то

The WORSHIPFUL

JAMES MARRIOTT, LLD.

Master of Trinity-Hall, Cambridge,

AND

Advocate-General to his MAJESTY,

This FIFTH BOOK

OF THE

ODES of HORACE

Is Infcribed

BY

His moft obedient,

and faithful humble Servant,

J. DUNCOMBE.

You

With Antony's tall Galleys will contend'; Boldly to hazard all prepar'd,

2 From every Danger Cafar's Life to guard.
But how fhall I the Hours amufe,

Or now what pleafing Entertainment chufe,
The tedious Minutes to beguile,

Which in Mecenas' Prefence always fmile?
Shall I, by your Command, pursue

My Eafe? but what is Ease unfhar'd by you?
Or fhall I all the Toils of War,

As fuits the Brave, with dauntlefs Courage bear?

They fhall be borne-O'er Alpine Snow,
With you, my Friend, I chearfully will go;
With you, wild Caucafus explore,

And view the Limits of the Western Shore.
What Aid, you'll ́ask, can you afford,
Weak, and unfkill'd to wield the Warrior's Sword?
But then my Anguish will be less

With you; nor Fears my tortur'd Soul poffefs.
Thus the fond Dove, in Search of Food,
With greater Dread forfakes her callow Brood,
Left in her Abfence Snakes devour,

Whom, prefent, to protect fhe wants the Power. Ardent your Friendship to maintain,

I'll ferve with Pleasure this, and each Campaign :But not, that, to my Traces bound,

3

A larger Team may labour in my Ground;

Or that my Flocks Calabria change,
In Summer o'er Lucanian Meads to range;
Or that fuch ample Lands be mine,
As might to Tufculum my Villa join.

Your Bounty has enlarg'd my Store
Beyond my utmost Wish; nor ask I more,
To hide, like Chremes in the Play,
Or, like a Spendthrift, fquander it away.

NOTES.

The Refult of the tedious Difquifition of the Critics on the Word Epodes, amounts to no more, than that it is an improper Title given to this Book by the Grammarians; and that it ought to be Byled-The Fifth Book of ODES.

If the Odes were placed in their natural Order, this and the Ninth of this Book fhould immediately precede the Thirty-feventh of the First Book; as this was written fome Months before the Sea-fight of Actium, when Mæcenas was preparing to follow Auguftus, who was gone to wage War againit Antony. This was in the Year 722, Horace being then Thirty-four Years old.

1 Liburnis.] The Liburnians were a Feople of Illyria, now called Croatians. As they were Pyrates, who lived on the Plunder they took at Sea, they had very light Veffels; on which Account all light Ships were called Liburnian. Horace and Propertius give this Title to the Ships with which Auguftus engaged Antony at Altium. Acron alfo fays, Cæfar, fetting out for the Actian War, • gave Macenas the Command of the Liburnians.”

z Paratus omne Cafaris periculum

Subire.]

Macenas, together with Agrippa, had accompanied Auguftus in the War of Sicily against Sextus Pompey, as he did now in his Expedition against Antony: It is remarkable that Virgil, in his 8th Eneid, where he defcribes the Vicory at Adium, though he highly commends A-grippa, makes not the leaft Mention of his Patron Ma

cenas.

3 Non ut juvencis illigata } There never was a more difinterested Perfon than Horace. This appears through. out his Works. He asked for nothing more than the fmall House whi h Mecenas had given him in the Country of the Sabines, near Tibur. See Book II. Ode XVIII. Princes and Great Men would be more happy than they generally are, if those who follow their Fortune did it more from Sentiments of Esteem and Friendship, than from lucrative Motives, and to gratify their Ambition. D'ACIER.

QDE