made passing from one skilful Songster to another leaving the rest of the Guests vacant and going a Traverse or Skipping gave the Name Scolion to that manner of Singing I shall say nothing of that Great Scolion of Pindar which he made in Praise of the Corinthian Courtezans nor of that Eustathius speaks of in his Comment upon the Odysses That there were two kinds of Scolia 's whereof one they call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or rallying made purposely to mock at the Vicious and the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Serious in Commendation of Vertue and Vertuous Persons Among the last he puts those which they call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Lugubria which were sung at the Solemnity of the Dead by those of the Family about the Funeral Pile I have read in an Interpreter of Athenaeus that these Scolia's were like those Verses which from the Italians we at present call Stanzas Sonnets and Madrigals But I may seem to have been too long upon this Matter and that 't is time to return to our Subject See therefore the Judgment Quintilian has given of Pindar's Poesie in the first Chapter of his Tenth Book where he says Novem vero Lyricorum longè Pindarus princeps Spiritus magnificentia sententiis figuris brevissima rerum verborumque copiâ veluti quodam Eloquentiae flumine propter quae Horatius eum credidit nemini imitabilem i. e. Pindar is far beyond any Prince of the Nine Lyrick Poets for the Height and Majesty of his Thoughts the Gravity of his Sentences the Beauty of his Figures the Copious Brevity of his Words and Matter and as it were a Flood or Torrent of Eloquence for which Horace thought him inimitable It seems Quinctilian took all this Discourse from Dionysius Halicarnassaeus his Book de construction verbonim where he thus speaks Pindar is Admirable for the choice of his Words and Thoughts he has Grandeur Harmony Affluence Order and vigour of Expressions and all that accompany'd with a certain grave yet close Delivery mix'd with an agreeable sweetness is marvellous for his Sentences his Energy his Figures his address in describing manners his Amplifications and Elocution and above all for the Honesty of his own Manners which appears in all his Writings where his Temperance his Piety and the Greatness of his Mind shine throughout By which it appears to me that Author was perfectly acquainted with the Character of Pindar for he has omitted nothing that could be considered in his Works where the Sublime of which Longinus has written is in its greatest Lustre and of which Horace says Multa Dircaeum levat aura Cycnum Tendit Antoni Quoties in altum Nubium tractus L. 4. Od. 2. When for a noble Flight he does prepare Rais'd on a mighty Tide of favouring Air The Theban Swan with Soaring Wings Up 'bove the Cloudy Region springs Athenaeus likewise never speaks of Pindar but he gives him this Epithete 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The great-voic'd Pindar And now it might be proper for me after what these Men have said to hold my Tongue but my Lord I cannot forbear telling you of some Passages in Pindar which I never yet could read without being extremely concern'd As where he describes the Joy the Good Old Aeson had when he review'd his Son Iason and beheld him to be a Person so well made and accomplish'd after he had mourn'd for him as Dead 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pyth. 4. As soon as entred his old Father's Eye Strait found him out and a glad Showre let fly Of joyful Tears to see a Son so brave So beautiful who well the Prize might have From all of Humane Race Or when he recounts the brave Action of Antilochus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who undertook by his own Death to save the Life of his Father Nestor where the Relation is so tender so touching and so lively as Dionysius Halicarnassaeus notes That they seem not the things told but the very actions themselves as if done in our Presence There is no body but trembles for the poor Nestor to see him distress'd in his Chariot stop'd by the wounding of one of his Horses and pursu'd by Memnon with his Lance a tilt but who would not at the same time be strook with equal Joy and Grief to see Antilochus so courageously oppose himself against him and die combating for the Life of his Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pyth. â—â— Th' Intreaties of his Father weigh'd not he Firmly resolv'd the Godlike Youth remain'd By his own Death his Father's Life to free And in the brave Performance fell yet gain'd The highest Honour that was ever known Of Childrens Piety to Parents shown Can any thing be seen more soft than what he says of the Birth of Aristaeus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Hours upon their soft Knees took The New-born Babe and as he lay Sweet Nectar gave the Child to suck And fed him with Ambrosia See how richly he commends the Excellent Sculptures of the Rhodians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Olymp. 