The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1807-01-29

was about to peak, expected to hear fome,hing wor-
thy OF matured abilities. He difcovered hkewiie
much tate in the Latin callics and an intisnae ac-
quaintance with the principal annota,ors upon Virgil
and Horace, particularly Scaliger and Madame Da-
cier, and yentured to quelion their authority
IN few nilances.
Happening to meet gentleman ofmy acquan-
tance, Mr.. French, who excellent clailica
icholar, informed him that had literary prodigy
At my hoHie; Il boy OF ten years old, who net only
had Horace and Homer his fingers ends, but poi
iefied hrong natural vein for poetical competition.
MIR. French thinking perhaps ionewhat too
warm in my account This abilities, aked me whe-
Their had no, vein of oeularisy Come and fee
the boy replied and he will aaonifh YOU My
friend promiied TO call me fooa. On returning
home, l informed Dermody, that gentleman Of my
acquaintance man OF learning, PurPofed to pay me
Wilt, in order to have an interview with him: and
that wiihed him to be collected poifble the
oeeaiion, as my credit refpeeting himfelf much
concerned The next day MIR. French called, while
De;mody was out. In few moments however he
returned and prefented him to MIR. French. On
ieeing lad of 70 extremely youthful aipe OF de-
hcate make, and fnial fze, and with little friled
ihrt-coar open in ihort, Of an appearance in every
external point of view, almoR infautne my friend
faid to me in a low voice, Pihaw it is impoflible
* Try him. cried I. MIR. French took from his
pocket fmal Horace of the Elzevir edition and
quaintance of his, as he under1ood, in his hand
Dermody noticing the fnall ze of the book whiiper-
ed me, that he fanoied the gentleman going to
exercie him in the Latin atcidence. But when my
friend handed him the book, and he perceived it was
Horace it is not poble delcribe the animation of
the boys eountenauce. Scarcely conceiving that 70
dminutive volume could contain all Horaces works,
his eyes and fingers equally rapid in turning to
the different parts of the book. AT length finding il
complete, he exclaimed to Mr.. French, Bleis me.
ir! this is 1uultan' in ParVo indeed but it with
out notes pereeive.-' BY the accounts have re-
ceived, anfwered Mr.. French, you do not nand in
need of notes. Dermody made him bow for the
compliment.
Mr. French, eager to fatisfy his curolity, now ak
ed him to continue any ode he liked. Dermody
eloied the book, returned it to Mr. French, and beg
ged that ne himfelf would fix on an ode. He then
opened the volume, and prefented Dermody with the
eleventh ode OF the ri book ebierving to him that
1t was very ihort one The more fuitable. fir
aniwered Dermody with fmile, 20 a little feho-
lar Our young hero, feeling pen, ink and paper on
the table, added, that "wth the gentlemans permit
hon, he would u. he tranflaton of the ODE MIR.
French approved; when deGred Dermody TO let If
De- not cloie bat free tran1ation The boy feat
co himief at the table, with the ode before him. and
MT. French and myfelf took a book TO amufe lis
while he was employed as well as to have an oppor
tunity of obiervng him. delired my friend 10 look
al ms watch; he did TO; and in lels than nine mi
nutes Dernody came and prelented him with the
iOnowng traniiation; which we found, to our agree
aoie iurPrize, to DE poetical one
Thy ielrch, Leuconoe, give DER,
fo-, know, tbs inpious 70 explore
When Death fhall fummon at thy gate.
Nor ak aitrolegers thy fate.
Life storm more firmly thout fuhain,
Ii thou injurious wilt remain
Whether, by potent loves decree,
Iyrrhenian floods thouit live to fee
Rebound, one winters reign or more,
Againtt thy manfons rock-worn fhore.
BE wife, and from life's little Aet,
Thy hopes of lengthen'd bfs CONTRACT:
For while we fpeak time flies apace
quick, quick, the Prefent Joy embrace,
Nor truit Tomorrow hattering face
Mr.. French having read this tran ilation with e.
vident marks of admiration aud furprize aked hin,
what Indscea him to tranflate ggea1 fbi Enes by
when Death ihall iummon at thy gate ?"-s From
Paage flr,' replied Dermody, in Horace's fourth
ode OF the frit book thought TO-, cried Mr..
French, it was for that very reaion alled You the
quelfion. Pray, repeat the panage well as you
can recolect it, Dermody Paufed momsnt and
then quoted;
Paida Mors squo pulfat pede reuperum tabernas
Rsgumque turres.
Right, my dear boy exclaimed Mr.. French with
rapture. After this he afl,ed Dermody, what was
his reaion as the ode does peefy any particular
hore where the Mediterranean fea beat why he fix
ed it at fpot where he feemed to think that Leuco
noe had marion Dermody anfwered he was
iure it was unnecefary inform him. that Italv
tretched out between the Mare Tyrrhenum and
Mare Adriaticum and that a French critic was of
opinion that Leuconoe had handfome houle on the |
Italian hore, for the faety of which he was apprehep
five from the violence of the winters form and
wave Mr.. French afced him to what critic he al |
luded. Dermody replied, he could not mention |
his name, but that he perfectly recoected, from |
note he had read in Franciss Horace that the CRITIC
was member OF the Academy of Bees-Lettres
MIR. French having again read the tranflation, in |
tn,a;ed to Dermody that he had omitted noticing the
Viaa H7uet. Dermody replied with much archneis of
eountenanee, that he made the omiions for two |
reaions; hrh, becaule he thought it would be unfah
ionable to ugge to the ladies of modern days, that
flne Roman lady defended to fuch houfewifery as
that OF ftering wines and fecondly, as was evil
dent from the whole tenor of the ODE that Leuco-
noe was very inquifitive our unearned wits perhaps
would fay that after terng wines he doubtieGs had
the curiofty tate freely of them AT this obferyat
on, and from the droll manner in which Dermody
made it, Mr.. French could not contain hm(elE-He
held his lldes with laughter, and exclaimed: WHY
you young, iarcafic wicked rogue you are more fe-
we're on Leuconoe than Horace himfef was There
might be a reafon,' replied Dermody, why Horace
did not with to be too fevere ON her. What was
that, my boy - Why fir fome critics are of OPT
Mon that Leuconoe lady of not the Rritlel |
virtue; and politely Horace might fometmes have