TO CORRESPONDENTS. WE have read the letter of R. F. on the impropriety, which is pratifed by many of our Bookfellers, in their advertifing literary works, which they receive from their American brethren and from foreign countries, as just published by themselves. Of the recitude of his intentions we can have no doubt; for this mode of their advertisements is undeniably wrong. But he accufes and cenfures rather too barfbly. A gentle hint, we hope, would be quite fufficient for effecting the defired reformation. LETTER 2. from STUDIOSUS, and the LOITERER No. 2. are deferred for our next publication. MEANDER'S "Ode on the close of the year 1803," might, if We e are publifhed, be amufing to fome, and puzzling to all its readers. willing, however, to gratify its author with a typographical impression of the four firft lines: "Lo! the rolling year expires, And in frowning pomp retires. The months on breezy wings have flown!". We received, fome time ago, an ELEGIAC EPISTLE, which contains much poetical imagery expressed by proper and elegant language, together with feveral confpicuous imperfections. We are unwilling to reject it; yet we choose to delay its publication, till has undergone a critical revi fal of the writer. In reply to the advisory letter of Q. R. S. we here mention our defign for allotting a department in the MONTHLY ANTHOLOGY of September next, and in the fucceeding NUMBERS, for reviewing PLAYS, and for Ariatures on ACTING, under the title of THE DRAMATIC INQUISITOR. ERRORS IN THE PRECEDING NUMBER. Page 99, line 7, for hiftory read bigotry. Page 102, line 3. from the bottom, for influence, read inflame. Page 103, line 4, for bare, read bafe. Page 183, line 9, in the prefent number, for damp, read lamp THE MONTHLY ANTHOLOGY, FOR FEBRUARY, 1804. For the MONTHLY ANTHOLOGY. ANTONINUS AND ARISTIDES. A DIALOGUE. Mr. PER-SE, IF the following translation of a Greek Dialogue, written about A.D. 175, is deferving of a place in the ANTHOLOGY, "give it room." It has coft fome pains, and, I hope, will afford fome pleasure. PHILOSTRATES. It was my good fortune to accompany the emperor, in his campaign against Caffius, as his Secretary. The heroism of this godlike man I have already recorded. But to me his virtues and philofophy were as interefting, as his courage. His reafon was as irresistible, as his arms; and he excelled the rest of mankind as much in the vigour of his mind, as in the luftre of his fortune. He derived the prerogative of majefty from nature; and his pen was as powerful, as his fword. You may recollect my account of the emperor's reception of Ariftides, the orator of Smyrna. His oration in praise of his country I also sketched out to you, with the fingularity of his conduct. Antoninus forgave eccentricity, when it was the concomitant of genius. In the evening of that day, which was devoted to the pleasures of philofophy, Ariftides was emboldened by the emperor's complacency to inquire into the course of his life, and the nature of his literary pursuits. In the current of converfation, Ariftides expreffed his aftonifhment at the power of Antoninus in following the mufes in the court and camp. "Inter arma filent" mufæ. You wonder, faid the emperor, how I have mingled philofophy with war and politics. But retirement into wilds and woods is not neceffary to speculation or virtue. The wife man re treats from noife and folly into his own breaft, and enjoys the pleafures of intellect and benevolence, in the contemplation of power and goodnefs, as exhibited by the gods, or in devising schemes for the happiness of men.. I know, replied Ariftides, this felf-command is poffible to one, who adds to the empire of his paffions the empire of the earth, and who defies the rage of men and the caprice of fortune. But to him, who feels the buffeting of a rude world, and out of the ten categories can boast but of time and place, there is no power of abftraction. His wants fubjugate his thoughts, and give him but a captive mind and a fettered frame. I fee, rejoined Antoninus, you are yet ignorant of your own powers and dignity, and are willing to let your appetites and paflions hold divided empire with your mind. But what is this body, of which you make fo great account, but a paltry machine of blood and bones; a piece of network of nerves and veins and arteries twisted together? As for your paffions and appetites, they are not characteristics of our nature, for the brutes boast as many and as ftrong. If these then are but mere appendages, and drudges in the animal and focial economy, why will you inveft them with the rights of majefty, and fanction this ufurpation by fubmiffion? I have often contemplated, replied Ariftides, the fublimity of that philofophy, which boasts fuperiority to time and chance, But it has generally appeared to me calculated to excite admiration, rather than regulate practice, or influence the mind. It feems to me a war upon our conftitutions, as wild as that of the Titans against the gods. It is at best an enterprise of pride to efcape from its humble fphere. I feel a thoufand wants—I gratify them and find a pleafure in the indulgence. I glow with a