However, we cannot help blaming him for entertaining fuch a mighty Opinion of himself, and running down to fuch a degree all the other Interpreters. As to the Comments of

Barnes and Baxter, he delivers his Opinion of them in the following Words; Duo Commentarii duorum Interpretum Barnefii & Baxteri, tot futiliffimis nugis funt repleti, ut fi eas fingulatim refutare inftituiffem, plura de illis folis confcribenda fuiffent mibi, quam nunc de Græcis omnibus confcripfi, &c. Quod Baxterus fcribit adeo ineptum eft, ut quemadmodum id in mentem non venit mibi ; ita nec eruditorum cuiquam in mentem veneritNuga, nuga, quæ uni Baxtero abblandiri potuerunt, &c. In his Notes his common Phrases are, ineptit Stephanys; quod fcribit Stephanus, non eft unius affis; garriunt Interpretes omnes; Dalecampius nugatur; Faber, aliique Interpretes ineptiunt; id credant inepti, & cum ineptis credat Barnefius, non credam ego, aut eruditiores credant alii; fi ita fcripfit Poeta, aperte nugas egit; ineptiffime omnes & plene infulfe, &c. That is, all the Interpreters are Dunces and Blockheads, excepting myself, Mynbeer Pauw. To the

Odes of Anacreon, our Interpreter has added all the Fragments of that great Poet, which have been collected by Stephens and others; except the feven Pieces produced by Scaliger, which he takes to have been forged by the fame Scaliger.

We have just now received from Italy a moft elegant Italian Tranflation of Anacreon, done by several hands. As no Poet ever wrote more accommodately to the Genius of that Tongue than Anacreon; it will not, perhaps, be amifs to infert here the first Ode, as tranf

lated

lated by the Italian Literati, which will ferve for a Specimen of this new Tranflation.

Degli Atridi io canterei,
E di Cadmo i cafi rei,
Má dal mio voler difcorda
Della Cetera ogni corda,
E l'ascolto a tutte l'ore
Solo dir cofe d'amore.
Poco fa Cetra cambiai,
Che di nuove corde armai,
Ea narrare il cor s'accefe
Del grand Ercole l'imprefe;
Má contraria a me rifpofe
Voci tenere, e amorofe.
Dunque gite in pace o Eroi,
Che ingombrate i miei pensieri;
Io non poffo dir di voi
L'alte gefta, ei nomi alteri,
Se la Cetra a tutte l'ore

Sol risponde amore, amore.

The fame Ode was Englished paraphraftically, by Mr. Cowley, thus.

I'll fing of Heroes, and of Kings
In mighty Numbers, mighty Things.
Begin, my Mufe; but lo! the Strings
To my great Song rebellious prove;
The Strings will found of nought but Love.
I broke them all, and put on new ; ́
'Tis this or nothing fure will do.
Thefe fure (faid I) will me obey;
Thefe fure Heroic Notes will play.
Straight I began with thund'ring Jove,
And all th' immortal Pow'rs but Love.

Love

Love fmil'd, and from m' enfeebled Lyre
Came gentle Ayres, fuch as infpire
Melting Love, foft Defire.

Farewell then Heroes, farewell Kings,
And mighty Numbers, mighty Things,
Love tunes my Heart just to my Strings.

The Title of this new Tranflation runs thus: Le Ode di Anacreonte nuovamente da varii illustri Poeti nella Italiana favella tradotte, ed altre Rime pubblicate nell' occafione delle felicissime Nozze degli Ecc. Sig. Co. D. FILIPPO ARCHINTO, e Co. D. GIULIA BOR ROMEA. That is, The Odes of Anacreon tranflated into Italian by feveral eminent Poets; and other Pieces of Poetry: published on Occafion of the Marriage of Count Don Filippo Archinto, and the Countess Donna Giulia Borromea. Signior Filippo Argelati has prefixed to his Performance, a fhort Account of the Life and Writings of Anacreon, which he has copied, word for word, from Mr. Bayle's Critical Dictionary, without ever naming him; nay, after having promised us fome new Hints touching the Life and Compofitions of that celebrated Poet.

ARTICLE XXI.

Everardi Ottonis Jurifconfulti & Antecefforis Ultraject.de TutelaViarum Publicarum Liber fingularis, &c.

That is,

Of the Care and Guardianship of the Highways, in one Book, by Ever. Otto, CounSellor and Doctor of the Civil Law at Utrecht.

T

HIS learned Work is divided into three
Parts: the first treats of the Gods, who

pre

prefided, as Guardians, over the High-ways; the
fecond, of the Magiftrates, who were charged
with the Care of the Roads; and the third, of the
Laws relating to the Safety of Travellers. Our
Author begins the first Part (containing fourteen
Chapters) by explaining the various religious
and fuperftitious Ceremonies, which were prac-
tifed by the antient Travellers, before they fet
out, on the Road, and at their Journey's end.
To this purpose he fhews, from the antient
Writers, (perhaps with too great a profufion of
Quotations) that it was a conftant Cuftom a-
mong the Greeks and Romans, to implore the
Protection of the Gods at their fetting out on
a Journey and on their return home to thank
them, in a most folemn manner, for having
preferved them from all Dangers. All the an-
tient Writers make frequent mention of Prayers,
Vows, Sacrifices, &c. used by Kings, Generals,
and whole Armies, on like occafions. As to
the fuperftitious part of Mankind, they used,
before undertaking a Journey, to advise with
Aftronomers and Conjurers; and cause their
Nativity to be calculated, in order to know,
whether the Journey would prove happy, or
unhappy if in fetting out they met with a
Squirrel, if they ftumbled, fneezed, &c. the
Journey was put off.

Omnia funt aliquid, modo cum difcedere vellet,
Ad limen digitos reftitit ita nape.

Miffa foras iterum limen tranfire memento
Cautius, atque alte fobria ferre pedem.

Says Ovid Lib. I. Amor. Eleg. 12. vf. 3. And Tibullus (Lib. I. Eleg. 3. vf. 17.)

O quoties ingreffus iter mihi triftia dixi
Offenfum in porta figna dediffe pedem.

Befides, they had feveral ominous Days, on which they believed a Journey undertaken would be infallibly attended with fome great Misfor tune. Such were among the Romans all Saturdays, and others, on which they had received any memorable Defeat. To these Days alludes Ovid in the following Verfes (Remed. Amor. vf. 219.)

Nec pluvias vites, nec te peregrina morentur
Sabbata, nec damnis Allia nota fuis.

The Epithet peregrinus fhews, that the Romans borrowed the Cuftom of not travelling on Saturdays of the Jews; which is alfo confirm'd by Tertullian, who tells us, that the Romans, fefti Diei Sabbatha, Judaico more, & diem Saturni otio & vietui decernebant. Among other fuperftitious Customs ufed by the Antients, our Author mentions that of fprinkling themselves with luftrifical Water in going out of their Houses, and entring the Temples. To this Water they ascribed the fame Virtue, which the Roman Catholics (their Apes) afcribe to their Holy Water. We may juftly reproach them both with the Words of Ovid;

Ab nimium faciles, qui triftia crimina

Fluminea tolli poffe putaris aqua +.

In the fecond Chapter our Author treats of the Statues, Altars, Temples, Columns, &c. which were erected on the High-ways, in the Streets, over the Gates of the Cities, on the Bridges,

Tertull. Lib. 1.ad Nar. C. 13. & in Apolog. C. 16. +Ovid. Faft. Lib. 2. vf.45.