Lætus adit: mactant lectas de more bidentes Fertur aquâ, segnisque secundo defluit amni, 552. Ducunt unum ex- Ducunt exsortem Æneæ, quem fulva leonis sortem equum Æneæ Pellis obit totum, præfulgens unguibus aureis. Fama volat parvam subitò vulgata per urbem, 558. Complexus dex- Tum pater Evandrus dextram complexus euntis tram filii euntis hæret Hæret, inexpletum lachrymans, ac talia fatur: O mihi præteritos referat si Jupiter annos! illi 561. Et faciat me ta- Qualis eram, cùm primam aciem Præneste sub ipsâ lem, qualis eram, cùm Stravi, scutorumque incendi victor acervos: stravi primam aciem 567. Et exuit eum totidem armis. Nunc ego non divellerer usquam Et regem hâc Herilum dextrâ sub Tartara misi: 545 550 555 560 Horrendum dictu! dederat ; terna arma movenda; 565 NOTES. Penates were tutelary deities, either for families, or for cities and provinces. The former were the Parvi Penates, sometimes called Lares: the latter, the Magni Penates. 544. Bidentes: properly sheep of two years old, of bis and dens." 549. Fertur pronâ aqua: borne down the descending stream. Segnis defluit. without labor, float down the current-at their ease, float, &c. Ruæus says, lenta descendit. 550. Ventura nuntia: to be messengers to Ascanius, of his father, and of the state of his affairs-to bear tidings to Ascanius, &c. 551. Petentibus Tyrrhena: to the Trojans going to the Tuscan territory. 552. Exsortem: in the sense of insignem : a distinguished horse. 553. Aureis unguibus. The claws of the skin were overlaid with gold, for the sake of ornament. Obit: in the sense of legit. 557. Timor it propius, &c. This passage, has puzzled commentators very much. Davidson supposes the word major, is to be supplied with timor: their fear grows greater, the nearer they are to danger. Rumus takes propius in the sense of prope: near-approaching to. He makes the meaning to be: their fear comes near to danger. They are so much impressed with the idea of danger, that it becomes to them almost a reality. It: in the sense of est vel fit. Most copies have jam immediately after Martis. But Pierius informs us, that in most of the, ancient MSS, which he consulted, it was wanting. Heyne reads jam. 559. Inexpletum: an adj. neu, gen, used as an adverb: immoderately-beyond mea sure. 560. O mihi, &c. This is one of the finest parts of the Eneid. We see an aged father, delivering his farewell address to his only son, the hope and solace of his old age, while he holds him close in his embrace, and is full of anxious apprehension of never seeing him again. The relation of those exploits, which he performed when he was in the vigor of manhood, is very natural, and the conclusion is extremely pathetic. 561. Præneste. The founder of this city was Cæculus, who took part with Turnus. See En. vii. 678. How then could Herilus have been its king so long before? He might have laid its foundations, and Cæculus added its fortifications, &c. Hence he might be called its founder. 562. Scutorumque, &c. It was a custom among the Romans, to gather up the armor that lay scattered on the field of battle, and burn it as an offering to one of their deities. 564. Feronia mater: to whom, at his birth. his mother had given three lives, and three sets of armor to be wielded. See Æn. vii. 800. 568. Non ego nune: I would not now be torn from thy sweet embrace. This is a Nate, tuo: neque finitimus Mezentius unquam, Jamque adeò exierat portis equitatus apertis : NOTES. most tender line, and paints the paternal affections in the deepest colors. 571. Viduâsset: in the sense of privâsset. 574. Numina: power-will. 576. Venturus in unum: to meet him again. 577. Patiar: I will consent-agree to. 578. Sin Fortuna minaris: but if, O Fortune, thou threatenest any dire calamity to him. Infandum: properly is that which may not be spoken, or expressed-which I dare not name. 579. Nunc, ô, nunc, &c. This is much of the nature of En. ii. 644. Sic, O sic, &c. There is so much force and emphasis in the repetition of the sic, that if we remove it, we destroy the chief beauty and energy of the line. So also with the nunc, in the present instance. 580. Dum curæ: while my sorrows be doubtful, &c. While it be yet uncertain, whether I shall see my dear son again. 583. Supremo digressu: at his final departure. 588. Conspectus: conspicuous-distinguished. 589. Qualis ubi, &c. This is a beautiful 570 575 580 585 590 595 simile, and said to have been greatly admired by Scaliger. Perfusus: wet, dipped. 590. Ante alios ignes astrorum: above other orbs of the stars-above other starry orbs. 591. Resolvit in the sense of dissipat. 594. Meta viarum: the boundary of the way. Simply, the way.-Via, says Heyne. Proxima: the nearest. Olli: for illi, by antithesis. 595. Agmine. Agmen properly signifies a moving body or multitude-an army of men on the march. Tendunt: in the sense of incedunt, vel progrediuntur. It: in the sense of surgil. 596. Quadrupedante sonilu: with a prancing sound. Every ear perceives, that the numbers of the verse imitate the prancing of the horses. There are no less than five dactyls in it, which give it a quick and galloping motion. Qualit: strikes. 