Αιθ' οφελον τ' αγον τ' εμεναι, αγαμώ τ' απολεσθαι*.

BESIDE all other forrow, he faw his fifter, the excellent Octavia, die of long grief for the lofs of her beloved Marcellus: he faw his wife Livia burying her only good fon, Drufus; Drufus, who, next to Marcellus, is generally defcribed to be one of the most amiable youths of his time, and the moft deservedly regretted by his family and country: Tiberius, in the mean time, furviving Drufus, for the punishment of his country, in the fame manner as Julia, for that of her family, furvived both Marcellus and Agrippa.

Ar fome diftance from mount Palatine, between the Calian and Aventine hills, ftands the arch of Drufus. It's top It's top is overgrown with mofs and fhrubs, but it's fides are ftill adorned with two rich marble columns.

THE young nobleman, in viewing this monument of the memory of Drufust, recollected what he had heard and feen, relative to the faid roman prince, in his paffage through Lorrain and France; particularly at Metz and Lyons. At Metz, faid he,

* Hom. II. r. ver. 40. See alfo Sueton. in Auguft. 65. + Primum fuiffe Drufum, cui mortuo arcus dicatus fit, obfervat Norifius, Cenotaph. Pifan. p. 412. fq. See Reimar's edit. of Dion Caff. p. 772. This arch is reprefented on some of the medals of Drufus,

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I think there are feveral beautiful remains of antiquity, which are ascribed to him: but it was at Lyons, that Drufus, by his most engaging behaviour, established peace and tranquillity through all the extenfive regions of the gauls. It was at Lyons, then the capital and metropolis of that country, that he erected the famous monument of the concord of fixty gallic ftates, and of his own dutiful respect to his father Auguftus; I mean the altar and temple, built near the conflux of the Saone and Rhone*.

CRITO'S pupil, who had taken the route of Holland and the Low Countries, recollected the noble monument there remaining of Drufus's wif dom, and greatness of mind; namely, the canalt,

* Of that structure there are to this day remaining two ftately columns of egyptian granite. They may be seen in the church of D'Enay, which stands near the point of the conflux; and probably on the very spot where the ancient altar of Auguftus was placed. These two granite columns feem to be of the fame fort and fize with those of Agrippa's portico, at the Pantheon: but they are now fawn in funder, and divided into four pillars, which fupport the small dome of that church. As to their original form, pofition, and use, several medals may be consulted.

+ This canal extended from Ifeloort to Doesburg, anciently called Drufus's Burgh. It joined the Rhine to the Ifel, as well as to many of the batavian lakes; and through them to the northern German ocean.

It is not im

probable that Peter the Great, while in Holland, might attentively confider this great work; and thence take the hint of feveral fimilar, and ftill more noble defigns, for uniting the rivers, lakes, and feas, in his own vaft dominions.

VOL. II.

Y

which

which this adoptive fon of Auguftus, with a truly imperial defign, and in the fpirit of the ancient wisdom of Egypt, cut through part of Holland, that beautiful European Delta.

THE eldest of the young gentlemen, who had paffed fome time in Germany, particularly in the provinces on the Rhine, with pleasure added, that above fifty german towns, which now cover the banks of that great river, all owe their foundation to the wisdom of Drufus. They derive their origin, faid he, from the several stations, which Drufus prudently chofe for his encampments, in those then wild and uncultivated regions. Such was the origin of Strafburg; fuch of Mentz. I remember feeing at Mentz the ruins of an ancient trophy, or cenotaph*, erected to the honour of Drufus. It ftands on the higheft fpot of ground in the citadel, exactly fronting the conflux of the Rhine and Main. With great fatisfaction I thence viewed the profpect of that beautiful country, which is now the garden of Germany, watered by those two noble rivers: a profpect, I fuppofe, in fome measure analogous to that, which you, my noble Friend, have feen from the hills at Lyons.

Έλαβε (Δρυσα) τιμην κενοτάφιο της αυτω τω Ρηνώ•

Dio Caffius, lib. 55. P. 772.

How

How happy is it, dear fir, continued he, turning to Crito, when the defolating operations of war are thus mixed and tempered with the works of peace: when, by the benevolence of Providence, fo much good is produced, even in the midst, and Springing, as it were, out of the greateft evils! May fuch be the confolatory confequences of our prefent, north-american wars! May the british generals in the New World become there the founders of as many cities, as Alexander, or his imitator Seleucus*; as Auguftus, or this his noble imitator Drufus, have been in the Old!

BUT why am I thus talking? I am fure, my dear fir, that you have fome paper on the character of Drufus, with which you intend to favour us and where better than in this place?

I HAVE indeed a very fhort paper of notes on the fubject, replied Crito; and I have brought you hither, I own, upon that account. But though this triumphal arch of Drufus be a proper object for awakening our curiofity, in relation to his hiftory; yet the fpot is by no means convenient for a ftudious lecture. You fee it ftands on a great public road.

Seleucus built no lefs than forty cities in Afia.

If you please, let us retire to your lodgings. We will return thither by the way of the temple of Minerva Medica. We fhall have time enough before dinner for making that tour.

THE Company now turned down from the great road into the folitary rural lanes of the Calian hill. They paffed by the ruins of that great aqueduct, which was built by a fon of Drufus. They then croffed over to the Efquiline hill, and ftopped at the door of a vineyard.

THE name of the vineyard is Galuzza; being, most probably, a corruption and confufion of the names of Caius and Lucius, the fons of Agrippa, and grandfons of Auguftus; to whofe memory Auguftus here erected a bafilica, and a temple.

THIS temple, like feveral other buildings of the auguftan age,-as the Pantheon, the Maufoleum, and the Hemicyclium of the Palatine Apollo, -is in the form of a rotunda*. It's mofs-grown

*It is a decagon. It's circuit on the outfide is two hundred and twenty-five feet. In the walls between each angle are broad and deep niches for ftatues. Here was found that ftatue, which at prefent makes a principal ornament of the Giuftiniani gallery; the ftatue of Minerva, with a ferpent at her feet.

walls