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THE

LIFE
O F

MAECENAS.
W
Critical
I

II

and Hiftorical

NOTES.

Written

in

FRENCH

By M.
R.

RICHER,
Translated by

SC HOMBERG,

M. D.

LONDON,
Printed
for

A.MILLAR,

againft Catharine

Street in the

Strand,

and

Sold by

M. COOPER,

in Pater-Kofter-Rew.

MDCCXLVIII,

Stack

Annex

T O

THE REVEREND
Everard Hutchefon,

M.

A.

DEAR
is

SIR,

IT
well.

with Biographers as it is in general with Dedicators, they fo bedaub their patron, or the perfon of whom they give
life,

us the

that there fcarce

is

a feature like,
as

and the picture

Two reafons there are, among the many,

:

may

ferve

any other body

why Biography is fo difficult a part of writing The firft reafon is, that, when we are advanced feveral ages from the hero of whom we are to give the hiftory, we are then deprived of
many
opportunities of knowing particular cir-

cumftances and remarkable events, which we muft borcow from the fragments and authorities of antiquity, andtruft to their teftimonies
to illuftrate the character.

The

fecond

is,

that if the perfon be living, or at too near a of view from us j his hiftory writer will point

too probably

fall into an extreme equally detrimental; I me.an flattery and fafaood.

furprizing that men mould like to be in which in a light, they never reprefented a 2 fludied

IT

is

iv

DEDICATION.
ftudied to place themfelves, and are

proud of

being thought great and good, generous and brave, when they never gave themfelves a moment's trouble (nay, perhaps never had the
virtue or inclination) to

become

fo

Poets and hijlorians may be compared to /overs, who make the very imperfections of

here

their miftreffes pafs for inimitable beauties j but is the difference, the lover (if I may be
fees

allowed the expreffion)

the poet and

with

fincerity

the hiftorian, on the contrary, which mterejl, fear, or prefault, efpy every judice, make them conceal and daub over with

the meanefr. and moil fulfomc adulation.

AND
if freed

yet, after all, the lives of great men, from this rubbifb, where faffs ap-

pear in their own proper colours j where images are defcribed fuch as they are, and not iuch as they ought to be ; where virtue and
learning, bravery and humanity, are moft agreeably blended, I fay, where this happens, it helps to entertain, and fills us with a noble

emulation

what
lity

it ; gives a true idea, not only of thofe virtues are, but teaches alfo the

way which

leads to

them

We fee

the faci-

of arriving at true hap'pinefs, if we will only be at the pains of following fuch exam>

pies as are fet before us, and imitate the actions of men, whofe names are efteemed and

handed down
as

men

to pofterity, becaufe they acted fhould do, that would render themfelves

DEDICATION.
felves the

ufeful

members of civil

fociety.

Farther,

of great and good men are cermodels for human actions ; and are there many (fuch is the corrofive though of their natures) who cannot admire any one
lives

THE

beft tainly the

thing in their fellow creature, when living ; will, when once the object is removed, adore the character
:

it is

then they will attend the

hero into camp, and follow him from one feat of valour and intrepidity to another ; they
will

accompany him

to the cabinet,

and ad-

mire his ability, his wifdom, and integrity; they and will trace him into his private conversations> wonder at his politenefs and affability.
very extraordinary, that MAECENAS, fo diftinguim'd a patron of learning, and ib great a protector of learned men, as in
is

IT

who was

ages to have honoured with his name fuch trod in his paths, mould not have found gratitude enough among the
all

who
ters,

Rommwn-

who

immediately

felt

his

bounty and

them to give us an generality, as to engage account of him, his education, and other circumftances of his life. It is true we find the of the age celebrate M^CENAS, greateft poets

and mention him with reverence j fome few but profe writers too have done the fame ; they are neither of them fatisfactory and full enough ; we admire the compliments, but we know little or nothing of the perfon to
:

whom

they were paid.

There

is

fomething even

vi

DEDICATION.
following meets, which

even in the minuteft actions of great men, that should not be pafled over in filence ; how can we account for this fhameful neglect ?

THE
pleofed

YOU

were

to put into hands, and defire a translation of, will not be unacceptable to the Deader ; as they contain the moft methodical

my

and accurate,
fuch

as
as

well as trueft relation of

all

pafliiges 1 have hitherto ilibjecT:,

were proper to
ever

illuflrate

the

feen.

have

taken the liberty to add feveral quotations, which are not in the French, to fave the reader the trouble of turning over the authors cited in the notes, or in the body of the work. As I never will follow the fteps of modern
Dedicators, I chute rather to addrefs thefe

pages to

them with
*

YOU, than feemingly to honour the pompous name of fome great

with
or minift er of ftate y preferring I can deal candidly and
-

court lord)

my

friend,

whom

expectation.

familiarly, to a menial compliment or I am,

zfcrvik

DEAR

SIR,
affectionate Friend,

Your mojl

and moft

obedient Servant,

R.

SCHOMBERG.

(Tii)

PRE
r~T>

AC

HO S E

who lave

moft contributed towards

the happinefs

and good of human fociety, ds-

fervedly claim a place in the records of Hiftcry.

aftions

While on the other hand, the Monfters, whofe have rendered them odious, and who
been
lie

their Enormities, diftinguifloed for What for ever buried in oblivion. an affront are the lives of a CALIGULA, a NERO, a COMMODUS, an HELIOGABALUS, to mankind /

have

ought to

Their wickednefs and extravagancies have neverthelefs been tranfmitted down to us. They are mentioned, it is true,

with indignation, and with a

;

de-

fign to deter others

and fo far
is

indeed,

we may

ven-

ture to fay, Hiftory

ufeful in the defcription

pven

of

thefe

moft

frightful characters.

But

the Jhining and eminent qualities of illuftrious men are better adapted to infpire virtue, as they
naturally excite us to imitation.
'They ought to deto thofe

fcend to pofterity as

an example

who would

What excellent models fire the reigns of an AUGUSTUS, a TITUS, a TRAJAN, an ANTONINUS, a MARCUS AUREengage in the fame career.
LIUS, to fucceeding monarchs? Thofe princes fludied the good of mankind; and their juftly efteemed end adored names are confecrc.ted' to a happy im-

worta-

P R
mortality.
minifters,

E F A C
their bravery

'The glorious

commanders,

E. and

able

who

by

and

counfels

have

welfare

contributed to the honour of their prime and the of a people? merit the fame rewards :
to thefe perfections, they

But when, added

have
is

alfo

cherifhed the arts

and

fciences,
!

how

full

then

the meafure of their glory

'The pleaftng knowledge

of the Belles Lettres

title

dignified conquerors

with the
the

of
i

HEROES
;

they temper valour and foften

it into

humanity

not fo were the

GENSE RICS,

LAS, and all thofe barbarian kings, who, having no other view than to ravage the world

ATT

and

to

govern a Jlavijh

race,

defpifed learning,

deftroyed all the arts

and

fciences,

and permitted

ignorance to darken all thofe places where their ty-

ranny extended.

THE
vantage
enlighten
ing,

Belles Lettres
to

are of tie great eft adwell as minifters ; they as princes the underftandthe mind, enlarge
thofe

and give

who

cultivate

them a true

No ftatefmen knowledge of paft tranfatfions. ever fucceeded fo well in this as MAECENAS. 'To
his happy acquaintance with them was owing the prudence and moderation of his regency during his prince's abfence, and the wife counfels which he

gave him.

He

fixed no bounds to his love for

-,

Letters, the worth of which he fo well knew hejhewed them unlimited favours, nor had they

ever fo great a proteftor.

THE

PREFACE.
THE Name
bis

of
to

MAECENAS

is

known

to

all ;

Actions but

few, and that

too very darkly.

It
0/"

is in

general ajjured, that he

was

the Favourite

AUGUST us, and

the Patron of the Literati;

but that he was a brave foldier fter is not fo dearly underftood.

tent to

and an
It is

able miniin-

with an

make him

better,

known that I have unlearned

dertaken his

hiftory.
it in

MEIBOMIUS, a
Latin
:

German, has done

but there are many,

do not underftand that language ; and thofe who^ do, may have obferved that he has choaked the life of MAECENAS with fuch a number of quotations

who

and

endlefs digrejjions, that the faffs rela-

ting to his
ticifm

life

are

left in

an ocean of profound cri~

has he preferved every

and learning.

Nor

where a regular method as to the order of time. I have endeavoured to rettify this. MEIBOMIUS
was, I confefs, of ufe to me in my compojition of this work. I have corretted, expunged^ and added

fome new

obfervations.

THE

life

of

MAECENAS

termixed with that

being pretty much in0/,AucusTus, I have lightly

touched over thofe paffages of the hiftory of that In prince, in which his favourite had any Jhare.
Jhort,

I have

collected all faffs

with

relation to

my

from ancient authors, faffs which cannot but make a better imprejfion when reunited and brottght to one fed (as they are) point of light, than when differ
and fcattered up and down
in
hiftory.

hero, in fuch fcraps as

could obtain them

I bad

PREFACE.
/ had
juft fatijhed
this

work, 'when

I was

that a celebrated academician load proinformed^ nounced a difcaurfe, entitled, Enquiries concerning

the

life

of

MAECENAS
difcourfe
is

*.

rent.

His

My plan is quite diffecrntoricd and academical

->

write a bijloij^ and have Many authors howflofely obferved chronology. tver have frequently touched upon the fame fubjeci

I have

endeavour'.^

to

vjitb very
is

good fuccefs
it.
it.

the ingenious academician

already ajfured of

I can

at prefent only live

in hopes to deferve

* In

tlit

Memoirs of

the

Academy of

infcriptions

and

Idles lettres, torn. 13.

THE

THE

LIFE
O F

MAECENAS.
CAIUS
"April
is
j

CILNIUS MAECENAS (), accordHORACE'S account, came into the world en the ides (), the i3th day of
ing to

hitherto

but where or in what year he was born, unknown. His family were origi-

CAIUS was the proper name of MAECENAS, (tf) CILNIUS that of his family, and MAECENAS his furname. It was cuitomary among the Romans to give the family name to their children the very next day after they were born ; the proper name was aflumed, when they
put on the Toga viri/is ; and the furnamc diflinguimed the different branches of the family j this however was
often given upon other occasions. Two furnames were fometimes beftowed on one and the fame perfon ; the Zaft of which was added on account of fome gallant

nally

Life from Arezzo^ a city in Etruria, where the CILNII lived in great power and fplen-. His father's name was MENODORUS dor.
nally

and defcended

in the

male

line

from ELBIUS

adtion, or vi&ory, as

VARRO, Book vii.

fome

fays

AFRICANUS, ASIATICUS, &c. MAECENAS took his name from

place ; and it is conje&ured that this was a burrough in Etruria, at fome diftance from the fea, of which" PLINY, Book xiv. chap. 6. making mention of the beft Italian wines, gives us an account, in Mediterraneo, C*sfenatia y ac Meecenatiana. Many Romans before our MAECENAS were of the name. SILIUS ITA-

JLICUS, Book x. $ 39, feq. fpeaks of the oldeft of them, who was killed at the battle of Cannes^ the year of Rome 538, and was of the fame family witb our

&

MAECENAS.
Oppetis, &f Tyrio fuper inguina fixe verufy Maecenas, cui Maeonia venerabile terra-) t fceptris dim celebration nomcn Hetrufcis,

CICERO in his oration for CLUENTIUS mentions a C M^EC E N A s, a Roman knight, with great refpeft and deference, for having nobly oppofed LIVIUS DRU&US, a
T

tribune of the people, in the year of

Rome 663.

were the 15th of the months of March, and Oftober, and the 1310- of the reft. The fame ityle and method is obferved to this day at the chancery at Rome. JULIUS SCALIGER fays, that MAECENAS was born on the feaft of FLORA. But he
(b)
t

THE

ides

July,

is

miftaken

for the Floran

games were celebrated on

kept the birthday
year.

the 28th of April only.

HORACE

of

MAECENAS

conftantly every

He

invites

PHILLIS,
Ut tamennoris,
quibzis advoccri:

G audits
Qui

idus tibi furtt

agenda

dies

menfem

J^entris martins?

Findit Aprikm,

Life of
(c\ the
try,

MAECENAS.
lafl

who fprung from POR SENNA

ELBIUS was

king of that counthe protestor of

flain

the Tarquins.
againft the

in

battle

Romans, on the banks of the lake of

?nibi,

Jure foknms

Pcr.e naiall proprio

fanflwrquc quod jgx hac

affluentes

Luce Mxcer.as meus

(Jrdinat annos.

HOR.
.

B.

iv.

Odexi.

But why this bufy feftal care ? This Invitation to the fair? This day the fmiling month divides, O'er which the fea-born queen prefides ; Sacred to me s and due to mirth,

As

the glad hour that gave

this

me

birth

For when

happy morn appears,

.a

MJECENAS

counts

length of years

To

roll in bright fucceflion

round,

With

ev'ry joy and blclling crown'd;

FRANCIS.

THE

poets and hiftorians of antiquity fufficiently

atteft the illuftrious defcent

of MAECENAS

Maecenas, atavis

edite regibus.

HOR.
Tyrrlena regum progenies.
Id. B.

B.

i.

Ode

i.

iii.

Ode xxix.

Maecenas

eques Etrufco

fie

fangulne regum. Propert. B. iii. Eleg.

vii.

Maecenas atavh

regilus art us cques.

Martial. B.

xii.

Epig.

iv.

Tune urbis cuftodiis prsepofitus C. Maecenas, equeftri, fed fplendidogenere natus, faysVELLEius PATERCULUS.

fragment of a letter from AUGUSTUS to his favourite, ^mentioned by MACROBIUS, B. ii. Sat. chap. 4. is a '
tf

Bfifla*

The Life of

MM c E N A

."

This B'&ffcnsllo (d] y in the year of Rome 444. defeat ruined the 'Tufcan Intereft : and TURREhis metropolis

xus, the fon of ELBIUS, thereupon furrendered to the Romans. He prefervcd

cuftoms 'and manners of his and even refufed to learn the language country, of his conquerors. In this he was followed by
nevertlielefs the
his defcendents

down to CECINNAVOLTURRENUS

chief of the Augurs^ his great grandfon, who NIP PUS was the fon of this learnt the Latin.

ME

CECINN-A, and father of MENODORUS, who, according to the opinion of fome people, was en-

gaged with JULIUS C/ESAR againft POMPEY.

farther confirmation-. Vale, mel'gentium,

ex Etruria,

lafer

mekule, ebur Aretiniim, adamas fupernas, Tyberi-

"berylle Porfense,

margaritum, Cilniorum fmaragde, jafpi figulorum, &c. This infinuates moreover, that MAECENAS was originally from Arezzo, and defcended from the CILNII. DACIER and other learned Commentators dilallow the royal origin of MAECENAS, and
fay, to fupport their argument, that the word reges is Ibmetimes taken for men in power, and of great forBut this aflertion carries no weight with it. tune.

aum

They
made

fhould have proved that the authors

ufe of

now

cited,

reges in that fenfe. concile this to the paffege in SJLIUS

How

will they re-

ITALIC us,

Et

nomcn Etrufcis. fceptris ollm celcbratum

this x'erfe plainly

iJoth not

MJECEXAS,
Etruria ?
(tf]

v.-hom he

is

imply that the ancestors of cclc'orating, were kings of

E L B i u s was overcome by the Romans ad J?adimsrJs

This, according to

Jacun:.

LEAN DEE. ALEERTI'S De~

"From

The Life

From him

defcended MAECENAS,
lefs

who

-on the

mother's fide was not

grandfathers having

illuftrious,

both his
le-

commanded

the

Roman

anceftors fettling in Rome, were admitted into the Equeftrian Order j a title which

gions

(/).

His

MAECENAS

contentedly enjoyed while he lived.

ALTHOUGH we
his education,
it is

have no particulars relating to

not in the
leait to

be doubted,'

but that great care was taken from his very infancy, it mould be anfwerable to his birth and quality ;

fmce he

is

defcribed, at the age of

manhood,

as a

fcript. IfalifSy is the lake of Bajfanello, near the city of that name in the Pope's territories, or, as FABRICIUS

thinks, the lake of Fiterbo.

(e]

THE

and
foot,

fmall.

The

Romans had two forts of legions, the great great were compofed of fix thoufand
fix

and feven hundred twenty

horfej

the, fmall

no more than two thoufand men. CICERO, ad Atiicum, B. V. Epiit. xv. calls thefe exiles : Et cum exercitum nofter amicus habeat, tan turn me The aivnomen habere duarum legionum exilium.
often confided of
oeftors of

MAECENAS commanded

the

reat

IC^CKS

Non,

quiz^ Maecenas, Lydorum quityiid E;ruj~\;s Incoluit fineis^ nemo gtnerofior eft te ',
avtis tibi Jit

Nee, quod

mat emus atque paternits^

dim

qui ma^gnis ligioni&us imperitar'mt.

HoR.Sat.

B.i.

S.

sr.L

No

Though,

iince the Lydians

fill'd

the Tufcan coafts,

richer blood than yours, Et} uria boafts ; Though your great anceftors could armies l^aa,

You don't, as many do, with The man of birth unknown.

fcorn upbraid

FR A x c ;:.
3
perfun,

*& Life

of

MAECENAS.
with the Greek
;

well acquainted p'erfon perfectly

and Roman languages (/)

and

his

mind

alfo at the

fame time enriched with every other branch or polite literature, which he could not have found
Jeifure to
civil wars,

have acquired daring the troubles of on account of his public employments.

To the fludy of the languages he joined that of philofophy, and was particularly attached to the Epicureans (), who were then in great vogue,
(/)

DOCTE

fermones utriufque

RACE

to M.ffiCE:\T AS.

The Romans

linguse, fays HOftudied both the

their

Latin and Greek.

For though the Latin was

mo-

ther tongue, they neverthelefs applied themfelves very clofely to it,, ia order to write and fpeak it correctly. CICERO advifes his fon MARCUS, then at Athens ^ to
join the ftudy of Latin authors to thofe of the Greek^ as he himfelf had done : Ut ipfe ad meam utilitatem femper

cum
lum,

Graecis Latina conjunxi : neque id in philofophia foidem tibi fed etiam in dicendi exercitatione feci
:

cenfeo faciendum, ut par fis in utriufque orationis facultate. De offic. B. i. Chap. i.

in vpluptuouf(g) EPICURUS placed fovereign happinefs nefs, but in fuch a one as was attended with prudence,

and becoming the wife man.

his
juftice.

greateft adverfaries, refufes

of of body devoid of pain, and a foul without

SENECA, who was one

him not
this piece

trouble, were the two chief points on which EPICURUS fixed his true happinefs. But his pretended
followers mifapplied
fays

the

word

voluptuoufnefs

Hoc
ifta

eft,

SENECA De
:

vita beata,

Chap. 13.

cur

vo-

luptatis laudatio perniciofa fit, quia honefta praecepta intra latent quod corrumpit, apparet. In ea quidem
ipfe fententia

fum

(invitis

hoc
ilia

veftris

popularibus dicam)
fi

fancla
ris,

Epicurum
:

& recta praecipere, &,

ad

triftia

Voluptas enim

parvum

propius acceffeexile revo-

&

both

The Life of
both becaufe there were many perfons of the firft rank and diftin<5tion,who countenanced and conv
pofed that
feet,

as that

published feveral excellent

they had about that time and valuable writings.

