tbe Kounger 59 



consider well the subject lie lias proposed to 

 himself; and he may be sure, if he dwells on 

 his subject, he cannot justly be thought tedious, 

 whereas if, on the contrary, he introduces and 

 drags in any thing irrelevant, he will be thought 

 exceedingly so. Homer, you know, has em- 

 ployed many verses in the description of the 

 arms of Achilles, as Virgil has also in those of 

 J)neas, yet neither of them is prolix, because 

 they each keep within the limits of their original 

 design. Aratus, you observe, is not considered 

 too circumstantial, though he traces and enu- 

 merates the minutest stars, for he does not 

 go out of his way for that purpose, but only 

 follows where his subject leads him. In the 

 same way (to compare small things with great), 

 so long as, in endeavoring to give you an idea 

 of my house, I have not introduced any thing 

 irrelevant or superfluous, it is not my letter 

 which describes, but my villa which is de- 

 scribed, that is to be considered large. But to 

 return to where I began, lest I should justly be 

 condemned by my own law, if I continue longer 

 in this digression, you see now the reasons why 

 I prefer my Tuscan villa to those which I pos- 

 sess at Tusculum, Tiber, and Praeneste. Be- 

 sides the advantages already mentioned, I en- 

 joy here a cosier, more profound and undis- 

 turbed retirement than anywhere else, as I 



