tranquil scenes of the country: besides these, every motive confpiring to make him regard the fair fex as the chief ornaments of fociety, was it surprifing that Tibullus, who abounds in fentiments of this kind, fhould foon become a favourite; and that what delighted him, he should at last be tempted to translate? A pleafing employment is feldom neglected. Thofe elegies which particularly touched him, were first rendered into Edglish; and as these make the greater part of Tibullus's poems, he was contented afterwards to complete the work, by finishing as a task, what he begun as an amuse ment. A favourite author, on whom fome labour has been employed, is not easily forgotten; the verfion, therefore, was retouched as often as opportunity ferved. All this while, indeed, the tranflator had no intention to make the public acquainted with his poetical amusements: he knew his poet too well, and admired him too much, to think he had done him juftice :-yet when Mr. Dart's translation of Tibullus was fent him, he was refolved to publish his own; that those who did not understand the original, might not form an idea of the most exact, elegant and harmonious of the Roman elegiac poets from the most inaccurate, harfh, and inelegant verfes of the prefent century. The tranflator hopes he will be acquitted of vanity, in prefering his own performance to Mr. Dart's indeed that gentlemen often miffed the meaning of his author, while his poetry always efcaped him. Neither does he appear to have been a competent judge of his own language: and from the little tenderness transfufed into his verfes, it may be concluded, that he was an utter ftranger to that paffion, which gave rife to moft of the elegies of Tibullus. What advantage the prefent translator may have over his predeceffor in thefe refpects, does not become him to determine: yet he is well apprifed, that no tranflator, however qualified, can give Tibullus the genuine air of an Englishman. It is true, that amorous elegy is lefs local than many other of the minor kinds of poetry, the paffion of love operating pretty nearly the fame upon the human mind in all ages. Yet as the modes of expreffing that paffion differ much in different countries, fo thefe modes must not be confounded: a Grecian ought to make love like a Grecian, and a Roman like a Roman. Befides this, Tibullus abounds in images of rural theology. He has even preferved fome fuperftitious ufages, which are to be met with in no other poet but as thefe are alfo characteristical, and must be preferved in the verfion, who can hope to give a tranflation of Tibullus the eafy air of a modern original? : Verbal tranflations are always inelegant, becaufe always deftitute of beauty of idiom and language; for by their fidelity to an author's words, they become treacherous to his reputation: on the other hand, a too wanton departure from the latter, often varies the fenfe, and always alters the manner. The tranflator chofe the middle way, and meant neither to tread on the heels of Tibullus, nor yet to lofe fight of him. He had not the va nity to think, he could improve on his poet: and though he has fometimes endeavoured to give a more modern polish to his fentiments, he has feldom attempted to change them. To preferve the fenfe of his original was his firft care; his next was, to clothe it in as elegant and becoming a drefs as poffible. Yet he muft confefs, that he has now and then taken the liberty to tranfpofe, and fometimes paraphrastically to enlarge the thoughts. Where a fentiment was too much contracted by the clofeness of the Latin idiom, to be unfolded in a correfpondent expreffion in English; or from its peculiarity, might, in a modern language, feem flat, he has endeavoured to infpirit it by collateral thoughts from other poets; and where its colours were languid, to heighten them—with what fuccels, the reader must determine. The Hexameter and Pentameter is faid to be peculiarly fuited to plaintive fubjects. The Eng. lifh have no ftanza correfpondent to that, but the alternate, which is fuppofed to poffefs a folemnity and kind of melancholy flow in numbers. This Mr. Hammond chofe for his imitation of Tibul lus; and it must be confeffed, that he has hap pily fucceeded. Yet, as in this stanza, the fenfe naturally ends at the fourth line, the tranflator thought he could not in general have adopted it, without violence to the original: he therefore preferred the heroic measure, which is not better fuited to the lofty found of the epic mufe, than to the complaining tone of elegy. The