Jle exprefied a great fondnefs for rhetorick and poetry, and even took a particular delight in diHis love for verting bimfelf with the mufes.
letters

made him not unmindful of his

military ex-

(), a teflimony \\ihereofis given him by a writer of his own time, and which wi-11 be corkercifes

firmed hereafter in the hiftory of

his life

He

undoubtedly had received the fame education which he recommended OCTAVIUS to beflow on
the
its

young Roman nobility,

as

we mall

obferve in

place,

during his younger he never appeared with any luftre till after the deatn of the great JULIUS ; when OCTAVIUS formed the vaft defign of grafping thedays
;

'WE know nothing of him

Empire of the Roman commonwealth.

catur
;

JULIUS,

& quam nos

virtuti legern dicimus, earn ille di-

cit voluptati.

It is

therefore unjuft, fays our Stoic,

that poor

EPICURUS

fhould be fo run

down

Itaquenon

magiftram

dico quod plerique noftrorum, fedtam-Epicuri flagitiorura efle ; fed illud dico, Male audit, infamis eft,

&

immerito.

Ibid.

(Jj]

PEDONI-US

MAECENAS went
1u deem

through

in his Epicedium^ Eleg. i. plainly fays his military exercifes;

1

Pallade cum do ft a Pbcelns donaverat-aries :

laudes buju's

C3* fjies fi'3>

accord-

7%f Life of

MAECENAS.
(/'),

according to the Roman cuftom

had fent OCT A-

vius, his great nephew, a young

man

of an un-

common genius,
fide.

to ftudy in Greece.

He lived at

Apollonia(k}j*hxxt AGRIPPA then happened to reIt is conjectured that M^ECEKAS con-'

illuftrious

traded his friendfhip with thefe two

Romans during

his ftay there

they became fo

intimately familiar, that their friendihip ended OCTAVIUS placed fuch a only with their lives.

confidence in his two friends, that he did nothing without confulting them ; and they, in return, never gave him any advice, but what tended to

advance

liis

glory or his

intereft.

MAECENAS
-,

however was the greater favourite of the two ; he was entrufled with all his fecrets a confidence which he well deferved for his attachment ^ fidelity ^
and
Y. of R.
T'^difcretion.

JULIUS CAESAR having been murdered in the young OCTAVIUS returned toRotne from Apollonia to fucceed him> as he had been adopted and conftituted his heir. He publickly
fenate houfe,

afTumed the

title

of OESAR, 'and refolved to re*

venge the death of JULIUS. It was then he profited by the counfels of MAECENAS, and tjiat the
(/)

ET

pacatis bellis civilibus

libus difciplinis fmgularis

ad .erudiendum Kberaindolem juvenis, ApolloniamB.

ii.

euminftudiamiferat

VELLEIUS PATERCULUS,

Chap. 59.
(It]

THERE
now

we

are

fpeafc-ng of

were many cities called /pollonia. This was a 'Cci imh'rah colony,. fitua'

great

Tit Life

of-

Ala c ^ AS.

' c

great talents of this favourite minilter appeared He gave the nrlt proofs of his fo confpicuous.

courage in the war the fenate carried on againft

M. Ax TONY, who v/as aiming at "fpvereignt'y, and befieging Modenc, in which DE'CIMUS BRU- y. of R, 7 TUS, one of the murderers of C/ES AR, then v/as. TheConiuls HJRTIUS and PANSA commanded
the

army of

the republic; and"

at the

young OcTAr't
his father's

vius, proprsetor,
teran troops,
artfully

head of

ve-

."

who were

entirely attached to

him,

difiembling his refentment againft the

confpirators, joined the confuls to

oppofe

AN-

became jealous of. "The battle of Modena lafted two whole days. ANTONY loft it ; HIRTIUS was fiain in the

TONY,

whofe power he

field

and PANS A. expired a few days

there received.
;

after,

of

the

wounds he had

MAECENAS
he was never

was prefent

at this terrible action

frm OCTAVIUS'S fide, and

by

his counfels

and

bravery- greatly contributed to the of his prinqe's arms (/).

vlji?
ted. on,

happy

fuccels

the wefteri^ fide of Macedonia, at the mouth of the river Poline; prsmifTus Apolloniam ftudiis vacavit,

fa}-s%ToNius Be*it. ORav. dcfar. Chap. 8. B. ii. Eleg. I. allures us that MAE(/) PROPERTIUS, CENAS was at the fiegeof Modena > in the Macedomdn
'

and Perufian wars, the naval fight aga'uul ihe younger POMPEY, and at the battle of Aflium:
>uod mihi ft tantwn y ^Maecenas, fals dtdifc":*

Ut

pojjern aeroas

duure

in

arma

mar.-*;
f

Bellaque refaut tui mmorarzrr. Cizfar;; ; Cub maya 'cura f::ur.da ffrt's* Ctefart

?::

Bv

BY

the death of the

two

confuls,

OCTAVJUS
It

became commander in chief of both armies. was then in fpite of his years he afpired to the

fkft
his

rank in the commonwealth, and, flumed with

power and
dignity.

victory,

prefumed to afk the confular

dreaded the too great

The fenate, who

this

power of
Jiim.

young ambitious man, refufed OCT AVIUS, to be revenged for this affront,

reconciled himfelf to

ANTONY, and

together

with him and LEPIDUS formed that fo well

of R.

known

odious alliance, the TRIUMVIR AT E.They

had an interview at an ifland of the Panara, near Modem : They were alone ; neither did OCTA-

vius advife with MAECENAS, when he fubfcribed

Nam

quoties Mutinam, out civilia biijla PhiUppos 9 Aut canerem Siculee clajffica bclla fugfs,

Everfofque focos antiques gentit Etrufc&9 Et Ptolemaets Kttora capta Pbari,

jfut

regum aurath circumdata

cclla catenis,

ARiaque in facra 'cur fere rdjlra via, Te mea Mufa illls femper contexerit armis y

Et fumpta

Cff

pofita pace fidele caput.

The feventh line alludes to the facking of Perufia^ a city of ancient Etruria 9 whither M-ffiCENAs accomthe eighth line feems to infmuate panied his mafter
was alfo with OCTAVIUS at the conqueft of E L L E i u s" exprefly fays that JE c E K A s Egypt, though "was prefect of Rorne during thofc laft wars Durn ultimam bello A6liaco, Alexandrinoque Caefar imponit tune urbis cuftodiis praepofltus C.MJECEmanum,
that he

NAS, &c. PIDUS.

and
-

flified

the confpiracy cf young'

LE-

"'-""'-'""-

-'"that

The Life if
that horrid profcriptiori,

MACE HAS.
by which Rome was

ij

robbed of her beft

citizens,

ANTONY
at Rome.,

marched

and OCTAVIUS leaving LEPIDUSY. of R. againft BRUTUS and CASSIUS.

the

chief cpnlpirators.-

The two

armies

met

near Philippi, a city of Macedonia j and gave each other two battles, which were very defperate and uncertain in their events, till fortune

determined in favour of the

TRIUMVIRATE

-,

and the two great and

laft

defenders of the Ro-

man
not

liberty killed themfelves, that they

fall

might

CENAS

into the hands of the conquerors. MAEgreatly fignalized himfelf in thefe two
-,

and he, who in peace was marked put for his luxury and effeminacy, appeared in the fields of Pbilippi all covered over with duft,
battles (m]

and

terrible to his enemies,

HORACE, who in his younger

was
in the republican

years bore arms,

army, and a tribune under BRUTUS and CASSIUS (). He owns himfelf
(/)

of

FED ON I us, in his Epicedinnt, defcribes MAECENAS in the fields of PbHipp I :

in

the valour

Pufaere

Mmatbio foriem
ille t'enerj

videre Pbilippi

hiam nunc

tarn

gratis bojlh erai.

[n] IT is plain from feveral pafliiges in HORACE, that he was a tribune in the army of BRUTUS -and

CASSIUS, and
to turn poet.

loft all his fortune,

which obliged him

is
to have
eftate.

Me
loft,

Ltfe o on that fatal day, both

his

honour and

under

to poverty, he found himfelf a neceffity to commence poet ; a poor ihift

Reduced

againft want and indigence , it fucceeded however happily with this celebrated wit, throughthe favour of MAECENAS.

Nunc ad me redeo libertino patre naium : ^ucnz rodunt omnes libertino patre natum, Nunc, quia fim till, Macenas, conviftor \ at dim Quod
As
mini pareret
legio

Romana

tribune.

HOR.

B.

i.

Sat. vi.

for myfelf ; a freeman's fon confeft ; freeman's fon, the publick fcorn and jeft,

That now with you I joy the focial hour ; That once a Roman legion own'd my power. FRANCIS.
Untie fimul primum

me demifcre Pbilippi, Decijis humilem pennis, ixopcmque paterni

Et
Ut

laris, C3*

fundi

paupsrias

'itnpuli't

verfus facerem.

HOR.

audax, B. ii. Epift.

ii.

Firft dipt

My

Dread Pkilipp?s field wings, and taught my pride to yield, fortune ruin'd, blafted all my views,

my

Bold Hunger edg'd, and

Want infpir'd my Mufc.

FRANCIS.

more profiPoetry in die Auguftan age was not only

table, but honourable than in our days,

Quis tibi M&ceiuii ? qtiis nunc Tune par ingenio pretium*

erlt

ant Proculeius ?

JUVENAL.

Sat

vii.

Though HORACE was under a neceflity of writing for bfead, we find nothing of his that has the leaft air of

ALTHOUGH

fbe Life of MAECENAS.'

'

13

ALTHOUH VIRGIL
againft the

had not taken up arms,

difpoflefled their foldiers fhared
(<?).

TRIUMVIRATE, he was
eftate,

of his paternal
at the fields

which

of Cremona and Mantita

The poet,
or that

carelefihefs

and neglect
all

either becaufe

he very pru-

dently fupprefled
his tafte

his juvenile productions,

and genius would* not permit him to write but in the moft beautiful and finiftied gout. It is likely however that he would not have fucceeded fo well but for the great favour of MAECENAS :

Neque enim cantore fub antro

Pierio, thyrfumve poteft contingere fana Paupertas, atque tern inop!, quo nofte dieque

Corpus

eget.

Satur

//?,

cum

dicit

Horatius, ohe f

JUVENAL.
'

Sat.vii.

Muft be

fecure from want, if not abound. Unvex'd with thought of wants which may betide, Or for to-morrow's dinner to provide.

HORACE

ne'er wrote but with a rofy cheek, His belly pamper'd, and his fides were fleak.

CHAR. DRYDEN.
SIDONIUS APOLLINARIS gyric of MAJORIANUS,
works of
in his preface to the Paneinfinuates that owe the

we

HORACE
:

to the pardon he obtained through

MAECENAS
Et
Carminis

tibi, Placet^
eft

acies Eruti CaJJlque fecuto. autor, qui fuit et Venice.

()
L.
hio te^

M. O

Moeri^ pedss ? an t quo via ducit^ in urlem? Lycida^ vivi pefpenimus,, advena no/fri,
ver'tti
'

Qnod numquam
D'neret
;
-

fumuSj ut
.

poffeffor agettt

ffirt

-maf-funt ; vetens migrate colom.

deprived

tfhe Life of

MJECENAS.
POLLIO,
;

deprived
to have
it

of his patrimony by the centurion

application to
in order reftored.

ARIUS, made his

This

illuftrious

Roman

re-

commended him

to

MAECENAS

who

not only

Favoured him with his proteftion, but even in-

troduced him to OCTAVIUS, from whom he received all defired fatisfaction. VIRGIL became an
intimate of

MAECENAS ; we are not only indebted

to the zeal and encouragement of this patron of the Mufes, for the Georgics^ which VIRGIL de-

dicated to
for the

Him from a principle of gratitude, but JEmids alfo (p). Thus the favours of

the Great infpire and encourage genius and life-

Nunc vitti, trifles ^ quoniamfors omnia verfat, Has illi (quod nee bene vertat) mittimus hcedos. VIRG. Bucolic,
Lt Ho, MOERIS whither on thy way This leads to town.
!

xii

fo fail ?

M.
The
time
is

O LYCIDAS, at laft
never thought to fee, (Strange revolution for my farm and me) When the grim captain in a furly tone,Cries out, Pack up, ye rafcals, and begone.
I

come

Kick'd out,

we

fet

the belt face on't

we

cou'd,

kids t'appeafe his angry mood I bear, of which the Furies give him good.
thefe

And

-y

two

C
\

DRYDEN.
celebrates the generofity of MJECE-* the protection with which he favoured VJRGIL, and gave rife to the JEneids ;

(p)

MARTIAL

NAS, and

Ingenium facri nuraris abejje

Nee qutmquam tanta bellaf Jonare

iula.

of
and pave the way for excellent and immortal writings
(j).

and

M^EC,E-NAS very -warmly eipoiKfed .die caufey Of a frefh opporihterefts of men of letters: 713
:.

tunity offered foon after

VIRQIL and

HI us having mentioned HORACE to him, he Let us attend the exprelfed a defire to fee him.
Slnt Macenates, non deerunt, Placcc y Vitgiliumque tibi vet tua rura dabunt.
aiderat miferse viclna Cremona 3 jfugera per Fkbat fcf abdutfas Tityrus teger qvef.
'

V^

Rifit Thufcus eques? paupertatemque malignant abire fuga celeri Rtppulity jujfit
_

&

'Accipe divitiasy

.-*
*

7*

licet

y noftrum^
-

& vatum
-

dixlt^ -

---

maximum efto : Altxm ames.

^

JN

Excidit attonito pingttis Galatea poet&9 Tbejiylis ff rubras mejjtbus ujia genas

Arrna virumque, Prtfiyus Itqtiqm concej>it 9 '""" *ui mode vix Cidicem fleverat ore rudi.

&

MARTIAL.

B.

viii.

Epig.Ivi*

This epigram informs us that MAECENAS made VIR-< <;IL a prefent alfo of young ALEXIS, who handed tlrink to him, and is honoured by the poet in his fecond SERVIUS however in his comment upon this eclogue. eclogue, and APULEIUS in Apol, fay it was POL LI a

made VIRGIL this prefent. SEJIVIUS farther obferves, VIRGIL was fond of young people, but .adds, that it
to the character of
fp remarjcable.

was not with any indecent view; and this is agreeable prudence, for which he was always

{,$)

THE

t>bwer 5 has

prote&ion given to the Literati by men in always retorted honour upon themfelves.

poet

16
rencontre
:

7&

Ltfe of
firil

poet Ingcnioufly reprcfenting himfclf in this

Felicem dicere non hot

Me poffum,
Nutta etenim

cafu quod te fortitus amicitm.

tibi

Virgilius, poft

me fors obtulit : optimus dim hunc Varius, dixere quid ejfcm.

Ut

veni coram, fmgultim pauca locutus,

an) -(Infans namque pud&r probibebat plura prof

Non

ego

me

claro

natum patre, non ego circum

rura caballo
-,

Me Satureiano veftari
Sed, quod eram, narro.

Refpondes (uttuus

eft

mos)

Pauca.
que
,

Abeo-j

et revocas

nonopojl menfe^jubef-

Effe in amicorum numero

: magnum hoc ego duco, Quod placui tibi^ qui turpi fecemis bone/turn, Non patre pr<eclaro, fed vita et peffore puro.

HOR. L.

i.

Sat. 6.

What names have been more celebrated than AUGUSTUS and MAECENAS ? The gratitude
I {hall has often outrun received favours liberty upon this occafion to quote a few lines DONIUS APOLLINARIS. He is fpeaking of

thofe of of poets take the from Si-

OCTA-

vius's generofity in reftoring VIRGIL to his patrimony, and the eclogue the poet wrote in acknowledg-

ment,

Sfd rus

in princlpe laudatj conceffum dutn largo

terris rttftica mufa dedlt. Nee fuit inferius Phcebeia dona referre :

Coelum pro

Fecerat hie dominum, fecit

& Hit t>eum.

Praef.

Paneg. major.

Nor

The Lift of
"'

MAECENAS.
I

17

Nor yet to Chance this

happinefs Friendfhip like yours fhe had not to beftow. beft-lov'd VIRGIL firft, then VARIUS told 4

owe ,

My

Among my friends what character I hold When introduced, in few and fault'ring words,
:

(Such

as

an infant mo defy affords)

I did not tell

Or

that I

you my defcent was great, l wander d round my country-feat

:

On

a proud fteed, in richer paftures bred But what I really was, I frankly faid.

Short was your anfwer in your ufual drain I take my leave, nor wait on you again,
Till, nine

months pad, engag'd and bid to hold

:

A place among your nearer friends enroll'd

An
honour
this,

methinks, of nobler kind, That, innocent of heart, and pure of mind, Though with no titled birth, I gain'd his love,

Whofe judgment can difcern

prove.

whofe choice ap-

FRANCIS.
fays nothing of his

HORACE
.

pardon for having

ferved with

BRUTUS

(r),

but

this

we may

eafily

Life of

anonymous writer of an abridgement of the that he was made a prifoner at the a&ion of Philippi^ and was not enlarged till fome long time after two fads, which in my opinion As to the firft, HORACE, are not founded in truth. who concealed no circumftance that had ever happened
"(r)

AN

HORACE, pretends
:

to him, and even confefies he threw

down

his ihield,
:

Celerem fugam fenfi, relicta non bene parmula HoR ACE, I fay, makes no mention of his imprifonment.

fuppofe

<ft>e

Life of

MAECENAS.

fuppofe from his great friendfhip and intimacy with M^CENAS i whofe friends foon became the
favourites of

OCTAVIUS
and

this

was the
endear'd

fate

of

HORACE-,
the

his wit

abilities

PRINCE, VOURITE.

as they before

had done to

him to the FA-

AFTER
TRA.

the battle of Philippi

ANTONY

went

into the Eaft,where he fell in love with

CLEOPA-

While he was

in

Egypt with

his miftrefs,

It is, fecondly, an abfolute miftake to advance that his pardon was long deferred ; fmce he himfelf defcribes the voyage in which he accompanied M.SICENAS and CocCEIUS the very year after that battle, who were then going to Brundifium to reconcile the differences between ANTONY and OCTAVIUS :

EgreJ/um magna me acccpit Arida Roma.

Millla turn pranfi tria repimus^ atque fulimus Anxur. Impofitum faxis late candentibus

Hue

venturus erat

Macenas

Cocceius, mljji

magnh

optimus, atque de rebus itterque

Legati^ avcrfos fotlti componere

amicos.

HOR.
Leaving imperial Rome, To poor Ancia^
I

B.

i.

Sat. Y,

took

my way

then after dinner creep

Three

tedious miles, and climb the rocky fteep, Whence Anxur fhines. MAECENAS was to meet
here, to fettle things of weight
oft in
j

COCCEIUS
And
It
is

For they had

embafly been join'd, reconcil'd the mafters of mankind.

FRANCIS.

quaintance

therefore with great propriety I have fixed the acbefore the of MAECENAS with

HORACE

FULVIA

*fhe

Life 0/

FULVIA

hiswife, piqued at

MAECENAS. OCTAVIUS for having

19
of R.

repudiated her daughter, took up arms in Italy, Y. and engaged Lucius ANTONY, her hufband's
brother, to her affiftance,

OCTAVIUS

befieged

them in them to

Perufia, and after a long fiege obliged furrender. MAECENAS was prefent at

thefiege, and

upon

that occafion gave

frem proofs

of his courage.

OCTAVIUS
carry

at length

made

preparations to

on a war

PEY, who was but well apprized of his ftrength, and that he was aiming at an alliance with M. ANTONY, he
feared to have

againfl the younger POMat fea commanding the fleet:

them both

to deal with.

