Fraxinus, Herculeæque arbos umbrosa coronæ, Nec modus inserere atque oculos imponere simplex. 70 75 71. Fagus incanuit flore castanem, ornusque incanuit albo flore pyri Aut rursum enodes trunci resecantur, et alte 81 Miraturque novas frondes, et non sua poma. Prætereà genus haud unum, nec fortibus ulmis, 79. In solidum lignum Nec salici, lotoque, nec Idæis cyparissis: NOTES. 66. Umbrosa arbos: the poplar-tree. It was sacred to Hercules. He wore a crown made of the leaves of this tree, to the infernal regions. 67. Glandes: properly acorns; by meton. the oaks that bore them. Chaonii patris: Jupiter; so called because he had a temple, and was splendidly worshipped at Dodona, a town of Chaonia in Epirus. The oak was sacred to him. 68. Visura. This is said of the fir-tree, because ships were built of its timber. Marinos casus: in the sense of periculæ maris. 69. Arbutus inseritur: the arbute or strawberry-tree is grafted with the shoot or scion of the nut-tree. 70. Platani. The plane tree affords a large and pleasant shade, but bears no fruit. It is therefore called sterilis. However, says the poet, even this has been made to bear apples by being grafted. 73. Imponere oculos: to inoculate. Oculus is the bud which is enclosed or put in the bark of the tree to be inoculated. Inserere: to ingraft. Nec modus, &c. Neither is the method of ingrafting and inoculating one and the same-they are different pro cesses. 76. Sinus angustus: a small slit or gash, made in the bark of the tree, (where the bud was putting forth,) for the purpose of receiving the graft. 77. Docent: they teach it to grow up, or incorporate itself with the moist bark. Liber is the inward part of the bark of the tree; Cortex, the whole bark, or rind. 85 78. Aut rursum. Having described the process of inoculation, the poet gives us that of ingrafting. Truncus: the body of the tree, properly after the top and branches are cut off. This is split, and the graft put into the fissure. He seems to prefer this mode of cultivating trees, inasmuch as they soon come to maturity. Nec longum tempus (says he,) et ingens arbos: it is not a long time, and the mighty tree, exiit, hath shot up to the skies. There is a peculiar elegancy in the use of the perfect tense here. 80. Planta: grafts, or scions of fruitbearing trees. 82. Poma non sua: that is, poma non sui generis. 84. Idæis Cyparissis: to the Idæan Cypresses. There were two mountains by the name of Ida, the one in Phrygia, the other in Crete; the latter is here meant. 86. Orchades. The poet here mentions three species of olives: the orchades, a round olive, a word derived from the Greek; the radii, an oblong olive; the pausia, an olive of a bitter taste, so called from pavio, says Columella, because its chief use was for oil; to obtain which, it was brayed or beaten. 87. Sylva Alcinoï: the orchards of Alcinoüs, king of the Phæaceans. They were celebrated by the poets. 88. Crustumiis: to the Crustumean pears, so called from Crustumium, a town in Tuscany, whose pears were much esteemed; they were of a reddish cast. Syriis pyris. These were so called, because they were brought from Syria! They were also called 90 95 Non eadem arboribus pendet vindemia nostris, Quam Methymnæo capit de palmite Lesbos. Sunt Thasiæ vites, sunt et Mareotides albæ : Pinguibus hæ terris habiles, levioribus illæ. Et passo Psythia utilior, tenuisque lageos Tentatura pedes olim, vincturaque linguam. 95. Sunt purpurea, Purpurea, preciæque: et quo te carmine dicam preciæque uvæ Rhætica? nec cellis ideò contende Falernis. 99. Est Argitis minor Sunt et Ammineæ vites, firmissima vina : uva, cui Tmolus et assurgit quibus, et rex ipse Phanæus ; 102. Et, te, O bumaste, Argitisque minor, cui non certaverit ulla, mis. Sed neque est nu- Aut tantùm fluere, aut totidem durare per annos. merus, quàm multæ spe- Non ego te, Dîs et mensis accepta secundis, cies sunt, nec quæ Transierim, Rhodia; et tumidis, bumaste, racemis. 