as the other lets them all indifferently fly out in words. This fort of difcretion, however, has no place in private converfation, between intimate friends. On fuch occafions the wifeft men very often talk like the weakeft; for indeed the talking with a friend is nothing elfe but thinking aloud. Tully has therefore very juftly exposed a precept delivered by fome ancient writers, that a man fhould live with his enemy in fuch a manner, as might leave him room to become his friend; and with his friend in fuch a manner, that if he became his enemy, it should not be in his power to hurt him, The first part of this rule, which regards our behaviour towards an enemy, is indeed very reasonable, as well as very prudential; but the latter part of it which regards our behaviour towards a friend, favours more of cunning than of difcretion, and would cut a man off from the greatest pleafures of life, which are the freedoms of converfation with a bofom friend. Befides that when a friend is turned into an enemy, and, as the fon of Sirach calls him, a bewrayer of fecrets, the world is juft enough to accufe the perfidioufnefs of the friend, rather than the indifcretion of the perfon who confided in him. Difcretion does not only fhew itfelf in words, but in all the circumftances of action; and is like an under-agent of Providence, to guide and direct us in the ordinary concerns of life. Difcretion, the more it is difcovered, gives the greater authority to the person who poffeffes it: cunning, when it is once detected, lofes its force, and makes a man incapable of bringing about even thofe events which he might have done, had he paffed only for a plain man. Difcretion is the perfection of reafon, and a guide to us in all the duties of life; cunning is a kind of inftinct, that only looks out after our immediate intereft and welfare. Difcretion is only found in men of ftrong fenfe and good understanding: cunning is often to be met with in brutes themfelves, and in perfons who are but the feweft removes from them. In fhort, cunning is only the mimic of difcretion, and may pafs upon weak men, in the fame manner as vivacity is often mistaken for wit, and gravity for wisdom. There are many more fhining qualities in the, mind of man, but there is none fo ufeful as difcretion; it is this indeed which gives a value to all the rest, which fets them at work in their proper times and places, and turns them to the advantage of the perfon who is poffeffed of them. Without it learning is pedantry, and wit impertinence; virtue itfelf looks like weakness; the beft parts only qualify a man to be more fprightly in errors, and active to his own prejudice. Nor does difcretion only make a man the mafter of his own parts, but of other mens. The difcreet man finds out the talents of thofe he converfes with, and knows how to apply them to proper ufes. Accordingly, if we look into particular communities and divifions of men, we may obferve that it is the difcreet man, not the witty, nor the learned, nor the brave, who guides the converfation, and gives meafures to the fociety. A man with great talents, but void of difcretion, is like Polyphemus in the fable, ftrong and blind, endued with an irrefiftible force, which for want of fight is of no ufe to him. Though a man has all other perfections, and wants difcretion, he will be of no great confe. quence in the world; but if he has this fingle talent in perfection, and but a common fhare of others, he may do what he pleases in his particular ftation of life. The caft of mind which is natural to a difcreet man, makes him look forward into futurity, and confider what will be his condition millions of ages hence, as well as what it is at prefent. He knows that the mifery or happiness which are referved for him in another world, lofe nothing of their reality by being placed at fo great a distance from him. The objects do not appear little to him because they are remote. He confiders that thofe pleasures and pains which lie hid in eternity, approach nearer to him every moment, and, will be prefent with him in their full weight and measure, as much as thofe pains and pleasures which he feels at this very inftant. For this reafon he is careful to fecure to himself that which is the proper happiness of his nature, and the ultimate defign of his being. He carries his thoughts to the end of every action, and confiders the most diftant, as well as the most immediate effects of it. He fuperfedes every little profpect of gain and advantage which offers itfelf here, if he does not find it confiftent with his views of an hereafter. In a word, his hopes are full of immortality his fchemes are large and glorious, and his conduct fuitable to one who knows his true interest, and how to purfue it by proper methods. I have, in this effay upon difcretion, confidered it both as an accomplishment and as a virtue, and have therefore defcribed it in its full extent; not only as it is converfant about worldly affairs, but as it regards our whole exiftence; not only as it is the guide of a mortal creature, but as it is in general the