IMITATIONS OF HORACE,

CARM. LIB. I. ODE xiv. TRANSLATED.

TH

THE ARGUMENT.

HE Poet makes a voyage to Britain, in pursuance of his promise---lib. III. Ode iv. lin. 33.-"Vifam Britannos hofpitibus feros”-“ I will visit the Britons, inhospitable to ftrangers." The veffel in which he failed was called the Britannia, whether from the place of its deftination, or from the circumftance of being built of British wood, I cannot determine; but, I believe, for both reafons. After a tedious voyage, at laft, he arrived safe at Portsmouth.---The thip was grievously fhattered; but the Captain determined to go out again immediately, before she was well refitted, and while the weather was very unpromifing---Several of the crew were heard to mutter, in confequence of this proceeding; upon which the Captain, by advice of the pilot, put them in irons.---But the most curious incident was (if we may believe Quintilian), that Horace was indicted for a libel, as if, under the allegory of a fhip, he had intended to paint the dangers and diftreffes of the commonwealth ---Whoever perufes my verfion, will fee how groundlefs and abfurd this accufation was---The reader need only keep in mind, that the Poet, more safe at shore, makes this pathetic addrefs to the veffel, in which his life and fortunes were fo lately rifked--

TO THE GOOD SHIP BRITANNIA.

BRITANNIA, while fresh ftorms are brewing,
I wonder what the devil you're doing!
Put back to harbour, might and main,
Nor venture out to sea again:
Your hull's too tender long to laft,
You're fain to try a jury-maft;
Your tackle's old, your timber's crazy,
The winds are high, the weather hazy;

Your

Your anchor's loft, you've sprung a leak;
Hark, how the ropes and cordage creak!
rag of canvas scarce remains;
Your pilot idly beats his brains-

A

A cub that knows not stem from stern,
Too high t'obey, too proud to learn-
In vain you worry Heav'n with pray❜rs:
Think you that Heaven one farthing cares
Whether a failor
prays or fwears?
In vain you sport your threadbare joke,
And call yourself " Old Heart of Oak."
No feaman, that can box his compafs,
Trufts to your daubs, or titles pompous.
Take heed, left Boreas plays the mocker,
And cry-- This fnug in Davy's locker."
Though while on board as fick as hell,
At fhore, old girl, I with you well.
Beware of fhoals--of wind and weather,
And try to keep your planks together;
Or elfe the rav'nous fea will gorge,
And lodge you next the Royal George.

Q. HORAT. FLEC. CARM. LIB. I.

O NAVIS, referent in mare te novi
Fluctus. ô quid agis? fortiter occupa
Portum. nonne vides ut
Nudum remigio latus?

Et malus celeri faucius Africo,
Antennæq; gemant? Ac fine funibus
Vix durare carinæ

Poffint imperiofius

ODE 14.

Equor? Non tibi funt integra lintea;
Non dii, quos iterum preffa voces malo:
Quamvis Pontica pinus,

Silvæ filia nobilis

Iactes et genus, & nomen inutile. Nil pictis timidus navita puppibus

Fidit---Tu nifi ventis

Debes ludibrium, cave.

}

Nuper

Nuper follicitum quæ mihi tædium;
Nunc defiderium,curaque non levis,
Interfufa nitentes

Vites æquora Cycladas!

MR. EDITOR*,

UND

NDERSTANDING that my !aft tranflation of an Ode of Horace did not displease the best judges, I have taken the liberty to fend you a fecond attempt, which I fubmit to your candour. It may feem matter of wonder to you, as it does to me, that neither Quintilian, nor Will Baxter, nor any other hunter of allegories, fhould find out the real drift of this ode, which is fo very eafy to be difcovered. The cafe, in fhort, is as follows. Auguftus, in the midst of peace and tranquillity, felt, or feigned, an alarm, on account of some books written by perfons fufpected of an attachment to the party of Cato and Brutus, and recommending republican principles. Now, Horace having been a colonel in Brutus's army, and being rather too free in profeffing his religious fentiments, naturally paffed for an atheist and a republican. Auguftus published an edict to tell his fubjects how happy they all were, in fpite of the fuggeftions of mal-contents; commanding them to stick close to their old religions; and threatening, that whoever was not active in aflifting the government, fhould be treated as an enemy to church and state. Upon this occafion Horace read-or affected to read, for I will not take my oath to his fincerity-a recantation. In one part of the ode he fays" Jupiter, who generally thunders and lightens in cloudy weather, now has driven his chariot through the ferene air." This is fo plain an emblem of Auguftus fulminating his cenfures in a time of perfect tranquillity, that it needs no farther comment. Our author refers to this circumftance again, CARM. vii. 5.

