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As the Editors of the Cambridge Edition of Virgil,
printed in Quarto in the Year 1701, and Father de
la Rue, have, by the Help of various Manufcript
Copies, improved on the Edition published by the
learned Nicholas Henfius, he thinks it can prove no
ingrateful Tribute to the Publick, if he offers an
Improvement on them: Where he differs from them
in the Text, he gives fuch Reasons, he believes, in
the Notes, as will establish the Credit of his Readings.

He has, he tells us, made many and confiderable
Alterations of La Rue's Prose Interpretation for the
Ufe of the Dauphin; the Neceffity of which he evinces
by three Instances, one from the Eclogues, another
from the Georgics, and a third from the Aneis. The
Interpretation of recubans, in the first Verse of the first
Eclogue, La Rue gives in the Word jacens; which
is not the Meaning, for jacens does not convey the
Idea of the recumbent Posture which Virgil intended.
Again, in the first Verse of the first Book of the
Georgics, La Rue gives copiofas for the Interpretation
of letas; which is too poor a Word, without a Note,
to explain the Metaphor contained in letas: ThePoet
calls them fegetes lætas, because plentiful Crops give
Joy to the Poffefssors, and are figuratively called joy-
ful themselves, as in the 14th Verse of the lxvth Pfalm,
The Valleys shall stand fo thick with Corn, that they
shall laugh and fing. Thirdly, In the first Verse of
the first Book of the Æneis, hominem is for virum;
which is entirely wrong, homo being either Man or
Woman; and virum needs no Explanation by ano-
ther Word. Mr. Cooke says, he gives thefe Ex-
amples to shew, that it is wrong to change the
Words of the Poet, when no better Word can be
had to express his Meaning; and it is surely very
wrong, he adds, to change them for Words not fo
expreffive of his Meaning.

He has endeavoured also to correct the Pointings,
of the best Editions, as he did in his Edition of

Terences

Terence; and has done it, he assures us, in Thou-
fands of Places in this Edition of Virgil, and, he
believes, greatly to the Ease of the Reader in the
Conftruction. He takes notice, that he never faw
any Edition of this, or any other Claffic Author,
pointed with the Exactness with which it ought to
be.

" Tho' Pointing is a modern Custom, yet as
"it is intended to enable the Reader to read with
"the greater Facility, we cannot be too accurate in
"that, more than in any other Branch of Know-

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ledge. A Nominative Case should never be dif-
" joined from the Verb or Verbs by more than a
Comma, when that Nominative Cafe belongs to
" two or more Verbs; when it belongs but to one,
" it should not be disjoined. A Verb should not
" be divided from any Cafes which it governs by
" more than a Comma, when it has feveral Nouns
"following it and governed by it." Mr. Cooke
has produced one Instance of injudicious Pointing
from the Cambridge Edition of our Poet, and from La
Rue's; but there are Thousands of the like fort, he
complains, in those Editions, hitherto justly esteemed
the beft; all which he has rectified in this Edition.
This Exactness in Pointing, he says, will be an
Advantage not only to Learners, but to many al-
ready learned.

In his Notes, he likewife tells us, he has corrected
the Errors of other Commentators, and explained
those Passages which wanted Explanation, and has
moreover endeavoured to point out some particular
Beauties, and to shew in what those Beauties confift,
that he might contribute towards forming youthful
Minds to Taste, at the fame time that he is an Ex-
pounder to them. He has been cautious of burden-
ing the Work with more Notes than are neceffary,
thinking it impertinent to write Remarks on, or to
give Explanations of, such Words as are to be found
fufficiently explained in any common Dictionary.

He has indeed entered into an Explanation of many Words and Things which he did not at first intend; as confidering this Edition is designed for the Use of Youth as well as Persons of fome Learning. He has written his Notes in English, becaute, when we endeavour to explain to young Minds what needs an Explanation, we cannot be too clear: And, as he has given a more correct Edition of this great Poet than we have heretofore had, he hopes he has adapted it to the Service of those who are learned, as well as of those who are inclined to be so.