director of a reasonable Being. It is in this light that difcretion is reprefented by the wife man, who fometimes mentions it under the name of difcretion, and fometimes under that of wifdom. It is indeed, as defcribed in the latter part of this paper, the greatest wifdom, but at the fame time in the power of every one to attain. Its advantages are infinite, but its acquifition eafy; or to fpeak of her in the words of the apocryphal writer whom I quoted in my last Saturday's paper. "Wifdom is glorious, and never "fadeth away, yet fhe is eafily feen of them that "love her, and found of fuch as feek her. She "preventeth them that defire her, in making "herfelf first known unto them. He that feeketh "her early, thall have no great travel: for he "fhall find her fitting at his doors. To think "therefore upon her is perfection of wisdom, At the fame time that I think difcretion the moit ufeful talent a man can be mafter of, I look upon cunning to be the accomplishment of little mean ungenerous minds. Difcretion points out the noblert ends to us, and purfues the moft proper and laydable methods of attaining them: unning has only private felfifh aims, and flicks at nothing which may make them fucceed. Difcretion has large and extended views, and, like a well formed eye, commands a whole horizon: cunning is a kind of fhort-fightedness, that difcowers the minutelt objects which are near at hand," them in every thought,” but is not able to difcern things at a distance and whofo watcheth for her fhall quickly be "without care, For fhe goeth about feeking "fuch as are worthy of her, fheweth herfelf fa"vourably unto them in the ways, and meeteth No, N° 226. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19. -Mutum eft pictura poema. A picture is a poem without words. I Hor. Have very often lamented and hinted my forrow in feveral fpeculations, that the art of painting is made fo little ufe of to the improvement of our manners. When we confider that it places the action of the perfon reprefented in the moft agreeable aspect imaginable, that it does not only exprefs the paffion or concern as it fits upon him who is drawn, but has under thofe features the height of the painter's imagination, what ftrong images of virtue and humanity might we not expect would be inftilled into the mind from the labours of the pencil? This is a poetry which would be understood with much lefs capacity, and lefs expence of time, than what is taught by writings; but the use of it is generally perverted, and that admirable fkill proftituted to the bafeft and moft unworthy ends. Who is the better man for beholding the most beautiful Venus, the beft wrought Bacchanal, the images of fleeping Cupids, languishing nymphs, or any of the reprefentations of gods, goddeffes, demigods, fatyrs, Polyphemes, fphinxes, or fawns? But if the virtues and vices, which are fometimes pretended to be reprefented under fuch draughts, were given us by the painter in the characters of real life, and the perfons of men and women whofe actions have rendered them laudable or infamous; we fhould not fee a good hiftory-piece without receiving an instructive lecture. There needs no other proof of this truth, than the testimony of every reasonable creature who has feen the cartons in her majefty's gallery at Hampton court: thefe are reprefentations of no lefs actions than thofe of our bleffed Saviour and his apoftles. As I now fit and recollect the warm images which the admirable Raphael has raised, it is impoffible even from the faint traces in one's memory of what one has not feen these two years, to be unmoved at the horror and reverence which appear in the whole affembly when the mercenary man fell down dead; at the amazement of the man born blind, when he first receives light; or at the graceless indignation of the forcerer, when he is ftruck blind. The lame, when they firft find ftrength in their feet, ftand doubtful of their new vigour. The heavenly apoftles appear acting these great things, with a deep fenfe of the infirmities which they relieve, but no value of themselves who adminifter to their weakness. They know themselves to be but inftruments; and the generous 'diftress they are painted in when divine honours are offered to them, is a representation in the most exquifite degree of the beauty of holiness. When St. Paul is preaching to the Athenians, with what wonderful art are almoft all the different tempers of mankind reprefented in that elegant audience? You fee one credulous of all that is faid, another wrapt up in deep fufpence, another faying there is fome reafon in what he fays, another angry that the apostle destroys a favourite opinion which he is unwilling to give up, another wholly convinced and holding out his hands in rapture, while the generality attend, and wait for the opinion of thofe who are of lead. ing characters in the affembly. I will not pretend fo much as to mention that chart on which is drawn the appearance of our blessed Lord after his refurrection. Prefent authority, late fuffering, humility and majesty, defpotic command, and divine