Litus arenosum Libya, ventosque secabat, Ut primùm alatis tetigit magalia plantis, 260 265 270 275 Arrectæque horrore coma; et vox faucibus hæsit. 280 Heu! quid agat? quo nunc reginam ambire furentem NOTES. is the reading of Davidson; but without sufficient authority. Between heaven and carth, he flew along the sandy shore, and cut the winds. 258. Ab materno avo. Mercury was the son of Maia, the daughter of Atlas, which made him his grandfather on his mother's side. Cyllenia proles: simply, Mercury. 259. Magalia: neu. plu. either the huts of the African shepherds, mentioned Geor. iii. 340, or the towers and buildings of Carthage erected on the spot where the magalia once stood. 261. Ensis erat illi stellatus: there was to him a sword studded with yellow jasper. The hilt and scabbard were studded with gems, sparkling like stars, particularly with jaspers. Servius informs us it was a received opinion that there was a virtue in the jasper-stone, to assist orators in their plead ings, and that Gracchus wore one of them for that purpose. 262. Læna. This was a thick double garment-a cassock. Arbebat: in the sense of fulgebat. 264. Discreteral lelas: had distinguished 286 lenia proles veniens ab materno avo volabat arenosum litus Libya, inter terras cœlumque, secabatque ventos. 280. Coma sunt ar recto the web with a small thread of gold. Ruæus says, distinxerat. 265. Invadit: in the sense of alloquitur. 266. Uxorius: a slave to your wife. It refers to the pron. tu, understood. 267. Oblite: the voc. of oblitus, agreeing with Æneas, understood. 271. Teris olia: you waste your time. Struis: in the sense of facis, vel paras. 276. Tali ore: in the sense of talibus verbis. 277. Reliquit: in the sense of mutavit. Mercury had assumed a human form, mortales visus, in his conference with Æneas; but as soon as he had ended his speech, in medio sermone, and before Æneas had time to make any reply, he left, changed, or put it off, and vanished from his eyes. Sermo is properly a conference between two or more persons, and, when one only has spoken, it is not complete or finished. 279. Amens: in the sense of allonitus vel stupefactus. 283. Quo affatu: in what words-by what address. Ambire: to speak to—to address. 285. Dividil; in the sense of vertil. Hæc alternanti potior sententia visa es Mnesthea Sergestumque vocat, fortemque Cloanthum: 289. Jubet ut taciti Classem aptent taciti, sociosque ad litora cogant, aptent classem. 293. Intereà statuit sese tentaturum aditu et quæ sint mollissima tempora fandi; quis modus sit dexter rebus conficiendis 301. Talis qualis Thyas, excita Arma parent; et, quæ sit rebus causa novandis, At regina dolos (quis fallere possit amantem ?) 305. O perfide homo, sperâsti te posse NOTES 287. Hæc alternanti: this plan seemed the better to him, wavering in mind, and examining what had best be done in his present situation. Ruæus says consilium, for sententia. to 293. Aditus: the avenues or passages her heart. Qua: what might be the fittest or softest moments of addressing her, to obtain her consent. Rebus: for effecting his purposes. 298. Excepit: heard-found out. Timens omnia tuta: fearing all things when even safe-fearing danger when all things are safe. Furenti: in the sense of ad aures furentis, sive amantis. Impia: in the sense of sava, says Heyne. Detulit: in the sense of nuntiavit. 300. Inops animi: devoid of reason. 301. Qualis Thyas: as a bacchanal roused at the moving of the sacred symbols, &c. Servius informs us that commovere sacra was a phrase used by the Romans to signify the opening of the solemnities of particular divinities, on their high festival days; when their sacred symbols were removed from their temples, in order to be carried about in pompous procession. This was particularly the case in celebrating the Orgia, or mysteries of Bacchus, when the statues of that god were removed from his temples, 290 295 300 305 310 and carried about in procession by his frantic votaries. The mysteries of Bacchus were celebrated every third year: hence they are called trieterica. 302. Thyas: a bacchanal; from a Greek word signifying to roar about in wild and frantic disorder. 303. Nocturnus Citharon. Citharon was a mountain in Beotia sacred to Bacchus. Here his mysteries were celebrated in the most distinguished manner by his infatuated celebrated in the night. Hence nocturnus followers. They were, for the most part, Citharon. Eam is understood after vocat. 307. Dextera quondam data: thy right hand once given. This alludes to their marriage. Supra, 172. Tenet is to be supplied, or repeated, with each of the preceding nominatives. 309. Moliris classem: do you prepare your fleet in the winter season. The north winds were directly against Æneas in sailing from Africa to Italy. This speech of Dido is tender and persuasive. And since it appeared his purpose to sail to Italy, she endeavors to dissuade him from it, until the winter and contrary winds were over, in the hope that, by repeated instances of her af fection and regard, he might be induced to ? 