wards betrayed him; by which, and other acts of perfidy, he secured himself, during the short reign of Galba. He was put to death by Otho, to the great joy of the people; and he died as he had lived, a profligate and a coward.

Who the person was that is here alluded to under his name, cannot now be known. Trajan, though a good prince on the whole, had many failings. He is covertly taxed, as I have observed, in this very Satire, for his lenity in the affair of Marius; and the bloodguckers of Domitian's time seem to have yet had too much influence. He was, besides, addicted to a vice which we shall have too frequent occasions to mention, and consequently surrounded by effeminate and worthless favourites, whom it might be dangerous to provoke. For these, and other reasons, Juvenal seems to have regarded him with no great kindness; and, indeed, if the state of things be truly represented, we cannot accuse him of injustice.'

The Cephinus, fenumque supellex, in Sat. 3, and the Gophino fænoque relicto in Sat. 6, occasion these notes:

• Whose wealth is but a basket stuff'd with hay :-] The commen. tators, not content with the obvious meaning of this passage, have laboured to find a mystery in it. Britannicus, in his observations on the Sixth Satire, (where the same words are again used,) says, the hay served them to lie on. This is rational enough; but how, rejcins Holyday, could they carry about sufficient for such a purpose? He, therefore, inclines to think, with Lyranus, that the hay was not so much a mark of their poverty, as of their servitude in Egypt, which, it seems, they gloried in obtruding upon the notice of the Romans by way of contrasting it, I suppose, with their present flourishing and happy situation! It may look like trifling to reply, that in this case, they should rather have carried straw; but the truth is, there is no room for refinement on the stibject. The poet merely intended to censure the irreligion and avarice of his country men. The former, in assigning the sacred groves to this despised race (pars despectissima servientium) who, being driven from the city by Domitian, were glad to take up their abode in the nearest place which promised them a shelter: and the latter, in exacting the rent from them, though all their wealth was a basket, in which, perhaps, they carried what they begged, and a little hay, which either served for provender for their beasts (asses), or for themselves to lay their heads on at night.

One of Juvenal's most judicious translators observes, that it is "improbable the Jews should pay tribute (why tribute? is it not mercedem, rent?) for their cold lodging in a grove." Yet this is expressly asserted by this author, omnis enim populo, c.! He will, therefore, have it (and he is far from being singular) that Juvenal alludes to the tribute which every Jew was obliged to pay to the Temple, and which, after its destruction, Vespasian transferred to the Capitol. Such an idea is altogether inconsistent with the spirit of the passage. The obnoxious nature of the demand in Juvenal's mind) was for the use of the groves themselves, and every other supposition weakens the force of his satire

Has left her bay and basket;] The Jews have here the same cha racteristic symbols they had in the third Satire: their baskets and their hay. Domitian had laid a heavy poll-tax on these people, and that they might not evade it, they were enjoined, I suppose, not to appear abroad without these badges of their condition. To avoid being detected, and insulted by the rabble when they entered the city, these poor persecuted wretches laid aside their degrading ac companiments. This accounts for the epithet tremens, which Juvenal applies to this female fortune-teller, who, if she had been discovered, would, in spite of her lofty pretensions, have been severely punished for contempt of the imperial regulations. What is meant by magna sacerdos arboris, high-priestess of the tree, I cannot tell. Probably the Egerian grove, the degradation of which is so indignantly de plored in the third Satire, might, like the Norwood of our metropolis, be frequented by such of the vulgar as were anxious to inquire their fortunes. In that case, some favourite tree might be the place of rendezvous, and this Betty Squires, the most infallible oracle of it.

The conjectures of some of the critics, that Juvenal alludes to the idolatrous propensity of the Jews for worshipping in woods; and of others, that he hints at the "grove of oaks by Dodona in Chaonia, which was consecrated to Jupiter," are alike unfounded. Of the first he knew nothing; and the second was much too far-fetched for his purpose.'