To
5

ward

againfl that ftroke, he,

by the interpofition of MAECENAS, contracted and married (tho contrary

voyage to Brundifium, and foon after VIRGIL (for it was he who firft fpoke of HORACE to him) had been recommended to this favourite minifter. Noble minds are ftrangers to envy. VIRGIL, far from being jealous of the great poets his contemporaries, was even content to (hare the favours of M^CENAS along with them. There were few of fo generous a difpofition. have one example, that of NEMESIUS towards CAL-

We
and

PURNIUS,
his fons.

both paftcral poets in the

reignofCARUsand
:

NEMESIUS
fays

rofe

to great preferments

was

"

in high favour favour with his

cefs,

MAIRAULT

His fucan elegant translator of thefe

emperor

"

poets, did not hinder him from interesting himfelf for CALPURNIUS, who had talents equal to his own,

though not attended with the fame good fortune

for

poor CALPURNIUS was reduced to the greateftmifery. He was both his rival and benefactor."

tO

20

*fhe

Life of
(j)

MAECENAS.
father-in-law,

to his inclination)

ScRiBONiA,fifter of SCRIthere-

BONIUS LIBO, POMPEY'S

by
to enfure himfelf a

good underftanding with

POMPE Y, in cafe he

fhould ftand in need of it (t) : a remarkable inftance of the policy of this prince ; vvhofe only dominant paffions were intereft and

ambition.

THE

mifunderflandings

between

ANTONY
illuftri-

and OCTAVIUS broke out again.

Three

ous Romans ( u), POLLIO, MAECENAS, andCocCEIUS undertook to reconcile them, and were

named for that purpofe by the Triumvirate. The choice could not have fallen upon perfons of betOCTAVIUS divorced SCRIBONIA a year after marriage, on the very day (he was brought to bed of JULIA. He had married her out of policy, and parted
(j)

his

with her on pretence that fhe had been imprudent in her conduct ; but it was in fact becaufe he had no farther occafion for
fays,

POMPEY'S

alliance: or, as

SUETONIUS

becaufe fhe could not bear the criminal converfation that puffed between her hufband and LIVIA ;

&

dimifTam Scriboniam,

quia liberius doluiflet

nimiam

potentiam
(f)

pellicis,

csV. c. 69. Life

of Auguftus.

e^ci

APPIAN.

X. T.
<Jf KOIVOV a- u,Q(i'i9j CM.
l

A.

Jj

Av/wv/y rioAA/wvcJ,

IK iwv

KV*jf,

&c.

APP, De

bell.

dull.

I.

v.

ter

he Life of

MAECENAS.
and abilities. They

21

ter capacities, underftandings,

employed every method they could think of to ilifle thefe growing animofities, and they fucceeded to their wifh.
Erundifium was the place Y. of R.
in order to give
it
it

of negotiation ; and, ftrength and weight,

the parties,

greater

7I

lL,

was agreed upon by all that an alliance mould be concluded

the
loft
fifler

rivals. OCTAVIA, OCTAVIUS, had juft about that time

between the two

of

her huf-

band

MARCELLUS
of

me was to

marry ANTONY,

to which her brother readily confented.

The
this

troops

OCTAVIUS and ANTONY, by

-,

means become allies in the field, expreffed their fatisfaction and their loud repeated acclamations and rejoicings continued a whole day and a night.

VIRGIL, HORACE, VARIUS, HELIODORUS, and

feveral other Literati

accompanied

M^CENAS in

this expedition to Erundifium.

affairs

The important

with which this able negociator was charged, were no o'oftacles to his natural and
ufual gaiety
:

His employments, no ways fupe-

rior to his genius, never cooled his attention for

the Mufes, or diverted

him from

his conversation

and intercourfes with men of

has given a very

letters.

HORACE

humorous

description of this

voyage 0).
have already taken notice of HORACE'S (*) journey from Rome to Erundifium^ Note (r). APPIAN
in

WE

Book v. fays MAECENAS was nominated by OcTAViusi POLLIO by ANTONY, and COCCEIUS by

THUS

22

'The

Life of

MAECENAS.
became

THUS OCTAVIUS and ANTONY

friends again, but
it

was merely fuch

as the great

are ufed to contract, ever ready to facrifice their

of intereft. friendfhip to the leaft appearances

was but of

This foon happened. Their good underftanding could it be otherwife little duration
:

? ANTONY a few years after, re-exafperated againft OCTAVIUS on fome reports that had been made

with two competitors for fovereign power

him,
fhips.

failed

towards

Italy
affairs

with three hundred

OCTAVIUS'S
;

were

in a

deplorable

he was waging a difadvantageous war againft POMPEY the younger, and was ftill in greater awe of ANTON Y (_y). In this perilous juncfituation
both, to accommodate their differences, but fpeaks not a word of FONTEIUS CAPITO. COCCEIUS, great grand-father of the emperor NERVA, was an eminent lawyer, and equally die friend of OCTAVIUS and AN-

TONY.

juJJoaj,

Kcx.x.^'iov jU^o
j^

us

y.oivov

dp<^oTv^ C/A Q ruv Avlwvig

IToAA/ft)V,

MouKqvav cu rwv Ka.i<rao& 9

(p/Ai'av
$

Or.

Ci'iiitzV)

UDIOUXV

ol

>^<a:AAa/J06i
o

-ir,*

Oxloix'iz.v

f'-^

tfwVxf*

ivqfyvx,

ture

'The Life' of

MAECENAS.
to him, to endeavour,

23

by foft means, to remove any new grievances, which might have occafioned this frefh rupture between
tliem.

ture he fent

MAECENAS

Had

this negotiation mifcarried,

OCTA-

vjus determined to have quitted his maritime enterprize, and to have colleclsd his whole force

by land

good hands

knew

his interefts in very the eloquent and active miniiler the art of perfuafion : he foon freed Oc; j

but he had trufted

T A vi us of his difquietude, by declaring ANTONY would join him againft POMPEY.

PLUTARCH
TONY,

relates the ftory differently

AN-

fays he, not being received at Erundifium^ arrived with his fleet in the harbour vifarentum.

OCTAVIA, who accompanied him

begged
brother,

in this voyage,

me might have

leave to pay a vifit to her

which was granted.

She met

vi us on the way, and (feconded by

OCTAM/ECENAS

and AGRIPPA) very pathetically complained of her unhappy fituation,in cafe a breach mould happen between her hufband and her brother. OcT AVI us, foftened by his fitter's tears, and hisy friends perfuafions, went to 1'arentum^ and there
concluded a treaty with ing as the reft had been.

Of
7
'

6.

ANTONY

as little

laft-

fot

i*$je$M
T>jV

ajUTjiv

r,co<.v

etTrowsci

Ji'

oA>j? TS rijf

vpi

#t#

vw'jtTfls

wfv-

APP.

I-

v. Civil, p.

367.

OCTA-

24

*fhe

Life of

MAECENAS.
from
his fears,

ANTONY and by LEPIDUS, renewed the war with POMPEY, and would have invaded Sicily : but he was difapftrengthened
the alliance of

OCTAVES,

difengaged

and

pointed in his defigns by a violent temped, which

put
his

his fleet into great diforder.

M/ECEN AS had
fear-

mare of

thefe dangers;

and OCTAVIUS

ing the news of this difappointment, together with -the fcarcity of provifions, might ftir up new com-

motions

at

Rome, where POMPEY'S caufe feemed

to keep

to be moft favoured, becaufe of his father's character, fent his favourite thither,

them to

their duty.

Y. of R.
71 7-

OCTAVIUS, having
after, returned into

refitted his

fleet

the year

AGRIPPA and Sicily, MAECENAS. AGRIPPA overcame DEMOCHARES, who commanded a feparate body of troops for POMPEY; POMPEY beat OCTAVIUS. Romewas
with
at this
fpirits

time in fome commotion

fome turbulent

were plotting new mifchiefs.

thither, in order to

OCTAVIUS
calm thofe
about whom

fent

MAECENAS

troubles, and punifh the ringleaders,

in the dark. hiftory leaves us

fucceeded

in his

commiffion,

As foon as he had MAECENAS return'd

at the
laft

of R. to the fleet,

and was prefent

gave

battle

78.

which

OCTAVIUS near the proof that day was montory of Pelorns. The vidory and valour addrefs, of AGRIPPA. owing to the M/ECE-

POMPEY

T'be

Life of
alib

MAECENAS.

25

diftinguimed himfelf, and had a mare in the glory. He was both the foldier

PA.

MAECENAS

and commander on
felf fet fire to the

that important day, and himenemies mips, moft of which were

either burnt or
tie

funk

(z).

POMPEY, who

lit-,

before was at the head of three hundred and

fifty

mips, was

now

conftrained to

make towards
(lain

The fame year, whom OCTAVIUS had commanded LEPIDUS,

up
into

Afia^ with fix or feven only, ANTONY'S order at Miletus.

and was

by

twenty of POMPEY, polfeiTed himfelf of Meffina, and formed the defign of ifland under his obedience ; bringing the whole
legions,
after the defeat

to his fuccour, and had pafled out of Africa himfelf at the head of Sicily, finding

but his foldiers deferted, and went over to

TAVIUS, who degraded and

his

ftrip'd

OChim of all

employments.

Tup' M^: c E N AS was very ufeful to OCTAVIUS during the civil wars, as he was his privy counfellor in conjunction with AcRippA,he was neverthelefs
which he was prefect frequently fent to Rome, of
(z) PEDONIUS in his Epicedium y Elegy firfl, ohferves that MAECENAS gave great proofs of his courage at

the

laft battle

fought againfl the younger

POMPEY

Ilium pifccfi v'uierunt faxa Pelori

Ignibits hsjitlis tiadere ligna rails.

26
as well as

The Life of
of
all Italy.

MAECENAS.
prefect (a} was one
.

The

of the chief magiftrates of Rome He had the fole management of affairs when the confuls and

emperors were abfent ; was entrufted with the regulation of civil matters, provifion, buildings,
fhipping ; all crimes, whether committed in the city, or within a hundred miles round, came im-

demned

mediately under his cognizance, and he conto death without appeal. How great

and extenfive muft have been the capacity of this man, who could and did fo well difcharge his duty through a multiplicity of offices of fo im-

Never did magiftrate acquit portant a nature himfelf fo honourably as MAECENAS: Rome was fecure while he governed ; he fpared the lives of
!

his fellow citizens,

injuftice ().

and committed not the

leaft

(rt)

HORACE
civitatem

in his

Odes

fpeaks of

M.^ECENAS

as a

magiftrate,

Tu

quh

deceat flatus

CuraSj '& urbi folicitus times.

HOR.
2t t you
i

B.iij.

Odexxix.

Attend with ever watchful

for Rome's imperial ftate care.

FRANCIS.

who cannot be fufpected of flattering (1} SENECA, MAECENAS, admires his fweetnefs and humanity of beMaxima laus illi tribuitur haviour while a magiftrate.
manfuetudinis
ulla alia re
:

pepercit gladio, languine abftinuit

poflet
is

nee

quod
It

quam

licentia oftendit.
this

SENEC.

Epift. cxiv.

remarkable that

cenfor never

was

"The

Life of

MAECENAS.
fubfifted

27
was not

THE
built

peace

which then

on a

folid foundation.

OCTAVIUS and
directed juft as

ANTONY

were both

of them too ambitious

to be faft friends.

They were

policy and circumftance of affairs would influence j at one time open to jealoufy and fufpicion ;
at others again they

feemed allured of each other.

OCTAVIUS at length, wifely judging of ANTONY by his former conduct, rather chofe to come
to an open rupture, than venture at a feeming friendihip, which conflantly expofed him to the fecret machinations of his

enemy.

ANTONY
:

had
the

been propofed

as conful for the

enfuing year

fenate, at the felicitations of

the election, and declared

OCTAVIUS, reverfed war againft CLEOPA-Y.

of R.
7 22
-

TRA

ANTONY, on

the other hand, divorced

-,

the prudent

OCT AVI A

were made on both

fides

and great preparations to carry on hoftilities.

,

^~^~^~'

ARium decided the quarrel the y fleet of OCTAVIUS, commanded by AGRIPPA, MAECENAS was gained a compleat victory.

The

battle of

Of 723.

there

(c}.

We cannot precifely

determine what
ill-na-

fpeaks well of MJECENAS, but he tured obfervation at the fame time.

makes feme

(r)

THE

us that
gullies,

ft Ode of the Epodes of HORACE informs MAECENAS was to go on board OCTAVIUS'S in order to attack ANTONY'S men of war:
fit

Hi

T.iburvn inter al
\
'.r^

poft

2$
celebrated,

*fhe

Life of
having
fled

MAECENAS.

poft he held

but his courage and bravery were

in

CLEOPATRA, who
thence into Egypt.

purfued ANTONY and towards Peloponnefus^ and

After this victory, which

the empire of the world, MAECENAS returned to his former poft of prefeft. The victorious troops, enraged at their dif-

gave

OCTAVIUS

being

banded unrewarded, mutinied at Brundifium : OcT AVI us, fearing they would not regard MAECE-

NAS
Y. of R.
724-

as

AGRIPPA

he was of the Equeftrian order only, fent into Italy on fome other pretext ; but

he was obliged to go thither in perfon, and his DONATUS, in his prefence quieted the tumult.
Paraius
ornne Cesfaris pericnhm Subire, Maecenas, tuo.

HOR. Odei.
While you,

Epod.

i.

my

brave

illuftrious friend,
:

Would C/E BAR'S perfon with your own defend And ANTONY'S high-tower' d fleet, With light Liburnian galleys fearlefs meet.

FRANCIS.

Some however doubt whether he ever quitted Rente. APPIAN, B. v. De bellis civil, afiures us, that MAECENAS having convicted young LEPIDUS of the plot
againft

OCTAVIUS,

i)

ordered him to be conducted where the prince then was.

to

IF this be true, it is plain, M/ECENAS could not have been prefent at that battle, iuicc he muft at that very time have been at Rome performing his function of But VELLEIUS, B. ii. c. 88. fays LEPIDUS prefect. confpired againft OCTAVIUS, while he was engaged in this laft war, Dum ultiinam bello Actiaco Alexanlife

The Life of MAECENAS.

life

29
time

of VIRGIL,

tells us,

that

it

was

at this

that

OCTAVIUS
was

attended to the reading of the

Georgics, in Atella a city of Campania, at

which
his
,

M^CENAS
friend

alfo

prefent,

and

aflifted

VIRGIL in read ing alternately with him :We

all

that this prince, the troubles of civil war, never forgot to cultivate the belles lettres, but gave the moft fa-

may obfervewithSuETONius(Y),

amidfl

vourable and {teddy attention whenever the Literati read over their works to him, whether they

were

in profe or verfe.

AFTER OCTAVIUS had fettled his affairs in /to/y

and Rome, he
attack
failed for Syria,

with an intent to

Egypt ,
at

and

left

MAECENAS and Aauthorized to govern

GRIPPA
drinoque

Rome,

fully

might therefore

MAECENAS imponit manum, &c. have been in that action, and rewhile OCTAVIUS turn afterwards to his office, was purfuing ANTONY, and carrying the war inCaefar

to Egypt-

PEDONIUS, who
this

lived at that time, puts

an end to

difpute.
affair

He
:

paints the valour of his

hero in that famous

Cum freta

Niliacte tcxcrunt lata Carinte,

ante ducem. Forth erat circum^ forth Milith Eoi fugientis terga fecutus,
Tertius

&

ad Nili dum

fitgit

ilk caput.

Epiced. Eleg.

I.

& benigne & patienter audivit, nee tanturn carmina & hiftorias, fed & orationes & dialogos. SUETON.
tantes

(<?)

INGENIA

feculi fui

omnibus modis

fovit.

Reci-

-Life of Auguftus, Chap, 89.

in

in

his

abfence
to

power

The Life of MAECENAS. He even gave them full open all letters he mould fend either
.

to the fenate or to private perfons, to

alterations in

make

fuch

them, as they mould think proper, before they were delivered they farther were invefted with an authority of ifTuing out edi<5ls in
;

his

name, whenever there might be a

necefiity

for

them

and, that they might have a greater

weight, he gave them his fignet, on which was The wits in thofe the figure of a fphinx (q).

days difplayed their talents upon that occafion.

This fphinx,
put a flop

faid

they, portends riddles.

thefe
railleries

To

to

all

OCTAVIUS

changed
(q)

his feal,

and had ALEXANDER the Great,

c. i.

PLINY,

B. xxxvii.

fpeaks of this fcal of

AUGUSTUS.
on
tas
it.

He

at firft

had the imprefiion of a fphinx

fays

Divus Auguftus,

PLINY,

inter

initia

fphinge fignavit.

Diias in matris annulis

jam

indifcre-

Altera per bella civilia, magnitudinis invenerat. non inedicla abfente eo, amici fignavere epiftolas faceto lepore accipientium, aenigmata adferreeam fphingem Auguftus poftea ad evitanda convicia fphingis,

&

SUETONIUS Alexandri magni imagine fignavit. In diplomatibus libellifque & epiftolis fignandis,
fphinge ufus
cuti
eft
:

fays, initio
:

viflime fua, Diofcoridis

firms

quoque what SUETONIUS writes on that

imagine magni Alexandri nomanu fculpta, qua fignare infeDION conprincipes perfeveraverunt.

mox

fucceeding emperors imitated

AUGUSTUS

fubjecl. in this,

The
ex-

Hie canem ex prora navis profpeccepting GALSA. tantem, fignum a majoribus fuis acceptum, ufurpavit. DION, B. li.

and

*fbe

Life of
his

MAECENAS.
figure engraved there-

31

and afterwards

own

upon^;.

A FROG was the device of MAECENAS fJ,with y

which he fometimes
ments.
it

of
713.

fealed his

public

inftru-

The

people dreaded this animal, becaufe

was very often annexed to his tax bills. As MAECENAS was a man of uncommon fenfe, it

was prefumed he never did a thing inconfideMany were of opinion that there was rately.

fome hieroglyphic meaning

ug
Jtj

in this

feal

of his.

ifcc Iv

DION.

B.li.

(/>)

PLINY, Book

xxxvii.

of

his

natural

hiflory,

takes notice of the

feal

of

M/ECENAS,

the impreflion

of which was a

Quin etiam Maecenatis rana, per frog. collationem pecuuiarum, in magno terrore erat. Maecenas ranum fculptam fibi habuit ; at in publicis annulo regio haud dubie utebatur. Creditur enim Augufti
fuiffe cancellarius:

ut ejus familiaris Horatius innuit, a

irequente amico rogatus, ut apud Maecenatem fuftragaretur

:

Inprimat his euro. Maccnas figna Dtxeris 9 Experiir : Si v;s y pates.

I)io Caffius addit,
credidifle

tabellis*

Auguflum promifcue figillum pr^eciMaecenati & Agrippae ; tantum t; buifle ambobus, ut Hteras ad fenatus fcriptas vel alio, irnC/UID. PANCIROLLI piuie relegerent 5c immutarent. lib. Rertifftni?norabiiiufii^ tit. De '~tis. in Salmuth. com,

puum

&

;'

SUETO-

The Life of MAECENAS.

