"Fervet, immenfufque ruit profundo Every word, indeed, which is applied figuratively by the Lyric Poet of Rome to his Grecian mafter, is, in its literal fignification, applicable to a river. But for this bold and continued ufe of metaphorical language, we are, in fome measure, prepared by the fimile, which is mentioned in the two preceding verses. In Manilius, doubtless, the arrangement is clumsy, the diction uncouth, and the verfification feeble: Yet, from the context, we are perfuaded that the fame general idea predominated in his mind, which is expanded into fuch beautiful imagery, and animated by fuch glowing expreffion in Horace; and that he intended to reprefent the refemblance of Homer's copious and rapid poetry, not to the mouth of a man, but to a river, spacious in its entrance, and abundant in its waters, and impetuous in its course. Had amnem, &c. by a different difpofition of the verses, and a different structure of the sentence, been placed before ore, there would have been no room for that ambiguity in the latter word, which has fo exquifitely amufed, and fo ftrangely mifled Mr. Burton. And though, for the fake of fharing in his laugh, we should accede to his perverfe interpretation of ore;' we are too fhort-fighted to find, in the fubfequent line, any mention of that ridiculous group, which is conjured up by the wanton and romantic imagination of our Editor. pofterorum poëtarum ora tales rivos imbibentia.' • Omnium As Mr. Burton has not always paid fufficient attention to the peculiar habits of thinking, and the more ftriking characters of ftyle, by which the claffical writers are diftinguished, we muft take the liberty of reminding him, that, in the 21ft Iliad, he will find thofe verfes which Manilius, in all probability, had particularly in his eye, when he wrote his introduction to Book the Second: * Βαθυρρείταο μεγα ενος Ωκεανοιο, Εξ έπερ παντες ποταμοι, και πασα θάλασσα, Και πᾶσαι κρηναι, και φρειατα μακρα ναυσιν. (V. 195.) It is unneceffary to enlarge on the beauty of this paffage, and every Scholar knows, what Mr. Burton ought to have remembered, that the beft writers of antiquity have made very frequent and very happy allufions to it. Longinus Sec. xiii. IIpwTov de τούτων μαλιςα ὁ Πλάτων, απο τ8 Όμηρικο εκείνο ναματος εις άυλον μυρίας σας παρατροπας αποχετευσαμενος. Dionyfius de Strue, Sect. xxiv. Κόρυφη μεν εν άπαντων καὶ σκοπος, ἐξ & πως παντες ποταμοι και πασα θαλασσα, και πάσαι κρηναι, δικαίως αν Όμηρος AsyоTO. Ovid. Trift. 1. Adjice Mæoniden, a quo, ceu fonte perenni, In Book I. the tenth line runs thus in Mr. Burton's Edition: "Das “ Das animum, facis et vires ad tanta canenda,” Mr. Burton here brandishes his fword most valiantly over the defenceless head of Bentley: "In antiquis Editionibus, virefque facis; et hâc lectione manifefta quantitates poëticæ violatio inducitur. Mirùm, quod doctiffimus nofter Bentleius emendatoris partes non egit hoc loco; fed potius antiquam lectionem retinuit. Profectò, hoc verè dici poteft, ille Ariftarchus, non tam verfuum quantitatem quàm qualitatem ponderavit.' This is the firft time we ever heard of Bentley's inattention to quantity: but we are glad to find the objection foftened by a conceffion, that he did pay fome little regard to the quality of a verse. In the present instance, however, the admiffion of a cafura, which every School-boy knows, will evince the propriety of Bentley's reading, and excludes the neceffity of Mr. Burton's tranfpofition. So much we have to offer for the quantity of this verse; and as to its quality, we think it rather unfortunate for the conjecture of Mr. Burton, that Dr. Bentley has with very great judgment, and by very pertinent authorities, both explained and vindicated the Latinity. At the conclufion of a Note, where Mr. Burton undertakes the defence of this quaint and dark expreffion, "Cæptique incendia finis." He aims a double blow, at the head both of Manilius, whom he fuppofes to have written captique incendia finis, and of Bentley, who prefumed to correct it thus: Citraque incendia limen. "Cum multæ aliæ hujufmodi dictionis in Manilio inveniuntur, Bentleii mifericordia, fi quam habuiffet, erga duriffimum Poëtarum fefe extendiffet." But for thefe violent and repeated attacks, he makes fome amends by the eagerness with which he adopts, and the raptures with which he applauds, the celebrated emendation of refpublica for refpondere in line 753, of the Fifth Book: "Omni laude profequendus eft Bentleius, qui hunc verfum ita legit. Ex hâc conjecturâ ingenii acutiffimi venam referavit; et propter hujufmodi folutionem, femper honos, nomenque tuum, laudefque manebunt." We admit the juftnefs, and applaud the warmth of this Eulogy. Voffius, indeed, (De Arte Gram. lib. 2. p. 90.) mifled by a folitary and difputable ufage in Martial, and depending upon a precarious analogy from the frequent occurrence of cave, fervere, ftridere, &c. in the Third Conjugation, fuppofes that refpondere was fometimes ufed in the fame Conjugation. But the line of Martial in Epigram, 4 Lib. 3. is read with greater probability, Quando venit? dicet: tu refpondeto Poëta." And as Bentley's emendation of Manilius is univerfally admired, and univerfally admitted, there now remains no foundation for Voffius's opinion. That the word refpondere, in Manilius, was was wrong, a reader of common abilities would readily have fuppofed, not only from the violation of metrical rules, but from the total want of connection with the fenfe of the context. But to reftore from the faint glimmering of light, which was afforded by the Gemblecenfian manufcript, the word refpublica, which is indisputably right, was worthy of that ready and vigorous mind which fo often fhines out in the conjectures of Bentley. We fhall now point out two or three inftances, in which we have the happiness, either to agree with Mr. Burton, or not to oppofe him. In Verf. 148. Lib. 1. Ignis in ethereas volucer fe fuftulit auras." Dr. Bentley would read oras. Manilius, it is true, ufes etheris orâ, lib. 2. v. 591. But in Virgil we four times meet with auras æthereas; and in Lucretius, we have the fame expreffion, lib. 3. v. 406. and aëris auras, lib. 4. v. 697. and lib. 5. v. 503. Yet, we fhall not reafon haftily from these to other paffages; for in Virgil (Georg. 2. v. 47.) we are disposed to read luminis oras, because that reading is fupported by, good authorities, and admitted by fome able critics. If Mr. Burton, however, in retaining auras, be right, we fhall not allow that Bentley in propofing oras is egregiously wrong. His error, if it be fuch, arose from the ready recollection of fimilar paffages, and from a quick fenfibility to the claffical purity of that expreffion, which he preferred. In line 757, Mr. Burton very properly defends nomina against Bentley, who would read numina; but we are forry, that in the rear of a fenfible note, he fhould place a very abfurd and childish exclamation of contempt. Having produced the observations we condemned, we think ourselves bound in juftice to Mr. B. not to fupprefs the words of those which we approve, "Nomina non hic fignificat, ut nugatur Bentleius, hominum titulos aut appellationes, fed homines claris nominibus infignitos, et ideo cœlo dignos, poft mortalitatem exutam. Quid? Bentleius potuit ita errare, ut non in mentem veniret, vocem nomina hoc loco ab auctore ufurpatam per Metonymiam adjuncti, ubi adjunctum pro fubjecto ponitur ? Papæ !" In Lib. III. v. 473. "Equate folvuntur fœnore no&es." The conjectural reading fodere, proposed by Mr. Burton, is plaufible, and to fay the truth, ingenious. Foedus is used by Lucretius, to exprefs the ftability and harmony which pervade the operations and the laws of nature, Quo quæque creata "Omnes Fædere naturæ certo discrimina fervant Lib. V. v.922. I Manilius Manilius fpeaking of the conftellations, in Book II. 340. "His natura dedit communi fœdere legem." And yet more determinately in favour of Mr Burton's con jecture in Book III. 655. Libra diem noctemque pari cum fœdere ducens. In the two paffages which follow, we have not the fatisfaction to agree with the Editor. In lib. 4. v. 50. this paffage Occurs: Quis te Niliaco periturum litore, magne, Poft vitas Mithridatis opes, pelagufque receptum, Et tres emenfo meritos ex orbe trumphos, Cum jam etiam poffes alium cognofcere magnum . The Critics are at variance about the Fourth Line. Fayus fupplies orbem terrarum; but the resumption of orbe, in another cafe, from the preceding line is improbable, and the meaning of it, when refumed, and confidered jointly with the context, is perplexed. Pompey had triumphed over larbas, Mithridates and Antiochus. Why Egypt, where he perifhed, fhould be called a new orbis, we are unable to conceive; nor do we know any reafon, why this name fhould be given to Africa, where he had been victorious over iarbas. In fhort, of the