it is manifest that Manilius publish'd this Poem soon after the Varian Defeat which happened in the Year 762 of Rome it is as evident likewise that between the Youth or Adolescence of Manilius and the time wherein he wrote this piece there could not pass above one and fifty Years and consequently there is no reason to assign so great an Age to Manilius as Scaliger here doth since perhaps he was not seventy years old when he had finish'd this his Astronomical Poem As to what Scaliger subjoyns touching Manilius his wish for long life together with a cheerful old Age and the Inference he thence makes that he could not reasonably be thought to be old then who wish'd he might live to be so The Argument is but weak for Senium is one thing and Senium Annosum is another Nor doth he simply wish for Vitam Annosam but Vitam Annosam quae conjuncta sit cum molli Senecta which may be wish'd for even by those who are very old As for the name of Antiochus he seems to have taken it from the famous Philosopher Antiochus Ascalonita often mention'd by Cicero Plutarch Sextus Empiricus and others whose School not only Cicero but Varro Brutus and divers others are said to have frequented and in all probability this our Manilius also as being not only of the same Nation but happily born in the same Town Ascalon So that it may seem no wonder if after the manner of those times he took upon him the Name of his worthy Tutor and Instructor For that he was a Syrian is not only manifest from his Consanguinity with Publius Mimus but may likewise be collected from the Title or Inscription of this work which is an ancient and excellent Manuscript in the Possession of Vossius is this M. MALLII POENI ASTRONOMICON DIVO OCTAVIO QUIRINO AUG That the Phaenicians were by the Romans called POENI is manifest out of Horace Cicero apud Nonium and our Author in this very Poem he concludes therefore than this our Manilius or as he is rather pleased to call him Manlius was a Phaenician and in all probability Native of the same Town as Antiochus his Tutor whose name he assum'd From this Dedication of his Work to Augustus by the Name of Quirinus as the Inscription shews will appear the Error of those who who imagine the same to be Dedicated to Tiberius or some later Roman Emperour And the Reason of attributing the Name of Quirinus to Augustus may be made clear from the Words of Suetonius Censentibus quibusdam Romulum appellari oportere quasi et ipsum conditorem Urbis c. Dion likewise tells us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That Augustus Caesar extremely desir'd to be call'd Romulus and Joannes Philadelphensis Scripto de Mensibus in Aug. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Octavianus Son of Octavius was after his great Victories honoured with divers Names for by some he was called Quirinus as another Romulus c. As to that Manilius stiled by Pliny Mathematicus he conceives that titular distinction to make no difference in the Person but that he is the same with the former further adding Omnino existimo et illum quoque de nostro Manilio accipi debere And whereas Salmasius affirms that the name Manlius or Manilius is not to be found in that place of Pliny in any ancient Manuscripts he makes it appear that Salmasius is extreamly mistaken by the testimony of several antient Manuscript Copies of Pliny in his Possession one of which was written above 8 or 900 Years agoe in all which the Word Manlius is found though with some small difference in writing of the name Nor doth he think the name of Marcus prefixd to Manilius ought to be scrupled at upon the Account that none of the Manlian Family after the 360th Year from the building of Rome could or did use that Praenomen seeing the prohibition as Cicero intimates is only to be understood of the Patrician Race Now that this Manilius or as he calls him Manlius was before his Manumission a Slave not only the place of Pliny already cited but the very Agnomen of Antiochus sufficiently demonstrates for as much as a Greek Agnomen joyn'd to a Roman Name is always a most certain Token of a Servile Condition Thus far Sir Edward Shirburn who is very much inclin'd to rest satisfied with this rational discourse of the incomparable Vossius and thinks others should be so too but upon examination it will appear that Scaliger's Objections are still in force and that Vossius's his reasonings are all to little purpose It must be granted that the Agnomen Antiochus proves that Manilius to be of Servile Condition tho' there is no need of this Argument since Pliny in very express Terms asserts that he is so T is likewise true that that Manilius was a Syrian being a near Kinsman to Publius Syrus and brought to Italy in the same Ship with him But that that Manilius the Syrian was the same with Manilius the Poet is a Question that still returns and will not I fear be determin'd by the Title of that ancient and excellent