66 to him, in all the Particulars of his Conduct. He still preferv'd in Rome fo great an Appearance of the antient Liberty of the Republick, that he wou'd not fuffer the People to call him, LORD. Both by his Afpect, and his Gefture, (fays Sueton) he difcourag'd the unmanly Flatterys that were addrefs't to him; "and the next Day he fupprefs't them "by a moft severe Edict. Nor wou'd "he ever afterwards fuffer himself to be "call'd Lord, not even by his Children, " and his other Relations, either in jeft, or in earnest - During his Confulfhip he generally walk't abroad; and ་།། " at * Manu, vultuque indecoras adulationes repreffit, & in fequenti die graviffimo corripuit edicto; DOMI NUMque fe pofthac appellari ne a liberis, aut nepotibus, vel ferio, vel joco paffus eft In confulatu pedibus fere, extra confulatum fæpe adoperta fella per publicum inceffit. Promifcuis falutationibus admitteba & plebem - Quoties magiftratuum Comitijs intereffer, tribus cum candidatis fuis circuibat, fupplicabatque more folemni, Ferebat & ipfe fuffragium in tribu, ut unus e populo Filiam & neptes ita inftituit, ut etiam lanificio affuefaceret Habitavit in ædibus modicis Hortenfianis neque laxitate, neque cultu confpicuis; ut in quibus porticus breves effent; & fine marmore ullo, aut infigni pavimento confpicua : ac per annos amplius XL. eodem cubiculo hieme & æftate manfit Inftrumenti ejus & fuppellectilis parfimonia apparet etiam nunc refiduis leftis atque menfis, quorum pleraque vir privatæ elegantiæ fint Goenam tribus ferculis, au cum abundantiffime, fenis præbebat ; ut non nimi fumptu, ita fumma comitate Vefte non temerè alia quàm domeftica ufus eft ab uxore confecta Cibi minimi erat atque vulgaris ferè SUET. Vita AUG. at other times he was often carry'd in "a clofe Chair. He allow'd the com 66. non People as well as others to con"verfe with him When he affifted 66 at the Election of Magiftrates, he went "round the Tribes with his Candidates; "and follicited for them in the ufual "Form: And he himself voted in his "Tribe, as one of the People He "fo educated his Daughter and Grand"daughters, that they were accuftom'd " even to fpinning of Wool--- He dwelt "in the ordinary Hortenfian Buildings, which are not confpicuous either for 66 66 Spacioufnefs, or Ornament : the Por"tico's being but short --- and not al "dorn'd with Marble or coftly Pave"mment. He lodg'd in the fame Chamber "both in Summer and Winter, for up"wards of forty Years ---- The Plain"nefs of his Furniture appears from fome "of his Beds and Tables, ftill remaining; moft of which are fcarce commonly handfome---He fupt on three Dishes, or (cn extraordinary Occafions) 66 upon fix at moft and then his Enter"tainments were not sumptuous, but al"ways frank He seldom wore any bre "other Cloaths than were manufactur'd by his Wife--- His Diet was fparing; and generally plain 11T1 Pomp Pomp and Bombaft are more futable to the Pride of a Perfian Monarch than to the Civility that was peculiar to the Romans. Notwithstanding the Severity of TIBERIUS, and the fervile Flattery into which they fell in his Days, and under his Succeffors; PLINY tells us that TRAJAN liv'd ftill like a good fociable Citizen, with an amiable Familiarity. This Emperor's Answers are short, exact, and void of all Pomp. The Basso relieve of his antient Pillar at Rome reprefents him always in the most modest Pofture; even when he is at the Head of his Legions. Every thing we read in LIVY, PLUTARCH, TULLY, or SU ETON, represent the Romans as a People that were haughty in their Sentiments; but very plain, natural and modest in their Language. They did not in the least refemble the stiff bluftering Heroes in our Romances. A great Man does not declaim like an Actor. In Converfation he speaks in ftrong and proper Terms: he says nothing that is mean; nor any thing that is pompous and affected: HOR. de Ne quicunque Deus, quicunque adhibebitur Heros, *.227... Regali confpectus in auro nuper & ostro, Ar. Poet. Migret in obfcuras humili fermone tabernas; The The Nobleness of the Tragick Stile fhou'd not hinder even Heroes from speaking with Simplicity, according to the Nature of the Things they talk of. Et tragicus plerumque dolet fermone pedeftri. §. VII. COMEDY is inferiour to Tragedy; and defcribes the Manners of Men in a private Condition: therefore it requires a more familiar Strain. But fome Men fhow a haughty Temper in the lowest Circumftances, as well as in the highest. Iratufque Chremes tumido delitigat ore. HOR, del Ar. Poet. I confefs that I think the Strokes of. 94Pleasantry in ARISTOPHANES are very low; and refemble the modern Farce, which is purpofely defign'd to amufe and gratify the Mob. What can be more ridiculous than his Defcription of a Perfian King travelling with Forty thousand Men,to a goldenMountain, inerely to fatisfy the Infirmitys of Nature? There's a great Refpect due to Antiquity: But the Antients themselves allow us to judge freely of their Works. HoRACE teaches me how to judge of PLAUTUS: 'At noftri proavi Plautinos & numeros, & Ne Ibid. *.270-- Ibid. Ne dicam ftultè, mirati : fi modo ego, & vos : Cou'd it be the low Humour of P LAU- Sic cogitabam ; hic parvæ confuetudinis Nothing can be more fo as not to overdo antly manag'd; follows is tender': at at, hoc illud eft, Hinc illa lachryma; hæc illa eft mifericordia. Here is another Paffage in which Paffion alone fpeaks: Memor effem? O Myfis, Myfis, etiam nunc mihi Sc. v. Scripta illa dicta funt in animo, Chryfidis De |