105. Quem numerum Sed neque, quàm multæ species, nec nomina quæ sint, qui velit scire, idem ve- Est numerus: neque enim numero comprendere refert. lit discere quàm multæ arenæ Libyci æquoris Quem qui scire velit, Libyci velit æquoris idem Discere, quàm multæ Zephyro turbentur arenæ ; cum tuis tumidis race turbentur NOTES. 91. Thasia: an adj. from Thasus, an island in the Egean sea. Mareotides: an adj. probably from Mareotis, a lake near Alexandria, in Egypt. Some take it from a place of the same name in Lybia, in the confines of Egypt. These latter (ha) required a rich soil; the former (illa) a light soil. 93. Psythia: an adj. agreeing with vitis, understood. Its derivation is uncertain. It is probably from the name of some town in Greece, where that species of vine flourished. Utilior passo: better for passum, or sweet wine. This was made of raisins or dried grapes; from the word patior: quòd solem aut ignem patitur. Lageos. This was a species of grape, deriving its name from a Greek word signifying a hare, because it resembled the color of that animal. Tenuis: subtle or penetrating. Quòd facilè ebrietatem inducit, says Servius. 95. Purpurea, preciæque. These are both adjectives, and agree with vites, or more probably with uva, understood. Precia: early ripened-ripened before other grapes. 96. Rhætica: a grape, so called from Rhetia, a country bordering upon Italy on the west. Cellis Falernis: with the Falernian wine. Cellis: the cellars; by meton. for the wine in them. Falernis: an adj. from Falernus, a mountain in Campania, celebrated for its good wines. 100 105 97. Amminea vites. There are various conjectures concerning this vine, but nothing certainly known. It produced excellent wine—firmissima vina, strong, and of good body. 98. Quibus et Tmolus: to which both Tmolus, and Phanæus himself, the king of vine-bearing mountains, rise up in sign of respect-they yield the pre-eminence to the Amminean vine. Assurgit, as here used, is highly metaphorical. It conveys to our minds the idea of one mountain rising up to another in token of respect, and yielding to it precedency. Tmolus: a mountain in Lydia, famous for its wines. Phanæus : another mountain in the island Chios, in the Egean sea, celebrated for its wines. 99. Argitis: a species of the grape, probably derived from a Greek word signifying white, or from Argos, a city of the Pe loponnesus. 100. Tantum fluere: to yield so much juice. 101. Mensis et Dis secundis. The first table or course was composed of meats. The second of fruits, and what we generally call desserts. At this second table or course there were libations made to certain gods. Secundis is generally connected with Dis. It is, however, better to connect it with mensis: it will then be: the Rhodian wine is acceptable to the second table or course, and to the gods that were then invokedacceptable, or fit for libations. 102. Rhodia: an adj. from Rhodus, a famous island in the Mediterranean sea. Bumaste: the bumastus was a species of grape, whose clusters were swollen out, like the udder of a cow. It is derived from the Greek. 103. Quàm: in the sense of tam. Aut, ubi navigiis violentior incidit Eurus, NOTES. 113. Bacchus: here put for vites, by meton. Tari: the yew trees. The verb amant is to be supplied. 114. Aspice orbem. The meaning is, that the remotest parts of the world were reduced to a state of cultivation by their respective inhabitants, both the east (Eoas domos Arabum) and the north, the country of the Geloni. The inhabitants, by meton. put for the country. They painted themselves that they might be more terrible to their enemies. This explains the word pictos. 115. Gelonos: the Geloni were a people inhabiting the northern parts of Europe. 116. Patriæ divisa: countries are distinguished by their trees. Patria, one's native country-Regio, any country. 117. Thurea virga: the frankincense tree. 118. Referam: in the sense of dicam, vel describam. 119. Balsama: plu. of balsamum, a plant of a very delicious fragrance. Its juice is obtained by cutting the branches in the summer months, from which incisions the juice flows. Acanthi. There were two kinds of Acanthus; one the herb commonly called brank-ursin, or bear's-foot; the other an Egyptian tree, always green, and abounding in berries. 