Manuscript of Vossius For if instead of M. MALLII POENI we read M. MALLII POETAE which is found in other Manuscripts and every body knows there is so little difference in the traits of the Letters of those two words in ancient Copies that they may very easily by Ignorant Transcribers be mistaken for one another then the Evidence drawn from this Inscription is lost Besides that Title is not to be regarded it not being written by the Author but affixt by some heedless Copyer of the Poem For it is Divo Octavio whereas Augustus was never stil'd Divus though often Deus before his Death and the Writer of the Astronomicon as will by and by appear dy'd before Augustus To speak out what I think will not be deny'd Manilius the Author of this Poem was young when he wrote it and dy'd young and therefore cannot be that Manilius Antiochus whom Scaliger reckons to be 120 and Vossius is forced to confess was 70 years of Age about the time Varus was defeated by the Germans The first part of this Assertion may be demonstrated from almost all the Pages of his Book in which we meet with many things that are not to be accounted for on the Hypothesis of Sixty He is too fierce and fiery for that Age and bounds every Step he takes In a Man of years when we find a Warmth we feel it to be regular he never starts his Pace is equal and seldom varies but when his Subject forces him to a more than ordinary quickness Judgment appears all thro' and a strength well govern'd When he rises he doth not affect to climb but to walk like a sober Traveller who knowing his own force seeks the easiest ascent when his Ground is uneven or he is oblig'd to take the advantage of a Prospect But 't is not so in Youth whose Fancies as well
The Five BOOKS OF M. MANILIUS Containing a SYSTEM OF THE Ancient Astronomy AND ASTROLOGY Together with The Philosophy of the STOICKS Done into English Verse with Notes By Mr. THO. CREECH Nunc autem quid est sine his cur vivere volimus Mihi vero cum his ipsis vix His autem detractis ne vix quidem Cicero ad Var. LONDON Printed and Sold by the Booksellers of London and Westminster 1700. AN ACCOUNT OF MANILIUS SIR THE Campaign being over and Councils not yet begun the World is very much at quiet nor can I find News enough to fill a Letter But to keep up our usual Correspondence I send you an Account of an old Latin Poet very little known tho' as worthy your Acquaintance as many of those who are in Credit He lay buried in the German Libraries not heard of in the World till Poggius Publish'd him from some old Manuscripts found there and tho' 1 Vid. Not. ad Lucianum Burde Cotzus thinks Lucian consulted this Poet when he wrote his little Treatise of Astrologie tho' Julius Firmizus is 2 By Scaliger and Huetius accus'd as an ungrateful Plagiary for not acknowledging from whom he Transcrib'd the chiefest parts of his Books yet there is no good Evidence that any one Writer mention'd this Author before Poggius Pliny is suppos'd to speak of him as a 3 Nat. Hist lib. 36. cap. 10. Mathematician and Gerbertus as an 4 Gerbertus Rhemensis Bishop of Ravenna and afterward Pope of Rome Epist 130. Age verò Te solo conscio ex tuis sumptibus fac mihi scribantur Marcus Manilius de Astrologia Victorinus de Rhetorica c. Astrologer but concerning the Poet there is as dead a silence as if he had never been nor can his greatest Admirers find any Character of him in old Writers Yet it must be own'd that he is an Author of some considerable Age for the Manuscripts which Poggius Bonincontrius Scaliger and Franciscus Junius us'd were ancient Tanaquil Faber Spanhemius and the severest Criticks allow him to be as old as Theodosius the Great and pretend to find some particular Phrases in him which are certain Characters of that Time Others who believe they have very good Reasons to place him higher find it very difficult to account for this universal silence What they offer is either bare May-be and Shift and scarce ever amounts to a tolerable Reason 'T is true they say he is not mention'd by Ovid in his 5 De Ponto lib. 4. Ep. 16. Catalogue of Poets and no wonder since he did not begin to write before the 6 This Huetius affirms but is undoubtedly mistaken Banishment of Ovid and Published nothing before his Death Perhaps he was one of those Young Men 7 Ovid. ibid. Quorum quod inedita cura est Appellandorum nil mihi juris adest or his Fame did not reach so far as Pontus Otherwise they are confident there are too many Graces in his Poem to be neglected at least the singularity of his Subject would have deserved to be taken notice of as well as that of 8 Aptaque venanti Gratius arma dedit Ovid. ibid. Gratius But why Quintilian doth not propose him to his Orator tho' he encourages him to 9 Instit lib. 10. Cap. 1. read Macer and Lucretius and 1 Instit lib. 1. cap. 10. affirms that a competent skill in Astronomy is necessary to make him perfect in his Profession Why the following