50-82]

27

-50. Inserat has for its object here ea, or excellence is inherent in the soil.the trees that receive the graft, as below in 69, not the scions that are inserted into the tree, as in 33; for the verb is used with the same freedom as "graft" in English; thus, we find either inserere arborem surculo, or inserere surculum in arborem; graft with or graft into. Mandet mutata, shift -52. Quascumque voles artis, and commit; i. e., taken together, transplant.Voces is the more usual reading, instead any artificial methods whatsoever." of voles. -53. Sterilis; supply arbor, suggested by the context. The unfruitful tree formed from the sucker sprouting from the bottom of the trunks (stirpibus ab imis), or from the crown of the roots, will also repay the labor -54. Hoc refers to exuerint silvestrem of transplanting and diligent culture.animum, etc. -55. Comp. 19. Nunc; as it is situated before transplanting. -56. Fetus; either the fruit, which it would have produced in a more favorable situation, or, with Ladewig, its growth. Comp. VI, 207.57. -59. Oblita is used with Iam, now; marking the transition to another fact.the ablative by Vergil only here.-60. Praedam fert; for it is left ungathered, as worthless.

61-82. At any rate (scilicet), no kind will thrive without careful cultivation, while the same process is not suitable alike for all; the olive is best multiplied by sections of the trunk (corticibus sectis, truncis), the vine by layers (propaginibus), the myrtle by sets (solido de robore, stirpibus, sudibus, vallis); the hazel, ash, and other forest-trees by suckers or scions (plantis, summo cacumine); many by grafting with scions or with buds (inserere, oculos imponere).

62. Multa mercede, at much outlay of labor. Domandae, to be improved or trained in form and "habit" of growth; the same idea as exuerint silvestrem animum.- -64. Solido de robore seems to refer to the method by sets (see 24); if so, the myrtle may have been treated successfully in two ways. See on 30. Paphiae. The myrtle was sacred to Venus, the patron goddess of Paphos.66. Herculeae coronae. Sec E. VII, 61. Hercules brought as a trophy from Hades the silver poplar, which thus became sacred to him. 67. Chaonii patris; Jupiter, to whom especially the oaks of Dodona in -68. Nascitur; supply plantis. Casus Chaonia were sacred. See G. I, 8. visura marinos because the fir was so frequently used for ship-building.69. Inseritur; as in 50, not as in 33. Horrida; of the rough bark of the ar-70. Platani; supply insiti; so, also, with the butus, or strawberry-tree.following nominatives. For illustration of the plane-tree, see on Ge. IV, 146.71. Castaneae; genitive, to be joined with flore. The last syllable of fagus is lengthened by the ictus.-73. Inserere, imponere, for the mood, see on G. I, 213.-74-77. These lines describe the process of inoculating or budding.- -76. Nodo; the knot or swelling produced by the bud on the bark. In this a vertical slit is made, and one transversely at the top of it; so that the bark may be easily opened to receive the inserted bud cut from another tree.76. Huc, into this or in this. Comp. Ae. II, 18.——77. Udo, juicy; filled with nourishing sap.-78-82. Description of grafting by scions.- -78. Resecantur, are cut back or off; leaving a stock or stump of the branch or of the sapling-tree to receive the scions or grafts (plantae). Alte, far down; i. e., relatively to the length of the grafting-stock.Cuneis. A cleft is made with wedges, and kept open until the scions are set in.-80-82. Ingens, etc. The trunk throws all its nourishment into the slender grafts, and, with their rapid growth, becomes a mighty tree, especially in contrast with the small scions, which have so soon produced its new and spreading top; and it is now loaded with fruit not natural to itself (non sua).

-79.

83-135. Diversity of trees: first, as regards kinds (genera) of the same family (83-108); second, as to their preference for different soils and situations (109-113);

third, as to their affinities for different climates, countries, and regions of the world (114-185).

