bula; hic, per totum epigramma, suum dispergit salem; et venustissimâ ubique utitur latinitatis elegantiâ. Cæterum tamen poetarum vulgus, de istiusmodi mediocribus sunt, quos nec Diinec homines concesserunt; et quamvis una ut altera apud affectatas Catulli cantatiunculas, Tibulli aut Propertii inhonestam paginam, et carmina incuriosa, illucescat virtus, non tamen est operæ pretium gemmas inter stercora eruere. TRANSLATION. his epigrams, and the peculiar jingle of his words. The other, for dispersing the poignancy of his wit throughout his epigrams, and that in the most beautiful Latin phrase. The rest of the lower class of the Latin poets creep so low in their numbers that they are beneath the notice either of gods or men. And though we may now and then discover in the affected songs and sonnets of Catullus, and the obscene poetry of Tibullus and Propertius, some not disagreeable pieces, yet it is not worth our while to rake the dunghills for the sake of the jewels. CONTINUATION OF ADDISON'S DISSERTATION ON THE ROMAN POETS, BY MAJOR PACK. TENTAMEN DE POETIS ROMANIS ELEGIACIS. SÆPE mecum ipse mirari soleo, ex tot tantisque viris in antiqua Classicorum Poetarum pagina transferenda vel operose vel commode jucundeque versatis, tam paucos extitisse, qui Elegiarum Scriptores vel dignos opera sua judicaverint, vel quidem suo otio dignos. Haud ego quidem possum credere, quin hi in propria scribendi norma perinde feliciter successerint, atque alii; ac proinde cum non minori emolumento quam cum voluptate legantur. Ad me quod attinet, ESSAY ON THE ROMAN ELEGIAC POETS.1 I HAVE often wondered, that among so many who have busied or diverted themselves in translating the ancient classic poets so few have thought the writers of elegy worthy their pains or amusement. I cannot but believe that these have succeeded as happily in their way as the others, and that they may be read with no less It would seem that Major Pack wrote this Essay in English, and the Latin translation was made for Curll by R. Young, Armiger. See his Tentamen de Scriptis Addisonianis, page 51. affirmare possum eam fuisse semper animi temperationem mei, ut Virtus est vitium fugere, et sapientia prima Annon eodem prorsus jure dicere, e voluntaria quadam ærumnarum oblivione primum surgere ad felicitatem gradum. Quem quidem si assequi optume vclumus, non debere nos cogitabundam nimis solicitamque illam, quæ nobis est insita, particulam exsuscitare, tumultuantes autem rerum ideas mulcere et motos animi fluctus componere, multo magis oportere confido. Donec nostra hujusmodi corpuscula, misera illa quidem et vacil TRANSLATION. advantage than pleasure. For my own part I can affirm, that when at any time my mind hath been ruffled by some peevish accident or disappointment, I have always found my temper sooner composed by taking a turn with Tibullus in my hand than by having recourse to the lessons of philosophy, or the precepts of divines. Whatever is very solemn carrieth with it, I don't know how, somewhat of constraint: and it frequently happens by an unlucky disposition either in the pupil or the preacher, that those severer kinds of discipline (I speak not this with the least irreverence) serve rather to punish than reform us. It is perhaps no difficult matter to convince one of the reasonableness of this or that action, but the secret lies in engaging one in the practice. It is a memorable sentence of a celebrated moralist, this, "It is the beginning of virtue to depart from vice; and the first step towards wisdom is to forsake our folly." May it not as justly be said, the first step towards happiness is to forget our misery? The best method to bring that about is not, I presume, by alarming the thinking faculty, but by soothing and lulling to rest our too active and unquiet reflec tions. Whilst our poor tottering bark continues in this uncertain voy lantia navigiola, incertum hujus vitæ cursum tenent, et in prope medium usque oceanum immani et feroci ventorum vi pelluntur, longe ab aspectu litoris hospitibus mansueti, certo certius est navigantes in illis nostras animas gaudia magna intus oborientia sentire, quando ab ingruenti extrinsecus procella ipsæ sese quasi furtim retrahentes, et lævatius affectantes