SUETONIUS tells us the following ftory (i): OcT A vi us, when a little boy, being at his grandfather's

country feat, ordered the frogs to be quiet,

(as

it was reported) they immediately obeyed, and were ever after filent in that place, as the frogs of Seripba are faid to be j of which

which

PLINY gives us an account. It was in allufion to this fable, which flattered the vanity of OcTAVIUS, that MAECENAS chofe a frog for his
feal,

which became (on account of this miracu-

lous event) the emblem of difcretion, for which this illuftrious favourite was remarkable. Others

again were of opinion, that this amphibious animal hinted at the double power he was entrufted with
affairs.

by

his prince,

both

in

land and fea

Y. of R.
7 2 4-

OCTAVIUS
cefs againft

carried

on the war with fuch fucas to oblige

ANTONY

him

to kill

CLEOPATRA, to avoid being carried in triumph, ordered an afpick to be applied away While thefe to her arm, and was flung to death.
hi
felf.

in Egypt, M. LEPIDUS, things were tranfafting fon of the TRIUMVIR and of JUNIA, BRUTUS'
lifter,

a young

man, faysVELLEius^j, of a good

fari ccepiflet

(I]

CUM

primum

in

avito fuburbano

obflrepentes forte ranas filerejuflit; atque ex eo neganSUETON. Life cf Auguftus, tur ibi ranae coaxare.

Chap. 94.
(K]
far

Dum

ultimam

bello

A&iaco Alexandrinoque Csejuvenis,

imponit

manum, M, Lepidus

forma quani
figure

7%e Life of

MAECENAS.

33

a defign figure, but weak judgment, formed to murder OCT AVI us on his return to Rsme'\ but
this

was prevented by the vigilance of the prefect

MAECENAS watched the motions of this imprudent man very narrowly and judging it upon
;

the like occaftons to be

act, rather

more

fate

and

politic to
:

than to deliberate, he fecured him and without any noife or difcurbance flitted the
plot,

and the feeds of a frefh

civil

war

in its in-

fancy.
his

LEPIDUS

received a

punimment due

tq

imprudence and temerity.

OCTAVIUS having reduced Egypt

into a pro- y. of R.
_

vince, returned into Italy towards the middle of the fummer. entered Rome in triumph, and

^H^.

He

the temple of

JANUS was now locked up by

his

orders, after having been kept open

dred years. he reflected

two hunIt was then, fays SUETONIUS (I), that on the repeated reproaches made him

by ANTONY, with being the only perfon who

oppofed the re-eftablifliment of the commonwealth ; and that he deliberated whether he
mente melior
conftituendae,
erat.
:

filius,

Lepidi ejus, qui triumvir fuerat reip. Junia Briiti forore nafus, interfi-

cicndi, fimul in

urbem

revertiflet, Caefaris confiiia int-

VELLEIUS PATERCULUS,
bis

B.

ii.

Chap. 88.

DE reddenda republica (/) oppreffum ftatim Antonium,

fibi

cogitavit

memor objedtum

primo poft ab eq

fzepius,

SUE TON.

quafi per ipfum ftaret, Life of AuguJiuSy Chap. ^8,

ne redderetur.

fhou!4

34
mould

72# Life of MAECENAS-.

reftore liberty again to the

Romans.

It is

much queftioned, however, whether

ferioufly

he thought

of the matter.

Princes

likeOcTAvius

can eafily conceal their fentiments, nor is it an Be eafy matter to fee into their fecret purpofes.
Y. of R.that as
2
-

it

will,

he advifed about that important

affair

with

intimate

AGRIPPA and MAECENAS, his two friends (m}. AGRIPPA perfuaded him

generoufly to refign the fovereign authority, and to mew by his moderation that he had only taken

up arms to revenge the death of C/ESAR. Nor did he forget to reprefent to him, by various examples, the dangers and fatal confequences of a
power which is hateful to a republican fpirit. But MAECENAS, confulting nothing but the prince's intereft, painted to him the rifques of abdication.

He

farther obferved,

that the very fons

and

friends of thofe
facrifice,

he had been obliged to would lofe no opportunity of attack-

whom

ing and purfuing him, when they found themfelves upon a level with him ; that having put

an end to the

civil

wars, and quieted mankind,

he had juftly a right to the fovereignty ; and that the great and vaft empire henceforward required one chief only, to maintain peace and order j that
if

the imperial dignity had coft the great

(m]

JULIUS

VIRGIL, according to
affair
lefs

DON ATUS, was confulted

but
.

upon this important

has the

weight, as

by OCTAVIUS we can Had r^

this fadt

'.hority

for

it

among

the aricient writers.

his

The Life of MAECENAS.

his life,
it

35

was owing to

his

proud and haughty

difpofition, a fault which,

no doubt, OCTAVI us

would moft

carefully avoid.

OCTAVIUS,

after

hearing their opinions, admired the franknefs of AGRIPPA, but preferred the advice of MAECE-

may fuppofe it agreed with his own fentiments fince he confefTecl that he private found himfelf conflrained thereto by his deftiny ;
NAS ().
-,

We

X/~sj

and

this

indeed

is

the

more

credible

from what
where
y. of R;
72

pafied two years

after in the fenate-houfe,

he almoft played the fame

and pretended to refign his royalty. It would have ftartled him, had they taken him at his word, but he was fefarce,

jXi

cure : the fenators who greatly wilhed it, durft not declare themfelves, but meanly entreated him to continue in the regency.
I

RETURN

to

MAECENAS. Some modern

that policy

writers

would intimate

and

felf-intereft

only

had the greateft mare in this advice, as if in reality there was no fuch thing as truth and (incerity

amongft courtiers That M^CENAS was moved to it from a natural inclination to luxury and effeminacy, and his apprehenfions of public cen:

fure in a republican government. But this idle has fort of no nor fupfoundation, conjecture

port from any authority of the ancients. can we fufpect MAECENAS of fuch a fear,

How
when

we know,

he himfelf preffed

OCTAVIUS

to con-

()

Tct $1

AyrS

M<mv;'v*

jMMsv
2

ATO. DION.
ftitute

36

The Life of
ftitutc a cenfor, in

M^E c E N A s

order to examine into the fa-

milies, fortune,

knights, of which

and conduct of the fenators and number he was ? He gave and inflructions

him

alfo excellent rules

how

to

govern, and told him, the only way to accuftom the Romans to his dominion, and to infure his

own

fafety,

was to make them

his

friends, a
;

guard much
that this

fecurer than that of hisfoldiers

eafily attainable,

and
con-

provided duct was modeft and virtuous, raifed no new impofts, nor condemned any perfon for a fault,

was

his

which he might himfelf be charged with ; in fhort if he behaved towards his fubject, in the

manner he would choofe

were he a
advifed
fubject.

to be treated himfelf

This able confident farther

him

to iffue out orders, that the fons of

knights and fenators mould from their infancy be well inflructed in the belles lettres^ and as they

advanced farther
ride,

and

all

in years, they mould learn to fuch other exercifes as became the

young

nobility; for

which purpofe he fhould have

learned men, and different mafters in his pay : from fuch a good education, he might always

expect the greateft employments would be difcharged with honour, as they would then be filled by perfons capable of fuch important trufts. As to the title OCTAVIUS was to aflume, he ob-

ferv^d that, that of King was hateful to the Ro-

mans , and was therefore to be rejected , that of Dictator had been fatal to his great-uncle ; he

might

T'he

Life of

MAECENAS.
himfelf with that of

37

might

therefore content

Imperator^ a title the foldiers gave to their OCTAVIUS followed his victorious generals. advice, and found his account in it, for to

MM-

CENAS he was indebted for

of
his reign
:

Nor

the glory andfeliczfy were the arts and fciences

all

which he protected the leaft ornaments of it. Poetry efpecially (which he very fuccefsfully amufed himfelf with) was carried at that time
to
its

favour of

utmoft perfection and beauty, through the this learned and judicious prince, who

ever feconded the zealous encouragements of his dear favourite.

IN 727, the fenate confirmed new honours on y OCTAVIUS, and gave him the title of AuGUSTUS; We Ihall henceforward call him by that name only.

of
727.

PEACE
(0)

reigned every where

and

having no farther employment in the government of Rome (J>) perfectly enjoyed a pleafmg
tuus Auguftus, M. (a) ATAVUS Agrippae Mitylenenfe fecretum, C. Mascenati urbc in ipfa, velut perealter bellorum focius, grinum otium permifit, quorum
-

alter

Romae

pluribus laboribus jaclatus,

ampla quidem,

Avus pro ingentibus meritis praemia acceperunt meus Auguftus, Agrippae & Mascenati ufurparc otium poft labores conceffit. TACIT. B. xiv. C. 53, 55.
fed
(/>)

HORACE

refers

what he

fays in his third

book,
w..s

Ode

viii,

to this peaceable time,

when M^CJ-.N AS
3

leiiure,.

33
leifure,

T'be Life of MAECENAS. which he confecrated to his pleafures,

the greateft part of which confifted in tludy (g). The firft genius's of the age for poetry, eloquence,

and philofophy, were

his

conftant companions.

He He

agreeably paffed his time in their company. contracted no chance and accidental friend;

fhips

nor would enter into familiarity without

a thorough knowledge of the perfon and his chano more

He invites MAECENAS to prefect of Rome. enjoy his eafe, and to think no more of bufinefs :
Mitte chiles fuper urbe curas
:

t^ ne qua populus labor et^ Parce privates nimium cavere : Dsna prafentis rape l<stus hor&,

Linque fevera.

No No

more

let

Rome your anxious

thoughts engage,

more the public claims thy pious fears, Be not too anxious then with private cares,
brings,
things.

But feize the gift the prefent moment Thofc fleeting gifts, and leave feverer

FRANTIS.
.2

Ji

not {tinted in his hours for reading; but in imitation of SCIPIO, LJELIUS, and a great many other celebrated Romans^ ftudied the bel(q)
his life. Poetry was his favourite ftudy. the beauty and advantages of it, as the philofopher CLEANTHES did of old, according to SENECA: (ut dicebat Cleanthes) quemadmodum
les lettres all

MAECENAS was

He

felt all

Nam

fpiritus nofter

clariorem

fonum

reddit,

cum

ilium tuba

per longi canalis anguftius traftum, patentiore noviifime exitu effudit : fie fenfus noftros clariores carminis arta
neceffitas efficit.

Eadem

negligcntius audiuntur,

mi-

rader.

The Life of JVL&CENA9.

racier (r).

39

Buffoons and fuch fort of infamous

ance.

gentry could have no pretence to his acquaintMeannefs of birth was no bar to his friendfhip

but wif 9 without manners and conduft, was

fufficient

not a

introduction.
titles,

Little dazzled

with riches or pompous

lity 9 learning,

and probity.

As

he preferred abihe took fuch nice

conclude that his

precautions
friends

we may

eafily

were few but

felect,

and of a diftinguifhed

merit

and that he was not fubjecl to change or

nufque percutiunt, quamdiu foluta oratione dicuntur: ubi acceffere numeri, egregium fenfum adftrinxere

&

certi

pedes,

torquetur.

eadem SENEC.

ilia

fententia velut lacerto excufla

Epift.cviii.
in his preface
this

upon

JULIUS SCALIGER thofe who defpife

on poetry, looks
art, as a parcel

heavenly

of

ftupid

illam [poefin] afpero fupercilio damnant, bruti homines, ne agrefti &memiin hominum quidem cenfu reponendi funt

and malicious wretches.

Qui

&

neris iftas bonae famas hirudines ideo vociferari, ut ne have to this day a fet quod eis deeft adfit nobis.

We

of thefe ignorant and envious animals,

tafte or relifli for

it as an art .which dazzle the eyes of thefe enemies of the mufes. Others again, fcrupuloufly nice (for poetry has her adverfaries of different kinds) can't fuffer her fprightlinefs and gaieties. They even condemn the moft inThis opinion ftructive tragedies, and moral comedies. proceeds from nothing but an enthufiaftic folly, which

who having no poetry themfelves, infolently defpife Riches and titles are generally the lights

has already been often ridiculed.

JECENAS took the wifeft precautions (r) as to the choice of his friends, before he became pro-

THAT

withdraw

46
withdraw
ftowed
it.

*be Life of
his friendfhip

where he had oncebe-

Steddy and fixed in his choice, he never ceafed loading thofe with favours whom he
once judged worthy of his regard and notice. Far unlike thofe miferable wretches, whofe treafures never fee the light, he
his

knew how

to enjoy

riches with honour.

Poets in

particular,

were

his chief favourites, becaufe himfelf

was a

lover,

and beloved of the Mufes*

the
firft

VIRGIL held

place in

MAECENAS*

poet claimed precefriendlhip , of the fublimity of on account not only dency his genius, but becaufe of his integrity and hothis inimitable

nefty.

MAECENAS faw

thefe excellent qualities

he protected him (as was before obferved) againft the ufurpers of his patrimony, and generoufly the happy fituation, with which procured him and which inthe mufes were fo well delighted
,

fpired
digal

him

to

compofe thofe celebrated writings,

favours, to prove, pailages

Difficiles aditus

of his

HORACE
hafrft.

will

afford

feveral

primes

HOR.
Pauccrum bominum,
Prtcfertim Jmbitione procul.
fcf

B.

i.

Sat.ix.
Ibid.

mentis benefan<s<

cautum dlgnos adfumere, prava

Id. B.
i.

Sat. VI.

Cum

referre negas, quail fit quifque parente

?Jatus>

dum

ingenuui.

which

*fbe Life of MAECENAS. which did honour to the age, and to the Roman

41

language.

MAECENAS had

a great fbndnefs for

HORACE,
,

whofe wit and humour were inimitable

he load-

ed him with favours, and made him a prefent of

a country-feat

among

the Sabins

(j).

He-:: ACE

HORACE knew the bound of his dearer, '-/ell (j) content with what he owed to the bounty of A'vl E ENAS, afked not greedily for more, tho' fure of not being
r efufed
:

Nee

tu dare deneges. (fays he) ft plura velim,

HOR.

B.

iii.

Ode

xvi.

He knew
was

by

his

fufficient to

own experience, that a decent modicum make a philofopher happy

:

Non

Mea
At

ebur, neque aureum renidet in domo lacunar

fides ) et
:

ingeni
eft
:

Benigna vena

paufceremque dives

Me petit
Deos

nihil fupra
:

lacejjp

nee potentem

amicwn

Largiora flagito^
Satis beatus unicis Sabinit.

Nor here an iv'ry cornifh (hines, Nor columns of Hymettian mines

Proudly fupport their citron beams, Nor rich with gold my ceiling flames
:

Yet with

Unknowing

a firm and honeft heart, or of fraud or art,

was

42
was
his

The Life of MAECENAS.

fenfible

works

are full

of his obligations to that minifter of acknowledgments, and

:

every where exprefs the panegyric of his benefactor. PROPERTIUS was alfo in favour with

MAECENAS

(/),

and always confulted him about

his writings.

AMONGST

his

illuftrious

companions were
confular digni-

VALGIUS and POLLIO, men of

ty, VARIUS, a celebrated epic and tragic poet ; FUNDANIUS, an excellent comic writer ; DOMI-

TIUS

MARSUS, an eminent
affifted

epigrammatift

PLOTIUS TUCCA, who

VARIUS

in the

correction of the Mneids\ both the Visci,

Ro-

man fenators, and

all

of them favourites of APOL-

A liberal vein of
I'm by the
Shall
all its

genius bleft,
carefl.

rich

and great

My patron's gift3 my
And happy

Sabine field

rural plenty yield ; in that rural ftore,

Of heav'n

and him I afk no more.

in

FRANCIS.
pub-

(t) lifhes the friendfhip

PROPERTIUS,

many

MAECENAS

parts of his works, had for him :

Macenas, nojlra fpes

Et

vitee

& morti gloria jufla mete.

ittvidiofa juventa:,

B,
Mottis tu cceptafautor cape ibfa jtiventJe,

ii.

Eleg.

i,

Dexteraque

immijffis

da mikifigna

vofis.

B,

iii.

Eleg.

vii.

LO

Life of

M^CENAS.
;

43

10

(a);

AREUS

of Alexandria, a philofopher

and a friend of AUGUSTUS

MELISSUS and

in his firft book of Satires gives us a (K) defcription of the different talents of the feveral poets, the friends of M.SCENAS,

HORACE

Arguta meretrice

pates,

Davoque Cbremeta

Eludente fenem, comis garrire libellos Unus vivorum, Fundani : Pollio regum

FaEla canitpede ter percuffb : forte epos acer y Ut nemo Verius ; duSlu molle atque facetum
Virgilio

adnuerunt gaudentes rure

Camoenee.

B.

i.

Sat. x.

Of all mankind, in light and chearful {train FUNDANIUS beft can paint the comic fcene, The wily harlot, and the flave, who join

To

wipe the mifer of his darling coin.

POLL jo in pure Iambic Numbers fmgs The tragic fcenes of heroes and of kings ; And VARIUS in fublime and ardent vein
Supports the grandeur of the Epic ftrain.

On VIRGIL

all

the rural mufes fmile,

Smooth flow

his lines,

and elegant

his ftyle.

FRANCIS.

He
ed

has in a particular

VARIUS

in another place celebratfor his genius for Epic Poetry,

manner

Scriberis Vario

forth iff bojlium Mceonii Carminis a lite

B.

i.

Ode

vi.

High

VARIUS
VARIUS

foaring on Moeonian wing, in martial tone fhall fmg.

FRANCIS.

was equally eminent and fuccefsful as a traQUINTILIAN in his Inftit. Orat. gedy writer. B. x. compares the Thyejles of VARIUS to the beft tragedy of the Greeks ; Jam Varii Thyeftes cuilibet

Fuscus

<

44

fbe Life of

MMCEUAS.
;

Fuscus ARISTIUS, learned grammarians the rhetorician HELIODORUS, the moil learned man
Graecorum comparari
potcft.

THE

Panegyrift of Pi so fays of this Poet,

when

talking of

Nee fua
Alescenas

Vtrgilia permifit
:

numina foil traglco quatientem carmina ceejlu

Evexit V&rium.

We have but a few fragments of the works of this great

TIBULLUS makes mention of poet. defcribes the genius of this author :
Eft
tibiy
i

VALGIUS, and

qui pojjit magnis fe accingere reltis

ceterno propior non alter

Valgius

Homero.
Eleg.
i.

B.

iv.

to

Mejfala.
is

The

ninth ode of the fecond book of

HORACE

ad-

C. ASINIUS PQLLIO, an orator, poet, and hjftorian, above the common caft, a great general, and one of the confuls in the year of Rome 713, is fufficiently known from the hiftoryof his times, as well as the Eclogues of VIRGIL, which are
drefied to

VALGIUS.

dedicated to him,
Pollio amat no/Irani^ quamvis Jit ruftica Polllo et ipfe faclt nova carmina.

mufamy
Eclog.
iii.

VIRG.

POLLIO my

rural vcrfe x^ouchfafes to read,

My POLLIO

writes himfelf

--

DRY DEN.

En erit^ tit liccat totum mibi ferre per orbern Sola Sophocleo tua carmina digna cothurno.
Eclog.
viii.

of

The Life of M^CENAS. of the Greeks y among the orators, MAECENAS was particularly intimate with P/EDIUS PUBLI-

Is there

an hour in fae referv'd

for

me,
?

fing thy deeds in numbers worthy thee In numbers like to thine, cou'd I rehearfe

To

Thy

lofty tragic fcenes,

thy labour'd verfe

DRYDEN.

HORACE
to

alfo addrefled the firft

ode of the fecond book

him

^
ftverte
:

Paulum

Mufa
mox,

iragoedlee

Defit tbcatns

itbi

publicas

Res ordinaris^ grande munus

Cecropio repetes cothurno*
Jnjigne moeftis pr&Jidium rtis, Et confulenti Pcllio curia :

&\x

Cut Jaurus eeternos bonores Dalmatico peperit triumpko.