By the line at the beginning of Sat. 3, Atque unum civem donare Sibylke, Mr. G. thinks that the poet meant to insinuate that Cuma was entirely deserted: but he offers no reason to induce us to concur with him in opinion. We are still less disposed to subscribe to the whole of his critique at p. 197, on the expression, mero spumant unguento Falerno, Sat 6. 1. 303. His remarks on the practice of the Romans in mixing perfumes with their wine are correct: but he is not happy in endeavour ing to illustrate Scripture by alluding to this custom. We transcribe his own words, which he modestly introduces with an apology:

I would not lightly introduce sacred matters; but I wish to observe here, that the fews were accustomed to give condemned persons a draught of wine and myrrh. This is apparent from the last scene of our blessed Saviour's life. St. Mark calls the wine which

they gave him up once. This was according to the usual practice; and the merciful purpose of it was to stupify the feelings of the sufferer. This was independent of what they offered him after wards-that was done in derision; but they first acted by him as they did by common criminals.

In his prayer before his Passion, he prays that the "cup might pass from him." Is it allowable to conjecture, that, in his own mind, he put the customary cup of stupefaction, for his actual death?'

As our Saviour was boru a Jew, it is not probable that he alluded to a Roman custom, nor that he thought of the cup

of stupefaction in his prayer, "let this cup pass from me." Any person may see, by consulting the O. T., that it was usual with the Jews to describe a state of happiness or of suffering by their having a cup of joy or of sorrow.

We shall terminate our quotations from this part of the work with the subsequent note, which contains a pleasant anecdote :

• Hear now what sneaking ways, &c.]

Vet. Epig.

"Discite pro numeris numeros sperare, poetë, Mutare est animus carmina, non emere.' There is a very good story told by Macrobius, which will not be much out of the way here. A Greek poet had presented Augustus Cæsar with many little compliments, in hopes of some trifling remu neration. The emperor, who found them worth nothing, took no notice of the poor man; but as he persisted in offering him his com plimentary verses, composed himself an epigram in praise of the poet; and when he next waited on him with his customary panegyric, presented his own to him with amazing gravity. The man took, and read it with apparent satisfaction; then putting his hand into his pocket, he deliberately drew out two farthings, and gave them to the Emperor, saying, 8 κατα την τυχην, ω σεβαστε· εί πλείονα είχον, πλείονα αν καὶ εδίδεν. "This is not equal to the demands of your situation, Sire; but 'tis all I have: if I had more I would give it to you." Augustus, who was not an ill-natured man, could not stand this; he burst into a fit of laughter, and, as Macrobius says, made the poet a handsome present.

The Bufo of Pope is shadowed out in part from this animated passage:

"Till grown more frugal in his riper days,

He paid some bards with port, and some with praise;
To some a dry rehearsal was assign'd,

And others, harder still! he paid in kind."

Mr. Gifford acknowleges his obligations to the Rev. Mr. Ireland, Vicar of Croydon, and to Abraham More, Esq. Barrister at Law, for their inspection and occasional correction of his work; and to R. P. Knight, Esq., who generously offered him the use of his marbles and gems for engravings illustrative of Juvenal; which, however, did not come within Mr. G.'s design.

Though our praise has not been altogether unqualified, we sincerely congratulate the public on this translation of Juvenal; and we would add our wish that, when Mr. Gifford has furnished the libraries of those gentlemen who purchase elegant editions, he will condescend to provide for those poorer readers, to whose pockets an humble octavo is more adapted than a superb quarto.

Mo-y.

ART. II. GULIELMI HEBERDEN Commentarii de Morborum Historid et Curatione. 8vo. 7s. 6d. Boards. Payne. 1802.

