O Pollio. 11. Adeò hoc decus Teque adeò decus hoc ævi, te consule, inibit, ævi inibit, te, te consule, Pollio: et incipient magni procedere menses. Te duce, si qua manent sceleris vestigia nostri, Irrita perpetuâ solvent formidine terras. Ille Deûm vitam accipiet, Divisque videbit Permixtos heroas, et ipse videbitur illis : Pacatumque reget patriis virtutibus orbem. prairies refers to denon NOTESgman's divine because it is now manifest that his predictions are true. Apollo was the god, under whose influence the Sibyls were, when they prophesied, or gave out their oracles. Apollo was the son of Jupiter and Latona, and brother of Diana. Juno, in order to vent her rage against Latona, sent the serpent Python, to vex and torment her. She was unable to find a place where she could be delivered of her children in peace, till Neptune, taking pity on her, raised the island Delos, where she was safely delivered of Apollo and Diana at a birth. As soon as he was born, Apollo slew the serpent Python, from which circumstance he is sometimes called Pythius. He was accounted the god of medicine, music, poetry, and eloquence, all of which, it is said, he invented. His son Esculapius being killed by Jupiter for raising the dead, he in turn slew the Cyclops, who had made the thunderbolt that slew him. Jupiter being much enraged at this piece of conduct, banished him from heaven, and deprived him of his dignity. He came to Admetus, king of Thessaly, and hired himself as a shepherd, in which employment he served nine years. Hence he is sometimes called the god of shepherds. Apollo was amorous, and had many children. His worship was very general. At Delphi, Delos, Claros, Tenedos, Patara, &c. he had celebrated oracles. He had several names: Pythius, already mentioned; Delius, from the island Delos, where he was born; Cynthius, from Cynthus, the name of a mountain on the same island; Paan, from a Greek word which signifies to strike, or wound, in allusion to his killing the Python; Delphicus, from Delphi, in Phocis, where he had his most famous temple and oracle; Clavus, &c. He was called Phabus, or Sol, in heaven. There were several among the ancients, who went under the name of Apollo. Cicero mentions three, besides the son of Jupiter and Latona. 11. Hoc decus avi: this glory of the age, i.e. this glorious age, shall commence in your consulship. 12. Magni menses. Servius and Pompo nius think we are to understand the months of July and August, because they bore the names of Julius and Augustus. But we are undoubtedly to understand the magni menses here, in the same manner and sense, oks suure destas h to how 15 as magnus ordo saclorum, verse 5, supra. Pollio. A very distinguished Roman. He arrived to the highest honors that the people could bestow. He was appointed Præfectus of Hispania Ulterior by Julius Cæsar. On some occasion or other, being in Cis-alpine Gaul, he became acquainted with Virgil, for whom he conceived a very high regard, and recommended him to Mæcenas, who was then at Rome. A way was thus opened to our poet for the recovery of his lands. In the year of Rome, 714, Pollio was appointed consul, and in the following year he triumphed over the Partheni, a people of Illyricum, who adhered to the party of Brutus and Cassius. He wrote the history of the civil wars, and was both a poet and orator. He died in the eightieth year of his age, and in the year of Rome, 757. 13. Siqua vestigia, &c. The poet here alludes, most probably, to the perjury of Laomedon, king of Troy; to which the Trojans attributed their misfortunes and calamities. See Geor. I. 502; or to the civil wars which were carried on between Cæsar and Pompey. Or lastly, to the death of Julius Cæsar, who was slain by Brutus in the senate house; which was the cause of a second civil war, between Brutus and Cassius on the one part, and Octavius and Anthony on the other. It terminated in the ruin of the Republic, and in the establishment of the Empire. 14. Irrita: being effaced, or done away, will free the earth, &c. Irrita, of in negativum, and ratus; agreeing with vestigia. 15. Ille accipiet vitam: he shall partake the life of the gods, &c. Here is an allusion to the Golden Age, when, the poets say, the gods had familiar intercourse with men, and dwelt on the earth. That happy period was again about to return. 