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III.

"Thou once didft leave almighty Jove,
"And all the golden roofs above:
"The car thy wanton fparrows drew,
Hov'ring in air they lightly flew;
"As to my bow'r they wing'd their way,
"I faw their quiv'ring pinions play.

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IV.

"The birds difmifs'd (while you remain)
"Bore back their empty car again:
"Then you, with looks divinely mild,
"In ev'ry heav'nly feature fmil'd,
"And afk'd what new complaints I made,
"And why I call'd you to my aid ?

V.

"What frenzy in my bofom rag'd,
"And by what cure to be affwag'd?
"What gentle youth I would allure,
"Whom in my artful toils fecure?
"Who does thy tender heart fubdue,
"Tell me, my Sappho, tell me, who?.
VI.

Tho' now he fhuns thy longing arms,
"He foon fhall court thy flighted charms ;
"Tho' now thy off'rings he defpife,

"He foon to thee fhall facrifice;

"Tho' now he freeze, he foon shall burn,
"And be thy victim in his turn.
VII.

"Celestial vifitant, once more
"Thy needful prefence I implore!
"In pity come and eafe my grief,
Bring my diftemper'd foul relief,
"Favour thy fuppliant's hidden fires,
"And give me all my heart defires."

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Madam Dacier obferves, there is fomething very pretty in that circumftance of this ode, wherein Venus is defcribed as fending away her chariot upon rival at Sappho's lodgings, to denote that it was not a fhort tranfient vifit which fhe intended to make her. This ode was preferved by an eminent Greek critic,

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who inferted it intire in his works, as a pattern of fection in the ftructure of it.

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Longinus has quoted another ode of this great poetefs, which is likewife admirable in its kind, and has been tranflated by the fame hand with the foregoing one. I fhall oblige my reader with it in another paper. In the mean while, I cannot but wonder, that these two finifhed pieces have never been attempted before by any of our own countrymen. But the truth of it is, the com-` pofitions of the ancients, which have not in them any of thofe unnatural witticisms that are the delight of ordinary readers, are extremely difficult to render into another tongue, fo as the beauties of the original may not appear weak and faded in the translation.

C.

N° 224.

Friday, November 16.

-Fulgente trabit conftrictos gloria curru

Non minùs ignotos generofis- HOR. Sat. 6. I. 1. v. 23.
Glory's fhining chariot swiftly draws
With equal whirl the noble and the base.

IF

CREECH.

F we look abroad upon the great multitude of mankind, and endeavour to trace out the principles of action in every individual, it will, I think, feem highly probable that ambition runs through the whole fpecies, and that every man in proportion to the vigour of his complexion is more or lefs actuated by it. It is indeed no uncommon thing to meet with men, who by the natural bent of their inclinations, and without the difcipline of philosophy, aspire not to the heights of power and grandeur; who never fet their hearts upon a numerous train of clients and dependencies, nor other gay appendages of greatnefs; who are contented with a competency,and will not moleft their tranquillity to gain an abundance: but it is not therefore to be concluded that fuch a man is not ambitious: his defires may have cut out another channel, and determined him to other pursuits; the motive however may be still the fame; and

in these cases likewise the man may be equally pushed on with the defire of diftinction.

Though the pure conscioufnefs of worthy actions, abstracted from the views of popular applaufe, be to a generous mind an ample reward, yet the defire of diftinction was doubtless implanted in our natures as an additional incentive to exert ourselves in virtuous excellence.

This paffion indeed, like all others, is frequently perverted to evil and ignoble purposes; fo that we may account for many of the excellencies and follies of life, upon the fame innate principle, to wit, the defire of being remarkable for this, as it has been differently cultivated by education, study and converfe, will bring forth fuitable effects as it falls in with an ingenuous difpofition, or a corrupt mind; it does accordingly exprefs itTelf in acts of magnanimity or felfifh cunning, as it meets with a good or weak understanding. As it has been employed in embellishing the mind, or adorning the outfide, it renders the man eminently praife-worthy or ridiculous. Ambition therefore is not to be confined only to one paffion or purfuit; for as the fame humours, in conftitutions otherwise different, affect the body after different manners, fo the fame afpiring principle within us fometimes breaks forth upon one object, fometimes upon another.