reader, however, will find one or two elegies rendered in the alternate stanza, which is by no means fo dif ficult as the heroic. As Tibullus wrote love poems like a Roma, any tranflation of them without notes, would have been extremely obfcure to an English reads: moft of his commentators are mere philologers, at beft they have only displayed their eruption the hiftory of a heathen god, or the topography of a river. From this cenfure, however, Brockhufius, his Dutch editor, and Vulpius, his Italian commentator, may in part be exempted; they have indeed fometimes entered into the propriety of our poct's thoughts. Yet even their chief ex cellence confifts in arranging the text; in felet ing the most approved readings; and in giving thofe paffages, which they fuppofe Tibullus either borrowed from his predeceffors, or the moderns copied from him. The defign of the tranflator is very different; he has commented on his author as a Roman poet, and as a Roman lover: and al though he owns himself enamoured of his beauties, (as who can draw a pleasing resemblance of a face which difgufts him?) he hopes he has not been blind to his imperfections. Thefe, indeed, he has touched upon with the tenderness of a friend, not the acrimony of a critic. Yet as most of the commentators were confulted, the tranflator has taken from each of them, fuch notes, as he imagined would be most serviceable to an English reader, always afcribing them 16 however to the author who furnished them. Thus, | gant verfion of the first elegy, and of Ovid's poem Nor is that the only good office which challenges his gratitude: the tranflator is particularly obliged to his friend, for having procured him the valuable acquaintance of another learned gentleman; who not only took the trouble to compare his verfion of the three last books with the original; but who also favoured him with fome notes, which conftitute the chief ornament of the second volume +. Thus, like the Britains of old, the tranflator has called in auxiliaries to conquer him. Before he concludes, the tranflator muft return his fincere thanks to a worthy friend, for his cle• The infertion of the Latin text, in this edition, has been deemed unnecessary. + This tranflation was first publish d in 2 vols. 12mo. f THE LIFE OF TIBULLUS. We are not only unacquainted with the prænomen of Tibullus, but with the year of his birth. The biographers, from a line in the fifth elegy of his third book, indeed informs us, that Ovid and he were born the day that Hirtius and Panfa were killed, viz.. on the tenth of the calends of April, A. U. C. 710. This was the opinion of the learned for many centuries; nor was it controverted, till Jofeph Scaliger first entertained fome doubts of it; and Janus Doufa the younger, about a hundred and feventy years ago, was induced, by comparing what our poet had said of himfelf, with what Ovid and Horace have wrote concerning him, to reject that line as fpurious, and to affert that Tibullus muft have been born almoft twenty years fooner. Although we think fome confiderable objections may be raised against Douza's opinion †, yet as the old account is liable to ftill greater, we fhall venture with that critic, to inform the reader, that Albius Tibullus, the prince of elegiac poets, was born at Rome, A. U. C. 590, fix years after the birth of Virgil, and one after that of Horace, Tibullus might fay with his great admirer, Ovid, -ufque a proavis vetus ordinis hæres, Non modo militiæ turbine factus eques . being defcended from an equeftrian branch of the Albian family and though fome of the old biographers § affert, that his ancestors made a figure in the forum and in the field, yet as hiftory makes As the ancient writers of Tibullus's life have But if fuch accounts are lefs useful, it would thing was omitted to render our poet an ufeful The Romans poffeffed a real advantage over In the year of Rome 705, the civil war broke out between Cæfar and Pompey. The army and corrupt part of the legiflature followed Cafar; while the majority of the f-nate and of the knights, with all those who dreaded a perpetual dictator, fided with Pompey, as the perfon from whom the republic had lefs danger to apprehend. Of this number was the father of Tibullus; and there is reafon to fufpect, that he either fell in the field, or was butchered by profcription, for we know that a confiderable part of his eftate was left a prey to the rapacious foldiery. There events probably determined our author's public attachments; but without thefe motives to revenge, it is not