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Gath'ring his flowing robe he seem'd to stand,
In act to speak, and graceful stretch'd his hand.

THIS beautiful attitude is copied from a statue in that valuable collection, which Lady Pomfret had the goodness and generosity lately to present to the university of Oxford.— Cicero, fays Addison, next appeared and took his place. He had enquired at the door for one Lucceius to introduce him; but not finding him there, he contented himself with the attendance of many other writers, who all, except Sallust, appeared highly pleased with the office.

I CANNOT forbear taking occafion to mention an ingenious imitation of this paper of Addison, called the Table of Modern Fame, at which the guests are introduced and ranged with that taste and judgement which is peculiar to the author *. It may not be unentertaining to enumerate the perfons in the order he has placed them, by which his sense of their merits will appear. Columbus, Peter the Great, Supposed to be Dr. Akenfide. Dodfley's Mufæum, No. 13.

Leo

Leo X. Martin Luther, Newton, Descartes, Lewis XIV. William the firft Prince of Orange, Edward the Black Prince, Francis I. Charles V. Locke, Galileo, John Fauft, Harvey, Machiavel, Taffo, Ariosto, POPE, Boileau, Bacon *, Milton †, Cervantes, Moliere.

19. When on the Goddefs firft I caft my fight,
Scarce feem'd her ftature of a cubit's height;
But fwell'd to larger height the more I gaz'd,
Till to the roof her tow'ring height fhe rais'd f.

"The affembly with one accord invited Bacon forward, the Goddefs beckoned him to draw near, and feated him on the highest throne." Mufæum, No. 13.

"I was extremely difcontented that no more honourable place had been referved for Milton. You forget, fays my conductor, that the loweft place in this affembly, is one of twenty, the most honourable gifts which Fame has to bestow among the whole human fpecies. Milton is now admitted for the first time, and was not but with difficulty admitted at all. But have patience a few years longer; he will be continually afcending in the goddefs's favour, and may perhaps at laft obtain the higheft, or at leaft the fecond place, in thefe her folemnities. In the mean time, fee how he is received by the man who is beft qualified here to judge of his dignity. I looked at him again, and faw Raphael making him the most affectionate congratulations." Mufæum, No. 13.

+ Ver. 257

This figure of Fame enlarging and growing every moment, which is copied from Virgil, is imagined with ftrength and fublimity of fancy.

Parva metu primo, mox fefe attollit in auras,
Ingrediturque folo, et caput inter nu bila condit *.

There is another figure of this fort in the Georgics of Virgil, as nobly conceived. Instead of saying that the peftilence among the cattle encreased daily, what an exalted image has he given us !

Sævit et in lucem Stygiis emiffa tenebris

Pallida TYSIPHONE. MORBOS agit ante METUMQUE, Inque dies avidum furgens caput altius effert.

The fybil in the fixth Æneid is likewife reprefented as spreading to fight, and growing larger and larger as the infpiration came upon her.

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Subito non vultus, non color unus,

Non comptæ manfere comæ ; fed pectus anhelum,
Et rabie fera corda tument; majorque videri,

Nec mortale fonans +.

Book IV. ver. 175.

+ Ver. 47.

We

We have still a fourth inftance of Virgil's imagination, in the fpirited picture he has drawn of the fury who appears to Turnus in the seventh Æneid *. Turnus at first, suitably to his character, treats her as an impertinent old priestess, whofe habit she had indeed borrowed. Upon which she inftantly kindles into rage, affumes her own horrid shape in a moment; the ferpents hifs around her head, and her countenance fpreads forth in all its

terrors.

At juveni oranti fubitus tremor occupat artus;
Diriguere oculi; tot Erinnys fibilat hydris,
Tantaque fe facies aperit.-

In no part of Virgil's writings is there more true spirit and fublimity, than in this interview between Turnus and the fury, both whose characters are strongly supported. But to return to FAME. Virgil has represented her as a dreadful and gigantic monster, in which conception, though he might have been affifted by the DISCORD of Homer, yet his

• Ver. 448.

figure is admirably defigned to imprefs terror. She has innumerable tongues, mouths, eyes and ears; the found of her wings is heard at the dead of night, as fhe flies through the middle of the air.

Nocte volat cœli medio, terræque per umbram
Stridens.-

In the day time fhe fits watchful on battlements, and on the highest towers, and terrifies great cities, who gaze at her huge and formidable

appearance.

Luce fedet cuftos, aut fummi culmine tecti,

Turribus aut altis, et magnas territat urbes.

It did not fuit POPE's purpofe, to represent

FAME as fo odious a monster.

He has there

fore dropped thefe ftriking circumstances in

Virgil, and foftened her features.

20. With her the Temple ev'ry moment grew,
And ampler viftos opened to my view:
Upwards the columns fhoot, the roofs afcend,
And arches widen, and long iles extend *

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ANON out of the earth a fabric huge
Rofe like an exhalation, with the found

Vol. II.

I

Of

Ver. 262.

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