to a kind of equality with nature itself: his Bucolics, Georgics, and Eneids, are in every hand. He died at Brundusium; his bones were translated to Naples, and buried about two miles from the city, with an epitaph of his own making: thus, Mantua me genuit, Calabri rapuere, tenet nunc Parthenope; cecini Pascua, Rara, Duces. He flourished anno ab U. C. 728. 9. Q. Horatius Flaccus, the prince of the Latin lyric poets, was born at Venusium in Italy: "He is (saith Quintilian) thechief at noting the manners of men, very pure and accurate, worthy almost alone to be read: he rises high sometimes, is full of jucundity, and various figures, and hath a most happy boldness of words. He died at Rome aged about fifty; and flourished in the reign of Augustus, anno ab U. C. 735. 10. Publius Ovidius Naso was born at Sulmo, an old town of the Peligni in Italy thus saith he himself, Trist. lib. 4. Eleg. 10. : Sulmo mihi patriu est, gelidis uberrimus undis, Millia qui novies, distat ab urbe decem. He excels all others in elegy; and therefore by Dempster is called "The Prince of Elegy." In the judgment of Seneca, "he is a most ingenious poet. had he not reduced that plenty of wit and matter into childish toys." "his Medea," saith Quintilian, "shews how much that man was able to perform, had he chose rather to govern, than indulge his wit." He died in his banishment, and is buried near the town of Tomos. He flourished anno Dom. 4. 11. C. Valerius Catullus was born at Verona, of no obscure parentage; for his father was familiar with Julius Cæsar, and he himself was so accepted at Rome, for the facility of his wit and learning, that he merited the patronage of Cicero, as he himself acknowledges with thanks. He loved Clodia, whom by a feigned name he calls Lesbia. Martial prefers him before himself. He died at Rome in the thirtieth year of his age; and that was commonly said of him, Tantum parca suo debet Verona Catullo, Quantum magna suo Mantua Virgilio, He flourished Olympiad 180, anno Dom. 40. 12. Albius Tibullus, of an equestrian family in Rome, a poet famous for his elegies, in which he was the first among the Romans that excelled," saith Vossius. He was in familiarity with Horace and Ovid. He loved Plancia un der the feigned name of Delia; whereas he was very rich, by the iniquity of the times, he complains he was reduced to po verty. He composed four books of elegies, and died young. For the elegancy of his verse, it is said of him, Donec erunt ignes arcusque Cupidinus arma,Discentur numeri culte Tibulle tui. He flourished A. ab U. C. 734. 13. Sex. Aurel. Propertius was born at Mevania, a town in Umbria; as he himself somewhere saith, Ut nostris tumefacta superbiat Umbria libris, Umbria Romani patria Callimachi. He complains that he was put out of his father's lands, in that division that was made amongst the soldiers of the Trium virate. The true name of his Cynthia was Hostia, saith Apuleius. We have four books of his elegies. Some write that he died in the forty-first year of his age. He flourished with Ovid, Catullus, and Tibullus. 14. Cornelius Gallus, born at Forojulium, was an orator and famous poet: from a mean fortune he was received into the friendship of Augustus, and by him (8.) Voss. de Poet. Lat. cap. 2. p. 26. Quenstedt Dial. p. 299.-(9.) Voss. de Poet. Lat. cap. 2. P. 26. Quenstedt Dial. p. 382. Quinti! de Instit. Orator. 1. 10 c. 1. p. 472.—(10.) Quintil. de Instit. Orator. lib. 10. cap. 1. p. 473. Voss. de Poet. Lat. cap. 2. p. 29. Senec. Nat. Quæst. cap. 26. (11.) Voss. de Poet. Lat. cap. 1. p. 14. Gell. Noct Att. 1. 7. cap. 20. p. 220.(12.) Quenstedt Dial. p. 369. Petr. Crinit. de Poet. Lat. lib. 7. p. 71.— (12.) Petr. Crinit. de Poet. Lat. lib. 3. p. 71. Voss. ac Poet. Lat. cap, 2. p. 3). mado made the first president of Egypt, when it was become a Roman province. Through his discourse in his wine at a feast, he came into suspicion of a conspirator; and being turned over to the senate to be condemned, for very shame he slew himself in the sixty-third year of his age. He wrote four books of elegies. His Lycoris was one Cytheris, a freed-maid of Volumnius. Most of his writings are lost. He flourished Olympiad 188. country and life, as being ill-treated by his countrymen, he died. 18. Statius Papinius, born at Naples, lived under Domitian. He left five books Sylvarum, twelve Thebaidos, five Achilleidos. Martial liked not that he was so much favoured, and in his writings never mentions him. 19. Ausonius the poet, and also consul at Rome, was born in Gascony at Burdigala, now called Bourdeaux, as he tells us himself thus: Diligo Burdigalam, Romam colo, civis in illa, "Scaliger saith of him, "That he had a great and acute wit." His style is somewhat harsh. He flourished A. D. 420. 15. Decius Junius Juvenalis was born at Aquinum in Italy; he spent his studies in writing satires, following the example of Lucilius and Horace; in which state he gained no mean reputation amongst the learned. "The Prince of Satirists," saith J. Scaliger. His verses are far better than those of Horace: his sentences are sharper, and his phrase more open. Having offended Paris, the Pantomine, at eighty years of age, in show of honour he was made præfect of a cohort, and sent into Egypt. He flourished anno Dom. 84. 