elfe that has explained the medal by it. The Athenians, fays he, drew a sphinx on the armour of Pallas, by reason of the ftrength and fagacity of this animal. The fphinx therefore fignifies the fame as Minerva herself, who was the goddess of arms as well as wisdom, and defcribes the Emperor, as one of the poets expreffes it.

Studiis florentem utriufque Minerva.

Whom both Minerva's boaft t'adopt their own.

The Romans joined both devices together, to make the emblem the more fignificant, as indeed they could not too much extol the learning and military virtues of this excellent Emperor who was the best philofopher and greatest general of his age.

We will close up this series of FIG. 23. medals with one that was stamped under Tiberius to the memory of Auguftus. Over his head you fee the ftar that his father Julius Cæfar was fuppofed to have been changed into.

Ecce dionai proceffit Cæfaris aftrum.

Virg. Ecl.

9.

See Cafar's lamp is lighted in the skies.

Mr. Dryden.

-micat inter omnes

Julium fidus, velut inter ignes
Luna minores:

-Julius Cæfar's light appears

Hor.

As, in fair nights and fmiling fkies,
The beauteous Moon amidst the meaner ftars.

Mr. Creech.

Vix ea fatus erat, media cùm fede fenatus
Conftitit alma venus, nulli cernenda, fuique
Cæfaris eripuit membris, nec in aëra folvi
Paffa recentem animam, cæleftibus intulit aftris.
Dumque tulit lumen capere atque ignefcere fenfit,
Emifitque fiyu: Lund evolat altius illa,
Flammiferumque trahens fpatiofo limite crinem,
Stella micat.

Ovid. Met. Lib. 15.

This spoke; the goddess to the fenate flew;
Where, her fair form conceal'd from mortal view,
Her Cafar's heav'nly part fhe made her care,
Nor left the recent foul to waste to air;
But bore it upwards to its native skies:
Glowing with new-born fires fhe faw it rife;
Forth fpringing from her bofom up it flew,
And kindling, as it foar'd, a comet grew;
Above the lunar fphere it took its flight,
And fhot behind it a long trail of light.

Mr. Welfted.

Virgil draws the fame figure of Auguftus on Æneas's fhield as we fee on this medal. The commentators tell us, that the ftar was

engraven on Auguftus's helmet, but we may be fure Virgil means fuch a figure of the Emperor as he used to be represented by the Roman fculpture, and fuch a one as we may suppose this to be that we have before

us.

Hinc Auguftus agens Italos in prælia Cæfar,
Cum patribus, populoque, penatibus, et magnis diis,
Stans celfâ in puppi; geminas cui tempora flammas
Læta vomunt, patriumque aperitur vertice fidus.
Virg. Æn. Lib. 8.

Young Cafar on the stern in armour bright,
Here leads the Romans, and the gods, to fight:
His beamy temples fhoot their flames afar:
And o'er his head is hung the Julian star.

Mr. Dryden.

The thunderbolt that lies by him is a mark of his apotheofis, that makes him as it were a companion of Jupiter. Thus the poets of his own age that deified him living,

Virg.

Ovid.

Divifum imperium cum Jove Cafar habet.
Hic focium fummo cum Jove numen habet.
-regit Auguftus focio per figna tonante.
Manil. Lib. I.

Sed tibi debetur cælum, te fulmine pollens,
Accipiet cupidi regia magna Jovis.

Ovid. de Augufto ad Liviam.

He

He wears on his head the Corona Radiata, which at that time was another type of his divinity. The fpikes that fhoot out from the crown were to represent the rays of the fun. There were twelve of them, in allufion to the figns of the Zodiac. It is this kind of crown that Virgil defcribes.

-ingenti mole Latinus

Quadrijugo vehitur curru, cui tempora circum
Aurati bis fex radii fulgentia cingunt,

Solis avi fpecimen.

Virg. Æn. Lib. 12.

Four steeds the chariot of Latinus bear:

Twelve golden beams around his temples play, To mark his lineage from the god of day.

Mr. Dryden.

FIG. 24.

If you would know why the corona radiata is a representation of the fun, you may fee it in the figure of Apollo in the next reverse, where his head is encompaffed with fuch an arch of glory as Ovid and Statius mention, that might be put on and taken off at pleasure,

Et genitor circum caput omne micantes Depofuit radios

Ovid. Met. Lib. 2.

The tender fire was touch'd with what he said,
And flung the blaze of glories from his head.

Impofuitque come radios

Ibid.

Licet

Then fix'd his beamy circle on his head.

I 4

licet ignipedum frænator equorum Ipfe tuis alte radiantem crinibus arcum Imprimat

Stat. Theb. Lib. 1. ad Domitian.

Tho' Phœbus longs to mix his rays with thine,
And in thy glories more ferenely shine.
Mr. Pope.

In his right hand he holds the whip with which he is fuppofed to drive the horses of the fun as in a pretty paffage of Ovid, that some of his editors muft needs fancy fpurious.

Colligit amentes, et adhuc terrore paventes,
Phabus equos, ftimuloque dolens et verbere fævit:
Savit enim, natumque objectat, et imputat illis.
Ovid. Met. Lib. 2.

Prevail'd upon at length, again he took

The harmless steed, that still with horror shook, And plies 'em with the lash, and whips 'em on, And, as he whips, upbraids 'em with his fon.

The double-pointed dart in his left hand is an emblem of his beams, that pierce through fuch an infinite depth of air, and enter into the very bowels of the earth. Accordingly Lucretius calls them the darts of the day, as Aufonius to make a fort of witticifm has follow'd his example.

Non