189. Nimiùm verè Si nunc se nobis ille aureus arbore ramus Et viridi sedêre solo. Tum maximus heros 194. O vos, este duces Este ducesô, siqua via est; cursumque per auras mihi, siqua 199. Ille pascentes cœperunt prodire volanLes tantùm Dirigite in lucos, ubi pinguem dives opacat quod sua arbos non se- Fronde virere novâ, quod non sua seminat arbos, mali frigore Ilice sic leni crepitabat bractea vento. 210. Corripit ramum Corripit extemplò Æneas, avidusque refringit 213. Ferebant supre-, ma officia. but Heyne and others have voce. 187. Si in the sense of utinam. NOTES. The sense Pigeons were sacred to Venus, it is said, on account of their fecundity. 196. Dubiis rebus: perplexity-difficulty. Defice in the sense of desere. 197. Pressit vestigia: he stopt his pace he stood still. 190 195 200 205 210 leaves mingling their green shade with the lustre of the gold, produced that variegated color. Aura: in the sense of splendor. 205. Viscum. This is a kind of shrub of a glutinous nature, called misletoe. It grows on trees principally of the oak kind. The winter is the proper season for its production; and it is of a color resembling gold. It was thought to grow out of the excrements of birds, that alighted on those trees: to which the poet alludes in these words: quod non sua seminat arbos: which its own tree does not produce: but this opinion is incorrect. The ancient Druids made great use of this in their religious ceremonies. 206. Seminat: in the sense of producit. Fatu: see 141. supra. 208. Frondentis auri: of the golden bough-the verdant gold. Ruæus says, pullulantis auri. 209. Bractea: the golden leaves rustled in the gentle wind. Bractea, properly, thin lamina, or leaves of gold; taken here in the sense of auræ frondes. 211. Cunctantem: in the sense of tardè sequentem. 213. Ferebant suprema: they were performing the last offices. Ingrato: being insensible of the honors conferred upon it, and therefore ungrateful for them. Or it may 215. Pyram. The funeral pile was called pyra when it was set on fire, rogus before it was set on fire, and bustum after it was consumed. The higher it was raised, the more honorable it was considered; and therefore they endeavored to raise it to heaven: certant educere cœlo, 178. supra. Cui frondibus atris: whose sides they interweave with black boughs. The boughs of the yew, pine, and such like trees, are of a sable color, and were therefore used in funeral obsequies. Cui: in the sense of cujus. 216. Cupressos: the cypress is here called mournful; and used on the occasion, either because its strong smell prevented any thing disagreeable from the corpse; or rather as it was a fit emblem of death; for when it is once cut, it never grows up again. Antè: before-in front: an adv. 217. Supèr: above-on the top. 218. Latices: in the sense of aquam. 221. Nota velamina: the garments of Misenus. Or it is said in allusion to a Román custom of placing a purple covering over the corps of distinguished persons on the funeral pile. 226. Collapsi sunt. 230. 222. Pars subiere: a part supported (went under) the huge bier, a mournful ofice! and turned (aversi) away with their faces, held a torch under it, &c. They turned away their faces to show how unwilling they were to part with him, and that their grief would not allow them to look upon his pale and lifeless body; which was now about to be reduced to ashes. 225. Dapes. By this we are to understand the fat and other parts of the victims that were consecrated to the gods. Crateres: goblets of oil poured out upon the pile. Whole goblets were offered to the infernal gods; but to the celestial gods only libations. Thurea dona: gifts of frankin cense. There is an allusion here to the custom of placing frankincense, oil, and other unctuous substances upon the funeral pile, to accelerate its burning, 227. Relliquias, &c. After the body was consumed, they extinguished (lavere) the coals and embers with wine, that the ashes might the more easily be collected. Bibulam: in the sense of siccam. 228. Cado: in the sense of urna. Texit: in the sense of inclusit. 229. Idem ter circumtulit: the same thrice went around' his companions with holy water, sprinkling them, &c. The ordo of construction is, tulit seter circum socios, &c. which means, to go round them three times : but because the priest used to sprinkle them, at the same time, with the aqua lustralis, or holy water, it came to signify, to purify. 230. Levi rore: with a dew or spray. He sprinkled the water with a bough of olive. 231. Lustravit: he purified the men. Novissima verba. These were vale, vale, vale, when they all departed. Imponit, suaque arma viro, remumque, tubamque, His actis, properè exsequitur præcepta Sibyllæ. 239. Super quam haud Quam super haud ullæ poterant impunò volantes Voce vocans Hecaten, cœloque Ereboque potentem. 