7. The Noble Statues their fair Streets adorn Seem not as fram'd but born To Live and Move With what Force and Vigour does he describe the Hostile Desolation of a fruitful Land 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 10. Th' inhospitable Epian King too soon Beheld his Country over-run With Fire and Sword his City sack'd by Foes As merciless as Those And sunk into Misfortune more than low A sad Abyss of Misery and Woe With what agreeableness does he paint the Joy of an Old Man at the Birth of a Son to inherit his Estate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ibid. As when an Aged Person gets a Boy On a Young Wife his Solace and his Ioy. How does he spring into nâ—w Youth again Seeing a Son Born likely to maintain His fair Estate For at one's Death no pain No Thoughts so odious and distracting are As leaving Riches to an unknown Heir And the Shame and Grief of the Combatants overcome in the Pythian Games 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pyth. 8. No Pleasure take they to the Pythian Plain Where they were foil'd to return back again Nor willingly to their own
by Petavius in his Doctrina Temporum Part the 2d Page 562. where against the 65th Olympiad he notes Pindarus nascitur and is followed by Helvicus The great Emendator of Times Ioseph Scaliger in his Eusebian Animadversions concludes from the Supposition of his being 40 Years of Age in the 75th Olympiad that he was born in the 1st Year of the 67th Olympiad that is in the Year of Iphitus the Restaurator of the Olympick Games after Hercules 257. and in that of the World 3465. and this is all the certainty we can meet with as to his Birth But Iulius Firmicus might have clear'd this Matter had he set down the Day and Year as well as the Configurations of the Signs and Planets in that Scheme of his Nativity he hath left us wherein is represented Saturn in the 9th House in the Sign Gemini Mercury Venus and Mars in Partile Congress in his Horoscope under the Sign Libra Iupiter diametrically respecting the same in the Sign Aries and the Sun in the 2d House under the Sign Scorpio Which Geniture to use Firmicus his Words Divinum Poetam Lyrici Carminis reddit qui Choreas Libero Rythmos sed rara Religiosi Carminis modulatione componat i. e. Renders a Divine Lyrick Poet who makes Dances and Rhimes to Bacchus but with a rare Modulation of Religious Verse Gyraldus yet refers this In ejus potius Studium Naturae Corporis Habitum quam in Astrorum Coitiones Motusque Ibid. ut supra PAGE 3. Pindar was of Thebes THO' he be here said to be of Thebes the place of his Birth is yet controverted for Stephanus de Vrbibus affirms he was Born in a small Village call'd Cynocephalus within the Theban Territories which his Scholiasts likewise confirm Nevertheless he may well be said to be of Thebes as being born within its Dominions As Virgil though born at Andes a small Town not far from Mantua is call'd the Mantuan Poet and with as much Justice may Pindar be call'd the Theban Poet having in Thebes fix'd his Habitation and Family PAGE 3. Horace was Native of Venusium THIS shews where Horace was born but not when which the Reader may expect to be as well satisfy'd in He was Born the 6th of the Ides of December L. Aurelius Cotta and L. Manlius Torquatus being Consuls as Suetonius in his Life testifies and is asserted by Eusebius in the last Book of his Chronicon ad Numerum MCCCCLII which was in the Year from the Building of Rome 698. in that of the World 3919. and in the 178th Olympiad by which it may easily appear how much Pindar was his Devancier PAGE 6. He d'welt at Thebes near the Temple of the Mother of the Gods THE Ruines of this House and the adjoyning Temple were remaining to be seen in Pausanias his Time who wrote his Description of the Grecian Antiquities in the Days of Hadrian the Roman Emperour Vide illum in Boeolicis PAGE 6. He built a Chappel and dedicated a Statue to Jupiter Hammon PAusanias adds that besides the Chappel and Statue he dedicated to Iupiter Hammon in Thebes he wrote a Hymn in Honour of that God which Hymn he further says was extant in his Time being ingrav'd in a Triangular Pile affix'd to the Altar which Ptolemaeus the Son of Lagus had dedicated to that God He wrote likewise and sent other Hymns in praise of the said Iupiter Hammon into Libya to be there consecrated in the Temple of the Ammonians in Boeoticis p. 565. PAGE 35. Pindar Dy'd in the Arms of his Belov'd Theoxenus THE Manner of his Death is thus express'd by