gra

us, in our riper years, fuch returns of gratitude, as are exemplified in this epiftle. To make the defcent of life smooth and easy to thofe, who made the afcent of it gentle and dual to us, feems as indifpenfable a moral duty, as any whatever and our generofity will appear the more confpicuous upon this occafion, as it may be prefumed, that scarce any other motive, except gratitude, can prejudice us, in favour of females, whofe breafts, fo defirable to helpless infants, have long fince loft all their charms.

M

EPIST LE IV.

PLINY to CALPURNIA.

Y business was never more difagreeable to me, than at prefent, fince it not only hindered me from accompanying you, when you went, upon account of your health, into Campania, but from following you thither. I was now indeed moft particularly impatient to be with you, that I might believe my own eyes, and learn from them, whether you gather fpirits and strength; and how you pafs away your time amidst the retirements, the delights, and the prodigious fertility of that country: for, it is with no fmall concern, that I have defired to fee you perfectly in health. To live in ignorance of the perfon, whom we most ardently love, is a state of fufpenfe and anxiety: but I am now terrified, and labour under a double perplexity, both upon account of your abfence, and upon account of your indifpofition. I fear all things; I ima gine all things: And what is particularly the nature of fear, my mind dwells moft on those things, which I moft dread. I therefore conjure you to alleviate my fears by one, or even two letters in a day; for while I read your letters, my pain will ceafe; but when they are read, all my alarms will return. Farewell.

OBSER

OBSERVATIONS.

There are three letters only extant from PLINY to CALPURNIA; but they are fuch, as make us wifh their number. much greater. They are images of a conftant, tender heart, refting upon the bafis of true virtue, and conjugal affection. CALPURNIA appears to have been a lady of a very refined conftitution: And from the expreffion, quid corpufculo acquireres, we may infer, that the frame of her body was not only tender, but small; like a delicate flower, unable to endure a ftorm, and bending at every blaft of wind.

It is no wonder, that the nephew of PLINY the natural hiftorian fhould commend the foil and produce of Campania, a territory, which CICERO calls the granary of Italy; and which, in general, obtained the title of Campania felix. The defcription of it, by LUCIUS FLORUS, appears in the highest terms: Omnium, non modo Italia, fed toto orbe terrarum pulcherrima Campania plaga eft: Nihil mollius cœlo: Denique bis floribus vernat: Nihil uberius folo: ideo Liberi Cererifque certamen dicitur. Nihil hofpitalius mari: Hic illi nobiles portus, Cajeta, Mifenus, & tepentes fontibus Baia; Lucrinus & Avernus quædam maris otia: "The country of 66 Campania not only exceeds all Italy, but is not to be pa"rallel'd in the whole world. Nothing can be fofter than "the climate: It bears a double fpring of flowers. Nothing 66 can be more fruitful than the foil: It is faid therefore to "have occafioned a contest between BACCHUS and CERES, "who fhould adorn it moft. The fea itself is hofpitable "and commodious: Here are those noble harbours, Cajeta, "Mifenus, and the warm fprings of Baia; the Lucrine " and Avernine lakes, which feem receffes from the fea." PLINY the elder is no less profufe in his praifes of Campania: he affirms, gaudentis opus effe natura: "that it was a work ❝of nature in the height of joy." Upon the whole, there could not be a finer fituation for the recovery of declining health. One of the scholiafts tells us, that villa Gamilliana, the country feat of CALPURNIA's grandfather, FABATUS, was in Campania; and we may therefore fix her at his house, when the received this moft affectionate epiftle from her husband.

a L. ANNÆ. Flor. Lib. 1. Cap. 16. ▷ PLIN. Natur. Hift. Lib. 3. Cap. 5.

EPISTLE

I

Informed you already, that VARENUS had obtained leave to fummon witneffes on his behalf: This

determination appeared equitable to many, and to fome unjuft. Both fides were obftinate in their way of thinking. LICINIUS NEPOS in particular, who, at the next meeting of the fenate, when they were debating upon other affairs, made a fpeech concerning their last resolution, and revived a cause, that had been before concluded. He also added, that the confuls fhould be requested, to propofe, whether, under the example of the law, to hinder votes from being illegally procured by candidates for public offices, it fhould please the fenate for the future, that this addition fhould be made to the law against bribery, that, as the accufers, by that law, had a right to examine, and fummon their witnesses, the accused alfo should be impowered to do the fame. This fpeech difpleafed many; they thought it unfeafonable, improper, and prepofterous; and that he was in the wrong, after having omitted fpeaking in due time, to find fault now with a decree, to which, whilst it was in debate, he might have made his objections. JUBENTIUS CELSUS, the prætor, repri→ manded him feverely, and with many words, calling him a reformer of the fenate. NEPOS anfwered him, and CELSUS replied: Neither of them refrained from reproaches. I am unwilling to tell you, what I could not hear without concern. For which reafon, I was the more inclined to condemn the behaviour of fome of our fraternity, who, from a defire of hearing,

a The Latin is e numero noftro, which may refer either to the fenators, or the lawyers; probably to the latter.

