ee 
Wis, 
1810.] Lyceum of Ancient Literature—No. XXXITL, 
could claim a descent from the ancient 
hangs of Etruria.  Silius Italicus has 
asserted the same of Ennius;* but the 
documents that might have proved these 
illustrious descents, have long since pe- 
rished. 
Whatever was his birth, it touk place 
A.U.C. 696, during the consulship of 
L. Calpurnius Piso and A. Gabinius.> 
In very early life he lost his father, who, 
siding with Lucius Antonius, was made 
prisoner and slain by the command of 
Augustus, at the altar of Cesar.: The 
paternal estate was confiscated, like that 
of many others in that unhappy period, 
when, after the Philippine war, all the 
Italian spoil was divided among the 
veteran soldiers of Augustus. Soon 
after the death of his father, he lost his 
mother, under whose tutelage he re- 
ceived his education. Thus left to him- 
self, he assumed the toga virtlis some- 
what earlier than usual ; and even at that 
age, the very opening of active life, he 
resigned himself wholly to poetic indo- 
lence, despising equally the tumuit of 
the forum, and the clamour of the 
pleaders. But this indoleace of dispo- 
sition, which rendered him unfit for the 
duties of any public station, did not pre- 
vent him from beeoming conspicuous 
for learning and a talent for poetry. 
These procured him the patronage of 
Mecanas, near to whose gardens in the 
Esquiline part of the city, Propertius 
resided. He also numbered among his 
friends Ovid, Tibullus, Bassus, and Pon- 
ticus, who were contemporary bards 
with him ; and to their judgment he sub. 
mitted his productions before he ven- 
tured tomake them public. It has been 
thought extraordinary that Propertius 
never mentions Horace, nor Horace Pro- 
pertius, in any part of their respective 
works, They lived at the same time, 
must have frequently met in the palace 
ef Augustus, and were alike distinguished 
by that munificent encourager of every 
art. Yet in neither is there any expres- 
sion which betrays kindness, or even 
knowledge, of the other. This is the 
More singular, as Propertius is frequently 
mentioned by Ovid in terms of bigh ad- 
nuration and esteem, It may be sur- 
mised that the poets who flourished 
under the patronage of their imperial 
™ gnnius aptiqua Messapi ab origine regis. 
Punic, lib. 19. 393. 
+ So says Vulpius; but, according to the 
best chronological tables, P. Cornelius Len- 
tulus and Q. Cacilius Metellus, were consuls 
in 696. 
+ 
&9 
99 
master, however eager to join with equal 
servility in his praise, were by no means 
so well disposed to compliment’ each’ 
othen The old saying of Hesiod xspaac¥z 
wepaual was probably verified in that lite- 
rary circleyas well as so many others of 
more modern date. So jealous and en- 
vious were they of the merit and repu- 
tation of others, that they rarely cite the: 
mames of their contemporaries in terms: 
of friendship or real esteem. Virgil’ 
alone, in whose disposition the molle 
atque facetum uniformly prevailed, con-. 
ciliated the affection, and exacted the 
applause, of all. Tis merit, and the 
grandeur of his work, set all competition 
at a distance, and silenced every mur- 
mur; while the uncommon sweetness of 
his temper: was irresistibly attractive. 
Even from the gay, the polite, the cares 
less, Horace, the sparks of envy would 
sometimes be elicited. He is suspected 
of alluding to Propertius in his. descrip- 
tion of the talkative intruder, whom he 
lashes with so much severity and spleen 
in the 9th Sat. [fe describes this im- 
pertinent as expert at poeiry, and studi. 
ous of his person.* Propertius appears 
to answer this description when, in his 
4th elegy, he acknowledges himself to be 
extremely nice in his dress: ; 
Necquicquam perfusa meis unguenta capillis: 
Ibat et expenso planta morata gradu.f * 
Other features in the same. character, 
would appear to bear the same allusion 
to our poet. Itis observable, too, that 
Horace does not name Propertius with 
the other poets whem he wishes to 
please. On the contrary, he seeins to 
be intended by the Simus in the same 
satire,t who, with Hermogenes, is ac- 
cused of delighting only in the wanton 
lays of Calvus and Catullus. | These 
conjectures Vulpius endeavours to 
strengthen by various passages from the 
poet of Venusium.§ ; 
The mistress of an amatory poet is too 
important a personage to be suffered ta 
pass unnoticed. The favourite of Pro- 
pertius was Hostia, a lady of high rank, 
whom he disguises under the name of 
Cynthia, If we may credit the assertion, 
of her lover, she was gifted with every 
natural and acquired endowment; nor 
did she even abstain from a sacred inter- 
Ps < 2 
* Nam quis me scribere plures _ “i i 
Aut citius possit versus? quis membra mavere 
Mollius? ¥ 
+ Eleg, 4. lib. 2. 
XL Epist. g. lib. . 
& In Vit. Propert: 
course 
—————— OC t— 
