apprehenfion from the infolence of a certain perfon who was entering upon the tribunefhip of the people, I could not forbear answering, Long as Achilles breathes this vital air, To touch thy head no impious hand fhall dare, I mention this to fhew you, that I look upon every injury offered to Attilius as done to myself. But you will be impatient to hear what all this tends to. You muft know then, Valerius Varus, at his death, owed Attilius a fum of money. Though I am acquainted with Maximus his heir, yet there is a clofer friendship between him and you. I beg therefore, and conjure you by the affection you have for me, to take care that Attilius is not only paid the principal which is due to him, but all the long arrears of intereft. He neither covets the property of others, or neglects the care of his own; and as he is not engaged in any lucrative profefion, he has nothing to depend upon but his frugality; for as to the polite arts, in which he greatly excels, he purfaes them merely upon the motives of pleafure and fame. In fuch a fituation the fighteft lofs preffes hard upon a man, and the more fo because he has no opportunities of repairing any injury done to his fortune. Affiit us then, I intreat you, in this difficulty, and fuffer me ftill to enjoy the pleasure of his fprightly and diverting converfation; for I cannot bear to fee the cheerfulness of my friend overclouded, whose mirth and good humour diffipates every gloom of melancholy in myfelf. In a word, as you are well acquainted with the entertaining gaiety of temper which Attilius poffeffes, I hope you will not fuffer any injury to difcompofe and four it. You may judge by the warmth of his affection how bitter his refentments would prove; for a generous and great mind can ill brook an injury when it is joined with contempt. But though he could pass it over, yet cannot I: on the contrary, I fhall look upon as a wrong and indignity done to myfelf, and refent it as one offered to my friend; that is, with double warmth. But after all, why this air of threatning? rather let me end in the fame ftyle I began, by earneftly conjuring you fo to act in this affair, that neither Attilius may have • Hom. II. ib. 1. ver. 88. reafon to imagine (which I fhould greatly regret) that I neglect his intereft; nor that I may have occafion to charge you of being carelefs of mine; as undoubtedly I fhall not, if you have the fame regard for the latter as I have for the former. Farewel. LETTER LXVII. To Tacitus. WHEN you recommend to my care the intereft of Julius Nafo in the office he is pursuing, what is it but recommending me to myfelf? However, I forgive you, and I fhould have done the fame had you been at Rome, and I abfent, The tender anxiety of friendship is apt to imagine every circumstance to be material. But I advise you to turn your folicitations to others, and be affured I will take a full fhare with you in all your applications in this affair, and fupport you with my best and warmest endeavours. Farewel, LETTER LXVIII. To Albinus. 1 I WAS lately at Alfium †, where my wife's mother has a villa which once belonged to Verginius Rufus. The place renewed in my mind the forrowful remembrance of that great and excellent man. He was extremely fond of this retirement, and used to call it," the neft "of his old age." Wherever I turned my eyes I milled my worthy friend. I had an inclination to vifit his monument; but I repented of my curiofity, for I found it still unfinished; and this not from any difficulty of the work itself, for it is very plain, or rather indeed flight, but through the neglect of him to whofe care it was entrufted. I could not fee without a concern mixed with indignation the remains of a man, whofe fame filled the whole world, lie for ten years after his death without an infcription or a name. had however directed that the divine and immortal action of his life fhould be recorded upon his tomb in the following lines: ↑ Now Alzia, not far from Como. He Here Here Rufus lies, who Vindex' arms withstood, Not for himfelf, but for his country's good. But a faithful friend is fo rare to be found, and the dead are fo foon forgotten, that we shall be obliged to build even our very monuments, and anticipate the office of our heirs. For who is it that has not reafon to fear what has happened to Verginius, may be his own cafe? an indignity which is fo much the more remarkable and injurious, as it falls upon one of his distinguished virtues. Fare wel. LETTER LXIX, To Maximus. HOW happy a day did I lately pafs! when having been called by the præfect of Rome to his affittance in a certain caufe, I had the pleafure to hear two excellent young men, Fufcus Salinator and Numidius Quadratus, plead on the oppofite fides; both of them of extraordinary hopes and great talents, who will one day, I am perfuaded, prove an ornament not only to the prefent age, but to literature itfelf. They difcovered upon this occafion an admirable probity, fupported by