Page:Monsieur Bossu's Treatise of the epick poem - Le Bossu (1695).djvu/314

 two other sorts, which though very different from this first, yet both owe their Birth to this, and are, as it were, Branches of it. This I shall prove the most succinctly I can.

A Year after Livius Andronicus had caus'd his first Efforts to be Acted, Italy gave Birth to Ennius; who being grown up, and having all the Leisure in the World to observe the eager Satisfaction with which the Romans receiv'd the Satyrs, of which I have already spoke, was of Opinion, that Poems, tho not adapted to the Theatre, yet preserving the Gaul, the Railings, and Pleasantness which made these Satyrs take with so much Applause, would not fail of being well receiv'd: he therefore ventur'd at it, and compos'd several Discourses, to which he retain'd the Name of Satyrs. These Discourses were entirely like those of Horace, both for the Matter and the Variety. The only essential Difference that is observable, is, that Ennius, in Imitation of some Greeks, and of Homer himself, took the Liberty of mixing several kinds of Verses together, as, Hexameters, Iambics, Trimeters, with Tetrimeters, Trochaics or Square Verse; as it appears from the Fragments which are left us. These following Verses are of the Square kind, which Aulus Gellius has preserv'd us, and which very well merit a Place here for the Beauty they contain:

Hoc erit tibi Argumentum semper in promptu situm, Ne quid expectes Amicos, quod tute agere possies.

I attribute also to these Satyrs of Ennius these other kinds of Verses, which are of a Beauty and Elegance much above the Age in which they were made; nor will the sight of 'em here be unpleasant.

Non habeo denique nauci Marsum Augurem, Non vicanos aruspices, non de Cicro Astrologos, Non Isiacos Conjectores, non Interpretes Hominum: Non enim sunt ii aut Scientia, aut Arte Divini; Sed Superstitiosi vates, Impudentesque harioli, Aut inertes, aut insani, aut quibus egestas imperat: Qui sui quaestus causa fictas suscitant sententias, Qui sibi semitam non sapiunt, alteri monstrant viam, Quibus devitias pollicentur, ab iis Drachmam petunt, De divitiis deducant Drachmam, reddant caetera.

Horace has borrow'd several Things from these Satyrs. After Ennius, came Pacuvius; who also writ Satyrs in Imitation of his Unkle Ennius.

Lucilius was born in the time when Pacuvius was in most Reputation. He also wrote Satyrs. But he gave 'em a new Turn,