For while I gaz'd, in Transport teft, My Breath was gone, my Voice was loft: My Bofom glow'd; the fubtle Flame In dewy Damps my Limbs were chill'd; I fainted, funk, and dy'd away. INSTEAD of giving any Character of this laft Tranflation, I fhall defire my learned Reader to look into the Criticisms which Longinus has made upon the Original. By that means he will know to which of the Translations he ought to give the Preference. I fhall otay add, that this Tranflation is written in the very Spirit of Sappho, and as near the Greek as the Genius of our Language will poffibly fuffer. LONGINUS has obferved, that this Defcription of Love in Sappho is an exact Copy of Nature, and that all the Circumftances which follow one another in fuch an hurry of Sentiments, notwithstanding they appear repug nant to each other, are really such as happen in the Phreng zies of Love. I wonder, that not one of the Criticks or Editors, through whofe Hands this Ode has paffed, has taken Occafion from it to mention a Circumftance related by Plutarch. That Author in the famous Story of Antio chus, who fell in Love with Stratonice, his Mother-inLaw, and (not daring to difcover his Paffion) pretended to be confined to his Bed by his Sickness, tells us, that Erafiftratus, the Phyfician, found out the Nature of his Diftemper by thofe Symptoms of Love which he had learnt from Sappho's Writings. Stratonice was in the Room of the Love-fick Prince, when thefe Symptoms discovered themselves to his Phyfician; and it is probable, that they were not very different from thofe N° 230 which Sappho here defcribes in a Lover fitting by his Miftrefs. This Story of Antiochus is fo well known, that I need not add the Sequel of it, which has no Relation to my prefent Subject. C N° 230. Friday, November 23. Homines ad Deos nullâ re propiùs accedunt, quam falutem H Tull. UMANE Nature appears a very deformed, or a very beautiful Object, according to the different Lights in which it is viewed. When we fee Men of inflamed Paffions, or of wicked Defigns, tearing one another to Pieces by open Violence, or undermining each other by fecret Treachery, when we obferve bafe and narrow Ends purfued by ignominious and dishonest Means; when we behold Men mixed in Society as if it were for the Destruction of it; we are even afhamed of our Species, and out of Humour with our own Being: But in another Light, when we behold them mild, good, and benevolent, full of a generous Regard for the publick Profperity, compaffionating each other's Diftreffes, and relieving each other's Wants, we can hardly believe they are Creatures of the same Kind. In this View they appear Gods to each other, in the Exercife of the nobleft Power, that of doing Good; and the greatest Compliment we have ever been able to make to our own Being, has been by calling this Difpofition of Mind Humanity. We cannot but observe a Pleasure arising in our own Breast upon the feeing or hearing of a generous Action, even when we are wholly difinterefted in it. I cannot give a more proper Inftance of this, than by a Letter from Pliny, in which he recommends a Friend in the most handsome manner, and, methinks, it would be a great Pleasure to know the Success of this Epiftle, though each Party Party concerned in it has been fo many hundred Years in his Grave. To MAXIMUS. WHAT I should gladly do for any Friend of yours, I think I may now with Confidence . request for a Friend of mine. Arrianus Maturius is the 'moft confiderable Man of his Country; when I call him fo, I do not fpeak with relation to his Fortune, though that is very plentiful, but to his Integrity, Juftice, Gravity, and Prudence; his Advice is ufeful to me in Bufinefs, and his Judgment in Matters of Learning: His Fidelity, Truth, and good Understanding, are very great; befides this, he loves me as you do, than which I cannot fay any thing that fignifies a warmer Affection. He has nothing that's afpiring; and though he might rife to the highest Order of Nobility, he keeps himself in an inferiour Rank; yet I think my felf bound to use my Endeavours to ferve and promote him; and would < therefore find the Means of adding fomething to his Honours while he neither expects nor knows it, nay,' C though he fhould refuse it. Something, in fhort, I 'would have for him that may be honourable, but not < troublefome; and I entreat that you will procure him the first thing of that kind that