provinces, by the abject, flavish Afiatics. And this, no doubt, facilitated the admiffion of fuch idolatries into the capital [c]. But that a people, from the highest notions of an independent republican equality, could fo foon be brought to this proftrate adoration of their firft lord, is perfectly amazing! In this, they fhewed themfelves ripe for fervitude. Nothing could keep 'them out of the hands of a master. And one can scarcely read fuch accounts as thefe, without condemning the vain efforts of dying patriotisin, which laboured fo fruitleffly, may one not almost say, so weakly? to protract the liberty of fuch a people. Who can, after this, wonder at the incense, offered up by a few court-poets? The adulation of Virgil, which has given fo much offence, and of Horace, who keeps pace with him, was, we fee, but the authorized language of the times; prefented indeed with addrefs, but without the heightenings and privileged licence of their profeffion. For, to their credit, it must be owned, that, though in the office of poets, they were to comply with the popular voice, and echo it back to the ears of fovereignty; yet, as men, they had too much good fenfe, and too fcrupulous a regard to the

[c] See a learned and accurate differtation on the fubject in HIST. DE L'ACAD. DES INSCR. &c. tom. i. dignity

dignity of their characters, to exaggerate and go beyond it.

It should, in all reason, furprize and difgust us ftill more, that modern writers have not always fhewn themselves fo difcrete. The grave and learned LIPSIUS was not afhamed, even without the convenient pretext of popular flattery, or poetic colouring, in fo many words, to make a god of his patron: who, though neither king, nor pope, was yet the next best material for this manufacture, an archbishop. For, though the critic knew, that it was not every wood that will make a Mercury, yet nobody would difpute the fitnefs of that, which grew fo near the altar. In plain words, I am speaking of an archbishop of MECHLIN, whom, after a deal of fulfome compliment (which was the vice of the man), he exalts at laft, with a pagan complaifance, into the order of deities. "Ad haec," fays he, " erga omnes humanitas et facilitas me "faciunt, ut omnes te non tanquàm hominem aliquem de noftro coetu, fed tanquam DEUM (6 QUENDAM DE COELO DELAPSUM INTUEAN"TUR ET ADMIRENTUR."

16. JURANDASQUE TUUM PER NUMEN PONIMUS ARAS.] On this idea of the APOTHEOSIS, which was the ufual mode of flattery in the Auguftan age, but, as having the countenance

of

of public authority, fometimes inartificially enough employed, Virgil hath projected one of the nobleft allegories in ancient poetry, and at the fame time hath given to it all the force of just compliment, the occafion itself allowed. Each of thefe excellencies was to be expected from his talents. For, as his genius led him to the fublime; fo his exquifite judgment would inftruct him to palliate this bold fiction, and qualify, as much as poffible, the fhocking adulation, implied in it. So fingular a beauty deferves to be fhewn at large.

The third GEORGIC fets out with an apology for the low and fimple argument of that work, which, yet, the poet efteemed, for its novelty, preferable to the fublimer, but trite, themes of the Greek writers. Not but he intended, on fome future occafion, to adorn a nobler subject. This was the great plan of the Aeneïs, which he now prefigures and unfolds at large. For, taking advantage of the nobleft privilege of his art, he breaks away, in a fit of prophetic enthufiafm, to fortel his fucceffes in this projected enterprize, and, under the imagery of the ancient triumph, which comprehends, or fuggests to the imagination, whatever is most auguft in human affairs, to delineate the future glories of this ambitious defign. The whole conception, as we fhall fee, is of the utmoft grandeur and

magnificence; though, according to the usual management of the poet (which, as not being apprehended by his critics, hath furnished occafion, even to the best of them, to charge him with a want of the fublime) he hath contrived to foften and familiarize its appearance to the reader, by the artful manner in which it is introduced. It stands thus:

tentanda via eft, qua me quoque poffim Tollere humo, VICTORQUE virúm volitare per ora. This idea of victory, thus cafually dropped, he makes the basis of his imagery; which, by means of this gradual preparation, offers itself eafily to the apprehenfion, though it thereby loses, as the poet defigned it fhould, much of that broad glare, in which writers of lefs judgment love to fhew their ideas, as tending to fet the common reader at a gaze. The allegory then proceeds:

Primus ego patriam mecum (modo vita fuperfit) Aonio rediens deducam vertice Mufas.

The projected conqueft was no less than that of all the Grecian Mufes at once; whom, to carry on the decorum of the allegory, he threatens, 1, to force from their high and advantageous fituation on the fummit of the Aonian mount; and, 2. bring captive with him into Italy: the former circunftance intimating to us the difficulty

ficulty and danger of the enterprize; and the latter, his complete execution of it.

The palmy, triumphal entry, which was usual to victors on their return from foreign fucceffes, follows:

Primus Idumaeds referam tibi, Mantua, palmas. But ancient conquerors did not hold it fufficient to reap this tranfient fruit of their labours. They were ambitious to confecrate their glory to immortality, by a temple, or other public monument, which was to be built out of the spoils of the conquered cities or countries. This, the reader fees, is fuitable to the idea of the great work propofed; which was, out of the old remains of Grecian art, to compofe a new one, that should comprize the virtues of them all: as, in fact, the Aeneïd is known to unite in itself whatever is most excellent, not in Homer only, but, univerfally, in the wits of Greece. The everlasting monument of the marble temple is then reared:

Et viridi in campo templum de MARMORE ponam. And, because ancient fuperftition usually preferred, for these purposes, the banks of rivers to other fituations, therefore the poet, in beautiful allufion to the fite of fome of the most celebrated pagan temples, builds his on the MINCIUS. We

fee