for personal courage, that of Augustus was not pushing; and the poet, who was not ignorant of that defect, for that reason durst not ascribe it, in the supreme degree, to him who was to represent his emperor under another name: which was managed by him with the most imaginable fineness; for had valour been set uppermost, Augustus must have yielded to Agrippa. After all, this is rather to defend the courtier than the poet; and to make his hero escape again, under the covert of a cloud. Only we may add, what I think Bossu says, that the Roman commonwealth being now changed into a monarchy, Virgil was helping to that design; by insinuating into the people the piety of their new conqueror, to make them the better brook this innovation, which was brought on them by a man who was favoured by the gods. Yet we may observe, that Virgil forgot not, upon occasion, to speak honourably of Æneas, in point of courage, and that particularly in the person of him by whom he was overcome. For Diomedes compares him with Hector, and even with advantage:

Quicquid apud duræ cessatum est mænia Troja,
Hectoris Æneæque manu victoria Graiûm
Hasit, et in decimum vestigia retulit annum:
Ambo animis, ambo insignes præstantibus armis;
Hic pietate prior.

As for that particular passage, cited by Monsieur St. Evremont, where Eneas shows the utmost fear,

in the beginning of a tempest,

Extemplo Enex solvuntur frigore membra, etc.

*

"He at Philippi kept

His sword even like a dancer ;

-he alone

Dealt on lieutenancy, and no practice had

In the brave squares of war."

Antony and Cleopatra.

why may it not be supposed, that having been long at sea, he might be well acquainted with the nature of a storm; and, by the rough beginning, foresee the increase and danger of it? at least, as a father of his people, his concernment might be greater for them than for himself: and if so, what the poet takes from the merit of his courage, is added to the prime virtue of his character, which was his piety. Be this said with all manner of respect and deference to the opinion of Monsieur St. Evremont; amongst whose admirable talents, that of penetration is not the least. He generally dives into the very bottom of his authors; searches into the inmost recesses of their souls, and brings up with him those hidden treasures which had escaped the diligence of others. His examination of the "Grand Alexandre," in my opinion, is an admirable piece of criticism; and I doubt not, but that his observations on the English theatre had been as absolute in their kind, had he seen with his own eyes, and not with those of other men. But conversing in a manner wholly with the court, which is not always the truest judge, he has been unavoidably led into mistakes, and given to some of our coarsest poets a reputation abroad, which they never had at home. Had his conversation in the town been more general, he had certainly

* A tragedy by Racine. St. Evremont, in a dissertation on this play, addressed to Madame Borneau, severely reprobates" the fault so common in French tragedy, of making a play, though the scene is laid in ancient Rome or India, centre and turn upon Parisian manners. He concludes, that Corneille is the only author of the nation that displays a true taste for antiquity. ["Borneau" should rather be "Bourneau." She was the wife of an official at Saumur, and had come to England with Madame de Comminges, the French ambassador's wife, in 1665. Saint Evremond wrote next year, and retouched the paper three years later.-ED.]

received other ideas on that subject; and not transmitted those names into his own country, which will be forgotten by posterity in ours.*

Thus I have contracted my thoughts on a large subject; for whatever has been said falls short of the true character of Monsieur St. Evremont, and his writings and if the translation you are about to read does not everywhere come up to the original, the translator desires you to believe, that it is only because that he has failed in his undertaking.

* [This refers to Saint Evremond's remarks on English Comedy (1677). The stricture is not too just, but it is amusing, for it is evidently prompted by the fact that the Frenchman makes a complimentary reference to Shadwell's Epsom Wells, and mentions no other contemporary play or poet by name.-Ed.]

VOL. XVIII.

B