inflexible courage: their habit was decent, their elocution diftinct, their voice manly, their memory trong t, * An officer fomething in the nature of the lord mayor among us. He preceded all other city magiftrates, having power to receive appeals from the inferior courts, and to decide almost all caufes within the limits of Rome, or a hundred miles round. Strength of memory feems to have been a quality highly efteemed among the Romans, Pliny often mentioning it when he draws the characters of his friends, as in the number of their moft shining talents. And Quintilian confiders it as the measure of genius; tantum ingenii, fays he, The extraordinary pertection quantum monoia. in which one of the ancients are faid to have peflued this ufeful faculty is almoft incredible. Our author ipeaks, in a former letter, of a Greek philofopher of his acquaintance, who after having delivered a long harangue extempore, would immediately repeat it again, without losing a fingle word. Sencca fay, he could in his youth repeat two thousand rame exactly in the fame order they were reid to him; and that to try the ftrength of i memay, the audience who attended the fame prottier with himteit, would each of them give na vie, which he would infantly repeat, bering th the hat, and fo on to the firit, to the Scurt of two handed. He tells a pleafant story spon this occation of a certain port, who having tellows poumi in public, a perfon who was prefent their genius elevated, and guided by an equal folidity of judgment. I took infinite pleasure in obferving them display had the fatisfaction to fee that while they thefe noble qualities; particularly as I looked upon me as their guide and model, they appeared in the fentiments of It the audience as my imitators and rivals. was a day (I cannot but repeat it again) which afforded me the most exquifite happiness, and which I shall ever diftinguifh with the fairest mark 1. For what indeed could be either more pleafing to me on the public account, than to obferve two fuch noble youths building their fame and glory upon the polite arts, or more defirable upon my own, than to be marked out us a worthy example ta them in their purfuits of virtue? May heaven fill grant me the continuance of that pleasure! And you will bear me witnels, I fincerely implore the gods, that every man who thinks me deferving of his imitation, may far exceed the mo del he has chofen. Farewel. LETTER LXX. MOST certainly you ought not to use any referve in your recommendations to me of fuch perfons whom you judge worthy your patronage, because nothing is more agreeable to your character than to be as extenfively beneficent as poffible, nor to mine, than to intereft myself in every thing in which you are concerned. Be affured, therefore, I fhall give all the afliftance in my power to Vectius Prifcus, claimed it for his own, and in proof of its being fo, repeated it word for word; which the real auther was not capable of doing. [Sen. Controv. 2. 1. fub init.] Numberless inftances might be collected from the ancients to the fame purpofe; to mention only a few more: It is faid of Themistocles, that he made himself master of the Perfian language in a year's time; of Mithridates, that he understood as many languages as he commanded nations, that is, no less than twenty-two; of Cyrus, that he retained the name of every fingle foldier in his army. [Quint. 7. 11. 2.] But the fineft compliment that ever was paid to a good memory, is what Tully fays of Julius Cæfar in his oration for Ligarius, that "he never forgot any thing but an injury." I Alluding to a cuftom of the Romans, who maiked the fortunate days in their calendar with white, and the unfortunate with black. § His wife Calpurnia's grandfather. especially especially in what relates to my peculiar province, I mean the bar. You defire me to forget thofe letters which you wrote to me, you fay, in the openness of your heart; but, believe me, there is none I remember with more complacency. They are very pleafing proofs of the fhare I enjoy of your affection, fince you use the fame free expoftulations with me that you would with your own fon. And, to confefs the truth, they are fo much the more agreeable, as I had nothing to accufe myfelf of upon your account; for I had very exactly performed your requests. I intreat you again and again, ftill to rebuke me with the fame freedom, whenever you imagine (and I truft it will be only imagination) that I fail in my duty towards you: it will afford me the pleasure of receiving a strong mark of your affection; and you that of being convinced I did not deferve the reproach. Farewel. LETTER LXXI. To Mauricus. IN compliance with your folicitation, I confent to make you a vifit at your Formian villa, but it is upon condition that you put yourself to no inconvenience upon my account; a condition which I fhall alfo ftri&ly obferve on my part. It is not the pleasures of your fea and your coaft that I purfue; it is your company, together