250. Æneas ipse ferit Æneas matri Eumenidum magnæqué sorori ris matri Tum Stygio regi nocturnas inchoat aras, 254. Superfundens Et solida imponit taurorum viscera flammis, que pingue 256. Solum Pingue supèrque fundens ardentibus extis. cœpit Ecce autem, primi sub lumina Solis et ortus, mugire sub pedibus, et Sub pedibus mugire solum, et juga cœpta moveri juga sylvarum cœpta sunt moveri, canesque Sylvarum; visæque canes ululare per umbram, Adventante Deâ. Procul, ô, procul este, profani. vise sunt NOTES. 233. Imponit, &c. The poet here uses the verb imponit with two nouns, when, in strict propriety it can agree with one of them only. He builds a tomb, and places upon it (imponit) his arms, &c. He orders to be carved upon it his arms, to denote that he was a warrior-an oar, to show that he perished in a naval expedition-and a trumpet, to denote his office. 234. Monte sub aërio, qui. The mountainhere meant is the promontory Misenus, which forms the western shore of the Sinus Puteolanus, or Neapotilanus. Hodie, Capo Miseno. Not far from it was the Portus Misenus, where Augustus kept a part of his fleet. 238. Tuta: in the sense of defensa. Volantes in the sense of aves. 240. Halitus: vapor-stench. Supera convexa: the high canopy of heaven. Effundens: in the sense of erumpens. 242. Avernum. Sec Geor. iv. 493. 243. Hic primùm, &c. The lake Avernus appears to have been chosen as the place of this sacrifice, because, by it, it was thought an easier access was had to the infernal deities, particularly Hecate. Having prepared her victims, the Sibyl poured wine be tween their horns; afterward cut a lock of the topmost hair, and cast it upon the fire as the first offering, to show that the sacri 235 240 245 250 255 were then devoted to the gods. 247. Vocans Hecaten. Servius informs us, that Hecate was usually invoked not by words, but by certain mystic and inarticulate sounds. knives (i. e. slay the victims) and catch, &c. 248. Alii supponunt: others apply the Suscipiunt: in the sense of excipiunt. 250. Matri Eumenidum: to the mother of the furies, that is, Nox. See Geor. i. 278. Night is said to have brought forth the furies to Acheron; which, in the language of poetry, signifies that night or darkness is the mother of horrid shapes, visionto her great sister, that is, to the earth, Telary forms, and apparitions. Magna sorori: lus: for night is only the shadow of the earth, or the absence of light. 252. Aras: by meton. for the sacrifices offered upon them. They were offered in the night: hence the epithet nocturna. For aras, Ruæus says sacrificia. understand the whole or entire carcases of 253. Solida viscera. By these we are to the victims; so that this sacrifice was properly what was called a holocaust, or whole burnt-offering. Totam victimam, says Heync. 256. Solum: in the sense of terra. 253. Procul! O procul! be at a distance -at a distance, O ye profane! This was 260 265 261. Nunc opus est animis, O Ænea, 263. Ille æquat ducem vadentem, haud ti 624. Vosque silentes umbræ, ct 266. Fas sit mihi vestro numine, pandere res mersas Conclamat vates, totoque absistite luco. NOTES. the usual preamble with which the sacred mysteries were ushered in. Those who were not initiated, were called scelesti, inexpiati, and profani; and were prevented from access to such holy rites. Dea adventante. By Dea, we are to understand Hecate, accompanied by her dogs. Heyne observes that the furies are sometimes called canes. But they are not so to be taken in this place. Sunt canes Hecaten comitantes, et passim memorali in sacris magicis, 259. Absistite: in the sense of recedite. 260. Eripe ferrum: draw the sword from the sheath. This indicated danger, and the hazard of the enterprise. 262. Tantum: so much-this only. 263. Vadentem: in the sense of euntem, vel ingredientem. 265. Chaos: properly, a confused and indigested mass of matter, out of which it is supposed all things were made.-One of the most ancient gods of the Heathens; or rather the parent of them all. Phlegethon: the name of one of the infernal rivers, of Greek derivation. According to the poets, there were five rivers of hell, Acheron, Cocytus, Styr, Phlegethon, and Lethe, all of Greek derivation. Silentia: this is the common reading; but Heyne, on the authority of Heinsius, has lacentia. 267. Mersas: in the sense of tectas vel occullas. 268. Obscuri solâ nocte: by hypallage, for soli obscura nocte. 270, Per incertam lunam. By this, some understand the new moon soon after its change, when it shines with a feeble or glim 270 275 270. Tale quale est iter in sylvis per incertam Lunam 275. Hic quoque pállentesque morbi 278. Tum in adverso limine sunt Sopor mering light. Others, the moon occasionally hid and obscured by clouds. Maligna luce: envious light-that which shines so faintly, as if it grudged one the happiness of enjoying it. Condidit: hath hid, or covered. 