17. Reget, &c. He shall rule the peaceful world by his father's virtues. Meaning that the child should arrive at the highest honors of the state, that is, should be a consul. Or, he shall rule the world, reduced to peace by his father's virtues. Pollio and Mecenas effected a reconciliation between Octavius and Anthony, which gave hope of a lasting peace. Orbem here means the Roman Empire; which, in the height of its greatness, comprehended the greater part of the world that was then known. the bone, and rule the winkel He was to be born of the Viby. mentioned & probaidy ham a the fra latin ཐ At tibi prima, puer, nullo munuscula cultu, NOTES. 19. Baccare. Baccar, a sweet herb called by some ladies-glove; by others, clown-spikenard. Colocasia: Egyptian beans. Acantho: the herb called bear's-foot. It has a long and broad leaf. 23. Cunabula ipsa: the cradle itselfthe very cradle. Blandos: in the sense of jucundos. 24 Serpens occidet: the serpent shall die. This is a very remarkable passage. The Messiah was promised to bruise the head of the serpent, Gen. Ch. iii. 15th verse. Fallar herba veneni: the deceiving herb of poison shall die-every herb whose poisonous quality is not known. For if it were known, no person would meddle with it, and consequently none would be deceived. AmoSee Ecl. iii. 89. mum. 28. Molli: ripe. For the fields do not grow yellow till the approach of harvest. Arista: corn-an ear of corn. 29. Sentibus: thorn-bushes. 31. Tamen pauca, &c. We may here observe the several gradations of the GoldWith the birth of the child it en Age. commenced: Cunabula fundent flores. During the years of his youth, the earth is to bring forth abundantly. There is to be no want of any thing: Campus flavescet, &c. All vestiges of former crimes, however, were not done away. Some traces of the Iron Age were to be visible in the conduct and actions of men: Qua jubeant, &c. But when he has arrived to years of full maturity, then the earth is to produce all things spontaneously: Omnis tellus feret omnia; and the Golden Age is to appear 20 25 30 35 21 18. At tellus fundet prima munuscula tibi, O puer, nullo cultu, nempe, errantes hederas passim cum baccare, coloasiaque mixtar identi acantho. 26. At simul jam poteris legere laudes heroum, et facta parentis, et 32. Quæ jubeant homines tentare Thetim ratibus; quæ jubeant illos cingere oppida muris; et quæ jubeant illos infindere sulcos telluri. in all its felicity and glory. Fraudis: in 32. Thetim. Thetis, a goddess of the sea, the daughter of Nereus and Doris. Jupiter fell in love with her, and determined to marry her; but being informed by Prometheus of a decree of the fates, that she should bear a son who should be greater than his father, he desisted from his purpose. Whereupon Peleus, king of Thessaly, took her to wife, and of her begat Achilles. Thetis,by meton. is put for the sea in this place. 34. Tiphys. The name of the pilot of the ship Argo. It was so called, either from Argus, the architect; or from Argivi, Greeks, a whom it carried. It was built at Pegase, a promontory and town of Thessaly. Hence sometimes called navis Pegasaa. 35. Delectos heroas: chosen heroes.These were noble Greeks, chiefly of Thessaly. They were about fifty in number, and went to Colchis in the ship Argo, to bring away the golden fleece, which was guarded by a dragon, and bulls breathing fire. Jason commanded the expedition. Castor, Pollux, Hercules, Theseus, Orpheus, Zeles, and Calois, accompanied him. The crew collectively was called Argonauta. See nom. prop. under Jason. 36. Achilles-Trojam-Argo-Tiphys.These are here put for any hero, any city, any ship, any pilot. 38. Nec nautica pinus, &c. Nor shall the naval pine exchange commodities--carry on traffic. Pinus is here put for a ship made of that tree, by meton. Vector: the mariCedet: shall leave, or abandon. ner. Mutabit merces: omnis feret omnia tellus. 43. Sed aries ipse in Ipse sed in pratis aries jam suavè rubenti pratis mutabit vellera Murice, jam croceo mutabit vellera luto! jam suave rubenti mu- Sponte sua sandyx' pascentes vestiet agnos. rice, jam 46. Parcæ concordes Talia sæcla suis dixerunt, currite, fusis stabili numine fatorum Concordes stabili fatorum numine Parcæ. dixerunt suis fusis, O Aggredere, ô, magnos, aderit jam tempus, honores, talia sæcla, currite. O Clara Deûm soboles, magnum Jovis incrementum ! clara soboles Deûm, magnum incrementum Aspice convexo nutantem pondere mundum, Jovis, aggredere mag- Terrasque, tractusque maris, cœlumque profundum : nos honores Aspice, venturo lætentur ut omnia sæclo. 