STRICTURES

ON

FLORUS.

I

HAVE been called to account for hav

ing faid that Florus was a coxcomb; and challenged in form to make good my affertion. I have no patience with a writer, whofe aim throughout is to draw the attention of his Reader to himself, not to his subject-"Fy de l'eloquence," fays the fenfible Montaigne, "qui nous laiffe envie de foi, "non des chofes."-It will be objected, that this is the cafe, more or lefs, with every Writer who values himself on his style; true, more or lefs; but it is the degree

degree and the manner that make the coxcomb.

When an author lays the foundation of his Work in a conceit, he gives early notice of what is to follow,

"Si quis Populum Romanum quafi " hominem confideret, totamque ejus ætatem percenfeat, ut cœperit, atque adoleverit, ut quafi ad quendam ju"ventæ florem pervenerit, ut poftea velut confenuerit, quatuor gradus, proIceffufque ejus inveniet. Prima ætas "fub Regibus fuit, prope ducentos quin"quaginta per annos, quibus circum ip"fam matrem fuam cum finitimis luctatus eft. Hæc erit ejus Infantia. Se

quens a Bruto, Collatinoque Confulibus " in Appium Claudium, Quinctum Ful"vium Confules, ducentos annos patet: "quibus Italiam fubegit. Hoc fuit tem

pus viris armifque incitatiffimum: ideo

quis adolefcentiam dixerit. Dehinc ad "Cæfarem Auguftum ducenti quinqua"ginta anni, quibus totum orbem paca

vite

"vit. Hic jam ipfa Juventa imperii et "quafi quædam robufta maturitas, a "Cæfare Augufto in fæculum noftrum "haud multo minus anni ducenti: qui"bus inertia Cæfarum quafi confenuit atсв que decoxit."

Næ ifte magno conatu magnas nugas dixerit.

The religious and military inftitutions of the Romans were the nerves of their government, and the origin of their greatness: these took place under the second and third of their Kings: the greatest extension of the Empire, to the age of our Hiftorian, was under Trajan; fo that this fantastical Perfonage was most wife in the cradle, and most vigorous in old age. If the perfonification be transferred from the state of the Republic to the national character of the People, their true greatnefs, the diftinction between the Adolefcentia and Juventa, their Boyhood and Manhood, will be found equally unhappy. The Virtues of the Romans were as full grown in their war with Pyrrhus, as

in that with Hannibal: our Author admits

it

"Hoc fuit tempus Viris armifque in"citatiffimum, ideo quis Adolefcentiam " dixerit ?"

Good-Florus was too much of a Gentleman to give into the pedantry of Logic: however, was it not carrying matters a little too far, to make the premises and the inference overset each other?

On the burning of ROME by the GAULS,

Agere gratias Diis immortalibus, ipfo tantæ cladis nomine libet. Paftorum cafas ignis ille, et flamma paupertatem Romuli abfcondit."

A fingular Benefaction! to burn the house over my head, that I may be under the neceffity of building a better-But he has not done with it yet—

"Incendium illud quid egit aliud, nisi ut deftinata hominum ac Deorum do"micilio