Retard a while thy glowing vein,

Nor fwell the folemn, tragic fcene ; And when thy fage, hiftoric cares
Have form'd
the train of Rome's affairs,
infufe
b.ufkin'd nuife
;

With

lofty rapture re-inflam'd,

Heroic thoughts, and wake the

O POLLIO,
Of

thou the great defence fad impleaded innocence,

to weigh the grand debate, In deep confult the Fathers wait ; For whom the triumphs o'er Dalmatia fpread Unfading honours round thy iaurel'd head.

On whom,

FRANCIS.

We muft
plainly

not confound

brated epigrammatift, with

Amazonidcs.

DOMITIUS MARSUS, a celeMARCUS, author of the A!ARTIAL has two epigrams, which
between the two
;

mark

a diftevence

COLA,

46
NIUS,
a a

fbe Life of

M^CENAS.
(x) y

COLA, MESSALA CORVINUS

tribune of the

CAIUS FURand
his

people,

fon,

moft elegant and

faithful hiftorian,

whom

AUGUSTUS

raifed to the confular dignity.

THE
we no
of the

different talents of thefe great men, had other proofs, would fufficiently evince us
abilities

of MAECENAS.

There always

Ergo era Virgil'ius^ fi munera M&cenatis Des mibi f 7irgilius non era, Marfus era.

MART.
Sapius
in libra

B.

viii.

Epig.

Ivi.

^uam

levis in tola

memoratur Perfms uno^ Marfus Amazonide.

Ib.

B.

iv.

Epig. xxix.
fenator, of in the

(x]

MESSALA CORVINUS,

Roman

illuftrious birth,

and a great orator, was collegue

confulfhip with AUGUSTUS in the year of Rome 758. He was the friend and patron of Ti BULL us, who in
his iv.

Book of Paneg.

to

MESSALA
:

thus defcribes his

virtues and rare qualifications

7^, Meflala^ canam, quamquam me cognita virtus Terret

Non tua majorum contenta eft gloria fama^ Nee quarts quid quaque index fub imagine
Sed generis
vincere honores^ prifcos contendis

dicat y

Quam

tibi

majores, majus decus ipfe futurus.

his book of eminent orators mentions with great refpel. And in his xv th Epiftle

CICERO
to

in

MESSALA
probitate,

BRUTUS, Meflalam
illi

quam

habes, fays he, cave putes, conftantia, cura, ftudio reipublicae, quidefTe fimile ut eloquentia, qua mirabiliter ex-

was

The Life of MAECENAS. was an harmony amongft them ; they never

gave each other the leaft caufe of uneafinefs, as The nothey knew, nor jealoufy, nor envy.

47

and richeft amongft them had no pride, nor did the moft learned hug himfelf with his Merit, in whatever lhape iiiperior knowledge.
bleft,
it appeared, held an honourable ftation among HORACE gives us a lively defcription of them.

the houfe of

quented
cellit,

it(y).

MAECENAS, and of thofe who freThe love heexprefled for learning,

him
:

vix in eo locum ad laudandum habere videatur.

B.i. Sat. x. mentions

HORACE,
Te,

Meffald) tuo

cum fratre9 &c.

in his In/I. orat.

And QUINTILIAN

x.

Meflala nitidus candidus, fays fe ferens in dicendo nobilitatem

&

&

Chap.

r.

quodammodo pne

PLINY informs us,

that

MESSALA, two years

fuam, viribus minor. before he

died, fo entirely loft his memory, as to forget his own name : Sui vero nominis MefTala Corvinus orator
oblitus.

B.

vii.

Chap. 24.
lived in clofe connection with all

CENAS'S friends; he names feveral of them in- his x a Sat. Book i. and wifhes his writings may prove deferring of their approbation
;

())

HORACE

MAE-

little

anxious about the crt-

ticifms of idle poetafters, or the infipid railleries of halfwitted fellows; in his ixth Sat. of Book i. he draws

to

a fine piture of an impertinent creature, who applied I will do him to be introduced to MAECENAS you
all

favourites, and

the fervices there, fays he ; you mall eclipfe all his become the chief of them through

nieans

The

my

poet replies
I/to

non vhitur

illic
.

tu rere^
ec

modo

domus bac nee

:

pttriof itlla e/? t

officit^

magh

his aliena malls

nil

mi

inquam.

and

48

7/k- Life of MAECENAS. and the favours he continually beftowed upon thofe

who made any mining

him.

figure, eafily

determined

authors to infcribe and dedicate their works to

VIRGIL, HORACE, PROPERTIUS, and PEDONIUS afford us excellent teftimonies of this.

The

injury of the
titles

others, whofe

we

times has deftroyed many can fcarcely trace in the

ancient writers.

PLUTARCH
friends

informs us

that

AUGUSTUS
to his

himfelf dedicated his commentaries

two intimate

AGRIPPA

and MAE-

CENAS.

THE

poets and

houfeof this great man was always open to men of letters but your CARBILIUS'S,

ANSERs,yourCoRNiFicius's, M^vius's, FANN i us's, and fuch like(z; fnarling animals of no meDitlor
/;?>,

out

eft

quid dottior

eft

locus uni-

Cuique fuus.

B.

i.

Sat.

ir.

We

live

not there, as you fuppofe,

;

On fuch precarious terms as thofe, No family was ever purer

fuch infections none fecurer. It never hurts me in the leaft ; That one excels in wealth, or tafte

From

Each perfon

there a place inherits place proportion'd to his merits.

FRANCIS.
(z)

CARBILIUS PICTOR wrote

entituled the
falfeiy

jEneids,

JEneidoirMjlix,

book againft the which DONA-

TUS
with,

very

and unjuflly

charges

MAECENAS
a friend

ANSER

was a panegyric poet, and

of
rit

rit

2i&<? Life of MAECENAS. or conduct, were entirely excluded ; MAECENAS never countenanced or admitted thofe banes ot

49

knowledge and learning to his familiarity, who write out of mere fpite, envy, and vanity ; and,
to be talked of, attempt
writings. to criticife the beft

How
flich

different are the fatires of

1
.

Ho-

RACE from
only at

this turn

the ftrokes there, glance

reputations
are

whofe

already

MARC ANTONY,
TEY'S
this

who made him

in
to.

eftate

lltuated

the

territory

a prefent of POMof Falernutn ;

occafioned

CICERO

fay, Philip, xiii.

De

Falerno
pretend
ix
th

Anferes depellentur.
that

Some commentators VIRGIL meant this ANSER when in his

fays,

Ec-

logue he

Nam neque
Digna^

adhuc Varo videor^ nee dlcere Cinna

interpreters anfer
olores.

-fed argutos

Bucol. ix,

nor VARUS' dare afpire, But gabble like a goofe amidft the fwan-like choir.
I nor to
ears,

CINNA'S

DRYDEK.
CORNIFICIUS, a very fevere epigrammatift, was an enemy to VIRGIL, and never ceafed fpitting his ve-

nom

ble bard in

at this great poet. thofe days.

MJEVIUS was another defpicaVIRGIL and HORACE have

FAN-* was one of the DENNIS'S of his time, and an aukward critic of HORACE'S writings,
fufficiently ridiculous to all pofterity.

made him
NJUS

QUADRATUS
of

who

fpe.aks

him

in feveral of his Satires,

Beatus FanniitS) ultry

Dflatis cap/is

&

imagine.

The

and works of the eminent poets were always placed in the Palatine library, in honour to them. FANNIUS, ambitious of the fame honour, though very undeferving of it, carried his trafli and
pictures

picture thither himfelf.

blafted,

5
blafted, at

The Life
Abilities are

wretched poets, or deceafed authors mentioned with refpeft ; he is dif:

creetly witty; nor did the friend of MAECENAS ever divert himfelf at the expence of men of merit. The infects of Fame/Jus^ and all fuch as were not admitted into this illuftrious company, had their meetings neverthelefs. held their

They

rendezvous
as the

at the

houfes of rich coxcombs, fuch

tafte

TIGELLII (a\ whofe depraved

and

malign fpirits perfectly agreed with the rhapfodical rhimes, and ill natured back-ftrokes of thefe
poetafters.

VIRGIL and HORACE,

nay

MAE-

CENAS
thefe
nefs,
'

amongft them ; great men however laughed at their weakand defpifed their ribbaldry
:

himfelf, were not fpared

Men* moveat

(fays

HORACE)

clmex Pantitius?

aut cruciet, quod Vellket abfentem Demetrius ? aut quod ineptus Fannius Hermogenis Ixdat conviva Tigelfi ? B. i.Sat.x.
"

Say mall that brag PANTILIUS

move my fpleen ?

Shall I be tortur'd with a wretch obfcene,

WE muft not, as many have done, confound TIGELLIUS HERMOGENES with the Sardinian TIGELLIUS, whom HORACE wittily lames in the be(a]
this

ginning of his fecond and third Satires of his firft book. latter was dead at the time the poet wrote j he fpeaks on the contrary of the other as of a perfon then

The

This is an obfervation iii, iv, and x. Thefe two and other commentators. TIGILLIUS'S however refembled each other in this, viz. they were both good muficians, and always received bad company at their houfes.
in being, fee Sat.

of

DACIER

Or

*Tbe

Life of

MAECENAS.
a fordid treat
iliall

Or

FANNIUS, for .Withfweet TIGELLIUS,

foolifh

my

verfes rate

FRANCIS.
This was rightly judged
with contempt.
for the
is

beft

treat fuch infignificant fellows

to ufe

way to them

ed the

literati,

MAECENAS not only protectbut he was himfelf a man of

tragedy of AUGUSTUS, a natural hi-

great learning, and a judicious writer, both in He wrote the of profe and verfe (b\

OCTAVIA,

the

life

flory of animals, a treatife

on precious Hones,
:

and another entituled Prometheus

but time, or
all

fome other accidents have robbed us of

(b]

PRISCIAN

tells

us

MAECENAS

wrote the
out of
it,

tra-

gedy of

OCTAVIA;

and

cites this verfe

munerilns gratum. Pexijli capillum natures

MEIBOMIUS

alfo calls the

Prometheus of

MAECENAS

a tragedy; but SENECA, Epift. xix fays, that it was a book only which bore that tide, Si quaeris in quo libro
dixerit, in

eo qui Prometheus infcribitur He juft before produces a fentence in it, Ipfa enim altitude attonat fumma, which he both criticifes as to the fenfe as well as
the diction.

SERVIUS on

afferts that

MAECENAS

the Georgia, Book ii. ^ 42. wrote the life of AUGUSTUS in

profe

and

in fupport thereof quotes the following paf-

fcge in

HORACE:
tuque pedejiribus
bi/loriis

Dices

pr&lia C&faris,
meltus, duEtaque per vias

M&cenas,

colla

minacium.

B.

ii.

Ode xii.

Tis thine in ftronger profe to tell The mighty Pow'r of CJESAR'S war;

How kings
And

beneath his battle fell, dragg'd indignant his triumphant car.

E2

thefe,

52
ments.

Tie Life of MAECENAS.

thefe, unlefs the bare titles

and fome few frag-

DION CASSIUS
th

indeed has preferved

PLINY, in his vii book, chap. 45. confirms this fentiment j he is fpeaking of the reverfes of fortune AUGUSTUS fometimes met with, and quotes MAECENAS
and AGRIPPA as vouchers for the truth of his afiertion. This author alfo gives us reafon to think .TEC EN AS was not lefs curious in natural hrftory, and that he wrote a treatife on animals, and another on precious ftones ; for in his Elenchus, he mentions him as one from whom he had borrowed what he fays in the ix th , xxxu d , and xxxvii th books of his hiftory, where he treats cf aquatic animals, the remedies drawn out of them, and of precious ftones. He lays a particular ftrefs on his authority with regard to a marvellous affair which happened in the take his own words: reign of AUGUSTUS Divo Augufto principe Lucrinum lacum invelus pau-

cujufdam puerum ex Baiano, puteolos in ludurn cum meridiano immotans appellatum eum Simonis nomine, faepius fragmentis panis, quem ob id ferebat, alexiflet, miro amore dilexit. PiFlavian! & Flavi geret referre, ni res Maecenatis Alfii, multorumque efFet litteris mandata. B. ix. c. 7. And it is here to be obferved, that the difcourfe of
peris

literarium itantem,

&

MJ-

CENAS
lii

to

AUGUSTUS,
is

book,

not fo

in the exordium, as

by DION in his perfect but that it wants fomething well as in the conclufion of Ac RIPas

related

PA'S fpeech.
Befides the works I have mentioned, MAECENAS wrote a book on manners, fome fragments of which are taken notice of by SENECA in his cxiv th epiftle ; healfo wrote feveral poems. CHARISIUS in his firft book, th The folrepeats one verfe, taken from the X book. fo much efteemed verfe, lowing by the antients, and SENECA himfelf, was probably quoted out of fome of
thofe books,

Nee tumulum euro:

fepelit

natura

reliflos.

ISIDORUS,

in his Orig. B. xix. c. 32.

De

annulis, has

one

y&e Life 0/ MAECENAS.

one
difcourfe entire,

53

when AUGUSTUS propofed

which M/ECENAS made the queftion, whe-

ther he fhould abdicate or not.

preferred us fome of MAECENAS'S writings addrefled to HORACE on the lofs of a friend. TURNEBUS corrects,

and reads them thus,

in his

Adv. B. xx. C. 2.

Lugent^

mea vita
;

! te fmaragdus^

Beryllus quoqite

Flacce,

nee nitentes

Nuper Candida margarita, qntzras t Nee quos Thynica lima perpohiiit

Anellos, nee jafpios lapillos.

TURNEBUS,
the death of
out-lived

ibid,

thinks thefe verfes were

HORACE ;
:

made upon

but

this is

MAECENAS.

We find the

a jniftake, for he

following verfes in

the

life

of

HORACE

Nt

te

Plus jam

vifceribus meis, Horati, diligo, tu tuwn fodalem

Hinno me

videasjlrigofiorem.

The

following verfes, which are alfo fuppofed to he of M.S:CENAS, are taken from a book, the title of which is not known, by DIOMEDES, a Greek grammarian

B.

iii.

It is

a defcription of the feafts of Cybele:

ades^ Cybelle dea,

tec,

Montigena dea>
ululft.

Age tympana fonanti

quate flexibile caput,

Lotus horreat flagelh^ comitum Chorus

BARTHIUS, in his Adverf. B. xvii. Ch. 3. cites the firft line of thefe verfes, and reads it Montigera inftead of But the moft celebrated verfes of MAECEfyforttigena.
NAS
are

quoted by
:

SENECA
:

in his ci

st

letter,

who

Inde illud Mascenatis turcondemns the fentiments piflimum votum quo & debilitatem non recufat, & deformitatem, & noviflime acutam crucem, dummodo
inter haec

mala

fpiritus

prorogetur

Debilem facito manu, Debilsm pede, coxa

THESE

54

7^

Life of

MAC EN AS.

THESE were the agreeable amufements of MAECENAS (r): and PEDONIUS (a cotcmporary
poet) fays of him, that he was accuflomed to pay his court to the Virgin Sifters in his delightful gardens, feated beneath the cool fhades of his

green fpreadihg trees s whence the delicious birds conftantly warbled their harmonious fongs. NaTuber adftrue gibbcrum^
Lulricos quatc denies. Vita dumfupercfti bcne eft. Plane mihi) vel a cut a ^

Si fedeam crucey fujline.

Quod miferrimum erat,

fi

incidifiet, optatur,

&

tamquam

vita petitur, fupplicii mora : contemptifiimum putarem, fi vivere vellet ufque ad crucem. . . . quid fibi vult ifta

mi

carminis efFoeminati turpitude, quid tim'oris dementiflipad^io ? quid tarn foeda vitae mendicatio?

THE ftyle of MAECENAS was in general found fault AUGUSTUS himfelf, according with for its affe&ation. to SUETONIUS, was the firft to joke him upon it, by affecting, when he wrote letters to him, to imitate his
ftyle: Exagitabat

nonnunquam
aiit,

in primis

Maecenatem

fuum, cujus /xt'^^sr?, ut

perfequitur, guftus, C. 86.
his

&

cincinnos, ufquequaquc
irridet.

imitando per jocum

SENECA

neverthelefs

Life of Au(who was one of

:

moft avowed enemies) allows him to have had a fuIn-

perior genius, and great difpofitions for eloquence

ille fuit, magnum exemplum Romance elogeniofus vir quentije daturus, nifi ilium enervaflet felicitas. Epiji. xix. And in his cxiv th , which is a kind of libel againft MAE-

CENAS, he

fays,

magni

ingenii vir fuerat, fuion in ora-

tionc djfflueret.
(r)

PEDO ALBINOVANUS

fays,

MAECENAS

ufed to

write verfes in his fine gardens,

PieridaSy Phcebumque colens in mollibus bortis Sederat argutas garrulus inter trues.

turally

*fbe

Life of MJECE-NAS.

55
innate
a pe-

turally affable,
belles

humane, and benevoleat, the

polifli thofe

lettres

but ferved to

beauties, and inherent

culiar pleafure in

virtues.
:

He, took

and, though a doing good court favourite, was fo far from injuring any private perfon, that he even ftudied to avoid

In the the very fufpicion of fuch a guilt (d). higheft efteem with his prince, his modefty and
affability

gained him the love of

all

the courtiers.

The
mine

following inftance will

in

fumciently deter-

what great favour he was with the Romans: being juft recovered from a dangerous indifpofition, he went to the play ; the audience, their zeal and affedion, rofe upon his to

mew

firft

coming

into the theatre (e), and

by a gene-

(d]

Omnla cum poj/es, tanto tarn earns arnica, Te fenfit nemo velle nocere tamen.
<

PEDON.

Epiced.

MAECENAS was

of a different character from thatagainft which the Chorus of thefecond acl in SENECA'S tragedy of HERCULES on mount Oeta fo much exclaims :

Cdit hie

ut reges, calcet
levet.

Perdatque aliquot^ nullumquc

Tantum

ut noceat, cupit ejfi potens.

errs greatly to quote thefe verfes as

MEIBOMIUS
the tragedy of
(f)

from

OCT A VIA.
to rife

IT was cuftomary with the Romans

when-

ever a prince, or perfon of great diftinction, came into the publick (hews ; they offered up their vows, and

clapped them at their entrance

character, on the contrary,
hiffed

people of an odious
they appeared, were

when

and hooted out of

their theatres.

HORACE menby the Romans.

ral

tions thefe

honours paid to

MAECENAS

The Life of
ral

applaufe:, expreiTed their

joy at his

late re-

covery.

HE
men

was
his

in great efteem with all conditions of

flaves

adored

him

his kindnefs
i

lightened their chains and fervitude

Vile potabis nwdicis

the lofs of

Sabinum

Cantkaris, Gresca quod ego ipfe tejia Condi turn levi ; datus in theatro

Cum
Chare M&cenas

tibi

plaufuS)

eques^

Fluminis ripte, fimul a joe of Redolent laudes tibi Vaticani

&

ut paternl

Montis imago.

B.

I.

Ode

xx.

A poet's bev'rage humbly cheap,

(Should great

MAECENAS

be

my

gueft,)
feaft

Crude vintage of the Sabine grape, But yet in fober cups, (hall crown the

^-jg f

*Twas
Its

rack'd into a Grecian

caflc,

I feaPd

rougher juice to melt away, it too a pleafing tafk,

to

With annual joy

mark

that glorious day,

When in applaud ve
Spread from Floating on thy

fnouts, thy name the theatres around,

own

And Echo,

playful

Tiber's ftream, jfI3^ nymph, return'd the found, t I3 jyj

.