unlikely that Tibullus had, before this time, adopted the political opinions of his father t. contemptible, and his life was then in the prime, Glycera deferted him for a younger lover. As he entertained a real affection for that lady, her infidelity gave him much uneafinefs: he therefore endeavoured, by exerting his elegiac genius, to reclaim her. But his poems producing in Glycera no change to his advantage, his friend and old fellow foldier Horace advised him to abate of his forrow for her lofs, and fend her no more elegies None of thefe elegies having come down to our times, Lilio Gyraldi † fuppofes that Nemefis and Glycera were the fame-but the poems which are infcribed to Nemefis do not favour this fuppofition; and, indeed, it seems more likely that Tibullus was fo piqued at the ill fuccefs of his first amour, that he destroyed all thofe elegies which it gave rise to. Some time after this (A. U. C. 718.) the fierce inhabitants of Pannonia rebelling, and Meffals being one of the generals appointed by Auguftu to reduce them, that nobleman invited Tibullus to attend him in the expedition. As this fervice was not against the Pompeian party §, and as he hoped in the hurry of a military life to find a re At what actions in the civil war our young knight was prefent, as it was not prudent in him to mention in his poems, fo hiftorians do not inform us; but as principle and revenge equally confpired to roufe his courage (and courage he certainly poffeffed f), may weļnot fafely infer, that Tibullus did not run away, like his friend Horace, from Philippi, at which battle he was prefent with his patron the illuftrious Messalamedy for his melancholy, he complied with his Corvinus? noble friend's requeft, and in every action behaved with his ufual bravery. In proof of this, the com mentators quote our poet's defcription of the eld Teftis Arupinas, et pauper natus in armis. Centum fecundos Titan renovaverit annos: Ipfe tamen velox celerem fuper edere corpus But the fortune of Octavius prevailing over the better cause of Brutus and Caflius, Meffala too (who was next in command to thefe patriot citi-foldier of Arupinum. zens) going over with his forces to the conqueror, Tibullus, although he paid the greatest regard to the fentiments of that excellent foldier and orator, yet determined to leave the army; for as he would not tight against the party which his friends had now efpoufed, fo neither could he appear in arms against thofe whom his principles taught him to regard as the affertors of liberty. Belides, the bad fuccefs of the patriot party and his own experience, had now infpired him with an abhorrence of the war; he therefore retired, A. U. C. 712, to his country feat at Pedum, there, by an honeft industry, to raile his impaired fortune to its ancient fplendor, while his hours of Jeifure were either devoted to philofophy or the mufes §. But we are not to imagine that rural objects and ftudy folely engaged our poet's attention; for being formed with a natural tendernefs of difpofition, he began to enlarge the fphere of his pleafures by converfing with the fair fex. The first object of his affection was probably Glycera; and and we have Horace on our fide, when we add, that he at first gave him hopes of fuccefs: but though his perfon was elegant it, his fortune not Befides these verfes, fome others may be brought from the panegyric, and in particul three following, to ftrengthen their affertion: Nam bellis experta cano, teftis mihi vide Fortis Japidiæ miles, teftis quoque fallax Pannonius, gelidas paffim disjectus in Alper¶. In this manner did our poet fubdue his paffion for Glycera: but being by nature addicted to the love of the fair fex, at his return from the army, he fixed his affections on Delia. Cyllenius, in his commentary on Tibullus, conjectures, that the obtained the name of Dela Horat. lib. i. ode 33.. Albi ne doleas plus nimio, &c. No more in elegiac frain tDialog. de Poet. from the Greek word day, on account of her furpaffing in beauty the Roman ladies. But we have the more refpectable authority of Apuleius", for afferting that Delia was an appellation given her by our poet, her real name being Plania. Some critics contend, that Delia was a woman of the town :-but many paffages in the elegies addressed to her ‡, contradict this affertion. Which of thefe poems were firft written, cannot now be determined; but it is certain, they were not compofed in the order they are now printed. It would feem, that some time after his attachment to Delia, Meffala invited our poet to accompany