83. Genus; not, of course, in any strictly scientific or technical sense. 84. Loto not the water-lotus, or lily of the Nile, nor the leguminous plant called lotus in G. III, 394; but a lotus-tree, of which there are several kinds, all bearing fruit; perhaps the "jujube," a low tree kindred to the buckthorn, and of about the same size. Idaeis; the specific term as a general epithet.-86. The last syllable of radii is retained in the scanning of this verse. See on Ge. I, 437. Amara; because the pausia olive was gathered when green.-87. Poma here in its general sense for all edible treefruits. que, for neque. Aloinoi silvae is added to poma as the summing up of all tree-fruits; for the garden of Alcinous, described in Homer, Odyss. VII, 114-121, became proverbial as the most perfect of all that were ever known. Surculus, scion; by metonymy for genus. 89. Arboribus; here, the trees on which vines are trained.- -93. Tennis, thin; or, perhaps, subtle, quickly penetrating the veins. -94. Olim, hereafter; when its fruit shall have been converted into wine. 96. Nec ideo contende; "and yet, do not presume on that account (namely, because I praise you) to rival," etc.-98. Tmolius, Phanaeus; substantively for Tmolian and Phanaean wine; in imitation of such Greek forms as Xios, Aéoßios, etc., substantively, where olvos was originally expressed. Rex, king of wines. Comp. G. I, 482. Adsurgit quibus. Each of them, though famous, yields the palm (rises up\

with reverence for) to the Italian Aminaean. Comp. E. VI, 66.-99. Argitis minor; a white grape of Argos, so called to distinguish it from another Argive grape called Argitis maior. Supply cst.-100. Fluere, durare (certaverit), can vie in abundance of flowing juice, or in durability (of strength

and flavor); the infinitives being equivalent to ablatives modifying certave rit, on which they depend.-101. Dis, etc. At the second table or course, wine was brought on, and the drinking commenced with a libation or thankoffering to the gods. Comp. Ae. I, 736, and n.-103, 104. Neque est numerus; nor does any number exist, or "no number can express," how many, etc.-110. Fluminibus, paludibus; ablative of situation; better than the dative. Comp. E. VII, 66, where in is expressed with fluviis, and is used like English "on." The European alder, unlike our American shrub, or low tree of that species, grows to the size of a forest-tree.-112. Myrtetis laetissima seems to mean at once "most abundant in" and "most charming with myrtle-groves." The margin of the water stimulates the myrtles to the most vigorous growth, and is also the place where they best adorn the landscape. See on Ge. I, 306.-114. Orbem, part, or region of the world.115. Pictos Gelonos; like the Agathyrsi, a kindred tribe. See Dictionary, and Ae. IV, 146.- -116. Divisae arboribus patriae, native countries, or their own countries are distributed to trees; every tree has its own native land. Sola. Either the language is inexact, as the ebony grows also in Africa, or India is used here as in G. IV, 292, where Indi are put for Aethiopians.117. Solis Sabaeis. Comp. Ge. I, 57. Turea virga. Branch of the frankin

cense-tree.

Frankincense.

118. Odorato. Strictly, it is the gum, and not the wood, that is fragrant.- -119. Balsama; a fragrant gum obtained from a shrub or small tree peculiar to Palestine, Arabia, and Abyssinia. -que-et; so que atque, G. I, 182. Bacas acanthi. Probably the pods of the Egyptian acanthus, or evergreen acacia, are here intended by "berries"; by some it is referred to the drops of gum, or gum-Arabic, exuding from the bark. For the herbaceous or mollis acanthus and the acanthus spinosus, see illustration on Ge. IV, 128.120. Nemora-lana; of the cotton plant or shrub.-121. Vellera ut depectant Seres, how the Seres comb off the fleecy webs. As the silkworm had not yet been introduced into Europe (it was first brought to the West

in the time of Justinian), Vergil supposes that the silk material was a vegetable fiber gathered or combed from the leaves of trees. Tenuia in this verse