interpretation. propofed by Fayus, neque principium invenire neque evolvere exitum poffumus.' Dr. Bentley alters cognofcere into componere, and fays, cum tantæ potentia effes, ut etiam alium, cuicunque favere velles, poffes magnum effi.ere. Simile eft illud SENECA de Augufto Brev. Vitæ, c. 5. Hoc votum erat ejus, qui voti compotes facere poterat.' The quotation from Seneca certainly explains what Bentley fuppofes the poet to have faid, but not what he really did fay, or indeed, what he could have faid properly in the terms afcribed to him by his Critic. In reality, Bentley's conjecture is difputable as to Latinity, and erroneous as to fact. For the learned Critic, who was very ready in recollecting, and very indefatigable in amaffing parallel paffages, has not, upon this occafion, produced one direct and unequivocal authority for this fenfe of componere; and though we should make great allowances for the hardness and fingularity of Manilius's diction, we have no right to charge him with grofs ignorance of hiftory, or to imagine that he would give a falfe reprefentation of events, which had paffed fo recently, and were fo generally known. Now, in line 53 Manilius feems to be fpeaking of Pompey's fituation, nearly as it preceded his defeat at Pharfalia and his difaftrous fate in Egypt. But his affairs furely were not fo profperous, that he could arbitrarily appoint the focium of his power; and as to the amulum, he was not likely, from the charactereftic jealoufy of his temper, to impart any share even of his declining authority. In our common place-book, we have a quere, whether the expreffion may not refer refer to Cæfar, who is mentioned in the fentence immediately following. Ille etiam coelo genitus, &c. But of this fuppofition we cannot approve; because it would be abfurd and contradictory in Manilius, where he is defcribing the good fortune of Pompey, to mention the right of Cæfar to be confidered, even by his rival, as an alius magnus. Mr. Burton, however, like another Oedipus, is at hand to folve the difficulty. In juftice to him, and for the amusement of the reader, we fhall produce his note. "Omnes interpretes, et inter hos Bentleius ipfe, hujus loci arcanum detegere non valuerunt. Poft Pharfalicam cladem in Egyptum fugientem Pompeium, Ptolomaus.rex Ægypti, cognomento Dionyfius, Cleopatra frater interimendum curavit. Sed ille Ptolomæus vere magnus dici potuit, fi Pompeii infortunia miferatus effet, et Pompeius illius opera vixiffet. Tum alium magnum Pompeius potuit cognofcere, magnum in clementia. Hic eft verus Manilii animus: quod aliter propofuerunt alii, ignavè conceperunt; et fuas quifquilias, non auctoris fenfum exhibent." It is not our with to condemn with rigour the wildnefs of the interpretation, or the confidence of the interpreter; but we beg leave to propofe our own sense of the paffage with great diffidence. It refers, we fufpect, to the fon of Pompey, whofe age, experience, and valour, now intitled him to be efteemed the alius magnus. Bentley, indeed, fays, de Cnco filio dici non poteft. Againft his peremptory aflertion, we fhall oppofe a reafon which appears to us folid. Lucan, in his 8th Book, relates the melancholy death of Pompey, and in the 9th, he twice calls his fon Magnus. Afpexit patrios comites a litore magnus." (Lib. IX. 121.) "Cum talia magnus Audiffet." (IX. 145.) The readers of Manilius have, we doubt not, been often perplexed at the following line: "Extulit antiquas per funera pacis Athenas." (Lib. I. 878.) Fayus fays per funera, quæ fiebant tempore pacis. This is not ftrictly true; for the plague raged at Athens during the Peloponnefian war. Mr. Burton, after ridiculing the explanation propofed by Fayus, and the filence obferved by Bentley, which he calls pretiofum ac venerabile, brings forward his own interpretation. "Quis rerum ftatus, flagrante intrà civitatem peftilentiâ? An non confufio, perturbatio, et ut dicam exitium pacis undique ingruunt? Senfus igitur eft, quamvis ineleganti, et minime poëtico more expofitus a Manilio, Athenae five Atheni enfes elati inter univerfam folicitudinem civium, quæ pacem aut otium extinxerat. Funus civium fuit et funus pacis. Per funera pro inter funera: id eft, durante funere pacis." The writer of fuch a note has no reason to treat contemptuously the error of Fayus, and it were well for him, if he had imitated the filence of Bentley. It is extremely difficult to afcertain the sense of |