Page:Virgil's Pastorals, Georgics and Aeneis - Dryden (1709) - volume 2.djvu/32

 us an Example of this, in the Person of Mezentius. He Govern'd Arbitrarily, he was expell'd; and came to the deserved End of all Tyrants. Our Author shews us another sort of Kingship, in the Person of Latinus: He was descended from Saturn, and as I remember, in the Third Degree. He is describ'd, a just and a gracious Prince; solicitous for the Welfare of his People; always Consulting with his Senate, to promote the common Good. We find him at the head of them, when he enters into the Council-Hall. Speaking first, but still demanding their Advice, and steering by it, as far as the Iniquity of the Times wou'd suffer him. And this is the proper Character of a King by Inheritance, who is Born a Father of his Country. Æneas, tho' he Married the Heiress of the Crown, yet claim'd no Title to it during the Life of his Father-in-Law. Pater arma Latimus babeto, &c. are Virgil's Words. As for himself, he was contented to take care of his Country Gods, who were not those of Latium. Wherein our Divine Author seems to relate to the After-Practice of the Romans, which was to adopt the Gods of those they Conquer'd, or receiv'd as Members of their Commonwealth. Yet withal, he plainly touches at the Office of the High Priesthood, with which Augustus was invested: And which made his Person more Sacred and Inviolable, than even the Tribunitial Power. It was not therefore for nothing, that the most Judicious of all Poets made that Office vacant, by the Death of Panthus, in the Second Book of the Æneis, for his Heroe to succeed in it; and consequently for Augustus to enjoy. I know not that any of the Commentators have taken notice of that Passage. If they have not, I am sure they ought: and if they have, I am not indebted to them for the Observation; the Words of Virgil are very plain,