mum is not capable of supplying me with any thing, in this tempestuous feason, either of the land or fea kind, to make you a fuitable return. I have only therefore to fend you the ineffectual acknowledgments of a barren letter: an exchange more unequal, I confefs, than that famous one of the fubtle Diomed *. But your good-nature will fo much the more readily grant me an excufe, as I own myself not to deferve one. Farewel.

LETTER LIII.

To Maximus.

IAM deeply afflicted with the news I have received of the death of Fannius, not only as I have loft in him a friend whofe eloquence and politenefs I admired, but a guide whofe judgment I parfued; and indeed he poffeffed a moft penetrating genius, improved and quickened by great experience. There are fome circumftances attending his death, which aggravate my concern: he left behind him a will which had been made a confiderable time, by which it happens his eftate is fallen into the hands of thofe who had incurred his difpleasure, while his greatest favourites have no fhare of it. But what I particularly regret is, that he has left unfinished a very noble work in which he was engaged. Notwithstanding his full employment at the bar, he had undertaken a hiftory of those persons who had been put to death or banished by Nero; of which he had perfected three books. They are written with great de.

Alluding to the story in Hom. Iliad, where Glaucus and Diomed having an interview between the two armies, they come to the knowledge of the friendship and hofpitality which had formerly fbfited between their families; and Diomed propoles an exchange of their arms, as a token of resiprocal friendship:

Τεύχεα δ' αλληλοις επαμείψομενο αέρα και οι δι
rasp, di, &c.-Lib. 6. v. 230.

Now change we arms, and prove to either hoft,
We guard the friendship of the line we boaft.
Thus having faid-

Their hands they join, their mutual faith they plight;
Brave Glaucus then each narrow thought refign'd
(Jove warm'd his bofom and enlarg'd his mind):
For Diomed's brais arms of mean device,
For which nine oxen paid (a vulgar price),
He gave his own, of gold divinely wrought;
An bundred beeves the shining purchase bought.

licacy and exactnefs; the style is puré, and preferves a proper medium between the plain narrative and the historical: and as they were very favourably received by the public, he was the more defirous of being able to complete the reft. The hand of death is ever, in my eftimation, too fevere and too fudden when it falls upon fuch as are employed in fome immortal work. The fons of fenfuality, who have no views beyond the prefent hour, terminate with each day the whole purpose of their lives; but those who look forward to pofterity, and endeavour to extend their memories to future generations by useful labours ;-to fuch, death is always immature, as it ftill fnatches them from amidst fome unfinished defign. Fannius, long before his death, had a strong prefentiment of what has happened: he dreamed one night, that as he was in his study with his papers before him, Nero came in, and placing himself by his fide, took up the three firft books of this hiftory, which he read through, and then went away. This dream greatly alarmed him, and he looked upon it as an intimation, that he fhould not carry on his hiftory any farther than Nero had read: and fo the event proved. I cannot reflect upon this accident without lamenting that he should not be able to accomplish a work, which had cost him fo much pains and vigilance, as it fuggefts to me at the fame time the thoughts of my own mortality, and the fate of my writings: and I am perfuaded the fame reflection alarms your apprehenfions for those in which you are employed. Let us then, my friend, while yet we live, exert all our endeavours, that death, whenever it arrives, may find as little as poffible to destroy, Farewel.

LETTER LIV. To Apollinaris. THE kind concern you expreffed when

you heard of my defign to pass the fummer at my villa in Tufcany †, and your obliging endeavours to diffuade me from going to a place which you think unhealthy, is extremely agreeable to me.

This was Pliny's principal feat, lying about one hundred and fifty miles from Rome, where he ufually refided in the fummer feafon.

and unawed by any felf-refpect, they take their pen and tablets; and hence arife thefe buffooneries which are fit only for the stage. What courfe fhall we take, what remedy apply against this abufe? Our diforders indeed in general have every where eluded all attempts to reftrain them. But this is a point much too high for us, and will be the care of that fuperior power, who by thefe low but daring infults has daily fresh occafions of exerting all his pains and vigilance. Farewel.

LETTER L.
To Nepos.

THE request you make me, to fuper-
vife the correction of my works,
which you
have taken the pains to collect,
I fhall mot willingly comply with; as in-
deed there is nothing I ought to do with
more readiness, efpecially at your in-
ftance. When a man of fuch dignity,
learning, and eloquence, deeply en-
gaged in business, and entering upon the
important government of a province, has
fo good an opinion of my works as to
think them worth taking with him, how
am I obliged to endeavour that this part
of his baggage may not feem an ufelefs
embarraflment! My first care therefore
fhall be, that they may attend you with
all the advantages poffible; and my next,
to fupply you at your return with others,
which you may not think undeferving to
be added to them; for I can have no
ftronger encouragement to enter upon
fome new work, than being affured of
finding a reader of your taste and difcern-
Farewel.

ment.