is a dissyllable.122. Oceano propior; nearer to the ocean than the Seres, who are conceived of, not as we think of the Seres or Chinese, but as an

inland people. The Arabian or Indian Ocean was supposed to bound the Eastern world.-123. Sinus indicates the winding coasts of India; the word is often applied to irregular border tracts of land, either in the interior or on the coast. -123, 124. Ubi, etc. This would be easily true if any trees of India equaled the height of the great trees of California or Australia.124. Potuere; the perfect as in G. I, 49.- -125. Sumptis, etc.; not wanting in force, by no means powerless when they take the arrows in hand; being, like all Orientals, skillful archers.—127. Felicis mali, of the healing apple. Martyn thinks it is the citron of Media.-129. This verse may have been interpolated by some copyist from G. III, 283. Miscuerunt here shortens the penultimate syllable.131. Ipsa the tree itself as distinguished from its fruit, to which the attention has been drawn.-133. Erat; a lively substitute for esset. See H. 511, 1; A.-808, c; M. 348, obs.

136-176. But, while other lands have their gifts, no land can vie with Italy-teeming with its harvests, and with the fruits of the vine and the olive (186–144); rich in herds and flocks (144-148); blessed with a genial climate, that yields twice a year the fruit both of flock and field (149, 150); free from noxious animals and plants (131-154); studded with well-built towns on her hills and rivers (155–157); commanding on either side the commerce of great seas (158); possessing beautiful lakes, well-constructed ports, and mines of silver and copper (159-166); the nurse of warlike tribes and of great captains (167-172); fruitful not less in her brave yeomanry than her abundant crops; may her sons listen to the teaching of the poet (178-176) !

136. Medorum. The Parthians had succeeded to the empire of the Medes and Persians; the Roman poets constantly use all three designations as synonymous.- -139. Panchaia. Some authorities describe this as an island east of the Arabian coast; others, less accurately, as a sandy region in Arabia itself. Pinguis, rich; i. e., because it abounded in frankincense.

-140. Haec loca, etc.; an allusion to the fabled voyage of the Argonauts. Italy, while not less fertile than Colchis, is not tilled with bullocks breathing fire, like those with which Jason was compelled to plow the field of the Colchian king Aeetes, as a condition of securing the golden fleece.141. Satis dentibus; a dativus commodi:" for the sowing of the teeth," etc. This is the interpretation of Wagner, followed by Forbiger. Others make it an ablut. absol -142. An allusion to the crop of armed men that sprang up from the dragon's teeth.-144. Implevere, tenent. The object is ea, referring to haec loca. Oleae, in the scanning, here retains the diphthong. See on Ge. I, 437. Laeta, prolific; kindred in meaning here to gravidae in 148.

-145, 146. Hinc, hino; rendered by Ruaeus ex una parte, ex alia parte. From one region of Italy comes forth the horse to the battle-field, from another, and most of all from thee, Clitummus, the white cattle and the bullock, greatest of victims. Others understand hinc, in both lines, of Italy: "from this land, from this land," too. White oxen were preferred for sacrifice, and those of the valley of the Clitumnus were proverbial for their beauty.. -148. Duxere. The victims were placed at the head of the triumphal procession that ascended to the front of the temple of Jupiter, on the Capitol, where the sacrifice was offered.-149. Alienis mensibus, in months not its own; months not usually bringing summer weather in other lands, as in Italy.-150. Pomis; dative. Comp. 323.-152. Miseros; proleptic. Aconita. Vergil seems to have been misinformed; as the poisonous wolf's-bane is found in Italy.-153, 154. Immensos, tanto tractu. The snakes of Italy are not formidable, not of enormous size, as those of Africa and Asia. Tractu is an ablative of manner.-155. Operum laborem, vast structures; works built with great labor; referring to fortifications and public buildings. Comp. Ac. I, 455.-156. Saxis; ablative of situation.157. Flumina subterlabentia. Many ancient Italian cities were built and fortified