Te jovis tmpto Tutela Saturr.o refulgent

Eripuit, volucrifque fati

Tardavit
Fauftum

alas

turn populus frequens

theatris ter crepuit

fonum.

B.

II.

Ode

xvii.

Thee, Jove's

fnatch'd bright influence

away

From baleful SATURN'S impious ray, And ftopp'd the rapid wings of fate,

When
With

the

full

theatre elate

And

joyful tranfports hail'd thy name, thrice unprais'd the loud acclaim.

FRANCIS.
liberty

The Lifi of MAECENAS,

liberty -was no misfortune to them, fmce they ferved fo good a mailer. SUETONIUS relates a

pretty extraordinary flory upon this occafion, which I beg leave to infert here: C. MELISSUS,

born at Spoletum, of free parents, was, upon account of their mifunderftandings, expofed in his infancy ; falling happily into the hands of a
perfon

who gave him

a liberal education, he be-

came an

excellent grammarian, and as fuch was behaved given in prefent to MAECENAS. fo well, that he was treated more like a friend

He

than a

declared,

ing to but MELISSUS preferred his prefent fituation to the prerogatives of his birth M/ECENAS, how:

His mother reclaimed him, and by laying her hands upon him, accordthe ancient cuftom, that he was born free ;
flave.

ever, not only prefented

his freedom, but he made him one of his companions (/_).

him with

aflumed the name and (f) The freemen generally furname of their mafters. MELISSUS with the confent of

MELISSUS.

MAECENAS, took AUGUSTUS,

that

of

CAIUS CILNIUS
At
the

into

whofe favour he had

jniinuated himfelf,

made him

his librarian.

him, in his book Of illuftrious grammarians. He was th both a poet and a grammarian. OVID in the iv book De Ponto, Eleg.xvi. fpeaks of MELISSUS'S comedies:

fome humorous books, and inage of fixty he wrote Fecit & novum genus vented a new fort of comedy. SUET ONI us of togatarum, infcripfitque Trabeatas, fays,

Mufaque Turanm tragicis innixa cothurni^ Et tua cum focco Mufti MeUJJe, levi.

HEINSIUS,

in his

remark on

this laft verfe,

fays,

that

He

I
tfbe

Life of

MAECENAS.

He
and

fuch ufage

was not the only one who happily met with AQUILA and THALATION had wit.
:

abilities

which rendered them ornaments to

and to the world

their mailer

We
him

mail by

and by have occafion to fpeak of them.

His

excellent qualities endeared

to

AU-

GUSTUS-, he liked that honeft frank nefs in MAECENAS, which is ib feldom met with in courtiers

and die favourites of princes to difTimulation and abjeft

he was a ftranger

flattery.

The Ro-

man
his

prince was attentive to the wife counfels of and received infinite advantages minifter,

from them.

AUGUSTUS was
ful difpofition,

and often flood

of a choleric and revengein great need of

to

fuch a friend as

M^CZNAS

moderate and

the humorous writings of MELISSUS were fables, fomewhat in the manner of ESOP. Id enim fcribendi genus

jocos vocabant.

PHJEDRUS

calls his fables fo:

Tu Et

qul nafute fcripta dtjlrlngh mea y hoc jocorum legere faftidis genus.

Several learned

men

MESSIUS, mentioned by PLINY

vi. is

are of opinion that MAECENAS in the xxviii book Ch.

the fame with this freeman

it

MAECENAS, and

that

we

fhould read

MJECENATEM MELISSUM. The

naturalift informs us, that he fpoke not a word for three in order to be cured of a fpitting of blood. Sermoni parci multis de caufis falutare eft. Triennio

years,

Maecenatem Meffium accepimus

vifle,

filentium

fibi

impera-

a convulfione reddito fanguine.

foften

59
foften his paflions; of this

markable inftance
lar occafion

DION gives AUGUSTUS on a

feat

us a reparticu-

being in the
to his
feveral

giving

way

cruelty,

and was on the point

:

of juftice,

of condemning

poor prifoners to die

being able to get at him for the croud, threw his tablets, on which he had

MAECENAS,

not

wrote thefe words, Rife, hangman: AUGUSTUS on reading the contents, left the court without condemning one. The reproof feems fevere

enough and was

liberties

but

MAECENAS knew

his matter well,

allured,
;

he never took offence at his

his friends

and was pleafed

would

fof-

ten him,
nant.

when

his pafllons

became too predomi-

MAECENAS

never infmuated himfelf into

favour by cringing, and nattering his prince's

ledge

Honour, konefty, and true knowimperfections. were the bafis on which they had founded
,

their reciprocal friendfliip

and though AUGUS-

TUS became

lord of the world,

MAECENAS

ever

nobly preferved his franknefs and generous fmcerity.

HE
tion.

was not

lefs

diftinguifhable for his difcre-

fpoke little, but to the purpofe ( ), and was in the moft eminent degree qualified in
this particular-, a particular abfolutely requifite

He

to thofe

who

converfe

much with mankind,

Quorum praecipui erant (g) In amicos fidus extitit. ob tachurnitatem Maecenas, frV.
and

60

The Life of MACENAS. and more efpecially to fuch as are entrufted with the confidence and affairs of princes.

He
y
f
'731.

is

charged however with having once tranf-

greffed in this point : 111731, FANNIUS C^EPIO confpired againft the Emperor's life: MURENA,

CxS^NJ brother-in-law of M^CENAS, was

be concerned in
this

fufpected to

ccnfpiracy;

M^CENAS

well apprized of this, and apprehending the confequence, difcovered the fecret to his wife

TERENTIA.
condemned
death.
to

The

confpirators were

fummoned

to appear, but difobeying the

fummons, were

banimment, and afterwards put to

Nor could the joint interefts of PROCULEIUS, MURENA'S brother, nor that of his AUGUSTUS was difbrother-in-law avail him. at MAECENAS for this piece of indifcrepleafed tion. DION endeavours to palliate this circumflance,

by faying MURENA probably might have been unjuftly (b) fufpefled, and that MAE-

CENAS

acted in this

affair

from a principle of

extreme fondnefs for TERENTIA.

will, the

Be

this as it

as

emperor foon forgot his refentnient } we may fee by what follows.

'

as

AUGUSTUS was gone

'
'

into

Sicily,

_>uA order to

he was informed that there proceed to Afia^ when great grumblings at Rome about the choice
Kou, rivls
it

Si

ilu)

Tsivliav ?lw TX Mauxwis

T
y.

DION,

B.

ILv.

of

The Life of MAECENAS.

of.confuls.

6r
to

He

fent

AGRIPPA

therefore

to put an end to thsfe feuds

Rom?) and nominated him a fecond time prefect, and animofities ;

him

and, to give him the greater eclat 9 he obliged to divorce his wife MARCELLA, though a
his fitter

daughter of

for this purpofe he had ed him to marry his

OCTAVIA, whofe confent engaged and command;

own

daughter JULIA

(z),

y. O f
733
'

young MARCELLUS'S widow (k}\ thus loading him at once with honour and infamy. Some were
of opinion
difpofed

AUGUSTUS had
to this match.

other motives which

It is dangerous to be ferviceable to princes of AUGUSTUS'S cha-

him

racter.

The reputation AGRIPPA acquired to himielf from fo many fignal victories, went near

to ruin him.

AUGUSTUS grew

jealous of his
;

power, and was even weak enough to fear him though the probity, friendfhip, and fV
this

fo

many

prudent general, of which he had received repeated proofs, could never admit the

ieaft

room

was deliberating M ^ on 2B 3fl

f

for fo unaccountable a fufpicion. his ruin, and confulted

He

M. DE S. REAL, in his fragments on the life of AUGUSTUS, is miftaken in his chronology, when he fays AGRIPPA was married to JULIA immediately
{/')

after the defeat

of the younger

POM PEY,

which hap-

in the year of Rome 718; for {he could only be four years old at that time, having mar-

pened
ried

AUGUSTUS

SCRIBONIA

her mother in 713.

() Marco
Chap. 63.

Agrippje

nuptum

dedit Juliam,

exorata

forore, ut fibi genero cederet.

SUE TON.

Vit. Augiift.

62
MAECENAS
"
opennefs,

"The

Life of

MAECENAS.

thereupon-, AGRIPPA, lord, is ib powerful," replied the favourite, with his ufual

"

my

"

that

"

you muft

either

make him your

the way."

fon-Sn-law, or difpatch

him out of

THE emperor,
thro* Athens ,
'
'

on his return from

Syria, paffed

into Italy.

and brought VIRGIL back with him This admirable poet died in Calabria^
his
fa-

lX"VNjand appointed AUGUSTUS and MAECENAS heirs in part, out of gratitude for the many

vours they had conferred on him. He always had held a literary correfpondence with them, an honour he greatly deferved ; and which his
illuftrious patrons, in their turn,

efteemed

as

one

done to themfelves.
Y. of R.
737-

AUGUSTUS and AGRIPPA now

grand Secular games to be celebrated
(/)

ordered the
at

Rome (/),

THE

of Rome

Secular games were inftituted in the year 245, after the expulfion of the Tarquins, by

VALERIUS PUBLICOLA, to appeafe the anger of the gods, after the city had been afflicted with Thefe games were interdicted by the Sithe plague. bylline oracle, which ordained, that they fhould be fothe conful

Years only ; this however was not lemnized every always punctually obferved. AUGUSTUS kept them in the year of Rome 737, and the emperor CLAUDIUS in the year 800, becaufe it was the beginning of a SUETONIUS, in his life of CLAUDIUS, century.

no

Chap. 2 1 relates the people's mirth upon this occafion ; for they were invited, according to the ancient cuftom, which never to come and a/lift at thefe games, were, and never would be fecn again fince many then lived, who had been prcfent at thofe given by AUGUSTUS. Quare vox pn-econis irrifa eft invitantis more folenni ad ludos, quos nee fpectafTet quifquam nee fne&aturus effet: cum fupcreflent adhuc qui Ipedlave.

which

The Life cf MAECENAS. which were folemnifed once in a hundred

63
years.
-,

MAECENAS was
rant,

a great admirer of public fhews

&

quidam hiftrionum proJucli olim, tune quoquc

producerentur.

articleof SECULAR

MORERI, in his dictionary, under the GAMES, is miftaken, to fix this jeft
in reality

upon

DOMITI AN, when

SUETONIUS

fpeaks

of the games of CLAUDIUS. It is true, the people had more reafon to be merry at thofe ofDoivirraAN, if the fame proclamation was iffued as at the former, becaufe they were celebrated but forty years after. The moft magnificent games were folemnized in the year Rome
"i

ooo, by the emperor PHILIP.

This

fe'aft

was kept

three days and three nights, in the beginning of harveft. Sacrifices were offered to all the Gods. But thefe

were more particularly facred to APOLLO and Simes i AN A. HORACE wrote the fecular Ode to be fung
at thefe feafts by the fpecial

command

of

AUGUSTUS.

Phcebc, fifoarumque potens Diana,

Lucldum
Semper,

&

caeli decus, 6 colendi

ulti^ date qu<z prccamur Temp ore facro.

^tto Sibyllini monucrc vcrfus

Virgines lettas, puerofque cables

DiiSy quibusfeptem placuere calks, Dicere carmen.

Carm.

Secul.

Yc

radiant glories of the fkies,

Ever-beaming God of light, Sweetly-mining Queen of night ; Beneath whofe wrath the wood-born favage
Pow'rs, to whom with endlefs praife grateful world its homage pays ; Let our pray'r, our pray'r be heard,

dies

Ye

Now

in this

folcmn hour preferr'd,

by the Sibyl's dread command, Of fpotlefs maids a chofen train, Of fpotlefs youths a chofen band,

When

To

all

our guardian Gods

uplift the

hallow'd

flrain.

FRAN'CIS.

64
it

TZtf

Life of

MAECENAS.
The emperor
ho-

fuited the

Reman

tafte.

noured them with

his prefence,

both out of in-

clination as well as policy , his favourite advifed him to give frequent entertainments of that fort i

and to afiift at them himfelf, in order to gain the people's affections, to divert them from their ieditious contrivances by fuch like amufements,
and to make them more obedient to
his laws (;).

THE fame year AUGUSTUS made a voyage into Caul, at that time infefled by the Germans, under pretence to reftore peace , but it was in
avoid becoming odious to the people, by too Haying long at Rome, in puniming the difobedient, or being conflrained to weaken the
effect to

laws authority, by too

nity.

much

Some

conjectured this

indulgence and levoyage was under-

taken upon TERENTIA'S account only, in order

to enjoy her

company more conveniently ().

fineft

She was one of the

women

of the age, but

dif-

fo vain of her beauty, that fhe

even dared to

(m)

WE have

GUSTUS by

the famous

a fine anfwcr, which was made AUPYLADES,out of DION CAS-

sius, B. liv. This player, having a difpute with BATH YI.L us his competitor, the quarrel occafioned fome
difturbance

among

the people

Ihew.

The emperor
r

who were prefent at the expreffed himfelf angrily to PYwho

replied, ^vptyk^et cot,

LADES upon

that occafion,

Keuff(*(>, <rs&i Jj/*f

Ay/Adv tyx.rej.&t&ou, Caefar, circa nos populum tempus terere.

Expedit

tibi,

() TERENTIA was
nent for

fifter

of

PROCULEIUS, emi-

his fraternal love,

and of LICINIUS

MURENA^

It is highly proconfpired againft AUGUSTUS. bable that it is fhe, whom HORACE celebrates fomuch

who

The Life of MAECENAS.

pute
it

65
and

with LIVIA..

Gay, extravagant,
AS
:

ill-natured, there often arofe mifunderftandings

between her and

JVLfc GEN

They

often parted,

but not for any time , the fond hufcand was neither eafy with nor without her, which made SE^
of for beauty and qualifications, and calls by the name that MAECENAS was fo extravagantly
:

LICINIA, and

fond of before he married her

Me

Licymnies Cantus, me voluit dicere lucidum

Fulgentes oculos^

dukes domino

Mufa

& bene

mittuis
:

Fidum peftus amor tints

Num

tu^ qu<s tenuit dives

Achamenes^

Autpinguis Phrygtai Mygdonlas opes t

Permutare

veils crine Licinltz,

Plenas aut

Arabum domes ?

Ode xii.
eye,

B.

ii.

LICYMNIA'S

voice,
its

LICYMNIA'S

Bright darting

refplendent ray,

The breaft where love and friendfliip lie, The Mufe commands me fmg in fofter by.
Say, fhall the wealth by kings pofieft, Or the rich diadems they wear, Or all the treafure of the eaft,

Purchafe one lock of

my Li c y M N I A 's hair ?
FRANCIS.

He

mentions
:

his patron's love for this

woman

in

anofor

ther place,

where he compares her to

HELEN

beauty

Ureris tpfemifcr : quid Ji non pulcrior ignis Accendit obfejfam Ilion^

Gaude forte

tua.

Epod.

Ode

xiv.

So great was

his fondnefs for her, that

he ufed to compare

her, according to

DION CASSIUS,

to

LIVIA
<

'

for beauty.

tturlw

r& T? x^'AAar arjo? T Ai

roiqo

(.

B.

liv,

NECA

66
NEC A
efie,
erit.

The Life of MAECENAS.

fay of

him, that he had been a thoufand

:

times married, though he had but one wife

qui

Hunc
habu-

uxorem

millies duxit,

cum unam

not likely he overlooked this familiarity, for DION CASSIUS informs us, that MAECENAS fell out with AUGUSTUS upon that account.
It is

THE
RUS

emperor appointed STATILIUS

TAU-

Rome before his departure i becaufe AGRIPPA was in the eaft, and MAECENAS was of the party that were to attend him into
prefect of

Gaul.

was a

pretends, that AUGUSTUS prejudiced agamic his favourite, becaufe he would not complaifantly wink at his amolittle

DION CASSIUS

rous intercourfes with

the reafon

TERENTIA

but in fact

why

government was fo highly capable) is, he loved a quiet life, and defired nothing more than his. eafe after fo

he would not re-accept of the of Rome (a truft of which he

many

fatigues.

TAURUS came

in

by the

intereft

of MAECENAS.

He

had advifed

AUGUSTUS

to

prefect but who had firft patted thro* all the other civil employments (which was pre-

make none

to govern, and to difvioufly neceflary to this) in Rome^ and out of the city to a

penfe juftice

certain diftrict, during his

abfence.
it

Thus

the

modeft favourite, who had

engrofs
all

in his

power to

places

to himfelf,

rather chofe to

beftow the moil honourable pofts in the empire On others, fatisfied with his equeftrian dignity (0).
(e)

of the modefty of

PROPERTIUS has given us a very fine defcription MAECENAS, who never was anxious

THE

2%e Life O/MJECEXAS.

67

Gaul; andY. of R, having re-eftablifhed peace, returned to Rome. The year following AGRIPPA, on his return from

THE

emperor

ftaid three years in

PANN ON IA
T

bellion, died in

where he had been to quell the reCampania; he was a man of

and the
titles,

great honefty,
.about

greater!:

captain in his
faithful

honours and

and was always

to

AUGUSTUS.
At tua t Mcscenas,
Cogor
ff

vitee
te

pr&cepta

recepi^

fuperare tuts. )uum. tibl Romano dominas in ban-ire fecures^ Et Heeat media ponere jura faro : faltibi Medorum pugnaces ire per boftes^
exemplis

Et

Alque onerare tuam fixa per arma dcrr.nm : tibi ad omni effeElum vires det Gtsfar^

&

Tempore tarn fatites infmuentur opes : in tenues bumiiem te colligi$ umbras^ Parcis t Velorum plenos fubtrabis ipje Jimts. Crede mibi magnos aquabunt ijla Camillas venies tu quoqite in or a virum : yudicia,

&

fam<s vejligia junfta tenebis. Cafaris Mfscenatiseruntvaratropbtsa fides. L.

&

&

Hi.

Elcg.

viii.

DION CASSIUS,
qualities

in his lv

th

of

M^CEN AS,
fuit,

book, fpeaking of the good

mum
nibus

indicium
fe

fays, Virtutis Mxcenatis maxirquod Augufti cupiditatibus cum re-

fifteret,

tamen ab eo
probarit ;

ipter familiares habitus, reliquis

om-

adeo ut ab

& quod cum plurimum apu4 ilium poflet, co multos honcres & magiftratus impetraret^
nihil elatus,

tamen animo
gerit.

in

equeftri ftatu

vitam exe-

VELLEJUS
jiefty

gives us the

fame teftimonials of hismoCnefari carus

vixi^;

Non

minus Agrippa
:

[Mcecenas]
fed non,

fed

minus honoratus

quippe

angufto clavo pcene

contentus; nee majora confequi non potuit,

tarn concupivit.

THE

order of knights was next to the fenatorial,

68
time.
lity

ne
His

Life of

MAECENAS.
noli-

actions

were a proof that true

confided in virtue only, fmce, defended from an obfcure family, his valour and conduct had
raifed

him to the higheft dignity and honour. A i CUSTUS and MAECENAS were but too fcnfible oi

their lofs in fo valuable a friend.

in

The emperor
his indifpofi-

particular loft one of the fteddieft and firmeft

props of his throne.

tion,

Informed of

haftened away to fee him, but he was dead before he could arrive. His body

AUGUSTUS

was tranfported to Rome^ where he was buried with the utmoft magnificence, and AUGUSTUS
himfelf publicly
tion.

pronounced

his

funeral

ora-

MAECENAS was now advancing in years ; but the grey hairs of a great miniiler, and a man of are venerable he pafied the remainder learning, of his days in an agreeable eafe, in the pleafing
:

converfation ofthofe
fo happily feledted.
his refpect to

illuftrious friends

he had

the

Nor had he been wanting in Roman ladies, whofe wit and

beauty made them the ornaments of all polite MAECENAS is even accufed of havcompanies.
ing carried his gallantries a
little

too

far.