597. Caritis prope gelidum: near the cold river of Cæris. Caris: a town of Tuscany, whose inhabitants were called Carites. In the neighborhood was a small river with a grove. Hence the epithet, gelidus. 598. Relligione: religious venerationregard. Inclusêre cavi, et nigrå nemus abiete cingunt. 600. Fama est veteres Sylvano fama est veteres sacrâsse Pelasgos, Pelasgos, qui primi ali- Arvorum pecorisque Deo, lucumque diemque, quando habuere Latinos fines sacrâsse lucumque, Qui primi fines aliquando habuere Latinos. diemque Sylvano 600 Haud procul hinc Tarcho et Tyrrheni tuta tenebant 605 610. Utque vidit natum Becretum procul 612. En munera perfecta promissâ At Venus, æthereos inter Dea candida nimbos, 610 Munera! ne mox, aut Laurentes, nate, superbos, 615 Expleri nequit, atque oculos per singula volvit ; ardescit 624. Tum versat ocreas leves ex electro. 626. Ignipotens, haud ignarus vatum, insciusque venturi ævi fecerat illic Illic res Italas, Romanorumque triumphos, 620 625 NOTES. 599. Cavi: in the sense of curvi: wind- and his arms. Miratur: he wonders at ing hills. them. Ruæus says, stupet. 600. Pelasgos. These were a colony from Emonia, the ancient name of Thessaly. They expelled the Etrusci, and settled in their country. They, in turn, were expelled by the Tyrrheni, a colony from Lydia, or Mæonia in the lesser Asia. 605. Tendebat: pitched their tents in the open fields. Legio: troops in general. 607. Curant: rest-refresh. Rumus says, reficiunt. 608. Nimbos: in the sense of nubes. 610. Flumine: near the cool river-on the banks of the cold stream. Secretum : retired-remote. 612. Perfecta: made-finished. 613. Mox ne dubites: clad in this armor, my son, you may not hesitate to challenge either the proud, &c. The epithet superbos, refers to the outrage, which they had offered to Eneas and his followers, mentioned 620. Galeam: the helmet vomiting out flames. He means only that the crest or plume was of a fiery red color, and seemed to rise out of his helmet like flames. 621. Fatiferum: mortal-causing death. 622. Cœrula nubes: an azure cloud; such an one as receives the tincture, and reflects the various colors of the rainbow. 624. Leves: smooth-polished. Recocto: doubly purified. Rumus says, repurgato. 625. Non enarrabile textum: the inexpressible texture of the shield. 626. Italas res: the Italian history. 627. Haud ignarus, &c. We now come to the conclusion of the book; and, certainly, there never was a book more nobly finished. Having given us the particulars of the arms and armor, the poet proceeds to the description of the sculptures upon the shield. And by way of prophecy, he gives us a very important piece of history in these engravings, and by that means, makes them one of the most important parts of the poem. It is imitated from Homer; but greatly im proved. Vatum: in the sense of vaticiniorum vel prædictionum. Valpy says, “Of Fecerat Ignipotens : illic genus omne futuræ Fecerat et viridi fœtam Mavortis in antro Nec procul hinc Romam, et raptas sinè more Sabinas Haud procul inde cita Metium in diversa quadriga NOTES. what had been foretold," by preceding prophets. Davidson says of Vulcan: "A prophet not unskilful," taking ignarus vatum in the sense of ignarus vates vel propheta. 628. Ignipotens: a name of Vulcan; of ignis and potens. Fecerat: in the sense of expresserat. 630. Fætam: not pregnant, but in the sense of enixam: having just brought forth her young. This description is thought to have been taken from a statue of Romulus and Remus sucking the wolf, that was in the capitol in Virgil's time. See Æn. i. 274. 635. Sabinas raptas. After Romulus had founded his city, he became sensible that a body of men could not long be kept together, without some common bond; nor could his state continue long without women. He therefore proposed alliances with his neighbors, for the purpose of obtaining wives for his subjects; but they refused any connexion with a band of ruffians. He then conceived the plan of taking them by violence. For this purpose he instituted sports, which were then called Consuales, afterward Circenses. In these he invited his neighbors, especially the Sabines, from the city Cures, and upon a signal given, the Romans were to rush upon the women, and convey them to their own homes. This they did, in violation of good faith, and every principle of justice. War immediately ensued between the two states, which however was settled between Tatius king of the Sabines, and Romulus, upon these conditions: the Sabines should migrate to Rome; the government should be administered jointly by the two kings; that Rome should retain its name; but that the citizens should 630 628. Illic expresserat omne genus 635. Nec procul hinc Romam, et 636 addiderat 640 645 be called Curites, or Quirites, from Cures. Sinè more: without regard to law or right. Servius says, absque exemplo, whom Ruæus follows: without precedent, or example. Davidson thinks it should be taken in the sense of malo more: wickedly-atrociously. For, says he: Romulus, solatus earum mæstitiam, docuit, non injuriâ sed connubii causâ, ipsas raptas esse; et demonstravit morem istum et Græcum et antiquum esse. Ex Dionysio. 