MEURSIUS.

In his Reliqua Attica, p. 19, he gives us this old infcription, in capitals.

Στηχεν Αχάριστος στηλην μελα κυδέσιν αποις
Παίρος το γομεχων δημοθον Ευπωρίδης,

It should be,

Στησεν Αχάριστος σήλην μεγακυδέσιν αυτοις,
Παῖρος τ' ανομ' έχων, δημοθεν Ευπυρίδης,

NAUGERIUS*.

HIS writer, who certainly deferves to be placed among the best modern poets, fhewed his good tafte in the great averfion he had to false wit, and to affected turns in poetry. There goes a story of him, that he used to burn Martial's Epigrams every year.

• Extracted from Mifcellan. Obfervat. Vol. I. p. 297.

Paulus

Paulus Jovius, after having obferved that Naugerius was a Ciceronian, adds "Eodem quoque præftanti Judicio, quum Epigrammata lepidiffimè fcriberet, non falfis aculeatifque finibus, fed tenerâ illa, et prædulci prifca fuavitate claudebat: Adeo Martialis feverus hoftis, ut quotannis, ftato die Mufis dicato, multa ejus volumina, tanquam impura, cum exfecratione Vulcano dicarentur.”— "Ex quibus omnibus," fays Vulpius, who wrote his life, "facile intelligitur, quam teretes, religiofafque aures habuerit, quam limato, et acri judicio fuerit: quum et optimos tantum fcriptores perlegeret, ac deterioribus ita infenfus effet, ut multa Martialis Volumina, non fine diris atque exfecrationibus, ftato die quotannis incenderet."

Upon which I have a little obfervation to make; which is, That Naugerius, who hated Martial fa much, has himself given us an epigram, altogether in the tafte and manner of Martial. It is this:

Quem toties vixiffe anima redeunte renatum
Mutato fama eft corpore Pythagoram:
Cerne iterum ut docti cælo generatus Afylæ
Vivat: ut antiquum fervet in ore decus.
Dignum aliquid certe volvit : fic fronte fevera eft:
Sic in fe magno pectore totus abit.

Poffet et ille altos animi depromere fenfus:
Sed, veteri obftrictus Religione, filet.

Compare

Compare this epigram with the following from the Anthologia on the fame fubject. See Edit, Steph. Pag. 380.

Οὐ τὸν ἀναπτύσσοντα φύσιν πολύμητιν ἀριθμων
Ηθελέν ὁ πλάσης Πυθαγόρην τελέσαι,
̓Αλλὰ τὸν ἐν σιγῇ πινέφρονι· καὶ τάχα φωνήν
Ενθεν αποκρύπτει, καὶ τίδ ̓ ἔχων ἐπάσαι.

*Αμὲν Πυθαγόρην : ζωγράφο· ὃν μετὰ φωνῆς
Εἶδες ἂν, ἔιγε λαλεῖν ἤθελε Πυθαγόρης.

I doubt the turn of this Epigram, given us by Naugerius, is not founded upon history.

The filence which Pythagoras required in his difciples is well known. But, did Pythagoras himfelf obferve fuch a filence?-Neither Diogenes Laertius, nor Jamblichus, nor Porphyry, nor the "Anonymus apud Photium," who have written the life of Pythagoras; nor Suidas, nor Lloyd in. his Dictionary, nor Mr. Bayle, fay any thing about it, that can fairly amount to a proof of the above. affertion. Nay, Pythagoras, as we are told, was remarkable for his perfuafive eloquence, and for having reformed many people by his frequent dif

courfes

courses upon the Beauty of Virtue: And the author of another Epigram in the Anthologia remarks, that Pythagoras, who could speak fo well himself, had taught filence to others.

Η μεγάλη παίδευσις ἐν ανθρώποισι σιωπὴ·
Μάρτυρα Πυθαγόραν τὸν σοφὸν αὐτὸν ἔχω
Ὃς λαλέειν ειδώς, ἐπέρας ἐδίδαξε σιωπάν,

Φάρμακον ἡσυχίας ἐγκρατὲς ἑυράμενΘ'.

Claudian, indeed, feems to talk of the filence of Pythagoras, De Conf. Mallii, v. 90.

Quicquid Democritus rifit, dixitque tacendo
Pythagoras.-

And, v. 157.

At non Pythagore monitus, annique filentes
Famofum Oebalii luxum prefsére Tarenti.

This paffage of Claudian is thus quoted by Mr. Bayle in his Dictionary,

"Pythagoras prêchoit d'Exemple: Son Silence "même étoit eloquent, et contribua autant que "fa Voix a la Reforme, comme l'a fort bien re"marqué un ancien Poëte:

Annon Pythagora monitus, annique filentes
Famofum Oebalii luxum preffere Tarenti?

"Il faut lire Annon, et non pas Et non, fans in"terrogation, comme dans l'Edition de Barthius."

Mr. Bayle is mistaken. This place of Claudian must be read as I have quoted it. Claudian obferves,-not, as Mr. Bayle thinks he does,-that Pythagoras reformed the people of Tarentum; but, on the contrary, that he could not mend them.

It is probable that Claudian had in his thoughts the filence which the Pythagoreans obferved, and ascribed to the master what belonged to the disciples. Nic. Heinfius fays, " Per annos filentes quinquennium intelligit filentio a Pythagoræis devotum." It may be fo.

Diogenes Laertius, fpeaking of the death of Pythagoras, fays

Τον δὴ Πυθαγόραν καταληφθῆναι διεξίονα. Και προς τινι χωρίῳ γενόμενος πλήρει κυάμων, αυτόθι ἔση, είπων, Αλῶναι μᾶλλον ἢ πάλησαι, αναιρεθήναι δε κρεῖττον, ἢ ΛΑΛΗΣΑΙ. Καὶ ὧδε πρὸς των διωκίνων αποσφαγῆναι. Lib. VIII. § 39.

Pythagoram igitur, cum per Incendium evafiffet, folum relictum effe; et in agrum quendam fabis plenum intrantem, ibi conftitiffe, ac dixiffe, " Capi præstat quam has dare peffum; cædique fatius eft quam quicquam loqui." Atque ita jugulum Perfecutoribus nudaffe.