Tum vates sic orsa loqui: Dux inclyte Teucrum, Tum demum horrisono stridentes cardine sacræ Corpora; qui manibus magnum rescindere cœlum NOTES. tur. Plangor: shrieking-outcry. The verb surgit, is understood. 568. Apud superos: with the living-in the upper world. Furto: privacy-concealment. Inani: vain or unprofitable, because however great the privacy might have been, in which crimes were committed; they were, nevertheless, all known to the gods. Ruæus says, vana simulatione. 569. Piacula; in the sense of crimina, vel scelera. 571. Quatil: strikes. Verberat, says Ru aus. 572. Sæva agmina sororum. The furies were reckoned three in number. Their names are Tisiphone, Alecto, and Megara. They may be called agmina, bands or troops, on account of their complicated rage; or these may be only the principal ones, and might havo others under their command. Intentans: shaking or brandishing. 573. Sacræ: in the sense of sceleratæ. 576. Hiatibus: mouths. 579. Suspectus: height-distance. Ethe reum Olympum: the othereal vault of heaven-the highest pinnacle-the seat of the gods. 580. Titania pubes: the giants, the sons of Titan and Terra. They attempted to scale heaven, and dethrone Jupiter; but he crushed them with his thunder. Their object, in the attempt, was to restore their father to his throne, from which he had been driven by Jupiter. Volvuntur: in the sense of premuntur. 582. Aloidas. These were the giants Otus and Ephialtes, the sons of Neptune by Iphimedia, the wife of Aloëus. Homer makes them nine cubits broad, and nine ells high, in the Linth year of their age. Odyss. xi. 304. 585. Salmonea: a Greek acc. of Salmoneus. He was the son of Eolus, a king of Elis. He made a bridge of brass, over which he drove his chariot, boasting that by the rattling of his wheels, and rancing of his horses, he imitated the thunder of Jove; who was highly honored at Elis. At the same time, to counterfeit his lightning, he hurled flaming torches at his subjects, and ordered every one to be put to death, at whom he threw his torch. He was struck by the thunderbolt of Jove, for his impiety and cruelty. Pœnas. Pœna properly signifies a recompense or satisfaction. Hence the phrase dare pænam vel panas, to be punished-that is, to make retribution or satisfaction. 586. Flammas: lightning. Sonitus: thun der. 590 Per Graiûm populos, mediæque per Elidis urbem Ibat ovans, Divumque sibi poscebat honorem : Demens! qui nimbos, et non imitabile fulmen Ære et cornipedum cursu simularet equorum. 592. Ille Jupiter non At pater omnipotens densa inter nubila telum contorsit faces, nec lumi- Contorsit (non ille faces, nec fumea tædis na fumea è tædis, ut Lumina) præcipitemque immani turbine adegit. Salmoneus fecit Nec non et Tityon, Terræ omniparentis alumnum, 595 596. Licitum erat cer- Cernere erat: per tota novem cui jugera corpus nere Tityon Porrigitur; rostroque immanis vultur obunco Immortale jecur tundens, fœcundaque pœnis Viscera, rimaturque epulis, habitatque sub alto Pectore: nec fibris requies datur ulla renatis. Quid memorem Lapithas, Ixiona, Pirithoümque? Quos super tra silex jamjam lapsura, cadentiq Imminet assimilis. Lucent genialibus altis 604. Epulæ parate Aurea fulcra toris, epulæque ante ora paratæ sunt ante corum ora, cum Regifico luxu: Furiarum maxima juxtà 608. Hic sunt illi, qui bus fratres erant invisi Accubat, et manibus prohibet contingere mensas; Nec partem posuere suis; quæ maxima turba est : NOTES. 588. Urbem media Elidis. For mediam urbem Elidis: through the middle of the city of Elis. Heyne observes that some copies read mediam, which is the easier. 590. Nimbos: storms-tempests. 591. Simularet. This is the reading of Heyne. Most copies have simulârat, the plu. perf. of the ind. 592 Telum: thunderbolt. 595. Tilyon. Tityus was the son of Jupiter and Elara, the daughter of Orchomenus. When Jupiter found her with child, he shut her up in the earth for fear of Juno; where Tityus issuing forth in a gigantic form, was thought to be the son of the earth. Virgil, therefore, calls him alumnus, &c.: the foster child of all-bearing earth. He was slain bello for offering wolence to Latona. He was punished by a huge vulture, that continually preyed upon his liver and vitals; which, as they were devoured, always grew afresh. Hence immortale jecur: his immortal liver; because it never was consumed. Rimatur epulis: rummages them for his meal. Renatis: springing up anew. 596. Cui in the sense of cujus. 598. Tundens beating-tearing. This is the common reading. But Heyne reads 'ondens. Fœcunda pænis: fertile in punishment. This is said, because as soon as any part was torn away, and consumed by the culture, its place was immediately supplied. 