and leaves little more to be feen in them than meanness and narrowness of mind.

Scipio did not depart from himfelf in any respect. He was not like certain paintings, that are to be feen only at a distance: he could not bat gain by a nearer view. The excellent education which he had had, through the care of his father Paulus Æmilius, who had provided him with the most learned mafters of thofe times, as well in polite learning as the fciences; and the inftructions he had received from Polybius, enabled him to fill up the vacant hours he had from public affairs profitably, and to fupport the lei fure of a private life, with pleafure and dignity. This is the glorious teftimony given of him by an hiftorian: "Nobody "knew better how to mingle leifure and "action, nor to use the intervals of reft "from public bufinefs with more elegance " and talle. Divided between arms and "books, between the military labours of "the camp, and the peaceful occupations "of the clofet, he either exercifed his body "in the dangers and fatigues of war, or "his mind in the ftudy of the fciences." The firit Scipio Africanus ufed to fay, That he was never lefs idle, than when at leiture, or lefs alone, than when alone. A fine faying, cries Cicero, and well worthy of that great man. And it thews that, even when inactive, he was always employed; and that when alone, he knew how to converfe with himfelf. A very extraordinary difpofition in perfons accustomed to motion and agitation, whom leifure and folitude, when they are reduced to them, plunge into a difguft for every thing, and fill with melancholy; fo that they are difpleafed in every thing with themselves, and fink under the heavy burden of having nothing to do. This faying of the firit Scipio feems to me to fuit the fecond tili better, who having the advantage of the other by being educated in a taite for polite learning and the fciences, found in that a great resource against the inconvenience of which we have been fpeaking. Befides which, having ufually Polybius and Panatius with him, even in the field, it is eafy to judge that his houfe was open, in times of peace, to all the learned. Every body knows, that the comedies of Terence, the most accomplished work of that kind Rome ever Fro

Vellius Paterculus.

duced, for natural elegance and beauties, are afcribed to him and Lelius, of whom we fhall foon speak. It was publicly enough reported, that they affifted that poet in the compofition of his pieces; and Terence himself makes it an honour to hin in the prologue to the Adelphi. I fhall undoubtedly not advise any body, and leaf of all perfons of Scipio's rank, to write comedies. But on this occafion, lec us only confider talte in general for letters. Is there a more ingenuous, a more affecting pleasure, and one more worthy of a wife and virtuous man, I might perhaps add, or one more neceffary to a military perfon, than that which refults from reading works of wit, and from the converfation of the learned? Providence thought fit, according to the obfervation of a Pagan, that he should be above thote trivial pleafures, to which perfons without letters, knowledge, curiofity, and tafte for reading, are obliged to give themfelves up.

Another kind of pleafure, flill more fenfible, more warm, more natural, and more implanted in the heart of man, constituted the greatest felicity of Scipio's life; this was that of friendship; a pleafure feldora known by great perlons or princes, becaufe, generally loving only themselves, they do not deferve to have friends. However, this is the most grateful tie of human fociety; fo that the poet Ennius fays with great reafon, that to live without friends is not to live. Scipio had undoubtedly a great number of them, and thofe very illuftrious but I fhall fpeak here only of Lælius, whofe probity and prudence acquired him the furname of the Wife.

Never, perhaps, were two friends better fuited to each other than thofe great men. They were almoft of the fame age, and had the fame inclination, benevolence of mind, tafte for learning of all kinds, principles of government, and zeal for the public good. Scipio, no doubt, took place in point of military glory; but Lælius did not want merit of that kind; and Cicero tells us, that he fignalized himfelf very much in the war with Viriathus. As to the talents of the mind, the fuperioriry, in refpect of eloquence, feems to have been given to Lælius; though Cicero does not agree that it was due to him, and fays, that Lælius's ftyle favoured more of the ancient manner, and had fomething les agreeable in it than that of Scipio.

Let us hear Lælius himself (that is the words

words Cicero puts into his mouth) upon the ftrict union which fubfifted between Scipio and him. "As for me," fays LæJius," of all the gifts of nature or fortune, there are none, I think, comparable to the happiness of having Scipio for my "friend. I found in our friendship a perfect conformity of fentiments in refpect to public affairs; an inexhauftible fund of counfels and fupports in private life; with a tranquillity and delight not to be "expreffed. I never gave Scipio the leaft offence, to my knowledge, nor ever heard a word efcape him that did not please me. We had but one houfe, and one table at our common expence, the frugality of which was equally the "taste of both. In war, in travelling, in "the country, we were always together. "I do not mention our ftudies, and the attention of us both always to learn "fomething; this was the employment of "all our leisure hours, removed from the "fight and commerce of the world."

Is there any thing comparable to a friendship like that which Lelius has juft defcribed? What a confolation is it to have a fecond felf, to whom we have nothing fecret, and in whofe heart we may pour out our own with perfect effufion! Could we tafte profperity fo fenfibly, if we had no one to hare in our joy with us? And what a relief is it in adverfity, and the accidents of life, to have a friend ftill more affected with them than ourselves! What highly exalts the value of the friendfhip we fpeak of, was its not being founded at all upon intereft, but folely upon efteem for each other's virtues. What occafion," fays Lælius, "could Scipio have of me? Undoubtedly none; nor I "of him. But my attachment to him was "the effect of my high efteem and admi"ration of his virtues; and his to me arofe "from the favourable idea of my character " and manners. The friendship increated afterwards upon both fides, by habit and "commerce. We both, indeed, derived "great advantages from it; but thofe "were not our view, when we began to "love each other."

