Est in secessu longo locus: insula portum 160 160. Quibus lateribus Efficit objectu laterum: quibus omnis ab alto omnis unda veniens ab Frangitur, inque sinus scindit sese unda reductos. alto frangitur, scindit Hinc atque hinc vastæ rupes, geminique minantur que sese In cœlum scopuli: quorum sub vertice latè Æquora tuta silent: tum sylvis scena coruscis Desuper, horrentique atrum nemus imminet umbrâ. 165 pendentibus scopulis 167. Intus sunt dulces aquæ, sediliaque è vivo saxo: videtur domus da 166. Est antrum in Fronte sub adversâ scopulis pendentibus antrum : 175. Circumdedit ari 177. Tum fessi rerum expediunt Cererem NOTES. 159. Longo secessu: in a long or dark recess. This description of the port and harbor is beautiful in itself, and seasonably introduced to relieve the reader, and compose his mind, after having dwelt upon the former images of horror and distress. 160. Objectu: in the sense of oppositu. 162. Rupes: properly, a precipice, or broken rock. Scopulus, a high, sharp rock. Saxum, any rock, or stone. Minantur: reach, or extend to heaven. 164. Scena sylvis: an arbor formed of waving trees, and a grove dark with its awful shade, hangs over it from above. Ruæus interprets scena by umbraculum. 166. Sub adversa fronte. This cave was right in front, or opposite to them, as they entered the harbor, and approached the shore. Pendentibus: its roof was arched with rocks. Ruæus says suspensis, for pendentibus. 169. Non ulla vincula tenent. The meaning is the harbor was so safe and secure, that ships needed neither cables nor anchors. Morsu: the fluke. 170. Huc Eneas: here Eneas entered with seven ships, collected, &c. He left Troas with twenty ships. One he had just lost, and the rest were scattered in the storm, but were not lost. 173. Artus tabentes sale: their limbs 170 175 180 drenched with salt water-dripping with salt water. 176. Arida nutrimenta: dry fuel. Ignem: the spark struck from the flint. Rapuit: he quickly kindled a flame among the fuel. 177. Cererem corruptam: their grain da maged by the water-wet. For Ceres, see Ecl. v. 79. Arma: properly, the instru ments or tools of any art or profession. Cerealia arma, therefore, will be the instruments or utensils used in breaking corn, and preparing it for eating. 178. Fessi rerum: weary of their misfortunes-their toils-their dangers. Fruges receptas: the grain saved. The same with Cererem, just mentioned. 179. Parant torrere. Rumus takes torrere in the sense of coquere; and in that case it follows frangere, which must be connected with fruges receptas: they prepare to break the corn, and to bake it into bread. But torrere may be taken for the act of drying the corn that had been wet, and partially damaged by the water; which must precede its being broken, or prepared for making bread. Expediunt: they unlade, or fetch it out of their ships. 181. Anthea: a Greek acc. of Antheus. 182. Biremes: biremis is properly a galley of two banks of oars. See Æn. v. 119. 133. Arma Caïci: the arms of Caïcus; that is, Caïcus himself. 185 185. Hos tres ductores à torgo 190 195 Navem in conspectu nullam; tres litore cervos Talia voce refert: curisque ingentibus æger, NOTES. 186. A tergo. This might seem mere tautology, but it is consistent with the purest Latin. Cicero says: Adolescens cursu à tergo insequens. Longum agmen: the long, or extended herd.. 189. Ferentes allg: bearing their lofty heads with branching horns. The poet finely describes the leaders. They move with a degree of majesty, having their heads erect, and their horns branching out like trees. Gerebat: in the sense of ferebat. 191. Agens telis vulgus: pursuing with his weapons the herd and the rest of the throng, among the leafy groves, he disperses them he puts them into confusion by breaking their ranks. The word misceo, as here used, is beautiful and expressive. Omnem turbam: in the sense of reliquam multitudinem. 194. Partitur: he divides them among all his companions. He had killed seven huge deer, so that there was one for the crew of each ship. 195. Acestes. See En. v. 35. Onerârat: had put in casks, and given them. 196. Trinacrio: an adj. from Trinacria, a name of Sicily, derived from its triangular form. Its three promontories are: Pachynum, on the south; Lilybæus, on the west; and Pelorus, on the north. 