friends, relations, and country? The affection I bear our neighbour state, would incline me to wish it were Holland. Sed lava in parte mamille Nil falit Arcadies. Is it from France then we must expect this restoration of learning, whofe late monarch took the sciences under his protection, and raised them to fo great a height? May we not hope their emiffaries will fome time or other have instructions, not only to invite learned men into their country, but learned beasts, the true ancient man-tygers, I mean of Æthiopia and India? Might not the talents of each of thefe be adapted to the improvement of the feveral sciences? The man-tygers to inftruct heroes, ftatesmen, and fcholars; baboons to teach ceremony and address to courtiers; monkeys, the art of pleafing in converfation, and agreeable affectations to ladies and their lovers; apes of less learning, to form comedians and dancing-masters; and marmosets, court pages and young English travellers? But the distinguishing each kind, and allotting the proper bufinefs to each, I leave to the inquisitive and penetrating genius of the Jefuits in their respective miffions. Vale et fruere. Virgilius Restauratus': SEU MARTINI SCRIBLERI, SUMMI CRITICI, Caftigationum in Æneidem SPECIMEN. ENEIDEM totam, Amice Lector, innumerabilibus pæne mendis fcaturientem, ad priftinum fenfum revocabimus. In fingulis fere verfibus fpuriæ occurrunt lectiones, in omnibus quos unquam vidi codicibus, aut vulgatis aut ineditis, ad opprobrium ufque Criticorum, in hunc diem exiftentes. Interea adverte oculos, et his paucis fruere. At fi quæ fint in hifce caftigationibus, de quibus non fatifliquet, fyllabarum quantitates, golyóμeva nostra Libro ipfi præfigenda, ut confulas, moneo. This was written to ridicule Bentley's edition of Milton, and, as the subject is fair, so many of the emendations, in the style of Bentley, are very happy and well conceived. The reafon of Pope's anger against Bentley is faid to have been, --that foon after the publication of Homer, meeting Bentley at dinner, he said, "I truft you have received my Homer, which I ordered the bookfeller to fend." Bentley, who wished to have avoided the fubject, is faid to have replied:-" I have received your tranflation, but pray do not call it Homer." It is very eafy, but very ungrateful, to laugh at collectors of various readings, and adjusters of texts, thofe poor pioneers of literature; who drag forward A waggon load of meanings for one word, While A's depos'd, and B with pomp reftor❜d. To the indefatigable researches of many a Dutch commentator and German editor, are we indebted for that ease and facility with which we now are enabled to read. "I am perfuaded,” says Bayle, "that the ridiculous obftinacy of the first critics, who lavished so much of their time upon the question, whether we ought to say Virgilius or Vergilius, has been ultimately of great ufe; they thereby infpired men with an extreme veneration for antiquity; they difpofed them to a fedulous enquiry into the conduct and character of the ancient Grecians and Romans, and that gave occafion to their improving by those great examples." Dict. tom. v. p. 795. I have always been ftruck with the following words of a commentator, who was alfo a great philofopher, I mean Dr. Clarke; who thus finishes the preface to his incomparable edition of Homer. "Levia quidem hæc, et parvi forte, fi per fe fpectentur momenti. Sed ex elementis conftant, ex principiis oriuntur, omnia: Et ex judicii confuetudine in rebus minutis adhibitâ, pendet fæpiffimè in maximis vera atque accurata fcientia." Real scholars will always fpeak with due regard of fuch names, as the Scaligers, Salmafius's, Heinfius's, Burman's, Reifkius's, Markland's, Gefner's, Heynes's, Toup's, Bentley's, and Hare's. "Sans ce qu'on appelle les erudits," fays Marmontel, very fenfibly, "nous ferions encore barbares. C'eft grace aux lumieres qu'ils ont transmises, que leurs écrits ne font plus de faifon." Jortin used frequently to mention this attempt to difcredit emendatory criticism, with strong marks of derifion; and I have now before me, a letter from Toup to Mr. Thomas Warton, in the fame ftrain. WARTON. Littora. multum ille et terris jactatus et alto, Vi fuperûm Arma Virumque cano, Trojæ qui primus ab aris Littora. multum ille et terris vexatus et alto, Ab aris, nempe Hercai Jovis. vide lib. ii. v. 512. 550.-Flatu, ventorum Æoli, ut fequitur-Latina certe littora cum Æneas aderat, Lavina non nifi poftea ab ipfo nominata, lib. xii. v. 193.-Jactatus terris non convenit. II. VER. 52. Et quifquis Numen Junonis adoret ? Longe melius, quam, ut antea, Numen. et proculdubio fic Virgilius. III. VER. 86. Venti, velut agmine facto, Qua data porta ruunt. Venti, velut aggere fracto, IV. VER. 117. Fidumque vehebat Orontem. Fortemque vehebat Orontem. Non fidum. quia Epitheton Achata notiffimum VOL. VI. U V. VER. V. VER. 119. Excutitur, pronufque magifter Volvitur in caput. Excutitur: pronufque magis ter Volvitur in caput. Aio Virgilium aliter non fcripfiffe, quod plane con firmatur ex fequentibus-Aft illum ter fluctus ibidem Torquet.. VI. VER. 122. Apparent rari nantes in gurgite vasto Arma Virúm. Armi hominum: Ridicule antea Arma virúm, quæ, ex ferro conflata, quomodo poffunt natare? VII. VER. 151. Atque rotis fummas leviter perlabitur undas. Atque rotis fpumas leviter perlabitur udas. Summas, et leviter perlabi, pleonafmus eft: Mirifice altera lectio Neptuni agilitatem et celeritatem exprimit. fimili modo Nofter de Camilla, Æn. xi. Illa vel intacta fegetis per fumma volaret, etc. hyperbolice. VIII. VER. 154. Jamque faces et faxa volant, furor arma miniftrat. Jam fæces et faxa volant, fugiuntque ministri : uti folent, inftanti periculo-Faces facibus longe præftant; quid enim nifi fæces jactarent. vulgus for didum? IX. VER. |