defire of glory, and, under this impulfe, hazard the most hardy attempts. Thus conftituted, can I be indifferent to accidents, and efcape from poverty and difgrace in afpiring contemplations? Can I break from thofe natural principles, which de fine my limited courfe, and neglect the claims of my difpofition, which teaches my duties, and is the oracle of my destiny? A life of reflection on this fubject, refumed Antoninus, may privilege me as a philofopher to give you fentiments, to which I do not claim acquiefcence on the fcore of the prejudice of au thority. To you perhaps they will not be novel. But the charms of truth are eternal, and amidft the tumults of a camp the voice of philofophy is fweet as the harp of Apollo. Ariftides expreffed his thanks for the emperor's indulgence, and defired him to defcend to minutiæ, and instruct him generally in thofe doctrines, which had influenced his life, and acquir ed him the love as well as the admiration of the world. The emperor continued. The firft truth that was impreffed on my mind by Rufticus and Apollonius was this, that the world was under the providence and government of the gods, by whom it was created. From this truth I neceffarily inferred the gods had formed me for happinefs. After much reflection and inquiry I found the irrefiflible evidence of this pofition, The gods have given us all a capacity of avoiding real evils, for nothing can compel us to do wrong, and violate juftice. If truth and goodness conftitute the glory of Deity, muft they not equally create the happiness of man? The confequence was inevitable. From this time I ceased to regard the accidents of life as essential to good or evil. I found, they happened to all alike, that fickness and health, riches and poverty, fame and disgrace were indiscriminately diftributed among the virtuous and vicious, which would have been inconfiftent with the juftice of the gods, were thefe things really good or evil. I hence called them indifferent. Thefe principles were firmly impreffed on my mind, when I firft entered into active life. It was natural to inquire for the fummum bonum, and I thus learned its nature. My. fenfual and fpiritual natures contefted for fuperiority, the one relying on the ardour of youth, and the other on the strength of truth. But I foon refolved my mind fhould not be a flave to my paffions. I left the gardens of Epicurus to brutes, and adopted the rigid difcipline of Zeno. With steady habits of temperance, I frankly put myself into the hands of fate, and let her spin out my fortune at her will. Yet with this temper and refignation. I knew my title to happiness, and I refolved to improve the counfels of the deity within me. I foon difcovered, that nothing Was preferable to juftice and truth, temperance and fortitude, I refolved therefore with Socrates to snatch myself from the 1 150 impreffions and influence of sense, submit to the government of the gods, and be benevolent to mankind. I early perceived the influence of our thoughts and fancy on our actions and happiI repressed nefs. Hence I laboured to difcipline my mind. idle fpeculations-I reftrained my defires, and dispelled my fears. I lived up to nature, regarded opportunity, and stood boldly by truth. I thus kept my mind fuperior to injury and difgrace, to pleasure and pain, and fecured the happinefs I deriv ed from virtue, by independence on imagination or opinion. I re When I looked around me on mankind, I found all rational beings of kin to me, and confidered general kindness and concern for the whole world but a principle of my nature. garded men as fellow citizens of the great capital, the earth, in relation to which all towns were but fingle families, whofe members were brethren of the fame clan with myself. If Athens was the city beloved by Cecrops, the world I ranked as the favourite town of Jupiter. Hence in my intercourse with mankind, I have toiled to refemble the vine, which asks no thanks for its clusters. Like this, I have difpenfed charity without parade, To and only waited for the next season to repeat my favours. those who have studied and tailed to injure me, I have not been fevere. I refolved they fhould not make me guilty of wrong. I have always confidered them as acting unjustly through ignorance of the relation, they bore to me, and have pitied, rather than punished their error.-I have toiled and prayed for the good of all. The Athenians clamorously implored Jupiter to rain upon their own fields. I have befeeched the gods to blefs my neighbours. When I had learned my relations to men, when I contemplated my own faculties, when I beheld nature in her wide extent regular, active, and progreffive, I refolved to fill the petty space of life with enterprise and industry. As a man and as a Roman I added energy to application, and performed my duty with all my the dignity and advantage of circumftance. The blandifhments, or frowns of fortune did not check activity; for I felt gations to fociety did not depend upon events, that fubfift on change and owe their being to inftability. I confidered alfo the relation I bore to the gods, the part affigned me, and the brief obli |