love, are at once feated in his celeftial afpect.. The figures of the eleven apoftles are all in the fame paffion of admiration, but difcover it differently accordingly to their characters. Peter receives his master's orders on his knees with an admiration mixed with a more particular attention: the two next with a more open extafy, though still constrained by the awe of the divine prefence: the beloved difciple, whom I take to be the right of the two first figures, has in his countenance wonder drowned in love; and the laft perfonage, whose back is towards the spectators, and his fide towards the presence, one would fancy to be St. Thomas, as abashed by the confcience of his former diffidence; which perplexed concern it is poffible Raphael thought too hard a tafk to draw but by this acknowledgment of the difficulty to describe it. The whole work is an exercise of the highest piety in the painter; and all the touches of a religious mind are expreffed in a manner much more forcible than can poffibly be performed by the most moving eloquence. Thefe invaluable pieces are very juftly in the hands of the greatest and most pious sovereign in the world; and cannot be the frequent object of every one at their own leifure: but as an engraver is to the painter, what a painter is to an author, it is worthy ber majefty's name, that he has encouraged that noble artift, Monfieur Dorigny, to publish these works of Raphael. We have of this gentleman a piece of the transfiguration, which, I think, is held a work fecond to none in the world. Methinks it would be ridiculous in our people of condition, after their large bounty to foreigners of no name or merit, fhould they overlook this occafion of having, for a trifling fubfcription, a work which it is impoffible for a man of sense to behold, without being warmed with the nobleft fentiments that can be infpired by love, admiration, compaffion, contempt of this world, and expectation of a better. It is certainly the greatest honour we can do our country, to diftinguish strangers of merit who apply to us with modesty and diffidence, which generally accompanies merit. No opportunity of this kind ought to be neglected; and a modest behaviour fhould alarm us to examine whether we do not lofe fomething excellent under that disadvantage in the poffeffor of that quality. My fkill in paintings, where one is not directed by the paffion of the pictures, is fo inconfiderable, that I am in very great perplexity when I offer to fpeak of any performances of painters, of landskips, buildings, or fingle figures. This makes me at a lofs how to mention the pieces which Mr. Boul exposes to sale by auction on Wednesday next in Chandois-ftreet: but having heard him commended by thofe who have bought of him heretofore for great integrity in his dealing, and overheard him himself, though a laudable painter, fay nothing of his own was fit to come into the room with thofe he had to fell, I feared I should lose an occafion of serving a man of worth, in omitting to speak of his auction. 092 T No. N° 227. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23. *n мо ἐγὼ τι πάθω ; τὶ ὁ δίστους; ἐχὑπακέεις ; Τὰν βαίταν ἀποδὺς εἰς κύματα τῆνα ἁλεῦμαι Ωπερ τὼς θύννως σκωπιάζεται Όλπις ὁ γριπεύς· Κὴκα μὴ ποθάνω, τὸ γε μὴν κεὸν ἅδὺ τέτυκται. IN Theocr 'N my laft Thursday's paper I made mention of a place called The Lover's Leap, which I find has raised a great curiofity among feveral of my correfpendents. I there told them that this leap was used to be taken from a promontory of Leucas. This Leucas was formerly a part of Acarnania, being joined to it by a narrow neck of land, which the fea has by length of time overflowed and washed away; fo that at prefent Leucas is divided from the continent, and is a little ifland in the Ionian fea. The promontory of this ifland, from whence the lover took his leap, was formerly called Leucate. If the reader has a mind to know both the island and the promontory by their modèrn titles, he will find in his map the ancient island of Leucas under the name of St. Mauro, and the ancient promontory of Leucate under the name of The Cape of St. Mauro. Since I am engaged thus far in antiquity. I muft obferve that Theocritus in the motto prefixed to my paper, defcribes one of his defpairing hepherds addreffing himself to his miftrefs after the following manner: "Alas! what will be"come of me! Wretch that I am! Will you not hear me? I will throw off my clothes, and "take a leap into that part of the fea which is "fo much frequented by Olphis the fisherman. "And though I fhould efcape with my life, I "know you will be pleased with it." I fhall leave it with the critics to determine whether the place which this fhepherd fo particularly points out, was not the above-mentioned Leucate, or at leaft fome other lover's leap, which was fuppofed to have had the fame effect. I can not believe, as all the interpreters do, that the hepherd means nothing farther here than that he would drown himself, fince he represents the iffue of his leap as doubtful, by adding, that if he fhould efcape with life, he knows