JOHNSON. 75 



Assuredly, we may in vain search all the Mantuan tracery 

 of sweets for any to excel them in the beauty of num- 

 bers, or in the tenderness of the sentiment, provided 

 we abstract them from the subject to which they are 

 applied. 



" Optima quseque dies miseris mortalibus aevi 

 Prima fugit ; subeunt morbi tristisque senectus ; 

 Et labor, et durse rapit inclementia mortis."* 



As far as close imitation goes, that is, translation, in 

 these finer poems, they fall immeasurably below the 

 noble verses of Dryden. 



Thus the Xerxes of the latter is far finer than John- 

 son's, who never would have dared to make such a 

 translation as Dryden's of 



" Altos 



Deperisse omnes, epotaque flumina Medo 

 Prandente." 



" Rivers, whose depth no sharp beholder sees, 

 Drink up an army's dinner to the lees." 



Hardly would have ventured on this, 



" Et madidis cantat quae Sostratus alia." 



" With a long legend of romantic things 

 Which in his cups the boozy poet sings." 



In the concluding passage of the Satire the two artists 

 approach each other, and the original, more nearly : but 

 Dryden is considerably above Johnson. 



" Fortem posce animum et mortis timore carentem, 

 Qui spatium vitae extremum inter numera ponit 

 Natures." 



* " Swift fly the joys to anxious mortals known, 

 Swiftest the sweetest, ere yet tasted, gone ! 

 Disease, and toil, and age fill up our day, 

 And death relentless hurries us away." 



