himself inimitable in his odes; but the contention betwixt these two
great masters is for the prize of satire, in which controversy all
the odes and epodes of Horace are to stand excluded. I say this
because Horace has written many of them satirically against his
private enemies; yet these, if justly considered, are somewhat of
the nature of the Greek silli, which were invectives against
particular sects and persons. But Horace had purged himself of this
choler before he entered on those discourses which are more properly
called the Roman satire. He has not now to do with a Lyce, a
Canidia, a Cassius Severus, or a Menas; but is to correct the vices
and the follies of his time, and to give the rules of a happy and
virtuous life. In a word, that former sort of satire which is known
in England by the name of lampoon is a dangerous sort of weapon, and
for the most part unlawful. We have no moral right on the
reputation of other men; it is taking from them what we cannot
restore to them. There are only two reasons for which we may be
permitted to write lampoons, and I will not promise that they can
always justify us. The first is revenge, when we have been
affronted in the same nature, or have been anywise notoriously
abused, and can make ourselves no other reparation. And yet we know
that in Christian charity all offences are to be forgiven, as we
expect the like pardon for those which we daily commit against
Almighty God. And this consideration has often made me tremble when
I was saying our Saviour's prayer, for the plain condition of the
forgiveness which we beg is the pardoning of others the offences
which they have done to us; for which reason I have many times
avoided the commission of that fault, even when I have been
notoriously provoked. Let not this, my lord, pass for vanity in me;
for it is truth. More libels have been written against me than
almost any man now living; and I had reason on my side to have