Horace ;

"Non Varium facies.”

And in the Art of Poetry, Virgil and Varius are spoken of together, as two poets of the first character;

Quid autem

of all the manufcripts is for Varus ; and as there was no famous poet then of that name, we may conclude, that Virgil means the fame Varus, to whom the fixth Eclogue was dedicated, and whom he petitions in this to preserve Mantua. Moeris

of Varus: and Lycidas now anfwers, that he himself is not a poet good enough, to offer any of his compofitions to that great perfon. Now if the Varus here intended was not a poet, we must understand the fame of Cinna too, who is joined with him. C. Helvius Cinna was indeed a famous poet, and spent nine years in compofing his Smyrna, as we are told by Catullus;

"Smyrna mei Cinnae nonam poft "denique meffem,

"Quam coepta eft, nonamque edita poft hyemem."

"loqui."

Quintilian, in the first chapter of his tenth book, tells us, that Varius wrote a Tragedy called Thyeftes, which was equal to any of the Greek ones; "Jam Varii Thyeftes cui

libet Graecorum comparari po"teft." Thus we find, that Vafius was both a famous poet, and a friend of Virgil; whence Servius

my Lytidas, and revolving it filently in my mind,

haftae circumtulit." Plutarch mentions the fame ftory of Cinna being murdered inftead of one of the confpirators of the fame name. Appian alfo and Dio tell us, that Cinna was torn in pieces by mistake, for his name-fake, and fay he was tribune of the people: and the latter calls him Helvius Cinna, and fays he was one of Caefar's friends; Καὶ ἄλλους τε ἐν τούτῳ καὶ Ἑλούϊον Κίνναν δημαρχοῦντα μάτην ἀπ ἀπέκτειναν οὐ γὰρ ὅπως ἐπεβούλευσε τῷ Καίσαρι, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τοῖς μάλιστα αὐτὸν ἠγάπα ἐπλανήθησαν δὲ, ὅτι Κορνήλιος Κίννας ὁ στρατηγὸς συμμετέσχε τῆς ἐπιθέσεως. It seems to be allowed on all hands," that Cinna the poet was Helvius Cinna: therefore as we have the concurrent teftimony of four hiftorians, that one Cinna was murdered' at the time of Julius Caefar's funeral; and of two of them, that his praenomen was Helvius: we may, conclude, that Helvius Cinna, the famous poet was murdered three years before this Eclogue was written, and confequently could not be the perfon intended. Hence we may obferve the great negligence of many Criticks, and Lexicographers, who, when they fpeak of Helvius Cinna, make no fcruple of referring to this paffage of Virgil, and telling us, that our poet allowed the verfes of Cinna to be better than his own. But at laft it is not abfolutely certain, what Cinna Virgil joins here' with Varus. It does not feem imZ 2 probable,

7

probable, that Lucius Cinna, the grandfon of Pompey may be the perfon, as Ruaeus has fuppofed. He is mentioned by Seneca, in his firft book de Clementia. The Philofopher fpeaks of a confpiracy of this Cinna against Auguftus, in Gaul: which that prince having difcovered, refolved to pardon the confpirator, and inftead of any greater punishment, obliged him only to hear him discourse two hours upon the fubject. He puts him in mind of his having been found formerly in the camp of his enemies, which was probably at Philippi, and of his being treated by him, not as an enemy, but as a fon and enumerates the many favours, that he had conferred upon him. "Ego te, Cinna,

cum in hoftium caftris invenif"fem, non factum tantum mihi "inimicum, fed natum fervavi, "patrimonium tibi omne conceffi. "Hodie tam felix es, et tam dives, ut victo victores invideant. Sacerdotium tibi petenti, praeteritis compluribus, quorum parentes "mecum militaverant, dedi. Cum "fic, de te meruerim, occidere me conftituifti." Seneca adds that Cinna continued very faithful to Auguftus, and at laft made him his heir. Here then is a Cinna, whom Auguftus highly favoured, who probably returned with him as a bofom friend, from the battle of Philippi; and therefore might very well be joined by Virgil with Varus, as it was the Poet's intereft, to gain the favour of thofe, who had the ear of

Auguftus, at the time of writing this Eclogue.