Valerius Maximus in his 9th Book c. 12. Pindar says he going one Day to the Theater or Gymnasium to see some Sports or Exercises â—inding himself heavy as with Sleep lean'd his Head in the Bosom of his Dear Theoxenus and so Dy'd but not known to be Dead till the Keeper of the Gymnasium coming to lock up the Place could not rouse him Adding That so sweet a Death and so pleasant an End of Life he believ'd was granted by the Benignity of the Gods to so Excellent and Elegant a Poet. The Time of his Death is much controverted for Suidas says he Dy'd in the 55th Year of his Age in the 3d. Year of the 78th Olympiad Others report he Dy'd not till the 80th Year of his Age which sell to be in the 85th Olympiad But Scaliger in his Eusebian Animadversions takes notice that in the 7th Ode of his Isthmioniques he makes mention of Strepsiades who was in the Peloponnesian War which begun says he in the 88th Olympiad So that reckoning either way he can neither be said to have Dy'd in the 55th or the 80th Year of his Age. Notwithstanding this uncertainty of the Time of his Death among the Ancients Omnino Necesse est says Scaliger in magna Senectute Diem Supremum obivisse It is altogether necessary to believe he departed this Life in a very Old Age. However and whensoever he Dy'd he was honourably Buried in the City of Thebes a Monument being erected for him in the Hippodrome there which was standing in Pausanias his Time PAGE 41. The Athenians paid publickly a Fine or Mulct set upon Pindar THEY not only paid that Fine set upon him by his Countreymen but as Pausanias in Atticis witnesses had so great an Esteem for him that they made him several rich Presents and ordered a Statue to be erected for him in their City Upon which the Learned Muretus in his 4th Book of Various Lections c. 1. adds from a certain Epistle of the Orator Aeschines that they sent him double the Sum of the Fine set upon him and caus'd a Brazen Statue to be cast to perpetuate his Memory which Statue was seen in Aeschines his Time plac'd before the Regal Portico in Athens Pindar sitting in a Chair in his Pallium a Diadem on his Head holding a Lyra in his Hands and a Book lying open upon his Knees PAGE 52. Seu per Audaces nova Dithyrambos Verba devolvit c. THIS Citation taken out of the Ode whose beginning is Pindarum siquis studet aemulari was here meant and doubtlesly intentionally first writ by Horace in Applause of Pindar I find yet a Learned but Sowre Critick Erasmus Schmidius in the Preface to his Edition of Pindar by which Work he hath very highly merited to be of another Opinion for speaking of his own Pains in dilucidating and making easie the seeming Difficulties appearing in the Pindarick Odes he says a Reader by them may not only be taught to understand but with the Assistance of a very indifferent Muse imitate him Quod â—nvidus Horatius they are his own words ut Lectores ab elegantissâ—mo Poeta deterreret ne furta sua fortè deprehenderent hyperbolicè negat i. e. Which Envious Horace that he might deterr his Readers from the Lecture of so Elegant a Poet lest happily they should discover his Thefts hyperbolically denies But
Iccius wherein he recommends to him one Grosphus where he says so truly Vilis Amicorum est Annona bonis si quid Deest Of Friends the Bounty 's vile and scant That let 's Good Men to suffer Want But what above all shews the Noble Humour of Horace is the Pleasure he took in Building for which he blames himself under the Name of Damisippus as one undertaking things above his Power to perform Aedificas hoc est longos imitaris ab imo Ad summum totus moduli Bipedalis L. 2. Sat. 3. Thou hast a Vain of Building tho' but low Scarce two foot tall yet lov'st to make a show Where we may observe by the way that Horace was but little of Stature or as he himself says Corporis exigui which answers to the Word Homuncio by which Augustus us'd to call him What Stature Pindar was of I know not but 't is certain he in many places of his Works commends little Men as when he speaks of a Wrestler 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isthm. Od. 4. He was not of Orion's mighty size Compar'd with him he well might be disdain'd Yet with an Adversary joyn'd the Prize Of Victory by strength of Arms he gain'd And when he speaks of Hercules in these Terms 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ibid. Alemena's brave Son was of Stature low Not as the Giantlike Antaeus tall But of a Heart inflexible to Foe And of a Strength made all oppos'd it fall From Cadmian Thebes to Lybia's fertile Soil He to Antaeus Palace went And undertook the desperate Toil That Gyant 's bloody Custom to prevent Of fixing upon Neptune's sacred Fane The Heads of his sad Guests inhospitably slain It appears that Horace was