iter, leniter natant [super] voluptatis aquas, placidoque fruuntur passionis aura, secando (ut ita dicam) temeritatis Humini conjuncta. Occulta quædam inest carminibus incantatio, quæ nunquam non solet bene formatum pectus grata dulcedine afficere; atque ego quidem opinor in probæ illius atque ingenuæ classis poetarum, Catulli nempe, Tibulli, Propertii, et Ovidii versibus, aliquid nescio quid singulare atque valde patheticum existere. Certum est, inter illa elegiaci ordinis carmina, Catulli perpauca esse apte judicatoque numeranda. At quandocunque teneriora humanitatis argumenta tractat, Minervæ suavem afflant odorem sententiæ omnes, proprietatem vel accuratissimam sapiunt, summamque redolent elegantiæ amænitatem. Ac proinde nihil aliud agere potui, quam ut insigne ipsius nomen in sociorum eadem studiorum ratione valentium numerum referrem. Eminebant hi quatuor in patria sua, clari natalibus, et (ut tum erant tempora) re plusquam mediocri fruebantur. Ad voluptatem traxit sua quemque indoles ; singuli vero, recta usi ratione, eo sapientiæ processerunt, ut et publici gravitatem negotii et caducam prorsus elati fastus incertique honoris exploraverint inanitatem. Tres priores jure merito dicantur Triumviratum perinde illustrem constituisse, atque ulla unquam protulit ætas; siquidem vivendi modum splendide TRANSLATION. age of life, and is so often kept out at sea in rough and stormy weather, far from the sight of any hospitable shore, the soul, its passenger, cannot sure but feel a mighty satisfaction arising within, when she finds herself afterwards stealing, as it were, away under smoother courses, and borne gently down the tide of tenderness in soft and easy gales of passion. There is a charm in verse that never fails agreeably to affect a heart that is rightly placed: and there is, in my opinion, something peculiarly moving in the verses of that good-natured class of poets, Catullus, Tibullus, Propertius, and Ovid. There are but few pieces of Catullus, it is true, that can strictly be ranked among those of the elegiac order: but, whenever he doth touch upon the softer subjects of humanity, his sentiments have the utmost propriety and delicacy; and therefore I could not but mention him among his companions. They were, all four, men of family and condition in their country. Their inclination led them naturally to pleasure, and their good sense to a discovery of the knavery of business, and the vanity of ambition. The three former may be said to have been as extraordinary a triumvirate as, perhaps, any age hath produced, I mean in an idle way of life; polite in their otiosum spectemus. Perpolitis ornati moribus, rerum copia affluentes, bene succedentes in amoribus, summa cum familiaritate sibi invicem beate conjuncti, quamdiu vixerunt, tamdiu usque viguere humani generis deliciæ; et tandem cum a vivorum regionibus discesserunt, eas utique omnes lugentes reliquerunt. Quantum ad Ovidium attinet, erat ille quidem omnibus illis apprime ornatus et morum et ingenii dotibus, quæ ad absolute fingendum hominem plane generosum conducere posse videantur. Quippe iratus illi Augustus, vel quod insperato istius Imperatoris occulta lasciviæ testis aderat fortuitus, vel quod proprios amores (ut illi speciose vertebatur crimini) impudice nimis describebat, eundem annum habentem quinquagesimum ex Italia in exilium mittebat. Exul reliquum miseræ vitæ tempus languide consumens, inter Sauromatas in civitate, (cui nomen recens Temeswar, uti putant nonnulli,) extremum obiit annum. Hujusmodi suppliciorum exempla non nisi bina in omnibus historiarum monumentis esse credo reperienda, ubi quod est punitum, illud inconsiderate atque temere factum vocare possumus ; alterum Ovidii personæ sorte contigit, Rabutini alterum. Horum quidem principes pari certe illoque supremo dominandi jure gaudebant, sapientia fruebantur pari, paribus suspicionibus angebantur. Hæc geniorum, quibus hi erant præditi, perexigua sane delineatio nos abunde doceat recte judicare quantum scientiæ lumen, quamque dulce et elegans emolumentum, compositissima, quæque horum poetarum themata mentibus afferant bene atque nitide præparatis, Ac revera, quam in amicitia fidem inviolatam, quos teneros in amore impulsus, quam in propinquos