It cannot be doubted, but that there is as great a defire of glory in a ring of wreftlers or cudgel players, as in any other more refined competition for fuperiority. No man that could avoid it, would ever fuffer his head to be broken but out of a principle of honour. This is the fecret spring that pufhes them forward ; and the fuperiority which they gain above the undiftinguished many, does more than repair those wounds they have received in the combat. It is Mr. Waller's opinion, that Julius Cæfar, had he not been mafter of the Roman empire, would in all probability have made an excellent wrestler.

"Great Julius, on the mountains bred,
"A flock perhaps or herd had led;
"He that the world fubdu'd, had been
"But the best wrestler on the
green."

No 224. That he fubdued the world, was owing to the accidents of art and knowledge; had he not met with those advantages, the fame fparks of emulation would have kindled within him, and prompted him to diftinguish himself in fome enterprize of a lower nature. Since therefore no iman's lot is fo unalterably fixed in this life, but that a thousand accidents may either forward or disappoint his advancement, it is, methinks, a plea fant and inoffenfive fpeculation, to confider a great man as divested of all the adventitious circumstances of fortune, and to bring him down in one's imagination to that low station of life, the nature of which bears fome diftant resemblance to that high one he is at present poffeffed of. Thus one may view him exerciting in miniature thofe talents of nature, which being drawn out by education to their full length, enable him for the discharge of fome important employment. On the other hand, one may raife uneducated merit to fuch a pitch of greatness, as may feem equal to the poffible extent of his improved capacity.

Thus nature furnishes a man with a general appetite of glory, education determines it to this or that particular object. The defire of diftinction is not, I think, in any inftance, more obfervable than in the variety of outfides and new appearances, which the modifh part of the world are obliged to provide, in order to make themselves remarkable; for any thing glaring or particular, either in behaviour or apparel, is known to have this good effect, that it catches the eye, and will not fuffer you to pass over the perfon fo adorned without due notice and obfervation. It has likewife, upon this account, been frequently refented as a very great flight, to leave any gentleman out of a lampoon or fatire, who has as much right to be there as his neighbour, because it supposes the perfon not eminent enough to be taken notice of. To this paffionate fondness for diftinction are owing various frolickfome and irregular practices, as fallying out into nocturnal exploits, breaking of windows, finging of catches, beating the watch, getting drunk twice a day, killing a great number of horfes ; with many other enterprises of the like fiery nature for certainly many a man is more rakish and

extravagant than he would willingly be, were there not others to look on and give their approbation.

One very common, and at the fame time the most abfurd ambition that ever fhewed itself in human nature, is that which comes upon a man with experience and old age, the feafon when it might be expected he fhould be wifeft; and therefore it cannot receive any of those leffening circumstances which do, in fome meafure, excufe the diforderly ferments of youthful blood; I mean the paffion for getting money, exclufive of the character of the provident father, the affectionate hufband, or the generous friend. It may be remarked, for the comfort of honeft poverty, that this defire reigns moft in those who have but few good qualities to recommend them. This is a weed that will grow in a barren foil. Humanity, good-nature, and the advantages of a liberal education, are incompatible with avarice. It is ftrange to fee how fuddenly this abject paffion kills all the noble fentiments and generous ambitions that adorn human nature; it renders the man who is over-run with it a peevish and cruel mafter, a fevere parent, an unfociable husband, a diftant and mistrustful friend. But it is more to the prefent purpose to confider it as an abfurd paffion of the heart, rather than as a vicious affection of the mind. As there are frequent inftances to be met with of a proud humility, fo this paffion, contrary to moft others, affects applause, by avoiding all show and appearance; for this reafon it will not fometimes endure even the common decencies of apparel. "A covetous man will call himself poor, that "you may footh his vanity by contradicting him." Love, and the defire of glory, as they are the most natural, so they are capable of being refined into the most delicate and rational paffions. It is true, the wife man who ftrikes out of the fecret paths of a private life, for honour and dignity, allured by the fplendor of a court, and the unfelt weight of public employment, whether he fucceeds in his attempts or no, ufually comes near enough to this painted greatnefs to difcern the daubing; he is then defirous of extricating himfelf out of the hurry of life, that he may pafs away the remainder of his days in tranquillity and retirement.

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