a more perfect idea of our illustrious painter, than the unfinished delineation of his poetical friend, to which I allude.

The portrait of Lælius has been drawn by Mr. Melmoth, with his usual fidelity. "He seems (says that very elegant writer) to have united in his character, whether considered in a moral, a civil, or a philosophical view, all those talents of the mind and qualities of the heart, that could justly recommend him to the general esteem of his own times, and transmit his name with honour to posterity. There was a politeness and affability in his address, a sprightliness and vivacity in his conversation, together with a constant equality in his temper, that wonderfully recommended him to all those with whom he had any connection; insomuch that what was observed of Socrates, was equally remarked in Lælius, that he always appeared with a serene and placid countenance.

"To the advantages of these captivating manners, were added the ornaments of a most cultivated and improved understanding: he was not only one of the finest gentlemen, but of the first orators, and the most elegant scholars of the age. Lælius and Scipio indeed, united as they were by genius and talents, no less than by esteem. and affection, equally conspired in refining the taste, and encouraging the literature of their countrymen. They were the patrons, after having been the disciples, of Panatius and Polybius; and both the philosopher and the historian had the honour and happiness of constantly sharing with them those hours that were not devoted to

If it should be asked,-amidst so many excellent and amiable qualities, were there

the publick service. But the severer muses did not entirely engross those intervals of leisure, which these illustrious friends occasionally snatched from the great business of the state: Terence and Lucilius were frequently admitted into these parties; where wit and wisdom jointly. conspired to render the conversation at once both lively and instructive."-LELIUS, or an ESSAY ON FRIENDSHIP, &c. Remarks, p. 168.

The ingenious writer then proceeds to consider this celebrated person in a political light; but as it is not here necessary to place him in this point of view, I do not transcribe that part of his encomium.-He has not quoted the authorities on which this representation is founded; I shall therefore add here such passages (principally from Cicero) as I suppose he had in contemplation, which may serve further to illustrate the character in question.

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"Erat in C. Lælio multa hilaritas; in ejus familiari Scipione ambitio major, vita tristior." DE OFF. i. 30. in rebus prosperis, et ad voluntatem nostram fluentibus, superbiam, fastidium, arrogantiamque magnopere fugiamus: nam ut adversas res, sic secundas immoderatè ferre, levitatis est; præclaraque est æquabilitas in omni vitâ, et idem semper vultus, eademque frons: ut de Socrate, item de C. LELIO accepimus.” Ibid. i. 26.

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Hujusmodi Scipio ille fuit, quem non pœnitebat facere idem quod tu; habere eruditissimum hominem et pene divinum, [Panatium] domi; cujus oratione et præceptis, quanquam erant eadem ista quæ te delectant,

no failings?—I wish to answer the inquiry in the words of Mr. Burke, who on a paper

tamen asperior non est factus, sed (ut accepi à senibus) lenissimus. Quis vero C. LELIO comior? quis jucundior, eodem ex studio isto? quis illo gravior? sapientior ?" ORAT. pro Murena, 31.

"Ex hoc esse hunc numero, quem patres nostri viderunt, divinum hominem Africanum; ex hoc C. LELIUM, L. Furium, moderatissimos homines et continentissimos.” Pro Arch. 7.

"-Viriatus Lusitanus, cui quidem etiam exercitus nostri imperatoresque cesserunt; quem C. LELIUS, qui sapiens usurpatur, prætor fregit, et comminuit, ferocitatemque ejus ita repressit, ut facilè bellum reliquis traderet." DE OFF. ii. 11.

"Similemne putas C. LÆLII unum consulatum fuisse, et eum quidem cum repulsâ, (si cum sapiens et bonus vir, qualis ille fuit, suffragiis præteritur, non populus a bono consule potius quam ille a vano populo repulsam fert,) sed tamen utrum malles te, si potestas esset, semel, ut LÆLIUM, consulem, an ut Cinnam, quater ?" TUSCUL. V. 19.

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Quando enim me in hunc locum deduxit oratio, docebo, meliora me didicisse de colendis diis immortalibus jure pontificio, et majorum more, capedunculis iis quas Numa nobis reliquit, de quibus in illa aureolâ oratiunculâ dicit LELIUS, quam rationibus Stoicorum." DE NAT, DEOR. iii. 17.

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→itaque quos ingenio, quos studio, quos doctrinâ præditos vident, quorum vitam çonstantem et` proba

(blotted with his tears) which has been transmitted to me while these sheets were

tam, ut Catonis, LELII, Scipionis, aliorumque plurium, viderentur eos esse quales se ipsi velint." TOP. 20.

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Sæpe ex socero meo audivi, quum is diceret, soćerum suum Lælium semper fere cum Scipione solitum rusticari, eosque incredibiliter repuerascere esse solitos, quum rus ex urbe, tanquam e vinculis, evolavissent. Non audeo dicere de talibus viris, sed tamen ita solet narrare Scævola, conchas eos et umbilicos ad Cajetam et ad Laurentum legere consuêsse, et ad omnem animi remissionem ludumque descendere." DE ORAT. ii. 6.

An old Scholiast on Horace goes still further, and informs us, that these two great men sometimes indulged themselves in the same kind of boyish playfulness which has been recorded of the flagitious Cromwell and one of his fellow-regicides: "Scipio Africanus et LELIUS feruntur tam fuisse familiares et amici Lucilio, ut quodam tempore Lælio circum lectos triclinii fugienti Lucilius superveniens, eum obtortâ mappâ, quasi feriturus, sequeretur.

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Memoriâ teneo, Smyrnæ me ex P. Rutilio Rufo audisse, quum diceret adolescentulo se accidisse, ut ex Senatus-consulto P. Scipio et D. Brutus, ut opinor, consules, de re atroci magnâque quærerent. Nam quum in silvâ Silâ facta cædes esset, notique homines interfecti; insimulareturque familia, partim etiam liberi, societatis ejus, quæ picarias de P. Cornelio, L. Mummio, censoribus, redemisset; decrevisse senatum, ut de eâ re cognoscerent et statuerent consules: causam pro publicanis

passing through the press, has written"I do not know a fault or weakness of his

accuratè, ut semper solitus esset, eleganterque dixisse Lælium. Quum consules, re auditâ, amplius de consilii sententiâ pronuntiavissent, paucis interpositis diebus, iterum Lælium malto diligentius meliusque dixisse; iterumque eodem modo a consulibus rem esse prolatam. Tum Lælium, quum eum socii domum reduxissent, egissent que gratias, et ne defatigaretur oravissent, locutum esse ita; se quæ fecisset, honoris eorum causâ, studiosè, accuratèque fecisse; sed se arbitrari causam illam a Ser. Galbâ, quod is in dicendo fortior acriorque esset, gravius et vehementius posse defendi. Itaque auctoritate C. Lælii publicanos causam detulisse ad Galbam." After informing us that Galba pleaded this cause with great spirit and vigour, and obtained a decision in favour of his clients, Cicero adds-" Ex hac Rutilianâ narratione suspicari licet, quum duæ summæ sint in oratore laudes, una subtiliter disputandi, ad docendum; altera graviter agendi, ad animos audientium permovendos; multoque plus proficiat is qui inflammet judicem, quam ille qui doceat; elegantiam in Lælio, vim in Galbâ fuisse." BRUT. xxii.

From the foregoing passages, which I have collected with a view to illustrate the character of Lælius, (though some of them may seem not perfectly applicable to the present purpose,) a very competent notion of this celebrated

person may be formed; and I trust that the comparison of these two characters will not appear, like many of Plutarch's, forced and constrained into parallelism.