I

EPISTLE

XXI.

PLINY to CANINIUS RUFUS.

Am one of thofe, who admire the ancients, not in the manner practifed by certain perfons, who defpife every genius of our own times. I cannot think nature either fo wearied, or fo barren, that fhe brings forth nothing at prefent worthy of praife. And therefore, I have lately attended VERGINIUS ROMANUS, when he read to fome few friends a comedy, composed by him in the manner of the ancient comic drama; and the compofition is fo excellent, that it may' ferve hereafter as a standard for that kind of writing. I cannot tell, whether you are acquainted with the man you ought certainly to know him. The probity of his morals, the elegance of his wit, the variety of his works, make him worthy to be taken notice of. He has written fome farces, which have appeared delicate, lively, graceful; and, as much as that fort of writing will allow, eloquent. Indeed every perfect work, of what kind foever, may be termed eloquent. He has alfo writ fome comedies, in imitation of MENANDER, and the dramatic writers of that age; and which I look upon to be equal to the performances of PLAUTUS and TERENCE. This was the first time he attempted the ftile of the ancient comedy; but he fhews he had long fince made it his study. In his compofition neither strength, majefty, art, fatire, fweetnefs, or wit, were wanting, He illuftrated virtue, he inveighed against vice. He made ufe of feigned names decently; of real names properly. If poets were abfolutely confined to the limits of truth, he has exceeded them in his partiality towards me.

But in one word, I will demand this work from him, which I will fend you, not only to read, but to

get by heart; for, I have no manner of doubt, that, when once you have it in your hands, you will not eafily lay it down again. Adieu.

OBSERVATION S.

a

VERGINIUM ROMANUM paucis legentem comoediam ad exemplar veteris comedia fcriptam: "I attended VERGINI "US ROMANUS, while he was reading a comedy to fome "few friends, composed after the model of the ancients." The original ancient comedy was fo different from that kind of compofition, to which it was afterwards polished, that VERGINIUS ROMANUS cannot be supposed to have written any drama after fo wild and indigefted a manner, as was pursued in the earlieft ages of that kind of poetry. SuSARION, a Grecian poet, is the first comic writer, of whom we find any record. But the three authors, who are more particularly diftinguished for the ancient comedy, are CRATINUS, EUPOLIS, and ARISTOPHANES, and, upon their plan, it may be prefumed, that ROMANUS formed the dramatic piece mentioned in this epiftle.

MENANDRUM aliofque ætatis ejufdem amulatus. Licet has inter PLAUTINAS TERENTIANASque numeres : "Having "emulated MENANDER, and others of the fame age, al"though you might place PLAUTUS and TERENCE in that "lift." The reputation of MENANDER was in the highest efteem among the Romans. The imitation of him, in any degree of perfection, was thought a fufficient characteristic of a refined genius. TERENCE is faid to have copied him with great exactness. PLINY therefore could not have devifed a greater compliment to VERGINIUS ROMANUS, than by mentioning him upon a level with MENANDER, PLAUTUS, and TERENCE. There feems to have been lefs

The derivation of the word comedia is from xúμn, vicus, and on, cantus, as these satirical, or rather abufive compofitions, were firft fung in country villages.

JULIUS CAESAR, in his verfes upon TERENCE, calls him,

O dimidiate MENANDER!

• The works of MENANDER, although they were very numerus, are loft, except fome fragments to be found in the Noctes Attica. Vide AUL. GELLII, Noct. Att. Lib. 2. cap. 23.

delicacy

delicacy in dramatic performances, among the ancients, than has of late years appeared among the moderns. If we look into the plays of PLAUTUs, his characters are often too low, and mean. A footman, an ufurer, a prostitute, and perfons of that rank, are the heroes of most of his pieces: his wit is harfh, and far fetched; his expreffions vulgar, and ungenteel. This laft fault is the confequence of the firft, as it would be abfurd, that footmen fhould talk like courtiers, or ufurers like gentlemen. So that the original of his errors may be refolved into the ill choice of the perfons, whom he reprefents. And, even in that particular, he is in fome measure excufable, as it is univerfally allowed, that his circumstances reduced him to work at a mill; and confequently to keep the meaneft company. He was born at Sarfina in Umbria. And although his writings cannot be justified in every inftance, yet upon the whole, he has certain excellencies, that far outweigh his failings. He obferves the rules of the ftage with great regularity; his plots are well devifed, and the knot of them is most commonly untied in an agreeable and surprising manner: fo that he seems a very good painter, in the reprefentations of nature, but the subjects of his pictures are only fit for fignpofts.

