HORA'TIUS FLACCUS, QUINTUS, the renowned Roman satirist and lyrist., was b. at Venusia, in Apulia—in the country now called the Basilicata, lately forming part of the kingdom of Naples—on Dec. 8, 65 B.C. His father, who had been born a slave but manumitted before the poet's birth, WEIS a enactor (a collector of money for tax-gatherers and bankers), by which employment lie had become a proprietor on a modest scale in his native district. Early seeing the genius and promise of his son, he resolved to devote his whole means to his education, and removing to Rome for the purpose, lie. gave him the culture usually bestowed on the children of the highest classes. Having finished his youthful studies at Rome, he was engaged on higher ones at Athens, when the assassination of Julius Cesar threw the whole Roman world into confusion, and dragged Horatius himself—in his 21st year—into the civil war which followed. Brutus, coming with Cassius to Greece, made lIoratius a tribune, and he served with the repub lican leaders in that-rank until the fatal field of Philippi put an end to their campaign. Brutus and Cassius destroyed themselves. Horatios made his submission, and returned to Rome. With what was ]eft of his patrimony he bought the otlice of public scribe, and while living by this humble place devoted his energy to literary creation. Thoroughly accomplished in Greek and Roman literature, he set himself to two great tasks—the naturalization in Latin of the Greek lyric spirit, and the perfect develop ment of the Old Roman satire. It is his complete artistic success in both objects whirl has made him one of the most influential writers of the world, and which will secure his fame as long as order or culture exists upon the globe.
Horatius's first known labors were satires and epodes—the epodes being imitations of the Greek satirist Archilochus. But it is probable that he early began to imitate the other Greek lyrists; and it. is certain that his first success was derived not from the pub lic but the private circulation of his works. Ile made the friendship of Virgil, whose rise preceded his own, and of Mins; and Virgil and Varies introduced him to Mrecenas when he was about 26 years old. That great Etruscan noble and friend of Augustus became the good genius of the poet's life. lie endowed him—at some period not exactly known, but before 33 n.c.—with a farm near Tivoli, in the Sabine country, - established his independence, fostered his fame, sought his intimacy, loved. honored, I and encouraged him as much as one man could another. The friendship of ` led to that of kuguslus, and Horatins enjoyed all his life (he died at 57) the considera tion of the greatest persons of his time. lie shows his gratitude for such favor in Milli passages of his poems, but he is never servile. and he compliments the emperor himself only on those features of his reign which have retitled to secure him the gratitude, or, what was not less needed, the .forgiveness, of posterity., Microsoft COI, It is impossible, in our brief space, to discuss the vexed question of the chronology of Iloratius's poems, or to notice a fiftieth part of what has been written on it. But if we cannot, be sure of the chronology of the poems. they give mis themselves ample nwans for judging of the character of the poet. Even his personal appearance is familiarly known to us. Ile was a little, round, dark-eyed titan, prematurely gray-haired. and inclined to corpulence; in dress somewhat slovenly, and apt to be abstra•t•d in his gait and manner. lie was kindly, friendly, and bonorable—iraseible, but easily appeased— of amorous and generally sensual temperament, yet fully sensible of both the dignity and the prudence of moderation. His philosophy was Epicurean. like that of most Roman men of the world of his age; but he had both an eye and a heart for the noble in history- and in life, and his most discerning readers cannot but see that there was a latent fund of earnestness and even piety in his nature, to which his poetry never gave fall expression. The real key to his genius is to study Idin as essentially a philosophical
wit and moralist, who had an exquisite faculty for lyrical creation, and was at finished artist by dint of practice in it, but who primarily belonged to the philosophical rather thail to the poetic class of minds. Some strict modern critics have doubted his being a poet at all, which. since 1w could produce all the effects of poetry, is plainly The latest criticism, however, decidedly tends to place his lyrical works—as imitations of the and echoes of the natural notes of an earlier told more poetic age—f; rther below his Satires and Ridslles than it was once costonmary to rank them. Meanwhile, this neither robs the Odes of their vallum, nor of their charm. !Mr of their merit. Their value, as representing an older literature which only exists in fragments, is immeasur able. Their charm, as breathing now all the gayety, now all the sadness. of the ancient pagan mind, is irresistible. And their merit, even as imitations, implies a delicacy of insight, a fineness of touch, a power of minute ftuirih, which has been exhibited by very few writers in the whole History of art. They are, indeed, perpetual models of con struction, equally valuable to poets of every school, and were not less carefully studied by Wordsworth than by Pope. Great, its is the merit of the Odes, that of the &tires and Epistles is still higher. The native Roman satire—an indigenous product of Italy, as Casaubon has irrefragably established—Was developed by lloratins into a branch of composition peculiarly his own, and in his own species of Which lie has never had it rival. lie ridicules the follies of the from the point of view of a titan of the world, playing round vice like a picador round a hull; and though his morality does not rise above the level of a prudential moderation abhorrent of extremes, he enforces this with so much soundness, dramatic liveliness, and gay, vivacious humor ous wit, that the pulpit has profited by hint not less than the author's study, and lie has been time favorite of ecclesiastical dignitaries and statesmen, while also being the pocket companion of men of letters and epigrammatists. The Epistles contain the gril%•ir clement of the Satires in still greater perfection, and with the addition of a fine vein of personal einotion and affection, tinged occasionally with the melancholy of advancing life, which, on the whole, makes them•the most valuable of Horatins's works.
The literature of Ilorathis in mmlern Europe is enormous, mid can only be glanced at here in the briefest niminni•r. The Editio Prinrep.R appeared at Milan in 1470, in 4to, and was followed by a long line of editions. In modern times, Orelli -has taken a lead ing place as Horatian editor, and since him, Dillenburger has been justly popular; while Enrdand has contributed to the subject, among many other works, the valuable Horafius'lltstitatus of Tate, and the sumptuous volume of Dean Milman. A »InlIg the English translators of Horatins, in the whole or in part, are fraind Pen .lonstm, Atierbury, Pope, Warren Hastings, and Cowper, •nile Pope's Imi/ lions occupy it dis tinguished place of their own. The lost known translation of the whole of in 'English is that of Francis, bat his day is fast going bv. Excellent tianslatiews have been issued in our own time by Mr. Martin, Mr. Robinson, lord Ilavensworth, lord Lytton, and prof. Coning ton, and a curious but powerfnl one by prof. Newman, whose theory of translation, however, has lcd him into frequent oddities and singu larities.
ron•n, a t. of Prussian Westphalia. on the Emsehe. 33 tn. s. from Mfm.ster, with which it is connected by railway, Near it are productive coal-mines. and the town has recently increased with p..:Terit rapidity. Nail-making is carried on. Pop. '75, 12,852.