Sumitur ex libro; si prurit frictus ocelli Petosiris is mentioned by Suidas under the respectable title of a philosopher. It is a common proverb, that extremes meet and its truth is strikingly exemplified in the fate of the mathematical sciences. It might have been supposed that their severity, and the strictness of proof required by them, would have operated as a prohibition against wild and irregular fancies: yet we find that the extravagant pursuit of truth itself leads to error; a result which also takes place in the enthusiastic study of religion. The mathematicians of the middle ages, and still lower, were all astrologers, though the lower class of astrologers probably were not mathematicians. To such an excess was this pretended science carried, that not only were the leading secrets of men's lives predicted, but the practising physicians prescribed with reference to them; and the stars were consulted to ascertain the propitious hour, at which the patient was to take a fresh egg or a basin of soup. The following caution against such a course of conduct as shall make a man dependent on the secrecy of others, especially of mean persons and menials, is given with profound knowledge of the world: Illos ergo roges, quicquid paulo ante petebas Præcipue causis, ut linguas mancipiorum Sat. ix. This satire has been severely condemned for its subject, which is indeed thoroughly disgusting; but the mode in which that disgusting subject has been treated, is ably vindicated by Mr. Gifford in the argument to his translation of it, against the sweeping censure of Julius Scaliger and others. Scaliger is indeed so indiscriminate as to propose the rejection of all Juvenal's works, including the moral tenth satire, on account of this proscribed subject. But surely this is carrying delicacy and refinement to extravagance; and comes too near to what an ancient friend of mine once characterised as the temper of the present age; to be more shocked at strong language than at bad actions. Mr. Gifford has vindicated his author both by reasoning, and by translating him; and my friend Mr. Hodgson, though he could have been better pleased to omit it altogether, has executed his task with perfect decency, and yet with strong impression. There are certainly many passages in this satire which one would not quote ; but there are many also, the suppression of which would lessen the stock of useful moral reprobation. Mr. Hodgson in his argument quotes one passage as a beautiful example of musical cadence ; and refers to the elegant complaint of the shortness of youth. In fact, the offensive passages occur principally in Nævolus's part of the dialogue; and I would add the following lines in the opening of the satire, as a characteristic specimen of the poet, to the lines just quoted by myself, and to the passages referred to by the translator: Omnia nunc contra: vultus gravis, horrida siccæ Sat. ix. MISCELLANEOUS PASSAGES FROM VIRGIL. VIRGIL IRGIL Concludes his fourth eclogue, with calling upon the child to distinguish his mother by her smiles; because those children, on whom their parents did not smile at their birth, were accounted unfortunate: Incipe, parve puer, risu cognoscere matrem : The commentators are not all agreed, whether the poet means that the child should know its mother by her smiling on him, or that he should recognise his mother by smiling on her. The two last of the four lines can only accord with the former sense. Servius is rather inconsistent on the subject. He seems to consider this passage as involving an interchange of smiles. The passage of Catullus, In Nuptias Juliæ et Manlii, represents the smiles of infants very pleasingly, but at a more advanced period: Torquatus, volo, parvulus Porrigens teneras manus, aim at that more stately furniture, which would have been necessary for the reception of guests. The Roman reckoning by sesterces was ex-. tremely troublesome. Decies centena means decies centena millia. Another expression was, decies millia: sometimes decies alone, or decies sestercium. The lesser sesterce was twopence all but half a farthing of our money. This makes the reduction of a large sum to our denominations a delicate operation in arithmetic. A million of sesterces amounted to 78127. 10s. Horace's courtly principles are evinced in the following line: Principibus placuisse viris, non ultima laus est. Epist. lib. i. ep. 17. Horrida tempestas cœlum contraxit; et imbres In this little piece, nothing can be more pleasant than the manner in which Epicurean suggestions are delivered with all the pomp and gravity of the Stoic school. The real drift seems to be, condolence with some friend on a reverse of fortune. The preceptor of Achilles is introduced as delivering the oracles of wisdom to his pupil, which far from being the lecture of a pedagogue, turn out to be an invitation to reflect on the shortness of life, not for the purpose of enhancing care, but of expelling it by music, wine, and company. Horace speaks with indignation of the effeminacy prevalent in the camp of Antony and Cleopatra: and its effect in occasioning the desertion of the Gallogræci : |