his mistrefs would be pleased with it; which is according to our interpretation, that the would rejoice any way to get rid of a lover who was fo troublesome to her. After this fhort preface, I fhall present my reader with fome letters which I have received upon this fubje&t. The first is fent me by a phyfician. • Mr. Spectator, THE HE Lover's Leap, which you mention in your 223d paper, was generally, I believe, a very effectual cure for love, and not only for love, but for all other evils. In fhort, Sir, I am afraid it was fuch a leap as that which Hero took to get rid of her paffion for Leander. A man is in no danger of breaking his heart, who breaks his neck to prevent it. I know very well the wonders which ancient authors relate concerning this leap; and in particular that very many perions who tried it, efcaped not only with their lives but their limbs. If by this means they got rid of their love, though it may in part be afcribed to the reafons you < give for it; why may we not fuppofe that the cold bath into which they plunged themselves, ' had alfo fome share in their cure? A leap into the fea, or into any creek of falt waters, very ' often gives a new motion to the spirits, and a new turn to the blood; for which reason we prefcribe it in diftempers which no other medicine will reach. I could produce a quotation ' out of a very venerable author, in which the frenzy produced by love is compared to that 'which is produced by the biting of a mad dog. But as this comparison is a little too coarse for your paper, and might look as if it were cited to ridicule the author who has made use of it; 'I fhall only hint at it, and defire you to confider whether, if the frenzy produced by the two dif'ferent caufes be of the fame nature, it may not very properly be cured by the fame means. 'I am, Sir, 6 your most humble fervant, and well-wisher, • Mr. Spectator, I 'ESCULAPIUS.' Am a young woman croffed in love. My ftory is very long and melancholy. To give you the heads of it: A young gentleman, after having made his applications to me for three ' years together, and filled my head with a thou⚫ fand dreams of happiness, fome few days fince 'married another. Pray tell me in what part of the world your promontory lies, which you call The Lover's Leap, and whether one may go to it by land? But alas, I am afraid it has loft its virtue, and that a woman of our times would 'find no more relief in taking fuch a leap, than in finging an hymn to Venus. So that I muft < cry out with Dido in Dryden's Virgil. "Ah! cruel heaven, that made no cure for love!" Your difconfolate fervant. ATHENAIS." Y heart is fo full of lofes and paffions for Mrs. Gwinifrid, and fhe is fo pettish and over-run with cholers against me, that if I had the good happiness to have my dwelling (which is placed by my creat-crandfather upon the pottom of an hill) no farther distance but twenty mile from the Lofer's Leap, I would <indeed indeafour to preak my neck upon it on 'purpose. Now, good Mifter Spittatur of Creat 6 Pritain, you must know it, there is in Caer'narvanshire a very pig mountain, the clory of all Wales, which is named Penmainmaure, and you must also know, it is no great journey on foot from me; but the road is ftony and bad for fhoes. Now, there is upon the forehead of this mountain a very high rock, (like a parish 'fteeple) that cometh a huge deal over the fea; fo when I am in my melancholies, and I do 'throw myfelf from it, I do defire my fery good 'friend to tell me in his Spictatur, if I fhall be cure of my griefous lofes; for there is the fea clear as clafs, and as creen as the leek: then likewife if I be drown and preak my neck, if Mrs. Gwinifrid will not lofe me afterwards. Pray be speedy in your anfwers, for I am in creat hafte, and it is my tefires to do my pufinefs without lofs of time. I remain with cordial affections, your ever lofing friend, Dayyth ap Shenkyn, P.S. P. S. My law fuits have brought me to London, but I have loft my caufes; and fo have 'made my refolutions to go down and leap before ⚫ the frofts begin; for I am apt to take colds.' Ridicule, perhaps, is a better expedient against love than fober advice, and I am of opinion, that Hudibras and Don Quixote may be as effectual to cure the extravagancies of this paffion, as any of the old philofophers. I fhall therefore publish very fpeedily the tranflation of a little Greek manufcript, which is fent me by a learned friend. It appears to have been a piece of thofe records which were kept in the temple of Apollo, that ftood upon the promontory of Leucate. The reader will find it to be a fummary account of feveral perfons who tried the Lover's Leap, and of the fuccefs they found in it. As there feem to be in it fome anachronisms and deviations from the ancient orthography, I am not wholly satisfied myself that it is authentic, and not rather the production of one of thofe Grecian fophifters, who have impofed upon the world feveral fpurious works of this nature. I fpeak this by way of precaution, because I know there are feveral writers, of uncommon erudition, who would not