314. Ego oro te per 315 has lacrymas, tuamque dextram (quando ipsa jam reliqui nihil aliud mihi misera) per nostra 317. Aut si quicquam meum fuit dulce tibi, 320 miserere 325 Mene fugis? per ego has lacrymas dextramque tuam, te, NOTES. give over the idea of it altogether. Sidere: in the sense of tempore. 316. Hymenæos in the sense of amores. Qui novitate sunt dulces, says Servius. 319. Mentem: purpose-design of leaving me. 320. Tyranni Nomadum: the kings of the Numidians. The ancient Romans used the words tyrannus and rer promiscuously. 321. Tyrii infensi. She here alludes to the purpose of her brother to pursue her, as already mentioned. 322. Pudor extinctus: my chastity is gone, and my former fame, by which alone I reached the stars. 324. Quoniam hoc nomen: since this name alone remains of the husband. It is to be observed that Dido does not address him by the endearing name of husband, but by that of stranger or guest, hospes: and she can look upon him in no other light, since he is going to leave her. 325. Quid moror? what do I wait for? 328. Siquis parvulus: if any little Eneas could play to me in my hall, who only might resemble ou in form, I should not, &c. Some ancient copies read tamen, instead of tantùm: who nevertheless should resemble thee, &c. Some explain the words, qui te tantùm referret ore; as if Dido did not wish her son to resemble Eneas in his mind, cruelty and hardness of heart, but only in 330 321. Odere me, et Tyrii infensi sunt mihi: propter te eundem, meus pudor extinctus est, et mea prior fama 327. Siqua soboles saltem suscepta fuisset mihi de te ante fugam; si quis parvulus Æneas 334. O Regina, ego nunquam negabo te pro335 meritam esse plurima de me, quæ tu vales enumerare fando 336. Dum ego ipse ero memor mei, dum person and features. But this sentiment does not very well agree with the present strain of her discourse; which is full of tenderness, soft address, and moving expostulation. Since she could not enjoy his person, it would have been some alleviation of her distress, if she had a son by him, who might only set the image of the father before her eyes, if he could do nothing more. Heyne reads tamen. Ruæus says, qui repræsentarit te tantùm modò vultu. 330. Capla. Ruæus interprets this by decepta, which is very harsh, and cannot be the meaning of the speaker. Capta refers to what she had said just before, 326 supra, aut captam ducat Getulus Iarbas. In order to paint her distress to Eneas in the liveliest colors, she represents him as the only person, on whom she could depend for protection; and now he was going to abandon her, considers herself forlorn, deserted, and left a prey to her enemies, who had already, as it were, made her their captive. This is the dreary image that haunts her disturbed fancy by day, and her dreams by night. See verse 466. infra. 333. Refert: in the sense of respondet. 337. Loquar pauca pro re: I will speak a few things to the point in question. Nec ego speravi: nor did I hope to conceal my departure, &c. This is a reply to Dido's Prætendi tædas, aut hæc in fœdera veni. 345. Grynæus Apollo Sed nunc Italiam magnam Grynæus Apollo; jussit me capessere mag- Italiam Lyciæ jussêre capessere sortes. sortes jussere me nain Italiam, Lycie Hic amor, hæc patria est. Si te Carthaginis arces Phoenissam, Libycæque aspectus detinet urbis : 350. Fas sit et nos Quæ tandem Ausoniâ Teucros considere terrâ querere Invidia est? et nos fas extera quærere regna. 353. Turbida imago patris Anchise admonet Me patris Anchisæ, quoties humentibus umbris et terret me in somnis, Nox operit terras, quoties astra ignea surgunt, quoties Admonet in somnis et turbida terret imago: 354. Puer Ascanius, Me puer Ascanius, capitisque injuria chari, injuriaque ejus chari ca- Quem regno Hesperia fraudo et fatalibus arvis. pitis, quem fraudo regno Hesperia, et fatalibus Nunc etiam interpres Divûm, Jove missus ab ipso, (Testor utrumque caput) celeres mandata per auras arvis, admonet me. NOTES. accusation, dissimulare etiam, &c. Verse 305, supra. 339. Prætendi. Rumus takes this in the sense of Prætexui, in allusion to verse 172, where it is said of Dido, prætexit culpam hoc nomine: nor did I ever cover over our marriage with the name of husband, or come into the bands of Hymen. Some take prætendi in the sense of prætuli; nor did I ever bear before me the nuptial torch: in allusion to a Roman custom of carrying lighted torches before the new married couple. In either case, the plain meaning is: I had no part in our nuptialsI consented not to them; nor did I enter into any contract of that nature. This answers Dido's charge against him: Nec te noster amor, &c. Verse 305, supra. 