. .
Accipient, flauaque caput nectentur oliva."
Let these three ancients be preferred to all the moderns as first
arriving at the goal; let them all be crowned as victors with the
wreath that properly belongs to satire. But after that, with this
distinction amongst themselves:-
"Primus equum phaleris insignem victor habeto."
Let Juvenal ride first in triumph.
"Alter Amazoniam pharetram, plenamque sagittis
Threiciis, lato quam circumplectitur auro
Balteus, et tereti subnectit fibula gemma."
Let Horace, who is the second (and but just the second), carry off
the quiver and the arrows as the badges of his satire, and the
golden belt and the diamond button.
"Tertius Argolico hoc clypeo contentus abito."
And let Persius, the last of the first three worthies, be contented
with this Grecian shield, and with victory--not only over all the
Grecians, who were ignorant of the Roman satire--but over all the
moderns in succeeding ages, excepting Boileau and your lordship.
And thus I have given the history of satire, and derived it as far
as from Ennius to your lordship--that is, from its first rudiments
of barbarity to its last polishing and perfection; which is, with
Virgil, in his address to Augustus -
"Nomen fama tot ferre per annos, .
Pages:
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157