-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 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, 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 Tibul. El. 1o. Lib. I. She firft, White Peace, the earth with ploughfhares broke, And bent the oxen to the crooked yoke, 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 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. Then banish'd Faith shall once again return, And Remus with Quirinus fhall fuftain The righteous laws, and fraud and force reMr. Dryden. ftrain. ad limina fanita Contendit Fidei, fecretaque pectora tentat. He to the fhrines of Faith his fteps addreft. 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, 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. |