I cannot place the famous embaffy of Scipio Africanus into the Eaft and Egypt, better than here; we fhall fee the tame tafte of fimplicity and modefty, as we have just been reprefenting in his private life, fhine out in it. It was a maxim with the Romans, frequently to fend ambaffadors to their allies, to take cognizance of their

affairs, and to accommodate their differ ences. It was with this view that three illuftrious perfons, P. Scipio Africanus, Sp. Mummius, and L. Metellus, were fent into Egypt, where Ptolemy Phyfon then reigned, the moft cruel tyrant mentioned in hiftory. They had orders to go from thence to Syria, which the indolence, and afterwards the captivity of Demetries Nicanor amongst the Parthians, made a prey to troubles, factions, and revolts. They were next to vifit Afia Minor and Greece; to infpect into the affairs of those countries; to inquire into what manner the treaties made with the Romans were obferved; and to remedy, as far as ponible, all the disorders that flou'd come to their knowledge. They acquitted themselves with fo much equity, wildom, and ability, and did fuch great ferv.ces to thofe to whom they were fent, in re-establishing order amongit them, and in accommodating their differences, that, when they returned to Rome, ambafadors arrived there from all the parts in which they had been, to thank the fenate for having fent pericns of fuch great merit to them, whofe wildom and goodness they could not fufficiently commend.

The first place to which they went, according to their inftructions, was Alexandria. The king received them with great magnificence. As for them, they affected it fo little, that at their entry, Scipio, who was the richest and most powerful perfor of Rome, had only one friend, the philofopher Panatius, with him, and five domeftics. His victories, fays an ancient writer, and not his attendants, were confidered; and his perfonal virtues and qualities were efteemed in him, and not the glitter of gold and filver.

Though, during their whole ftay in Egypt, the king caufed their table to be covered with the most exquifite provisions of every kind, they never touched any but the moft fimple and common, defpifing all the reft, which only ferve to foften the mind and enervate the body. But, on fuch occafions, ought not the ambaffadors of fo powerful a ftate as Rome to have fuftained its reputation of majesty in a foreign nation, by appearing in public with a numerous train and magnificent equipages? This was not the taste of the Remans, that is, of the people that, among all nations of the earth, thought the moft juftly of true greatnefs and folid glory. Rellin

$263. On Punctuation. Punctuation is the art of marking in writing the feveral pauses, or refts, between fentences and the parts of fentences, according to their proper quantity or proportion, as they are expreffed in a juft and accurate pronunciation.

As the feveral articulate founds, the fyllables and words, of which fentences confift, are marked by letters; fo the rests and paufes, between fentences and their parts, are marked by Points.

But, though the feveral articulate founds are pretty fully and exactly marked by letters of known and determinate power; yet the feveral pauses, which are used in a juft pronunciation of discourse, are very imperfectly expreffed by Points.

For the different degrees of connexion between the feveral parts of fentences, and the different paufes in a juft pronunciation, which exprefs thofe degrees of connexion according to their proper value, admit of great variety; but the whole number of Points, which we have to exprefs this variety, amounts only to four.

Hence it is, that we are under a neceffity of expreffing paufes of the fame quantity, on different occafions, by different Points; and more frequently, of expreffing paufes of different quantity by the fame Points.

So that the doctrine of Punctuation must needs be very imperfect: few precife rules can be given which will hold with out exception in all cafes; but much muft be left to the judgment and taste of the writer.

On the other hand, if a greater number of marks were invented to exprefs all the poffible different paufes of pronunciation; the doctrine of them would be very perplexed and difficult, and the use of them would rather embarrass than assist the reader.

It remains, therefore, that we be content with the rules of Punctuation, laid down with as much exactnefs as the nature of the fubject will admit: fuch as may serve for a general direction, to be accommodated to different occafions; and to be fupplied, where deficient, by the writer's judgment.

The feveral degrees of connexion between fentences, and between their principal conftructive parts, Rhetoricians have confidered under the following diftinctions,

as the most obvious and remarkable: the Period, Colon, Semicolon, and Com

ma.

The Period is the whole fentence, complete in itself, wanting nothing to make a full and perfect fenfe, and not connected in conftruction with a fubfequent fentence.

The Colon, or Member, is a chief conftructive part, or greater divifion, of a fentence.

The Semicolon or Half-member, is a lefs conftructive part, or fubdivifion, of a fentence or member.

A fentence or member is again fubdivided into Commas, or Segments; which are the leaft conftructive parts of a fentence or member, in this way of confidering it; for the next fubdivifion would be the refolution of it into phrafes and words.

The Grammarians have followed this divifion of the Rhetoricians, and have appropriated to each of thefe diftinctions its mark, or point; which takes its name from the part of the fentence which it is employed to diftinguifh: as follows:

The proportional quantity, or time, of the points, with refpect to one another, is determined by the following general rule: The Period is a paufe in quantity or duration double of the Colon: the Colon is double of the Semicolon; and the Semicolon is double of the Comma. So that they are in the fame proportion to one another, as the Semibref, the Minim, the Crotchet, and the Quaver, in mufic. The precife quantity, or duration, of each paule or note cannot be defined; for that varies with the time: and both in discourse and mufic the fame compofition may be rehearfed in a quicker or a flower time: but in music the proportion between the notes remains ever the fame; and in difcourfe, if the doctrine of Punctuation were exact, the proportion between the paufes would be ever invariable.

The Points then being defigned to exprefs the paufes, which depend on the different degrees of connexion between fentences, and between their principal conftructive parts; in order to understand the meaning of the Points, and to know how to apply them properly, we must confider the nature of a fentence, as divided into its principal conftructive parts, and the degrees of con

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nexion