Rome,
the

Roand was the fecond rank of nobility among mans. They were called Equity becaufe ths commonwealth prefented them with a horfe and a gold ring. They wore a robe like unto that of the ftnators, tufted
with gold or purple, with
ftuds
this difference

only, that the

laius cla~

on the

tufts
:

of knights were fmaller than thofe

this
is

of the fenators

what

is

meant by the

vat, ahgujius clavu:.

in

The Life of
In thole days,

MAECENAS.
GALand
to fupper,

69

had her contented hufbands.

RA having
perceiving

invited

MAECENAS
ogle

his gueft to

his wife,
:

very coma fervant;

plaifantly feigned himfelf aQeep (p]

imagining

mailer really fo, went up to the buffet in order to help himfelf to fome wine ;
his

" "

Rafcal, faid
for

is fleep?" fufpected to have been one of the celebrated JULIA'S gallants, a conqueft of no great difficulty

GALBA, MAECENAS only

can't

you

fee that

it is

that I

He

indeed

It is

even furmifed, that hispafllon for

rivals.

that lady,

was the caufeof OVID'S banimment,

who

unluckily happened to be one of his

this

And
we
as

conjecture has the more probability, as do not find the name of MAECENAS fo much
(y).

once mentioned in the works of that poet

tells us,

DION
(/>)

that this favourite minifter

Satire
firft,

made

JUVENAL,

imitated

GALBA

in this,

mentions a perfon who and pretended fleep in com:

plaifence to his wife

and her gallant

Daflus fpeffare hcunart

DC fins

5"

ad

calicem vigilant! Jlertcre nafo.

Who
And
(q)

his

taught eyes up to the cieling throws,

fleepsall over, but his

wakeful nofe.

DRYDEK.
in his

IF

OVID

takes

no

notice of

MAECENAS

works,
rivals,

we muft

not thence conclude that they were and that this rivalfhip was the Occafion of his

banimment, as fome people fufpeted, according to LiLIUS GYR ALDUS Dialog, iv. Sunt & qui de Mascenate nihil non fufpicentur, quem quod nunquam nomiBut this filence navit, nefcio quid de Julia confingunt.
might have been owing to a different caufe
:

He might
no

'The

Life of

MAECENAS.

no fcruple
tery.

to plead, in conjunction with

LEI us, the caufe of a perfon charged with aduU This however could do neither of them
:

honour AUGUSTUS came into court on the day of replication, and being feated in the p-tftor's tribunal, he ordered the plaintiff to manage his
'

expreflions,
his friends

and not to throw

relations.
if

reflections

upon

and
i

we may

credit

TACITUS,

to-

wards the decline of

his life, loft

much

of the

emperor's favour. This happens frequently, fays the hiftorian, through the inconftancy of fortune ; becaufe princesj either tired of their fa*
Vourites, when once they have exhaufted their favours upon them, or that their favourites are cloyed with their own happy enjoyments, when

reflections

But thefe are the they have no more to afk (r}. of a A politician ; the reafon of this cool'
.
'

7*.il&

nefs

between them

is

not

known

we

are fure
:

AUhowever, they were foon reconciled GUSTUS'S friends never loft their rank
not probably have
did

known M^CENAS, no more than he VIRGIL, whom he had only feen

:

Virg'dium vidi tantum

nee

avara Tibullo
Trift. B. jv. Eleg.

Temp us

amicit'ue fata dedere me<s.

(r)
l-aro

IDQUE

&

Maecenati aCciderat:

fato

potentiae

fempiternae : an fatias capit, aut illos cum omnia tribuerunt, aut hos, cum jam nihil reliquum eft quod
cupiant, Ann, L.
iii.

chap. 30.

power,

power, except
LVS(S).

7A? Life of MAECENAS. RUFUS and CORNELIUS GAL-

71

MAECENAS,

for his

part,

was ever

attached to his mafter, and devoted to his fervice.

never forgot to make Aucusrusa prefent yearly on his birth day (/) , who, whenever he was indifpofed, always refided with his favourite
till

He

he was recovered ().

the antients,

This prevailing cuf-

tom among

light they held

mews in how facred a The houfe of M^friendmip.

fituated

CENAS, though
(s]
(t]

on the (x)
66.

Efquilin hiii,

See

SUETONIUS, Chap.

IT was an ancient cuftom with the Romans to fend prefents to their friends on their birth days A Mae:

cenate fuo familiari Auguftus quotannis natali die Phialam accipiebat donariam. PLUT. in Apopb. Reg, Princ. They alfo made their emperors a prefent every

&

new

year's

day

became

at length

and what at firft was a cuftom only, a law under the emperors ARCADIUS

and HONORIUS.
oblatlone votorum.

Lege unica, Cod.a.xii. tit. 49. De Quando votis communibus felix

una
libra auri

annus aperitur,

in

&

folidis

'

obryzatis prin:

cipibus ofFerendi devotionem

animo

libenti fufcipimus

fedulitas principibus fuis talia inferat

ftatuentes, ut deinceps fequentibus annis unius cujufque deferat. femper

&

Dot.

3.

nonas Mart.

Med. Olybrio

& Probino

Co/l

Romans, when they were fick, were accuftomed to be conveyed to their friends houfes in order

()

THE

to their recovery.

JEger Auguftus in

SUETONIUS, agreeably to this, fays, domo Mascenatis cubabat. And

vii.

PLINY

the younger, in his xvi tb Epift. B.

fpeaking

of his intimate friend

he, in villas ejus convaluit ; and PLUTARCH in his Apopbtb. Chap. 28.

CALESTRIUS TYRO, Ego, fays faepe fecefli, ilie in domo mea faepe

(A-)

Monte

di S.

Maria maggiore.

F 4

be Life

of

MAECENAS.
and was fpacious-

was neverthelefs

raifed higher,

and magnificently built (y). The roof mone with gold ; the walls were of the fineft marble the
-,

anfwered to the grandeur of the cielings, and the furniture was equally fuperb with the
floor

whole.

Here he gave

the moft elegant and defor tafte, fancy,

licate entertainments,

which

and

His table was novelty (z) were inimitable. ferved with the fineft and moft delicious wines,

among which
(>)

there was one of Italian growth,

THE

ninth

Ode

of the Epodes of

forms

us, that the

houfe of

HORACF, MAECENAS was raifed,

ad ff/ta*

in-

ojlum ctzcv.bum

ViHore l&ius Ctefare^ c^m fub alt a (fjc J-tfOt gratum Beate Mtecenas bibam ?
(hall we quaff, my lord, the flowing Referv'd for pious feafts, and joys divine ? C^SAR with ccnqueft comes ; and gracious JOVE, gave that conqueft, {hall our joys approve.

\Vhen

Who

FRANCIS.

The houfe

and tower of MAECENAS, according to fome, are one and the fame building. HORACE, B. iii. Ode xxix. defcribes the prodigious height of this tower :

Molem propinquam
Fiimum

Faftidiofam defere cop'iam^ nubibus arduis

Omltte mirari beatts

opes ftrepitumque

Roma.

NERO
on
turri

beheld the defolation of Rome, which he had fet Hoc incendium e fire, from the top of this tower

Mzecenatiana

profpe&ans,

lastufque

flammas,

ut aiebat, pulchritudine, AW<T<V Hii in illo fuo fcenico habitu decantavit, fays SUETONIUS, in his Life ofNero.
(z)

Pullos

earum

epulari

Maecenas

inftituit,

&c.

PL IN.

B.

viii.

chap, 43.

to

to which

He

Life of MAECENAS. imagined he gave his own name. drefled very fine, and generally wore a purit
is

73

ple robe with a long train, and often walked with AUGUSTUS and his other friends in his fumptuous

gardens, adjoining to his houfe, ornamented with The emperor, with ftatues of the bell fculptor.

him

the confent of the fenate and people, had given There was, according to the ground (a}.

antient cuftom, a fmall temple in his gardens, confecrated to PRIAPUS, on the walls of which

THE fpot of ground given to MAECENAS, to lay [a] out in gardens, had formerly been a burying place, where the bodies of the common people, and of thofe
who had fquandered away
interred
;

their eftates,

it

was

for that reafon the air

were confufedly was unwholefome

there, and to Rome:

its

neighbourhood infectious and troublefome

angujris ejefia cadavera cellh
:

Hue prius
Hie

Confervus vilr portanda locabat in area

rnifercs plebi

Jlabat commune fepulcrum,

Pantolabo fcurrts, Nomentanoque ncpoti.

licet

Efquiliis habitare falubribus, atquf

:

Aggere in aprico fpatiari

Albis informem fpeflabant

offibu's

qua modo trifles agrum, HOR. B.

i.

S. viii.

In coffins vile the herd of flaves

Were

hither brought to croud their graves i

And once in this detefted ground A common tomb the vulgar found

Buffoons and fpendthrifts, vile and bafe, Together rotted here in peace.

But now we breathe a purer air, And walk the funny terrafs fair,

Where once the ground with bones was white, FRANCIS. Withhuman bones, a ghaftly fight.
the

74

The Life of
the poets, \vhopaid their court to M/ECEN AS, ufcd' to write verfes in a flyle fuitable to the divinity of

the place (b)

MAECENAS collected and publifhed

the

title of PRIAPI, which fome have unjuftly afcribed to VIRGIL, others to OVID and MARTIAL. He alfo built a tower of a pro-

them under

digious height, from whence he had a full profpect of the city and circumjacent places. It was

from

this

flames.

It

fummit the cruel NERO beheld Rome in is however doubted whether this
and the fame
It is to his

houfe and tower were not one

building.
fides his

happy leifure we owe (be-' literary works, of which we have already

fpoken) the invention of notes, or mort-hand, for the conveniency of difpatch (c) ; he publiflied the

ALDUS, (b) ERAT in his hortis (fays LILIUS Dial, iv.) Priapi facellum, ut fcitis morem antiquis fuifie, ad tefte etiam Colurnella, quod convcnientts poetae pro loco carmina aftigebant, ut hoc tempore Romae re

GYR

&

quotannis Pafchillo, quas juflU Maecenatis a Vcrgilio colle&a, nunc Vergilii nomine circumferuntur Quod ut ilia Vergilii non efle exiftimem quod is fuit Vergilius qui

ob verecundos

&

virginales
eft

mores,

vulgo ut

paulo ante dicebamus, Parthenias aliis Ovidio Nafoni afcribuntur.

(c]

appellatus,
:

Ab
b[ Q:i

oratio,

THE fhort-hand, quibus, quamvis citata excipitur & celeritatem linguae manus fequitur, fays SENEthe fecretaries of the

CA, was invented upon account of

fenate houfe: by which means they eafily collecled the fpeeches that were made there, and for this they were
called Notaries.

They were
inventor of

alfo called Curfores,

quia

notis verba curfim expediebant.

upon the
writing. affirm it

firft

this

Authors are not agreed method of fhort-hand

Some
was

pretend

TYRO,

was the poet EN Niiis, othersCICERO'S freeman; and that

it

AQUILA,
*

a freeman belonging to
i

MAECENAS, aftermethod

Life of

MAECENAS.
with the care and
aflift-

75
alfo intro-

method and
ance

inftrudtions,

of

his

freeman AQUILA.

He

duced warm baths into Rome

ufe.

(d] for the public

They were

large refervoirs rilled with

warm
bathe ;

water, in which they could

at length colle&ed

fwim

as well as

wards made farther improvements. SENECA the elder and put them into fome order, and publifhed them under the title of Notes Tullii Tyrants Annai Seneca^ Jive Cbaraferes t quibus utebantur This (hort-hand Romanl in fcripturd compendiaria. was invented, fays SENECA the philofopher, in his xcth of vile (laves Quid verborum notas, Epiftle, by a parcel

&

celeritatem quibus quamvis citata excipitur oratio, llnguse manus fequitur ? Viliflimorum mancipiorum ifta

&

commentafunt.
it

to

DION CASSIUS however fairly attributes MAECENAS, xa KQUTOS M<xi:W, fays he,
]

sv>

Kl

ewroi

(d]

M^CENAS
at
9-e^jus?

Was

alfo the firft to introduce

hot

baths

Rome, according

to

DION.
T^I

xoAvjtA^vj'S^av

vJotro? iv

T* TT^UTOS 7roA< xal<rx<&'<re. to have miftaken

SYLBURGIUS fufpels this hiftorian MAECENAS for AGRIPPA, becaufe

the Latin authors

only mention the latter : butDiON^ who lived towards the latter end of the fecond century, and the beginning of the third, is an author of no bad authority. The
cold baths were of a much older date. There were public ones for the people to bathe and learn to fwim in.

VEGETIUS, De Mtllt. Roman.

this,
tells

B.
it

i.

and (hews the ufefulnefs of us, it faved JULIUS C/ES AR

chap. 10. mentions to foldiers. Hiftory

in his Alexandrian

expe-

dition.

The field of Mars was near the banks of the Tiber : the Romany after having gone through their miRoman youth litary exercifes, bathed in this river. The
without diftindtion learnt to fwim,
of

SUETONIUS,

talking

&

Chap. 64. fays, Nepotes, & litteras natare aliaque rudimenta per fe plerumque docuit. He farther obfervcs, that CALIGUJLA could not fwim,

AUGUSTUS,

com-

76
a

common cuftom

The Life of M/ECENAS. with the Romans for

the pre*

fervation of their health, and particularly ufeful to military men. was mighty curious in

He

pearls

and other precious

ftones,

which

THALAfet

TION, another of
in

his freemen,

gold for him.

He

engraved and loved walking, and

in

order to preferve his health played at tennis

(*),

Atque

hie, tarn docilis ad

caetera,

natare nefciit. Life

of Calig. Chap. 54.

a'nd generally ufed
(e]

The

fome

ancients bathed before meals, exercife previous to it.

;

TENNIS was one of MAECENAS'S exercifes we remark this in HORACE, when he is giving a defHe farther obcription of their voyage to Brundijiutn. ferves, that VIRGIL and he were not fond of this game,
for the reafons he there affigns
:

Hinc mull Capua

clitellas

tempcre ponunt.
:

Lufum it Mcecenas^ dormi turn ego, Firgiliufque Namque pi/a lippis inimicum 3* ludere crudis.
Early next

Sat. v. B.

i.

morn

MAECENAS

Capua we came ; goes to Tennis ; hurtful game

to

To

a weak appetite, and tender eyes ; So down tofleep with VIRGIL FLACCuslies.

FRANCIS.

We
and
of

are here to obferve, that it was Fives the Romans Greeks ufed to play at they ufed four different forts
:

balls,

i.

Trigonalis, parva,

quam

treslufores, figura

trigonem exprimente, diftindti fibi invicem reddebant. 2. Harpaftumj parva item pila e corio fadta, quam, folo repercufTam, raptam revocabant,undenomen ab d^oi^u^ ex aluta confedla, & vento rapio. 3. Follis, magna pila,
diftenta
fi ; major brachiis, fi minor pugnis impelli folita. 4. Paganica, qua in pagisludebatur, &; farciebatur pluma. defcribes this laft B. xiv. Epig. xlv.

MARTIAL
Hac

qucs

difficilis

turget Paganica pluma,

eft^

Folk minus laxa

& minus arffa pild.

He

See the fame poet, B.iv. Epig. xix. B. vii. Epig.xxxi. This game took its appellation from the palm of the

ffle
in imitation
this

Life of

of

MAECENAS. AUGUSTUS (/), who was

Amidft
thefe

fond of

exercife.
all

amufements and
:

pleafures of

kinds, he fmifhed his courfe

he was always fubject to a fever (), and for the three laft years of his life was much troubled

by

with a continual watching, occafioned probably his paft fatigues, and not, as SENECA fays,

who was
this great

a perpetual

critic

of the

actions

of

man, by jealoufy from the mifcondufb

of his wife
fic

TERENTIA (). Inftruments of muand the murmuring of waters (/') were the

hand, with which they were at firft accuftomed to ftrike the ball ; this cuftom even prevails ftill, in many places.
(f) See
(g)

SUETON.

Life of Augujlu^ Chap. 83.

takes notice of the fever and incapacity of fleeping, with which MAECENAS wasaffltdted : Quibufdam perpetua febris eft, ut C. Mascenati eidem trien:

PLINY

nio fupremo, nullo horse momento contigit fomnus. He adds the following example Antipater Sidonius poeta
:

omnibus annis, uno die tantum natali, corripiebaturfebri & eo confumptus eft fatis longa lenecla. B. vii. ch. 51.
(b)

FELiciOREMergotuMceenatemputas,cuiamo-

ribus anxio,

& morofze uxoris quotidiana repudia deflenti,

fomnus per fymphoniarum cantum ex longinquo bene refonantium quaeritur ? De provident. Chap. 3. THE method MAECENAS took to remove his (/) want of fleep, was not at all particular to himfelf.

Every body knows,

that the

fall

of waters will invite

this

us to repole; HORACE defcribes his fecond Ode of the Epod.

very elegantly in

Labuntur

altis

interim ripis
in
Jilvis fives

aqua t
j

Qucruntur

fontefque lympbis ob/irepunt manantibus, SomiM quod invitet leva.

remedies

78

$% Life of

MM C E N A

s.

remedies he applied to for this diforder SENECA to wine clfo y and all manner of 'vo^ again adds,
-,

luptuoufnefs.
aflertion,

HORACE, however, contradicts this and gives us an account of his fobriety.

entertainments he gave,
It

The fumptuous
more

v/erc

for his friends than himfelf.

became a

man

of his rank and fortune, a prefect of Rome y

and the favourite of the ernperor of the world, to keep a fplendid table ; but he was better
pleafed with the converfation of his illuftrious
guefts, than with any other part of his feafts and he very frequently partook of their frugal
repafts.

A wife Epicurean,

he loved pleafure in

Where pours the mountain ftream along, And feather'd warblers chant the foothing fong ; Or where the lucid fountain flows, And with its murmurs courts him to repofe. CELSUS, acelebrated phyfjcian, who lived in the

reign

of TIBERIUS, recommends the fame thing: Confert etiam aliquid ad fomnum Silanus juxta cadens. As to the mufic, it has the felf fame effect, and another advantage, of agreeably enlivening the fpirits, and giving new vi-

when we return to bufinefs. Pythagoreis, QUINTILIAN, B. ix. chap, 4. Inft. Orat. moris cum animos ad fuit, & evigilaflent lyram excitare, quo eflent ad agendum ere&iores & cum fomnum petegour,
fays
:

fi quid fuiflet turbidiorum cogitationum componerent. CENSORINUS, De die. Natal. Chap. 12. fays the fame thing of PY-

rent ad

eandem

prius lenire mentes, ut

THAGORAS. The wife Indians^ as "reports in his Fit. Apdlon. B. ii. chap. 14. conducted their kings to reft with the (bund of infrruments.
:

PHILOSTRATUS

MONTAGNE fays the fame thing of his father " He ufed to " have me waked by the found of fome inftrument, and " never was without a fervant to attend me for that
**

purpofe."