195. Deinde dividit ina, quæ bonus Acestes onerârat in cadis Trinacrio litore, herosque dederat illis abeuntibus 199. O vos passi gra 200 viora 205 210 202. Vos experti estis 198. Antè malorum: of past evils, or distresses. Ruæus takes ante here in the sense of præteritorum. Or perhaps, malorum quæ fuerunt antè. 200. Vos accêstis: ye have approached both the rage of Scylla, and the rocks roaring within. See Ecl. vi. 74, and Æn. iii. 420. Opposite the rock of Scylla is Charybdis, a dangerous whirlpool; which, taken together, render the passage of the straits between Sicily and Italy very hazardous. Hence arose the proverb: Incidit in Scyllam, qui vult vitare Charybdem. This Charybdis, as fable says, was a voracious old woman, who stole the oxen of Hercules. For which, being struck by the thunder of Jove, she was turned into this whirlpool. Accêstis: by syn. for accessistis. 203. Olim: hereafter. the sense of pericula. Discrimina: in 207. Secundis rebus: preserve yourselves for prosperity. Durate: persevere. 208. Eger ingentibus: oppressed with heavy cares, (full of anxious solicitude for his friends,) he dissembles hope on his countenance, but represses, &c. Refert: in the sense of dicit. 210. Accingunt se: they prepare themselves for. Tergora: the skins or hides of the slain deer. Tergora diripiunt costis, et viscera nudant: adhuc trementia verubus 216. Exempta est 218. Seu credant eos 220. Encas gemit se cum nunc casum acris 215 220 Postquàm exempta fames epulis, mensæque remotæ, Amissos longo socios sermone requirunt, Spemque metumque inter dubii: seu vivere credant, Sive extrema pati, nec jam exaudire vocatos. Præcipuè pius Æneas, nunc acris Orontei, Nunc Amyci casum gemit, et crudelia secum Fata Lyci, fortemque Gyan, fortemque Cloanthum. Et jam finis erat: cùm Jupiter æthere summo Despiciens mane velivolum, terrasque jacentes, Atque Venus Litoraque, et latos populos; sic vertice cœli tristior, et suffusa quoad Constitit, et Libyæ defixit lumina regnis. nitentes oculos alloquiAtque illum tales jactantem pectore curas, Orontei; nunc casum Amyci tur illum jactantem 229. O tu, qui regis Tristior, et lachrymis oculos suffusa nitentes, res hominumque Alloquitur Venus: O, qui res hominumque Deûmque сит. NOTES. 211. Viscera: neu. plu. of viscus, or visIt properly signifies all the parts of the animal within the skin. Here it means the flesh. 212. Pars secant: a part cut into pieces. Nouns of multitude may have verbs in the singular or plural. 213. Ahena: neu. plu. brazen dishes or vessels. An adj. taken as a substantive. Ministrant flammas: tend the fires. 215. Implentur. This is in imitation of the Greeks, with whom verbs of filling govern the genitive. Bacchi: in the sense of vini. 217. Requirunt: they inquire after their lost companions-converse about them. 219. Pati extrema: to suffer deathdeath being the last of all earthly things.Pati: the present in the sense of the perf. Vocatos nec jam: being invoked, should not now hear. This alludes to a custom among the Romans, of calling the dead three times by name: which was the last ceremony in funeral obsequies. After which, the friends pronounced the word Vale, three times, as they departed from the tomb. The same was observed of those, who perished by shipwreck, or otherwise, when their bodies could not be found. 220. Æneas gemit: Æneas laments now the fate of brave Orontes, now, &c. The most exalted and heroic minds are the most susceptible of humanity and compassion.Virgil therefore says: Præcipuè pius Eneas gemil. But at the same time, he conducts his grief with prudence, and carefully avoids whatever would tend to discourage the rest; and therefore it is said, that he grieves privately, secum, keeping his sorrow and grief in his own bosom; and showing to his com 225 panions an example of magnanimous forti tude only, which rises superior to dangers and misfortunes. 224. Velivolum: navigable. Jacentes terras: the earth may be said to be lying (jacens) still, dead and at rest, in opposition to the sea, which is always in motion. The poet considers here the sails of a ship under the notion of wings, by which it flies over the sea, as a bird moves through the air.Ruæus takes jacentes in the sense of humiles: low-lying low. Populos: in the sense of gentes. 225. Vertice: the pinnacle of heaven: the zenith, or point over our heads. 