I begin now most fenfibly to perceive the force of that Saying of a French author: "When a man writes, "be ought to animate himself with the thoughts of pleafing all the world; but he is to renounce that hope, the very moment the book goes out of his "bands." In this edition are now first added, feveral remarks and obfervations, taken from an edition of Virgil, published at LEIPSIC, 1771, in four volumes, octavo, by the learned and ingenious CHRISTOPHER. GOTT. HEYNE. The title of ExCURSUS, which he has given to fome of the longer of thefe obfervations, is here preferved. And it was thought to be no objection to the infertion of them, that fome of them contained remarks contradictory to what had been before advanced in thefe volumes. In criticism, there will ever be an ufeful variety of opinions. THE LIFE OF V WR IRGI L. E have an eager defire to be thoroughly acquainted with the minuteft circumftances in the lives of those who have made themfelves greatly eminent. It is probably owing to this curiosity, that the writings of old Montagne, notwithstanding his excurfions and irregularities, are found fo amufing and delightful. Plutarch obferves, that the true genius, and characteristical turn of men's minds, are best to be gathered from the fmall and feemingly inconfiderable particulars of their lives and fortunes. It were to be wished antiquity furnished us with any light of this fort with regard to our celebrated Poet. But we have very few materials to gather from; only fome fcattered remarks of old commentators and grammarians, and a life written by Tiberius Donatus, (by fome falfely fuppofed to be St. Jerom's mafter) whofe authenticity Ruæus hath taken great pains to explode and deftroy. What can best be depended upon feemeth to be as follows. PUBLIUS VIRGILIUS MARO was born on the fifteenth VOL. I. B day day of October in the year of Rome 684, in the confulfhip of Pompey and Craffus, at a village called Andes, now Petula, not far from Mantua. His father's name was Virgil, according to the opinion of Servius and Probus; for if he had been called Maro, as Donatus affirms, our Poet's name must have been, according to the custom of the Romans, Publius Maro Virgilius. His father was undoubtedly of low birth and mean circumftances, but by his industry fo much recommended himself to his mafter, that he gave him his daughter, named Maia, in marriage, as a reward of his fidelity. Our Poet, discovering early marks of a very fine genius, was fent at twelve years old to study at Cremona, where he continued till his seventeenth year. He then removed to being the refidence Milan, and from thence to Naples, of several teachers of philofophy and polite learning, and profecuted his ftudies with great induftry and intenfenefs, carefully perufing the most elegant of the Greek and Roman writers. But phyfic and mathematics were his favourite fciences, and to which he principally attached himself and to this early tincture of geometrical learning were owing, that regularity of thought, propriety of expreffion, and exactness of conducting all subjects, for which he is fo remarkable. He learnt the Epicurean philosophy under the celebrated Syro, of whom Cicero fpeaks twice with the greatest encomiums both of his learning and virtue. His acquaintance with Varus, his firft patron, commenced by his being fellow-ftudent with him under this philofopher, for whom Virgil seems to have had a warm affection and esteem. There is an epigram remaining, addreffed to Syro, written with fo beautiful a fimplicity that one may fafely pronounce it the work of Virgil: who being afraid his father and family would be turned out of their estate at Andes, endeavoured to find a retreat for his parents, and and caft his eye upon a little farm that Syro poffeffed in the country. Ad Villam Scironis. موع Villula, quæ Scironis eras, & pauper agelle, Me tibi,& hos unà mecum, quos femper amavi, Si quid de patria triftius audiero, Commendo, in primifque patrem; tu nunc eris illi After Virgil had compleated his ftudies at Naples, Dona tus affirms, that he made a journey to Rome; that by his extraordinary skill in the difeafes incident to cattle of all kinds, he recommended himself to Auguftus's master of the horse, who procured appointments for him in the royal stables; that Auguftus having a colt presented to him by the Crotoniates which promised uncommon fwift→ ness and spirit, Virgil immediately pronounced that he came from a fickly mare, and would be good for nothing, which proved the cafe; and lastly, that the emperor hear→ ing of his extraordinary penetration and difcernment, sent for him privately to enquire concerning his own parentage, whether he was really the fon of Octavius or not. But Ruæus and the moft judicious critics have rejected and refuted thefe ftories as highly fabulous, improbable, and impertinent; and are of opinion that he did not appear at Rome, and was not known to Auguftus till long afterwards. Perhaps 'tis fafeft to fteer betwixt these two oppofite opinions, and to say, that our Poet might probably pay a vifit to Rome, and be introduced to Auguftus, though not by the methods Donatus has affigned. At leaft, Ruxus feems to lay too great a stress on that paffage in the first Eclogue, Urbem quam B 2 And : And again, Et quæ tanta fuit Romam tibi caufa videndi ? Libertas For tho' Virgil is faid to represent himself under the perfon of Tityrus, yet this ignorance of the largenefs of the city might be counterfeited, and thrown in, as a natural ftroke of paftoral fimplicity, and may perhaps be justly confidered as a fentiment rather beautifully poetical than strictly true. We cannot imagine that fuch an exalted genius as Virgil was bleft with, could lie long unactive and unexerted. We are told accordingly, that in the warmth of early youth, he framed a noble defign, and boldly intended to write a poem on the Wars of Rome; but after fome attempts, he was difcouraged from proceeding, by the roughness and afperity of the old Roman names, which horridly difgufted fo delicate an ear. That great mafter of verfe (fays a lively writer) found it difficult to put fuch harsh words, as Vibius Caudex, Tanaquil, Lucumo, or Decius Mus into his poetry. Some of the names of towns could abfolutely find no place in heroic meafure. They were almost as frightful as Boileau's Woerden, or the hideous Wurts, of whofe name he fo woefully complains as quite scaring his muse. Des villes que tu prens les noms durs et barbares, Wurts? Not only fo, but 'tis probable he was deterred from an undertaking above his years, by the reafon affigned by our English Boileau, |