But against this opinion of Bonincontrius and Gyraldus , Scaliger opposes a double Argument , one drawn from the seeming inveracity of that suppos'd Evidence ; no such Medal being at this day to be found in the Cabinets of any , no not the most curious Antiquaries ; the other from the reason of Time , for Manilius Antiochus being brought to Rome in the beginning of Sylla's days ( for he was brought in the same Ship with Staberius Eros , who open'd his Grammar School in Rome whilst Sylla was alive ) must needs , if he were the Author of this Poem have been 120 Years old when he began to write , this piece being written in the latter years of Augustus . Besides , the Author in the Proem of this work wishes for long life to compleat his intended Poem , and therefore certainly he was not of that Age , it being ridiculous for a Man to wish for long life , when he is at the Extream already .

The same Pliny , lib. 36. cap. 10. speaks of one Manilius a Mathematician , who when the Obelisk which Augustus erected in the Campus Martius for finding out the Hours of the day by the Shadow of the Sun , with the Increase or Decrease of the Days and Nights , plac'd a guilded Ball , Cujus Vertice Umbra colligeretur in semetipsam , alia atque alia incrementa jaculantem Apice , ratione ( ut ferunt ) à capite hominis intellecta , says Pliny , who commends the design .

To this Person Scaliger conceives this work may with fairer probability be ascrib'd than to the former ; which Opinion is by divers other judicious Men embrac'd .

The excellently learn'd Isaac Vossius conceives yet , that the Manilius Antiochus , and the Manilius Mathematicus before mention'd are not two distinct Persons , but one and the same under different Titles and Appellations , and the very Author of the Poem we now publish , whose particular Sentiments upon this Subject , and Arguments confirming the same , he was pleas'd not long since to impart to me , by his most obliging Letter , in answer to some Queries by me propounded in one of mine to him upon occasion of my intended publication of this piece , which for the Readers satisfaction , I shall here make publick , tho' not in his own words , yet as near as may be in his own Sense .

And first in answer to Scaliger's Argument drawn from Reason to Time , against Manilius Antiochus , upon the supposition of Staberius Eros ( one of the Three before mention'd ) set open his Grammar School in the time of Sylla ninety five years before the death of Augustus ; and that therefore Manilius could not probably be ( according to Scaliger's Computation ) less than 120 Years old at the time when this Poem was written ; he urges by way of reply , that Suetonius ( from whom Scaliger takes the ground of his Argument ) doth not say that Staberius Eros open'd his School in Sylla's time , but that he taught gratis the Children of those who in Sylla's time were proscrib'd . The Words of Suetonius are these , Sunt qui tradunt tanta eum ( Staberium ) honestate praeditum , ut temporibus Syllanis Proscriptorum liberos gratis , et sine mercede ulla in Disciplina receperit . How long that was after the times of Proscription will be needless here to declare ; and that Manilius was not so old as Scaliger conceives , when this piece was written , may be made out from this , that he was the Cousin German of Publius Syrus , who that he was brought a young Boy to his Patron , Macrobius affirms , from whom likewise , and from the Verses of Laberius it may be collected , that he was but a Youth when he came upon the Stage against Laberius , which was but a little before the death of Julius Caesar and Laberius also ; to whom he succeeded on the Mimick Stage in the second year of 184 Olympiad , that is in the Year of Rome 711 , as Eusebius testifies . And therefore seeing 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 as Passions are impetuous ; that pleases them most which is most daring , finding they have strength they use it to the utmost , and when at last they sink they seem rather worn out , than tired . I cannot compare the Spirit of Poetry possessing a Youth , of a strong generous Imagination and vigorous Constitution , to any thing better than to a Flame seizing on the Body of a Meteor , the whole Mass blazes , and mounts upon a sudden ; but its motion is all the way uneven , and it quickly falls in a despicable Gelly : He that looks on the Latin of Manilius will see that I do him no Injury when I compare him to this Meteor , for even when he is oblig'd to give rules , and is ty'd almost to a certain form of words , he struggles against those necessary Fetters , he reaches after the strongest Metaphors , uses the boldest Catachresis , and against all the rules of Decency labours after an obscure Sublime , when he should endeavour to be plain , intelligible and easy : But as soon as he hath room to get loose , how wildly doth he rove ? he is not free but licentious , and strives to err greatly . 'T is needless to produce particulars , since they are so visible in the Prefaces , Fables , and Descriptions thro' his Books : And upon the whole it may be affirm'd , there are so many boldnesses scatter'd thro' his Poem , and so much of Toysomness just by them , that a Man may read his Youth in his writings , as well as his Contemporaries could do it in his Face .

I would mention and enlarge upon his conspicuous Vanity , and from thence endeavour to support the Judgment I have already pass'd ; but that I consider that fault when it hath once possess'd a Man is not to be cool'd by all the Frost and Snow of Age : Yet from the Vanity of Manilius I think a particular Argument may be drawn to prove him to be young , for he had a design to rival or perfect the inimitable Virgil. This is evident from the Preface to his third Book : — 7 7 Lib. 3. v. 22. Romanae Gentis Origo , Totque Duces Orbis , tot bella , tot otia , et omnis In Populi unius leges ut cesserit Orbis Differtur — For here it is plain he had this mighty project in his head , and after he had prepar'd himself by this Astronomical Poem , rais'd his Fancy and got a good turn of Verse , was resolv'd to prosecute it with his utmost vigour ; he saw the vastness of the design — 8 8 Lib. 3. v. 21. Spatio majore canenda Quam si tacta loquor — Yet he hop'd to live to finish it , though in the beginning of this Poem he wishes for old Age that he might compleat the Work he then had in hand ; yet having gone through the most difficult part of it sooner , and with more ease than at first he thought he should have done ; he sets up for new Schemes and thinks he shall have years enough before him prudently to begin , and Strength succesfully to carry on so great an Undertaking . In this very Preface he reckons up a great many other Subjects fit to employ a Poet , but in express terms lays them all aside . Colchida nec referam , &c. Non annosa canam , &c. But the Roman History is in his Thoughts tho' he will not begin to write , till his greater leisure gives him opportunity to do it .

These two Observations perswade me , that Manilius was Young when he began this Poem , and that he dy'd Young , and did not live to finish his design , or accurately Revise what he had written , will I think be very evident from what follows : It cannot be deny'd , that this Poet had advanc'd very far in his Work , whilst Tiberius was at Rhodes , for in his fourth Book , he gives this Character of that Island : 9 9 Lib. 4. v. 761. Virgine sub casta felix Terraque Marique , Et Rhodos , Hospitium recturi Principis Orbem , Tuque domus verè solis , cui tota sacrata es , Cum caperes lumen magni sub Caesare Mundi .