273. Vestibulum. This was the space or area contained between the house and highway. In this vestibulum of hell, the poet describes the various calamities of human life, as having their residence: all of which he clothes with a kind of airy body. 274. Cure in the sense of conscientia, says Heyne. 276. Fames malesuada: hunger persuading to evil. Quæ suadet rapinas sceleraque, says Heyne. Non tantùm inopia victûs ; sed etiam avaritia, et auri sacra fames, says Rueus. That avarice and thirst for gold, which persuades and hurries men to the perpetration of crimes, and is the fruitful source of evils. 278. Sopor: sleep, the brother of death. The poets tell us that Somnus and Mors were children of Nor. Or, in the language of poetry, sleep and death may be called brothers, on account of their resemblance. Mila gaudia mentis: the criminal joys of the mind. Tum: then-in the next place. 280. Ferrei thalami, &c. By the iron beds of the furies, we are to understand the racking torments of a guilty conscience, the consequence of a course of vice and sensuality: and, by frantic discord, bound as to its viperous locks with bloody fillets, we are to understand all those base and turbulent passions, which unhinge the mind, and over 366 P. VIRGILII MARONIS Vipereum crinem vittis innexa cruentis. In medio ramos annosaque brachia pandit Ulmus opaca, ingens: quam sedem Somnia vulgò Vana tenere ferunt; foliisque sub omnibus hærent. 285. Multa monstra Multaque prætereà variarum monstra ferarum, variarum ferarum sta- Centauri in foribus stabulant, Scyllæque biformes, bulant in foribus Orci, Et centum geminus Briareus, ac bellua Lerne nempe, Centauri Horrendùm stridens, flammisque armata Chimera; 292. Et irruat, et frus- Et, ni docta comes tenues sinè corpore vitas corpore 281 285 290 Hinc via, Tartarei quæ fert Acherontis ad undas. 295 Turbidus hic cœno vastâque voragine gurges 295. Hinc est via, quæ Estuat, atque omnem Cocyto eructat arenam. 296. Hic gurges tur- Portitor has horrendus aquas et flumina servat bidus cœno 298. Portitor Charon Terribili squalore Charon: cui plurima mento horrendus terribili squa- Canities inculta jacet: stant lumina flamma: lore servat Sordidus ex humeris nodo dependet amictus. NOTES. turn the peace of society. These, with great propriety, are placed in the opposite threshold, confronting the criminal joys of the mind. Thalami: not the marriage bed; for the furies were never married; but rather the place where they were begotten, or where they resided. 284. Hærent. Dreams are here represented as only perching upon the leaves, perhaps on account of their light wandering nature. Ferunt: they report-say. Tenere: in the sense of occupare. 285. Multa monstra: many forms or spectres of savage beasts. 286. Centauri: these were fabled to have been monsters, half man and half horse. They may, therefore, properly be said to be stabled. The truth is, they were a people of Thessaly, who first broke horses, and made use of them in war Scylla biformes. See Ecl. vi. 74. 287. Briareus: one of the giants, said to have had a hundred hands. Bellua Lernæ : the beast of Lerna-the snake which was bred in the lake of Lerna, and destroyed by Hercules. It had seven heads, and some say fifty; and as soon as any one of them was cut off, another sprang up in its place. Stridens: hissing horribly. 288. Chimara: a monster said to vomit flames. Its head was that of a lion, its breast and middle parts resembled a goat, and its tail a serpent. He was slain by Bellerophon on the horse Pegasus. The truth of the fable is this: Chimara was the name of a mountain in Lycia, in Asia Minor, 300 whose top was infested with lions, and ns bottom with serpents, while its middle parts and sides abounded with goats. Bellerophon rendered it habitable, and was therefore said to have slain the monster. 289. Forma tricorporis umbra: the form of the three-bodied ghost Geryon. He was fabled to have had three bodies, because he reigned over three islands, Minorca, Majorca, and Urica. He was a king of Spain. 291. Offert: presents. Vitas: in the sense of umbras. 293. Forma: in the sense of figuræ vel corporis. 296. Gurges: the river Styx or Acheron. Eructat: in the sense of immittit. Cocyto. in the sense of in Cocytum. 298, Horrendus terribili squalore: frightful with horrid filthiness. 299. Cui plurima mento: on whose chin a very large hoary beard lies neglected and undressed. Cui: in the sense of cujus. 300. Lumina: in the sense of oculi. Flamma. This is the common reading, but the Roman, Medicean, and some other copies, have flamme in the plu. Davidson reads flamma. Heyne reads flamma, but takes it in the sense of flammea, and stant, in the sense of sunt: Lumina sunt flammea. Some copies have lumine stant flammæ, taking lumine for oculis, which makes the reading easy. Rueus says, oculi sunt pleni igne. Valpy reads, flammâ, in the abl. 303. Corpora: in the sense of umbras, vel inania corpora. Ferrugineâ: dark-colored of an iron hue. |
