Nam feu mobilibus vepris inhorruit Ad ventum foliis ; feu virides rubum Vepris and rubus are very properly put together: Se neca Hyppolyto, 1103 acutis afperæ vepres rubis, Omnifque truncus corporis partem tulit. The Author quotes feveral other Paffages to confirm this happy Emendation. Lib. I. Carm. XXXIV. namque Diespiter Igni corufco nubila dividens, Egit equos volucremque currum. Those who have read Horace with fome Attention, are fenfible of the Abfurdity contained in thofe Words, as they are pointed: 'Tis not true that it does generally thunder in fine and clear Weather; every Body knows the contrary by a common Experience. Dr. Bentley removes that Abfurdity by inferting a Comma next to plerumque, and reads the Paffage in the following manner: namque Diefpiter, Igni corufco nubila dividens Plerumque, per purum tonantes Egit equos volucremque currum. That is, I have been hitherto an Epicurean; but now I am forced to acknowledge the Existence of the Gods; for tho' the Thunder be generally produced by natural Caufes in cloudy Weather, it has lately thundered in a clear and fine Weather. No Body will deny the Truth of this Remark, which the Au thor confirms by fome other Reasons, befides that which I have mentioned. But if any one should think it ftrange that the Adverb plerumque fhould be inferted at the End of a Phrafe, the Author removes that fmall Difficulty by thefe Two Paffages. Horat. Ep. II. 2. Invidia quoniam, ceu fulmine, fumma vaporant Epift. Lib. I. Ep. VII. v. 29. & feq. [que: Forte per anguftam tenuis VULPECULA \ri Our Learned Author makes a curious Observation upon this Paffage, and defires the Readers to examine it with great Attention. Arrige aures, leEtor, (fays he), intento fac fis animo, dum locum bunc excutimus, & ad vivum fecamus. According to the common Reading Horace tells us, That a young Fox got into a Veffel full of Corn, and having fed upon it, could not come out. But, fays Dr. Bentley, every Body knows that Foxes, tho never fo hungry, never eat, nor can eat any Corn. He appeals to the Hunters, and Naturalifts, and in general to all Country People: Veftram fidem, Venatores, Ruftica, Phyfici! Frumento vefcitur Vulpecula? Quis vel fando hoc audivit, quis prodidit? &c. Can any one believe that Horace was ignorant of fuch a Vol. IV. Thing? N 3 Thing? But fuppofing he knew it not, did: none of his Friends, to whom he used to recite his Verfes, know the contrary, and acquaint him with it Pi ? 'Tis obfervable, That Mr. Dacier is the firft Inter preter, who took Notice of the Abfurdity contained in this Paffage. In order to remove it, he reads the Words thus: 12 Forte per anguftam tenuis vulpecula rimam Whereupon our Author observes, That Camera fræmenti is not Latin. Camera (fays he) is the fame with fornix, arcus, teftudo, and fignifies an Arch, a Vault, which cannot hold any Corn, but only cover it. Mr. Dacier adds, That if we read Cameram, inftead of Cumeram, the Reputation of Horace will be fafe; because the young Fox got into the Granary not to eat Corn, but to catch Chicken and Pigeons Dr. Bentley does by no Means approve this Reafon; and denies that any Countryman will be fo careless, and fuch an ill Husband, as to let in Chicken, or fuffer Pigeons to come into a Granary full of Corn. "Vah commentum facetum & calli"dum!(fays he) Frugi fane rufticus, quilin hor"reum pullos admiferit: Sarta recta fine dubio, ca mera, & arcendæ pluvia idonea, quæ eriam columbis patuerit. Atqui, bone, quocumque te "verteris, hærebit hæc Horatio macula, toto.oceano "non eluenda. Ipfa enim vis conftructionis flagitat, 46 cogit, imperat, ut vulpecula vel in camera tua "frumento vefcatur. Quid enim attinebat frumens tum hic memorare, nifi alimenti & pabuli caufa? = The Author having fhewed, That Cameram frum menti is the true Reading, explains the Signification of that Word, and quotes a Paffage of Acron, who fays it was an Earthen Veffel, into which the Coun try People used to put their Corn. Horace tells us, according to the common Reading, That there was a fmall Hole, (rima angusta,) in that Vessel, and that a young Fox got through it. How could a Fox get through fuch a little Hole, fays our Auhor. Quid audio? Per tantillam rimulam Vulpes? Vix equidem crediderim, etiamfi effet Offa atque pellis mifera macritudine. Befides, Dr. Bentley maintains, That the Animal, mentioned by the Poet, made a long Stay, and grew fat in that Veffel of Corn. But, how can it be fuppofed, that a Fox fhould have quietly remained fo long among his Enemies, and in a Houfe full of Hurry? Our Author asks, Whether any one, neverfo little acquainted with Horace, can afcribe fuch Abfurdities to that Excellent Poet; that Foxes eat Corn; that a Fox, in order to feed upon it, got in to a Veffel through a Hole hardly big enough for a Moufe, which he could not do, without fuppofing another Hole in the Wall, or in the Door of the Houfe; that he grew fat after a long Stay, and was fo foolish, as to want to be told by a Weafel, what he fhould do to get out. Thefe Obfervations, continues the Author, are sufficient to fhew, That Horace never meant a Fox, but a Domestick Animal, that lives upon Corn, that can creep through a finall Hole, and lie concealed in a Veffel full of Corn; in a Word, That it was not a Fox, but a Mouse. 'Tis well known that Houses are frequented by Weafels and Mice; and therefore nothing could be more proper than contrive a Dialogue between them. Horace had that Fable from Afp, as it appears from St. Jerome. Docet (lays that Father *)& Æsopi fabula plenum MUR19 N 2 * Epift. ad Salvinam de Virginitate fervanda. MURIS ventrem pèr anguftum foramen egredi non valere. 'Tis therefore neceffary to bring in a Mouse,. in order to clear Horace from a fhameful Abfurdity. But what Moufe fhall we find, continues the Author, that may fill up the Verse? NITE DULA, fays he, is the true Word, which the Transcri bers changed into VULPECULA, because they did not understand it. Horace expreffed himself thus: Forte per anguftam tenuis, NITEDULA rimam' Nitedula, or Nitela, is a Country Moufe, that lives upon Corn. See Virgil Georg. I. 181. The Author quotes for it Servius, Cicero, Prifcian, Arnobius, Pliny and the Gloffes of Philoxenus. What remains is to fhew for the Satisfaction of fome Readers, that the Two Firft Syllables of Nitedula are long. The Au bor proves it undeniably. Art. Poet. V. 156, 157. Actatis cujufque notandi funt tibi mores, Our Author makes an Excellent Note upon thefe Words. He obferves, That the Tempers of Men are very different but he denies, that they are changeable and inconftant. He illuftrates this Subject with an admirable Paffage of Lucretius; and concludes, That Men do conftantly preferve the fame Nature, and the fame Temper, tho' their Paf fions and Defires vary according to their different Ages. Which being fo, Horace fhould not have added the Epithet Mobilibus to the Word Naturisa Befides, how comes that Poet to use the Word Na-. turis here, when he only mentions the different Manners of Men, according to their different Ages? This is altogether inconfiftent with the whole Paf-fage. Dr. Bentley removes thofe Difficulties with |