247. Illic, (ad austra- Illic, ut perhibent, aut intempesta silet nox lem polum) ut perhibent Semper, et obtentâ densantur nocte tenebræ : homines, aut Aut redit à nobis Aurora, diemque reducit ; Possumus; hinc messisque diem, tempusque serendi, Nec frustrà signorum obitus speculamur et ortus, 259. Si quando frigi- Frigidus agricolam si quando continet imber: Vomeris obtusi dentem; cavat arbore lintres : NOTES. 248. Densantur: is thickened-rendered still more dark, night being extended, or lengthened out. At the poles there are six months day, and six months night, alternately. 249. Aurora: Aurora returns to them, from us. She was goddess of the morning, the daughter of Titan and Terra. She fell in love with Tithonus, the son of Laomedon, king of Troy, by whom she had Memnon, who came to assist Priam against the Greeks, and was slain by Achilles. She obtained for her lover immortality; but forgot, at the same time, to ask for perpetual youth and beauty. At last he grew old and infirm; and requested her to remove him from the world; but as that could not be done, she is said to have changed him into a grasshopper: which, as often as it grows old, renews its age. By meton. elegantly put for the morning. 250. Oriens: in the sense of Sol. 250 255 260 265 270 dug out of the solid body of trees-troughs -bowls, &c. 263. Signum: in the sense of notas. Acervis. Acervus is a heap or pile of any thing -a heap of grain. Here, probably, it is taken for the sacks or bags that contained the grain. 265. Amerina retinacula: osier strings, to fasten the limber vine. Amerina: an adj. from Ameria, a town in Umbria, a spacious country in Italy, where osiers abounded. 266. Rubea virgâ: with the osier or wicker twig. Rubea: an adj. probably from Rubi, a town of Campania, near which the virga, or wicker abounded. Dr. Trapp understands it in this sense, and as a reason for so doing, he observes that rubeus, from rubus, the bramble, is no where found. Heyne is of the same opinion. 267. Torrete: dry. Fruges: grain-corn. 269. Fas et Jura sinunt exercere, &c. 255. Deducere: to launch the armed fleets. There is a difference of signification between Marmor: in the sense of mare. 256. Tempestivam: seasonable denoting the time proper for cutting the pine. Ever tere: in the sense of cædere. 261. Maturare: to do in season-or, at leisure. 262. Dentem: the edge of his dull or blunt share. Lintres. These were vessels fas and jus. The former implies a divine law, or what may be done, or is permitted to be done, by the laws of God. The latter a natural right-or a law founded in reason-common law. Deducere rivos: to drain the water from his fields. 272. Balantûm: gen. plu. of the pres. part. of balo, here used as a substantive-sheep. Sæpe oleo tardi costas agitator aselli, Ipsa dies alios alio dedit ordine Luna Felices operum. Quintam fuge: pallidus Orcus, Scilicet, atque Ossæ frondosum involvere Olympum: NOTES. 274. Lapidem incusum: a furrowed or indented stone, for the purpose of grinding corn; something like our mill-stone. 276. Alios dies: other days. Alio ordine: in a different order from those above mentioned. The ancients superstitiously thought some days of the month to be lucky, and others unlucky. 278. Eumenides: the furies. They were said to have sprung from the blood of a wound, which Calus received from his brother Saturn. Some say they were the daughters of Acheron and Nox, or of Pluto and Proserpine. They were three in number: Tisiphone, Megara, and Alecto. They were supposed to be the ministers of vengeance to the gods, and to be constantly employed in punishing the wicked in hell. They were sometimes called Furia and Erinnyes. They were worshipped; but the people dared not to mention their names, or even to fix their eyes upon their temple. They were represented holding a burning torch in one hand, and a whip of scorpions in the other hand. 278. Creat: in the sense of edidit, vel produxit. 279. Cœumque, &c. These are the names of three giants, who attempted to scale heaven and dethrone the gods. They were the sons of Titan and Terra. Those here named were the principal ones. Conjuratos fratres. These included the whole fraternity, that were engaged in the enterprise. 290 nere 286. Nona dies est melior fuge, sed 294. Conjux solata 295 longum laborem cantu percurrit 281. Pelio. The mountains here men tioned were very high mountains in Thessaly, near the Sinus Thermaicus. The latter is sometimes taken for heaven. 