1810.] 
speaking of the allegorizing spirit 
of the later Platonists, who constantly 
inwove philosophic fable with their poly- 
theistical mythology, says, “ But all the 
allegories which ever issued from the 
Platonic school, are not worth this short 
poem of Catullus. The transition of 
Aatys, from the wildest enthusiasm to 
sober pathetic complaint for his irre- 
trievable loss, must mspire a man with 
pity, and an eunuch with despair.”* The 
61st carmen is a long poem in heroic 
verse, upon the marriage of Peleus and 
Thetis, and has therefore sometimes been 
erroneously termed an epithalamium; but 
it wants the chorus of virgins. The in- 
troduction of the famous story of the 
Argonauts, has induced many of the old 
editors to style it argonauticu, after the 
manner of Orpheus. In describing the 
nuptial bed, Catullus takes occasion to 
recount the story of Theseus and Ariadne, 
in a beautiful though long episode, which 
embraces more than one half of the 
poem, If this be a fault, it is amply 
compensated by the admirable manner 
in which the story is told. At the con- 
clusion, the poet brings in the Fates 
chaunting a kind of hymeneal congratu- 
latory song; an imagery which has a 
striking and pleasing effect. It is with 
great appearance of reason conjectured 
by Vossius, that this piece, as well as the 
59th carmen, was copied from the wri- 
tings of Sappho, which are known to have 
formed the chief delight of Catullas. 
{In his epigrams he may be said to be 
more successful than Martial. This is a 
species of writing which admits. of no 
gradations; to please, it must be excel- 
lent. It is generaily founded upon some 
delicate turn, or lucky word. The Greeks 
appear to have had a different concep- 
tion of the epigram from the Romans. 
The Greek epicram mostiy turns upon 
some thought that is at once natural and 
subtle: the Latin, by a false taste that 
began to prevail in the decay of pure 
Latinity, endeavours to catch attention by 
some unexpected word which is called a 
point. Catulluscopied the Greeks, who 
were a better model, and maintains 
something of nature and simplicity in 
every epigram, however keen or sar- 
castic; while in general the effect of 
Martial’s epigrams, is merely to terminate 
an ordinary thought by some striking 
expression. He is, therefore, by good 
Judges, infinitely less ‘esteemed than Ca- 
tullus. ; 
A 
* Rom. Emp. vol, ii, ch. 23. note 19, 
Wholesale and Retail Booksellers, 
121 
This short review of the poems of Ca- 
tullus may satisfy the reader, that though 
generally considered as a trifling writer 
of occasional odes, he has merit of a 
higher kind. Had he from inclination 
been less addicted to the excesses of his 
age, and applied his mind to serious stu- 
dies, he might have ranked with the best 
poets of that splendid wera which was 
now rapidly approaching. In his better 
pieces, he has infinitely more vigour than 
Virgil; in others he ts light and playful 
as Horace, warm and tender as Ovid, 
keen and sarcastic as Martial. In ge- 
neral, there is an easy appearance of 
style, which proves that he wrote without 
much Jabour or premeditation. He is 
sometimes harsh and unpolished; but it 
must be recollected, that peetry was then 
comparatively in its infancy among the 
Romans. | 
Catultus is generally printed with Ti- 
bullus and Propertius. The following 
are the editions which contain is works 
oul ye 
Catullus, Fol. Parmz, 1473. Edit. Prinecps. 
Fol. Venet. 1487, 1493, 1500. 
ab Achille Statio 8vo. Venet. 1554. 
1566. 
Vossii. Lond. 1684, 4to. 
Vulpii. edit. opt. 4to, Patavii, 1737. 
eee 
To the Editor of the Monihly Magazines 
SIR, 
' HAVE often thought, that wholesale 
booksellers do not give their retail 
customers the same advantages as other 
retail trades enjoy, by supplying reading. 
societies, and private individuals thems 
selves, at wholesale prices, This greatly 
injures the retail bookseller, and dogs 
not benefit the wholesale houses. For. 
when reading societies, or private in. 
dividuals, have an inclination fora book, 
or a quantity of books, they would par- 
chase thein of the local bookseller at the 
retail price, could they not procure them 
in London at a cheaper rate. Of course, 
the wholesale houses would not be in- 
jured by refusing books at the trade 
price except when they are to be again 
retailed, as those who want books would 
then regularly apply to the retail book- 
seller, ‘Thus, all the books must be pros. 
cured from the same source; and while 
the wholesale dealer’s advantages are by 
no means diminished, those of the re 
tailer are justly increased. 
Liverpool, Bisiriopota. 
Aug. 1, 1810, 
For 
