4 176 THE LIFE OF ZOILUS. from favouring men of genius, and discourage them themselves; like boughs of a baneful and barren nature, that shoot across a fruit tree; at once to screen the fun from it, and hinder it by their droppings from producing any thing of value? but if these who thus follow Zoilus, meet not the fame feverities of fate, because they come fhort of his indefatigableness, or their object is not fo univerfally the concern of mankind; they shall nevertheless meet a proportion of it in the inward trouble they give themselves, and the outward contempt others fling upon them; a punishment which every one has hitherto felt, who has really deferv'd to be call'd a ZoILvs; and which will al ways be the natural reward of fuch mens actions, as long as Zotus is the proper name of envy. ZOIL U S's REMARK S. I Ingenium magni livor detrectat amici, MUST do my Reader the juftice, before I enter upon these NOTES of ZOILUS, to inform him, that I have not in any author met this work afcrib'd to him by its title, which has made me not mention it in the Life. But thus much in general appears, that he wrote several things befides his cenfure on the ILIAD, which, as it gives ground for this opinion, encourages me to offer an acount of the Treatise. Being acquainted with a grave gentleman who fearches after Editions, purchases Manufcripts, and collects Copies, I apply'd to him for fome Editions of this Poem, which he readily obliged me with. But, added he, taking down a paper, I doubt I fhall discourage you from your tranflation, when I how this work, which is written upon the original, by ZoILUS, the famous adversary of HOMER. ZOILUS! faid I with Ꮓ 178 7 ZOILUS's REMARKS. спа 'D and T furprize; I thought his works had long fince perish'd. They have fo, anfwer'd he, all, except this little Piece, which has a preface annex'd to it acounting for its prefervation. It seems, when he parted from Macédon, he left this behind him where he lodg'd, and where no one enter'd for a long time, in deteftation of the odioufnefs of his character, 'till Maevius arriving there in his travels, and being defirous to lie in the fame room, luckily found it, and brought it away with him. This the author of the PREFACE imagines the reafon of Horace's wifhing Maevius, in the 10th EPODE, fuch a shipwreck as HOMER describes; as it were with an eye to his having done fomething difadvantageous to that Poet. From Maevius, the piece came into the hand of Carbilius Pictor, (who, when he wrote against Virgil, call'd his book, with a respectful imitation of ZoILUS, the AENEIDOMASTIX) and from him into the hands of others who are unknown, because the world apply'd to them no other name than that of ZOILUS, in order to fink their own in oblivion. Thus it ever found fome learned philologift or critic, to keep it fecret from the rage of HOMER's admirers; yet not so secret, but that it has ftill been' communicated among the LITERATI. I am of opinion, that our great SCALIGER borrow'd it, to work him up when he writ fo sharply against Cardan; and perhaps Le Clerc too, when he prov'd Q. Curtius ignorant of every particular branch of learning. This formal account made me give attention to bidrag what the book contain'd; and I must acknowledge, that whether it be his, or the work of fome gramma 231 701 IDC it appears to be writ in his spirit. The open profeffion of enmity to great genius's, and the fear of nothing fo much as that he may not be able to find faults enough, are fuch resemblances of his strongest features, that any one might take it for his own production. To give the world a notion of this, I have made a collection of fome REMARKS, which most struck me, during that short time in which I was allow'd to per ufe the Manufcript. T° Pag. 43. Ver. 1. O FILL MY RISING SONG.] "As Protagoras "the fophift found fault with the beginning of "the ILIAD, for its speaking to the Mufe rather with 66 66 an abrupt command, than a folemn invocation; fo I, fays Zoilus, do on the other hand find fault with "him for using any invocation at all before this poem, 66 or any fuch trifles as he is the author of. If he muft "ufe one, Protagoras is in the right; if not, I am: "this I hold for true criticism, notwithstanding the 66 opinion of Ariftotle against us. Nor let any one lay |