155 



loved by the poets, who were his contemporaries. Horace addrefles 

 him, in the moft familiar and afFeftlonate manner,* and his death is 

 lamented by Ovid, in ftrains of the moft pathetic poetry, where the 

 friendftiip of the writer is not lefs confpicuous, than his genius, in the 

 beautiful elegy which begins, 



Memnona C mater, mater ploravit Acliillem. taV. 



The ftyle of Tibullus is uncommonly pure and perfeft ; and his 

 Verfification is eafy, fweet and flowing; They rcfleft an image of the 

 mild and candid mind, the gentle difpofition, and refined tafte of the 

 writer. In every line we fee the feeling heart, the fympathetic foft- 

 nefs, the captivating tendernefs, the unambitious love of rural fcenes, 

 rural pleafures, and domeftic enjoyments in modeft and humble priva- 

 cy, of this fweet and unfophifticated child of nature. There is no 

 writer, who expreifes fo perfeftly the fentiments and wiflies of the 

 young and tender heart, incapable of difguife, undebauched by com- 

 merce with a felfifli and unfeeling world. Even the Englijh reader may 

 be able to judge, whether this is a juft charafler of the natural and 

 amiable Tibullus. His manner of writing and thinking are rendered 

 familiar even to the unlettered reader, through the medium of Ham- 

 mond's Elegies, which are nothing more than elegant tranflations of fe- 

 left paffages from the Latin author ; and of the late verfion of Grainger. 



Quam juvat immites ventos audire cubantem, 

 Et dominam tenero continuifle finu, 

 Aut gelidas Hibernus aquas cum fuderit auftere 

 Securum fomnos imbre juvante fequi. 



What joy to hear the temped howl in vain. 



And clafp a fearful miftrefs to my breaft : 

 Or lull'd to flumber by the beating rain, 



Secure and happy fink at laft to reft. 



Hammond. 



U z O Quantunj 



* Ode 33, Book ift. ^lii ne doleas, l^c. 