fail to expofe my ignorance, if they caught me tripping in a matter of so great moment. C began; There is no manner of news to-day, I cannot tell what is the matter with me, but I 'flept very ill last night; whether I caught cold or no, I know not, but I fancy I do not wear 'fhoes thick enough for the weather, and I have coughed all this week: it must be fo, for the ⚫ cuftom of washing my head winter and fummer with cold water, prevents any injury from the ⚫ season entering that way; fo it must come in at my feet; but I take no notice of it: as it comes 'fo it goes. Most of our evils proceed from too 'much tendernefs; and our faces are naturally as little able to reaft the cold as other parts. The Indian anfwered very well to an Europear. who asked him how he could go naked; I am 'all face.' I obferved this difcourfe was as welcome to my general inquirer as any other of more confequence could have been; but fome body calling our talker to another part of the room, the inquirer told the next man who fat by him, that Mr. fuch-aone, who was just gone from him, used to wash his head in cold water every morning; and fo repeated almoft verbatim all that had been said to him. The truth is, the inquifitive are the funnels of converfation; they do not take in any thing for their own ufe, but merely to pass it to another: they are the channels through which all the good and evil that is spoken in town are conveyed. Such as are offended at them, or think they fuffer by their behaviour, may themselves mend that inconvenience; for they are not a malicious people, and if you will fupply them, you Hor. Ep. 18. lib. 1. ver. 69. may contradict any thing they have faid before by Shun the inquifitive and curious man; For what he hears he will relate again. N° 228. WEDNESDAY, Nov. 21. T PCOLY. HERE is a creature who has all the organs of fpeech, a tolerable good capacity for conceiving what is faid to it, together with a pretty proper behaviour in all the occurrences of common life; but naturally very vacant of thought in itself and therefore forced to apply itself, to foreign affiftances. Of this make is that man who is very inquifitive. You may often obferve, that though he fpeaks as good fenfe as any man upon any thing with which he is well acquainted, he cannot trust to the range of his own fancy to entertain himself upon that foundation, but goes on ftill to new inquiries. Thus, though you know he is fit for the most polite conversation, you fhall fee him very well contented to fit by a jockey, giving an account of the many revolutions in his horfe's health, what potion he made him take, how that agreed with him, how afterwards he came to his ftomach and his exercise, or any the like impertinence; and be as well pleafed as if you talked to him on the most important truths. This humour is far from making a man unhappy, though it may fubject him to raillery; for he generally falls in with a perfon who seems to be born for him, which is your talkative fellow. It is fo ordered, that there is a fecret bent, as natural as the meeting of different fexes, in these two characters, to fupply each other's wants. I had the honour the other day to fit in a public room, and faw an inquifitive man look with an air of fatisfaction upon the approach of one of thefe talkers. The man of ready utterance fat down by him, and rubbing his head, leaning on bis arm, and making an uneafy countenance, he their own mouths. A farther account of a thing is one of the gratefuleft goods that can arrive to them and it is feldom that they are more particular than to fay, the town will have it, or I have it from a good hand: fo that there is room for the town to know the matter more particularly, and for a better hand to contradict what was faid by a good one. I have not known this humour more ridiculous than in a father, who has been earnestly solicitous to have an account how his fon has paffed his leisure hours; if it be in a way thoroughly infignificant, there cannot be a greater joy than an inquirer difcovers in feeing him follow fo hopefully his own.fteps: but this humour among men is most pleasant when they are faying fomething which is not wholly proper for a third perfon to hear, and yet is in itself indifferent. The other day there came in a well-dreffed young fellow, and two gentlemen of this fpecies immediately fell a whispering his pedigree. I could over-hear, by breaks, She was his aunt; then an answer, Ay, she was of the mother's fide: then again in a little lower voice, His father wore generally a darker wig; anfwer, Not much. But this gentleman wears higher heels to his fhoes. As the inquifitive, in my opinion, are fuch merely from a vacancy in their own imaginations, there is nothing, methinks, fo dangerous as to communicate fecrets to them; for the fame temper of inquiry makes them as impertinently communicative but no man though he converses with them, need put himself in their power, for they will be contented with matters of lefs moment as well. When there is fuel enough, no matter what it is-Thus the ends of fentences in the news-papers, as, "this wants confirmation, "this occafions many fpeculations, and time 5 wili will difcover the event," are read by them, and confidered not as mere expletives. One may fee now, and then this humour accompanied with an infatiable defire of knowing what paffes without turning it to any ufe in the world but merely their own entertainment. A mind which is gratified this way is adapted to -Spirat adbuc amor, Vivuntque commiffi calores T HOR. Od. 9. 