286. Fuga: in the sense of itineri; and, contraria, in the sense of adversa, vel sinistra. 288. Eous: the morning star; by meton. the morning. Novo sole: in the sense of die incipiente, vel oriente. 289. Stipula: in the sense of aristœ, says Rumus. Mowing in general is best effected when the dew is upon the grass. 292. Inspicat: he forms matches with a sharp knife. Any instrument made of iron may be called ferrum. 295. Decoquit: she boils away the liquor of sweet must, and skims, &c. Mustum is sweet or new made wine. The juice of the grape, when boiled down one third part, formed what was called sapa, and when one half, it formed the defrutum. Vulcanus: was the son of Jupiter and Juno. On account of his deformity, he was cast down from heaven upon the island of Lemnos, where he taught the inhabitants the smith trade, and married Venus. The Cyclops were his workmen and assistants. He was the god of fire; hence Vulcanus, by meton. often is put for fire itself, as in the present instance. He was sometimes called Mulciber, Ignipotens, and Pandamator. 296. Úndam. By this we are to under stand the liquor in the boiling kettle. Terit At rubicunda Ceres medio succiditur æstu, 300 quoque ponere venatorem figere damas bera Balearis fundæ, cùm Sed tamen et quernas glandes tum stringere tempus, 307. Tunc tempus est Tunc gruibus pedicas, et retia ponere cervis, 306 310 315 320 Ferret hyems culmumque levem, stipulasque volantes. NOTES. thresnes, or beats out. Fruges tostas: the dry, or ripe grain. 297. Medio astu: in the middle of the day. Ceres: for seges, the grain, or harvest. Rubicunda: in the sense of flava. 299. Nudus ava, &c. The poet's meaning here is, that the farmer should be industrious, and turn the summer to the best account; for the winter is a season of rest and festivity, when he may enjoy the fruit of his labors. 300. Parto what he had gotten during the summer. Rebus per æstatem comparatis, says Ruæus. 301. Curant: in the sense of parant. 304. Ceu pressa carina: may either mean laden ships, or weather-beaten ships. Carina is properly the keel; by synec. the whole ship. 305. Stringere in the sense of colligere. 309. Balearis funda: the Balerian sling. The islands Majorca, Minorca, and Uvica, on the coast of Spain, were called by the ancients Balearides; the inhabitants of which were famous for the use of the sling. Stupea verbera: the hempen strings. 312. Estas: in the sense of calor, vel astus. The verb est is to be supplied. Vigilanda: curanda, vel providenda, says Heyne. Viris: for agricolis. 313. Ruit: hastens to a close. Rumus says, desinit, and Servius, præcipitatur. 315. Lactentia: milky-filling with milk. 318. Omnia prælia ventorum: all the powers of the winds in fierce contest engage. Rumus says: pugnus omnium ventorum misceri. This comparison of the wind with the wind, and of growing corn with chaff, has been censured by some critics; but the passage is probably to be understood as representing the growing corn uprooted by the tempest, and whirled aloft (sublimè) as easily as light straw is by an ordinary whirlwind. Martyn, Heyne, and Vossius, concur, says Valpy, in this interpretation. 320. Expulsam: in the sense of dissipa tam. Nigro turbine: in a black whirlwind; a whirlwind bringing with it clouds and darkness, and imbruing a storm. Hyems : in the sense of tempestas. 322. Immensum agmen, &c. Nothing can surpass, in grandeur and sublimity, the description which we here have of a sudden storm, of its rise, and effect. An immense band or army of vapors march along the heavens; the clouds, impregnated deeply with vapor, collect together from the sea; and, forming themselves into globous wreaths, brew a deep and threatening storm. They then burst, and discharge such a deluge of water, that the whole heaven seems dissolved, and pouring upon the fields. The floods sweep away the fertile (lata) crops, the labors of man and beast; the ditches : Et fædam glomerant tempestatem imbribus atris NOTES. are filled; the winding rivers swell, and the sea roars in its foaming friths. 327. Fretis. Fretum is properly a strait, or arm of the sea. Spirans, as here used, is beautiful and expressive. The figure is taken from water boiling, which seems to breathe (spirare) by emitting a steam or vapor, and is all in commotion. 