benevolentiam assiduam, quæ tandem omnium virtutum moralium monumenta intuemur! Quæ videmus exemplaria? Quæ, quæso, utique non videmus? Ut mille ingenii ornamenta omittam, ut præteream miram illam dulcedinem et felices TRANSLATION. manners; easy in their fortunes; successful in their amours; happy in each others' acquaintance; beloved, in general, while they lived; and universally lamented, when they died. As for Ovid, he was certainly master of all the fine qualities and accomplishments that could be desired in a gentleman. But having offended Augustus, either by being an unexpected witness of that emperor's loveintrigues, or else by too lasciviously describing his own, (which was the crime pretended,) he was banished from Italy in his fiftieth year, and languished out the remainder of his days at Tamos (the modern Temeswaer, as some think). There are, I believe, but two instances in story of punishment like this, for what, at the worst, could be called only an indiscretion; one in the person of Ovid, the other in that of Rabutin. Their masters were equally absolute, equally wise, and equally jealous. From this little draught of their characters, one may judge how edifying any of their compositions must needs be to an elegant understanding. And, indeed, what sincerity in friendship, what fond musicæ numeros poeticæ temere cadentes, ut taceam denique genuinas illas et quasi jam modo spirantes vitæ imagines, quæ quidem efficiunt, ut vix prima facie opinemur scenam earundem in sæculo perinde remoto fuisse repræsentatam, atque nobiscum magis ipsi cogitantes sentimus. Una porro objectio non est silentio prætereunda; quippe crimini in universo pene orbe Christiano ducitur hisce poetis, nimiam in inhonestis rerum ideis excogitandis licentiam nimiamque in eisdem exprimendis obscœnitatem affectasse. Sed tamen est certum quid respondeam. Se quando parva blanditiarum suarum quasi stratagemata explicantes, tali verborum usi sunt delectu, qualem religiosa dedignaretur morum simplicitas, ortam inde tamen vitiosam oblectationem omnem non singulari cuidam turpitudini ab his unice affectatæ, sed communi potissimum atque effrænatæ illius, in qua viguere, ætatis licentiæ attribuere nos debere contendo. Siquidem ejusdem reum criminis agimus Horatium; habere certe debemus confitentem reum. Porro autem ipse Virgilius, cujus ad cœlos tollitur modestia, multa in Bucolicis scripsit, quæ apud nos lasciva atque ab honestate remota ponuntur. Ne plura-totum argumentum hæc unica consideratio determinat. Qui animum bonis et intaminatis vitæ institutis retinet imbutum, ille cum hisce authoribus facillime versari poterit, omnis expers periculi contagionis. Atque quantum ad eos spectat, quorum improbitas superat ingenium, (execrabilius autem accidere fatuo nihil potest) illi proprii, et insensati quidem vitii tempestate abrepti, aras focosque et res omnes quam maxime sacras, nequissimi cujusque facinoris perpetrandi gratia, pro TRANSLATION. ness in love, what kindness to relations, what instances of all the social virtues do we not meet with in their writings! Not to mention a thousand ornaments of wit, a wonderful sweetness, and easy cadence in their numbers, and so true a picture of life, that one can scarce fancy the scene to lie at the distance it is placed. There is one objection which I must not pass over, and that is generally charged upon these poets; I mean, their too great licence and obscenity in their ideas and language. To this I would reply, that if upon some occasions they seem not to have been very scrupulous about the terms they made use of in communicating their amorous adventures, it ought not to be imputed to a scandalous singularity in them, but to the common indulgence of the age in which they flourished. Horace must plead guilty to the same indictment. Nay, Virgil himself, as applauded as he is for modesty, has left many expressions in his Eclogues that might be argued of wantonness. After all, the whole matter will turn upon this single point. A person whose principles are uncorrupted may freely converse with these authors without danger of infection and for such who have more wickedness than wit, (the greatest curse that can befall a fool,) their senseless vice will |