with fome difficulty I could find a motto for this paper; and had I not been afraid of fo early alarming my fellow citizens, I had at one time fome thoughts of referring to the Greek teftament for that purpose. Homer has defcribed but one of his heroes as being ἐνηὴς τὲ κρατερὸς τε, gentle and valiant. And even in the amiable Hector, who unites in his character the Patriot, the Son, the Husband, and Father, we do not find the fuperior generosity of foregoing his refentments. And Virgil's " par

cere fubjectis" may rather be confidered as defcriptive of the imperious condefcenfion of the Roman Senate, than that refined lenity which strives to obliterate the obligation in the manner of conferring it. Cæfar indeed, in his letter to Oppius, has a profeffion of this virtue; but as I have in a great measure interwoven his defence with my subject, a quotation from him might have been confidered as a partial evidence. I do not recollect that in any other paffage of the more familiar clafficks, there is any thing perfectly defcriptive of it; nay, even amidst the founding pageantry of title with which their poets have decked the heathen deities, there is none in my opinion fo comprehensively expreffive of the divine attributes, as the fimple and unaffected addrefs of ALMIGHTY AND MOST MERCIFUL FATHER.

C

No. XXI.

OF THE

MICROCOSM.

MONDAY, April 2, 1787.

Chloreaque, Sybarimque, Daretaque, Therfilochumque.. VIRGIL'S EN. 12. 363v.

Chloreus, and Sybaris, and Dares, and Therfilochus.

To G. GRIFFIN, ESQ.

SIR,

'T

HE author, from whom I have adopted 'this motto, has been justly esteemed of

all Poets, both ancient and modern, the most pathetic. But perhaps, if every paf'fage, whofe excellence confifted in awaking the "tender feelings of the Reader, fhould be collected and compared together, there would not be • found one, in which the writer has displayed a 6 greater

greater share of fenfibility than in this single line which I have selected.

Such indeed with me has been the influence ' of the abovementioned Hexameter, that I never 'could reflect, without indignation and astonish

ment, that Virgil, who had been fo liberally re 'warded for twenty-fix lines in the fixth book of 'his Æneid, should for this never have received 'the gratuity of a farthing. In whatever point of 'view the two paffages shall be axamined, it will 'be found, that the latter is in all refpects equal if

not fuperior to the former. There is no one, I believe, who will be fo hardy as to deny, that the verfe, for whofe merit I am contending, is

eminently diftinguished by every quality, which the Critics have deemed neceffary to the con'ftitution of the most beautiful poetry. If the greatest originality of thought, the nobleft fimplicity of expreffion, the most exquifite pathos, and the fineft adaption of the found to the fenfe, can entitle a verfe to the name of ex

cellent, I fhall not hesitate to pronounce, that the one I am fpeaking of, is as worthy of admiration as any in the poem.

In

In order to fee whether it be fo, let us try it in each of the above particulars; though I am fenfible, that there are people, who have been bold ' enough to affert, that the names which it con'tains are borrowed from hiftory or tradition; I cannot but look upon myself as in duty "bound to believe, that they are the genuine offfpring of the poet's imagination. For as no 'fuch tradition is now current, and as no fuch 'hiftory has ever been produced, charity demands "of me, that I should incline to the favorable side of the question. In this I am the more particularly justified, when I reflect, that Virgil, from "other parts of his works, has given us ftrong 'reafon to conclude that he was abundantly capable of inventing for himself, what he is here accused of having taken from another. With regard to fimplicity, I fhould hold myself much ' indebted to any individual, who would point out to me, in the whole compafs of poetry, one fingle paffage by which in this refpect the motto of my letter has ever been exceeded. Tho' the ex

preffion be plain and unaffected, there is nothing 'that borders upon meannefs; and although it is copious, there is nothing redundant. Though

"it

6

it is level with the capacity of a child, it extorts admiration from the wisdom of old age.

Let us now fee how excellent is the verfification; and how well it is fuited to the meaning which the words are intended to convey. The author's purpose was certainly to awaken the finer fenfibilities of the foul; to fhew us how fuddenly the life of mortals paffeth away; and how many there are who feem to have exifted, merely that they might by their fall give a luftre ' to others. How admirably the flow of the verfe ' in confideration is calculated to fuggest these ideas, the most undistinguishing and most unpractifed ear cannot but difcern. For befides, 'that there is in the general run of the line fomething moft mufically mournful and melancholy, the Cafura after the firft foot has wonderfully 'tended to promote this effect. The reader naturally expects after a dactyl to rest upon a long fyllable, but here he is unhappily deceived, and

'the ground which he imagined to be firm, finks

as it were beneath him. How ingenioufly does

this illuftrate the cafe of mankind, who are apt to

regard this life as a permanent poffeffion; but

'foon find, that they have leaned upon a reed.

Laftly,