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EDITIONS of CATULLUS.

Cum Tibullo & Propertio editus eft. Notis doctifs.
Virorum & eleg. Typis. Parifiis, 1604, Folio.
Cum iifdem Poetis, eleganti Charactere, prodiit accu-
ratiffima editio. Typis Acaaem. Cantab. 1702, 4to.
Cum Tib. & Prop. Notis Variorum curâ Joh. Geo.
Grævii, 2 vol.
L. Bat. 1689, 8vo.
Catullus & in eum Obfervationes Ifaaci Voffii.
4to. parvo.
L. Bat. 1684.

Cum Tibullo & Propertio, notis Ant. Vulpii.

Patav. 1710, 4to.

24to.

Varia editiones horum Autorum extant.

VIRGI L.

PUBLIUS VIRGILIUS MARO, the

moft excellent of all the ancient Roman Poets, flourish'd in the Time of Auguftus; he was born on the fifteenth of October, in the Year of Rome Six hundred eighty-three, in a Village called Andes, about three Miles from Mantua. His Father was a Man of low Fortune, his Name is unknown, but it is faid he was by Trade a Basket-maker; his Mother's Name was Maja. A Poet of his extraordinary Character must not be born without fome extraordinary Circumftances attending upon his Nativity. His Mother therefore dream'd that fhe was deliver'd of an Olive-branch, which was no fooner fet in the Ground, but it took

root,

root, and fprung up into a Tree, abounding with Fruit and Bloffoms; and going out next Day to a neighbouring Village with her Hufband, fhe was obliged to ftop by the way, and was deliver'd of him in a Ditch. The Child is faid not to have cried upon his first coming into the World like other Infants, but fhew'd fuch a fimiling Countenance, as promised fomething extraordinary. A Branch of Poplar (according to the Custom of the Country) was planted where his Mother was deliver'd of him, which fprung up and grew fo faft, that it foon came up to the Size of the other Trees fet thereabouts long before it. This Tree was

called after his Name and confecrated to him, which gave occafion to a great deal of Superftition in the neighbouring Parts, especially among the Tufcans.

AT seven Years of Age he was fent by fome Friends he found to ftudy at Cremona, a Roman Colony; after which he made some stay at Milan, and then went to Naples, where he ftudied with the greatest Diligence the Latin and Greek Literature, as he did afterwards the Mathematicks and Natural Philofophy. He learned Greek under Parthenius of Nicea, and his Mafter for Philofophy was Syro, one of the greatest Men of the Epicurean Sect, tho' Virgil, upon maturer Judgment, became a Follower of the Platonic System.

AFTER fome Time spent in his Studies, his Curiofity and Defire of Knowledge led him to travel through Italy, when it is fuppofed he went to Rome. Then we are told he published his fixth Eclogue, which Rofcius rehearsing up

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on the Roman Theatre, Cicero in admiration cal→ led him,

-Magna fpes altera Rømæ.

His Paftorals, fays Donatus, were fo well received by the Publick, that they were frequently fung on the Stage. Now when Cicero had heard fome of the Verfes, presently difcovering by his acute Penetration that the Author was no ordinary Genius, he ordered the whole Eclogue to be rehearfed from the beginning, which having ftrictly attended to, he faid at the Conclufion The other Hope of mighty Rome; as if he himself were the firft Hope of the Latin Tongue, and Virgil would be the fecond. Thefe Words were afterwards inferted in the Eneis. The Truth of this Account is juftly difputed. Mr. Bayle obferves, that here is an Error in Chronology; for it is certain, that Virgil did not write his Eclogues till after the Triumvirate of Octavius, Mark Anthony, and Lepidus, during which, it is well known, Cicero was barbaroufly murdered.

THE fmall Patrimony that Virgil had in Italy, he loft by a Decree of Auguftus, who divided that Part of the Country among his Soldiers : and our young Poet was here involved in the common Calamity. He applied himself upon this Occafion to Varus, with whom he had studied and contracted a clofe Friendship. He recommended him to Pollio, then Governour of the Province, whofe Favour introduced him into the Court of Auguftus. From this Prince and Protector of Learning, he obtained a Grant, by which his Lands were exempt from the general Divifion, as he declares in the firft Eclogue.

Hic illum vidi, &c.

There firft the Youth of heavenly Birth I view'd,
To whom our Monthly Victims are renew'd.
He heard my Vows, had graciously decreed
My Grounds to be restored, my Flocks to feed.

When he came to take poffeffion of his little Eftate, one Arius a Centurion, to whofe Lot his Lands were fallen, not only refused to comply with the Emperor's Mandate, but likewise used him fo roughly, that he was forc'd to fave his Life by fwimming over the Mincius, and haften back to Court, where he foon obtain'd full Redrefs and Satisfaction.

SOME Authors lay an Imputation upon this Poet, and fay he was far from being chafte in his Youth; when others affure us that he was fo modeft, fo referved and regular in his Words and Deportment, that the Inhabitants of Naples gave him a Surname derived from Virginity, by reafon of the Purity of his Words and Manners. We are told he was fo modeft, that he preferred living retired in the Country to refiding at Rome where he was admired. He seldom went thither, and fo little affected appearing there, that when he obferved he was followed and fhewed, he ran into the first House he found open. It is certain that in his Youth he wrote fome lafcivious Verfes ; for Pliny, who had done so likewise, justifies himfelf by many great Examples, particularly by that of Virgil. The Writer of his Life makes him the Author of the Priapeia, and fome learned Men will have the Piece, which is ftill extant under this Name, to be really Virgil's; but it seems rather to be a Collection of Poems, the Works of various Authors. The Gravity and Modesty

VOL. I.

K

Modefty which reign throughout the Æneid, are indeed admirable. His Bucolics are not fo modeft, he there relates very criminal Paffions, but that is no Proof he was infected with them. The Paffion for Boys was not lefs common in the Pagan Times, than that for Girls, so that a Writer of Eclogues may make his Shepherds talk according to this impious Fashion, without relating his own Adventures, or approving the Paffions he mentioned. It is certain there are many Stores that reflect upon the Reputation of this Poet; he is charged with the unnatural Sin, with loving Alexis, a Favourite of Mecenas, but they are reprefented only as Reports, founded upon Envy and Ill-nature. It is faid particularly, that Varus the Tragic Poet married a very learned Woman who lay with Virgil, and to whom he gave a Tragedy of his Composure, which fhe made her Hufband believe was her own, and that Varus recited it as her own Performance. It it farther added, that the Poet obfcurely alludes to this Adventure in three Verfes of his third EcJogue;

An mihi cantando, &c.

An honeft Man may freely take his own,
The Goat was mine, by finging fairly won;
A folemn Match was made, he loft the Prize;
Ask Damon, afk, if he the Debt denies.

But Servius rejects this as an Allegory which no Author had mentioned, and which was directly oppofite to the Nature of Paftoral Poetry.

VIRGIL was received into the ftricteft Intimacy by the chief Wits of the Court of Auguf tus; for by means of Pollio he was admitted into the Favour and Friendship of Mecenas and Au

guftus,

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