs my int'rest for a PlaceA hundred other Men's affairs, Like bees, are humming in my ears. "To-morrow my Appeal comes on, "Without your help the Cause is gone" 70 "The Duke expects my Lord and you, "About some great Affair, at Two-" "Put my Lord Bolingbroke in mind, 75 "To get my Warrant quickly sign'd: "Consider, 'tis my first request.' 'Be satisfied, I'll do my best :'Then presently he falls to tease, "You may for certain, if you please; 80 "I doubt not, if his Lordship knew— And, Mr Dean, one word from you' 'Tis (let me see) three years and more, (October next it will be four) 4 Since HARLEY bid me first attend, And chose me for an humble friend; 45 Would take me in his Coach to chat, And question me of this and that; As, "What's o'clock?" And, "How's the Wind?" "Let my Lord know you're come to I hurry me in haste away, "To jostle here among a crowd." 52 [Swift's apprehension of idiotcy, to be so terribly justified at the close of his life, haunted him from an early period. Its most terrible expression is the description of the Struldbrugs in Gulliver's voyage to the Houyhnhms.] 2 [Swift appears never to have absolutely relinquished the hope of English preferment till his last visit to England in 1727. But he never condescended to ask it either of friend or foe.] 66 85 |