EDMOND MALONE, 1783.
“Conviva est, commessatorque libellus.”
Martial, lv. epig. 16.
It is not generally known that Middleton, in his Life of Cicero, was much indebted to a book entitled De Tribus Luminibus Romanorum, written by a Scotchman named Bellenden, and printed at Paris, in folio, 1633. It is a history of Cicero’s life and times, extracted from his letters and orations, and in his own language. It was, I believe, the writer’s intention to have published two other works of the same kind, but not having seen the book,[1] I know not who the other two Luminæ were. A gentleman who was acquainted with Middleton (who has not mentioned this book, though so much indebted to it), in order to try him, once told him he wondered among all the authors he had examined when he was compiling his Life of Cicero, he had never looked into Bellenden. He seemed very much disconcerted, and, after recollecting himself a little, only said, “he did not know how it happened.”
Dr. Warton, in his Essay on Pope, has mentioned that three of our celebrated poets died singular deaths. He might have added Shenstone to the number. He had a housekeeper who lived with him in the double capacity of maid and mistress; and being offended with her on some occasion, he went
- ↑ Since this was written I have purchased it, but it gives no information relative to its title.—Mal. M. de Quincey in one of his essays adverts to the subject of Middleton’s obligations to Bellenden.
