fo much of the fable of the Iliad. It is, indeed, this aftonishing power of invention which creates the enthufiafin with which Homer is always read, which gives life, animation, and action, to every thing he defcribes. His councils, his battles, his epifodes, and his fictions, fucceed each other with a rapidity which allows no paufe for the imagination, or Judgment of the reader. He is hurried from one event to another by the irreffuble current of his verfe, flowing like the course of the river which he defcribes,

Οἱ δας ἴσαν, ώσει τε πυρὶ χθὼν πᾶσα νέμοι του In his exhibition of characters, there is the fame variety and wouderful difcrimination. They are lively, fpirited, and almost dramatic. He has admirably supplied the defects of history by the power of his own fancy. The common idea of Achilles, who forms the principal figure, has been, we think, unjustly taken rather from the well-known line of Ho

race,

Impiger, iracundus, inexorabilis, acer, than from an attentive confideration of the manner in which he is pourtrayed in the poem. He is paffionate, often furious, and untractable; but he as often fubmits to the dictates of reafon and justice. In all his difputes with Agamemnon, he has justice on his fide. When wronged in his love, he peaceably furrenders Brifeïs, though he disdains to continue under the command of the tyrant who has forced her from him. He is open and fincere; he profeffes love for his country, and reverence for the gods. His friendship for Patroclus is drawn in amiable colours. Indeed, every thing in the poem tends to aggrandize Achilles, who is undoubtedly its hero. When the Greeks fly before Hector, our attention is immediately turned to the fon of Peleus, who, tranquil in his tent, pities the fate of fo many brave men facrificed to the pride of Agamemnon, and rejoices to fee that pride humbled. Greece is reprefented as a fuppliant at his feet, yet he remains awhile inexorable. But he gives way to the tears of his friend, and permits Patroclus to fight under his own armour. With what tenderness be recommends to him to ftop when he thall inve repulfed the Trojans, and to beware of Hedor! How profound is his grief at the lofs of a friend fo dear, the companion of his infancy! Revenge made him throw afide his arms-it is revenge alone that can induce him to MONTHLY MAG. No. 154.

refume them. It is not Greece whom he ferves, it is Patroclus to whofe manes he facrifices the fons of Troy. For Patroclus he mourns, even while he drags round the walls of the city the body of Hector who has flain him. He mingles tears of fympathifing forrow at the misfortunes of the aged Priam, with imprecations and threats against the furviving warriors of Ilium. It is from this mixture of fenfibility and rage, of ferocity and tenderness, that we are prefented with the molt poetical character that ever was invented. That of Helen is drawn with exquifite art. Though he is the caufe of all thefe calamities, the never excites either difguft or abhorrence; the is even fometimes introduced with a fort of dignity.

Her confufion and com

punction when in the prefence of Priam, or within fight of Menelaus; the evident ftruggle in her mind between griet, felfcondemnation, and a ftill lingering fondrender her more an object of pity than nefs for the man who has feduced her, of hatred. But the poet knows how to difcriminate between vice and virtue: and the frailty and crimes of Helen are beautifully contrafted by the chafter loves and tender forrows of Andromache. Paris is, as he ought to be, a mixture of gallantry and effeminacy; Diomed is bold, but prudent; Ajax is arrogant and brutal; Hector, active, vigilant, and humanc; Agamemnon is actuated by ambition, and a thirst for empire; Menelaus, his milder virtues; Niftor is a fage, talkative, old man; Idomeneus is a plain blunt foldier; and Sarpedon is gallant and generous. In our next we fhall point out to the reader fome of the peculiar beauties of the Iliad, with refpect to its machinery, its imagery, and its fentiments.

that his Lordship's fyftem is not a new difcovery. Now, in no part of my obfervations will he find any fuch affertion; being fo far of a contrary opinion, that I believe the idea of bi-equal thirds never entered into the imagination of any other perfon befides that of his Lordship. I have indeed expreffed myself thus, (vide Mag. Nov. p. 350): "that Lord Stanhope undertakes to fhew that there are five wolves, as if it were a new dif covery." But this refers to no part of his new fyftem of temperament, but only to the evils he wishes to remedy, which (as I juft afterwards obferved) “must have been always obvious to every tuner, although only one of them has been found fo offenfive to the ear as to be tigmatifed with fo reproachful a term as that of the wolf."

And this brings me to the next farcafin of the Doctor's, namely, that "I have found out that the term wolf is a ftigma of reproach;" as if I had mentioned as a new difcovery a thing that must be obvious to every body, or that the words just above-mentioned would bear any fuch interpretation.