120. Molli lanâ: with soft cotton. Ethiopum: gen. plu. of Ethiops: an inhabitant of Ethiopia, an extensive country in Africa, abounding in the cotton tree. Ut: in the sens of quomodo 121. Seres: a people of India, who fürnished the rest of the world with silk. It was a common received opinion that they collected it from the leaves of trees. To this the poet refers in the words, depectant, &c. they comb off the fine fleeces from the leaves. 123. Extremi sinus orbis. It is somewhat difficult to fix the meaning of sinus, in this place. If it could be read sinui, in the dat. to agree with oceano, it would be easy. But it is usually read in the nom. It must therefore mean the same as India, in the preceding line. But how it can be applied with any propriety, to express a tract of country, doth not appear. If we take sinus for the gen. connected with extremi, the difficulty will be removed, in a good degree, and orbis for the nom. Now orbis sometimes means no more than a single country, or any division or part of the earth. If we take it thus, the passage may be rendered: Or, why need I mention the groves which India, nearer the ocean, the country of (bordering upon) the farthest bay, produces? Valpy says: the extreme convexity of the globe. Heyne: interior remotiorque terra extrema orbis partis. Ruus: recessus ultimi mundi. The sinus I take for the bay of Bengal, called by the ancients the Sinus Gangeticus. The parts of India beyond the Ganges were very little known to them; extremi, therefore, may be very well applied to them. Summum aëra: the highest air-the air surrounding the topmost branches. This is evidently an extravagant hyperbole, notwithstanding the declaration of Pliny, as to the height of the trees. Vincere: in the sense of superare. 126. Media. A country of Asia, bounded on the north by the Caspian sea, on the Et gens illa quidem sumptis non tarda pharetris. Media fert tristes succos, tardumque saporem Felicis mali: quo non præsentius ullum (Pocula si quando sævæ infecêre novercæ, Miscueruntque herbas, et non innoxia verba) Auxilium venit, ac membris agit atra venena. 131. Ipsa arbor est in- Ipsa ingens arbos, faciemque simillima lauro gens, simillimaque lauro Et, si non alium latè jactaret odorem, quoad faciem i 125 130 Laurus erat: folia haud ullis labentia ventis : 135 140 145 NOTES. west by Armenia, on the east by Hyrcania and Parthia, and on the south by Persia proper. Under Cyrus the great, it became a constituent part of the Persian monarchy. 127. Mali: the citron. Its rind is bitter, and its seeds are covered with a bitter skin: hence tristes succos, bitter juices; and tardum saporem, a taste remaining long on the palate. It is called Felix, happy, on account of its many virtues, and qualities; some of which are mentioned. Non tarda: in the sense of strenua vel fortis. 123. Infecere: have poisoned. Pocula: by meton. the wine. Præsentiùs: more certain-more efficacious. Some copies have præstantiùs. 129. Non innoxia verba: in the sense of sands. It received in its course the celebrated Pactolus; and with it, fell into the Sinus Phocaicus. 138. Bactra: neu. plu. the principal city of the Bactrii. By synec. put for their whole country, which was called Bactriana, and was bounded by Parthia on the west, India on the east, and by the river Oxus on the north. 139. Panchaïa: a country of Arabia Felix. Pinguis: rich, in frankincense-bearing soil. 140. Hæc loca: these places bulls breathing fire have not turned, &c. This alludes to the fable of Jason, who, with a company of men, went to Colchis to get the golden fleece. Here were bulls breathing fire bound to a plough. Upon their turning the earth, it was sown with dragon's teeth, which immediately sprang up, seges virum, into men armed and prepared for combat, to supply the place of those that had been slain. The dragon that guarded the fleece being slain, Jason obtained the prize. This was the fa mous Argonautic expedition. See Ovid, Met. vii. It is supposed that this was only a commercial expedition, which proved very lucrative. 