offers, by which you will not only oblige me, but him alfo; for though he does not covet it, I know he will be as grateful in ac'knowledging your Favour as if he had asked it. Mr. SPECTATOR, "TH . HE Reflections in fome of your Papers on the fer vile manner of Education now in Use, have given < Birth to an Ambition, which, unless you discountenance it, will, I doubt, engage me in a very difficult, tho' not ungrateful Adventure. I am about to undertake for the fake of the British Youth, to inftruct them in fuch a manner, that the most dangerous Page in Virgil or Homer may be read by them with much Pleasure, and with perfect Safety to their Perfons, COULD . 'COULD I prevail fo far as to be honoured with the Protection of fome few of them, (for I am not Hero < enough to rescue many) my Design is to retire with them to an agreeable Solitude; tho' within the Neigh bourhood of a City, for the Convenience of their being inftructed in Mufick, Dancing, Drawing, Defigning, or any other fuch Accomplishments, which it is con · ceived may make as proper Diverfions for them, and C almoft as pleafant, as the little fordid Games which dirty School-boys are fo much delighted with. It may eafily be imagined, how fuch a pretty Society, conver <fing with none beneath themselves, and fometimes ad<mitted as perhaps not unentertaining Parties amongft better Company, commended and careffed for their little Performances, and turned by fuch Converfations to <a certain Gallantry of Soul, might be brought early acquainted with fome of the moft polite English Wri <ters. Thus having given them fome tolerable Taste of < Books, they would make themselves Masters of the Latin Tongue by Methods far easier than thofe in Lilly, with as little Difficulty or Reluctance as young Ladies learn to fpeak French, or to fing Italian Operas. When they had advanced thus far, it would be time to form their Tafte fomething more exactly One that had any true Relish of fine Writing, might with great Pleafure both to himself and them, run over together ‹ with them the best Roman Hiftorians, Poets, and Orators, and point out their more remarkable Beauties; < give them a fhort Scheme of Chronology, a little View of Geography, Medals, Aftronomy, or what elfe might beft feed the bufie inquifitive Humour fo natural to that Age. Such of them as had the leaft Spark of Genius, when it was once awakened by the fhining Thoughts and great Sentiments of thofe admired Wri ters, could not, I believe, be eafily withheld from attempting that more difficult Sifter Language, whofe exalted Beauties they would have heard fo often ce<lebrated as the Pride and Wonder of the whole < Learned World. In the mean while, it would be requifite to exercife their Style in Writing any light Pieces C Pieces that ask more of Fancy than of Judgment; and that frequently in their Native Language, which every one methinks fhould be moft concerned to cultivate, efpecially Letters, in which a Gentleman muft have fo frequent Occafions to diftinguish himself. A Set of genteel good-natured Youths fallen into fuch a Manner of Life, would form almost a little Academy, and doubt6 lefs prove no fuch contemptible Companions, as might not often tempt a wifer Man to mingle himself in their Diverfions, and draw them into fuch ferious Sports as might prove nothing lefs inftructing than the gravest < Leffons. I doubt not, but it might be made fome of ‹ their favourite Plays, to contend which of them should recite a beautiful Part of a Poem or Oration most gracefully, or fometimes to join in acting a Scene of Terence, Sophocles, or our own Shakespear. The Caufe of Milo might again be pleaded before more favourable 6 Judges, Cafar a second time be taught to tremble, and C another Race of Athenians be afreth enraged at the Am'bition of another Philip. Amidft thefe noble Amufements, we could hope to fee the early Dawnings of their Imagination daily brighten into Senfe, their Innocence improve into Virtue, and their unexperienced 'Good-Nature directed to a generous Love of their < Country. . T I am, &c. No 231. Saturday, November 24. L O Pudor! O Pietas! Mart. OOKING over the Letters which I have lately re ceived from my Correfpondents, I met with the following one, which is written with fuch a Spirit of Politeness, that I could not but be very much pleased with it my felf, and question not out it will be as acceptable to the Reader. Mr. |