1. 4. v, 10. Sappho's charming lyre humour and pleasantry, and formed for an un- No 229. THURSDAY, NOVEM. 22. concerned character in the world; and, like my felf, to be a mere fpectator. This curiofity, with. out malice or felf-interest, lays up in the imagination a magazine of circumstances which cannot but entertain when they are produced in conver→ fation. If one were to know, from the man of the first quality to the meaneft fervant, the dif ferent intrigues, fentiments, pleasures, and interefts of mankind, would it not be the most pleafing entertainment imaginable to enjoy fo conftant a farce, as the obferving mankind much more different from themselves in their fecret thoughts and public actions, than in their night caps and long periwigs? • Mr. Spectator, Roman, was frequently hurried by his paffion into fo loud and tumultuous a way of • speaking, and so strained his voice as not to be ⚫ able to proceed. To remedy this excess, he had an ingenious fervant, by name Licinius, always ⚫ attending him with a pitch-pipe, or inftrument to regulate the voice; who, whenever he heard his mafter begin to be high, immediately touched a foft note; at which, it is faid, Caius would ⚫ presently abate and grow calm. Upon recollecting this ftory, I have frequently wondered that this ufeful inftrument should ⚫ have been fo long difcontinued; efpecially fince we find that this good office of Licinius has pre• ferved his memory for many hundred years, • which, methinks, fhould have encouraged fome one to have revived it, if not for the public ⚫ good, yet for his own credit. It may be objected, that our loud talkers are fo fond of their ' own noife, that they would not take it well to be checked by their fervants: but granting this to be true, furely any of their hearers have a 6 very good title to play a foft note in their own defence. To be fhort, no Licinius appearing, ⚫ and the noise increafing, I was refolved to give this late long vacation to the good of my coun" try; and I have at length, by the affiftance of an ingenious artift, who works to the Royal Society, almost completed my defign, and fhall be ready in a fhort time to furnith the public with what number of these inftruments they please, either to lodge at coffee-houfes, or carry for their own private ufe. In the mean time, I fhall pay that refpect to feveral gentlemen, who I know will be in danger of offending against this inftrument, to give them notice of it by private letters, in which I fhall only write, "Get a Licinius." I fhould now trouble you no longer, but that I must not conclude without defiring you to ac⚫cept one of thefe pipes, which shall be left for you with Buckley; and which I hope will be ⚫ ferviceable to you, fince as you are filent your self, you are moft open to the infults of the noify. I am, Sir, &c. And tunes our ravish'd souls to love, A CREECH. MONG the many famous pieces of antithere is the trunk of a statue which has lost the quity which are ftill to be feen at Rome, arms, legs, and head; but difcovers fuch an exquifite workmanship in what remains of it, that Michael Angelo declared he had learned his whole art from it. Indeed he ftudied it fo atten his pictures in that gufto, to make ufe of the Itatively, that he made moft of his statues, and even lian phrafe; for which reason this maimed statue is ftill called Michael Angelo's school. fubject of this paper, is in as great reputation A fragment of Sappho, which I defign for the among the poets and critics, as the mutilated fiand painters. Several of our countrymen, and gure above-mentioned is among the ftatuaries Mr. Dryden in particular, feem very often to have copied after it in their dramatic writings, and in their poems upon love. ode, the English reader will enter into the beauWhatever might have been the occafion of this ties of it, if he fuppofes it to have been written in fet to view three different copies of this beautiful the perfon of a lover fitting by his miftrefs. I fhall original: the firft is a tranflation by Catullus, the fecond by Monfieur Boileau, and the laft by a gentleman whofe tranflation of the "Hymn to "Venus" has been fo defervedly admired. My learned reader will know very well the reafon why one of these verses is printed in Roman letter; and if he compares this translation with the original, will find that the three firft ftanzas are rendered almoft word for word, and not only with the fame elegance, but with the fame short turn of expreffion which is fo remarkable in the Greek, and fo peculiar to the Sapphic ode. I cannot imagine for what reafon Madam Dacier W. B. has told us, that this ode of Sappho is preserved |