As to the laft paffage he has referred to, "that glee-fingers may fink a femitone without the leaft degree of alteration in the temperament, &c." I am at a lofs to conceive for what purpofe he has quoted it, as I have no idea that he can mean to question the truth of that remark; and though I afferted it by way of argument, I by no means ftated it as any thing newly found out, as the Doctor feems to infinuate.

Upon the whole, as I profefs myfelf to be open to conviction, I fhall very readily, when influenced by Dr. Callcott's arguments in his intended publication, give up my prefent opinion, and become a convert to his Lordthip's fyftem. I am indeed glad to find that the Doctor is hinfelf going to write upon the fub ject, as from the fpecimens he has given of his erudition in his Mutical Grammar, and former numerous publications, I have no doubt of his treating it in an ingenious and fcientific manner. But furely, for his own fake, he might have announced his work without reflecting upon the remarks of others, or at leat without inifreprefenting them. XYZ.

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.

SIR,

N your Magazine for November, p.

ons propofed, by three ingenious correfpondents: a quetion of law, relative to the nuifance of a bee-hive; a question of humanity, relative to the kinning of live cels; and a question of pathology, relative to the inconveniences and diforders commonly arifing from the attacks of" that troublefome little animal the flea." It is to the last of thefe I fhall confine my prefent obfervations.

Your correfpondent begins with fuppofing, that the fufferings he endures are common to men; or, to ufe his own elegant expreflion, that he is, in this refpećt, "like other folks." He need not, however, have urged this upon fuppofition only; it is a clear and eftablished fuct. If we confult the hiftories of Europe, Afia, Africa, or America, we fhail find, that thefe powerful marauders have eftablished themselves in every quarter. In fome parts they are more endemial, and at fome feafons more vigorous and virulent, than in others; especially in the countries about the equator, or between the tropics. Dr. Smollet hath informed us, that in the enchanting climate of Italy their numbers are incalculable, and that their effects are aftonifhing in happily preventing the inhabitants from falling into fomnolencies or lethargies. But we do not find, that the moft northern climates are defiitute of their occafional vifitations.

The particular queries propofed by your correspondent, relative to this infect, are "What will prevent, or deftroy its effect?" and "What will cure after it has wounded?"

As to the firft, it does not appear to be firiftly logical, taken as a whole, and connected with the fecond: for to alk what will deftroy its effect? is the faine thing as to afk what will cure after it has wounded? or, in the language of the fchools, the questions are fynonimous, and the one merges into the other. The firt query, therefore, fhould have been only this, "What will prevent the attack of the flea?" or the ill confequences arifing from his actual feizure?

Now, Sir, in anfwer to this, you will not do me the injuftice to imagine that I mean to propofe any advertited or fecret noftrum to lighten the pockets of your correfpondents. I am a mortal ene my to quackery; and fincerely hope, that in the new bill, which you have informed us fome eminent phyficians are about to prefent to parliament, for the regulation

be

be introduced to abolish this infernal traffic, not gradually, as perhaps was neceffary in the flave-trade, but immediately, vi et armis.

But, to the point:-the queftion of prevention. "Principis obfia" is an important maxiin: guard against first beginnings. What is to be done when fleus are in the vicinity, to prevent their attacks? A variety of means might here be employed, with perfect fafety, and with all imaginable fuccefs: fuch as anointing the body with tar, or brimftone ointment; fumigating the room with affafetida, brimitone, tobacco, &c.

It is acknowleged that, notwithstand ing this, we may have fome occafional viitors. What is to be done in this cafe? In general, endeavours are made to fcize the enemy. This, it must be owned, is often difficult. The flea is of the genus of infects called falient. In this view, his exploits are wonderful. Naturalifts inform us, that he is an abfolute unique. No infect or animal can take fuch aftonishing leaps, in proportion to its fize. He is alfo much affifted in this refpect by the acutenefs of his vision. Whether, like the fpider, he has a hemifphere of eyes, or a cylinder, in common with fome other infects, the fact is certain, that he evades our grafp long before we come in contact with him. He farther is defended by his elasticity. It is well known that he has a coat of mail, which, like the hide of the rhinoceros, may be cannon or piftol-proof. Hence the common fentiment, or proverb, which we acquire with the first rudiments of our education: “A, B, C; crack a loufe, and kill a flea." The letters are from the ancient cabala; and can only be undertood by one of the fociety of free-mafons, upon opening, by the light of a lamp, the nineteenth fection of the fourth tome of Martinus Scriblerus; provided he have in the room at the tane an owl and a black cat, a golden ring in one ear, and four leaves of red fage, a drachm of camphor, and a branch of fumitory, fufpended at the other. But the concluding part of the fentence, which is a comment upon the former, is fufficient, and is plainly this: that the pellis, or fkin, of the more naufeous infect, together with its body, is of fo vafcular and tender a fabiance, that it will readily yield to the preffure of the nail; whereas, you muft employ wore fcientific means to deftroy his firfituafin, who has been often known to

revive, even after apparent death, from various caufes; either by the genial warmth of the fun-beams, or from the vis inertia, the infcrutable energies of the celeftial Archeus, which pervade every organifed animal, from the body of the fublime Newton to that of the invifible mite. So that to this infect, more than to any other, may be justly applied the memorable motto of the Humane Society," Lateat fcintillula forfan."