340. Si fata paterentur: if the destinies had permitted me to lead my life, &c. This passage furnishes the critics with a pretext to condemn Eneas of ingratitude and insensibility. Was it not enough, say they, for him to let Dido know that he was forced by the Destinies elsewhere, without insulting her with an open declaration, that he preferred other objects to her? But we shall not think Eneas so much to blame, if we consider the true meaning of his words. Dido had urged him to stay; he answers, it is not in his power, because the Destinies opposed it; in proof of it, he assures her that if they had left him to his own choice, he would never have left his native country: he would have rebuilt Troy, which now lay in ashes, This is not saying; if I were at liberty, I would forsake you and return, and rebuild Troy; but I would never have formed any other design than that of repairing the desolation of my 340 345 350 355 is country. What makes the objection appear the more specious is, that Virgil uses colerem for coluissem; but there are many instances where the imperfect of the sub. has the same signification with the plap., and plain that it has in the present instance, both from the sense, and the use of posuissem in the following line, with which the preceding verbs are connected. Auspiciis: in the sense of voluntate. Curas: in the sense of negotia, says Heyne. 344. Recidiva: rebuilt-raised up after a fall. Posuissem: in the sense of restituissem. 345. Grynaus Apollo. The epithet Grynaus was given to Apollo from Gryna, a city of Eolia, near which was a grove called Grynaum, where Apollo had an oracle of great antiquity, and also a splendid temple. 346. Lycia sortes. Lycia, a maritime country of Asia Minor, in which was the city Patara, where Apollo had a famous temple and oracle. This and some other Oracles were called Sortes, because they determined the fate of the person by casting or drawing lots, throwing dice, or by some such method, which was thought to be under the immediate direction of the god. 350. Fas. This word properly signifies a divine law-what is right or lawful-also a duty towards God. Et, often, as here, hath the sense of etiam, vel quoque. 355. Fatalibus arvis: fields destined to him by fate. Eneas had all along been directed to go to Italy, under the assurance of a peaceful settlement. This country the gods had destined to him. 357. Testor utrumque caput: I call to witness each god, viz. Mercury and Jove. Detulit. Ipse Deum manifesto in lumine vidi Talia dicentem jamdudum aversa tuetur, 360 [est? Nec tibi Diva parens, generis nec Dardanus auctor, 365 NOTES. Caput, by synee. is here put for the whole body, or person: so also in line 354. Valpy understands it of Dido and Æneas. But he is singular in this. Rumus says, utrumque Deum. 359. Hausi his auribus: I drew his voice into these ears—I heard his voice. This is a pleonasmus common to most languages. It adds strength to the affirmation. 360. Incendere: to trouble-afflict. 365. Nec tibi Diva, &c. Dido, finding Eneas deaf to all her entreaties, after recall ing all the fine things she had said of him, verse 12 et sequens, breaks forth into the most bitter invectives: Nor is a goddess your parent-nor Dardanus the founder of your race; but frightful Caucasus brought you forth among its hard rocks, and the Hyrcanian tigers gave you suck. Caucasus: a very inhospitable mountain, which divides Scythia from India. It lies between the Caspian and Euxine seas. Hyrcania tigres: Hyrcania, a country in Asia, anciently a part of Parthia, lying between Media on the west, and Margiana on the east; and having the Caspian sea on the north. It is subject to the Persians. Hodie, Tabarestan. This country was infested with the most savage beasts. Admôrunt: they moved their teats to you. 375 380 362. Dido jamdudum aversa tuetur illum dicentem 374, Excepi eum ejecfum litore, egentem omnium; et demens locavi eum in parte regni 368. Majora: in the sense of majores injurias. 369. Num ingemuit nostro : did he sigh at my tears? did he move his eyes, &c. This refers to 331 supra: Ille Jovis monitis immota tenebat lumina. 371. Quæ quibus anteferam: what things can I mention before these? Rumus says: Inter quæ omnia signa immanitatis, quænam aliis majora dicam. Valpy says: how shall I express myself? to which feeling shall I first give utterance? But the words will bear another meaning: before whom can I carry these things? viz. my complaints. To this we are led from considering what follows; as if Dido had said: to whom can I apply for redress? since neither powerful Juno, nor father Jove regards my sufferings with equal eyes. There is justice neither in heaven nor earth. 373. Ejectum: shipwrecked. 375. Reduxi: in the sense of servavi. See Æn. vii. 431. Amissam: in the sense of quassatam. 376. Nunc augur Apollo. She here alludes to what Eneas had said before, verse 345, et sequens. Feror: in the sense of rapior. 381. I, sequere Italiam ventis, &c. This Quintilian gives as an instance of the ironical style. Nothing is more in character of an injured lover, than to order him to do the very thing, which was contrary to her |