CANO. Not simply sing, as in Dryden's generally received translation, but sing, in the loud, high, heroic, and oracular style; sound, as on a trumpet; the poet's present martial song being placed, by the term CANO, in the strongest opposition to the peaceful pastoral which he formerly lilted, MODULATUS. Compare: "Dum non arte canora Compacta solitum modulatur arundine carmen." Culex, 98. and "Vos, O Calliope, precor, aspirate canenti." En. IX. 525. and "Nec Latiæ cecinere tubæ, nec Graia vetustas." also, Jul. Scalig. Poet. III. 26. The true sense seems to have been perceived by Voss in his translation: "Waffen ertönt mein Gesang;" and by Spenser in his imitation quoted above: "For trumpets sterne to chaunge mine oaten reeds." TROJE QUI PRIMUS AB ORIS ITALIAM FATO PROFUGUS LAVINAQUE VENIT LITTORA. The Heynian and Wagnerian punctuation, and Voss's translation, assign FATO exclusively to PROFUGUS: "Italiam, fato profugus, Laviniaque venit "Kam, durch Schicksal verbannt, gen Italia, und an Lavinums Wogenden Strand." This is incorrect. FATO belongs no less to VENIT than to PROFUGUS, the two words PROFUGUS and VENIT being intimately united together, so as to form but one idea, that of coming as a refugee; taking refuge. Compare Comment on "improvida turbat," En. II. 200. Fate not only drove Eneas from Troy, but (which was principally in Virgil's mind, and formed the subject of his entire poem) brought him to, and planted him in, Italy. Therefore, fato Italiam Lavinaque littora venit profugus. And so (En. X. 67), "Italiam petiit fatis auctoribus." SÆVAE MEMOREM JUNONIS OB IRAM. Sævus, the Greek davos, is as nearly as possible the English fell. --- DUM CONDERET URBEM INFERRETQUE DEOS LATIO. Not found a, or the, city, and bring the Gods into Latium (Bis die Stadt er gründet', und Troja's Götter in Latium führte - Voss.), but (LATIO relating no less to CONDERET than to INFERRET), bring the Gods into Latium, and there found a city. URBEM, Sciz. Lavinium, see I. 268; XII. 193, 194. UNDE, not with Heyne and Thiel, quâ ex re, quo factum est; but, as placed beyond all doubt by the exactly corresponding "Alter Atys, genus unde Atii duxere Latini," "Multum ille et terris jactatus et alto, Vi superum, sævæ memorem Junonis ob iram, Multa quoque et bello passus, dum conderet urbem, being only subsidiary or parenthetic. See Comm. En. III. 571. IV. 484. VI. 84. 741. 882. GENUS UNDE LATINUM. According to the boast of the Romans, that they were the fruit of the mixture of the Trojan and Latin blood, “ατε δη και γεγονότες Τρώων αγλαα τεκνα μεμιγμενα παισι Λατίνων. PLUTARCH. Quest. Rom. Ed. Reiskii, p 155; and see En. XII. 823, 837. 14. INSIGNEM PIETATE VIRUM. PIETAS is softness, tenderness and goodness of heart in general, whether in man's relation to heaven and in spiritual matters (our piety), or in relation to other men (our brotherly love and charity), in which latter sense it has given origin to the French Pitié and the English Pity. It is constantly opposed to Justitia, the strict right the observance of the law. Pius Eneas is therefore not Pious Eneas, but kind, gentlehearted, tender and affectionate Eneas, in his conduct and demeanour, both towards heaven and towards his brethern of mankind: who does both toward the Gods and toward mankind not merely what he is bound to do, but what he is prompted by the kindness of his nature to do. Compare: "Rursus amor patriae ratione valentior omni, Quod tua texuerant scripta, retexit opus; OVID. Ex Ponto. 1. 3. 29. "Sed si male firma cubarit Et vitium coeli senserit aegra sui, Tunc amor et pietas tua sit manifesta puellae." OVID. Art. Amat. II. 319. "Jam legis in Drusum miserabile, Livia, carmen; OVID. ad Liviam. Aug. 3. and especially Virgil himself En. IX. 493. Figite me, si qua est pietas; in me omnia tela and En. II. 536. Dii, si qua est coelo pietas, quae talia curet. See vers. 548 and Comm. & vers. 607 and Comm. also III. 42 & 75 and Comm. "In heavenly spirits could such perverseness dwell?” Par. Lost, VI. 788. "And in soft bosoms dwells such mighty rage?" Rape of the Lock, I. 12. "Tant de fiel entre-t-il dans l'ame des dévots?" Compare (En. XII. 830): BOILEAU, Lutrin, I. 12. "Es germana Jovis, Saturnique altera proles, 16. URBS ANTIQUA FUIT FUIT, was once, and is no longer. See Comment on "Fuimus Troes, fuit Ilium", II. 325; and compare "Campos ubi Troja fuit," III. 11. 23. PROGENIEM SED ENIM TROJANO A SANGUINE DUCI THE third and fourth of these lines are not as supposed by La Cerda, Heyne and other commentators, tautologous of the first and second, but explanatory: POPULUM LATE REGEM, explaining that the PROGENIEM which was being derived from the Trojan blood, was a great and martial people, (viz. the Romans); and VENTURUM EXCIDIO LIBYÆ informing us, that this great and martial people which was being derived from the Trojan blood, for the sake of overturning Carthage ("Tyrias quae verteret arces,") would actually perform its mission. Compare "Nunc age, Dardaniam prolem quae deinde sequatur Gloria, qui maneant Itala de gente nepotes." En. VI. 756. where the single Roman people is indicated by the double. expression: "Dardaniam prolem," and "Itala de gente nepotes," exactly as it is indicated in our text by the double expression PROGENIEM TROJANO A SANGUINE, and POPULUM LATE REGEM. QUÆ VERTERET. Not, which should or shall overturn but, for the purpose of overturning. Compare "Mittunt legatos qui monerent" (JUSTIN. II. 15), not, who should or shall admonish, but for the purpose of admonishing, for it might happen that those envoys, though sent for the purpose, might not actually admonish. HINC. Not ex hac progenie, but ex hoc Trojano sanguine. Compare (vers. 238): "Certe hinc Romanos olim, volventibus annis, Hinc fore ductores, revocato a sanguine Teucri," in which passage, not only exactly similar in structure to our text, but actually containing the very promise of which Juno had heard (AUDIERAT), "hine" is explained by "revocato a sanguine Teucri", the counterpart of the TROJANO A SANGUINE of our text. VENTURUM EXCIDIO LIBYÆ. So (Cic. Ep. ad Att. VIII.7) "subsidio venturus;" and En. X. 214) "Ibant subsidio Troja." Also: "Hunc nam fore regi Exitio vatesque canunt." VALER. FLAC. I. 28. |