On the Perfonification of Abftrad Ideas in Peetry. 
x, . 
When this bufinefs is difpatched, the 
heavy deity immediately compoles him-. 
Self to Lumber again. 
-——rurfus molli languore folutum 
Depofuitque caput, ftratugue recondiJit alto, 
Ib. 648. 
His head again, in languor foft diffolv’d, 
Ne dropt, and funk upon the fwelling couch. 
The original perfonification of Sleep 
is in Homer, and various poets have 
adopted it, and have aifigned him a refi- 
dence and preper officers or companions. 
Ariofto, in his Orlando Furiofa, has done 
this with more novelty and judgment 
than any other whom I recollect, potte- 
rior to Ovid. He has been particularly 
happy in his defcription of the attendants 
on Sleep. 
In quefto albergo il grave Sonno giace 5 
L’Ozio da un cahto, corpulento, e graflo ; 
Dall’ altro la Pigrizia in terra fiede, 
Che non puo andare, e mal fi regge in piede. 
Lo {memorato Oblio fta fu 1a porta ; 
Non lafcia entrar, ne riconofce alcuno: 
Non afcolta imbafciata, ne riporta, 
E parimente tien cacciato ogn’una. 
I] Silenzio va intorno, e fa la fcorta: 
Ha le {carpe di feltro, e*l mantel bruno; 
Ed a quanti ne incontra di lontano, 
Che non debbian yenir cenna con mano. 
Or!. Fur. xiv. 93. 
Here drowfy Sleep has fix’d his noifelefs 
throne, ; 
Here Indolence reclines with limbs o’ergrown 
Thro’ fluggifh eafe; and Sloth, whofe trem- 
bling feet 
Refufe their aid, 
weight. 
Before the portal dull Oblivion goes, 
He fuffers none to pafs, for none he knows. 
Silence maintains the watch and walks the 
round 
In fhoes of felt, with fable garments bound ; 
And oftas any thither bend their pace, 
Je waves his hand and warns them from the 
place. Hoole. 
It is a truly charaferiftical ftroke in 
Aviotto, that when the command is de- 
livered to Sicep, he makes no reply, but 
intimates with a nod that it fhali be per- 
formed. 3 
The very learned and elegant Prefeflor 
Heyne, in an £xcurfus to the firth book 
of Virgil, has enumerated various ways 
in which the poets repreient Somnus as 
caufing fleep, Virgil makes him tprin- 
kle the temples of Palinurus with a 
branch wet with Lethean dew. Some 
ingenioufly defcribe him as lulling to 
tepofe by the fanning of his wings; and 
one gives him a horn out of wuich he 
puurs ileep. 
sBuileqgu has imitated both Cvid and 
and fink beneath her 
409 
Ariofto in the perfonification of Mou- 
Lesse in his Lutrin. This is a being 
compounded of lazinefs and luxury, for 
whom I know not an adequate Englith 
name. Her abode is fuitably fixed in 
the dormitory of an abbey. Her attend - 
ants are very happily conceived and cha- 
raéteriled. 
Les plaifirs nonchalans folatrent alentour. 
L’un paitrit dans un coin l’embonpoint ce 
Chanoines ; : 
L’autre broie en riant le vermillon des moines; 
La. volupté la fert avec des yeux devots, 
Et toujours le fommeil lui verfe des pavots. 
Lutr. ch, li, 100. 
It has, I think, been juttly objected to 
Boileau, that he puts too long a {peech | 
into the mouth of this languid perfonage 5 . 
but he could not refiit a favourable oc- 
cafion for fome ingenious adulation of 
Louis XIV. The conelution, however, 
though clofely copied from Ovid, is per 
fectly beautiful : 
~La Mollefle opprefice } 
Dans fa bouche ace mot fent fa langue glaceey . 
Et laile de parler, fuccombant fous Lettort, 
Soupire, étend le bras, ferme Veil, & s’en- 
dort, 

In Thomfon’s allegorical poem, ‘ The 
Caftle of Indolence,”’ fimilar conceptions to 
thofe of the writers above-mentioned are 
dreffed up in the moft exquilite beauties 
of defcription and verfification, But it 
is neceflary to feleét parts of a well-known 
picce, the whole of which is to admirable. 
; 1 Bes 
[To be continued | 
ee EE Le 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
will correét 
SIR, 
B Y yourleave, Mr.Editor, I 
5) an error of Mr. HousMan, in the 
lait paper he has favoured us with in your 
valuable Mifcellany. Speaking of Litch- 
field, he fays, ** This town is remarkable 
for haying giyen birth to two eminent 
men, viz. the late Dr. Johnfon,, and Mr. 
Garrick the comedian.”? Thelatter was 
born at the Angel-inn at Hereford, in the 
year 1716, and was fon of Captain Peter 
G. (a French refugee) who was quar- 
tered there with a troop of horfe. It 1s 
true he received the firit-rudiments of-his 
education at the free-fchool at Litchfield 
(which he. afterwards completed at. Ro- 
chefter), where Dr. Johnton and he. were — 
tellow-ttudents. By the infertion of theie 
few swords, you will not cnly reitore to 
Hereford the honeur fhe juftly claims, but 
alfo conter a favour on your obedient fer- 
vant, HEREFCRDIENSIS«. 
Cambridge, March 6, 1798. 
7G 2 Ta 