143. Massicus: a mountain in Campania, fertile in the vine; bere used as an adj. Massicus humor Bacchi: Massic wine. Humor Bacchi: the liquor of Bacchus, i. e. wine. 146. Clitumne: Clitumnus a river of Umbria in Italy, famous for the flocks of white Victima, sæpe tuo perfusi flumine sacro, Nec rapit immensos orbes per humum, neque tanto 158. An memorem mare, quod alluit Italiam suprà,quodque alluit eam An mare, quod suprà, memorem, quodque alluit infrà? infra? Anne memorem Anne lacus tantos? te, Lari maxime; teque NOTES. sheep that fed on its banks. The victims were washed in it, to make them the whiter. White victims alone were offered to Jove on triumphal days. To this the poet alludes. 149. Estas alienis mensibus: summer in other months-in months not its own. Assiduum: in the sense of perpetuum. 150. Bis pecudes, &c. The meaning is, that the flocks bring forth twice in a year, and the trees produce two crops of fruit. Pecudes; here must mean sheep and other minor animals. It could not be said of cattle or horses. The poet, in many instances, in praising his country, exceeds the bounds of credibility. Utilis: in the sense of fertilis, says Heyne. 152. Aconita: wolf's bane. It is taken here for any noxious or poisonous plant, or herb. According to Solinus, it takes its name from Acon, a port in Pontus, a country notorious for poisonous plants. Others take it from a Greek word signifying a stone, because it grew principally on stony grounds. Semina: in the sense of proles. 155. Laborem operum: the labor, or work of artificers. Operum appears to be used in the sense of Opificum, or Operariorum. Heyne takes laborem operum, simply for opera, vel ædificia. 156. Tot oppida. Many of the cities of Italy were built upon high and elevated grounds. To this the words præruptis saxis allude. Congesta in the sense of extructa. 157. Subter: Heyne takes this in the sense of præter: making the sense to be, that the rivers flowed or passed by the walls of cities. He observes that many of the cities of Italy were built upon the margin of rivers: which seems to warrant that sense of the word. 158. An Mare, &c. Italy is washed by the Adriatic sea, on the north-east, and by tantos lacus, te, O max160 ime Lari, teque, O, Be nace, 162. Equor indignatum circa illa claustra magnis the Tuscan sea on the south. The former was sometimes called Mare superum, and the latter Mare inferum; hence the suprà applied to the one, and infrà, to the other. 159. Maxime Lari: Larius, a large lake at the foot of the Alps. It communicates with the Po, by the river Addua. Hodie, Lago di Coma. 160. Benace: Benacus, a large lake, communicating with the Po, by the river Mincius. Its present name is Lago di Garda. Assurgens: swelling with the waves, and roaring of a sea. 161. Lucrino-Avernis. Lucrinus and Avernus were two lakes in Campania. Here Augustus made a haven, which he called the Julian port. This was done by uniting them by a canal, and connecting them with the sea. Portum Julium apud Baias, immisso in Lucrinum et Avernum Lacum mari, efficit, says Suetonius. Addita claustra. It would seem from this, that Lucrinus was originally a bay, and probably connected with the sea, by a narrow strait, but afterward, either by some operation of the water, or artificially, was separated from it, forming a lake. This was the opinion of Strabo, who informs us that Lucrinus was originally a bay; but had been separated from the sea, ever since the days of Hercules, by a mound or bank of sand; that this was occasionally broken over by the waves of the sea, but was repaired and made secure against all encroachments of that element, by Agrippa, for the purpose of making it a safe and convenient station for the Roman fleet. 162. Indignatum: the same as indignans: roaring-raging. 163. Julia aqua. Heyne seems to understand this in the sense of Julius portus, the |