600 605 610 His punishment would therefore be perpetual 601. Lapithas: the Lapitha were a people of Thessaly of dissolute manners. Iriona. Ixion, the son of Phlegyas, was their king. He was admitted to an intimacy with Jupiter, which he forfeited by designing an intimacy with Juno. Jupiter knowing his purpose, substituted a cloud for the goddess; and was content at first only to rehe boasted of having been honored with move him from heaven; but finding that Juno's bed, he hurled him down to Tartarus, and ordered Mercury to bind him to he was doomed to turn without any intera wheel, hung round with serpents, which mission. Pirithoüm. He was the son of Ixion. See 122, supra. ricide is so horrid and unnatural, that he 609. Pulsus-ve parens: the crime of parpasses it by, not supposing any of the huthe case only of one who had beaten a paman race could be guilty of it. He puts upon a client. The claim of the client to rent. Fraus innexa clienti: fraud practised the faith and protection of his patron was considered sacred among the Romans; like that of a child to the protection of the parent. Among the laws of the twelve tables it is said: "if any patron shall defraud his client, let him be accursed." 611. Nec partem: nor have distributed a part to their own. Arma: in the sense of bella Impia; nec veriti dominorum fallere dextras ; 614 620 614. Hi omnes inclusi hic expectant 615. Quam pœnam pendent, aut quæ forma 624. Hi omnes ausi 625 sunt immane nefas, et potiti sunt auso 630 Hæc ubi dicta dedit Phœbi longæva sacerdos : NOTES. 613. Fallere dextras dominorum: to violate the faith of their masters-pledged to their masters. Dextra: in the sense of fides. 615. Forma-fortuna. By forma, Servius understands the form or rule of justice: and by fortuna, Dr. Trapp understands the sentence of the judge. What punishment they undergo, or in what form or state of misery they are overwhelmed or involved. This is plainly the meaning of the passage. Heyne says, Quæ forma pœnæ, quod-ve miseriæ genus mersil, vel manet viros. 616. Ingens saxım. This refers to the case of Sisyphus, the son of Eolus, a notorious robber. He was sentenced to hell, and compelled to roll a great stone to the top of a hill; which, before he reached the top, returned to the bottom again. Thus his labor became perpetual. Districti radiis: bound to the spokes of wheels, they hang This alludes to the case of Ixion. See 601, supra. 617. Eternum sedebit. This may be explained by referring it to the shade or ghost of Theseus after death: for he was set at liberty by Hercules, after he had been bound by Pluto, and returned to the intercourse of men. See 122, supra. 618. Phlegyas. He was the father of Ixion, and king of the Lapitha. His daughter Coronis, being ravished by Apollo, in revenge for the injury, he burnt his temple; for which he was thrust down to Tartarus. He is represented as calling aloud to the shades, and admonishing all to take warning by him, not to despise the gods, nor commit acts of impiety. -620. Moniti discite justitiam: ye being admonished by my example, learn justice. 626. Non possim comprendere omnes formas 632. Ubi Di jubent nos This is the great moral of all those infernal punishments, that the example of them might deter from vice, and stimulate to virtue. Moniti meo exemplo, says Heyne. 622. Fixit leges: he made and unmade to laws for a price. This is said in reference laws upon tables of brass, and fixing them the Roman custom of engraving their up in public places, to the view of the people; and when those laws were abrogated or repealed, they were said to be refigi, to the sense of nuptias. be unfixed, or taken down. Hymenaos: in undertaking. Dr. Trapp thinks auso may 624. Potiti auso: accomplished their bold be used for præmio usi, they now have their reward, by way of sarcasm. But the sense commonly given is easier, and contains this wickedness, they are not the less odious moral, that however successful men are in to God, and will hereafter receive their due reward. undertaken offering. This refers to the 629. Perfice susceptum munus: finish the golden bough, which Eneas promised to deposit in the palace of Proserpine. 630. Cyclopum. The Cyclops were the first inhabitants of Sicily. To them is attributed the invention of forging iron, and of fortifying cities. The expression here denotes that these walls were made of iron, and strongly fortified. Educta: drawn out, or wrought in the forges of the Cyclops. See Geor. i. 471. 631. Portas fornice adverso: the gates, with their arch directly opposite to us, or in front of us. 632. Hæc præcepta dona: these command 41. Incolæ nôrunt 648. Hic est antiquum genus Dixerat et pariter gressi per opaca viarum, Corripiunt spatium medium, foribusque propinquant. 