329. Molitur: in the sense of vibrat, vel jacil. Quo motu. By this we are to understand probably the act of vibrating or hurling the thunder-bolt-the thunder itself. What the ancients supposed to be the bolt, was nothing more than the lightning-the electric matter, passing from one cloud, or part of the atmosphere, to another, that was differently electrified, and thus became visible. 330. Fera fugere: the wild beasts have fled. There is a peculiar force in the use of the perfect tense here. The beasts of the forest fear, and they are gone, and are out of sight in a moment, seeking their wonted retreats. 325 330 335 340 341. Tunc agni sunt from the circumstance of its great distance from the sun, and the small degree of heat it receives from him. On the other hand, the planet Mercury is called ignis, on account of its nearness to the sun, and the degree of heat it probably receives from him. Cyllenius. A name of the god Mercury. He was the son of Jupiter and Maia, the god of eloquence, and messenger of the gods. He had a winged cap called Petasus, and winged feet called Talaria. The invention of the lyre, and its seven strings, is attributed to him; which he gave to Apollo, and received in return the celebrated Caduceus, which was a rod or wand encircled with serpents, and said to possess extraordinary virtues and qualities. It was his business to conduct the manes of the dead to the infernal regions. He presided over orators, merchants, and thieves. The worship of Mercury was established in Greece, Egypt, and Italy. He was called Cyllenius, from a mountain in Arcadia of that name, where he is said to have been born; Caducealor, Triplex, Delius, &c. According to Cicero, there were four others to whom the name of Mercury was given. Of these, was a famous philosopher of Egypt, whom they called Hermes Trismigistus. Cyllenius ignis: the planet Mercury. 337. Erret: in the sense of moveat. От bes: planets. 344. Cui tu dilue favos: for whom do thou mingle honey with milk and sweet wine. Favos: the comb; by meton. the honey contained in it. Terque novas circùm felix eat hostia fruges, 346. Quam hostiam Omnis quam chorus et socii comitentur ovantes; omnis chorus, et tui socii Et Cererem clamore vocent in tecta: neque antè 363. Sicco litore 364. Ardeaque deserit notas paludes, atque volat supra altam nubem. Falcem maturis quisquam supponat aristis, Atque hæc ut certis possimus discere signis, Litora misceri, et nemorum increbrescere murmur. 345. Felix hostia. The poet here alludes to the sacrificium ambervale, so called, because the victim was led three times around the field; ab ambire arva. 346. Omnis chorus et socii: the same as omnis chorus sociorum. 349. Redimitus tempora: bound as to his temples with a wreath of oak. The poet enjoins upon the farmer to make two offerings to Ceres: the first of honey and wine, at the beginning of spring: dilue favos, &c. The other of a victim at the beginning of harvest: ter felix hostia, &c. 350. Incompositos motus: the irregular or immethodical dance; such as is performed by rustics. Cereri: nempe, in honorem Ce reris. 351. Hæc: nempe, æstusque, pluviasque. 353. Moneret: in the sense of indicaret. 354. Signo: in the sense of indicio. Quod indicium esset venti mox cessuri, says Heyne. Austri: here put for any boisterous wind: the species for the genus. 356. Freta ponti: simply, for pontus, vel mare. Fretum, properly a strait, or narrow part of the sea. 358. Aridus fragor: a dry cracking sound, such as is made among dry trees when they break. 345 350 355 360 365 370 360. Jam tum unda malè temperat: then the waves scarcely restrain themselves from (swallowing up) the bending ships. Malè: in the sense of difficile. 361. Mergi: a species of sea-fowl, generally taken to be the cormorant: from the verb mergo. 363. Fulica: a species of sea-fowl much like the common duck; a coot, or moor-hen. 364. Ardea: a bird, swift on the wing, and soaring high. From which circumstance called ardea, quasi pro ardua a heron. 365. Sæpe videbis stellas: you will also often see stars, &c. The poet speaks in conformity to the vulgar notion. No star moves from its station. Those appearances to which the poet alludes are of an electric nature-meteors. They are sometimes seen to dart across the heavens, and through the darkness of the night, appear to draw after them a train (tractus) of light or flame. Impendente: threatening-being near at hand. 371. Domus Eurique, &c. That part of the heavens from which these winds blow, the poet calls their house or habitation. The expression is highly poetical. Here the poet mentions twelve signs or prognostics of rain. |