WE E have perused the observations of this venerable and lamented physician, as here published by his son, with much attention and interest. From the length and extensivesiveness of his experience, considerable information was to be expected; and we meet indeed with many valuable remarks in the present volume:-if there be less novelty than some readers might desire, the defect must be imputed to Dr. Heberden's plan in composing the book, of which he has most ingenuously ac knowleged the defects. We learn that he was accustomed, when called to visit a patient, to write down, in the room, the principal symptoms of the disease, with the remarks which occurred to him at the moment of inspection; and from materials thus prepared, he selected, every month, those notes which it seemed of consequence to preserve, trusting in nothing to his memory, and making no reference to books. While we are thus presented with a series of facts and opinions, intitled to the highest credit, it must obviously happen that, on the subject of many diseases, observations common to former writers will be found; and that deficiencies will occur, both with respect to the history of symptoms, and the method of cure. It is on this plan only, however, that medicine can be improved; and if every physician of eminence were to fur nish the results of his practice with the same candour and love of truth, we should not have to lament the present number of incurable diseases.

We find much good sense, but nothing new nor striking, in the first articles, on Diet, the Ratio Medendi, &c. which are rather sketches than comprehensive views of the subjects. -As it would answer no good purpose to notice any observations which are to be found in other books, we shall extract fhose passages which seem of most importance, as they occur, in going through the book.

Speaking of evacuations from the intestines, the author mentions that he had known a patient who had twelve operations every day during thirty years; and afterward seven daily, during seven years: yet, instead of being wasted, he had rather gained in corpulence.

In describing the scarlet fever, and ulcerated sore throat, Dr. Heberden seems to consider them as diseases almost peculiar to childhood. In this respect, we are confident that he was deceived; and it is of consequence to remark the error, because it might lead to the neglect of measures of prevention, and greatly increase the fatality of a highly contagious disease. We have seen many adults labouring under the complaint, in

both

both its forms; that is, the ulcerated throat accompanied with scarlet fever of a regular type; and the ulcerated throat attended with little or no fever, and without eruptions, but infectious. We shall quote Dr. H.'s words, that there may be no chance of misrepresenting his meaning:

Anginam in morbis ineuntis ætatis recte numeraveris. Mares certe, qui jam adulti sunt, raro cum ea conflictantur. Duos curavi juvenes, qui annum vigesimum attigerant; item virum unum robustum, qui trigesimuni annum excesserat. Præter hos autem neminem marem adolescentia egressum in hoc morbo me vidisse memini. At usu didici fœminas nunquam prorsus. securas esse ab hac valetudine; quanquam vetulæ sint illi minus opportunæ, quam juniores. Que autem buic febri maxime subjecta est, eadem atas. tenera gravissime periclitatur; contra ac fit in variolis et morbillis.'

The plan of cure recommended by the author, which consists chiefly in giving a decoction of Peruvian bark, with the addition of some aromatics, is adapted only to slight cases of the disease. In many instances, the most powerful doses of bark in substance, and large quantities of wine and other stimu lants, are necessary to preserve the patient.

The chapter on aphtha is very imperfect, and has disap pointed us greatly; especially considering the information which has been afforded respecting this disease, in Dr. Willan's Reports. The description of gout, on the contrary, is satis factory and copious; though little could be added to the history of the disease already given by Sydenham and Cullen but respecting the cure of gout, Dr. Heherden has advanced many remarks which deserve serious attention. He is inclined to doubt the salutary effects which are commonly attributed to regular gout and he thinks that gout not only fails to relieve the constitution from disease, already existing in it, but that it adds to the patient's sufferings, and accelerates his decay. He observes that the dread of blood-letting in gouty cases has been carried too far; and he mentions. two patients who were always lieved by using this remedy on the approach of the paroxysm, and who never sustained any inconvenience from it. He remarks that, before the gout is objected to physi cians as the opprobium.of their art, patients ought to dismiss their fears of being cured of this disease: Utinam, (says he,) tam in promptu esset invenire, quam tutum adhibere podagra re

medium.

Wine, in, considerable quantities, Dr. H. considers as injurious to gouty persons; and he thinks that the warmth and indulgence usually enjoined, at the approach of a regular attack, are improper, because this mode of treatment tends to prolong the fit. He mentions, though without venturing to recommend it, the practice of the great Dr. Harvey, who was accus

C 4

tomed