something Cholerick by the Rebuke he gives himself for it under the Name of Damasippus Non dico horrendam Rabiem And by another place where he acknowledges Irasci celerem tamen ut placabilis essem L. 2. Sat. 3 Apt to be Cholerick but soon appeas'd Which is not the sign of an Ill Disposition since such as easily take fire are ordinarily frank of Nature and without any Gall. What is of greatest resemblance between our two Poets is That they were both of a Complexion very Amorous We find by Athenaeus that Pindar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Was beyond measure Amorous And he gives us a Song of his where Pindar abandons himself to Love 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Come my Dearest while we may Letâ—s Live and Love's Commands obey Nor vex our Thoughts with Antick Saws And practice of severe unseasonable Laws The same Athenaeus tells us of another upon the subject of Theoxenus his dearly beloved of whom hâ— says 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who on Theoxenus fair Eyes Shall fix his Look nor feel the sweet Surprize Which ravish'd Senses own Must have a Heart of Steel or Stone Or what is worse yet None Whence may be concluded how much we ought to regret the loss we have suffered by the privation of thâ— greatest part of his Works since by this Scantling the smiling Gaieties the Graces and the Cupids are noâ— only to be found in the Odes of Sappho and Anacreoâ— but that Pindar sometimes made a shift to lay by thaâ— Majestick Severity which appears in his Works now left us What shall I say of so many Odes of Horace Spirat adhuc Amor Vivuntque commissi calores Fidibus Where Love still breaths and the sweet Fire Lives sparkling by his Charming Lyre And where he seems to have drain'd himself of all hâ— could think amourously tender As that which Scaliger so commends Donec gratus eram tibi Or of these others Quâ—â— multum gracili Quem tu Lydia Telephi And a hundred more Quae Venus Quinta parte sui Nectaris Imbuit Lib. 1. Od. 3. Where Venus pleas'd the Quintessence Of her sweet Nectar to dispence I cannot yet but declare the horrour I conceive of these two Poets most disorderly Love of Boys tho in their Times according to the Custom of those Countries that detestable Sin was very ordinary and the care they took to preserve to their last Breath the Character of amorous Persons Pindar dy'd in the Arms of his beloved Theoxenus and Horace before his Death caus'd several Glasses or Mirrors to be placâ—d on every side of his Chamber that he might at once see divers Lascivious Postures and entertain himself to the last with voluptuous Thoughts And this is all I can remark of their Manners as to what concerns the Conducâ— of their Lives they were both of them extreamly cross'd and travers'd by those that envy'd them before they could arrive to that degree of Reputation they came to Aâ—lian reports That Corinna at Thebes carried away five Times from Pindar the Prize of Lyrick Poesie through the ignorance of the Judges And Pausaâ—ias in Baoticis tells us That he saw at Tanagra the Statue of the said Corinna with a Diadem on her Head in token of that Victory and that it seems to him she got not the better of Pindar otherwise than because what she wrote was in the Aeolick Tongue which was the Language peculiar only to thâ— Populace or Vulgar sort and that Pindar made use of thâ— Dorick Dialect which was most spoken by the Nobles anâ— Gentry Add to this that Corinna was very Beautiful as one may judge says he by her Statue and the Pictureâ— which the Citizens of Tanagra caus'd to be drawn for her in their Portico's Athenaeus speaking of some kind of forc'd Verses which they call'd Griphes to which some of the Ancients apply'd themselves as may be seen in Simonides his Egg his Wings and his Hatchet and divers other Fragments of Antiquity says That Pindar drew upon himself the Iealousie and Aversion of the Poets of his Time for having compos'd an Ode which he calls Yet Pindar was not the first who wrote an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Poem for Lasus Hermonensis before him as Athenaeus and Suidas testifie wrote Dithyrambs and Hymns wherein the Letter Σ was not to be found particularly in that entituled The Centaurs and another in praise of Ceres of which last the first Verse is produc'd by Heraclides Ponticus being this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See Cae'ius Calcâ—gniâ—us in his particular Treatise De â—udicio Vocalium in Answer to Lucian's Piece upon the same Subject Guraldus Dialog 9. and Vossius de Poetis Graecis c. 4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say made without a Sigma because he says 't was thought impossible they could leave out thaâ— Consonant or that thâ—y had no