triguing hero. The ungrateful behaviour of the faid pious Æneas, in deferting his enamoured hoftefs, has been cenfured by the fair fex in all ages: his plea of a mandate from Jove, by Mercury, the Meffenger of the Gods, and all his other religious pretences, have not been fufficient to fcreen the bafe deferter from their resentment. For my own part, I think this conduct of the religious hero fomewhat refembles the deportment of a modern Methodist preacher; brim-full of divinity, without a grain of humanity. Read the following:-pity the unfortunate Dido, and excufe, if you can, the obdurate heart of Æneas. Diffimulare etiam jperafti perfide tantum What fays John Dryden's tranflation? Take his own words; though they are in this place more than ufually inferior to the original: "Bafe and ungrateful could you hope to fly, "And undiscover'd fcape a lover's eye t " Nor could my kindness nor compassion move, "No plighted vows, nor dearer bands of love, "Or is the death of a despairing Queen, "Not worth preventing, tho' too well foreseen! A circumftance very unexpected obliges me to break off this letter in the middle. THE or Imperial Poem; the latter title it merits. as much as the former; for the dignity of the Roman empire, and the perfon of the Roman Emperor, are every where supported. Virgil was fo great an adept in the Chesterfieldian art of flattering politenefs, that he he has complimented Auguftus on the fuppofed poffeffion of every virtue he would be thought to have: and accordingly he has reprefented his hero to be every thing that the patron wished to be thought: and the piety of Aneis was meant to represent the highly religious character of Pontifex Maximus. Few gentlemen understood Roman literature. or Roman history, better than yourself; and it is absolutely neceffary fo to do, to understand or relish the Beauties of the Eneid. Many of the first families, that flourished at Rome in the Poet's days, are complimented by having their names derived from fome captains of ships, or leaders in the war; and no one can doubt but that the rafh enterprising courage of Marc Antony, was reprefented under the heroic audacity of the unfortunate Turnus. Thefe circumstances have been remarked by Dryden and others; as indeed they must be by every one who understands the history of the Romans. I think the Æneid in many inftances to be very personal; and fuch it was moft likely felt to be, in the age in which it was composed; and perhaps in the book before me, by the example or precedent of Æneis's deferting Queen Dido: Dido: the Courtier-bard might probably bring an inftance, to excufe the feparation that took place (about the time the fourth Æneid was written) between, the Emperor and the repudiated Scribonia. And Dryden, or somebody else, (I now forget who) fays, that Virgil drew this dimple in the cheek of Aneis, to prove Auguftus to be of the fame family, by fo remarkable a feature in the fame place, Was it peculiar, then, to the "Divûn Genus," or the Godlike Julian race, to prove treacherous in love, and defert their wives or mistreffes? By the bye I have often thought that the divine Æneis himself (Vxorious as he was called by Mercury) left his spouse behind him a little oddly; for whereas, on the burning of Troy, he brought off his father on his back, and led his fon by his fide; he left his wife to follow his steps as fhe could-mark his own words in his own narration Longè fervat veftigia conjux. She follow'd his footsteps, at a long distance. And it is remarkable, likewise, that when the party reached the tomb of Ceres, the place appointed for their rendezvous, the unlucky Creufa was the only individual miffing of the whole numerous retinue-- Defuit Collectis omnibus una Many a modern foldier has loft his wife the fame way-but, however, to do the pious prince all due juftice; he was properly difconfolate upon the occafion; and could not go contented 'till he had meafured back his weary steps over the afhes of burning Troy; and met the ghoft of his wife, who informed him, that all was well with her, &c. This letter, again, Is fo far like the bear and fiddle, Yours, &c. LETTER |