Arms, and an Acquaintance with their Poets is abfolutely neceffary to the acquiring a fine Taste: their Elegance is the Standard whereby to form our selves, or to judge of others, and from their Age to this, those have ever been most esteemed, who have been moft industrious to ftudy and to imitate their Excellencies.

But, my Lord, the Roman Learning, extraordinary as it is, must be accounted of little Confideration, if compared with the Roman Virtues :- You will find every where throughout these Collections the most exalted Sentiments of Humanity, Goodness, Generofity, Honour, Liberty, and the Love of one's Country: Sentiments which tranfplanted into a Breast fo happily disposed for their Reception, must produce all thofe noble Qualities which make Greatnefs amiable, which command a fincere and real Refpect of infinitely higher Value than all the falfe Incense of fervile Flattery, and which distinguish the Poffeffor of them more than the largest Fortune or the most pompous Titles.

My

My Wish is, that, adorned with all thefe Perfections, your Lordship may foon become, and long continue, the Glory of your Country, and the Delight of all your Friends. And may I be permitted the Honour of profeffing, that I am with the utmost Zeal and Respect,

My LORD,

Your LORDSHIP'S

moft obedient, and

moft humble Servant,

HENRY BAKER.

TO THE

READER

T

HE Claffic Writers have with great Justice obtained the Applaufe of their Co-temporaries, and preserved the Admiration of fucceeding Ages. Whatever Discoveries may have been made in the knowledge of Nature, whatever Improvements in the Productions of Art, They are confeffedly the Standard of all that regards the Beauty of Sentiment, or the Delicacy of Expreffion.

Conscious of this, the most admired Moderns have wifely contented themselves with borrowed Honours, and recommended their Performances by an happy Imitation, or an ingenious Improvement of their Predeceffors: Proud rather to share than rival their Fame, they have generally built upon the fame Plan: and even where they would be thought Originals, frequently condefcend not only to copy, but tranflate.

In darker Ages they were fometimes able to conceal the Theft, and ufurp the Credit which belonged to their Benefactors; but the inquifitive World is now fenfible

8

fenfible to whom we are indebted for every thing that is great in Defign, and agreeable in Exe

cution.

A Relish for the Antients is therefore neceffary to a polite Tafte; and an Acquaintance with them to form a true Judgment of Compofition. Nor will it by any means abate the Pleasure which a modern Production gives, nor diminifh our Efteem of it, to know from whence the feveral Materials which adorn it are collected. It will yield a new Delight to trace the original Strokes; and an Author, happily animated by the Spirit of a great Master, that adopts his Sentiments, and judiciously connects them with his own Defign, will have the Honour of a skilful Architect, who poffeft of any venerable and beautiful Remains of Antiquity, inferts them into his Plan, in fuch a manner, as to make them appear only defigned for it. M

With this view the following Collection is prefented to the Reader, which contains a Compendium of what is valuable in the Poets, and has reduced the most beautiful and instructive Paffages of the best Writers, and the accurate Defcriptions which they have left us of their Customs and Manners, under proper Heads, in fuch a Method, that they may upon every occafion be readily applied to,

Thofe