Page:A new and general biographical dictionary; containing an historical and critical account of the lives and writings of the most eminent persons in every nation v1.djvu/141

 A F E R. ,o 5 thor of this procefs, that {he did not cr.t.'rt.vin the !<v.ft rcfcnt- nient againlt him on that account ; lo that one day, when he was lilcely to meet her in theitreets, and had turned aw^v, fhe imagining he had done this from a niinciplc of Hum-, or* tiered him to be called back, and bidJmg him not be alraid, repeated a line from a liomer, importing (hat fhc luolced notn; n.< upon him but Agamemnon as the caufe of the late affair. 1; !' The encomiums pafled by the emperor on the eloquence of 1 ' 7S1 " Domitius, made him now eagerly purfue the profctton of an orator; fo that he was feldom without lomc accularion or defence, whereby he acquired a greater reputation for hi.s elo- quence than his probity. In the yygth ye.r of Rome, he carried on an accufation againft Claudia Pulchra ; and the year ^- 3t .- f following, Qiiintilius Varus her fon was impeached by himAanal.nk. and Publius Dolabeila. Nobody was furprifcd that Afer,' v - <*? Ci * who had been poor for many ye^rs. and (quantified the money got by former impeachments, fhould return lothis practice ; but it was matter of great furprize that one who was a re- lation of Varus, and of fuch an illuftrious family as th.it of Publius Dolabtlla, ihould aflbciate with this informer. Aicr had a high reputation as an orator for a confidcrable time, but this he loft by continuing to plead when age had impair- ed the faculties of his mind. " Knowledge, (fays Quintilran) " which increafes indeed with yeais, docs not aJ; >ne form ' thefe are broken by age or ficknefs, there is reafon to fear " the greateft orator may then be deficient ; that he Hop " through wearinels, and, being fenfible that he is not fuffi- " greateft orator I ever knew, Domitius Afer, in his old r '< daily lofing the reputation he formerly acquired ; for uli, a " tremely indecent, others would blufli ; hence people t'>..k c occafion to fay, that Domitius would rather Li! ii;n t!e- fid: nor are thefe evils, in companion ofotheis, bnt< th '< thefe fnarcs of old age, (hould found a retreat, :i:vJ bi k vtflel tight and (<;und into the harbour." - Quintilian, in his youth, cultivated the friend!'" in -f Oo- 1 mitius very affiduoufly. He tells us that hi abounded with pleafant ftorics, and t!'.;,t thei. . collodions of his witty fai'ings, fomc:t -.vr.ich he qunte^. Ht'^' zlfo mentions two books of his, " On Ji r :i::.-fis.' Ll^nrtPi^ wa? once in ercat danger from an in&ripv.yr. ne put J.'.-JP. a ll.tue
 * ' the orator, fince he muft have a voice and lungs; for if
 * ' ciently heard, complain firft of himielf. I myklf IHW ihe
 * ' he was pleading, though known to have bern once the
 * ' greateft man at the bar, fome wouid iaugh, Wiiii h was ex-
 * ' leaft kind. The orator, therefore, to prevent his .'Yilin into