Court, or the Exchange, or Westminster Hall. I ask again, then, whither shall we fly, or what shall we do? The world may so come in a man's way, that he cannot choose but salute it; he must take heed, though, not to go a whoring after it. If, by any lawful vocation, or just necessity, men happen to be married to it, I can only give them St. Paul's advice: Brethren, the time is short; it remains, that they that have wives be as though they had none.-But I would that all men were even as I myself.'

'1

6

In all cases, they must be sure, that they do mundum ducere, and not mundo nubere. They must retain the superiority and headship over it: happy are they, who can get out of the sight of this deceitful beauty, that they may not be led so much as into temptation; who have not only quitted the metropolis, but can abstain from ever seeing the next market-town of their country.

11 Cor. vii. 29.

JOHN DRYDEN

1631-1700

CHARACTER OF M. ST. EVREMONT

I KNOW how nice an undertaking it is to write of a living author: yet the example of Father Bouhours has somewhat encouraged me in this attempt. Had not Monsieur St. Evremont been very considerable in his own country, that famous Jesuit would not have ventured to praise a person in disgrace with the government of France, and living here in banishment. Yet in his Pensées Ingénieuses, he has often cited our author's thoughts and his expressions, as the standard of judicious thinking, and graceful speaking: an undoubted sign that his merit was sufficiently established, when the disfavour of the court could not prevail against it. There is not only a justness in his conceptions, which is the foundation of good writing, but also a purity of language, and a beautiful turn of words, so little understood by modern writers; and which indeed was found at Rome but at the latter end of the Commonwealth, and ended with Petronius, under the Monarchy.

If I durst extend my judgement to particulars, I would say that our author has determined very nicely in his opinion of Epicurus, and that what he has said of his morals, is according to nature, and

reason.

It is true, that as I am a religious admirer of Virgil, I could wish that he had not discovered our · father's nakedness.1 But after all, we must confess that Aeneas was none of the greatest heroes, and that Virgil was sensible of it himself. But what could he do? the Trojan on whom he was to build the Roman Empire had been already vanquished; he had lost his country, and was a fugitive. Nay more, he had fought unsuccessfully with Diomedes, and was only preserved from death by his mother goddess, who received a wound in his defence. So that Virgil, bound as he was to follow the footsteps of Homer, who had thus described him, could not reasonably have altered his character, and raised him in Italy to a much greater height of prowess than he found him formerly in Troy. Since therefore he could make no more of him in valour, he resolved not to give him that virtue, as his principal; but chose another, which was piety. It is true, this latter, in the composition of a hero, was not altogether so shining as the former; but it entitled him more to the favour of the gods, and their protection, in all his undertakings; and, which was the poet's chiefest aim, made a nearer resemblance betwixt Aeneas and his patron, Augustus Caesar, who, above all things, loved to be flattered for being pious, both to the gods and his relations. And that very piety, or gratitude, (call it which you please,) to the memory of his 1 In his Reflections on Segrais' Translation of Virgil.

uncle, Julius, gave him the preference, amongst the soldiers, to Mark Antony; and consequently raised him to the empire. As for personal courage, that of Augustus was not pushing;1 and the poet, who was not ignorant of that defect, for that reason durst not ascribe it, in the supreme degree, to him who was to represent his Emperor under another name which was managed by him with the most imaginable fineness; for had valour been set uppermost, Augustus must have yielded to Agrippa. After all, this is rather to defend the courtier, than the poet; and to make his hero escape again, under the covert of a cloud. Only we may add, what I think Bossu says, that the Roman Commonwealth being now changed into a monarchy, Virgil was helping to that design; by insinuating into the people the piety of their new conqueror, to make them the better brook this innovation, which was brought on them by a man who was favoured by the gods.-Yet we may observe, that Virgil forgot not, upon occasion, to speak honourably of Aeneas, in point of courage, and that particularly in the person of him by whom he was overcome. For Diomedes compares him with Hector, and even with advantage:

Quicquid apud durae cessatum est moenia Troiae
Hectoris Aeneaeque manu victoria Graium
Haesit, et in decimum vestigia rettulit annum :
Ambo animis, ambo insignes praestantibus armis;
Hic pietate prior.

As for that particular passage, cited by Monsieur

1 At the battle of Philippi he is supposed to have feigned sickness, to avoid taking a part in the engagement; and almost all his subsequent victories were obtained by Agrippa, and the other generals whom he employed.

St. Evremont, where Aeneas shows the utmost fear, in the beginning of a tempest,

Extemplo Aeneae solvuntur frigore membra, &c. why may it not be supposed, that having been long at sea, he might be well acquainted with the nature of a storm; and, by the rough beginning, foresee the increase and danger of it? at least, as a father of his people, his concernment might be greater for them than for himself; and if so, what the poet takes from the merit of his courage, is added to the prime virtue of his character, which was his piety. Be this said with all manner of respect and deference to the opinion of Monsieur St. Evremont; amongst whose admirable talents, that of penetration is not the least. He generally dives into the very bottom of his authors; searches into the inmost recesses of their souls, and brings up with him those hidden treasures which had escaped the diligence of others. His examination of the Grand Alexandre,1 in my opinion, is an admirable piece of criticism; and I doubt not but that his observations on the English theatre had been as absolute in their kind, had he seen with his own eyes, and not with those of other men. But conversing in a manner wholly with the court, which is not always the truest judge, he has been unavoidably led into mistakes, and given to some of our coarsest poets a reputation abroad, which they never had at home. Had his conversation in the town been more general, he had certainly received other ideas on that subject; and not transmitted those names into his own country, which will be forgotten by posterity in ours.

1 A French tragedy.