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/94

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ADRIAN. turned into France; thence he went into Spain, to Mauri- tania, and at length into the eaft, where he quieted the com- motion* r;iifed by the Parthians. After having vifited all the province* of Afia, he returned to Athens in i 25, where he palled the wir.tcr, and was initiated in the myfteries of hleu- iinian Geres. He went from thence to Sicily. a:id faw Mount ./Etna. He returned to Rome the beginning of the year 1 29; and, according to fome, he went again, the fame year, to Africa; and, after his return from thence, to the aft. He was in E^ypt in the year 132, revifited Syria the year follow- ing, returned to Athens in 134, and to Rome in 135. The piTlecution againit the Chrif'.i ins was very violent under his reign; but it was at length Appended, in confequence of the ren.onftrances of Quadratus bsfhep of A hens, and Ariftides, two Chriflian phiiofopbers, who prefented the empernr with force bo< ks in favour of the Chnftian religion. He conquered the Jews; and, by wav ' f infult, eredted a temple to Jupiter SeeTHle- on Mount Calvary, and placed a ftatue of Adonis in the man- oiAc!i i'!h g er f Bethlehem : he caufed alfo the images of fwine to be engraved on the gates of Jerufalc:.;. Adrian reignec 1 21 years, and died at Baise in the 63d year of his sue. The Latin verfes, he addrefied to his foul on his death-bed [c] , fnew his uncertainty and doubts in regard to the other world. He was a prince adorned with great virtues, but " qu'te crofs the country from eaft to " Reftorer of Britain, as appears by " v-eft. Having thu; fettled matters in " fome m-dals. Hil>ory of England, " Brita : n, he rt-turn^d to Rome, where " vol, I. lib. i. p. 60. Tindal's trar.fia- ' he was honoured with the title of " tiun, octavo edition." [cj The verfes are thefe : Ar.imula vagula, blandula Hofpes, correfgue corporis, Quae nunc ahibisin loca F U i:dula, ripiifa, n'idula, > '< c, ut f.:les, dabi: jocos? Thus tranflated by Pope : Ah! Setting fpirit! wandVing fire, That loi)g haft warm'd my tender bread, Muft thou no more this frame infpire? Ni' more a pleating cheerful prei 1? Vi ither, ah whither art thou fl)i;,? To what dark undifcover'd o.ef!i? Thou feem'fl. all trembling, fhiv'nne, dying, And "-it and humour are no more! The fame excellent p-<t having rece-'ved " defied of me. You have it (at Cowley a letter from Stee'e, defiling him to " calh it) juft warm from the brain. It write an ode, as of a cheerful dying fpi- " c^rr.e to me the firft norrent I waked rit, confuting o: two or three ftanza% " this morning : yet, you'l' fee, it was ft mufic, he complied with his requeft " not (>> absolutely inlpiration, but that in the following Setter : " I had in my head not only the verfes " I do not fend you word I will do, " of Adrian, but the fine fragment of " but have already done the thing you " Sapoho." The