صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني

sence-Harkye, friend! fays he, when was your mother in Rome? - Never, an please you! replied the countryman, but my father has been here many a time and oft. The anecdote of the old foldier is still more to his credit: He solicited the emperor to defend him in a fuit; Augustus fent his own advocate into court; the foldier was dissatisfied, and said to the emperor -I did not fight for you by proxy at ActiumAuguftus felt the reproof, and condefcended to his request in person. When Pacuvius Taurus greedily folicited a largess from the emperor, and to urge him to the greater liberality added, that all the world would have it, that he had made him a very bountiful donation - But you know better, faid Augustus, thân to believe the world-and dismissed the sycophant without his errand. I shall mention one more cafe, where, by a very courtly evasion, he parried the folicitation of his captain of the guard, who had been cashiered, and was petitioning the emperor to allow him his pay; telling him that he did not ask that indulgence for the fake of the money which might accrue to him, but that he might have it to say he had resigned his commission, and not been cashiered

If

that be all your reason, says the emperor, tell

the

the world that you have received it, and I will not deny that I have paid it.

Vatinius, who was noted to a proverb as a common flanderer, and particularly obnoxious for his scurrility against Cicero, was pelted by the populace in the amphitheatre, whilit he was giving them the Gladiators: He complained to the Ædiles of the insult, and got an edict forbidding the people to caft any thing into the area but apples. An arch fellow brought a fu rious large fir-apple to the famous lawyer Ca cellius, and demanded his opinion upon the edict -I am of opinion, says Caftellius, that your firapple is literally and legally an apple, with this proviso however, that you intend to throw it at Vatinius's head.

As there is some danger in making too free with old jokes, I shall hold my hand for the present; but if these should fuccced in being acceptable to my readers, I shall not be afraid of meeting Mr. Joseph Miller and his moder witticisms with my antients. In that cafe I shall not despair of being able to lay before the public a veritable Roman newspaper, compounded of events in the days of Julius Cæfar; By what happy chance I traced this valuable relick, and with what pains I poffefied myself of it, may be matter of future explanation: I have the fatisfaction however to premise to the reader, that it is written with great freedom, and as well sprinkled with private anecdotes, as any of the present day, whose agreeable familiarity is so charming to every body but the parties concerned: It has also a good dash of the dramatic; and as fome faftidious people have been inclined to treat our intelligencers and reviewers with a degree of neglect bordering upon contempt, I shall have pleasure in shewing that they have classical authority for all their quirks and conceits, and that they are all written in the true quaint spirit of criticifm: It is to be lamented that the Roman theatre furnishes no ladies to match the heroines of our stage; but I can produce fome encomiums upon Laberius, Rofcius and the famous Publius Syrus, which would not be unapplicable to some of our present capital actors: I am forry to be obliged to confess, that they were not in the habit of speaking epilogues in those days; but I have a substitute in a prologue written and spoken by Decimus Laberius, which I am tempted to throw out as a lure to my newspaper; but I must first explain upon what occafion it was composed.

This Laberius was a Roman knight of good family,

II

family, and a man withal of high spirit and pretenfions, but unfortunately he had a talent for the drama: He read his own plays better than any man then living could act them, for neither Garrick nor Henderson were yet born. P. Clodius, the fine gentleman and rake of the age, had the indecorum to press Laberius to come forward on the public stage, and take the principal character in one of his own plays: Laberius was indig nant, and Clodius proceeded to menaces:-Do your worst, fays the Roman knight, you can but Send me to Dyracchium and back again-proudly intimating that he would suffer the like banishment with Cicero rather than consent to his demand; for acting was not then the amusement of people of fashion, and private theatres were not thought of. Julius Cæfar was no less captivated with Laberius's talents than Clodius had been, and being a man not apt to be discouraged by common difficulties, took up the same solicitation, and affailed our Roman knight, who was now fixty years of age, and felt his powers in their decline: Conscious of this decline no less than of his own dignity, he resisted the degrading request; he interceded, he implored of Cafar to excuse him: It was to no purpose, Cafar had made it his point, and his point he would carry: The word of Cafar was law, and Laberius, VOL. III. driven

S

driven out of all his defences, was obliged to submit and comply. Cæfar makes a grand spectacle for all Rome; bills are given out for a play of Laberius, and the principal part is announced to be performed by the author himself : The theatre is thronged with spectators; all Rome is present, and Decimus Laberius presents himself on the stage, and addresses the audience in the following prologue :

:

"Prologue by DECIMUS LABERIUS.

"O ftrong Neceffity ! of whose swift course
"So many feel, so few escape the force,
"Whither, ah! whither, in thy prone career,
"Hast thou decreed this dying frame to bear?
"Me in my better days nor foe, nor friend,
" Nor threat, nor bribe, nor vanity cou'd bend;
"Now lur'd by flattery in my weaker age,
" I fink my knighthood and afcend the stage.
"Yet muse not therefore---How shall man gainfay
"Him, whom the Deities themselves obey ?
"Sixty long years I've liv'd without disgrace
" A Roman knight; let dignity give place !
"I'm Cæfar's actor now, and compass more
"In one short hour, than all my life before.

"O Fortune! fickle source of good and ill,
"If here to place me 'twas thy fovereign will,
"Why, when I'd youth and faculties to please
" So great a master and fuch guests as these,

"Why

« السابقةمتابعة »