I will, for the embellishing of this Article, add to the foregoing Account of Mr. Cooke's Edition of Virgil, the Memoirs which he has compiled of that illustrious Poet, as also the fabulous Accounts which he has collected concerning him.

The Life of this incomparable Person has been attempted by very many; but none, our Author says, have delivered his History in a Manner deferving the Attention or Applause of the Learned, excepting Father de la Rue and Mr. Bayle: Even that by our great Dryden is such a Mixture, as discovers the Talents of a fine Writer tainted with extraordinary Weakness and Credulity. Mr. Cooke follows Father de la Rue's Method in what he has here represented, fo far as consists with the Brevity he proposes, not omitting any thing requifite towards giving a compleat Account of his illustrious Subject.

The Year of ROME * 684, of VIRGIL I.
Confuls.

CN. POMPEY THE GREAT, 1. † M. LICINIUS
CRASSUS, I.

* 684 Years after the Foundation of Rome, 69 Years before the Birth of Christ.

† 1, after the Name of a Conful, fignifies the first Time of his being Coniul; 2, the fecond, &c.

Publius

Publius Virgilius Maro was born at Andes, near Mantua, on the 15th of October: The Name of his Father was Maro, the Name of his Mother Maia. Servius tells us, that his Father was a Citizen of Mantua; Probus says he was a Husbandman; Donatus, or he that affumes the Name of Denatus, affirms, that he was a hired Servant; and some say he was a Porter: From all which Relations the only Inference to be made is, that our Poet was born of mean Parents.

1.

The Year of ROME 691, of VIRGIL 8.

Confuls.

M. TULLIUS CICERO. C. ANTHONY.

Octavius, afterwards called Augustus, was born in this Year; which is mentioned, that the Reader may know the Age of Augustus Cæfar, who was afterwards so great a Patron to our Poet,

The Year of ROME 696, of VIRGIL 13.
Confuls.

L. CALPURNIUS PISO, I. A. GABINIUS.

Virgil was educated at Cremona, where he prosecated his Studies seven Years; which, according to Scaliger on Eufebius, were from the eleventh Year of his Age to the sixteenth. He studied the Greek Language, Physick, and Mathematicks: He likewise studied Philofophy under Tyro the Epicurean. While a Boy he writ his Ciris, his Ætna, his Culex or Gnat, and several other small Pieces: But the Culex now extant, is too mean to be admitted as Virgil's, and is of a later Date.

4

The Year of ROME 699, of VIRGIL 16.

Confuls.

CN. POMPEY THE GREAT, 2. M. LICINIUS CRASSUS, 2.

Virgil is faid to have put on his togam virilem : The toga virilis was a Gown which the Romans put on when they arrived to the State of Manhood.

The Year of ROME 713, of VIRGIL 30.

L. ANTHONY.

Confuls.

P. SERVILIUS ISAURICUS.

In this Year a Division of Lands was made; and Virgil's Patrimony at Andes was given to Arius, who fought against Brutus and Caffius. By a strong Recommendation to Octavius Cæfar, Virgil recovered his Lands. He was at this Time in the Friendship of Pollio, Gallus, and Varus; to the last of which he inscribed his fixth Eclogue on the Epicurean Doctrines: He continued his Intimacy with Varus from the Time of their being FellowStudents together under Tyro the Epicurean: But through which of these great Men, perhaps by the Interceffion of more than one, he recovered his Land, is not certain. On this Occasion he is faid to have writ his first Eclogue. A Story is told of his going to demand his Land of Arius the Centurion, who was then in Poffeffion of it; and that Arius not only refused him Admittance, but used him fo roughly, that he was forced to swim cross the River Mincius to fave his Life: But he afterwards gained a quiet Poffeffion of his Estate. The Eclogue, which is placed the ninth in the Order as they stand, is faid to be the second which he writ; and we are told it was occafioned by the Treatment he mer with from Arius.

The

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