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menti est, cujus illa Virgiliana, (Æn. 1. xii. v. 791, et seq.) Et potuit Horatius illud argumentum eligere, si vel nunquam serio cogitavit de transferenda imperii sede Augustus. Potuit ea re gratum facere principi, si crederet ipse populus damnari in aula consilium illud antiquum Julii Cæsaris, calamitosum Romæ ac detestabile. Quod hic longior est, et παθητικώτερος, quam ab illo exordio aliquis exspectaret; næ ignarus fuerit naturæ carminis lyrici, quatenus illa exemplis veterum cognoscitur, qui longum adeo excursum, si vel excursus sit, reprehendat.

3. Durus satis nodus esse debet, qui non modo eruditum atque ingeniosum juvenem, sed veteranum etiam in his literis virum, Breitingerum, cujus nomen semper cum honore usurpo, potuit tenere. Qut

enim

speech is of the same purport with that in the Æneid, lib. 12. Y. 791. et seq. and might have been pronounced with propriety, without supposing that Augustus ever seriously thought of changing the seat of his empire. That prince also must have been pleased with an attempt to persuade the people that he condemned a design, said to have been entertained by Julius Cæsar, but which was so much detested by the Romans, and would, if carried into execution, have been so calamitous to Rome. The speech indeed is longer, and more pathetic than might be expected from the beginning of the ode; but he must be ignorant of the nature of lyric poetry, as illustrated in the writings of the ancients, who finds fault with the length of this real or apparent digression.

3. The knot must be hard indeed, which not only baffles the exertions of a learned and ingenious youth, but resists the strength of Breitinger, a veteran in the literary field, whose name I never pronounce but with the highest respect. How could Roman

ambassadors

enim postulare potuit legatio populi Romani, "civitates jure belli suas factas restitui in integrum ab Antiocho," quas paulo ante Senatus Ptolemæi pupilli sui esse dixerat? Qui potuere Romani jure belli asserere sibi urbes Asiæ, in quam aliquot demum annis post "primus omnium Romanorum ducum Scipio cum exercitu trajecit?" (Epit. Liv. 1. xxxvii.) Verum solvi tamen potest hic nodus, etiam non adhibito Alexandri gladio, modo seriem illarum rerum apud ipsum Justinum atque Livium inspiciamus. Hic (l. xxxi. c. 14.), Philippo, inquit, animos faciebat-fædus ictum cum Antiocho Syriæ rege, divisæque jam cum eo Egypti opes, cui morte audita Ptolemai regis, ambo imminebant. Justinus (lib. xxx. c. 2.) Legatos Alexandrini ad Romanos misere, orantes ut tutelam pupilli sui susciperent, tuerenturque regnum Egypti, quod jam Philip

ambassadors require that the cities taken by Antiochus in Asia should be restored, according to the law of war, to Rome, when the senate shortly before had declared those cities to belong to its pupil Ptolemy? Or how could the Romans claim those cities by the law of war, when Scipio, a few years afterwards, was the first Roman general that passed into Asia with an army? Livy, lib. xxxvii. The knot, however, may be untied, without having recourse to Alexander's sword, provided we follow the series of those transactions, as related by Justin and Livy. The latter historian, lib. xxxi. c. 14. relates, "That Philip's courage was increased by his league with Antiochus, king of Syria, with whom, as soon as he learned Ptolemy's death, he purposed, according to the tenor of that agreement, dividing the spoils of Egypt." Justin, again, lib. xxx. c. 2, tells us, "that the Alexandrians sent ambassadors to Rome, requesting the senate to defend the cause of their pupil, threatened with the partition of his dominions, in conse

quence

Philippum et Antiochum, facta inter se pactione, divisisse dicebant. Nec vero inter pacta res substitit. Antiochus enim, dum occupatus in Romano bello est Philippus, (teste Livio, lib. 33. c. 19.) omnibusque in Cale-Syria sunt civitatibus Ptolemæi in suam potestatem redactis; simul per omnem oram Ciliciæque et Cariæ tentaturus erat urbes quæ in ditione Ptolemæi essent; simulque Philippum exercitu navibusque adjuturus. Interea debellatur; vinciturque a Quintio Philippus. Ab eodem Quintio jam (Liv. xxxiii. c. 34.) aperte pronunciatur legatis Antiochi, jure belli et victoriæ nimirum, ut excederet Asiæ urbibus, quæ aut Philippi aut Ptolemæi regum fuissent. Obscurius igitur brevitate, sed verum tamen scripsit Justinus.

