LETTER XV. I WALLER to ST. EVREMOND. HAVE often thought that there is a great Similarity of Genius between Ovid and our Mr. Cowley. They have the fame Fondness for pointed Expreffion, and minute Painting. Their Enthufiafm and their Fancy, and their Turn of Verfe, which is fometimes eafy, clean, and natural, and fometimes quaint, have all of them the greatest Resemblance of each other. And, what is no lefs obfervable, their Difpofitions and Tempers are, in many Inftances, alike. Mr. Cowley's Complaint has the very fame Spirit and Features with Ovid's melancholy Elegies written during his Exile; and I am afraid, too, that it will have no better Effe&t. It always gives me Pleafure to observe the Coincidence of Genius, and Tafte. For this Purpose, when I have the Favour of Mr. Cowley's Company, I very often take up Ovid's Metamorphofes, and read fuch Passages to him 28 as I think will strike him most. What he principally admires in the Story of the Rape of Proferpine, was her Grief for the Lofs of the Flowers she had gathered. Collecti flores tunicis cecidere remiffis. Tantaque fimplicitas puerilibus adfuit annis; Hæc quoque virgineum movit jactura dolorem. Had he written on the fame Subject, I verily believe that he would have had the fame Thought. In reading the Story of Pyramus and Thibe, we both concluded that there must be something wrong in the following Passage: Tempore crevit amor, tædæ quoque jure coif fent, Sed vetuere patres, quod non potuere vetare. Sed vetuere patres, quod non potuere vetare, is cer~ tainly Nonsense. Yet fo it ftands in all the Editions I have met with, undisturbed by Commentators, who pass it over in facro filentio. Nothing, however, is more easy than to remove the Error, which lies only in the Punctuation. Let the Paffage ftand thus, and it is reftored to Sense. Tædæ quoque jure coiffent, Sed vetuere patres. Quod non potuere vetare, Ex æquo captis ardebant mentibus ambo. There is, if I am not mistaken, another Error in the fame Story. Confcius omnes abeft; nutu fignifque loquun tur. If every Spy is at a Distance, why should they have Recourfe to Nods and Signs, to convey their Sentiments? That could only be neceffary, admitting the Cafe to be quite otherwife. Suppofe then we read Conscious omnis adeft; nutu fignifque loquun tur. This Alteration is by no means violent, and it at once brings the Paffage to Senfe and Confiftency. fiftency. However, I am not so hardy as to fay, Sic lege meo periculo. I only offer this to you by way of Conjecture; but the first, I am. fatisfied, must be right. LETTER XVI. ST. EVREMOND to WALLER. 'Tis faid of the Mouse of Armenia, that, such is her Paffion for Cleanlinefs, fhe will fooner die than come out of her Hole, if the Mouth of it is by any means made dirty. I own I have often admired the Decency of this good Moufe, though I defpair of imitating it. The Love of Purity is one of the natural Virtues, and it grieves me to think how ftrangely I have degenerated from it. Ever fince I quitted my Marshal's Batoon, I have had, as you lately told me, the leaft Attachment to this Virtue of any Man living. When I went from France, I left their Neatness to the Men, and took with me the Slovenlinefs of the Women. This Difpofition was abundantly encouraged by a long Refidence in Holland; for the People of that Country, like your English Hogs, keep their Sleeping-places neat, but their Perfons dirty. A daily and familiar. Intercourse with Dogs and Cats, of which I have always a numerous Family, completes the reft. This is a Commerce which no Confideration whatever could induce me to part with. It gives me as much Confequence as belongs to the |