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/322

 $62 A U "L E I U S. " years ? it is much more wonderful fhedidnot marry " fooner. You think that magic rnuft have been employed " to prevail with a widow of her age, to marry a young Id. ibid. " man : on the contrary, this very circumftance (hews how P. 291. tt little occafion there was for magic/' He offered to prove hy his marriage-contract, that he got nothing of Pudentilla but a promife of a very moderate fum, in cafe he furvived her and had children by her. He proved, by feveral fats, how difinterefted his condudt had been, and how reafonable it was for him to exat of his wife the fum fhe had promifed* He was alfo obliged to make fuch confefiions in court, as Pudentiila would gladly have excufed. He faid fhe was neither handfome nor young, nor fuch as could any way tempt him to have recourfe to enchantments : moreover, he added, that Pontianus her fon propofed the marrying his mother to him only as a burthen, and confidered it as the lbid.p.320. action of a friend and philofopher [B], His apology is fliil extant: it is reckoned a very fine piece, and contains ex- amples of the fbameful artifices, which the falfhood of an impudent calumniator is capable of pra6tifing. There were many perfons who took for a true hiftory, ail that he relates in the " Golden Afs :" St. Augultin was even doubtful upon this head, nor did he certainly know that Apuleius had only given this book as a romance. Some of the heathens have cap. 18. fpoken of this performance with great contempt. In the jui.Capitol. letter which the emperor Severus wrote to the fenate, where- ' n ^ e complains of the honours that had been paid to Clodius 12. Albinus, amongft which they had given him them the title of Learned, he exprefles great indignation, that this title fhould be given to a man, who had only fluffed his head with SaMrna- jdl e tales and rhapfodies taken from Apuleius. Macrobius P T'a. 'has allotted the " Golden Afs," and all fuch romances, to the perufal of nurfes. Apuleius was extremely indefatigable [A] Apuieius alfo takes notice of " mind to be under no obligation to many inconveniences which attend the " her: that alone cannot be reftored : marrying of widows, and fpeaks highly " it remains in the poffeffion of the of the advantages of a maid above a " firft hufband. If you marry a widow, widow: " A handfome virgin," fays he, " and (he leaves you, flic carries away " portioned: flie brings to her huf- Apolog. p. 351. Mr. Bayle makes a " band a he.irt quite new, together very coarfi; remark upon this pafiage of " with the flower and full fruits of her Apuleius, viz. " That this go d which " beauty. It is with great reafon, that " is never taken back out of the hand* u all hufliands fet fo great a value upon " of a hufband, is very chimerical ; " the rtower of virginity : all .the other " and that theie is never a baker nor a " goods which a woman brings her " butcher, who would lend fix pence " hufband, are of fuch a nature, that he upon this unperifhable pofleflion." may return them again, if he has a in
 * ' let her be ever fo poor, is abundantly " all that flie brought you." Apul.