with eafe and freedom from bufinefs, that I defire to enjoy; otherwise I might as well remain in Rome: for there is no medium worth accepting between giving up your time wholly to the difpofal of others, or referving it entirely in your own; at leaft for myself I declare I cannot relish mixtures of any kind. Farewel. LETTER LXXII. To Romanus. I BELIEVE you were not prefent at a very droll accident which lately happened: I was not indeed a witness to it myfelf; however, I had an early account of it. Paflienus Paulus, an eminent Roman knight, and particularly confpicuous for his great learning, has a turn for elegiac poetry; a talent which runs in the family, for Propertius was his relation as well as his countryman. He was lately reciting a poem which began thus: Prifcus, at thy command Whereupon Prifcus, who happened to be prefent as a particular friend of the poet's, cried out, "But he is mistaken, I did "not command him." Think what a peal of laughter this occafioned. The intellects of Prifcus, you must know, are fomething fufpicious; however, as he enters into the common offices of life, is called to confultations, and publicly acts as a lawyer, this behaviour was the more remarkable and ridiculous: and in truth, Paulus was a good deal difconcerted by his friend's abfurdity. Thus, you fee, it is not only neceffary that an author who recites his works in public, fhould himself have a found judgment, but that he takes care his audience have so too. Farewel. LETTER LXXIII. YOUR request that I would fend you an account of my uncle's death, in order to tranfmit a more exact relation of ments; for if this accident shall be ce it to pofterity, deferves my acknowledg lebrated by your pen, the glory of it I am well affured will be rendered for ever illuftrious. And notwithstanding he perifhed by a misfortune, which, as it involved at the fame time a most beautiful country in ruins, and deftroyed fo many populous cities, feems to promife him an everlasting remembrance; notwithstandlafting works; yet I am perfuaded the ing he has himself compofed many and mentioning of him in your immortal writings will greatly contribute to eternize his name. Happy I efteem thofe to be, whom Providence has diftinguished with the abilities either of doing fuch actions as are worthy of being related, or of relating them in a manner worthy of being read; but doubly happy are they who are bleffed with both these uncom mon talents; in the number of which my uncle, as his own writings and your hittory will evidently prove, may juftly be ranked. It is with extreme willingness, therefore, therefore, I execute your commands; and fhould indeed have claimed the task if you had not enjoined it. He was at that ime with the fleet under his command at Mifenum *. On the 23d of Auguft, about one in the afternoon, my mother defired him to obferve a cloud which appeared of a very unufual fize and fhape. He had juft returned from taking the benefit of the fun †, and after bathing himfelf in cold water, and taking a flight repat, was retired to his study: he immediately arofe and went out upon an eminence from whence he might more diftinctly view this very uncommon appearance. It was not at that distance difcernible from what mountain this cloud iffued, but it was found afterwards to afcend from mount Vefuvius . I cannot give you a more exact defcription of its gure than by refembling it to that of a pine-tree, for it hot up a great height in the form of a trunk, which extended itself at the top into a fort of branches; occafioned, I imagine, either by a fudden guft of air that impelled it, the force of which decreafed as it advanced upwards, or the cloud itself being prefied back again by its own weight, expanded in this manner; it appeared fometimes bright and fometimes dark and fpotted, as it was either more or lefs impregnated with earth and cinders. This extraordinary phenomenon excited my uncle's philofophical curiofity to take a nearer view of it. He ordered a light veffel to be got ready, and gave me the liberty, if I thought proper, to attend him. I rather chofe to continue my ftudies, for, as it happened, he had given me an employ ment of that kind. As he was coming out of the house he received a note from Rectina the wife of Baffus, who was in the utmoft alarm at the imminent danger which threatened her; for her villa being fituated at the foot of mount Vefuvius, there was no way to efcape but by fea, The earnestly intreated him therefore to come to her affiftance. He accordingly changed his first defign, and what he be gan with a philofophical, he purfued with an heroical turn of mind. He ordered the gallies to put to fea, and wert himself on board with an intention of affifting not only Restina, but several others; for the villas ftand extremely thick upon that beautiful coaft. When haftening to the place from whence others fled with the utmott terror, he iteered his direct courfe to the point of danger, and with fo