35. Anfer.] Servius says, this alludes to one Anfer, a poet of those times, who had celebrated the praises, of Mark Anthony, and received fome lands about Falernum for his reward; to which Cicero alludes, in one of his Philippicks, when he fays, "Ex agro Falerno Anferes "depellantur." That there was

fuch a poet as Anfer, is certain; we have seen, in the preceding note, that Ovid mentions him together with Cinna; Cinnaque procacior Anfer. Propertius alfo fpeaks of him, at the latter end of his fecond book;

Scaliger, in his note on that paffage, fays this Anfer joined with Bavius and Maevius, in writing against Virgil. This ancient poet had indeed a very unlucky name: for as the poets are frequently called fwans; and as anfer is Latin for a goofe; it was hardly poffible for thofe, who loved to play upon words, to avoid reprefenting poor Anfer as a goofe of a poet. a poet. We know that Cicero was a great punfter; and Propertius feems to have punned in the verses quoted above; where his meaning feems to be, that the fwan Virgil would not make any reply to the goofe Anfer. But this very paffage fhews that Propertius did not understand

any

any quibble in this line of Virgil: for if he had taken it in that fense, he could not have faid, that Virgil made no fort of reply to the fcurrilitics of Anfer. Befides, at the time of writing this Eclogue, there was no rupture between Auguftus and Mark Anthony: and therefore there was no occafion for Virgil, out of refpect to Auguftus, to treat Anfer with contempt, becaufe he had written in praise of Anthony. Laftly, Virgil does not seem to have a genius capable of stooping fo low as á pun whence I conclude, that he meant no more by anfer, than a real goofe, without defigning any reflection on the poet of that name. 37. Id quidem ago.] That is, I am endeavouring to recollect fome verfes for you.

39. Huc ades, &c.] Thefe five lines are an imitation of a paffage in the Kuxλw of Theocritus;

'Anλ' à¤íxEU TÙ wol app, Αλλ ̓ ἀφίκου ποὺ ἄμμε, καὶ ἐξεῖς οὐδὲν ἔλασσον·

Τὰν γλαυκὰν δὲ θάλασσαν ἔα ποτὶ

χέρσον ἐρεχθεῖν.

water?

The Greck verfes must be allowed timones have a delicacy and proto be extremely fine: but the LaVirgil. We fee, in this invitation priety, peculiar to the genius of

to Galatea to forfake the fea for the greater pleafures of the land, a moft elegant defcription of the beauties of the earth, in the most delightful feafon. The rivers are bordered by a great variety of flowers ; a white poplar diffufes it's branches over the cave; and a luxuriant vine aliis in forming a thade. The Poet judiciously avoids the mention of the clutters, becaufe they are not pro duced in the fpring... 73

40. Ver

cave,

and leave the raging waves to

beat against the fear.

finging by your elf, one clear

evening

ortus?..

49. Ver purpureum.] The fpring is called purple, becaufe that feafon produces many bright flowers. Purple is ufed by the Ancients to exprefs any bright colour.

41. Candida populus.] The white poplar, or Abele-tree is a tall ftreight tree, covered with a white bark: the leaves are of a dark green; but they are white and woolly underneath. When the tree is young, the leaves are round; but they become more angular, as the tree grows older. Pliny follows Theophraftus, in affirming, that the leaves of this tree turn upfide down about the time of the fummer folftice: but this obfervation is not confirmed by experience.

42. Texunt umbracula vites.] The Poet mentions only the fhade of the vines; because the grapes do not ap pear in the fpring,

are

દહે

critus, he now endeavours even to "excel himself. In the former, he