ran

ran backward and forward, now to CELSUS, then to NEPOS, according as either of them was fpeaking, and at one time feemed to encourage and inflame, and at another, to reconcile and appeafe: frequently they wished CÆSAR to be propitious to each, fometimes to both; as we fee in a comedy. I must own it was very difagreeable to me, because each of them was informed of what his antagonist intended to fay; for CELSUS answered NEPOS Out of his pocket-book, and NEPOS replied to CELSUS from his notes. The friends on both fides could fo little forbear tatling, that the two difputants knew each other's arguments, as if they had mutually agreed upon them before hand. Farewell.

OBSERVATIONS.

a

PLINY, in the first sentence, fcripferam tenuiffe VARENUM &c. refers to the twentieth epiftle of the fifth book, written to URSUS, and giving an account of the accufation brought against VARENUS by the Bythinians. FONTEIUS MAGNUS, a Bythinian, appeared againft VARENUS, as did alfo NIGRINUS. This epiftle is a continuation of those proceedings: and they are ftill farther continued in the thirteenth epiftle of this book. When epiftles to the fame perfon, and upon the fame subject, are fo widely difperfed, and fo unaccountably feparated, it is impoffible, were the matter of them ever fo interefting, to carry on the connection by memory, or to retain the material circumftances with any degree of exactnefs. In the present ftate of PLINY's letters, they appear like the armour of the Macedonians defcribed by PLUTARCH; where' helmets were thrown on fhields, Cretian targets upon Thracian bucklers, and where arrows were mingled among fwords, fpears, and coats of mail: yet the whole was fo beautifully wrought and polifhed, that each particular piece

a Addreffed to URSUS. There are alfo two epiftles to MACRINUS, the 6th and 10th epiftle of the 7th book on this particular caufe, between VARENUS and the Bithynians.

ftruck

ftruck the eye feparately, and glittered by itself, amidst all the confufion of diforder.

Petendum a confulibus, ut referrent fub exemplo legis ambitus de lege repetundarum, an placeret in futurum ad eam legem adjici, ut, ficut accufatoribus inquirendi, teftibufque denuntiandi poteftas ex ea lege effet, ita reo quoque fieret : "That there fhould be a requeft to the confuls, that they "fhould declare their fenfe on the fubject of the law of "canvaffing, and the law against receiving bribes, whe"ther for the future, they judged this addition proper to "the forementioned law, that as the accufers had from "that law, a power granted to make enquiry, and decla"ration of any offenders, fo thofe, who were accused, "might have the fame privilege." By this paffage, it is plain, that LICINIUS NEPOS thought there was a diftinction between the forms of trial on these two laws, the lex ambitús, and lex de repetundis. His opinion was, that the lex ambitus gave the accufed equal power of fummoning witneffes with the accufers; but that the lex de repetundis did not grant the fame. The leges de ambitu were originally made against indirect or unlawful courfes, ufed in canvaffing for offices. The leges de pecuniis repetundis were made against such publick officers, judges, and magiftrates of every kind, who had taken bribes.

The propofal of NEPOS was an infult upon the fenate, they having granted to VARENUS a permiffion of fummoning his witneffes. Let the confuls, fays NEPOS, propose a queftion," whether for the future there fhall be fuch a "permiffion granted." From hence it appears, that NEPOS abfolutely fuppofes, that perfons accused, under the lex de repetundis, never before had fuch a liberty allowed them; a fact, which was not true. His queftion was infidious, and the debate upon fuch a queftion must have brought a reflection upon the fenate: For, if the opinion had prevailed, that the perfon accused fhould not have fuch a permiffion; the confequence must be, that the fenate had decreed a licence to VARENUS, which was againft law, and improper to be made a precedent; or, if the opinion fhould be, that for the future fuch a licence fhould be permitted, even that. decifion muft imply, that there had not been before any fuch practice allowed.

The