LETTER LI. To Licinius.

This increase and decrease is plainly vifible, and very entertaining to obferve. You fit down by the fide of the fountain, and whilst you are taking a repast and drinking its water, which is extremely cool, you fee it gradually rife and fall. If you place a ring, or any thing else at the bottom wiren it is dry, the ftream reaches it by degrees till it is entirely covered, and then again gently retires from it; and this you may fee it do for three times fucceffively. Shall we fay, that fome fecret current of air ftops and opens the fountain-head, as it advances to or recedes from it; as we fee in bottles, and other veffels of that nature, where there is not a free and open paffage, though you turn their necks downwards, yet the outward air obftructing the vent, they difcharge their contents as it were by ftarts? Or may it not be accounted for upon the fame principle as the flux and reflux of the fea? or, as thofe rivers which difcharge themselves into the fea, meeting with contrary winds and the swell of the ocean are forced back in their chan

nels; fo may there not be fomething that checks this fountain, for a time, in its progrefs? or is there rather a certain refervoir that contains thefe waters in the bowels of the earth, which while it is recruiting its difcharges, the ftream flows more flowly and in lefs quantity, but when it has collected its due measure, it runs again in its ufual ftrength and fulnefs? or lafily, is there not I know not what kind of fubterraneous poize, that throws up the water when the fountain is dry, and repels it when it is full? You, who are fo well qualified for the enquiry, will examine the reafons of this wonderful appearance*; it will be fufficient for me if I have given you a clear defcripFarewel.

tion of it.

LETTER LII.
To Flaccus.

THE thrushes + I received from you

were fo excellent, that my Laurenti

*There are feveral of thefe periodical fountains in different parts of the world; as we have some in England. Lay-well near Torbay is mentioned in the Philofophical Tranfactions [No. 104. p. 909.] to ebb and flow feveral times every hour.

num

num is not capable of fupplying me with any thing, in this tempeftuous feason, either of the land or fea kind, to make you a fuitable return. I have only therefore to fend you the ineffectual acknowledgments of a barren letter: an exchange more unequal, I confefs, than that famous one of the fubtle Diomed. But your good-nature will fo much the more readily grant me an excufe, as I own myself not to deferve one. Farewel.

LETTER LIII.

To Maximus.

AM deeply afflicted with the news I have received of the death of Fannius, not only as I have loft in him a friend whofe eloquence and politenefs I admired, but a guide whofe judgment I purfued; and indeed he poffeffed a moft penetrating genius, improved and quickened by great experience. There are fome circumstances attending his death, which aggravate my concern: he left behind him a will which had been made a confiderable time, by which it happens his eftate is fallen into the hands of thofe who had incurred his difpleasure, while his greatest favourites have no fhare of it. But what I particularly regret is, that he has left unfinished a very noble work in which he was engaged. NotwithstandNotwithstand ing his full employment at the bar, he had undertaken a hiftory of thofe perfons who had been put to death or banished by Nero; of which he had perfected three books. They are written with great de.

Alluding to the story in Hom. Iliad, where Glaucus and Diomed having an interview between the two armies, they come to the knowledge of the friendship and hofpitality which had formerly fabifted between their families; and Diomed propoles an exchange of their arms, as a token of resiprocal friendship:

Τεύχεα δ' αλληλοις επαμείψομεν· ούρα και οι δι
Nap, di, &c.—Lib. 6. v. 230.

Now change we arms, and prove to either hoft,
We guard the friendship of the line we boast.
Thus having faid.

Their hands they join, their mutual faith they plight;
Brave Glaucus then each narrow thought refign'd
(Jove warm'd his bofom and enlarg'd his mind):
For Diomed's brais arms of mean device,
For which nine oxen paid (a vulgar price),
He gave his own, of gold divinely wrought;
An bundred beeves the thining purchase bought.
Porz.

licacy and exactnefs; the style is puré, and preferves a proper medium between the plain narrative and the historical: and as they were very favourably received by the public, he was the more defirous of being able to complete the reft. The hand of death is ever, in my eftimation, too fevere and too fudden when it falls upon fuch as are employed in fome immortal work. The fons of fenfuality, who have no views beyond the prefent hour, terminate with each day the whole purpose of their lives; but those who look forward to posterity, and endeavour to extend their memories to future generations by useful labours ;-to fuch, death is always immature, as it still fnatches them from amidst fome unfinished defign. Fannius, long before his death, had a strong prefentiment of what has happened: he dreamed one night, that as he was in his study with his papers before him, Nero came in, and placing himself by his fide, took up the three firft books of this hiftory, which he read through, and then went away. This dream greatly alarmed him, and he looked upon it as an intimation, that he fhould not carry on his history any farther than Nero had read and fo the event proved. I cannot reflect upon this accident without lamenting that he should not be able to accomplish a work, which had cost him so much pains and vigilance, as it fuggefts to me at the fame time the thoughts of my own mortality, and the fate of my writings: and I am perfuaded the fame reflection alarms your apprehenfions for thofe in which you are employed. Let us then, my friend, while yet we live, exert all our endeavours, that death, whenever it arrives, may find as little as poffible to deftroy, Farewel.

