dono lepidum novum LIBELLUM. The fame was pra&tifed by Tibullus, and Propertius t. Thus Virgil publifh'd his Bucolicks all at once, as one may fee from thefe Words, Extremum hunc, Arethusa, mihi concede laborem; and Ovid did the fame with refpect to his Books de Amoribus, de Triftibus, and de Pento, as he himself witneffes. In like manner Perfius pur out his Satyrs, Phedrus and Avienus their Fables,' Aufonius, Prudentius, Sidonius, and Venantius their Poems all at once, as it plainly appears from their Prologues. Secondly, Dr. Bentley obferves, that Horace himself tells us, he published a whole Book at one Time. The First Book of his Odes came out all at once, as it appears from the Prologue: The Second and the Third were also published in the fame manner, as one may fee by the Epilogues and likewife the Epodes, as thefe Words in the XIVth plainly prove it: Inceptos olim promiffum Carmen Jambos Ad umbilicum adducere. The Firft Book of Satyrs came out also all at once, as the laft Verfe fhews, I puer, atque meo citus hee fubfcribe LIBELLO. The fame may be faid of the Second Book of Satyrs, as it appears from the Prologue; and of the First Book of Epiftles, as it appears from the Prologue and Epilogue. As for what concerns the Fourth Book of Odes, and the Second Book of Epiftles, 'tis certain from the Teftimony of Suetonius, that they came out a long Time (longo intervallo) af ter the reft. The Learned Author having premised these Obfer vations, proceeds to fhew when, and in what order, the feveral Books of Horace came out. That Poet, fays he, published, ift. Vid. Eleg. I. Lib. III. v. 7. & 17. Vid. Eleg. I. Lib, II. III. & IV. & Lib. II. Eleg. X. v. 25. & XIX. v. 59. 1ft. The Firft Book of Satyrs, and compofed it in the XXVI:h, XXVIIth, and XXVIIIth Years of his Age. 2dly, The Second Book of Satyrs, likewife in Three Years, viz. XXXIft, XXXIId, XXXIIId. 3dly, His Epodes in Two Years, viz. the XXXIVth and XXXVth. 4thly, The First Book of Odes, in Three Years, XXXVI, XXXVII, XXXVIII. 5thly, The Second Book of Odes, in Two Years, XL, XLI. 6thly, The Third Book of Odes, likewife in Two Years, XLII, XLIII, 7thly, The Firft Book of Epiftles, in Two Years, XLVI, XLVII. 8thly, The Fourth Book of Odes, and the Secular Poem, in Three Years, XLIX, L, LI. 9thly, His Art of Poetry, and the Second Book of Epiftles; but 'tis not known at what Age he compofed them. Our Author adds, that all the Poems of Horace ought to be placed in the feveral Times above-mentioned, as it appears from the Subjects of each of them, and from Chronology. Hence it is, that the Emperor is never called Auguftus, but Cæfar, in the Satyrs, and Epodes, and in the First Book of Odes, because that Title was not beftowed upon him before the XXXIX. Year of Horace: But he is called Au guftus, in the other Books. Hence it is, that Horace fpeaks of himself, as of a Young Man, in his Satyrs and Epodes and fays, he is only Famous for his Satyri cal Verfes, as Virgil was Famous for his Bucolicks (Serm. I. 1o. v. 46.) whithout faying any thing of his Lyrick Poetry. His other Poems plainly fhew the different Degrees of his growing Age; and a careful Reader may easily perceive it. There are many obfcene things in his Youthful Compofures; but as he grew older, he became more modeft, pitched upon more grave Subjects, and fhewed himself a bet ter Poet, Dr. Bentley affirms, That whoever under takes to affign any other Time, than what he has mentioned, for the feveral Poems of Horace, must needs be mistaken. He adds, that he might fhew it of every one of them; but he is contented. to inftance only upon Two or Three Poems, leaving the reft to the Induftry of the Readers. 