-Jamdudum pofte reclinis

Quærit Hymen thalamis intactum dicere carmen, Quo vatem mulcere queat; dat Juno verenda Vincula, et infigni geminat Concordia tædâ.

Statii Epithalamion. Silv. Lib. 1.

Already leaning at the door, too long
Sweet Hymen waits to raise the nuptial Song,
Her facred bands majestic Juno lends,
And Concord with her flaming torch attends.

FIG. 4.

Peace differs as little in her Drefs as in her Character from Concord. You may obferve in both these figures that the Veft is gathered up before them, like an Apron, which you muft fuppofe fill'd with fruits as well as the Cornu-copia. It is to this part of the Dress that Tibullus alludes.

At nobis, Pax alma, veni, fpicamque teneto,
Perfluat et pomis candidus ante finus.

Kind Peace, appear,

And in thy right-hand hold the wheaten ear, From thy white lap th' o'erflowing fruits fhall fall.

Prudentius has given us the fame circumstance in his defcription of Avarice,

Avaritia gremio præcineta capaci.

Prud. Pfychomachia.

How proper the emblems of Plenty are to Peace, may be seen in the fame Poet.

Interea

Interea Pax arva colat, Pax candida primùm
·Duxit araturos fub juga curva boves;
Pax aluit vites, et fuccos condidit uva,
Funderet ut nato tefta paterna merum :
Pace bidens vomer que vigent.-

Tibul. El. 1o. Lib. I.

She firft, White Peace, the earth with ploughfhares broke,

And bent the oxen to the crooked yoke,
First rear'd the vine, and hoarded first with care
The father's vintage for his drunken heir.

The Olive-branch in her hand is frequently touched upon in the old Poets as a token of Peace.

Pace orare manu

Virg. Æn. 10.

Ov. Met. Lib. 7

Ingreditur, ramumque tenens popularis Oliva.

In his right-hand an Olive-branch he holds.

furorem

Indomitum duramque viri deflectere mentem
Pacifico fermone parant, hoftemque propinquum
Orant Cecropia prælatâ fronde Minerva.
Luc. Lib. 3.

To move his haughty foul they try

Intreaties, and perfuafion foft apply;

Their brows Minerva's peaceful branches wear, And thus in gentleft terms they greet his ear.

Mr. Rowe

Which by the way one would think had been spoken rather of an Attila, or a Maximin, than Julius Cæfar.

You fee Abundance or Plenty makes the fame figure in Medals as in Horace.

FIG. 5

-tibi Copia

Ruris bonorum opulenta cornu.

Hor. Lib. 1. Od. 17.

Manabit ad plenum benigno

Here to thee shall Plenty flow

And all her riches fhow,

To raise the honour of the quiet plain.

Mr. Creech.

The Compliments on this reverfe to Gordianus Pius is expreffed in the fame manner as that of Horace to Auguftus.

Aurea fruges

Hor. Epift. 12. Lib. 1.

Italiam pleno diffudit Copia cornu.

Golden Plenty with a bounteous hand

Rich harvefts freely fcatters o'er our land.

But to return again to our Vir

tues. You have here the picture of

Mr. Creech

FIG. 6.

Fidelity, who was worshipped as a Goddess among the Romans.

Si tu oblitus es at Dii meminerunt, meminit Fides.

Catul. ad Alphen.

I should fancy, from the following verses of

Virgil and Silius Italicus, that she was represented under the figure of an old woman.

Cana Fides, et Vefta, Remo cum fratre Quirinus.
Jura dabant-
Virg. Æn. Lib.i.

Then banish'd Faith shall once again return,
And vestal fires in hallow'd temples burn,

And Remus with Quirinus fhall fuftain

The righteous laws, and fraud and force reMr. Dryden.

ftrain.

ad limina fanita

Contendit Fidei, fecretaque pectora tentat.
Arcanis dea leta, polo tum forte remoto
Calicolûm magnas volvebat confcia curas.
Ante Jovem generata, decus divûmque hominumque,
Quâ fine non tellus pacem, non æquora norunt,
Juftitia confors-
Sil. It. Lib. 2.

He to the fhrines of Faith his fteps addreft.
She, pleas'd with fecrets rolling in her breast,
Far from the world remote, revolv'd on high
The cares of gods, and counfels of the sky.
Ere Jove was born fhe grac'd the bright abodes,
Confort of Justice, boaft of men and gods;
Without whofe heavenly aid no peace below
The ftedfaft earth, and rolling ocean know.

There is a Medal of Heliogabalus FIG. 7. infcrib'd FIDES EXERCITUS, that receives a great light from the preceding verfes. She is posted between two military Enfigns, for the good quality that the Poet afcribes to her of preferving the public peace, by keeping the Army true to its Allegiance.

I fancy,

I fancy, fays Eugenius, as you have difcovered the Age of this imaginary Lady from the defcription that the Poets have made of her, you may find too the colour of the Drapery that the wore in the old Roman paintings, from that verse in Horace.

Te Spes albo rara Fides colit

Velata panno

Hor. Od. 35. Lib. 1.

Sure Hope and Friendship cloth'd in White,
Attend on thee.
Mr. Creech.

One would think, fays Philander, by this verse, that Hope and Fidelity had both the fame kind of Drefs. It is certain Hope might have a fair pretence to White, in allufion to those that were Candidates for an employ.

-quem ducit hiantem

Gretata ambitio

And how properly the Epithet of with her, you may fee in the tranfparency of the next figure. She is here drefs'd in fuch a kind of Vest

Perf. Sat. 5.

Rara agrees

FIG. 8.

as the Latins call a Multicium from the fineness of its Tiffue. Your Roman Beaus had their fummer toga of such a light airy make.

Quem tenues decuere toga nitidique capilli.

I that had lov'd

Hor. Ep. 14. Lib. 1.

Curl'd powder'd locks, a fine and gawdy gown.

Mr. Creech.