LETTER LIV. To Apollinaris. THE kind concern you expreffed when

you heard of my defign to pass the fummer at my villa in Tufcany†, and your obliging endeavours to diffuade me from going to a place which you think unhealthy, is extremely agreeable to me.

This was Pliny's principal feat, lying about one hundred and fifty miles from Rome, where he ufually refided in the fummer feafon. І соп

*

I confefs, indeed, the air of that part of Tuscany which lies towards the coast, is thick and unwholefome; but my houfe is fituated at a great distance from the fea, under one of the Apennine mountains, which, of all others, is most esteemed for the clearness of its air. But that you may lay afide all apprehenfions upon my account, I will give you a defcription of the temperature of the climate, the fituation of the country, and the beauty of my villa, which I am perfuaded you will hear with as much pleasure as I fhall relate. The winters are fevere and cold, fo that myrtles, olives, and trees of that kind which delight in conftant warmth, will not flourish here; but it produces baytrees in great perfection; yet fometimes, though indeed not oftener than in the neighbourhood of Rome, they are killed by the sharpness of the feafons. The fummers are exceedingly temperate, and continually attended with refreshing breezes, which are feldom interrupted by high winds. If you were to come here and fee the numbers of old men who have lived to be grand-fathers and greatgrand-fathers, and hear the stories they can entertain you with of their ancestors, you would fancy yourself born in fome former age. The difpofition of the country is the most beautiful that can be imagined: figure to yourself an immenfe amphitheatre; but fuch as the hand of nature could only form. Before you lies a vaft extended plain bounded by a range of mountains, whofe fummits are crowned with lofty and venerable woods, which fupply variety of game: from hence, as the mountains decline, they are adorned with underwoods. Intermixed with thefe are little hills of so strong and fat a foil, that it would be difficult to find a fingle one upon them: their fertility is nothing inferior to the loweft grounds; and though their harvest, indeed, is fomething later, their crops are as well matured.

At the foot of thefe hills the eve is prefented, wherever it turns, with one unbroken view of numberlefs vineyards, which are terminated by a border, as it were, of fhrubs. From thence you have a profpect of the adjoining fields and

In the original it is laurus, which the ingenious Mr. Martyn, profeffor of botany in Cam

bridge, has given very strong reafons for believing is not the fame tree with our laurel, but means the

bay-tree.

meadows below. The foil of the former is fo extremely ftiff, and upon the first ploughing it rifes in fuch vaft clods, that it is neceffary to go over it nine feveral times with the largest oxen and the ftrongest ploughs, before they can be thoroughly broken; whilft the enamelled meadows produce trefoil, and other kinds of herbage as fine and tender as if it were but juft fprung up, being continually refreshed by never failing rills. But though the country abounds with great plenty of water, there are no marfhes; for as it is a rifing ground, whatever water it receives without abforbing, runs off into the Tiber. This river, which winds through the middle of the meadows, is navigable only in the winter and spring, when it tranfports the produce of the lands to Rome; but its channel is fo extremely low in fummer, that it scarce deferves the name of a river; towards the autumn however, it begins again to renew its claim to that title. You could not be more agreeably entertained, than by taking a view of the face of this country from the top of one of our neighbouring mountains you would imagine that not a real, but fome painted landscape lay before you, drawn with the most exquifite beauty and exactnefs; such an harmonious and regular variety charms the eye which way foever it throws itfelf. My villa is fo advantageously fitu ated, that it commands a full view of all the country round; yet you go up to it by fo infenfible a rife, that you find yourfelf upon an elevation without perceiving you afcended. Behind, but at a great ditance, ftand the Apennine mountains. In the calmeft days we are refreshed by the winds that blow from thence, but fo pent, as it were, by the long tract of land they travel over, that they are entirely divefted of all their strength and violence before they reach us. The expofition of the principal front of the houfe is full fouth, and feems to invite the afternoon fun in fummer (but fomething earlier in winter) into a fpacious and wellproportioned portico, confifting of feveral members, particularly a porch built after the manner of the ancients. In the front of the portico is a fort of terrace, em bellifhed with various figures, and bounddefcend by an eafy flope, adorned with ed with a box-hedge, from whence you the reprefentation of divers animals in

box