EffayS)

B.

i.

chap. 25,

*Tbe

Life of

MAECENAS.
the advice he gave

79

moderation.
the emperor

DION mentions
upon

that fubject ().

This fevere

Stoic was the only perfon

who

taxes

him with

dninkennefs and debauchery.

All

men know

what a natural tendency mufic, and the agreeable noife of fountains have, to engage us to repofe, befides, his friend ANTONIUS MUSA (/),
(k)
arid

CENAS

DION CASSIUS mentions the advice which MAEufed to give AUGUSTUS concerning frugality
his

oeconomy: he exhorts

prince, ut continenter

vivat, nihilque prodigere videatur: fed domui nia, in Rempublicam liberalitate utatur.
ieveral of his

parcimoin

HORACE

Odes

invites

hisMjECENAs

to a frugal en-

tertainment,

Plerumque grata divitibits vices, Mundtsque parvo fub lore pauperum^

Ccence, fine aulteis

&

oftro,

Sollicitamexplicuerefrontem.

B.

iii.

Odexxix.

To

frugal treats,

and humble

cells,

With grateful change the wealthy fly, Where health-preferving plainnefs dwells,
Far from the carpet's gaudy dye. Such fcenes have charm'd the pangs of care,

And

fmooth'd the clouded forehead of defpair.

FRANCIS.
(/)

ANTONIUS MUSA,

a freeman of

AUGUSTUS,

having recovered him from a dangerous diforder, was loaded with honours, and had a fratue of brafs erected to him by his prince next to that of ^ESCULAPIUS. He and the reft of the brethren of the faculty were made

freemen of Rome, and, like thofe of the Equcftr'wn order, had the prerogative of wearing a gold ring ; this happened in the year of Rome 730. Medico Antonio Mujae,

cujus opera exancipiti

collato,

morbo

convaluerat, ftatuam,
fays

sere

juxta lignum ^Efculapii ftatuerunt,

phyfician

8o
phyfician

*fbe

Life of

MAECENAS.
"

toAuccsTus, may no doubt have recommended them to him. SENECA was there-

fore highly to blame to reproach MAECENAS, and to pretend that thefe were the indulgencies of

a luxurious and an effeminate tafte

liirely

he ouglic

that the Gymnofophifts, and PYTHAGORAshimfelf, were every night lulled to

to have

known

fleep with the

found of inftruments.

THE
of Rt ^le

care

MAECENAS took
him
,

to recover his

health, could not fecure

7 ear

R mt

he died in Auguft 745? in the twentieth year of

reign, counting from the day upon. which he was declared fovereign of the world v and nine years before the birth of our LORD

AUGUSTUS'S

JESUS CHRIST.

We cannot precifely determine

we
are

how long he

lived, for
;

ignorant as to
his

the year of his birth

PEDO,

panegyrift

and cotemporary,
fixty at leaft

he died pretty old, it is therefore more than likely that he lived to be

fays,

().
Life of Jugujlus, Chap. 89. TKTO x, obfervcs, Koi

SUETONIUS

in his

and

DION CASSIUS

%$

IB"? Ojt*ol^i/o<f,

csv.

on

Trl? ^o^t
liii.

jAaSev. B.

(m] SEVERAL paiTages MAECENAS was aged

:

in

PEDO

help to prove that

Defteram juvenis trijll modo carmine fata Sunt etiam merits carmina danda feni.

Nunc pretium
Tffumus

candotis babes, nunc redditus um&ris,

obliti dfcubuij/e

fenem.

THE

'the

Life cf

MAECENAS.

81

him emperor went constantly to fee he v/hen was and 'his ficknefs, prefent during

THE

breathed his laft. In his dying moments he recommended his dear HORACE to the prince, " Re-

member HORATIUS FJLACCUS, faid he, as you" " would MAECENAS." A few days before his death he made AUGUSTUS fole heir to all his
'"

eftate,

left it to his

and, excepting fome few trifling legacies, option, to make fuch diftributions

as

he pleafed amongft his friends. children by TERENTI A (), and in

face of the ancient
tinct.

He

had no

him the noble Etrurian KINGS became ex-

His

dens, and

HORACE, who

afhes were laid in his magnificent gardied the fame year (0}

by

() SOME wereof opinion, that MAECENAS had a fon TERENTIA, who died young ; but this is conje&ural

only.

PEDO

might be lamenting the

lofs

of fome

other youth.
(0}

TURNEBUS
MAECENAS,

will

before
this
is

fee his

have it, that HORACE died Adv. B. xx. chap. 2. But

a miftake ; and SUE TON, in his life of this poet, the contrary. MAECENAS recommended him with " Horatii Flacci, ut his dying words to the emperor:
afierts
*<

fo tenderly as to

HORACE lovedhis M^CENAS mei, efto memor." wifh to accompany him even in death
:

Nee

mihi, teprius Obir*) Maecenas, mearum Grande decus columehque rerum,

/?,

Dm amicum

nee

Ah

te

meafi partem anim<z

:

rapit

Afaturior vis

quid tn:rar alicrd ?

eeque, nee fupcrjles ille dies utramqxe

Nee charm
Integer
:

Ducci ruinam.

B.

ii.

Ode

xvii.

was

The Life of M^CENAS. was buried near the dear re mains of his patron and
benefactor.

THE
lofs to

death of

MAECENAS was
It

AUGUSTUS.
a fincere

deprived him

an irreparable at once of

an able and a penetrating minifier t a difcreet confident.,

and a difmtereiled

friend.

Never

was favourite more attached to his prince. He was fo highly in his matter's affection and confidence, that he could, without rifquing his difpleafure, charge

and oppofe him

in his fentiments

him home with all his faults, when they were

intereft.

not confiftent with his honour and

In

attending to the advice of his judicious friend, AUGUST u s gained the love of the Romans. And

he too foon after his death found the want of his

Why will MAECENAS

That you, While

thus complain,
?

And kill me with th' unkindly ftrain Nor can the Gods nor I confent,

my life's

great ornament,

Should fink untimely to the tomb,

I furvive the fatal
alas,
!

doom.

be fnatch'd away, Wherefore, ah wherefore fhould I flay, value loft no longer whole, And but pofleffing half my foul r

Should you,

My

One

Shall lead the fun'ral

day, believe the facred oath, pomp of both.

FR A N ci s,

but three months, and died He the 27th of November, the year of Rome 745, at the age of fifty nine. MAECENAS died the dugujl before. It
furvived his benefactor

was

in this year that

AUGUSTUS

called the fixth

ftyled

by his name, which had been before

month SEXTILIS.
counfels.

Life of M^CENAS. For notwithilanding the politics with which he fo much prided himfelf, he committed
*Ibe

83

counfels.

frequent errors. Having once inconfiderately in the public fenate-houfe, declaimed againft the

mifconduct of

his

daughters (p\ and reflecting

afterwards on his imprudence in publifhing their infamy, which but retorted fhame on himfelf,
**

mould

not, faid he,

have done

this,

had

"

my
liv-

friends

AGRIPPA and M^CENAS

So
r

been

** ing ()." of two men

difficult

was

it

to repair the lofs

only ,

though he had millions under

legions, fays

his obedience.

His

SENECA

(r),
-,

be-

ing cut to pieces, he recruited his troops his fleet, deftroyed by ftorms, was foon refitted j
public edifices, confumed by flames, were rebuilt with greater magnificence j but he could
(/>)

SENECA De

benef.

B.

vi.

chap. 32.

to have taken the wife {reps (q) AUGUSTUS ought of his great-uncle in a cafe nearly parallel. JULIUS CJESAR being called upon to give in evidence againft CLODIUS his wife's gallant, whom he had divorced, denied his knowledge of any criminal converfation

between them,

tho' his

mother

AURELIA

and

his fifter

depofed the truth before the judges; and when he was afked, why then had he put away his wife ? cc It " is not, replied CAESAR, fufficient that my wife fhould " be it is even neceflary fhe fhould conduct guiltlefs, but

JULIA

"

herfelf fo, as not to be fufpedted j"

quoniam meos tam

fufpicione,

quam crimine judico carere oportere. TON. LifeofJuLChm. 74. OT T>JI KotiVoJ^o
jf

SUE-

StT xafifltav thai.

PLUTARCH.
chap. 32,

(r)

SENECA De

btnef.

B,

vi.

never

The Life 'of

MAECENAS.

ACRIPPA and MAECENAS, capable of discharging thole places with which they had been entrufted.
never find two

men

'like

rati

NOR was MAECENAS iefs regretted by the LiteHe they never had fo generous a patron
;
:

prevented their wants, and loaded them with favours , but his bounties were beftowed rationally

and judicioufly on perfons whofe

lities

talents

and

abi-

To HIM deferved his generous attention. and to his noble difpojition^ we owe thofe inefti-

mable works, which, though few, make us the more regret the reft, which the frequent revolutions in the R.om.an empire,

and the barbarifm

of the fucceeding ages of ignorance and ftupidity, have fo unfortunately robb'd us of. But for him

VIRGIL, opprefied by ARIUS the centurion, had

never tun'd his lyre
(j)

(s)

nor

HORACE

raifed his

JUVENAL,
is

in his vii tb Satire, fliews

hownecefTary

a patron

to the

Mufes

Magr.ee mentis opus, nee de

AttonittZy currus

lodice

& quails Rutuluni confundat Erinnys* sffpicere, Nam ft Virgilio puer, y tolerabile
defit

& equos, facefque Deorum

:

paranda

Hofpitium, coderent omnes a crinibus bydrl Surda nib'il gemeret grave buccina.

'Tis not for hungry wit, with wants controul'd,

The face of JOVE in council to behold Or fierce ALEC TO, when her brand (he
:

tofs'd

Betwixt the Trojariaxd. Rutiiian hoft. If VIRGIL'S fuit M.SCENAS had not fped, Ard fent ALE.XIS to the poet's bed,
voice.

The Life of MAECENAS.

not content with prothefe great men he introduced but tecting them, to his mafter alfo, and recommended them, as
voice.
ties.

MAECENAS was

perfons deferving of his notice and royal bounMAECENAS had a great and generous caft
(far

of thought, and

unlike thofe uneafy courtiers^

who

fwell at every little favour beftowed

on any

but themfelves) was not jealous that others had a

free accefs to the emperor.

HAVING
virtues
it

given a detail of

all

the excellent

and valuable

will not be

my Hero; improper juft to mention a few of

him
:

qualifications of

the faults that are imputed to

The

accura-

cy and truth, which

oblige

is

required from an hiftorian,

me

NECA, who

not to pafs them over in filence. SEmod cenfured him, charges him
in his buildings
table, too extra-

with having been too expenfive and furniture, too profufe in his
vagant in his drefs
:

he taxes him with effemi-

nacy, and affectation in his walk, and that he had

appeared in public without his fafh

(/),

attencV-

The And

crcfted fnakes

had dropt upon the ground, the loud trumpet languifh'd in the found.

CHAR. DRYDEN.

TH E Romans wore a girdle,and tucked up theirrobes, (/)

when
them
they walked or were in action. Thofe
loofe
1

who wore

and training, were accounted fops and effeFor this reafon they ufed to call brave men minate. cinftti and cowards were diftinguiflied by the name of MAECENAS was above all thefe reflections. .fifcinfti.

SENECA,

in his

cxtvth epiftle,
this,

doth not forget to refor

proach him .with

and blames him

having even

cd

86

The Life of MAECENAS. ed by two eunuchs; he accufes him with his continual divifions and divorces with TERENTIA.

He

has been alfo blamed for countenanc-

players and dancers, and fuffering () parafites to follow him continually, though uninvit-

ed, wherever he went, as fhadows

which

are in-

has even been feparable from the body. ridiculed for his unlimited paflion for precious Itones and pearls. Envy ever attends the great,

He

Moft of thefe imputations

are frivolous

and

idle,

and have no foundation but in the brains of SENECA was a crabbed and authefe cavilifts,
given into it, while he was regent in AUGUSTUS'S abience ; and farther, becaufe he permitted two eunuchs
to attend him abroad, and adminiftred juftice, and harangued the people in the tribunal, his head all the time covered with a cloak. This philofopher however is too nice. Juftice was not the worfe adminiftred, nor Rome the lefs tranquil. MJECEN AS might probably be obliged to take thefe necefiary precautions upon account of his weak conftitution. SENECA himfelf allows that he was of a fweet, humane, and modeft difpofition, and had every eflential qualification which conftitutes the honeft man. M.JECEN AS had his envious cotemporaries, who were ufed to cenfure his conduct. PEDO, in his Epiccdium, anfwers one of

them

in the following

manner

Invide, quid tandem tunica nocuere folutte ? Aut tibi ventoji quid nocuere Jinus ?

Num

minus urbis erat

tibi

cuftos^

&

Cafaris

obfes

Num.

non tutas fecit in urbe via* ?

qitis

Nofte fub cbfcura

)v.is t digit

te fpoliavit

ferrc,

dunor

ip/e, latus

amantem ? ?

() THI-: reproach with which MAECENAS is branded for encouraging parafites, is owing to a letter from AUGUSTUS to him, as mentioned by SUETONIUS :
Here

72^ Life of MffiCENAs.

of EPICURUS, and enlarged objects as they beft fuited his humour. The feverity of this philofopher made it
ftere
Stoic,

87

an infolent enemy

Ante

ipfe fufficiebam fcribendis epiftolis

occupatifiimus pio adducere.

&

infirmus.
igitur

Veniet hanc regiam, & nos in Thefe fort of vermin, followed MJECEN AS.

amicorum nunc Horatium noftrum te cu-. ab ifta parafitiqa mensi ad

:

epiftolis fcribendis

adjuvabit.
ii.*

fays

HORACE
is

B.

Sat. viii.

He

defcribing the entertain-

ment given by NASIDJENUS, where he attended MAECENAS, who brought SERVILJUS and VIBIDIUS
along with him,
>uos

Maecenas adduxerat umbras.

M^CENAS made a practice of encouraging fuch gentry, they were probably a brace of impertinents, who were determined to haunt him in
cannot fuppofe
fpite

We

recollect

is the more credible, if fays of M/ECENAS' nicety in the choice of his friends and their abilities;

of himfelf ; and

this

we

what

HORACE

HORACE

would otherwife be

guilty

of a contradiction.

relates a ftory of an impudent piece of played off by JORTIUS, an importunate fellow, who, no doubt, pufhed himfelf in at this minifter s table. The ancients ufed tables of different fhapes and
flattery

SUIDAS

forms, either long, round, or femicircular.

ble

The

round ta-

was moft in vogue, either that they thought this form the moft perfect of any, or becaufe it made all
places alike without any diftinction among the guefts. contrary to hiscuftom, ordered cne

MAECENAS having,

of an angular make, which for grandeur as well as coftlinefs was equal to any others he- was poffeffed of, the company could not but admire it, and many fmart and witty things were faid upon that occafion. JORTIUS, " at a lofs to acquit himfelf, faid, Gentlemen, you do not tC obferve one thing, that this table is a perfect circle :"
ottfjvo
Ij-iv

3 Jx wvosrrf, rg#7rtet t
KI

tp/Aoi

<rUjU7rcTd,
{

us ^3/j/vAj}

ya,vzs=&$'c%f <;.

SUID, did, Artie.

Ifl'^T/Of.

even

*fhe Life of MAECENAS. even a crime in MAECENAS, to be fond of life (x] ; this, I think, is very natural to all men, and to

thofe efpecially,

who have

a true

relifh

for

it,

and who

in this great fcene of life, can act their

parts as well as

M^CJENAS

did.
faults

BUT

he

is

branded with other

ferious nature.

He

is

accufed, as

of a more we have al-

ladies;
fort

ready obferved, of an unbridled pafiion for the he was not however confined to thefe

of gallantries only,

for,

if

we may

credit

TACITUS, he had quite

a different and

more de-

The corrupted morals teflable inclination (y). of the age he lived in, fupported by the example of the Pagan deities, can no ways juftify him
he

As to effeminacy with which in this particular. is fo greatly charged, he never funk into it
fo far, fays

VELLETUS,

is

to forget his duty.

His
he

actions are a

ccnnrmation of

his vigilance;

never

flept,

when bufmefs demanded

b,

his atten-

(x) IT did for being fumptuc.

not

:_id
is

-EC A to blame MAECENAS of life. This philofo:heft

pher's houfe,

who

man

of the whole
furnifhed
;

Reman

empire, was moil contained above three

J

-nificently

it

Tee-footed tables
_>at.

made

of cedar, on which
(y) TACITU?, fpeaks of an unnatun.
ii,

.f

Annals t

c.

hV.
in-

MAECENAS

dulged; Ludos Auguftai'vit difcordia, ex certamii

dicro Auguftus,

rcepta turbaInJulferat ei lu.

amorem

Bathylli

dum Ma Which I
:

...
.:
.

..iTufo in

more

unlikely, as

SE-

tion.

tidn (2).

cioufly

*tbe Life of M^CENAS. Ever aclive and difcerning, he very judiforefaw, and knew how to conduct him-

289.

felf in affairs

of the greateft

moment

He

took

an

uncommon

fatisfaction in

embracing every-

opportunity that tended to the public welfare, He was an upor the intereft of his friends.
right, a juft,

and a faithful friend , good natured, humane* a generous^ ntodsft, a learned, an eloquent , and a. witty man. We have now nothing more to add to
a
conftant,

difcreet, diftnterefled, ,a

compleat
Gods.

his picture,

but his veneration for the

The

advice he gave his prince, and which

hiftory has

ftill preferved to us, declares his fenHe exhorts AUGUSTUS timents on this point. to reverence the Gods, according to the then

eftabliflied

form ; to oblige the people to a ftrict obfervance of the fame-, never to tolerate impoftors, and the enemies of religion j and farther
added,

"

that

we

can do nothing great and good,

"

if

we

defpife the Gods."

a moft rigid obferver and feverecenfor
as

NEC A, who was

of

MAECENAS'S conduct never fo much

failing.

mentions this

unhappy
(z)
life

CORNELIUS NEPOS
ALCIBI ADES, have

and

PLUTARCH,

in the

of

given us the example of an

illuftrious Athenian,

whereby it is plain that luxury and effeminacy are not incompatible with activity and braVir, fays VELLEIUS, fpeaking of MAECENAS, very. utires vigiliam ex-rreret, fane exfoninis, r./idciis at;

que agendi
ti

fciens

iimul vero aliquia ex nep-crio remit-

poiTet, otio ac mollitiis

pene ultra fceminam

fluens.

Sucrt

290

The Life of MAECENAS. SUCH was the illufttrious MAECENAS Iq him many beautiful qualities are intermingled with a few faults j but who can fay, he is without them? Thofe who have leaft, have
:

ftill

title

to

our indulgence

on

account

of the mining virtues and predominant quawhich neceffarily engage the love and lities,
univerfal efteem
light

of mankind.

It

is

in

this
is

we muft

place

MAECENAS.
;

His name
nor
is it

become

a glorious

title

the greateft protectors

it
;

of learning have been proud of

leaft part

the

of their glory, that they were thus

diftinguimed by the public approbation.

But

how

often has this

lervile intereft

been mifapplied ? A mean, has often beftowed it on men, who

title

had vanity 'to defire it, though they rendered themfelves ridiculous in a character they Ib little
deferved.
tected

M/ECENAS

is

immortal.
all

He
arts

pro-

learning,

that fountain of
all

and

fciences,

and ornament of
will live

polite nations

His name

fciences of which

amongft men, as long as^thofe he was the NOBLE and GENE-

ROUS PROTECTOR.

,F

S.

15

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