16. A. Persius Flaccus was born at Volaterra, an ancient and noble city in Italy, situated by the river Cecina. He wrote satires, wherein he sharply taxes the corrupted and depraved manners of the citizens of Rome, sustaining the person of a philosopher. While he severely reprehends, he is instructive. "Much he borrowed out of Plato," saith Chytræus. By some he is under censure for his obscurity. He flourished in the reign of Nero, anno Dom. 64; died in the twenty-ninth year of his age, about the 210th Olympiad. 20. Marcellus Palingenius wrote the Zodiac of Life; that is, of the right way of the institution of the life, study, and manners of men, in twelve books; a work of great learning and philosophy. He flourished anno Dom. 1480. 21. Baptista Mantuanus, surnamed Hispaniolus, a monk, and excellent poet, to whom Mantua gave both birth and name. He was accounted the only poet in his age, and another Maro. He taxed with great freedom and liberty the corruption of the Roman church, the impiety and villanies of the popes: amongst others, he thus writes of the simony and covetousness of the popes: Venalia nolis He wrote divers verses in praise of the 17. N. Valer. Martialis was born at Bilbilis in Celtiberia, in the reign of Claudius the emperor. At twenty years of age he came to Rome under Nero; and there continued thirty-five, much favoured by Titus and Domitian. He was a tribune, and of the order of knights in Rome. After Domitian's death, he was not in the like honour; and there- Of Music: the strange Efficacy of it, and fore, in Trajan's time, returned into his own country: and there, having wrote his twelfth book of epigrams, weary of his CHAP. X. the most famous Musicians. THERE are four sorts of music which were most celebrated amongst the an-' (15.) Quenstedt Dial. p. 372. Voss. de Poet. Lat. (17.) Voss. de Poet. Lat. cap. 3. p. 46.- (18.) Ibid. Voss, de Poet. Lat. cap. 4. p. 55,- (20.) Quenstedt Dial. (14.) Voss. de Poet. Lat. cap. 2. p. 25. cap. 3. p. 41.-(16.) Ibid. p. 322. Ibid. p. 45. (19.) Quenstedt Dial. p. 36. P. 992, (21.) Ibid. p. 300. cients, cients, the Dorian or Doric, as a promotor of wisdom and chastity; the Phrygian transports the mind to quarrelling and fury: the Eolian conjures down the evil spirit of anger, and inclines the appeased soul to sleep and then the Lydian raises and elevates the minds of men from terrene and earthly things, and enkindles devout desires after such as are heavenly. Thus large is the empire which music exerciseth over the soul of man: and what it hath been further able to do as to the body, for this I refer you to some of the following examples: 1. Concerning the efficacy and force of music, I am desirous to set down what I myself saw practised upon Madame de la March, a gentlewoman near to Garet, young, virtuous, and passable for beauty, who, upon report of her husband's incli nation to change, and inconstant affections, fell into such a fury, that on the sudden she would throw herself into the fire, or out at the window, or into a fish-pond near her house, out of which she had been twice rescued; and so was more diligently kept. The physicians attended her to no purpose, notwithstanding all their endeavours: but a Capuchin passing that way to crave alms, and hearing what had befallen her, advised, that some skilful and experienced person upon the lute should continue to play by her: and that in the night some pleasing ditties should consort with the music: it was accordingly performed, and in less than three months the violent passion forsook her, and she remained sound both in body and mind. 2. I likewise knew another person of honour at Roan, whose name may be best known by du Parreau, who all her life-time did never use the help of any physic, how great soever her infirmities were: but in all her hurts, diseases, child-birth, and lamen ss, she only desired one who could skilfully play on the tabor and pipe, instead of a physician. Being advanced in age, an extreme pain seized upon her knee,supposed to be some species of the gout; she caused her tabourer instantly to play her a pleasant and lively coranto. The tabourer striving to exceed himself in art and dexterity, in readiness of wind and agility of hand, fell down in a swoon, and so continued for three quarters of an hour: the lady then complained that her pain and afflic tion was never so extraordinary as in the time of the music's sudden cessation. The musician being recovered; and refreshed with a glass of brisk wine, fell afresh to his former skilful musical playing and the lady was thereby so eased of her pain, that it utterly left her. I myself was in the chamber when this accident happened, and do avouch, upon my credit, that the gentlewoman thus lived an hundred and six years. 3. Clinias, the Pythagorean, was a person very different both in his life and manners from other men: and if it chanced at any time that he was inflamed with anger, he would take his harp, play upon, and sing to it; saying, as oft as he was asked the cause of his so doing, "That by this means he found himself reduced to the temper of his former mild ness. 4. Tyrtæus, the Spartan poet, having first rehearsed his verses, and afterwards made them to be sung with flutes well tuned together; he so stirred and enflamed the courage of the soldiers thereby, that whereas they had before been overcome in divers conflicts, being then transported with the fury of the muses, they remained conquerors, and cut in pieces the whole army of the Mes ginians. 