ks, a Virgil nobly
printed, and exquisitely bound. The Lord Falkland, to divert the King,
would have him make a trial of his fortune by the Sortes Virgilianae,
an usual kind of divination in ages past, made by opening a Virgil.
Whereupon the King opening the book, the period which happened to come
up, was that part of Dido's imprecation against AEneas, AEneid. lib.
4. v. 615, part of which is thus translated by Mr. Dryden,

Oppess'd with numbers in th' unequal field.
His men discouraged and himself expell'd,
Let him for succour sue from place to place,
Torn from his subjects, and his sons embrace.

His Majesty seemed much concerned at this accident. Lord Falkland who
observed it, would likewise try his own fortune in the same manner,
hoping he might fall upon some passage that had no relation to his
case, and thereby divert the king's thoughts from any impression the
other might make upon him; but the place Lord Falkland opened was more
suited to his destiny than the other had been to the King's, being the
following expressions of Evander, on the untimely death of his son
Pallas. AEneid. b. ii. verse 152, &c.

Non haec, O Palla, dederas promissa Parenti, &c.

Thus translated by Mr. Dryden:

O Pallas! thou hast failed thy plighted word,
To fight with caution, not to tempt the sword;
I warn'd thee, but in vain; for well I knew,
What perils youthful ardour would pursue:
That boiling blood would carry thee too far;
Young as thou wert to dangers, raw to war!
O curst essay of arms, disastrous doom
Prelude of bloody fields, and fights to come[5].

Upon the beginning of the civil war, his natural chearfulness and
vivacity was clouded, and a kind of sadness and dejection of spirit
stole upon him. After the resolution of the two houses not to admit
any treaty of peace, those indispositions which had before touched
him, grew into a habit of gloominess; and he who had been easy and
affable to all men, became on a sudden less communicable, sad, and
extremely affected with the spleen. In his dress, to which he had
formerly paid an attention, beyond what might have been expected from
a man of so great abilities, and so much business, he became negligent
and slovenly, and in his reception of suitors, so quick, sharp, and
severe, that he was looked upon as proud and imperious.

When there was any hope of peace, his former spirit used to return and
he appeared gay, and vigorous, and exceeding sollicit