Ecquid te pœnitet, GIBBONE, Vir Doctissime, literis ita humanis lacessitum ivisse senem frigidum et inertem, qui per duos menses possit differre responsionem

quence of a treaty for that purpose between Philip and Antiochus." This treaty indeed soon began to be carried into effect; for, according to Livy, lib. xxxiii. c. 19, "Antiochus, while his ally was occupied in the war with Rome, conquered all the cities belonging to Ptolemy in Cole-Syria; purposing next to invade the coast of Caria and Cilicia, and at the same time to assist Philip with a fleet and army." Meanwhile Philip is conquered by the Roman consul Quintius; who then openly declared to Antiochus' ambassadors, “that their master must evacuate (supply, according to the law of war,') all those cities to which either Philip or Ptolemy had any claims." Livy, lib. xxxiii. c. 34. Justin's narrative, therefore, though obscured by brevity, is yet consistent with truth.

Do you not repent, learned Sir, the having written to an indolent old man, who could delay two months sending an answer to

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sponsionem ad epistolam ita blandam, ita sibi hono rificam? Non conjiciam causam longi silentii in senectutem, quamquam hæc quoque incipit sufflaminare nonnunquam conatus meos, ut sentiam circa septuagesimum, demptis tribus, ætatis annum, non ita me jam imperare posse ingenio, ut annis superioribus. Sed cum alias in otium concedere paullatim detur senibus, mihi adhuc pene contra evenit, ut subinde novæ mihi curæ imponantur. Adscriptus sum societatibus aliquot, ut Berolinensi, et nostræ scientiarum; hanc etiam per vices semestres jussus dirigere: præsidere soleo singulis hebdomadis societati apud nos Germanicæ; submittere autem scriptiunculas quasdam meas Latinæ Jenensi. Bibliothecam Academiæ, quinquaginta ad minimum librorum millibus constantem, curare meum est: tum scholas majores per Germanicas Regis provincias inspicere, et regere consilio; tum alimen

a letter so obliging, and so honourable to himself? I will not throw the blame on my advanced age, though I begin to feel my former powers of exertion somewhat slacken and abate under the weight of sixty-seven years. At this time of life most old men are indulged with a diminution of labour; whereas I, on the contrary, am continually burdened with an increase of occupations and cares. I belong to several academies, particularly that of Berlin, and this of Gottingen; which last I am appointed to direct six months in the year; I also preside weekly in the German society of this place, and frequently correspond with the Latin society of Jena. I am entrusted with the care of the public library, consisting at least of fifty thousand volumes; with the inspection of the colleges in his Majesty's German dominions; and with the superintendance of about twenty youths, who are educated at the public expense.

The

alimentarios circiter viginti juvenes observare; et
scribere quidquid Prorectoris et Senatus Academici
nomine in tabulis publicis proponitur; et inter hæc
ternas, quaternas, plures etiam interdum, singulis
diebus prælectiones habere. Et dixi tantum quæ
publicis aliquo modo officiis debentur. Quot salu-
tares juvenes sunt accipiendi? quot ex condiscipulis
vel discipulis amici absentes colendi literis? nun-
quam vacare possum a scribendo, commentando
talia quæ
luci destinata publicæ plus aliquanto curæ
postulant: ut nunc in manibus est Claudianus, hac
æstate, si Deus faverit, proferendus. Hæc cum
ita sint, fateor, me, cum primum percurrenti tuas,
vir præstantissime, literas, negotium etiam opero-
sius videretur, quam tractando deinde expertus sum,
illas in otium pinguiusculum continuarum aliquot
horarum seposuisse. Hoc otiolum heri demum
casu mihi oblatum, collocavi ut vides.

Superest,

The task also falls on me of writing whatever is inserted in the archives of the university, in the name of the rector and senate: and it is my duty to give daily three, four, and sometimes more prelections. To these public offices must be added the avocations of private company, and of a very extensive correspondence. Besides, I have always some work in hand, which requires nicer attention to render it worthy of the public eye. At present I am employed about an edition of Claudian; which, God willing, shall be published in the course of this summer. Thus circumstanced, I confess that I laid aside your letter, which seemed as if it would require more pains to answer than were afterwards found necessary, until I should enjoy a few hours of uninterrupted leisure. This opportunity occurred only yesterday, of which, you see, I made use.

F

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