him in fome military expedition; but he was then too deeply enamoured of Delia to attend the call of honour. Tibullus, therefore, compofed his firft elegy, in which, as he prefers a country retirement with Delia, and a moderate income, to all the triumphs of war and allurements of fortune, fo Corvinus could not well urge, with propriety, our poet's departure. This Meffala having foon after obtained the confulfhip, Tibullus compofed his panegyric. poem is in heroic numbers, and though not destitute of poetical beauties, is inferior to his elegies: it seems rather an effufion of friendship than an effort of genius: it has, therefore, not been tranflated. In the year of Rome 725 §, Meffala being intrusted by Augustus Cæfar with an extraordinary command over Syria, infifted on Tibullus's accompanying him thither, to which our poet confented. This facrifice to friendship was not, however, obtained without much reluctance; for Delia, it would feem, oppofed his departure. But as Mcffala, in this expedition, was to vifit Greece, Afia, &c. and as Tibullus, in his panegyric, had said, Pro te vel rapidas aufim maris ire per undas, Adverfis hyberna licet tumeant freta ventis. Pro te vel folus denfis fubfiftere turmis : Vel pavidum Ætneæ corpus committere flammæ Sum quodcunque tuum eft ||, &c. he embarked with his patron. He, however, had not been long at fea, before he was taken fo ill, that Meffala was obliged to put him ashore, and leave him in Phæacia q. In this island, so famous for the gardens of Alcinous, our poet compofed the third elegy of the firft book; which fhows, that whatever effect this sickness had upon his conftitution, it did not in the leaft impair his poetical talents. • "In Apologia accufent—et Tibullum, quod ei fit Plania in animo, Delia in verfu." Cafaubon and Colvius think it foould be read either "Flavia" or " Planca." In one of Fulvius Urfinus's MS. copies of the Apology, it was written "Plantia." Plania," bowever, fays Brocklufius, is found in Roman inferiptions, and therefore the name need not be altered. +"Erat libertine conditionis muliercula." Brockh. Vide lib. i. paffim. Norris Cenotaph. Pifan. Diff. ii. cap. 16. § 7. TRANS. II. From the fentiments of tenderness expreffed in that beautiful poem, it would not have been furprifing, had Tibullus on his recovery returned to Italy: but he had too fincere a regard for his friend, to defert him: he therefore, as foon as he was able to renew his voyage, haftened after Meffala, and with that nobleman⚫ travelled through Cilicia, Syria, Egypt, and Greece, being then probably initiated into the Eleufinian myfte. ries at Athens †. What were the political confequences of this expedition, hiftorians do not mention: but the confequences to Tibullus were highly disagree. able; for, if any ftrefs in this point is to be laid on his elegies, there is reason to fufpect that Delia married before his return. This, doubtless, occafioned much uneafiness to, and rendered our poet the less unwilling to embrace another offer made him foon after by Meffala, of going to Aquitaine; which province having revolted (A. U. C. 726.), Auguftus had intrusted that excellent officer with the important bufinefs of its reduction . The Romans, fays an elegant writer, fought with other nations for glory, but with the Gauls for liberty. This obfervation was at least verified at this time: for it was not till after many sharp actions, in which both the general and his foldiers diftinguished themselves, that Meffala completed the service he was fent upon In all these battles, our poet fignalized his courage in fo remarkable a manner, that the fuccefs of the expedition was, in no small degree, owing to him. Non fine me eft tibi partus honos: Tarbella Py rene Teftis, & oceani littora Santonici: [rumna, Teftis Arar, Rhodanufque celer, magnufque GaCarnuti & Flavi cœrula lympha Liger §. For which reason, he had military honour conferred on him; "militaribus donis ornatus eft," as the old writer of his life informs us . The reduction of Aquitaine was fo acceptable to the Emperor, that Messala had a triumph decreed him the year after¶: and as our poet had borne fo diftinguished a share in the war, it is not to be fuppofed, but he was present at that superb folemnity; which, as an ancient infcription** acquaints us, was celebrated on the seventh of the calends of October. But his Gallic expedition not having banished • Lib. i. El. 8. Alfo Brockbufius's notes on the third elegy of the firft book. t Non ego tentavi nulli temeranda virorum Audax laudande facra