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Ovid was born at Sulmo in Italy, about ninety Ro- 
man miles S. W. from the capital : 
“ Millia qui decies diflat ab urbe novem.” 
He afterwards refided chiefly at Rome, and was 
there at the time he received the Emperor’s orders for 
his immediate banifhment: I fhall therefore confider 
him as then leaving the 42d degree of Northern lati- 
tude, the climate in which he was born, and con- 
tinued to live. 
He was thence removed to Tomos, which Dr. 
Wells, in his maps of ancient geography, places only in 
the 44th degree of Northern latitude : the change 
was therefore only of two degrees, and yet Ovid im- 
mediately defcribes the winter of Hudfon’s bay. 
But, before I particularife any of the paffages which 
prove the intenfenefs of the cold, which he there 
experienced, it may be objected that no credit is to 
be given to a melancholy poet, of a warm imagination 
and too exquifite feelings. 
This argument, I admit, would have great weight, • 
if he only complained of the exceflive and intolerable 
cold which prevailed. The maxim of law, however, 
holds equally in natural philofophy* “ that he who 
“ means to impofe or mifreprefent never deals in part icu- 
“ lar faffs" especially fuch as admit of an immediate 
contradiction, and in which he could not himfelf be 
deceived. 
He faw with his own eyes the Euxine fea covered 
with ice : 
“ Vix equidem credar, fed cum fint pracmia falfi 
“ Nulla, ratam teftis debet habere fidem : 
il Vidimus ingentem glacie confiftere Pontum.” 
Lib. III. El. 10. 
'* 4t Fraus verfatur it generalibus.” 
But 
