400 Lyceum of Ancient Literature.—No. 
course with the Muses. Those, how- 
ever, who imagine that Propertius was 
contented with this accomplished fair 
only, cannot have sufficiently read his 
poems. In one clegy,* he confesses to 
his friend Demophoon, that he had 
many loves, and was the admirer of 
every beautiful woman. But allowance 
must be made for the amatory effusions 
vf poets. We have already observed,+ 
that they are sometimes subject to doubt 
as to the existence of their objects. 
Propertius, in particular, we may sus- 
pect that he often indulged in that spe- 
cies of fictitious argument suited to ele- 
giac composition, But Cynthia appears 
to have been the chief object of his love, 
and her name alone occurs in his elegies. 
Yet even this connection, terminating at 
length with some disgust on his part, he 
resolved to visit Athens; but whether he 
in reality went, is uncertain. It is most 
probable, that he spent the remainder 
of his life in the pursuit of those studies 
which had employed his earlier years. 
No other work, however, has reached 
posterity, supposed to have proceeded 
from bis pen; nor is it any where men- 
tioned that poetry, or literature in gene- 
ral, was benefited by the leisure he en- 
joyed in the latter part of his life. 
Much speculation has been indulged 
with respect to the time of his death; 
many afirming that he died young; or, at 
the latest, at the age of 41; ‘while others, 
with greater reason, assign him a longer 
period. The authority of Ovid, in our 
Opinion, is sufficient to decide the point. 
He appears. to enumerate Propertius 
among the living authors of his day, in 
one of his elegies written during his 
exile.{ Ovid was 50 years old when he 
went into Pontus; and as Propertius was 
born 15 years before him, he must have 
been 65, when thus mentioned by his 
friend and frequent imitator. 
These are the only circumstances 
which the faith of history, and the plau- 
sibility of conjecture, furnish respecting 
the life of Propertius. 
The works of Propertius now extant, 
consist of four books of elegies. The 
first has, we know not why, generally 
been considered as a distinct and sepa- 
rate poem, and is called “ Properti 
Eleg. 22. lib. 2. 4 
In our account of Horace. 
Invenies eadem blandi preecepta Propertiz 
Districtus manima nec tamen ile nota est. 
Fiis ego successi, quoniam prestantia candor 
Nemina wiverum dissimulare jubet. 
Tristia, lik. 0. ¥. 465. 
3 
Of 
XXXII. [Dec. ty 
Movo/3:6aes.” Bronkhusiugs informs us, that 
most of the ancient critics called this first 
book of the elegies of Propertius, Moxo- 
bibios, because it came out originally be< 
fore the other. three; yet some contend, 
that the whole four books comprised in 
one, was what the older editors meant by 
Propertii Monobibios. But Justus Lipsi- 
us* affirins that this title ought properly to- 
be. applied to the fourth book, hecause 
the three preceding are written upon 
amatory trifles; whereas the fourth, -1s 
upon a cercain material subject, Joseph 
Scaliger, however, has adduced a variety 
of reasons why the first book only should 
retain this title; and he is fellowed by 
Vulpius, and others of the best commen= 
tators. It contains twenty-two elegies, 
in all which Cynthia, the favourite mis 
tress of the poet, is the object and theme 
of his verse. On this account, the book 
itself is sometimes called * the Cynthia 
of Propertius.’ From this poem, in- 
deed, we may give the best specimens of 
the manner and style of the Umbrian 
bard. More delicate and tender than 
Catullus, he displays less of genius and 
originality. He appears to have taken, 
as his models in writing, Callimachus and 
Philetas among the Greeks, and Tibul- 
lus and Virgil among the Latins. He 
was nat, indeed, the first to give the Ro-= 
mans a taste for Grecian elegy. Catui- 
lus had already successfully done the 
same thing. But Propertius certainly 
ransacked all the literature of Greece to 
adorn his own writings; which, to use a 
phrase of Vulpius, are seasoqed with 
transmarine salt. He was, besides, evi- 
dently stadiovs of ancient fable. ' If, 
however, Propertius borrowed fetid 
others, it is as certain that he was him- 
self frequently imitated by some of his 
own contemporaries. Whatever Hein- 
sius may say to the contrary, it is more 
than probable, that Ovid was led to the 
composition of his Fasti and Heroic 
Epistles, by the reading of Propertius 5 
who has anticipated, in maiy elegies of 
his 4th book, and particularly in his 
beautiful address from ‘Arethusa to Ly- 
cotas,t much of what Naso has said. 
The verse of Propertius is not always 
confined to amatory subjects: it somes 
times evinces considerable energy. 
When he so learnedly descants upon 
the antiquities of Rome, when he sings 
the victories of Augustus, and describes 
the matron Cornelia, wife of Paulus the 
* Var. Lect. Cap, 16, Lib. 4. 
+ Elgg. 3. Lib. 4 
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