655. Eadem cura se- Pascere equos; eadem sequitur tellure repôstos. quitur eos repôstos tel- Conspicit ecce alios dextrâ lævâque per herbam Vescentes, lætumque choro pæana canentes, lure. NOTES. ed gifts. This refers to the golden bough, which was sacred to Proserpine, and which Æneas was directed to deliver to her. Ruwus says, munera decerpta ex arbore. 633. Opaca viarum: the dark places of the way, or simply, the dark way. Spatia vel loca may be understood. 634. Spatium: ground-way. 636. Spargit corpus: he sprinkles his body with fresh water; either because he was polluted by the sight of Tartarus, or because he presented an offering to Proserpine. Spargit aquá, &c. In the entrance of the heathen temples, aqua lustralis, or holy water, was placed, to sprinkle the devout on their cntrance. This custom of sprinkling with holy water in the Roman church, La Cerda ad. mits was borrowed from this practice of the heathen. 637. Diva: Proserpine. Perfecto: finished-presented to her. 633. Devenêre: they came to. 639. Fortunatorum: in the sense of felicium. Amana viriditate herbarum arborum que, says Ruæus. 640. Vestit: in the sense of circumdat. 641. Purpureo: clear-resplendent. 642. Palastris: in the sense of locis. Palastra, both the place of exercise, and the exercise itself. 644. Dicunt: in the sense of canunt. 645. Threïcius sacerdos: the Thracian poet warbles the seven distinctions of sound 635 640 645 650 655 (the seven different notes) in music. Orpheus is here represented clothed in a long robe, that being anciently the garb both of a priest and musician; in which character he is here represented. 646. Septem, &c. Allusion is here had to the harp or lyre, which at first had only seven chords or strings. Two were afterwards added to make the number nine, in honor of the muses. Pectine. The pecten, or plectrum, was a kind of instrument which the musician struck the strings of the harp or lyre with, called a quill. 647. Eadem. Markland conjectures this should be changed to fidem, the strings or chords of the lyre. The present reading refers to discrimina. The same (discrimina) he at one time strikes with his fingers, at another, &c. 650. Ilusque. For the genealogy of these, see Geor. iii. 35. Vi 653. Gratia: in the sense of amor. vis: iis is understood: in the sense of dum illi vixerunt. 657. Pœana. Pæan was a sacred hymn, or song of praise. It was sometimes sung in honor of Mars, especially before battle. It was sung in honor of Apollo, after a victory; and it was sometimes sung in honor of all the gods. It is derived from a Greek word, signifying to wound or pierce. It was first sung in honor of Apollo after he killed the Python. Inter: simply, for in. Inter odoratum lauri nemus: unde supernè Hic manus, ob patriam pugnando vulnera passi : NOTES. 658. Unde supernè. Interpreters are not agreed as to the meaning of this passage. Some make it to L this: unde magna pars Eridani è superis præcipitat ad inferos. This interpretation is founded on what we are told by Pliny, that the Po, soon after its rise, passes under ground and flows out again in a part of Piedmont. Others: unde magnus Eridanus fuit ad superiores incolas terræ. This seems to be the opinion of Ruæus. This appears to be founded upon the general received opinion that the great source of rivers is in the body of the earth. Mr. Davidson differs from both of these interpretations. He takes supernè in its common acceptation, denoting from an eminence or rising ground. Unde: whence (that is, from the Elysian fields,) from an eminence, or rising ground, the great river Eridanus rolls or flows. This is the easiest and most natural meaning. 662. Quique pii vales. 665 et locuti 670 672. Paucis verbis 673. Est certa domus nulli nostrum. 677. Tulit gressum 675 ante eos 679. Pater Anchises lustrabat animas penitùs inclusas in virenti convalle, iturasque ad superum lumen, recolens 680 eas studio of Orpheus. He was an Athenian by birth, 667. Musæum. Museus was the disciple and flourished under Cecrops the second, a considerable time before the destruction of Troy. He was an heroic poet. There are said to be some fragments of verses which the production of a later poet. Some have go under his name, but probably they are censured Virgil for preferring Musæus to Homer as a poet. But it is to be remembered that Homer did not live till some time after this descent of Æneas, and therefore to have mentioned him, would have been wholly out of place. 668. Exstantem: rising above the rest by his head and lofty shoulders. Suspicit: in the sense of admiratur. Eneas is understood. 670. Ergo illius: on account of him we have come. Ergo is here used in the sense of causâ. ripas. Recentia rivis: verdant or green on 674. Toros riparum: Rumus says, herbosas Virentia account of its streams or rivers. 676. Jugum: in the sense of collem. 680. Superum lumen: the upper world— the regions of light. Here is an allusion to |