5. Timotheus, a Melisian, was so excellently skilled in music, that when he played and sung a song, composed in honour of Pallas, in the presence of Alexander the Great, the prince, as one transported with gallantry and martial hu mour of the air, started up, and being stirred in every part, called for his ar mour; but then again, the musician changing into more sedate and calmer notes, sounding as it were a retreat, the prince also sat quiet and still. (1.) Treasury of Ancient and Mod, Times, l. s. c. 28.-(2.)Ibid. p. 806.—(3.) Athen. Deip. 1. 14. -(4) Camer. Oper. Subc. cent. 1. c. s. p. 623, 624. Ælian. Var. Hist. 1. 14. c. 23. p. 409 C. 18. p. 99. (5.) Alex. ab. Alex. in Dieb. Genia. 1. 4. c. 2. ful. 178. Sabel. Ex. 1. 10. c. §. P. 579. VOL. II, 2H 6. There 6. There was a musician in Denmark that did so excel in his art, that he used to boast, "That he could with his music set his hearers beside themselves, or make them merry, pensive, or furious, as he pleased which he also performed upon trial, at the command of one of the Danish kings. viz. Ericus the Second, surnamed the Good. 7. At such time as the tyrant Eugenius raised that perilous war in the east, and that money grew short with the emperor Theodosius, he determined to raise subsidies, and to gather from all parts more than before he had ever done; the citizens of Antioch bore this exaction with so ill a will, that after they had uttered many outrageous words against the emperor, they pulled down his statues, and those also of the empress his wife. A while after, when the heat of their fury was past, they began to repent themselves of their folly, and considered into what danger they had cast themselves and their city. Then did they curse their rashness, confess their fault, implore the goodness of God, and that with tears, "That it would please him to calm the emperor's heart." These supplications and prayers were solemnly sung with sorrowful tunes, atd lamenting voices. Their bishop, Flavianus, employed himself valiantly, in this needful time, in behalf of the city, made a journey to Theodosius, and did his utmost to appease him: but finding himself rejected, and knowing that the emperor was devising some grievous punishment; and, on the other side, not having the boldness to speak again, and yet much troubled in his thoughts because of his people, there came this device into his head. At such time as the emperor sat at meat, certain young boys were wont to sing musically unto him. Flavianus wrought so, that he obtained of those that had the charge of the boys, that they would suffer them to sing the supplications and prayers of the city of Antioch. Theodosius, listening to that grave music, was so moved with it, and so touched with compassion, that having then the cup in his hand, he, with his warm tears, watered the wine that was in it, and fogretting all his conceived dis pleasure against the Antiochians, freely pardoned them and their city. : 8. The sons of Ludovicus the First (then emperor) had conspired against him, and amongst divers of the bishops. that were confederate with them, was Theodulphus, bishop of Orleans, whom the emperor clapped up in prison in Anjou in this place the emperor kept his Easter, and was present at the procession on Palm Sunday, in imitation and honour of Christ's entrance into Jerusalem. All the pomp passing by the place were Theodulphus was under restraint, the bishop, in sight of that solemnity, had prepared a most elegant hymn in honour of that procession; and as the emperor passed by, opening his casement, with a clear and musical voice he sung it, so as to be heard of the multitude that passed by: the emperor enquired "what voice that was, and who that sung?" It was told him, "The captive bishop of Orleans." The emperor diligently attending both the purport of the verses and sweetness of the voice, was therewith so delighted, that he restored the prisoner forthwith to his liberty. 9. In some part of Calabria are great store of Tarantulas, serpents peculiar to this country, and taking that name from the city of Tarentum. Some hold them to be a kind of spiders, others of effts; but they are greater than the one, and less than the other. The sting is deadly, and the contrary operations thereof most miraculous: for some so stung are still op pressed with a leaden sleep, others are vexed wit!: continual waking. Some fling up and down, and others are extremely lazy: one sweats, a second vomits, a third runs mad; some weep, and others laugh continually, and that is the most usual. The merry, the mad, and otherwise actively disposed, are cured by music; at least it is the cause, in that it incites thein to dance indefatigably; by labourand sweat the poison is expelled. And music also, by a certain high excellency, hath been found, by experi ence, to stir in the sad and drowsy so strange an alacrity, that they have wea (6.) Camer. Oper. Subc. cent. 2. cap. 81. p. 320.-(7.) Nicep. 1. 12. c. 23. Camer. Oper. Subc. cent. 1. c. 18. p. 99.-(8.) Zuin. Theat, vol. 5. l. 3. p. 1283. ried |