Part 11 (1/2)

Gifford

The Christian tone of Persius is perhaps best seen in the second satire, which is a serhout is far above the level of the thinking of his time, and shows a lofty conception of the deity and of spiritual things In the closing lines especially, he reaches so high and true a spiritual note that he seeh conceptions which inspired his great conteht well have had for its text the inspired words of the Old Testament prophet Hosea: ”For I desired e of God s”

That the Roht as to the acceptable offering to heaven is further seen in an ode of Horace, in which he voices the saht of the heart is ofof the hand This fine ode ends with the following stanza:

If thy hand, free from ill, the altar touch, Thou shalt the offended Gods appease assalt and pious meal As if thy vows more costly victims seal

Hawkins

But let us now return to our poet's sermon on prayer Persius addresses it to his friend Plotius Macrinus, congratulating hi anniversary of his birthday

Health to my friend! and while my vows I pay, O mark, Macrinus, this auspicious day, Which, to your sum of years already flown, Adds yet another--with a whiter stone

Aenius this day, Macrinus will not offer those selfish and impious prayers hich men are too prone to come before the Gods, prayers which they would not dare to utter to a enius, drench in wine your cares: It is not yours, with mercenary prayers, To ask of heaven what you would die with shareat ones stand, with downcast eyes, And with a silent censer terity, a conscience clear, Are begged aloud, that all at hand may hear; But prayers like these (half whispered, half suppressed) The tongue scarce hazards from the conscious breast: ”O that I could my rich old uncle see In funeral pouide my share!

O that my ward, whom I succeed as heir, Were once at rest! Poor child, he lives in pain, And death to hiain-- By wedlock thrice has Nerius swelled his store, And now--he is a er once enious manner in which this prayer is framed so as to calm the conscience of the votary is admirably pointed out by Gifford ”The supplicant meditates no injury to any one The death of his uncle is concealed under a wish that he could see his nificent funeral, which, as the poora pious nephew

The second petition is quite innocent--If people will foolishly bury their gold and forget it, there is noit than another The third is even laudable; it is a prayer uttered in pure tenderness of heart, for the relief of a poor suffering child With respect to the last, there can be no wrong ina fact which everybody knows Not a syllable is said of his oife; if the Gods are pleased to take a hint and remove her, that is their concern; he never asked it”

One question, friend, an easy one, in fine: What are thy thoughts of Jove? ”My thoughts?” Yes, thine

Wouldst thou prefer him to the herd of Rome?

To any individual?--But to whom?

To Statius, for example Heavens! a pause?

Which of the tould best dispense of laws?

Best shi+eld th' unfriended orphan? Good! Now move The suit to Statius, late preferred to Jove: ”O Jove! Good Jove!” he cries, o'erwhelmed with shame, And must not Jove himself ”O Jove!” exclaiiven, Because, when thunder shakes the vault of heaven, The bolt innoxious flies o'er thee and thine, To rend the forest oak and 's scath, Thy srove, for public care To expiate, with sacrifice and prayer; Must, therefore, Jove, unsceptered and unfeared Give to thy ruder mirth his foolish beard?

What bribe hast thou to win the powers divine Thus to thy rod?--The lungs and lights of swine!

Again, the ears of heaven are assailed by ignorant and superstitious prayers, against which the poet inveighs Then follows a rebuke to those who pray for health and happiness, but who, by their vices and folly, thwart their own prayer

Why do men pray so inorant and unworthy conceptions of the Gods, because they think that they are beings of like passions with themselves No, no! the Gods have no such carnal passions, nor do they care for gold and the rich offerings of ard the heart of the worshi+per, and if this is pure, even erovelling souls, and void of things divine!

Why bring our passions to the Ihts, Of what is pleasing in their purer sights?

This the Calabrian fleece with purple soils, And les cassia with our native oils; Tears from the rocky conch its pearly store, And strains theore

This, this, indeed, is vicious; yet it tends To gladden life, perhaps, and boasts its ends; But you, ye priests (for sure ye can), unfold-- In heavenly things, what boots this poold?

No more, in truth, than dolls to Venus paid, The toys of childhood, by the riper reat Messala, now depraved and base, On their huge charger, cannot;--bring a al and where hts that dwell In the soul's most retired and sacred cell; A bosorain, Deep-dyed;--with these let me approach the fane, And heaven will hear the hu be a barley cake

Gifford

4 DECIMUS JUNIUS JUVENALIS