If the principles of these two poets be confidered, we shall find them very different, both in religious as well as moral points: from many paffages in PINDAR, we are certain, he held the Gods in high veneration, he strongly enforces piety. It is our duty, fays he, to fpeak well of the Gods: Many of the poets of those days were not fo fentimental in this refpect, and Ariftophanes especially, who in various parts of his comedies treats the Deities with great disrespect, and Hercules in particular; charging them with the vices and debauchery of mortals, with gluttony, fenfuality, &c. PINDAR, on the contrary, fays, But fhall I the bleft abuse? With fuch tales to ftain her fong, Far, far be it from my mufe: Vengeance waits th' unhallow'd tongue. G. Weft: Plato in his dialogue entitled Meno, calls PINDAR' divine, because he strongly maintained the immortality of the foul, λεγε δε και Πινδαρος και αλλοι πολύ λοι των ποιητών όσοι θείοι εισιν α δε λέγεσι φασι γαρ την ψυχήν το ανθροπου είναι αθανατον, &c. The following paffage in his fecond olympick, wherein he treats of the pleasures allotted for his heroes, and the punishments inflicted on the wicked, is a ftriking teftimony of his piety and religious regard for the Gods *So Sophocles in his Ajax, υπες κοπον Μηδεν ποτ' ειπης αυτος εις θεως επος, оті ότι θανόντων μεν εν θα ' αυτικό απαλαμνοι φρένες ποινας επισαν. ταδ' εν ταδε διος αρχά -ζει τις, εχθρα λογον φράσας αναγκα The happy mortal, who these treasures shares, The fierce, impracticable, churlish mind, His hymns, dithyrambicks, pæans, and many more of his compofitions, which have been unfortunately loft, were undoubtely written in praise of the Gods, and to celebrate his heroes: his house at Thebes was near the temple of Rhea, to whom he paid a more than common adoration; his scholiafts fay, be greatly reverenced this divinity, for be was remarkably good and pious. Calamis, a ftatuary of the firft eminence, executed a statue of Jupiter Ammon at the expence of PINDAR, which was placed in a chapel, built and dedicated by him to that deity. He was fo great a favourite with Apollo, that of the firft fruits which were offered at his fhrine, one half was given to this his beloved poet he had a chair alfo allotted to him in the temple of that God, in which he fat whilst he fang his hymns in praife of Apollo: this chair Paufanias faw, and it was efteemed as a moft valuable relique of antiquity, and well worthy of fo holy and magnificent an edifice. Ανακειται δε ου πόρρω της ἐσιας Χρονος Πινδαρο σιδηρου μεν εσιν ο θρόνος. επι δε αυτω φασιν, οποτε αφίκοιτο ες Δελφους, καθέζεσθαι τε τον Πινδαρον και αδειν όποσα των ασματων ες Απολλωνα εςίν. ελεγοντο δε, fays Philoftratus, και αι νυμφαι χορεύσαι οι, και ανασκίρτησαι τον πανα. φασι δε αυτόν, οτε Πινδαρος ες το ποιειν αφίκετο, αμέλησαντα τα σκιρταν, αδειν τα τε Πινδαρο. “ Pan, it is faid, danced and jumped "about attended by the Nymphs, for joy at the "birth of this prince of lyric poets-with whofe "compofitions he was fo infinitely delighted, that "he fung his odes in the very presence of PINDAR « himfelf;” the greateft compliment furely that could have been paid him. PINDAR, fays Paufanias, towards the decline of life faw Proferpine, who heavily complained of his neglect in not having once compofed an hymn in honour to her, though he had paid that refpectful duty to every other Deity; and that the therefore expected he would write one in compliment to her, as foon as he should arrive in her dominions; and he actually died a' very fhort time after (ten days) and appeared to an old female relation, to whom he fung an ode in honour of Proferpine, which the good old woman, as foon as the awoke, faithfully tranfcribed word for word as the had heard it repeated. λέγεται δε και ονείρατος οψιν αυτω γενέσθαι προηκοντι ες γήρας. επιςατα η περσεφονη οι καθεύδοντι ουκ εφασκεν υμνηθήναι μονή Θεων υπο Πινδαρο. Ποιησειν μεν τοι και ες αυτήν άσμα Πινδαρον ελθοντα ως αυτήν και τον μεν αυτικα το χρεων επιλαμβάνει, πριν εξήκειν ημέραν δεκατην απο του όνειρα τος. ην δε εν Θήβαις γυνή πρεσβύτις γενους εινεκα προση κουσα Πινδάρω, και τα πολλα μέμελε τηκυία αδειν των ασματων. Ταυτη Πινδαρος ενύπνιον τη πρεσβυτιδι επιςας, υμην ηδενες περσεφόνην. η δη αυτικά, ως απελιπεν αυτον ο υπνος, έγραψε ταυτα, όποσα του ονείρατος ήκουσεν αδοντος. Notwithstanding the carmen feculare and many odes of HORACE feem to contain paffages much in commendation of the Gods, and though he declares in his fixth fatire Affifto divinis &c. it is nevertheless agreed on all hands, that he was by no means a very pious man; but on the contrary, that he had a very indifferent opinion of the established religion of his times, and gave himself very little trouble concerning the existence or power of the divinity; nay he himself confesses, | Parcus Deorum cultor & infrequens &c. A fugitive from Heaven and pray'r And although he afterwards fays, Nunc retrorfum Vela dare, atque iterare curfus Cogor relictos. But now Hoist fail, and back my voyage plow Francis. To that bleft harbour which I left before. Francis. he treats the manner of his converfion in fo ludicrous a manner, that we may easily believe he does not speak as he thinks; and indeed he is far from diguifing his principles, in the third fatire of the fecond book, Jupiter, ingentes qui das, adimifque dolores, Agrum Ægrum ex præcipiti; mater delira necabit For full five months, when the fond mother cries, Francis. In his fifth fatire of the first book, where he is giving a defcription of his voyage to Brundifium, in company with his friend and patron Macenas, he very pleasantly rallies the priests of Egnatia*, who were endeavouring to perfuade him that in their temple the incenfe diffolved spontaneously, and without the affiftance of fire from the altar. Dehinc Gnatia lymphis Iratis exftructa dedit rifufque jocofque, Dum, flammá fine, thura liquefcere limine facro ævum; Nec, fiquid miri faciat natura, deos id Then water curs'd Egnatia gave in joke, And laughter great, to hear the moon-ftruck folk *Egnatia a town of Naples between Brindift and Bari, now called Terra di Anazzo. |