The satires of Decimus Junius Juvenalis translated into English verse by Mr. Dryden and several other eminent hands ; together with the satires of Aulus Persius Flaccus, made English by Mr. Dryden ; with explanatory notes at the end of each satire ; to which is prefix'd a discourse concerning the original and progress of satire ... by Mr. Dryden.

EXPLANATORY NOTES ON THE FOURTH SATYR.

IF Laws their course, &c. Ought to descend, &c. Crispinus had de∣flour'd a Vestal Virgin, but by his Favour with Domitian, she e∣scap'd the Punishment due to her Offence; which was to be bury'd a∣live by Numa's Law; as may be seen in Livy, l. 1. and is more parti∣cularly describ'd in Plutarch's Life of Numa.

Six thousand Pieces Six thousand of the Roman Sestertii, which makes six Sestertia, according to our Account, 46 l. 17 s. 6 d.

Now even Apicius. A Man for Gluttony and Prodigality famous even to a Proverb, who having spent most of his vast Estate upon his Gut, for fear of want poison'd himself, Senec.

Nay in Apulia. Part of Italy, near the Adriatick Gulf, where Land it seems, was very cheap, either for the barrenness and cragged heighth of the Mountains, or for the unwholsomness of the Air, and the Wind Atabulus. Horac. Lib. 1. Sat. 5. Montes Apulia notos—quos torret A∣tabulus & quos Nunquam erepsemus, &c.

His Luxurious Lord. The Emperor Domitian.

The Flavian Race decay'd. Domitian was the last and worst of the Flavian Family, which tho at first obscure, yet had produc'd great and good Men. Reipublica nequaquam paenitenda, says Sueton. 9. For of this Family were Vespasian and Titus.

A bald Nero. Domitian, who could not so much as bear with Pa∣tience the mention of baldness▪ tho in Jest only, and objected to ano∣ther, as Suetonius in his Life tells us. And who, for his Cruelty, is here call'd a second Nero.

Our High Priest, The Emperor Domitian call'd so, either from his Instituting the Colledge of the Alban Priests, of whom he was as it were, Chief; or for taking upon him the Office of Pontifex Maximus in the Condemnation of the Vestal Virgin Cornetia; or, more general∣ly, because often the Emperors assum'd both the Title and Office of High Priest.

Palphurius and Armillatus. Both Men of Consular Degree: Lawyers, and Spies, and Informers, and so Favourites of Domitian.

What remains of Alba, &c. Alba longa built by Ascanius, about fifteen Miles from Rome, was destroy'd after by Tullus Hostilius, the Temples only excepted, (Liv. l. 1.) The Albans upon this their Misfor∣tunes neglecting their Worship, were by sundry Prodigies commanded to restore their Ancient Rites, the chief of which was the keeping per∣petually burning the Vestal Fire, which was brought thither by Aenae∣as and his Trojans as a fatal Pledge of the perpetuity of the Roman Empire.

Tho an humbler way. There was a more stately Temple erected to Vesta at Rome by Numa, than this of Alba, where the same Ceremo∣nies were us'd.

The Fathers. The Senate always so call'd. Patres Conscripti.

The lowd Liburnian. Some say that of the People of this Coun∣try, which is a part of Illyricum, the Romans made their Cryers, because of their lowd Voyces. Others take Liburnus for the proper Name of one Man—Liburnus that the Senate call'd.

Pegasus, Bailiff. A Citizen of Alba, a very Learned Lawyer, and Praefect or Chief Magistrate of Rome. He calls him here Bayliff: As if Rome, by Domitian's Cruelty, had so far lost its Liberty and Priviledg∣es, that it now was no better than a Country Village, and fit to be Go∣vern'd by no better than a Bayliff.

Old Crispus, (Vibius Crispus.) This was he that made the known Jest upon Domitian's killing Flies. When one day Domitian being alone in his Closet, and being ask'd whether there was any one left within with the Emperor, he answer'd No, not so much as a Fly. The Names and Characters of most of these Senators here mention'd may be found in Suetonius' Life of Domitian, and in Tacitus.

Of Giants Birth. Of an obscure and unknown Family.

The Part old Brutus play'd. 'Tis a known Story, how Brutus find∣ing that his own Brother and some of the most considerable Men of Rome had been put to Death by Tarquinius Superbus, counterfeited him∣self a Madman or Fool, and so avoided the Tyrant's Cruelty, till he had gain'd a fit time to destroy him, revenge his Brother's and Coun∣trymens Deaths, and free Rome.

When the King's Beard. In those Antient and more simple times, when it was the Custom never to shave their Beards: For 400 Years there was no such thing as a Barber heard of in Rome.

Tho not of Noble Race, with equal Marks of Terror. For Domitian's Cruelty reach'd even to the common People, and those of lower Birth, which (in the end of this Satyr) the Poet tells us, caus'd his Destructi∣on.

The vile Pathick. Nero, who wrote a Satyr upon Quintianus, whom he charges with his own Prof••igate Lewdness, and Debauchery. Tacit. Annal. 15.

For Dacian Vultures. Cornelius Fuscus, a Noble Man of no man∣ner of Experience, or more knowledge in War Affairs than what he had study'd in his own Country Retirement, was yet by Domitian twice sent with an Army against the Dacians, in the last of which his Army was defeated, and himself slain.

From Bridge or Gate. The common stands for Beggars.

The Proud Arviragus. One of the Ancient Brittish Kings.

Mark the pointed Spears. He makes the Flatterer call the sharp Fins rising on the Fishes back, Spears; and to signifie and portend that Domitian shall stick the like in some Foreign Enemy.

Some skilful quick Prometheus. Some skilful Potter. Alluding to the old Fable of Prometheus, whose skill in this Art was such, that he made a Man of Clay.

Circe's Rock. The Cirecean Promontory, nam'd from Circe that liv'd there, on the Shore of Campania.

The Lucrine Lake. Between Bajae and Puteoli.

The Rutupian Shore. Rutupae or Rutupi, an Antient Towns Name on the Kentish Shoar, suppos'd to be our Richborough. These were all Famous in those times for Oysters.