afigmo illo cantico, fecuta eft comes invidia, multis των αντιτεχνων non adeo felicis ingenii idem conantibus non pari fucceffu, fays Caufabon, in his animadverfions upon this paffage-We have a few lines from his dithyrambics, in which PINDAR laughs at these cavillers, πριν μεν ειςπε σχοινοτενια τα οιδα Olim quidem exulabat e carminibus exilitas, & fignum reprobum, O! homines e Dithyrambis. Cafaubon. Dionyfius Halicarnafeus fays, ενδε μελοποιια Πινδα φος ενδε τραγωδία Αισχύλος PINDAR excels in lyric poetry, Efchylus in tragedy. HORACE had many enemies, and was obliged to wade through many difficulties, before he could arrive to that state of fuperiority, when he could fay, et jam dente minus mordeor invido, of these secret and concealed malignant fpirits who are ever bufily inftilling their poifon into the ears of the great, where, as Lucian fays, nothing is to be met with but fufpicions, envy, falfehood and double dealing, jealoufy and hatred, and that continual affiduity of deftroying each other in the opinion of their patrons—οπον γαρ αει μείζες ελα πιδου ενταυθα και οι φθονοι χαλεπωτέροι, και τα μισά επισφαλέσερα και ζηλοτυπίας ηνακοτεχνεςεραι παντες εν αλληλους οξυ δέδορκασι, και ωσπερ οι μονομάχουντους επι τηςεσιν ει ποντι γυμνυθεν μέρος θεάσαιντο το σώματος. και πρώτος αυτος εκαςος ειν βελόμενος παρευθείται, και παραγκωνίζεται τον πλησίον, και τον πας αυτό, ει δυναντο, ευποσπα και υποσκελίζει ενθα μεν χρηςος ατεχνως ευθυς ανατετραπται, και παρασέσυρται, και το τελεταίο ατιμως κτίμως εξεωςαι. -for they were too much afraid of him to avow their rancour, but concealed their malevolence, and were therefore the more dangerous: Fænum habet in cornu, longe fuge. Yonder he drives-avoid that furious beast. Francis. Cave, cave, namque in malos afperrimus Qualis Lycambæ fpretus infido gener Aut acer hoftis Bupalo. An fi quis atro dente me petiverit, Beware, beware, for fharp as fpurs, Francis. Notwithstanding the malignity of the envious part of mankind, our Poets had this heart-felt confolation; they were loved, honoured and rewarded by men of real genius, and careffed by perfons of the most exalted stations; -tamen me Cum magnis vixiffe invita fatebitur ufque Spite of herself, e'en envy must confess, Francis. With what exultation, and how emphatically doth he pride himself with, Quod Quod monftror digito prætereuntium Thy gift it is, that all with ease, Me prince of Roman lyrics own. Francis. and thence very naturally predicts the immortality of his works. Non ufitata, nec tenui ferar Penna, biformis per liquidum æther Vates; neque in terris morabor Longius invidiaque major With strong unwonted wing I rife For above envy will I foar, And tread this worthless earth no more. Francis. νεκταρ χυτον μουσαν δοσιν Nectarean fweets the muse bestows, in another place, ελπιδο εχο κλέος εν ρεσθαι κεν υψηλου προσω From you, my prefent praise I claim, then again he pronounces, that he and his verfes fhall never fink into oblivion: Τον στε χειμέριος ομβρος επακτος έλθων και τ' ανεμος ες μωχους αλος άξει παμφόρω χεράδι τυπτομενος Not the bleak winter's rapid fhower, Nor Nor the loud wind's tremenduous found, This, HORACE has very happily imitated: Quod non imber edax, non Aquilo impotens More durable than brass, the frame Francis. They both of them were perfectly acquainted with their own merit-PINDAR very wittily anfwered a perfon, who, meaning to compliment him, faid, wherever I am, and in whofe company whatever, I am always enlarging in commendation of you and your writings-Sir, replied the Poet, you may very fafely do fo, for they will never contradict your recommendations: agnes gas (μas fays Plutarch) το το Πίνδαρο, προς τον λεγοντα πανταχου και προς παντας επαίνειν αυτόν, ειποντος κ' άγω σοι χαριν αποδίδωμι. ποιω γαρ σε αληθεύειν. His only ambition was to live long in the full enjoyment of the reputation he had acquired, and in the esteem of the great; and indeed, in fuch high veneration was he held after his death, that the Lacedæmonians, and a confiderable time after, Alexander the Great, having taken Thebes, faved the descendants of PINDAR from flavery, and his houfe from being pulled down down and deftroyed, by fixing the following in scription over the front of his door. Πινδαρε το μεσοποις τη στέγνην μη και τε I had almoft forgot a circumftance greatly re dounding to his honour-having been to fee Athens, and being fo well pleafed with it, as to compliment that city with the pompous title of the magnificent Athens, the mighty fupport of Greece, μeyazotoniES. Αθηνα, ελλαδος ερεισμα, his countrymen laid a heavy fine upon him, which the Athenians publickly and generously repaid him.-Thefe two Commonwealths, in the time of their profperity, had an inveterate averfion to each other, and yet upon any public emergency or calamity, gave their mutual affiftance with a warmth, which would have done honour to, and as could fcarce have been expected from states in the ftrictest and most close alliance. PINDAR flourished at a time, when honour, virtue, riches, and all the arts and sciences were in the highest glory and eftimation-he frequently used to attend the Olympic games; upon all thofe occafions, he was received with the fame univerfal applaufe, as Lucian tells us, Herodotus was, xai xx εςιν οςις ανηκος ην τε Ηρόδοτε ονόματος, οι μεν αυτοι ακό ζαντες εν ολυμπια ; οι δε εκ των τις πανηγύρεως ηκοντων πυνθανομένοι, και είπον γεράνειη μονον, εδείκνυτο αν τω δακτύλω ουτος εκεινος Ηρόδοτος εςιν, ο τας μαχαι τας περ ρσικας Ιαςι συγγεγραφως, ο ται νικας ημων εμνήζας. Το αυτ' εκείνος απελαυσε των ιςορίων, εν μια συνοδώ πανδης μον τινα κοινην ψέρον της Ελλάδος λαβων, και ανακηρυχε θεις. κκ υφ'ενος μα δια ηνηρυκος αλλεν απαση πολει, όθεν έκαςος ην των πανηγυριςων-There was not one per fon, but who knew the name of Herodotus whenever he appeared in public, he was pointed at -this, they cried, is the celebrated hiftorian Herodotus, who wrote of the Perfian war in the Ionic |