and even retiring demeanour, and being so far wholly engrossed in private studies or reflective rambles, (perhaps yet inexpert in polite colloquial Greek, for such was not the Apuli-Lucanian compound), he had probably made but an introductory progress in that philosophic converse' to which we have alluded, with the worthies who roamed and reasoned in the groves of Academus?

To conclude, if the preceding dissertation has succeeded in so disposing the scattered fragments which remain of the biography of the Venusine bard, that the compound may more nearly resemble a consistent whole than any which previous efforts at combination have produced-if the superficies now brought out exhibits the points of light and shade in the poet's life so as to reflect a more equable and natural representation than either the false lustre of an overartistic gloss, or the dull and confused image of an undigested mass-the dedication of this humble tribute is secure of meeting a favourable reception at the hands of the antistites who worthily minister ad

sacra vatum.

If, on the other hand (as is very supposable), the conceptions shall be pronounced 'new-fangled,' and the treatment of the subject defective, it is hoped at least that the effort has been made with becoming respect for the character not only of the theme itself, but of those in whose hands it has heretofore proved intractable. And it cannot, at the worst, be discreditable to fail where no one has yet succeeded.

It is, however, to be distinctly borne in mind, that these latter paragraphs have reference solely to the points of exception specified in the present Section. To disparage Dean Milman's Life of Horace, in a general sense, would be to herald the disparager's own incompetence. And the author of these pages has selected that particular work, whereon to ground his dissent from the biographers in general, simply because it represents the ablest statement of the opposite case on record; and, therefore, any point of historical fact or probability successfully established against such an authority, must carry accumulated force as against any other. The 'Republic of Letters' is a republic indeed, and knows no distinction of ranks save that which each individual creates for himself. Accordingly the opinions and statements of several eminent authors have been, and shall be, canvassed in these pages, with that perfect freedom which is the undoubted right of the humblest member of the literary community; but, at the same time, the author is most anxious to avoid even the appearance of evil' in the shape of disrespect to any established authority. He is not unaware that it is easy to censure, and still easier to misunderstand; but he hopes he shall not in any instance attempt to pull down, without manifesting a willingness, at all events, to assist in building up.

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88

SECTION III.

*

DETACHED PASSAGES OF THE SATIRES,* LYRICS, AND

EPISTLES OF HORACE EXAMINED: WITH PRELIMINARY AND GENERAL REMARKS ON THE CONTEXT.

THE course of comment here intended to be pursued generally falls in with the order of publication in the original Works, subject to the provisional exceptions before mentioned. The passages, however, belonging to the Fourth Book of Odes, are, for the sake of uniformity, taken in conjunction with the general body of the Lyrics.

* If the word Satire be really derived from the Lanx Satura, its application may be suspected to have been originally due more to jest than earnest. The term seems too far-fetched to be serious; although it may have been seriously 'appropriated.' Modern cases of such use of terms that were at first bestowed in ridicule are instanced in The Archbishop of Dublin's “Elements of Rhetoric," ch. III. s. 7. Compare an expression of Juvenal, SAT. I. 85-6—

"Quidquid agunt homines. . nostri est farrago libelli."

At all events, the transference of the notion from variously assorted parcels of fruits to such desultory combinations as the earliest satirical poems presented, would appear to have been originally suggested rather by a correspondence in variety of external forms—that is, by studied diversity of verbal composition, or, in other words, by mixed metres-than, as is usually supposed, by the multitude of subjects intrinsically included. But, of course, the extension or continuation of the name to compositions of a uniform metrical aspect would imply, even a fortiore, that much of heterogeneous matter lies beneath the surface.

The Works of Horace, (however uncertain the existing plans, or hopeless the future prospect, of assigning specific dates to their composition), are now generally allowed to have been given to (as it proved in event) the world originally in the following series:

The Two Books of Satires.

The Epodes.

The First Three Books of Odes.

The First Book of Epistles.

The Secular Hymn.

The Fourth Book of Odes.

The Second Book of Epistles.

Thus far the labour of investigation is rewarded by its profit. But whether we now have the contents of the separate books themselves arranged in the order in which they were written, and whether any (and if any, what) portions were probably known in Roman literary circles previous to formal publication, are questions more curious than useful. Suffice it to say, that if, with Bentley, we suppose the several species of versification to have engaged the author's attention as separately in time as the books were published, we attribute to Horace an amount of system in composition which is incompatible with the natural characteristics, not alone of him, but of most genuine poets. Our postulate is independent of all controversy; and permits the admirer of the sparkling eccentricities of Sanadon's Nouvelle Distribution, or even of the refined complication of arbitrary suppo

sition which Dr. Kirchner's Tabula Chronologica displays, to enjoy his taste as securely as the unimaginative follower of Zurck or Baxter. Let it be merely granted that each Satire is in itself a complete whole, beginning, continuing, and ending as we now have it, and our task proceeds at once, with an attempt at Classification of these apparently desultory, if not erratic productions.

The Satires of Horace, though heretofore unclassed, seem capable of being conveniently ranked, according to their form, under the following desig

nations:

THE DISCURSIVE (belonging to both Books).
THE NARRATIVE (peculiar to the First).
THE DRAMATIC (peculiar to the Second).

The Discursive, which constitute the most numerous class, may be described as Satires in which the author chiefly addresses observations, reflections, and reasonings directly in any way. Of these there are two species, which may be called respectively General and Personal. The former is limited to the First Three Satires of the First Book, and the Economic Percepts borrowed from Ofellus in the Second. The latter includes the Satires conversant especially about the author's personal circumstances, namely, the Fourth of the First, and the Sixth of each Book,and the Lucilian Critique which closes the First Book, and relates chiefly to the comparative merits of individual authors.

The Narrative are, of course, those wherein pas