NORTH. Protection! It sometimes happily wins its protection from virtues that love and admiration rouse and arm in other breasts, in its favour--a reverent love--a pitying admiration. TALBOYS. He quotes Horace as on his side of the question. NORTH. A Poet whose name is amongst the most cited from antiquity, Virgil's illustrious lyrical brother, has rehearsed (not indeed to the lyre, but in the style which he offers for little better than versified prose) modestly and apologetically, the Praises of the Poet--his personal worth, and serviceable function amongst his fellow-men. Singular that in a few words of this passage, and indeed just those which gently allege the _personal virtue_ of the poor bard, the Professor should have helped himself to a weapon for dealing upon that head his unkindest cut of all. SEWARD. That flowing Epistle of Horace's to Augustus--which he gives good reason in excellent verse for keeping short, and turns out, notwithstanding, rather unreasonably long--if we look for its method, it rambles--if for the spirit, it is a delicate intercommunion between the least of the Courtiers, the Poet, and his imperial Patron, the Lord of Rome and of Rome's World. TALBOYS. A facile, roving, and sketchy--partly historical and partly critical disquisition on Poetry chiefly Roman, presenting, with occasion the virtues and faults of the species--POET. BULLER. Let's hear it. In my day Horace was not much read at Oxford-- NORTH. By you--and other First Class Physical Men. Seward, spout it. SEWARD. I will recite the passage. "Hic error tamen, et levis hæc insania, quantas Virtutes habeat, sic collige: vatis avarus Non temere est animus; versus amat, hoc studet unum; Detrimenta, fugas servorum, incendia ridet; Non fraudem socio, puerove incogitat ullam Pupillo; vivit siliquis et pane secundo. Militiæ quamquam piger et malus, utilis urbi: Si das hoc, parvis quoque rebus magna juvari. Os tenerum pueri balbumque poeta figurat; Torquet ab obscoenis jam nunc sermonibus aurem, Mox etiam pectus præceptis format amicis, Asperitatis et invidiae, corrector et iræ; Recte facta refert; orientia tempora notis Instruit exemplis, inopem solatur et ægrum. Castis cum pueris ignara puella mariti Disceret unde preces, vatem ni Musa dedisset? Poscit opem chorus, et præsentia numina sentit; Cælestes implorat aquas, docta prece blandus; Avertit morbos, metuenda pericula pellit; Impetrat et pacem, et locupletem frugibus annum. Carmine Dî Superi placantur, carmine Manes." BULLER.