53. O ultima pars O mihi tam longæ maneat pars ultima vitæ, tam longæ vitæ maneat Spiritûs et, quantùm sat erit tua dicere facta ! 40 45 50 mihi, et tantùm spiritûs, Non me carminibus vincet, nec Thracius Orpheus, 55 quantum Nec Linus: huic mater quamvis, atque huic pater adsit, Orphei Calliopea, Lino formosus Apollo. Pan etiam Arcadiâ mecum si judice certet, Pan etiam Arcadiâ dicat se judice victum. Incipe, parve puer, risu cognoscere matrem : 60 Clara Dum sobolente examed offspring of thee Godo. great son of Jove, enter upon the great tumors!! 42. Lana discet, &c. Nor shall the wool learn to counterfeit various colours. " NOTES. 44. Murice. Murex, a sea-fish of the shell kind. It is said to have been of great use among the ancients for dying purple. Hence, by meton. put for the purple colour itself. Crocco: an adj. from crocum, or crocus, saffron. Luto: the Lutum was an herb used in dying yellow. Hence the colour itself, by meton. Modern botanists describe it under the name of luteola, wild-woad, and dyer's weed. It is used in colouring both wool and silk. Mutabit: shall tinge, or dye. 45. Sandyx: the scarlet colour--vermilion. 46. Fusis to their spindles. 47. Parce. They were the daughters of Erebus and Nox, and said to be three in number: Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos. They were supposed to preside over the birth, life and death of mankind. The first was represented as presiding over the moment of birth, and holding a distaff in her hand; the second, as spinning out the events and actions of human life; the last as cutting the thread of it with a pair of scissors. They were considered powerful goddesses, and were worshipped with great solemnity. Stabili numine: in the fixed purpose or decree. Clara. Some copies have cara.Magnum incrementum: great son of Jove. 48. Aggredere. Rumus says accede. 50. Aspice mundum: see the world with its globous mass or load, nodding (reeling to and fro) both the land, &c. Dr. Trapp takes convero pondere in the sense of conreai ponderis, and connects it with mundum, and not with nutantem, as is commonly done. For he observes, that it is impossible for the earth to reel to and fro or nod, with its own weight or load. He chooses, therefore, to understand it of the load of its guilt and misery: mole malorum, vitiorumque; but rejoicing at the happy change about to be introduced, which is expressed in the next line: omnia lætentur sæclo futuro. Some explain the words, aspice mundum, &c., look with compassion upon a world, nutantem mole malorum vitiorumque: labouring and oppressed with a load of guilt and misery. Ut: in the sense of quomodo. 55. Non vincet. Non appears to be used in the sense of nullus. No one shall excel me in singing, neither Thracian, &c. 56. Linus. He was the son of Apollo and Terpsichore, one of the muses. He was an excellent musician, and the preceptor of Orpheus and Hercules. He is said to have been killed by the latter, by a stroke of his lyre, because he laughed at his singing. Quamvis mater Calliopea adsit, &c. Although the mother Calliopea should assist this Orpheus; and fair Apollo, the father, should assist this Linus. Orphei: a Greek dat. of Orpheus. 59. Arcadia judice: Arcadia being judge. Arcadia was an inland country of the Peloponnesus; famous for its excellent pastures. The whole of it was sacred to Pan. See Ecl. ii. 31. 60. Risu cognoscere, &c. Begin, sweet boy, to know thy mother by her smiles. Matri longa decem tulerunt fastidia menses. NOTES. Will the demigods were ten monti chulden This is the sense which Ruæus and some others give to risu. But Dr. Trapp takes it otherwise, applying it to the boy. Begin to know and acknowledge thy mother by smiling on her; as a kind of recompense for the pains she endured for thy sake. 61. Fastidia: qualms, as of a woman with child. Longa: tedious-without intermission. Decem menses: ten months brought to your mother, &c. 62. Cui parentes non risere, &c. It is plain the poet here intends a threat of some 63. Nec Deus dignatus est hunc mensâ kind to the child. But upon the nature or extent of the threat, commentators are not agreed. It is generally thought that reference is here made to verse 15, where the babe was promised divine honors: ille accipiet vitam Deorum; and lest he should fail of it, the poet urges him to smile upon his parents, that in turn they might smile upon him. For, on whom his parents have not smiled, him hath a god neither honoured with his table, nor a goddess with her bed. Thus Dr. Trapp. QUESTIONS. What