docere Dea. Lib. iii. El. 5. Steph. Vinand. Pighii Annal. & Norris Cenotaph. Pifan. Diff, ii. cap. 16. § 7. § Lib. i. El 8. In the life prefixed to that edition of Tibullus which was publifbed at Venice, A. D. 1475. Cenotaph. Pifan. Diff, ii. cap. 16. § 7. Pighii Annales. Ꮓ Ꮓ F Delia from his breast, he again paid his addresses to her and, from fome paffages in the fecond and feventh elegies of the first book, it would feem that they were but too fuccessful. J. Valgius Rufus was eminent, not only in heroic poetry, but alfo for his elegies, efpecia those on the death of his fon Myftes. He a wrote fome excellent epigrams. But all h poems are now loft. As Tibullus thought him the best poet next to Homer, pofterity has fuña: When a woman has once fo far forgot herself, as to bestow improper favours on a lover, nothing is more natural than for that lover to fufpect heed much in their loss t. is not the only favourite. Our poet is an instance of the truth of this obfervation; for to fuch a height did his ungenerous fufpicions of Delia arife (notwithstanding all her proteftations of innocence), that he made her husband acquainted with his intrigue. Whether Delia was innocent or not, fhe could never forgive this difcovery. Or had he been willing to forget the paft, we cannot fuppofe that her husband would ever admit Tibullus again into his house. Of Macer, all that is known, is mentioned = the notes to the fixth elegy of the second book. Such, then, was the extraordinary conclufion of our poet's intimacy with Delia; and therefore the poem which furnished these particulars is justly made the last of the poems inscribed to that beauty. Although the elegies of Tibullus warrant, in fome fort, thefe furmifes, yet it ought to be confidered, that poets write from imagination more frequently than from reality, because ideal fubjects afford greater fcope to their faculties, than occurrences in common life:- and indeed, if what Ovid tells us may be depended on, Delia was again enamoured with our poet at the time of his decease, when probably her husband was dead. Some time elapfed, before Tibullus entered into any new engagements. In this interval, he compofed his famous elegy on Meffala's Birth day, the ninth and the following elegies of the first book, with the first and fecond of the fecond book; endeavouring to forget his difafters, by dividing his time between his country-feat and Rome, but chiefly by converfing, more than ever, with the learned and polite: of these the most eminent among his acquaintances were Meffala, Valgius, Macer, and Horace. But although Tibullus himself informs us a his acquaintance with these eminent scholar yet fhould we not have known of the friend which Horace and he entertained for one anorber, had it not been for Horace, who probably ab this time sent our poet an epifle, which is thus tranflated by Mr. Francis. Albius! in whom my fatires find Can a fond nurfe one bleffing more, By hope infpir'd, depreft by fear, Such are the maxims I embrace, Meffala was now in the height of his reputation in eloquence and military knowledge, he was excelled by none of his cotemporaries; and yet the goodness of his heart furpaffed his abili. ties. His house was the rendezvous of the the learned; and his patronage, as an admirable poettment to their families, by their military and croid ca expreffes it, was The fureft paffport to the gates of fame. Happy in the approbation of all parties, his fiding with Auguftus, after the defeat at Philippi, did not lofe him the efteem of his old friends; and his interefting himself in their behalf, to the honour of that emperor, made him not the lefs beloved by Auguftus ‡. Lib. i. El. 7. + Dr. Young. rubo both attaining to the confulfbip, and were an e cities. Meffala bimself was so old before be died, a forget his own name. Pliny the elder tells us, that' would not permit a perfon of bis family to boo ftatue placed among thofe of bis ancestors, because » was a difgrace to them. We learn this circumftance from Herast, wrote Valgius a beautiful consolitary ode on the w fion. Non femper imbres nubibus bispidos Lib. ii. Ode + The critics have been able, from all antiquity Mela bad a brother, who was also a polite glean only seven lines of Rufus's poetry, which t fabolar, as Horace informs us. According to St. Fe-reader, if curious of fuch literary scraps, will find rome, this illuftrious Roman married Terentia, Cicero's lected by Brockhufius, in bis notes on "Tibulia's Per widow, and by ber had two fons, Marcus and Lucius, gyric to Messala. |