nishing from all the libraries of his time, the busts and the works of Livy and Virgil. He could not bear, that those noble efforts of genius, breathing a spirit of liberty and virtue, which he could not but hate, should continue to diffuse such sentiments, as must teach all who imbibed them, to detest him as a monster.

The following is the account of this matter given by Suetonius: "Cogitavit etiam de Homeri carminibus abo lendis. Cur enim sibi non liceret, dicens, quod Platoni licuisset, qui eum a civitate, quam constituebat, ejecerit? Sed Virgilii et Titi Livii scripta et imagines, pau lum abfuit, quin ex omnibus bibliothecis amoveret ; quorum alterum ut nullius ingenii, minimæque doctrinæ ; alterum, ut verbosum, in historiâ negligentemque, car pebat."*

Flagitious as was his reign, I know not whether any thing he could have done, would have been more injuri ous, than if he had succeeded in extinguishing these glorious lights. The atrocious malignity of his immoral and tyrannical actions was confined to his own age, but this would have descended to posterity, and continued the effects of his despotism, long after the great teacher, Death, had humbled his pride, by reducing him to the dust, not distinguishable from the poorest wretch whom his insolence despised, and his cruelty persecuted. In. deed his design was impracticable; for, with all his power, he could not have prevented some votary of taste and genius from preserving in secret the noble reliques of these illustrious ornaments of human nature.

I have no doubt but the same disposition which could form a wish to abolish Homer, would have rejoiced, if it had been possible, to have extinguished the sun, or to have dried up the ocean. Such tyranny exhibits a melancholy monument of human wickedness, and at the same time furnishes a salutary warning to the world, not to trust enormous power in the hands of a fellow-crea ture. Human nature retains so much of inherent malignity, that he who possesses power uncontroled will be in imminent danger of imitating, and nearly resembling the parent of all evil.t

But the wicked never want the artifice of giving to Sueton. Calig. cap. 34.

+ Die mihi & fueris tú leo, qualis eris. Mart.

their malice some colorable pretence. Caligula alleged that he should be justified in the abolition of Homer by the example of Plato, who banished the poets from his imaginary republic. But what was Plato's motive? a desire to preserve the morals of youth, whose ideas he thought were corrupted and distorted, by an initiation into the strange mysteries of fiction, instead of the knowledge of substantial and practical realities. He did not mean to abolish their works, or to preclude men, whose reason was mature, from the study of them. He only thought as many others have thought, that on the minds of young men, the slaves of passion and fancy, they might operate in the same manner, as novels and romances have been observed to do, in firing the passions and misleading the imagination. But was Caligula's motive for their expulsion a fear that they might diffuse corruption? No such apprehension ever agitated his bosom. His fear was, lest they should teach a virtue to which he could never attain, and raise a spirit inimical to his manners, his person and his tyranny. He must have known that, among all the persons described by Homer, he was worthy only to be ranked with such wretches as Thersites. Before he could shine, he knew that all true glory must be shaded, as the sun must retire, before the feeble light, which arises from a foul vapor, can become visible.

But he assigns a reason for the expulsion of Virgil and Livy. Virgil, says he, has no genius, and a very small share of learning; and Livy is verbose in his style, and negligent in his narrative.

Caligula must be excepted against as an incompetent judge both of learning and genius; for it requires a considerable share of both, to form a just opinion of the degree in which they are possessed by a writer. If Virgil had not genius, he would not, I think, have continued so long, the delight and admiration of all who have read his works with taste. He has Longinus's criterion of genius, the united voice of various ages and nations, in his favor. He has Caligula, and a few other men of debauched taste, against him, which is almost as great an honor, as the general approbation.

The truth is, that Virgil has a remarkably happy uni on of genius with learning; and a judgment also to guide

him in the conduct of both, with that propriety which enables him to delight at once the reason and the fancy. Genius, without learning, often delights the fancy, but the judgment must in the mean time sleep, or the pleasure will be diminished and interrupted.

Whoever has read the works of Virgil, in the excellent edition of Heyne, will want no argument to convince him, that Virgil did not deserve the stigma which Caligula would have fixed on him, that of very little learning; and whoever has sensibility will feel the falsehood of the detracting spirit, that dared to assert of him that he had no genius. It must ever be an honor to suffer detraction from such men as Caligula.