1. Some (fays he) call the XXIft Ode of the Ift Book, Dianam tenere dicite Virgines, &c. a Secular Poem; and pretend that Horace writ that Piece in the XLIXth of his Age; which is contrary to the Teftimony of Suetonius, who affirms that the Three First Books of Odes were made a long time before that Year. Our Author maintains, that there is nothing in that Ode, that concerns the Secular Games, but only the Feaft of Diana or Apollo, the Firft whereof was celebrated in Auguft, and the latter in July. The XXXVth Poem of Catullus, Diane fumus in fide, &c. ought to be understood in the fame manner, though fome Learned Men call it also a Secular Poem; for Catullus died a long time before the Secular Games of Auguftus. 2. Dr. Bentley proceeds to fhew, how the Time of the XVIIth Ode of the IId Book, infcribed to Ma cenas, has been ftrangely mistaken by thofe, who pretend that Horace writ that Piece in the LVth Year of his Age. Our Author calls it a prodigious Ana chronism; and the Argument on which that Opinion is grounded, appears to him very frivolous, viz, that Mecenas began then to be fick of a Diftemper, which kept him conftantly awake: As if he had never been J fick before, though Pliny (Lib. VII. Cap. 15.) tells us, that he was feverish ever fince his Youth. 5. These Words of the VIth Satyr of the IId Book, Quid, militibus promiffa Triquetra Pradia Cafar, an eft Itala tellure daturus? are wrongly understood of the Battle of Actium, in the XXXVth Year of Horace; or of the Battle of Philippi,, in the XXIVth Year of that Poet; for he means the Divifion of the Land, that was made in Campania, and other Parts, after the Victory obtain'd over Pompey in Sicily, and the Surrender of Lepidus, in the XXXIt Year of his Age, as it appears from Dion, Plutarch in the Life of Antony, Paterculus, and Appian. Dr. Bentley fays, he might eafily confute what has been afferted upon the other Poems of Horace; but he thinks this Specimen is fufficient. I fhall conclude this Article with an Emendation upon a Paffage in the Ars Poetica, v. 119. & Jeq. Aut famam fequere, aut fibi convenientia finge, Fura neget fibi nata, nihil non arroget armis. The Epithet Honoratus, which Horace beftows upon Achilles, according to the common Reading, has very much exercised the Commentators, who endea vour to give feveral Reasons for it. Dr. Bentley examines thofe Reasons, and fhews that they are very abfurd and frivolous. In the next Place, he obferves, That as Medea, Ino, Ixion, Io, and Oreftes have no Epithet, (that expreffes any Part of their Character,) added to them in the firft Mem ber ber of the Sentence; in like manner, no fuch Epithet can be bestowed upon Achilles in this Place without great Abfurdity. The thing is very plain; and therefore I fhall not enlarge upon it. Befides, I fuppofe the Attentive Readers of Horace have been long ago fenfible of the Difficulty occafioned by the Word Honoratus in this Paffage. Our Author removes that Difficulty by Reading, Aut famam fequere, aut fibi convenientia finge, Jura neget fibi nata, nihil non arroget armis. The Tranfcribers, who had, never read the Word Homereum, changed it into Honoratum. This Correction makes the Paffage very clear. "Famam fe 66 quere, (fays the Poet,) & fi reponis Achillem Home"ricum; talem tu illum exhibe, qualem Homerus me"moriæ prodidit ". Achilles is rightly called Homereus or Homericus, as feveral other Heroes fung by that Poet, to whom they are indebted for their Glory and Fame. Our Learned Author proves it by many Paffages. Cicero de Legibus I. 1. Aut quod Homericus Ulixes Deli fe proceram & teneram palmam vidiffe di xit. De Divinatione I. 3. Ex quo & illud Homerici Hectoris, qui moriens propinquam Achilli mortem denuntiat. Tufcul. Quæft. III. 26. Hinc ille Agamem. non Homericus, idemque Accianus, Scindens dolore identidem intonfam comam. Ibid. IV. 23. Quid Achille Homerico fadius, quid Agamemnone in jurgio? Seneca de Tranquillitate Cap. 2. Qualis ille Homericus Achilles eft, modo pronus, modo Jupinus, in varios habitus fe ipfe componens. Appuleius de Deo Socratis. Species quam folus Socrates cerneret, ita ut Homericus Achilles Minervam. Horace could not Vol. IV. Q infert |