T EPIST. II. Ad LOLLIUM. ROJANI belli fcriptorem, maxime Lollî, Qui, quid fit pulchrum, quid turpe, quid utile, quid non, Stultorum regum ac populorum continet æftus. Tranflated by Dr. DUNKIN. 5 10 Cogi Lollius, who was Conful in the Year 733, had two Sons, one of whom was the Father of the Emprefs Lollia Paulina. Horace writes this Epiftle to the elder Brother, Maxime Lolli; and while he directs him in what manner to read Homer, he gives him fome excellent Precepts, to guard him against Envy, Avarice, Debauchery, and Anger. We are obliged to Cardinal Norris for this Explaination of the Epiftle, and we shall in the Remarks find it well fupported against the general Opinion of the Commentators, and particularly Mr. Dacier. Verse 2. Dum tu declamas Romæ.] Young People of Distinction at Rome, uled to improve and exercife their Genius for Eloquence, by public Declamations upon feigned Subjects, before they ventured to appear at the Bar. But at what Time of Life can we fuppofe Lollius the Father, if we believe this Epiftle was written to him, amufing himself in this Manner? After the Battle of Actium we find him, honoured with the Confidence of Auguftus, and employed in the most important Negotiations. Before the Battle he was indeed young, but Horace was not older; nor could he justly treat him as a Boy, puer, or pretend to give him Inftructions for his Conduct. He was really a bad Man, but was he debauched, envious, avaricious and paffionate in his Youth, or could Horace alone difcern thefe Vices, which Lollius had Art enough to conceal for thirty Years from the piercing Eyes of Auguftus and his Court? The Reader may find his Character in the Notes on the ninth Ode of the fourth Book. SANI EPIST. II. To LOLLIUS. HILE You, my Lollius, on some chofen WH With youthful Eloquence at Rome declaim, I read the Grecian Poet o'er again, Whose Works the Beautiful and Base contain ; While 4. Planius.] This is the Reading of the Scholiaft; of almoft half the Manufcripts, and of all the beft Editions, ancient and modern. He fpeaks here of Examples, which clear and render plain the Difficulties, that occur in our Obfervation of Precepts. Melius is for Perfuafion, and this is another Advantage arifing from Examples. Precepts indeed inftruct, yet, properly fpeaking, have but little Perfuafion. 10. Quid Paris ?] This Paffage hath much perplexed the Commentators, Some correct the Text, and others alter the Punctua tion, Cogi poffe negat. Neftor componere lites Inter Peliden feftinat & inter Atriden. Hunc amor, ira quidem communiter urit utrumque. Quidquid delirant reges, plectuntur Achivi. Seditione, dolis, fcelere, atque libidine, & irâ, 15 Iliacos intra muros peccatur & extra. Rurfum quid virtus, & quid fapientia poffit, 20 Quæ tion. Dr. Bentley, Mr. Cunigham, and Sanadon, read Quod Paris; ad quod Paris, fcilicet, belli præcidere caufam, negat fe poffe cogi, etiam ut faluus regnet. An unusual Hardness of Expreffion to fay, quod cogor, for ad quod cogor, and without Example. Others read the Line thus, Quid Paris, ut falvus regnet, vivatque beatus ? 13. Hunc amor.] Mr. Sanadon here enters into an important Debate with the Commentators, who affert that Achilles never was in Love: That this Quarrel with Agamemnon arose from a Refentment of his injured Honour, not from his Paffion for Brifeis; and that when Horace fays, A Slave could fierce Achilles move, And bend his haughty Soul to Love, he only speaks in a Tone of Gallantry and Gayety. On the contrary, Achilles himself declares, in the ninth Iliad, 342 Line, Love is the Paffion of the Wife and Brave, And though the bright Brifeis be a Slave, Sophocles, Ovid, Propertius, and Plutarch are quoted to prove How much he fuffer'd for the beauteous Dame, And for his ravifh'd Fair what Griefs enflame While hoary Neftor, by Experience wise, The Breafts of both. When doating Monarchs urge To fhew what pious Wisdom's Power can do, Who conquer'd Troy, and with fagacious Ken Omnia formofam propter Brifeïda passus ; IF 14. Quidquid delirant reges, &c.] The People, fays Hefiod, pay for the Follies of their Kings; and Achilles in Homer begs, the Greeks may be driven with Slaughter to their Ships, that they may enjoy their Monarch. -ἵνα παντὲς ἐπαύρωνται Βασιλῆος. 19. Domitor Troja.] It is remarkable, that Homer calls Ulyffes, The Conqueror of Troy, a Character, which he never gives to Achil les, Agamemnon, Diomed or Ajax: as if he would infinuate, that Conduct gains more Conquefts than Courage. 23. Sirenum voces.] Cicero was fo charmed with this Paffage, that he tranflated it. He bids us obferve the Poet's Art, when juftly apprehenfive, that his Fiction would be but ill received by the World, if he made fo wife a Man as Ulyffes delay his Voyage for the Amufement of a Song, he tells us, that they promised to teach him. Wifdom: A Promife, which, without a Miracle, might make Ulyffes forget the Love of his Country. 1 25 Quæ fi cum fociis ftultus cupidufque bibiffet, Pofces ante diem librum cum lumine; fi non 30 35 40 Incipe. 24. Stultus cupidufque.] Like a Fool, and a Man enslaved to his Paffions. Ulyffes did not drink this Beverage, until he had made ufe of the Plant given him by Mercury, as of fovereign Power against Enchantments. No other Pleasures are forbidden, fays Mr. Dacier, to a wife Man, but thofe, which hurt the Soul; and Socrates justly proves, that Wisdom itself could not be well efteemed the fupreme Good, if it were not accompanied with Pleasure. Such Reafoning is, in this Place, a little unguarded, confidering what kind of Pleasures the Poet here indulges to his Hero. 27. Nos numerus fumus.] A proverbial Manner of Expreffion, One of the many. Horace, to fhew what a Fund of Inftruction may be found in the Works of Homer, begins to apply, to`common Life, thofe Examples which the Poet propofes. From thence he takes Occafion to enter into a Detail of Morals equally useful and inAructive. SAN 34. Si nolis fanus, cures hydropicus.] This Reading appears in all Dr. Bentley's Manufcripts, except one or two, and thofe lefs anciSi nolis fanus expergifci, cures expergifci hydropicus, which has a natural Connexion with the Line preceding and the Verfe following. The Dropfy may here fignify all Diseases in general, and in a meta ent. phorical |