Philologers never use his Authority tho' it might very often have been pertinently cited by Gellius and Macrobius Why the Grammarians and Mythologists seem to be altogether unacquainted with his Writings They confess these are Questions not easie to be answer'd Of this Poet who is acknowledged by all Parties to have lain very long unknown and about whom since he first appear'd in the World so many Controversies have risen I am now to give you an account His Name is commonly said to be Marcus Manilius which in some Copies of his Poem is shortned into Manlius in others softned into Mallius This variation is inconsiderable and the common fault of unaccurate Transcribers but 2 Praef. Bonincontrius affirms that the Title of his very Ancient Copies was C. Manilii Poetae illustris Astronomicon and that he had seen a Medal in which was the Figure of a Man but in a Foreign Habit with a Sphere plac'd near his Head and this Inscription C. MANILI 3 Lib. de Poet. Hist dial 4. Lilius Gyraldus mentions another of the same stamp But that these Medals belong'd to this Poet may be as easily deny'd as 't is affirm'd or rather as 't is conjectured However all Parties agree that the most Ancient Copies constantly bear the Title of Manilius but whether the Books of Poggius and Bonincontrius which call him Caius or those of Scaliger and others in which we find Marcus written are to be follow'd is submitted to every Man's Discretion the Matter is not of any Consequence nor a fit Subject for Dispute because impossible to be determin'd Tho' if Conjecture may be admitted I should fancy that it is more probable a Transcriber may err when he puts M. before Manilius than when he writes a C. because in the former case the Sound of the following Word which is the most considerable in the Title and consequently the chiefest in his Thoughts may pervert him but in the latter He hath no temptation to mistake This M. or C. Manilius was born a Roman and liv'd in Rome when Rome was in her Glory commanding the biggest part of the known World and full of the greatest Men that ever any time produc'd For the same Age that saw Manilius enjoy'd Varro Lucretius Cicero Caesar Virgil Varius Horace and to close the Catalogue Augustus In the beginning of this Astronomical Poem that Emperour is 4 Lib. 1. v. 7. invok'd that very Emperour who was the 5 Lib. 1. v. 10. adopted Son of Julius Caesar who 6 Lib. 1. v. 906. beat Brutus and Cassius at Philippi 7 Lib. 1. v. 918. overthrew Pompey the Great 's Son 8 Lib. 4. v. 763. who sent Tiberius to Rhodes 9 Lib. 1. v. 896. who lost three Legions in Germany under the Command of Varus who 1 Lib. 1. v. 912. routed Anthony and Cleopatra at Actium and sav'd the Roman Empire by turning that overgrown dissolute Republick into a well regulated Monarchy Here are so many Characters that the Person cannot be mistaken not one of them agreeing to any but the first Great Augustus So that this Author liv'd in that Age to which He pretends by so many very particular Circumstances or else He is a most notorious Cheat and one of the greatest Impostors in the World It seems 2 Not. in Lib. 6. Lucretij Tanaquil Faber thought him to be so since without giving any Reason He brings him down as low as the time of Theodosius 3 De
Vice prevails V. Fifth Argument And Folly wins the Prize when Prudence fails He argues ill that from the Fortune draws The goodness or the badness of a Cause Success or Merit do not always Crown Midst good and bad Men they are blindly thrown Without Respect sixt fatally on One. For some superior Power 's impetuous force Marks out our way and still directs the Course The Years that we must run the length the pace And all the various turnings of the Race Besides VI. Sixth Argument what Monstrous Births the Nurses fear And Mother's shame half Man half Beast appear Such wondrous Creatures ne're from Seed began For what hath Beast that 's common to a Man And what mean Soul would with his Lust comply And Sin on purpose for a Prodigy No Stars dispose they Counterfeit a Rape And mix a Monster of amazing shape Besides VII Seventh Argument were not Events by Fates enrol'd How can their certain Order be foretold How can the Prophets Sing of future Doom And in the present read the Age to come To this there 's one Objection VIII An Objection answer'd Fate denies Rewards to Vertue and must plead for Vice Absurd for who less hates a Poysonous Weed Because 't is bred from Necessary Seed Or who loves Corn the less who hates the Vine Because by Nature rais'd and not Design Thus Virtuous Minds deserve the greater Love Since Heaven consents and all the Stars approve And we should hate those more whom Fates have sent To commit Crimes and suffer Punishment For how or whence these noxious faults begin No matter since each is certainly a Sin Nay this Opinion's settled by Debate 'T is Fate that we should thus dispute of Fate This settled IX The Influence of the