556 
books de Senectute et Amicitia, printed 
in black letter, on small folio paper, ap- 
parently very old, but without any date, 
which I suspect to be the Editio princeps. 
The insertion of this will much oblige, 
Your’s, &c. T. F. 
London, Nov. 13, 1807. 
— he 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
S among your numerous readers 
there are, no doubt, many who de- 
hight in the vocal harmony of the fea- 
thered race, I, among others, should be 
happy if, through the medium of your va- 
luable Magazine, we could receive any 
new @nformation respecting the mode of 
managing those of the more tender de- 
scription, such as the nightingale, wood- 
jJark, robin, &c. the shortness of whose 
life, in the domestic state, has long been 
matter of regret: they are without doubt 
entitled to every attention which man can 
bestow, both for that harmony which ren- 
ders his own dwelling so agreeable, and 
as some compensation to them for the loss 
of liberty. But I am inclined to think 
tltat more of those valuable birds are lost 
from ignorance of the proper mode of 
treatment, than from wilful neglect. 
When in astate of freedom, live food, 
such as flies, worms, &c. constitute their 
principal food, from which, perhaps, they 
are too suddenly withdrawn, to be fed on 
some such trash asis usually denominated 
*¢ German paste,” an article which, no 
doubt, could it be had properly pre- 
pared, might promote their song and lon- 
gevity: and the same difficulty likewise 
occurs in some neighbourhoods in pro- 
curing them meal-worms. ‘ 
Perhaps in this country too little at- 
_ tention has hitherto been paid to the im- 
provement and promotion of this part of 
the creation, from which we have ever 
found such a source of pleasure. 
Your’s, &c. J. M. Fuinpatuz, 
EE 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
TAKE the liberty of requesting one 
_of your Correspondents to inform 
me what is the composition and mode of 
application of the ingrediehts for the 
oiled silk or linen made use of about ten 
or twelve years ago, for the hammer- 
cloths of carriages. I should not have 
troubled you with the’ above, but, after 
the most diligent enquiry, cannot find 
any person in London who knows how to 
prepare it eitt.er plain or coloured, in the 
manner then practised. Yours, &c. 
Lendon, Oct. 30, 1807. C. 
Lyceum of Ancient Literature.—No. XIII. 
[Jan. 1, 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
LYCHUM OF ANCIENT LITERA- 
TURE. — No. XIII. 
VALERIUS FLACCUS, AND CLAUDIAN,. 
F Valerius Flaccus, we have very 
slender memorials. He was con- 
temporary with Martial, Statius, and Si- 
hus, and was born at Setia, now Sezza, a 
town of Campania. From Martial we 
collect that he resided at Padua, and cul- 
tivated poetry, though he is strongly re- 
commended by the epigrammatist to attach 
himself to the more lucratiye pursuits of 
the bar. Quintilian informs us, that he 
died at an early age, and laments his pre- 
mature death. He lived te write only 
seven books, and part of an eighth of his 
poem, on the celebrated subject of the 
Argonauts. There are no traces of any 
other works supposed to be written by 
him ; and the only composition by which 
he is known being unfinished, it is in com- 
pliance merely with the custom of former 
critics, that we rank him among the au- 
thors of the Latin Epopeea. 
Of Apollonius Rhodius, whom Flaccus 
imitated rather than translated, it may be 
necessary to premise a few words. He 
was a subject of Ptolemy Philadelphus, 
the discipie of Callimachus, and keeper of 
the Ptolomean library... He composed a 
poem on the expedition of the Golden 
Fleece, in four books. He called it Ar- 
gonautica, from the name given to those 
valiant Greeks who accompanied Jason 
to Colchos, ina ship built by Argus with 
the help ef Minerva, of the pine trees 
which grew in the forest of Dodona. 
This expedition, which to us would ap- 
pear an act of piracy, was not accounted 
dishonourable in those early times, when 
mankind had not yet been accustomed to 
the arts of peace and civilization. After 
many adventures and escaping great 
dangers, they succeeded in their enter- 
prize, and, by the direction and assistance 
of Medea, brought away the treasures 
which had excited their ambition and 
their avarice. ‘This fable has been va- 
tiously interpreted ; and the reader who 
may be disposed to pursue a subject of 
little importance in itself, is referred to 
Suidas. It is more essential to point out 
the distinctive merit of Apollonius and 
his Roman imitator. 
guadam mediocritate, and by Longinus as 
preserving adecent medium between sub- 
% Cap. 27. ‘i 
limity 
By Quintilian* the - 
Grecian is considered as writing equali 