636. Concessu cavea: in the crowded circus in the assembly of the circus: when the great Circensian games were celebrated. For caveæ, see Geor. ii. 381. 638. Romulidis: dat. of Romulida, the Romans, so called from Romulus. Curibus severis. Cures, was a city of the Sabines: by meton. put for the inhabitants. These are again put by synec. for the Sabines in general. They were a people remarkable for their integrity and rigid virtue. Hence the epithet severis. 640. Tenentes pateras: holding goblets ready to offer libations on the altar. 642. Metium distulerant. The poet, sensible that the story of Metius might shock the humanity of his reader, is careful to remind him of the cause, for which the Roman king was so terribly severe, both in his apostrophe to the traitor, and in giving him the epithet of mendax, false or treacherous. See nom. prop. under Metius. 645. Rorabant: in the sense of distillabant. 646. Porsenna. He was king of the Etrusci, and took part with Tarquin after his expulsion, and endeavored to restore him to his throne. And he came near effecting it. He took possession of Janiculum, on the western bank of the Tiber 652. In summo clypeo Manlius, custos Eneadæ in ferrum pro libertate ruebant. In summo custos Tarpeiæ Manlius arcis 659. Erat ollis aurea Aurea cæsaries ollis, atque aurea vestis ; Virgatis lucent sagulis: tum lactea colla Auro innectuntur; duo quisque Alpina coruscant 662. Protecti quoad Gresa manu, scutis protecti corpora longis. corpora 663. Hic extuderat exsultantes Salios Hic exsultantes Salios, nudosque Lupercos, Lanigerosque apices, et lapsa ancilia cœlo, NOTES. over which a bridge was built to connect it with the main city. This bridge was defended on the western end by Cocles, against the Etruscan army, as they attempted to pass it, until the Romans on the eastern shore broke it down. After which he cast himself into the river, and swam to his friends. By this means the city was saved. See nom. prop. under Tarquinius. 648. Æneade: the Romans, so called from Eneas. 649. Illum: Porsenna. 651. Clalia. One of the conditions of peace exacted by Porsenna of the Romans, was the surrender of their virgins to him as hostages. Among these hostages was Clolia. Under the pretence of bathing herself, she eluded her guards, and with some others mounted their horses, and swam over the Tiber. Porsenna demanded her, and she was restored. But he set her at liberty with such other of the hostages, as she thought proper to name. The Romans presented her with an equestrian statue. 652. Manlius. In the year of Rome 364, the Gauls, under Brennus, routed the Roman army at the river Allium, and proceeded to Rome and took it. Marcus Manlius collected a body of men, threw himself into the capitol, and defended it. By this ineans the city was saved. See 347. supra. 654. Regia horrebat: the palace appeared rough, and newly repaired with Romulian straw. This thatched palace of Romulus, which was built on mount Capitolinus, was repaired from time to time, as it fell to decay. Virgil here represents it as standing in the time of Manlius, 327 years after the death of Romulus. It was held in great veneration, as a monument of their ancient frugality. 655. Argenteus anser. It is said that at 650 655 660 the time the Gauls held possession of Rome, an attempt was made to seize upon the capitol in the dead of the night. The only access was by a narrow passage. The Gauls had succeeded in eluding the guards; and an alarm was given by the noise of a flock of geese, which was near this private passage: and by that means the capitol was saved. The goose afterward was held in high estimation. To this circumstance the poet here alludes. 656. Canebat: in the sense of monebat, vel indicabat. 658. Dono: by the favor-assistance. 659. Aurea cæsaries, &c. Here we have a description of the Gauls, and an account of their armor. They are said by Livy and others to have had long yellow hair, and a remarkable white neck. Their hair, therefore, the poet calls aurea, golden, and their necks lactca, milk-white. 660. Sagulis. The sagulum was a cloak or upper garment worn by the ancient Gauls. It was streaked or striped with different colors. Hence the epithet vir gatis. 661. Auro: in the sense of aureis monilibus. 662. Gæsa. The gæsum was a long, but a light and slender spear, so that two of them could easily be carried in one's hand. They are here called Alpina, because pecu liar to the Gauls, who inhabited about the Alps. 663. Salios. See 285. supra. Lupercos. See 343. supra. 664. Lanigeros apices: woollen caps. Ancilia. The ancile was a kind of oval shield, worn only by the priests of Mars on certain days. One of them is said to have fallen from heaven in the reign of Numa; anu to have portended that the city of Rome |