Observations^ Cs^c. 14S 



cultural life, from the superior capacity for enjoyment 

 it gave to its votaries, above all other employments ; 

 and, at the same time, as recommending it to husband- 

 men, to avoid the luxuries of the day and live upon 

 the produce of their farms. The beauties of the poet 

 are, in my opinion, surpassed by the wisdom of the 

 philosopher. In that mem.orable invitation of his 

 friend to supper, hear him sing ! 



sunt nobis niifia fioma 



Castanice mtillts^ ct firessi co/iia lactis. 



The liberal translation we used to give this bill of 

 fare at grammar school, was, we have mellow apples^ 

 boiled ckes7tuts, and a plenty of curds and cream, A 

 volume might be written on this single text. I will 

 only remark, that Virgil wrote at the most luxurious 

 epoch of the Roman empire, when the luxury and ex- 

 travagance of that people surpassed every thing that 

 ever happened before or since ; and yet this sage pa- 

 triot advises, in a manner the most persuasive and 

 delightful, to live on home produce. In his bill of fare 

 no foreign luxury is mentioned, but only the delicious 

 productions oi Mantua, 



Have we not occasion of similar advice in our days ? 

 and oh my friend, that we could employ the same in- 

 fluence ! for the best classics agree, that Macaenas, the 

 proud minister of the powerful Augustus, thought him- 

 self honoured by VirgiPs invitation. 



Independence has been the theme of descant from 

 the days of 1776 to this time. During the revokition, 

 independence of government or self government, as it 

 was emphatically styled, was the rage, from Georgia to 

 Maine. At present, an equal zeal appears for indepen- 



