320 
rius Martialis; but whetber he assumed 
those names himsel!, or derived them 
from his parents, is a matter of uncer- 
tainty. The circumstance, however, 
of Marcus and Valerius being both 
Roman names would appear to fayour 
the supposition of his having first taken 
them at Reme. That he was a Roman 
citizen there. can be no doubt, since 
ihe citizenship was granted to others 
at his request,—a,_ circumstance of 
which he boasts not a little in his 
epigram. to Nevolus.* It is most 
likely, too, that he was a citizen by 
birth ; since, had he obtained that pri- 
vileze in any other manner, we should 
probably haye found some tribute to 
his patron in his writings. But the 
right of cilizenship was then casily 
procured; Glaudius having rendered 
it of so little value, that it was val- 
garly said to be purchaseable even 
with broken glass. The native place 
of our ‘author appears moreover to 
have been an Augustan colony; he 
himself calls it Augusta Bilbilis, in one 
of his epigrams.t ‘ 
He came to Rome in his twenty-first 
year; he passed more than thirty-five 
years in that city, as appears front his 
ewn account ;{ and quitted it when he 
was about fifiy-six years of age. He 
therefore lived at Rome under Galba, 
Otho, Viiellius, Vespasian, Titus, Do- 
mitian, Nerva, and Trajan. In the 
first or secgnd year of Trajan’s reigns 
finding himsclf{ neglected by that em- 
peror, he returned into his own coun- 
try, where he ended bis days, about 
four, or at most five years after quitting 
tome; being about sixty years old at 
the time. of his death. 
He‘ enjoyed in a high degree the 
regard of Domitian and Titus, both of 
whem loaded him with honours and 
presents. He received the jus trium 
libcrorum, a privilege which the empe- 
ror alone could confer, and which was 
considered as the strongest proof of 
his favour. The poet boasts repeat- 
edly in lis writings of this mark of 
disiinetion.||. He was likewise created 
a tiibuue,§ and raised to the equestrian 
dignity ;J.to both. of which promotions 
* Lib. ap cp. o4, 
+ Lib. 10, ep. 103. 
4 Lib. 12, ep. 51; lib. 10, ep. 104. 
| Lib. 3, ep. 94; lib. 2, ep.925 "lib, 9, 
ep. 99. ii 
§ Lib. 5, ep. 94. 
q Lib. 5, ep, 94; lib. 5, ep. 13. 
4 
Lyceum of Ancient Literature, 
[Nov 1, 
he has alluded. A house was also 
assigned to him in the city, and a 
country-house’ in the suburbs, as he 
himself informs us.* 
During his absence from his own 
country, he appears to haye visited 
most of the principal cities in Italy, as 
well as the capital of the empire. Be- 
sides the patronage of ihe emperors, 
he seems to have enjoyed the triend- 
ship of the most illustrious of his eo- 
temporaries. He numbered in his list 
of friends — Licinianus, Pliny the 
Younger, Cornelius Priscus, Regulus 
the Orator, Quinctilian, Juvenal, Va- 
lerius Flaccus, and many others, 
whom-he has immortalized ‘ja’ ‘h’s 
writings. poh 
His general health was good; but, 
during his stay at Rome, he was once 
attacked with ‘a very dangerous H- 
ness.+ He was of the middie stature ; 
his body rough and athletic, and his 
voice and countenance manly. After 
the death of Domitian, his friend Par- 
thenius, who possessed great power at 
court, having been slain in a tumult 
of the soldiers, Martial, finding that 
he had little influence with Nerva, and 
none With Trajan, returned to his na~ 
tive country, where he died ; having, 
during the last three years of his life, 
completed the twelfth book of his epi- 
erams. Unfortunately; he did’ not 
find that calm and undisturbed retreat 
which he had hoped .to enjoy in the 
bosom of his country; his declining 
days were embittered by the envy and 
ill-will of many of his countrymen, 
who, meanly jealous of his prosperity 
and reputation, exerted themselves to 
wound his feelings, and’ disturb his 
repose; and there is reason to believe 
that. the grief and uneasiness which 
their conduct occasioned him, was the 
immediate cause of the disorder that 
terminated his existence. 4 
[On account of the length to which 
this article has extended,. we shall defer 
our strictures onthe writings and cha- 
racter of Martial to a future Number. | 
. 4 : 
To the Editor of ihe Monthly Magazine, 
SIR, 
HE method of. obtaining -fresh 
water upon the sea-coast, de- 
scribed page 122, has heen. known, 
wn), 
* Lib. 9, ep. 99; lib. 10, ep. 58 plib. 8; 
ep. di. : : 
F Lib. 8, ep. 25. 
according 
