June — Virgil never intense, 175 



concentration, whereas what we have of Virgil's is 

 delicate, but never intense, — I mean, when he speaks 

 of Nature. He is always pleased to be in the woods, 

 and, whilst he is telling the story of this or that poetical 

 shepherd, the landscape is constantly seen by little 

 glimpses behind and between the figures ; but it is 

 painted with a quiet affection, no more, and an affection 

 that is immediately satisfied. One thing, however, is in 

 the highest degree delightful in Virgil, and that is the 

 lovely blending of human interests with his observations 

 upon inanimate nature ; exactly like the wreathing of 

 leaves and branches about fair or mighty human limbs, 

 that occurs so frequently in the work of the great figure- 

 painters. Thus when Gallus says, in the tenth Eclogue, 

 that he will go and suffer in the woods, the young trees 

 are associated with his passion in a way that could have 

 occurred to no other poet : — 



1 Certum est in silvis, inter spelaea ferarum 

 Malle pati, tenerisque meos incidere amores 

 Arboribus : crescent illae ; crescetis, amores.' 



4 My mind is made up to prefer suffering in the woods 

 <tniongst the dens of wild beasts, and to engrave my loves 

 upon the saplings : the saplings grow — grow (with them, my) 

 loves.' 



This is ingenious, and affectionate also ; and please 

 observe the thoroughly classical brevity of the last four 

 words. Here, however, we have only the young trees 

 in general, and we know that it is one of the marks of 

 true affection to particularize, to distinguish the qualities 

 belonging especially to each of the things or persons 