226. Defixit oculos. Dr. Trapp observes, that nothing to him breathes the soul of poetry, particularly Virgil's, more than this delightful passage, in which the majesty of Jupiter, and the beautiful grief of Venus are so finely contrasted. She still remembers, in all the abruptness of extreme sorrow, that she is addressing the almighty Thunderer, and yet maintains all the sweetness of female complaint, and tender expostulation. Jactantem: in the sense of volventem. 228. Suffusa oculos: wet, as to her shining eyes, with tears. See Ecl. i. 55. Female beauty never appears so engaging, and makes so deep an impression upon the beholder, as when suffused with tears, and manifesting a degree of anxious solicitude. The poet therefore introduces Venus in that situation, making suit to her father. The speech is of the chastest kind, and cannot fail to charm the reader. 229. Venus. The goddess of beauty and love. She is said to have sprung from the foam of the sea, near the island of Cyprus: or according to Hesiod, near the island of Cythera. She was taken up to Heaven, when all the Gods were struck with her beauty, and became jealous of her superior attractions. Jupiter attempted, in vain, to gain her affection; and as a punishment to her, for the refus, bestowed her upon his deformed son Vulcan. She, however, had many intrigues with Mars, Mercury, and Bacchus. Her partiality for Adonis, induced her to leave Olympus. She also had an affection, it is said, for Anchises, and for his sake, often visited the Groves of Mount Ida. By him she had Æneas. Venus possessed a mysterious girdle or cestus, which gave to any, however ugly and deformed, beauty, elegance, and grace. Her worship was universally established. The rose, the myrtle, and the apple, were sacred to her. The dove, the swan, and the sparrow, were her favorite birds. She had various names, derived chiefly from the places where she was worshipped; or from some property or quality she was thought to possess. Some of which, are the following: Cypria, from the island Cyprus: Paphia, from Paph Cytherea, from the island Cythera; in each of which places she had splendid temples. She was also called Telepegema, because she presided over marriage: Verticordia, because she turned the hearts of women to chastity: Elaira, because she was the patroness of courtezans: Acidalia, from Acidalus, a fountain in Beotia: Basilea, because she was the queen of love: Myrtea, because the myrtle was sacred to her: Libertin on account of her inclinations to licentious amours: Pontea, Marina, Lemnesia, and Pelagea, because she sprung from the sea. The word Venus is often taken for beauty and love; also for the object of love-the person loved. It is used sometimes for any sensual passion, or lust-the intercourse of the sexes. Imperiis: in the sense of potentia. 233. Quibus passis: against whom, suffering so many deaths, the whole world, &c. 234. Hinc: hence-from the Trojans. Ductores: probably, as Heyne observes, we are to understand Julius Caesar, and Octavius. 230 175 230. Terres mundum fulmine quid tantum scelus potuit meus Æneas committere in te! 234. Certè pollicitus es Romanos orituros esse. 235 hinc olim, annis volventibus, fore ductores hinc à revocato sanguine Teucri, qui tenerent 238. Equidem hoc promisso solabar occa 235. Revocato, &c. Commentators are divided in opinion, on these words. Corradus takes sanguine Teucri, for the Trojans, the offspring of Teucer; and revocato, in the sense of restituto. Ruæus rejects this in part. By sanguine Teucri, he understands the Trojans; and by revocato, their return into Italy, whence Dardanus, the founder of their race, originated. The blood of Teucer, and that of Dardanus, were united in the Trojans, their descendants. Revocato: recalled-called back to take possession of the land of their ancestor.. 236. Ditione: sway-authority. Tenerent: in the sense of regerent. Sententia: in the sense of consilium. 