A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

JUVENALIS. JUVENALIS.- -689
yet tl:e hypothesis, takenas a whole, is so fanciful those whom he warns to avoid the rocks and shoals
and so destitute of all external support, that it has on which he had himself well nigh been wrecked
been adopted by few scholars, while Franke has while the stately well-measured indignation of the
written two elaborate pamphlets for the purpose of other belongs to the eloquence of the head rather
demonstrating that the whole tale of the banish- than of the heart; and the obvious tone of exagment to Egypt is a mere figment of the gram- geration which pervades all his thundering invecmarians; that the ignorance of topography displayed tives leaves us in doubt how far this sustained
in the 15th satire, by placing Ombi in the imme- passion is real, and how far assumed for show.
diate vicinity of Tentyra, is such as to render. it But while the austere and misanthropic gloom of
highly improbable that the author had at any time Juvenal touches less deeply than the warm-hearted
visited the country of which he speaks, and that social spirit of his rival, we must not forget the difthe whole paragraph containing the words " quan- ference of their position. Horace might look with
turn ipse notavi," is palpably a gross interpolation. admiration, upon the high intellect of his prince,
Without pretending to embrace the views of this and the generous protection extended by him to
or of any previous critic to their full extent, we may literature; and he might feel grateful to the prudent
safely assume a sceptical position, and doubt every firmness which had restored peace after long years
point which has been usually assumed as true. The of civil bloodshed, while a decent show of freedom
narratives contained in the different ancient bio- was still left. But the lapse of half a century had.graphies are so vague and indistinct that they could wrought a fearful change. Galling to the proud
scarcely have proceeded from a contemporary or spirit filled with recollections of ancestral glory,
from any one who drew his knowledge from a clear must have been the chains with which the coarse
*or copious source, while the contradictory character tyranny of Nero and Domitian ostentatiously
of many of the statements and the manifest blun- loaded, their dependents; deep must have been the
tders involved in others, prevent us from reposing humiliation of the moralist who beheld the utter
any confidence in those particulars in which they degradation and corruption of his countrymen: the
agree, or are not confuted by external testimony. canker was perchance too deeply-seated even for
The only facts with regard to Juvenal upon -which the keenest knife, but delicate and gentle pallia,
we can implicitly rely are, that he flourished to- tives would have been worse than mockery.
wards the close of the first century, that Aquinum, The extant works of Juvenal consist of sixteen
if not the place of his nativity, was at least his satires, the last being a fragment of very doubtful
chosen residence (Sat. iii. 319), and that he is in authenticity, all composed in heroic hexameters,
all probability the friend whom Martial addresses and divided, in several MSS., into five books, all
in three epigrams. arrangement which, although as old as the time of
There is, perhaps, yet another circumstance Priscian, is altogether arbitrary and unmeaning.
which we may admit without suspicion. We are According to this distribution, the first book comtold that he occupied himself for nlany years of his prehends Sat. i. ii. iii, iv. v.; the second Sat. vi.;
life in declaiming; and assuredly every page in his the third Sat. vii. viii. ix.; the fourth Sat. x. xi.
writings bears evidence to the accuracy of this xii.; and the fifth the remainder.
assertion. Each piece is a finished rhetorical Not less than six very early impressions of
essay, energetic, glowing and sonorous; the succes- Juvenal have been described by bibliographers,
sive attacks upon vice are all planned with sys- each of which may claim the distinction of being
tematic skill; the arguments are marshalled in the Editio Princeps, but the honour would seem to
imposing array; they advance supported by a heavy be divided between the three following: —
artillery of powerful and well-aimed illustrations, 1. A folio, in Roman characters, containing 68
and sweeping impetuously onward, carry by assault sheets, with 32 lines in each page, without date
each position as in turn assailed. But although and without name of place or of printer. See
the impression produced at first is overwhelming, Maittaire, Annal. T-ypog. vol. i. p. 296.
the results are not permanent. The different 2. A quarto, in Roman characters, containing 80
poems are too obviously formal works of art; and sheets, with 25 lines in each page, without date
while the figures in each picture are selected with and without name of place, but bearing the name
anxious care, grouped with all attention to effect, of Ulric Han, and therefore printed at Rome.
and rich with the most brilliant colouring, the 3. A quarto, in Roman characters, containing 71
composition as a whole is deficient in the graceful sheets, with 30 lines in each page, without name
ease and reality which impart such a matchless of place or of printer, but bearing the date 1470,
charm to the less regular and less elaborate sketches and supposed to be the work of Vindelin de
of Horace. The means by which the two great Spira.
satirists seek to achieve their object are as widely The text, as first exhibited, underwent a gradual
different as the tempers and habits of the men. It but slow improvement in the editions of Jac. de
is impossible to'imagine a contrast more strik- Rubeis, fol. Venet. 1475; of G. Valla, fol. Venet.
ing than is presented by the playful, good-hu- 1486; of Mancinellus, fol. Venet. 1492; of Aldus,
moured gaiety with which the one would laugh 8vo. Venet. 1501, 1535, and another without date-;
his hearers out of their follies and their guilt, of Junta, 8vo. Florent. 1513; of Colinaeus, 8vo.
and by the uncompromising sternness with which Paris, 1528, 1535, 1542; of Gryphius, 8vo. Lugd.
the other seeks to scare them, calling to his aid 1534, 1535, 1538, 1545, 1560, 1576; of R. Stefrightful images and terrific denunciations. In phanus, 8vo. Paris, 1544, 1549; of Pulsnannus,
the one case, however, we are fully convinced of the 8vo. Antv. 1565, 24mo. 1585; and was at length
absolute sincerity of our monitor; we feel that his reduced to a satisfactory form by P. Pithoeus,
precepts are the fruit of long experience, proceeding 8vo. Paris, 1585, Heidelb. 1590; and above all, by
from one who, having mingled much with the Nic. Rigaltius, 12mo. Paris, 1613, 8vo. 16-16,
world, and encountered its perils, is filled with whose readings were adopted almost implicitly for
kindly sympathy. for the difficulties and dangers of nearly two centuries, until the labours of Ruperti,
VOL. II. YY