"I am forced to bear with poets, whilft they extol themselves, and read their verfes to me :" as Thais fays in Terence. Eunuch. Act IV. Sc. VI. 3. Ufque adeò ego illius ferre poffum ineptias et magnifica verba. Dacier and Sanadon explain the place in another manner. EPIST. AD PISONES, Ver. 28. Serpit humi tutus nimiùm, timidufque procellæ. A metaphor, taken, they fay, from mariners, or from birds. Yet neither the one nor the other creep upon the ground; ferpunt humi. Ver. 114. Intererit multùm, Divufne loquatur, an Heros. And yet, the style of a God, and that of an Heroe, Tixhos, feems not to be very diftant, who is or oppofite. Ver. 418. Et quod non didici, fanè nescire fateri. Perhaps, planè JUSTIN. "FACTA JUSTIN. Book IX. 3. CTA igitur inter duas, paullo ante infestisfimas, Civitates focietate, legationibus Græciam fatigant; communem hoftem putant communibus viribus fubmovendum; neque enim ceffaturum Philippum,-nifi omnem Græciam domuerit." The word putant is a manifeft botch. The fenfe is-fatigant Græciam; [dicentes per legatos] communem hoftem communibus viribus fubmovendum, &c. XVI. 3. "Sed inter Lyfimachum et Pyrrhum regemaffiduum inter pares difcordia malum bellum moverat." Read difcordia, which is far more elegant. So Statius, Theb. I. 30. I have obferved that Statius and Juftin have now and then the fame thoughts, and the fame expreffions; and that one of them imitates the other. For example, JUSTIN, XXIV. 6. "Inde quafi terrena jam fpolia forderent, animum ad Deorum immortalium Templa convertit." STATIUS, Theb, X. 837. Jam fordent terrena viro -truncas rupes in Templa Domofque Præcipitat, &c. Again, JUSTIN, XXVI. "Ad tam fævam dominationem, ftupentibus omnibus, princeps eorum Hellanicus, fenex et liberis orbus, ut qui nec ætatis nec pignoris refpectu timeret,-fidiffimos amicorum in Vindictam patriæ hortatur." STATIUS, Theb. III. 214. Hæc Senior multumque nefas Etheoclis acerbat, Tota retro. JUSTINIAN. JUSTINIAN. In Justinian's Code, L. X. Tit. LII. there is a collection of laws made in favour of learned Profeffors, Grammarians, Rhetoricians, Orators, Lawyers, Philofophers, and Phyficians. But Poets are not mentioned there; and they are excluded, by name, in a law of the emperor Philip: Poëtæ nulla immunitatis prærogativa juvantur. Why are the Sons of Apollo treated thus? Le Clerc affigns two reafons; firft," that poets are of no use to the community; and fecondly, that if public rewards had been allotted to them, every man would have fet up the trade of verfifying." Parrhafiana, I. 52. I add, that if fuch favour had been granted to Poets, the fame at leaft ought to have been extended to Hiflorians; who, furely, are more ufeful to the world than poets. In the days of Philip, it feemed the lefs neceffary to provide for the poets, because at that time, and in the whole third century, the art was in a manner extinct; and I know of no tolerable poet except Oppian. JUVENA L. HENNINIUS ENNINIUS publifhed Juvenal, with all the commentators that he could collect: To whofe notes are added thofe of Almeloveen and of Henninius, who are a couple of filly triflers. We want a better edition: The commentaries of Domitius Calderinus are of very fmall value. Juvenal is an Author who pleases me much: but though I efteem his beauties, I am not blind to his faults. Befides his obfcurities, and the obscenities which are too frequent in his poems, and the flatnefs of his fixteenth fatire, which is a poor performance,-he hath here and there fome clumfy and flovenly verfes. For example: SAT. |