( r6 )

A Civil War being kindled, Augustus sound a veryable and useful Minister in an agreeable Favourite. Hewas always charged with the most delicate Negotiati-ons : And Augustus could not have made a happierChoice.

Mæcenas * postefs’d in an eminent Degree all thosewining Qualities which make their Way directly and ir-resistibly

But what fort of Lover of Letters and Arts he was, we may judge byhis Passion for amphitheatrical and cruel Entertainments, of which after-wards ; and of a favourite Diversion of his related by Sue ton, Festos G? fo-lennes dies profujfime, nonunquam joculariter tantum celebrabat. SaturnalibusG? ft quando alias libuiffet , modo munera dividebat , vestem, aurum , G? ar-

gentum : modo numnos cmnis notæ , etiam vet er es regies ac peregrinos : in-ter dum nihil præter Cilicia & Jpongias, G? rutabula, G? for sic es, at que aliaid genus, titulis obscuris G? ambiguis. Solebat G? inæqualiffimarum rerum sor-ites, & adverfas tabularum picturas in convivio venditare: incertoque cafufpem mercantium vel fruftrari vel explere : ita ut per Jingulos leblos licitatiofieret ; G? feu jatlura feu lucrum communicaretur.

Suet on. c. 66 . fays of Augustus: Amicitias neque facile admisit, & constan-tissime retinuit. But he adds, JDesideravitenim, nonnunquam, nedepluribusreferam, Agrippæ patientiam & Mæcenatis taciturnitatem, cum ille ex levirigoris fufpicione, & quod Marcellus sibi anteferretur, Mitylenas fe, relictisomnibus contulisset: hie fecretum de comperta Murenæ conjuratione uxoriTerentiæ. prodidisiet.

Tacitus L. 3. Frigore tandem percuffum Mæcenatem & ætate provectafpeciem magis in amicitia principis quam vim obtinuisse. Dion fays the fame,but gives anotherReafon. Causiam imminutæ amicitiæ fuisse certamen de forma>. inter Liviam & Terentiam. L. 54. See what he fays of Agrippa, L. 53.

*Velleius gives the following Character of Mæcenas. -Equestri, fed fplen-

dido genere natus, vir ubi res vigiliam exigeret, fane exfomnis. providensatque agendi feiens; simul vero aliquid ex negotio remitti posset, otio ac' mollitiis pene ultra feminam fluens: non minus Agrippa Cæfari earns, fedminus honoratus: quippe vixit angusto clavo plane contentus; nee majora con-sequi non potuit, fed nunquam concupivit.

Propertius celebrates Mæcenas for his Moderation.

Maecenas eques etrufeo de sanguine regumJntra fortunam qui cupis ejje tuam.

L. 3. Eleg. 7.