登陆注册
4708500000019

第19章

We have nothing remaining of those Varronian satires excepting some inconsiderable fragments, and those for the most part much corrupted. The tithes of many of them are indeed preserved, and they are generally double; from whence, at least, we may understand how many various subjects were treated by that author. Tully in his "Academics" introduces Varro himself giving us some light concerning the scope and design of those works; wherein, after he had shown his reasons why he did not ex professo write of philosophy, he adds what follows:- "Notwithstanding," says he, "that those pieces of mine wherein I have imitated Menippus, though I have not translated him, are sprinkled with a kind of mirth and gaiety, yet many things are there inserted which are drawn from the very entrails of philosophy, and many things severely argued which I have mingled with pleasantries on purpose that they may more easily go down with the common sort of unlearned readers." The rest of the sentence is so lame that we can only make thus much out of it--that in the composition of his satires he so tempered philology with philosophy that his work was a mixture of them both. And Tully himself confirms us in this opinion when a little after he addresses himself to Varro in these words:- "And you yourself have composed a most elegant and complete poem; you have begun philosophy in many places; sufficient to incite us, though too little to instruct us." Thus it appears that Varro was one of those writers whom they called [Greek text which cannot be reproduced] (studious of laughter); and that, as learned as he was, his business was more to divert his reader than to teach him. And he entitled his own satires Menippean; not that Menippus had written any satires (for his were either dialogues or epistles), but that Varro imitated his style, his manner, and his facetiousness. All that we know further of Menippus and his writings, which are wholly lost, is that by some he is esteemed, as, amongst the rest, by Varro; by others he is noted of cynical impudence and obscenity; that he was much given to those parodies which I have already mentioned (that is, he often quoted the verses of Homer and the tragic poets, and turned their serious meaning into something that was ridiculous); whereas Varro's satires are by Tully called absolute, and most elegant and various poems. Lucian, who was emulous of this Menippus, seems to have imitated both his manners and his style in many of his dialogues, where Menippus himself is often introduced as a speaker in them and as a perpetual buffoon; particularly his character is expressed in the beginning of that dialogue which is called [Greek text which cannot be reproduced]. But Varro in imitating him avoids his impudence and filthiness, and only expresses his witty pleasantry.

This we may believe for certain--that as his subjects were various, so most of them were tales or stories of his own invention; which is also manifest from antiquity by those authors who are acknowledged to have written Varronian satires in imitation of his--of whom the chief is Petronius Arbiter, whose satire, they say, is now printing in Holland, wholly recovered, and made complete; when it is made public, it will easily be seen by any one sentence whether it be supposititious or genuine. Many of Lucian's dialogues may also properly be called Varronian satires, particularly his true history; and consequently the "Golden Ass" of Apuleius, which is taken from him. Of the same stamp is the mock deification of Claudius by Seneca, and the Symposium or "Caesars" of Julian the Emperor.

Amongst the moderns we may reckon the "Encomium Moriae" of Erasmus, Barclay's "Euphormio," and a volume of German authors which my ingenious friend Mr. Charles Killigrew once lent me. In the English I remember none which are mixed with prose as Varro's were; but of the same kind is "Mother Hubbard's Tale" in Spenser, and (if it be not too vain to mention anything of my own) the poems of "Absalom" and "MacFlecnoe."

This is what I have to say in general of satire: only, as Dacier has observed before me, we may take notice that the word satire is of a more general signification in Latin than in French or English; for amongst the Romans it was not only used for those discourses which decried vice or exposed folly, but for others also, where virtue was recommended. But in our modern languages we apply it only to invective poems, where the very name of satire is formidable to those persons who would appear to the world what they are not in themselves; for in English, to say satire is to mean reflection, as we use that word in the worst sense; or as the French call it, more properly, medisance. In the criticism of spelling, it ought to be with i, and not with y, to distinguish its true derivation from satura, not from Satyrus; and if this be so, then it is false spelled throughout this book, for here it is written "satyr," which having not considered at the first, I thought it not worth correcting afterwards. But the French are more nice, and never spell it any otherwise than "satire."

I am now arrived at the most difficult part of my undertaking, which is to compare Horace with Juvenal and Persius. It is observed by Rigaltius in his preface before Juvenal, written to Thuanus, that these three poets have all their particular partisans and favourers.

同类推荐
  • Emile Zola

    Emile Zola

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 一枕奇

    一枕奇

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 医学传灯

    医学传灯

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 太平经钞

    太平经钞

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Dreams

    Dreams

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • The Trail of the White Mule

    The Trail of the White Mule

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 戊午暑期国文讲义汇刊

    戊午暑期国文讲义汇刊

    本书乃民国七年江苏省立第三师范学校国文讲义之汇编,撰写者分别为无锡钱基博、吴江薛凤昌、吴江沈昌直,时在戊午暑期,意在为初学者习国文辟一从入之门耳,三书于国文奥义、作法、根底各有侧重,惟指示大略,令习者得乎其法,明乎其径,优而游之一也,故名之。
  • The Yates Pride

    The Yates Pride

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 布衣神算

    布衣神算

    我学算卦六年,师傅却警告我不许给任何人算卦。心仪女神上门求卦,我无视了师傅的警告帮人算卦,求卦人竟让我吃了他的肉作为答谢!我以为卦是给人算的,实际上算的竟是附在人身上的某些东西……
  • 创世鼻祖的发明家(3)(世界名人成长历程)

    创世鼻祖的发明家(3)(世界名人成长历程)

    《世界名人成长历程——创世鼻祖的发明家(3)》本书分为李冰、蔡伦、张衡等部分。
  • 一本没有书名的书

    一本没有书名的书

    当一本书充满故事的时候,你是不需要给它取书名的。这是一本没有书名的书,也是一本不试图给任何人打鸡血的书,28篇文章,30个人,30个故事,30个人的喜怒哀乐。
  • 超级无敌世家主

    超级无敌世家主

    变异仆人,狐妖侍女,金属机械狗,罗尘木随手给自己嘴中填了一颗修为经验丹,看着满院的仆人,心中满意。试问这世上,还有谁,敢跟他比逍遥自在?世家一出,谁与争锋!敢笑天下英雄,皆是一群没蛋的玩意!
  • 福至深山

    福至深山

    独自住在山上的猎户发现,自家前面的庄子来了一位漂亮的姑娘。这姑娘好看是好看,就是不正经,每次把他逗得害羞窘迫,她就哈哈大笑。最可气的是,猎户发现,他好像有点喜欢那姑娘了。
  • 快穿之回萌一笑都是妖

    快穿之回萌一笑都是妖

    系统捕获了一只没有情根的替补月老,接下来就是被乖乖踢出仙门去修炼的时候了。女主霸气软萌,偶尔蠢起来要命。遇强则强遇弱则弱,有仇报仇有怨报怨,在修炼情根这条路上越走越黑。男主忠犬逗比,陪女主傻起来空气中都透着一股赤果果的蠢气,姻缘天定啊!
  • 万界维度

    万界维度

    对不起,这书纯粹一时兴趣,大纲啥的都没有,TJ了。