238. Hoc quidem: with this promise, I was mitigating the fall, and sad catastrophe of Troy :-I was consoling myself, at, &c. 239. Fatis rependens contraria: to these fates balancing, (or placing) fates contrary, or of an opposite nature. Fatum, as here used, may mean, either the purposes of the gods concerning the Trojans, or simply, their fortune or destiny. Their city had been rased, and a numerous train of ills had befallen them. These, we are to understand by fatis. By fata contraria, it is plain, we are to understand prosperity, or a state of things different from their former one. Or, if fata be taken for the purposes of the gods toward them, the interpretation will be the same. The downfall of Troy was a very afflicting circumstance to Venus. She strove hard to prevent it. And after the event, she consoled herself with the consideration, that Troy was destined to rise again-that their race was to be restored to the land of Dardanus, and there become the rulers of the world. This lightened her sorrow, and assuaged her grief. Here, perhaps, it may be asked, if she knew that the future glory of the Trojan race had been decreed and fixed by fate; why does she appear to express so much anxiety and solicitude upon that subject? It may be said, that the opposition which Juno made to it, might make her doubt, and her mind waver. For, Jupiter alone had a perfect insight into futurity, an 1 ว sum, tristesque ruinas Nuhc eadem fortuna viros tot casibus actos Regna Liburnorum et fontem superare Timavi: unius NOTES. the rest of the gods, knew no more than he was pleased to reveal to them. See Æn. iii. 251. It is said, by some, that Virgil makes even Jupiter subject to fate or destiny. But from several passages, it will appear, that his notion of fate was truly philosophical. He makes fate to be nothing more than the decrees, purposes, or counsels of Heaven, pronounced by the mouth of Jove; as the etymology of the word implies. He often calls destiny Fata deorum, which can mean nothing else than the Divine decrees, or counsels. And, if he give to fate the epithets, inexpugnabile and inexorabile, he must mean that the laws and order of nature are fixed and unchangeable, as being the result of Infinite wisdom and foresight, and having their foundation in the Divine mind, which is subject to none of those changes that affect feeble and erring mortals. 242. Antenor. He was a noble Trojan. After the sack of Troy, he led a colony of Trojans, and Henetes, a people who came to assist Priam, and lost their king, in quest of a settlement. After various toils and disasters, he arrived at the head of the Adriatic, and having expelled the Euganes, a people inhabiting between the Alps and the sea, he took possession of their country. He built a city called Antenorea, after his own name. Some say he built Patavium, now Padua. The whole nation was called Veneti. 243. Illyricos: an adj. from Illyricum, an extensive country on the borders of the Adriatic, over against Italy, including the ancient Liburnia and Dalmatia, Penetrare: in the sense of intrare. 244. Superare fontem Timavi: to pass beyond the fountain of Timavus. We are told by Servius, on the authority of Varro, that the Timavus was a large river, and the iram 240, 245 25€ 255 neighboring people gave to it the name of sea. It was formed, says he, by the confluence of nine streams, issuing from a mountain. It is, however, at the present, a small and inconsiderable stream, falling into the Adriatic, near Istria. 245. Unde: whence-from the fountain. The novem ora, I take to mean the nine streams which formed the river, and not so many channels, through which it fell into the Os signifies the fountain, or head of a river, as well as its mouth. sea. 246. It it pours along. Proruptum: rough-swollen. Premit: overflows-deluges. Thompson has finely imitated, in his "Winter," this description of the Timavus. 249. Compûstus: syn. for compositus: settled. Fixit: in the sense of suspendit. Nos. Here Venus speaks in the person of Eneas to show how nearly she had his interest at heart. Annuis: in the sense of promittis. Thou hast promised that after death he should be received among the gods-should be deified. Arcem cœli: the court or palace of heaven. 251. Infandum.his word is thrown in like an interposing sigh, hen she comes to the most moving part of her complaint; and the artful pauses in this and the two following lines, together with the abrupt manner in which the speech breaks off, show her quite overpowered by the tide of her grief. Unius: of one, to wit, Juno. Prodimur: we are given up to destruction-we are doomed to toils, misfortunes, and dangers, through the resentment and influence of Juno. 253. Honos: reward-recompense. 254. Olli: for illi, by antithesis. Sator: in the sense of pater. 256. Libavit: he kissed the lips of his |