much calmnefs and prefence of mind, as to be able to make and dictate his obfervations upon the motion and figure of that dreadful fcene. He was now fo nigh the mountain that the cinders, which grew thicker and hotter the nearer he approached, fell into the fhips, together with pumice-ftones, and black pieces of burning rock; they were likewife in danger not only of being a-ground by the fudden retreat of the fea, but alfo from the vaft fragments which rolled down from the mountain, and obstructed all the fhore. Here he stopped to confider whether he fhould return back again, to which the pilot advifing him; "Fortune,” said he, “befriends the brave; carry me to Pomponianus." Pomponianus was then at Stabiæ §, feparated by a gulf which the fea, after feveral infenfible windings, forms upon that fhore. He had already fent his baggage on board; for though he was not at that time in actual danger, yet being within the view of it, and indeed extremely near, if it fhould in the least increafe, he was determined to put to for as foon as the wind fhould change. It was favourable, however, for carrying my uncle to Pomponianus, whom he found in the greatest confternation: he embraced him with tenderness, encouraging and exhorting him to keep up his fpirits, and the more to diffipate his fears, he ordered, with an air of unconcern, the baths to be got ready; when after having bathed, he fat down to fupper with great cheerfulness, or at leaft (what is equally heroic) with all the appearance of it. In the mean while the eruption from mount Vefuvius flamed out in feveral places with much violence, which the darkness of the night contributed to ren der ftill more vifible and dreadful. But my uncle, in order to foothe the appre Now called Caft! è Ma- di Stabia, in the gulf of Naples. henfions henfions of his friend, affured him it was only the burning of the villages, which the country people had abandoned to the flames: after this he retired to reft, and it is most certain he was fo little difcompofed as to fall into a deep fleep; for being pretty fat, and breathing hard, thofe who attended without actually heard him fnore. The court which led to his apartment being now almost filled with ftones and ashes, if he had continued there any time longer, it would have been impoffible for him to have made his way out; it was thought proper therefore to awaken him. He got up, and went to Pomponianus and the rest of his company, who were not unconcerned enough to think of going to bed. They confulted together whether it would be moft prudent to trust to the houses, which now Book from fide to fide with frequent and violent concuffions; or fly to the open fields, where the calcined ftones and coders, though light indeed, yet fell in Large fhowers, and threatened deftruction. In this diftrefs they refolved for the fields as the lefs dangerous fituation of the tivo; a refolution which, while the ret of the company were hurried into by their fears, my uncle embraced upon cool and deliberate confideration They went out then, having pillows tied upon their heads with napkins; and this was their whole defence against the ftorm of stones that fell round them. Though it was now day every where elfe, with them it was darker than the moft obfcure night, excepting only what light proceeded from the fire and flames. They thought proper to go down farther upon the fhore obterve if they might fafely put out to , but they found the waves ftill run remely high and boisterous. There ay uncle having drunk a draught or two of cold water, threw himfelf down upon a cloth which was fpread for him, when immediately the flames and a strong tell of fulphur, which was the forerer of them, difperfed the re of the cpany and obliged him to ar. He red himself up with the affiance of two of his fervants, and inftantly fell own dead; fuffocated, as I conjecture, by tome grofs and noxious vapour, havng always had weak lungs, and frequently fubjected to a difcuity of breathng. As foon as it was light again, which was not till the third day after this melancholy accident, his body was found entire, and without any marks of violence upon it, exactly in the fame posture that he fell, and looking more like a man afleep than dead. During all this time my mother and I, who were at Mifenum- But as this has no connection with your history, fo your enquiry went no farther than concerning my uncle's death; with that therefore I will put an end to my letter: fuffer me only to add, that I have faithfully related to you what I was either an eye witnefs of myself, or received immediately after the accident happened, and before there was time to vary the truth. You will chufe out of this narrative fuch circumstances as shall be most suitable to your purpose ; for there is a great difference between what is proper for a letter, and an history; between writing to a friend, and writing to the public. Farewel. LETTER LXXIV. ICANNOT forbear pouring out my in- equal, |