1805.] Infcriptlon on a Medal cf Louis Xl^.—Fragmnts^^c. 401 



7b the,EdU';r of the Monthly Magazine. 



SIR, 



THE '« flattering infer iption en a me- 

 dallion nf Louis XIF.,"' relpeding 

 v»hicH your Correfpondent D. lielires in- 

 formation, was not taken upon trnft from 

 any other authority, but copied by myftlf 

 from the origmil mon'im«nt, formerly 

 pofferted by the late Dr. Mead, but at pve- 

 fenr owned by a friend of mine. T was, 

 however, guilty of a trifling inaccuracy, 

 in men.'ioning the '• mint'" i.iftead of the 

 *' foundery ■" the piece in quefti''n being 

 a gilt bronze caft ; though the elegant 

 neatnefs of the execution gives it the ap- 

 pearance of having been ftruck with a die. 

 It is five inches and a half in diameter, ex- 

 hibiting a buft of the monarch on a perlef- 

 tal— his breaft plate ornamen'ed with his 

 favourite device of a fun in meridian 

 glory. At the bottom are marked the ^r- 

 tift's name and the date, viz. " Berthinet. 



If your Correfpondent D. wifhes to be 

 further acquainted with that valuable re- 

 main, he has now an opportunity of per- 

 fonally examining it at Mr. Kearflefs in 

 Fleet-flreet, where the prefent owner has 

 for a while left it for the infpeftion of the 

 curious. 



In the Morning Poft of September 2, 

 appeared a tranflation of the Infcription, 

 which (with an alteration, for better, for 

 worfe) I fend to you for infertion. 



See, in profile, great Louis here defign'd. 

 •Full drawn, his dazzling front would flrike 

 you blind. 



I ain. Sir, yourcondant reader, 



Sept. 9, 1805. Giovanni. 



Far the Monthly Magazine. 



EPIGRAMS, FRAGMENTS, and FUGI- 

 TIVE PIECES, from the greek. 

 [Continued from p. 319 ofourlafi Number.'] 



IT was a cuftom very general among 

 the Greeks for the 1- ver to deck the 

 door of his niiftreis with flowers and gar- 

 lands, thinking, as Athtnseus (iiy», ih.t 

 the God cjf Love himfelf was reprcfcntcd 

 in the perfon of her whom he adored, and 

 that the houfe inhtibited by her was the 

 real temple of Cupid, and to be honoured 



• In the M. Poft the line ran thus — 

 *• Both eyes, pourtray'd, would ftrikc the 



gazer blind :" 

 but " /« yeux" in the original, are the 

 ^razer't eye«, not thofe of Louis. 



Monthly Mao. No. 136. 



in every refpeft a« a confecra ed place.— 

 Flowers were the moii favourite ^mb'ems 

 of their palfions and feelings. The gay, 

 the luxurious, the happy, bound thtir ■ 

 brows wi:h gai lands at duir feafts or 

 marriages ; the cefpauing or the unaf- 

 fured lover, 



Et qulfquisannores 

 Aut metuet dulces aut expericturamaros, 



t re off the embie-natic crown am offered 

 ir at the gate of his miilrefs. The love- 

 fick maid exprelTed her p<flion by waving 

 pofies and chaple's. The graves of the 

 dead were ftrewed with flowers. We need 

 not then wonder at tiie frequency with 

 which they occur in the •mailer poems of 

 which I am treating. Two very beauti- 

 ful ones occur to me at. this moment, 

 which I have thus endeavoured to tranf- 

 late. 



H^i Xeuxov Uv flaXXEi. MeLEAGBR. 



Now the white violet decks the mead. 



The dcw-befprenc narcifTus blows. 

 And on the flowery mountain's head 



The wildly-fcattered lily grows. 

 Each lovelieft child of fummer throws 



Her charms and fragrance to the Suilj 

 And Julia's opening lips difcloft 



The rofe of fweec perfuafiO«. 

 Meadows I why do ye fmile in vain 



In robe of green and garlands gay ? 

 When Julia moves along the plain, 



She breaches a fweeter charm than they. 



A lover in <he depth of winter prefents 

 a wreathe of hot-houfe fl wet-s to his lady 

 on her birth-day, with the fi^llowing little 

 compliment, prettily introduced, by mak- 

 ing the rofcs tiiemfelves the apparent deli- 

 verers of it. 



'Eiapoc ri^SafXtv to Tipiv poJa. 

 Children of Spring, but now in wint'ry 



fnow, • 



We, purple Rofes, for Amanda blow. 

 Duteous we fmile upon thy natal morn ; 

 Thy bridal bed to-morrow we adorn. 

 Oh fweeter far to bloom our little day 

 Wreath'd in thy hair, than wait the funny 



May ! 

 Ideas very fimilar (0 thofe conveyed in 

 thele little poems of antiquity occur fre- 

 quently to our recolle8ion in the works of 

 Shakf(ie3re. The flowers which Ophelia 

 fcatiers about have each iheir a;-|noprinie 

 emblematic meaning, not luch as m?.dnel'» 

 has I'uddenly gifted them viith, hut fiich 

 as fimple tradition had fixed upon them, 

 and tlie memory of which is recalled to 

 her dilirafttd imagination. Th;.le which 

 are fprinkled over the grave of Kliirle bear 

 each fome elegantly lancifiil aliullon to 

 3 E . his 