It is very easy to assign a reason for his dislike of Livy. A most arbitrary tyrant, and most profligate man, could not but wish to destroy the works of an historian, who exhibits the assertors of liberty, and the virtuous patriots of a virtuous republic, in such colors, as must at once excite love and lead to imitation. Caligula's charge of verbosity in the style of Livy is utterly groundless. He expresses himself with a noble brevity, and with that concise dignity, which evinced that he had a Roman soul; such a soul, as was adequate to the noble undertaking of a Roman history. The other charge, that of negligence in his account of facts, originated from the malignant wish of the tyrant, to diminish the credit of an historian who related deeds of so bright a splendor, as must render the page in which his own should be recorded, foul indeed. Time has unfortunately done much to accomplish the nefarious wish of Caligula, in the destruction of the works of Livy; but enough remains to delight every man of taste, and warm the bosom with maganimous sentiments, and the generous ardor of public virtue.

It is greatly to be lamented, when princes, instead of patronizing genius, endeavor to repress its aspiring vigor, Such a conduct arises, in such men as Caligula, from envy and malice; but a neglect of genius is occasioned in others by ignorance, and a total deficiency of taste forworks which the world applauds. Even Hadrian, we are told, wished to abolish Homer's, works and substitute in his room the poems of one Antimachus. He thought it was time to leave off admiring old Homer, that he

had been admired long enough, and that he should gratify the passion for novelty, by introducing in his place, a modern versifier. He puts one in mind of the rough warrior, who told the captain, to whose care he had consigned some fine pictures, which he had taken as spoils, that if they were lost or injured, they should be renewed at the captain's expence.

Men of sense look down upon such emperors, when they dictate in matters of taste, with as much contempt, as the emperors can do on the meanest of their vassals. When learning is diffused throughout a nation, the works of taste and genius flourish and abound independently of the smiles or the frowns of princes.

EVENING V.

ON ERASMUS'S PRAISE OF MARRIAGE.

enumerated the reluctance with which young men enter the marriage state. The affections of many are in vain solicited by any charms besides those of lucre. The times seem to be past, when, in the prime of life virtu ous love led young men to select a companion, for the amiable qualities of her mind and person, independently of all pecuniary considerations. The loveliest of women may now pine in hopeless celibacy; for, if they cannot purchase a husband, as they would purchase a gown, with the contents of their purse, they may live and die without one. In vain has nature given them the vermil cheek, and the eye of sensibility, if fortune has refused her more brilliant gifts. Young men gaze at them indeed, like children at the peacock, and turn away with. out any tenderness of sentiment, or at least, without any wish to possess the beauty which they admire, on ho norable conditions.

marks may be

It is indeed observable, that young men of the present age too often consider marriage as an evil in itself, only to be incurred when the pecuniary advantages attending it afford a compensation. For the sake of the good, it seems, they sometimes condescend to accept the evil. A most insulting opinion, and no less unreasonable and

untrue than contumelious; for marriage, prudent and affectionate marriage, is favorable to every virtue that can contribute to the comfort and happiness of the individual, while it most essentially serves the interests of society.

I was thinking on this subject, when I accidentally opened a little book of Erasmus on the Art of Letter Writing. He gives models of letters on various subjects, and, under the appearance of affording hints, in a didactic way for the use of students, contrives to recommend several most useful things, with great force of argument, and in a very entertaining manner. I happened to open the book in the place where he is writing a persuasive to marriage, and I was so well pleased with several of his topics, that I determined to select a few of them for the consideration of my readers. I mean not literally to translate, or to give the whole of his persuasive. There are parts in it, which one cannot entirely approve; but there are others, which every heart, that is not spoiled by fashion and false philosophy, must admire.

Is there any friendship, says he, among mortals, comparable to that between man and wife? For the love of you, he proceeds, your wife has ceased to value the tenderness of parents, brothers, sisters; to you alone she looks for happiness, on you she depends, with you she wishes to live and to die.

Are you rich? you have one who will endeavor to preserve and to increase your property. Are you in narrow circumstances? you have one who will assist you faithfully in the pursuit of gain. If you enjoy prosperity, she will double your happiness; if you are in adversity, she will console you, she will sit by your side, she will wait upon you with all the assiduity of love, and only wish that she could appropriate the misfortune which gives you pain. Is there any pleasure to be compared with an union of hearts like this?

I must add the next passage in his own words.

Si domi agis, adest que solitudinis tædium depellat ; si foris, est que discedentem osculo prosequatur, absentem desideret, redeuntem læta excipiat.

She is the sweet companion of your youth; and the pleasant solace of your old age.