Signs I must now attempt to climb Celestial steps and run the Round of Time The Zodiack travel go through every Sign Their Powers rehearse and sing how all incline First Aries shines X. Of Aries and as he oft doth lose His Fleece and then as frequently renews 'Twixt sudden Ruin and a fair Estate He fixes the variety of Fate He gets then loseth then returns to Gain Then Loss steals in and empties all his pain He rears new Lambs he doth encrease the Fold And makes the Rams to shine in native Gold Betters the Wool and whilst the Subject grows He forms Mens Minds to use what he bestows To Pick to Card to Spin and Weave to deal In Cloath with gain to Buy Exchange and sell All useful Arts whose constant Works supply Mens real Wants not only Luxury This 17 Pallas owns nor doth disdain to claim Arachne's conquest as her greatest Fame These are the manners these the various Arts Which Aries Rays and secret force imparts To anxious fears he troubled Minds betrays And strong Desires to venture all for Praise Dull Honest Plowmen to manure the Field Strong Taurus bears XI Of Taurus by him the Grounds are till'd No gaudy things he breeds no Prize for worth But Blesseth Earth and brings her Labour forth He takes the Yoke nor doth the Plough disdain And teacheth Farmers to manure the Plain He 's their Example when he bears the Sun In his bright Horns the noble toyl's begun The useful Plowshare he retrieves from Rust Nor lies at ease and wants his strength in Dust To him the 18 Curij and to him we owe The brave Serrani he i' th' Fields did Rods bestow And sent a great Dictator from his Plow Reserv'd aspiring Minds Limbs slow to move But strong in Bulk his powerful Rays improve And on his 19 Curled Front sits wanton Love Soft Gemini to easier Arts incline For softer Studies fit an Infant Sign XII Of Gemini They tune rough Words or they incline to Sing To stop the Pipe or strike the speaking String Through Reeds they blow the Natural Sound in Measure Gay their delight and e'en their Pains are Pleasure Wars they avoid Old Age they chace with Song And when late Death o'retakes them they are Young Sometimes to Heaven they mount and trace the Stars Then fix in Globes or turn the Signs in Spheres Their Wit reigns o're their Nature and refines Its Powers This is the Influence of the Twins But glowing Cancer where the Summer Sun With fiery Chariots bounds the Torrid Zone XIII Of Cancer Drives fiercely up then with a bending Rein Sinks down and runs in lower Rounds again As close in 's Shell he lies affords his Aid To greedy Merchants and inclines to Trade His Births shall sail through Seas and Dangers tost To reap the Riches of a Foreign Coast What thrifty Nature hath but thinly sown In Many Countries they shall bring to One Intent on gain ne're heed the Poors complaint But thrive on Scarcity and live on Want For Wealth undaunted gather every Wind Out-sail good Fame and leave Repute behind And when their greedy Hands have seiz'd the Store Of this search other Worlds and seek for more Or else at home prove griping Vsurers Complaining at the slowness of the Years Wish swifter Suns and set too vast a rate On Time it self to raise a quick Estate Their Bodies shall be Strong inur'd to Pain Their Wits Contriving and intent on gain What Inclinations Leo's Rays dispense Is quickly known XIV Of Leo. 't is plain to Common Sense He gives his Own for he the Woods infests The mighty Terror of the meaner Beasts He lives on Rapine ranges all the Day And sullenly at Night groans o're his Prey Hence he inclines Mens Minds to Hunt and fills Our Nobles spacious Halls with grinning spoyls There Skins and Horns do spread a dismal grace And stand as certain Heraulds of their Race This Beast was mine and that my Father's Game They cry these are the Annals of their Fame That generous Youth which France and Spain did fear Now prove the Humble Terror of a Deer Nay some in 20 Towns pursue this wild delight There barbarous grow and breed up Beasts to fight Then bring them out for sight in Theaters And feast their Luxury with Bruitish Wars Cruel in Sport Their Posts are grac't with Spoyl And they get shameful Honour without Toyl He makes Men warm their Passions quickly rais'd Like Boys soon angry and as soon appeas'd But Plain and Honest all their Thoughts sincere Pure as the Sun and like the Water clear But modest Virgo's Rays give polisht parts XV. Of Virgo And fill Mens Breasts with Honesty and Arts No tricks for Gain nor love of Wealth dispense But piercing Thoughts and winning Eloquence With words persuasive and with Rhetorick strong They rule and are e'en Monarchs by their Tongue Through Nature's Secrets too they boldly press Tho' deeply hid and meet a just success In Short-Hand skill'd where little Marks comprise Whole words a Sentence in a Letter lies And whilst Obedient hands their Aid afford Prevent the Tongue and Fix the falling Word But bashful Modesty casts down their