But, it will be faid, all this is digreffion. Sir, in digreffing, I only follow the example of many modern authors, fenators, lawyers, and divines, who often grievoudly wander from the point, and introduce fubjects which have little or nothing to do with the topic upon which they profefs to difcant.

Having treated of the fint quere to the beft of my ability, I thall be very brief in confidering the fecond: What will cure, after it has wounded?

Sir, I muft here again obferve, that the term wounded is mifapplied. The flea attacks by puncture, and not by laceration, which is an effential characteriftic in the definition of a wound; or of a woonde, as every fine lady and petitmaitre now pronounces it.

Now, as to the cure of flea-bites, I hall only propofe a thort piece of advice; which, if more attended to by phyficians of the body natural, and of the body politic, would probably prevent or cure many diforders in both-Let them alone

But, that my lucubrations may not prove altogether ufelefs to your readers, I thall conclude with the relation of a true story, very fuitable upon the prefeut occafion.

Some years ago, at an annual fair in Staffordshire, an itinerant empiric was accustomed to fell a powder for the specific purpose of "killing fleas," which he difpofed of to great advantage. I lament, that I have none of this powder by me, for the examination of fome of our modern chemifts, who would quickly analyze it, pro bono publico. No doubt it contained fomething fingularly delectable to the taste of the animal, as ratcatchers entice their prey by the odorferous fcents of mufk and rhodium: yet I am confident any other powder will do as well, if applied in the fame manner.

How am I to ufe the powder?" faid a countryman, at one of the fairs abovementioned "Friend," quoth the doctor, "you must catch the flea by the

leading characters of a most intéresting portion of ancient hiftory. It is not enough to be intimate with those illustrious perfonages as they are introduced to us by Herodotus, Thucydides, or Xenophon. Our minds naturally pant for fomething beyond; and it is referved for

noticed in any of the Journals, you may perhaps think them worthy of a place in your valuable Magazine. They are extracted from the Compte Rendu des Travaux de l'Inftitut National pour l'An 12 et 13, par M. Cuvier,

"M. Ventenat, charged by her Majefty the Emprefs to communicate to the public all the new fpecies of plants in the garden of Malmaifon, has confecrated by her auguft name the Jofephinia, originally from New South Wales. The elevation of its stalk, and the beauty of its flowers, juftify the application of the name, from the great refemblance they bear to the divine original."

"M. de Beauvois has had the happinefs to be permitted to dedicate to the Emperor Napoleon a tree from the favage country of Owara in Africa, which, from the fplendour, the greatnefs, and the fingularity of its flower, well deferve to bear fo great a name. It presents the figure of a double crown; and as it is nearly a year fince M. de Beauvois prefented it to his Majefty, it may juttly be deemed a prophetic confecration."

Some of your readers perhaps, Sir, would not have been much difpleafed with M. Cuvier, had he tranfported the divine Jofephine herself to Botany Bay, and fent the Great Emperor to cut trees in the favage wilds of Ŏwara.

Your's,

X.

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.

SIR,

defcribe them to us as at feasts that never were given, and in converfations that were never held. It muft, nevertheless, have ftruck many of your readers, as well as myself, that, though much is performed, much ftill is wanting. The correfpondents in the Athenian Letters are all in ftiff buckram, and hold their pens as formally as if they were school-boys under their writing-mafter's inspection. On the contrary, what is required to keep up the real fpirit of fuch a correfpondence, is the most perfect ease and familiarity of ftyle and expression. A Greek or Roman newspaper would, it trikes me, be an excellent device. With what delight fhould we dwell on fuch fentences as the following: "Fafhionable arrivals at Baiæ. Q. Cæcilius Metellus, and family; L. Hortenfus, the Prætor; Q. Fabius Maximus; Octavia, fifter to the Emperor and wife of Mark Anthony, with her beautiful ward Sempronia; Julia, the Emperor's daughter; the celebrated poet, Ovidius Nafo; Albius Tibullus, knight, from a tour in Tranfalpine Gaul; P. Lentulus; C. Cornelius Gracchus, from his quæftorship in Pontus."

"Yefterday was married, by fpecial licenfe, at the houfe of L. Lucullus, by the right reverend the principal Flamen of Jupiter, M. Metellus Scipio Africanus to Lollia Paulina, a lady poffeffed of every accomplishment neceffary to make the wedded ftate fupremely hap py."