TERENCE was a Carthaginian. He was born in the year of Rome five hundred and fixty, about nine years before the death of PLAUTUS. He was originally a flave to a Roman fenator; who took great care of his education, and made him free while he was very young. He has been moft defervedly admired for the purity of his ftile. His characters' are always naturally drawn, but have little variety. They are generally too low and mean, like those of PLAUTUS; but he cannot claim the fame indulgence to his errors: for he received the highest favours and friendship from all the chief nobility of Rome, efpecially from SCIPIO EMILIANUS, and from LALIUS. And, at his death, he was fufficiently rich to leave his daughter, whom he had married to a Roman knight, a house and gardens, of twenty acres in compass. The jufteft critics, upon his fix plays,

a TERENTIUS LUCANUS.

The report, that he was extremely poor, and that his plays were not his own, feems to have been the effect of malice and envy. It has been handed down to pofterity with that fuccefs, and degree of credit, which too often attends calumny.

are

are of opinion, that the Andria and the Adelphi excel chiefly in the beauty of the characters, and the nice delineation of the manners; the Eunuchus and the Phormio in the vivacity of the plot; while the Heautontimorumenos and Hecyra have the advantage in the fimplicity and eafinefs of ftile. The objection made by JULIUS CESAR, to the plays of TERENCE, is undeniably juft. The vis comica is wanting. His comedies are fitter for the closet than the stage. They may be read with greater pleasure, than they can be feen. They contain fo little action, and variety, that the audience must grow languid, and weary, before the conclufion. Yet, his language is fo polite, although he is no excellent poet, that unless we have a relish for him, it is impoffible to arrive at any perfection in the Latin tongue. The works of VERGINIUS ROMANUS, in imitation of these dramatic authors, are entirely loft.

A

EPISTLE

XXII.

PLINY to CALESTRIUS TYRO.

Great affair has been tranfacted, which affects all, who are to govern provinces, and all, who incautioufly place too great a confidence in friends. LUSTRICUS BRUTTIANUS having detected his legate MONTANUS ATTICINUS in the commiffion of many villanies, wrote to CESAR upon the occafion. ATTICINUS aggravated his wickedness, by accufing BRUTTIANUS, whom he had purposely deceived. The cause was inftituted. I was appointed one of the judges. Both parties pleaded for themselves, but in a fummary way, and only touching on the principal heads of the matters in controverfy; by which method truth is foon discovered. BRUTTIANUS produced his laft will and teftament, which he affirmed to be written by the hand of ATTICINUS. From this circumstance it appeared, how intimate a friendship had fubfifted between them, and how neceffary it was, that BRUTTIANUS fhould complain of the man, for whom he had formerly entertained fo true an affec

tion, whose base and notorious crimes he now mentioned. ATTICINUS, when he could not clear himfelf from the charge, quitted his defence in such a manner, that, as a defendant, he appeared a cheat; as an accufer, a villain. For having corrupted the fecretary's fervant, he intercepted the diaries of BRUTTIANUS, Cutting out fuch paffages as he thought fit: and thus, by an unparallel'd piece of wickedness, made use of his own crime, as a means to accuse his friend. CÆSAR acted moft nobly. For, he immediately put the queftion concerning ATTICINUS, and not concerning BRUTTIANUS. The former was condemned, and banifhed to an ifland; the latter received an honourable teftimony of his integrity, and obtained the merit due to his conftancy: for after having readily acquitted himself, he profecuted his adverfary with earneftness, in which his feverity was as confpicuous as his truth and uprightness.

I have written this account to you, as a caution, that you, who are now appointed governor of a province, should depend upon yourself, without trusting others too much. Laftly, that if any perfon fhould by chance deceive you, (the thoughts of which strike › me with terror) you may be affured a certain punishmet will attend the deceit but be always vigilant to guard against fuch a neceffity. For it is not fo agreeable to be revenged, as it is vexatious to be impofed upon. Farewell.

OBSERVATIONS.

This epiftle contains a very just caution to all governors of provinces, whofe ftation makes it neceflary, that they fhould place confidence in particular perfons; but let that "confidence, fays PLINY, be nicely and sparingly dispens"ed." The inftance, which he gives to corroborate this advice, is remarkable.

LUSTRICUS BRUTTIANUS, a proconful, (it is not mentioned of what place,) appointed MONTANUS ATTICINUS to

be