153 



which attend every faithful picture of fociety and manners. The rca* 

 der will find inftances of the light fportive manner of Ovid, in the 

 14th elegy of the firft book, to confole his miftrefs, whofe treffes had 

 fallen off, through too much care of them. 



Dicebam medicare tuos defifle capillos, 

 Fingere quam poffis jam tibi. 

 Nulla coma eft, i^c. 



Forbear to ftain the honours of thy head, 



Ra(h maid forbear, how often have I faid. 



My words were fcorn'd ; and now no hairs remain, 



For impious hands, unhappy maid, to ftain. 



The reader will be amufed, to' fee how much ingenuity and leara- 

 ing the poet bellows on this important fubjeft. The fourth of the 

 fecond book, that he loves women of every form and complexion, 

 the fentiments of which have been imitated over and over again, by 

 ■fucceeding poets; and the {pith of the fame book, on the death of 

 a Parrot, fliow how much Ovid excelled in trifling agreeably. 



PJittacus eois imitatrix ales ab Indis, 

 Occidit, exequias ite frequenter aves ; 

 Ite pise volucres, et plangite peftora pennis, 

 Et rigido teneras ungue notale genas, l^c. &c. ^c. 



'Tis paft and done, the parrot lives no more, 

 That imitative bird from India's Ihore. 

 In flocks attend, his obfequies to grace, 

 With pious forrows, all ye plumy race. 

 In mournful aflion be your woes confeft, 

 M''ith founding pinions beat the feeling bread. 

 And rend your ruffled plumes, like flowing hair, 

 And mark with cruel claws the vifage fair. 



The fourth elegy of the firft, the feventh of the fame, to appeafe 

 his miftrefs, whom he had beaten. The feventh of the fecond book, 

 in which he clears himfelf to his miftrefs, from the fufpicion of loving 



Vol. IX. U b* 