"To be let or fold, that delightful villa with the gardens at Tufculum, commanding a moft extenfive prospect, with a peep of the fea from the attic story, late the property of M. Tullius Cicero," &c. &c.

A choice collection of really fumiliar letters would alfo afford a delicious and truly rational entertainment to the retired claffical fcholar: I mean fuch letters as Mr. F., at the prefent day, might| write to Sir George G. or Captain S. to Lord D.; efpecially if intermixed with ancient cards of invitation and cere mony. The defirableness of such an ac quifition certainly tiruck a gentleman of high literary reputation, lately deceased,

(to whom I have the honour of being executor), among whofe papers I found a few loofe jeur d'oprit of the nature above defcribed, which, I have every reafon to fuppofe, he intended to have increafed to an ample collection, and publiked under fome tuch title as "Roman Letters."

Under this appellation, I beg leave to fend you the only pieces I have yet found, which, you will fee, have been written very haftily, but which you are very welcome to infert in your excellent Magazine, if agreeable.

I am, Sir, your's, &c.

VARRO.

Afinius Pollio to Cornelius Balbus.
"MY DEAR CORNELIUS,

"ICAN by no means agree with you in your opinion of our old friend Cicero's character. I know he defended your uncle extremely well, in that caufe about the freedom of the city, on the ground of Pompey's act, about which fo much fir was inade by the government; but it Is difagreeable to rip up old fores: fo no more on that fubject. You don't know, perhaps, that he was at the bottom of the oppofition which was railed against your having a triumph for your exploits among the Garamantes; but you muft have been informed of (what is notorious to all the world) the part he took in the year 700, when your uncle prefied him to remain neuter in Pompey's concerns, wtuch has fully acquitted your family of all obligations it might have formerly conceived felf under to him.

But what has all this to do with the charge which you fo zealously attempt to contute? Believe me, Balbus, I have had many opportunities of judging, which your fituation has denied to you. It is more for the honour of the Academy, than out of perfonal refpect to Cicero, that you init on the folidity of his pretentions to continence and temperance. Have you never heard your father fpeak of that W-Carellia? When you were lait at Tufculum, did Tully himfeif fhew you none of her letters to him? But you will fay, thofe letters breathed no other fpirit than that of the pureft philotophy: as if any woman ever became a philofopher, before the had facrificed all pretentions to that character. No, no, my friend; we old fellows, who have all our days breathed the fpirit of the Lipuline Hill, know more of thefe matters than the unexperienced burghers of Corduba and Gades, Carellia was a

painted Jezebel, and no better philofopher in her heart than Pericles's miltress, Alpalia.

I upped once at Antony's box on the Appian road, expecting to meet a felect company of merry fellows, with a few fine girls, to give a zeft to the entertainment. Upon my arrival, I found Antony and Cytheris tête-à-tête, which, as I thought myself late, fomewhat difcon certed ine; but judge how I was aftonithed, when he told me that he expected Cicero and this fame Cærellia, to complete the company. Now, as I knew Carellia had been always reputed a prude, I could not forbear cafting a few ide glances at Antony's good lady, expreflive of my aftonifliment at her being prefent at fo grave and ferious a party. She filed at my confusion, and took my well-meant hints with infinite good humour. "I don't believe you know Carcilia," the fignificantly added, “the's a fine woman, and a very able difpu tant."

Cytheris was now interrupted by four diftinct and philofophical raps at the fore-door, the well-known fignal of our old hypocrite's approach. Antony, who was lolling on a couch, too fat and lazy to ftir, exclaimed, "For the fake of Caftor and Pollux, my good City, go and do the honours of the house for ine. I am confoundedly done up by our debauch laft night at Cotta's, and feel the crapula rifing in my ftomach. Cicero is too formal and precife to come in without a regular introduction, according to ethquette."

He had fcarce fpoken, when the door opened, and Cærellia made her appear ance. She entered with a low courtesy, covering her ugly face with an Egyptian fan, and took her feat without more ce mony. She was immediately followed by the orator, who advanced fimpering to Mark, in a fort of Lydian dancing ftep, aud with a genteel negligence of air and deportment, his hair curled as nicely as Clodius's, his toga fantallically tucked up to his knees with a rofe-co loured ribbon, a neat rattan cane in one hand, and an ebony fnuff-box in the other. His gay appearance was, indeed, fomewhat overcast on obferving me as Í flood next the fire-place, and his airy fep began to affume fomething of philotophical folemnity, till Antony obferved, "There are none but friends, Cicero, You know my old comrade Pollio-as jolly an Epicurean as ever exifted. 'Fig my rule to banish all diftinction when I

am