[316] Quicquid agunt homines, votum, timor, ira, voluptas, Gaudia, discursus, nostri est farrago libelli.
Whatever since that golden Age was done, What Human Kind desires, and what they shun, Rage, Passions, Pleasures, Impotence of Will, Shall this satirical Collection fill. Dryden.
But however various the Matter of it is, it ought always to have somewhat of Keenness and Invective, to expose the Vices and Follies of Mankind with Raillery, or chastise them with Severity. Before Plays were brought to Rome, the Saturnine and Fescennine Verses were much in Vogue: They were a Sort of rude and unpolish'd Compositions, at best, full of Contumely, and often of Ribaldry. Whence Horace,
[317] Fescennina per hunc inventa licentia morem Versibus alternis opprobria rustica fudit.
Hence grew the Liberty of the looser Muse, Hence they grew scurrilous, and wou'd abuse. Creech.
Afterwards, as the Romans grew more polite, these kind of Verses refin'd in Proportion: But they retain'd, still, their Jibes and Banter and kept so far to their first Institution, as to make the Follies of human Life the Object of their Ridicule. From hence proceeded Satire, so call'd from the Farrago and Variety of Matter it contain'd. It was improv'd, likewise, with Music and Dancing, which, considering its being carried on in Dialogue, made it resemble somewhat of the dramatic Kind; nor had the Romans any Thing, yet, that came so near the Drama as this did. Afterwards, when they had receiv'd both Tragedy and Comedy from the Grecians, they were so taken with the Novelty, that Satire, for some Time, lay neglected. But coming again into Esteem, it was added, as a Kind of Exodium, to Comedy. Thus Things went on for some Years, till Ennius arose, endu'd with Wit, and true poetic Fire, who observing how fond the People were of seeing the Vices of Mankind expos'd upon the Stage, thought a Poem on the same Subject, without the Decoration of Scenes and Action, might have the same Effect. Accordingly, he attempted Satires in the same Form we now see them, only he did not confine himself to the Hexameter, but made use of all Sorts of Measure. The Remains we have of this Poet, are noble Indications of the Strength of his Genius; and Horace and Virgil have shewn what Opinion they had of his Writings, by borrowing so much from them. After Ennius, succeeded Pacuvius; but his Works are all lost, excepting some Fragments, and those of uncertain Authority. Next came Lucilius, of whom, likewise, we have only some Fragments remaining. But his Excellencies and Imperfections are very amply set forth by Horace, whose Words I have no Occasion to cite here. I would observe, however, that those Lines,
[318] —Quid, cum est Lucilius ausus Primus in hunc operis componere carmina morem?
How, Sir, Lucilius, that did first engage In writing Satires, and that lash'd the Age. Creech.
are not so to be understood, as if he was the first that attempted Satire; which both Ennius and Pacuvius, as we just now observ'd, had done before him: But that Lucilius improv'd it so far as to give it that new Face, under which it appear'd in Horace's Time: For that his Satires were of the same Form with Horace's, is maintain'd by Monsieur Dacier against Casaubon[319]. It must be allow'd, however, that one Species of Satire owes its Perfection to Horace, as another does to Juvenal; both which we shall hereafter speak of separately. A third Kind was the Varronian or Menippean Satire, so call'd from Menippus, a Cynic Philosopher, among the Grecians, whose Doctrine Varro follow'd. It was a Sort of Medley, consisting not only of all Kinds of Verse, but of Verse and Prose mix'd together; a Specimen of which we have in Petronius's Satyricon[320]. We have none of Varro's poetical Works remaining, except some small Fragments; which is the more to be lamented, considering the Character Quintilian gives of him, That he was the most learned of all the Romans.
The Word Satire was anciently taken in a less restrain'd Sense than it is at present, not only as denoting a severe Poem against Vice, but as consisting of Precepts of Virtue, and the Praises of it: And even in the Satires, as they are call'd, of Horace, Juvenal, and Persius, &c. which are principally levell'd against the Weakness, the Follies, or Vices of Mankind; we find many Directions, as well as Incitements to Virtue. Such Strokes of Morality, Horace, particularly, is full of; and in Juvenal they occur very frequently. Thus,