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kind may be reckoned another ftanza in the fame

book:

•Fufa coram non fine confcio

Surgit marito, feu vocat inftitor
Seu navis Hifpanæ magifter
Dedecorum pretiofus emptor.

The confcious hufband bids her rife,
When fome rich factor courts her charms,
Who calls the wanton to his arms,
And, prodigal of wealth and fame,
Profufely buys the coftly fhame.

FRANCIS.

He has little knowledge of Horace who imagines that the fallor, or the Spanish merchant, are mentioned by chance there was undoubtedly fome popular ftory of an intrigue, which thofe names recalled to the memory of his reader.

The flame of his genius in other parts, though fomewhat dimmed by time, is not totally eclipfed; his addrefs and judgment yet appear, though much of the fpirit and vigour of his fentiment is loft: this has happened to the twentieth Ode of the firft book;

l'ile potabis medicis Sabinum

Cantharis, Græca quod ego ipfe tefta
Conditum levi; datus in theatro
Cùm tibi plaufus,

Chare Macenas eques. Ut paterni

Fluminis ripa, fimul et jocola

Redderet laudes tibi Vaticani

Montis image.

A poet's

A poet's beverage humbly cheap,
(Should great Mæcenas be my gueft)
The vintage of the Sabine grape,

But yet in faber cups, shall crown the feast:
'Twas rack'd into a Grecian cafk,

Its rougher juice to melt away;

I feal'd it too--a pleafing task!

With annual joy to mark the glorious day,
When in applaufive fhouts thy name
Spread from the theatre around,

Floating on thy own Tiber's ftream,

And Echo, playful nymph, return'd the found.

FRANCIS.

We here easily remark the intertexture of a happy compliment with an humble invitation; but certainly are lefs delighted than thofe, to whom thẹ mention of the applaufe bestowed upon Mæcenas, gave occafion to recount the actions or words that produced it.

Two lines which have exercised the ingenuity of modern critics, may, I think, be reconciled to the judgment, by an easy fuppofition: Horace thus addreffes Agrippa;

Scriberis Vario fortis, et hoftium
Victor, Mæonii carminis alite.

Varius, a fwan of Homer's wing,

Shall brave Agrippa's conquefts fing.

That Varius fhould be called "A bird of Homeric fong," appears fo harsh to modern ears, that an emendation of the text has been proposed: but furely the learning of the ancients had been long ago obliterated, had every man thought himself at

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liberty to corrupt the lines which he did not understand. If we imagine that Varius had been by any of his cotemporaries celebrated under the appella-` tion of Mufarum Ales, the fwan of the Mufes, the language of Horace becomes graceful and familiar; and that fuch a compliment was at leaft poffible, we know from the transformation feigned by Horace of himfelf.

The most elegant compliment that was paid to Addijon, is of this obfcure and perishable kind:

When panting Virtue her laft efforts made,

You brought your CLIO to the virgin's aid.

Thefe lines muft pleafe as long as they are underftood; but can be understood only by those that have obferved difon's fignatures in the Spec

tator.

The nicety of thefe minute allufions I fhall exemplify by another instance, which I take this occafion to mention, becaufe, as I am told, the commentators have omitted it. Tibullus addreffes Cynthia in this manner:

Te fpelem, fuprema mihi cùm venerit hora,
Te teneam moriens deficiente manu.

Before my closing eyes, dear Cynthia, ftand,
Held weakly by my fainting trembling hand.

To thefe lines Ovid thus refers in his elegy on the death of Tibullus ;

Cynthia decedens, felicius, inquit, amata

Sum tibi; vixifti dum tuus ignis eram,

Cui Nemefis, quid, ait, tibi funt mea damna dolori?
Ale tenuit moriens deficiente manu.

Pleft

Bleft was my reign, retiring Cynthia cry'd :
Not till he left my breast, Tibullus dy’d.
Forbear, faid Nemefis, my lofs to moan,

The fainting trembling hand was mine alone.

The beauty of this paffage, which confifts in the appropriation made by Nemefis of the line originally directed to Cynthia, had been wholly imperceptible to fucceeding ages, had chance, which has deftroyed so many greater volumes, deprived us likewife of the poems of Tibullus,

NUMB. 62, SATURDAY, June 9, 1753.

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are imprisoned without being miserable, or are miferable without any claim to compaffion; I promised to add the hiftories of thofe, whofe virtue has made them unhappy, or whofe misfortunes are at least without a crime. That this catalogue should

be very numerous, neither you nor your readers ought to expect; "rari quippe boni;" "the good "are few." Virtue is uncommon in all the claffes of humanity; and I fuppofe it will scarcely be imagined more frequent in a prifon than in other places.

Yet in thefe gloomy regions is to be found the tenderness, the generofity, the philanthropy of Serenus, who might have lived in competence and eafe, if he could have looked without emotion on he miferies of another. Serenus was one of thofe exalted minds, whom knowledge and fagacity could not make fufpicious; who poured out his foul in boundless intimacy, and thought community of poffeffions the law of friendship. The friend of Serenus was arrested for debt, and after many endeavours to foften his creditor, fent his wife to folicit that affiftance which never was refufed. The tears and importunity of female diftrefs were more than was neceffary to move the heart of Serenus; he hasted immediately away, and conferring a long time with his friend, found him confident that if the prefent preffure was taken off, he fhould foon be able to reestablish his affairs. Serenus, accuftomed to believe, and afraid to aggravate diftrefs, did not attempt to detect the fallacies of hope, nor reflect that every man overwhelmed with calamity believes, that if that was removed he fhall immediately be happy: he, therefore, with little hesitation offered himself as furety.

In the first raptures of efcape all was joy, gratirude, and confidence; the friend of Serenus difplayed

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