is the subject of this pastoral? In what light has it been considered by some? Are there any passages in it which have a resemblance to the prophecies of our Saviour, as contained in the scriptures? Was the poet divinely inspired? At what age did the son of Pollio die? Do some suppose the poet celebrates the birth of Marcellus? Who was this Marcellus? To what age did he live? Who were the Sibyls? How many does Varro mention? Of these, which was the most distinguished? Where did she reside? What does Justin Martyr say of her residence? Who was Saturn? What is said of him? Whence did Latium derive its name? How did Saturn employ his time after his banishment to Italy? How many ages do the poets mention before the deluge in the reign of Deucalion? Describe those ages? Who was Apollo? What is said of him? For what was he banished from heaven? What did he then do? Where were his most celebrated oracles? What were his names? Who was Pollio? To what honors did he arrive? Was it through his means that Virgil recovered his land? In what way? To what age did he live? Who were the Parce? How many in number? What was their supposed office? ECLOGA QUINTA. MENALCAS, MOPSUS. THE subject of this excellent pastoral is the death of some eminent person under the character of Daphnis. But concerning the person intended, there have been various conjectures. It is most probable the poet had in view Julius Caesar, who was killed in the senate-house by Brutus; and afterwards enrolled among the Roman deities. By Menalcas, we are to understand Virgil; and by Mopsus, some poet of reputation, who probably had been Virgil's pupil., Ruæus thinks it was written when some games or sacrifices were performed in honor of ral is properly divided into two parts-the Lamentation at his death, and his Deification, or Apotheosis. 1. O Mopse, quoniam ME.CUR non, Mopse, boni quoniam convenimus ambo, nos convenimus unà, Tu calamos inflare leves, ego dicere versus, ambo boni; tu bonus inflare leves calamos, Hic corylis mixtas inter consedimus ulmos? 5 ego bonus dicere versus ; Mo. Tu major: tibi me est æquum parere, Menalca :~ cur non consedimus hic Sive sub incertas Zephyris motantibus umbras, inter ulmos mixtas cory- Sive antro potiùs succedimus: aspice, ut antrum Sylvestris raris sparsit labrusca racemis. lis? 5. Sub imus umbras incertas motantibus.6. Aspice ut sylvestris labrusca sparsit ME. Montibus in nostris solus tibi certet Amyntas. Mo. Quid si idem certet Phœbum superare canendo? ME. Incipe, Mopse, prior, si quos aut Phyllidis ignes, 9. Idem Amyntas certet Aut Alconis habes laudes, aut jurgia Codri. NOTES. 1. Boni: skilful-expert. An adj. agreeing with nos, understood. 4. Major. Thou art the older: or it may mean, my superior, in singing. 5. Umbras: shades. By meton. put for the trees causing them. Incertas: waving -moving to and fro. 7. Sylvestris labrusca. Simply, the wildvine. Raris racemis: with thin bunches of grapes-its bunches scattered here and there. 10. Si habes aut quos ignes: if you have either any loves of Phyllis, or, &c. She was the daughter of Lycurgus, king of Thrace, and fell in love with Demophoon, the son of Theseus, king of Athens, on his return from the Trojan war. He went home to settle some business, and tarrying longer than the time appointed for their nuptials, Phyllis, imagining herself neglected, hung herself, and was changed into a leafless almond-tree. Demophoon afterwards returned, and on his embracing the 11 tree, it put forth leaves. Ignis: by meton. love; also the object loved." 11. Alconis. Gen. of Alcon, a celebrated archer of Crete. He aimed an arrow so truly at a serpent, entwined around the body of his son, that he killed him without injuring the child Jurgia Codri: the strife or contentions of Codrus. He was the son of Menander, and the last king of Athens. given out by an oracle that victory should In a war with the Lacedemonians, it was be on that side, whose king was slain. In the mean time the enemy had given strict charge not to hurt the Athenian king. Being informed of this, as well as of what the oracle had given out, Codrus put on the habit of a peasant, went among the enemy, raised a quarrel, and suffered himself to be slain. As soon as this was known, the Lacedemonians were panic-struck, and the Athenians obtained a complete victory. This noble sacrifice of himself for the good of his country, so endeared his name to them, that they considered no person worthy to succeed him. |