*This Letter and Translation allude, with great delicacy, ingenuity, and fineffe, to the vifionary alarm about republican principles, raised at the beginning of the present war. "Cale

"Cælo tonantem credidimus Jovem regnare: præfens Divus habebitur Auguftus" "We have believed that Jupiter reigns thundering from heaven: Auguftus fhall be esteemed a prefent God." In another place he exprefsly calls Auguftus Jupiter-EPIST. i. 19-43.— "Rides ait, et Jovis auribus ifta fervas"-" You joke," fays he, "and referve your verfes for the ear of Jove." For all fovereigns, while they are in power, are compared to the Sovereign of the Gods, however weak, wicked, or worthlefs they may be

Nihil eft quod credere de fe,

Non poffit, cum laudatur Dis æque potentas.

I must not forget to add, that this edict of the Emperor was followed with numerous addreffes from large bodies of the men who were once called Romans, allowing the reality of the plots, lamenting the decay of piety, and promifing to refift all innovation, and to defend his facred Cæfarean Majesty with their lives and fortunes.

HORACE, BOOK I. ODE XXXIV:

TILL now I held free-thinking notions,
Gave little heed to my devotions;
Scarce went to church four times a-year,
And then flept more than pray'd, I fear:
But now I'm quite an alter'd man-
I quit the courfe I lately ran;
And giving heterodoxy o'er,
Unlearn my irreligious lore.
Yet, left you entertain a doubt,
I'll tell you how it came about.

Jove feldom lets his lightnings fly,
Except when clouds obfcure the sky,
As well you know; but t'other morning,
He thunder'd without previous warning,
And flash'd in fuch a perfect calm,
It gave me a religious qualm:
Nor me alone-the frightful found
Reach'd to the country's utmost bound;

And

106

THE EMBASSY TO CHINA.

And ev'ry river in the nation,

From concave fhores made replication*.
The brutifh clods, in fhape of cits,
Were almoft frighten'd into fits.
Henceforth I bow to every altar,
And with all infidels a halter.

I fee what power your Gods can fhew,
Change low with high, and high with low;
Pull down the lofty from his place,

And in his ftead exalt the base:

Thus Fortune's gifts fome lofe, fome gain,
While mortals gaze, and guefs in vain.

HORAT. LIB. I. ODE 34.
PARCUS deorum cultor et infrequens
Infanientis dum fapientiæ
Confultus erro, nunc retrorfum
Vela dare, atque iterare curfus
Cogor relictos--Namque Diefpiter
Igni corufco nubila dividens,
Plerumque per purum tonantes
Egit equos, volucremque currum:
Quo bruta tellus, et vaga flumina,
Quo Styx, et invifi horrida Tænari
Sedes, Atlanteufque finis
Concutitur--Valet ima fummis

Mutare et infignem attenuat Deus,
Obfcura promens---Hinc apicem rapax
Fortuna cum ftridore acuto
Suftulit: hîc pofuiffe guadet.

THE EMBASSY TO CHINA†.

HE jealousy of the Chinese, who, judging from the example of India, might fufpect that the mercantile establishments which we asked for, were meant as

* Shakespear's Julius Cæfar, A&t i. Scene 1.

The ludicrous circumftance that gave rife to this Feu d'Esprit was ftrongly affirmed to be a fact by feveral of the East-India Company's officers.

the