whofe admirable Pastorals and Winter-Piece have been already fo well received. The Reader will find in it that pathetick Simplicity which is fo peculiar to him, and fo fuitable to the Ode he has here tranflated. This Ode in the Greek (befides those Beauties obferved by Madam Dacier) has feveral harmonious Turns in the Words, which are not loft in the English. I muft further add, that the Tranflation has preferved every Image and Sentiment of Sappho, notwithstanding it has all the Eafe and Spirit of an Original. In a Word, if the Ladies have a Mind to know the Manner of Writing practifed by the fo much celebrated Sappho, they may here fee it in its ge nuine and natural Beauty, without any foreign or affected Ornaments.

IV.

The Birds difmift (while you remain)
Bore back their empty Carr again:
Then You, with Looks divinely mild,
In ev'ry heav'nly Feature fmil'd,

And ask'd, what new Complaints I made,
And why I call'd you to my Aid?

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What Phrenzy in my Bofom raged,
And by what Cure to be affwaged?
What gentle Youth I would allure,
Whom in my artful Toils fecure?
Who does thy tender Heart fubdue,
Tell me, my Sappho, tell me who?

VI.

Tho' now he fhuns thy longing Arms,
He foon fhall court thy flighted Charms;
Tho now thy Off'rings he defpife,
He foon to thee fhall facrifice;
Tho now he freeze, he foon fhall burn,
And be thy Victim in his Turn.

VII.

Celestial Vifitant, once more
Thy needful Prefence I implore!
In Pity come and eafe my Grief,
Bring my diftemper'd Soul Relief,
Favour thy Suppliant's hidden Fires,
And give me All my Heart defires.

MADAM Dacier obferves, there is fomething very pretty in that Circumftance of this Ode, wherein Venus is defcribed as fending away her Chariot upon her Arrival at Sappho's Lodgings, to denote that it was not a fhort tranfient Vifit which fhe intended to make her. This Ode was preserved by an eminent Greek Critick, who inferted it in ire in his Works, as a Pattern of Perfection in the Structure of it.

LONGINUS has quoted another Ode of this great Poetefs, which is likewife admirable in its Kind, and has been tranflated by the fame Hand with the foregoing one. I fhall oblige my Reader with it in ano

ther

ther Paper. In the mean while, I cannot but wonder, that thefe two finished Pieces have never been attempted before by any of our Country-men. But the Truth of it is, the Compofitions of the Ancients, which have not in them any of thofe unnatural Witticisms that are the Delight of ordinary Readers, are extremely difficult to render into another Tongue, fo as the Beauties of the Original may not appear weak and faded in the Tranflation.

C

No 224. Friday, November 16.

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Fulgente trahit conftrictos Gloria curru

Non minùs ignotos generofis

Hor. Sat. 6.

F we look abroad upon the Multitude of Mankind, great and endeavour to trace out the Principles of Action in every Individual, it will, I think, feem highly probable that Ambition runs through the whole Species, and that every Man in Proportion to the Vigour of his Complection is more or lefs actuated by it. It is indeed no uncommon Thing to meet with Men, who, by the natural Bent of their Inclinations, and without the Difcipline of Philofophy, afpire not to the Heights of Power and Grandeur; who never fet their Hearts upon a numerous Train of Clients and Dependancies, nor other gay Appendages of Greatness; who are contented with a Competency, and will not moleft their Tranqullity to gain an Abundance: But it is not therefore to be concluded that fuch a Man is not Ambitious; his Defires may have cut another Channel, and determined him to other Purfuits; the Motive however may be still the fame; and in these Cafes likewife the Man may be equally pushed on with the Defire of Distinction.

THOUGH the pure Conscioufnefs of worthy Actions, abstracted from the Views of popular Applaufe, be

to

to a generous Mind an ample Reward, yet the Defire of Diftinction was doubtless implanted in our Natures as an additional Incentive to exert our felves in virtuous Excellence.

THIS Paffion indeed, like all others, is frequently perverted to evil and ignoble Purposes; fo that we may account for many of the Excellencies and Follies of Life upon the fame innate Principle, to wit, the Defire of being remarkable: For this as it has been differently cultivated by Education, Study and Converfe, will bring forth fuitable Effects, as it falls in with an ingenuous Difpofition, or a corrupt Mind; it does accordingly exprefs it felf in Acts of Magnanimity or selfish Cunning, as it meets with a good or a weak Understanding. As it has been employed in embellishing the Mind, or adorning the Outfide, it renders the Man eminently praife-worthy or ridiculous. Ambition therefore is not to be confined only to one Paffion or Purfuit; for as the fame Humours, in Conftitutions otherwife different, affect the Body after different Manners, fo the fame afpiring Principie within us fometimes breaks forth upon one Object, fometimes upon another.

IT cannot be doubted, but that there is as great a Defire of Glory in a Ring of Wrestlers or Cudgel-Players, as in any other more refined Competition for Superiority. No Man that could avoid it, would ever fuffer his Head to be broken but out of a Principle of Honour. This is the fecret Spring that pushes them forward; and the Superiority which they gain above the undistinguish'd Many, does more than repair thofe Wounds they have received in the Combat. 'Tis Mr. Waller's Opinion, that Julius Cafar, had he not been Mafter of the Roman Empire, would in all Probability have made an excellent Wrestler.

Great Julius, on the Mountains bred,
A Flock perhaps or Herd had led;
He that the World subdu’d, had been
But the best Wrestler on the Green.

That he fubdued the World, was owing to the Ac cidents of Art and Knowledge; had he not met with

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thofe

thofe Advantages, the fame Sparks of Emulation would have kindled within him, and prompted him to diftinguish himself in fome Enterprife of a lower Nature. Since therefore no Man's Lot is fo unalterably fixed in this Life, but that a thousand Accidents may either forward or difappoint his Advancement, it is, methinks, a pleafant and inoffenfive Speculation, to confider a great Man as divefted of all the adventitious Circumftances of Fortune, and to bring him down in one's Imagination to that low Station of Life, the Nature of which bears fome diftant Refemblance to that high one he is at prefent poffeffed of. Thus one may view him exercifing in Miniature thofe Talents of Nature, which being drawn out by Education to their full Length, enable him for the Discharge of fome important Employment. On the other Hand, one may raife uneducated Merit to fuch a Pitch of Greatnefs, as may feem equal to the poffible Extent of his improved Capacity.

THUS Nature furnishes a Man with a general Appetite of Glory, Education determines it to this or that particular Object. The Defire of Diftinction is not, I think, in any Inftance more obfervable than in the Variety of Out-fides and new Appearances, which the modifh Part of the World are obliged to provide, in order to make themselves remarkable; for any Thing glaring and particular, either in Behaviour or Apparel, is known to have this good Effect, that it catches the Eye, and will not fuffer you to pafs over the Perfon fo adorned without due Notice and Obfervation. It has likewife, upon this Account, been frequently refented as a very great Slight, to leave any Gentleman out of a Lampoon or Satyr, who has as much Right to be there as his Neighbour, because it fuppofes the Perfon not eminent enough to be taken Notice of. To this paffionate Fondness for Diftinction are owing various frolickfome and irregular Practices, as fallying out into Nocturnal Exploits, breaking of Windows, finging of Catches, beating the Watch, getting drunk twice a Day, killing a great Number of Horfes; with many other Enterprizes of the like fiery Nature: For certainly

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