194-6. et librant,' and they often take up little stones, as the unsteady boats take ballast when the waves are tossing; with these they balance themselves mid the light clouds. "Seeing bees flying with little gravel stones, the older naturalists thought that they did so to prevent their being carried away by the wind; but there can be little doubt, that, in these instances, the mason-bee was mistaken for the hive-bee." 197. You will wonder, that this custom has so pleased the bees. 198-9. nec - -solvunt,' nor do they idly enervate their bodies by venery: nixibus,' by parturition.

200-1. Verùin ipse legunt Ore natos,' but they gather with their mouths their young. Modern naturalists have discovered, that Aristotle and Virgil were mistaken in this respect. Bees are produced in the natural way, the queen being the mother of the whole swarm. 203-4. Sæpè Attrivêre,' often also, they bruise their wings in their wanderings on the hard rocks.

206-7. Therefore, that is, on account of their offspring being so easily procured from leaves, and of their own zeal in thus obtaining them, although the boundary of a short life (comes upon) receives them, for not more than the seventh summer (seven years) is allotted to them, yet the race is perpetual. The natural age of bees is not yet clearly ascertained.

210-2. non sic Observant regem,' do not so respect their king. The poet says, that not even the nations most famous for servility are so obsequious towards their sovereign, as the bees. Many nations of the East kissed the ground on approaching their kings, and frequently deified them after death. The Hydaspes is a river of India, though here spoken of as belonging to Media. But Virgil undoubtedly meant the ancient Persian empire, which extended far to the East, and probably included the Hydaspes within its boundaries. 'Rege-est,' the king being safe, all are of one mind.

"These

213-4. Amisso fidem,' he being lost, they dissolve their society: 'et-favorum,' and pull down the structure of their cells. humble creatures cherish their queen, feed her, and provide for her wants. They live only in her life, and die when she is taken away. Her absence deprives them of no organ, paralyzes no limb; yet, in every case, they neglect all their duties for twenty-four hours."

219-21. From these indications, and following these examples of apparent possession of human capacities and emotions, some have said, that bees possess a part of the divine mind, and a celestial emanation. This, with what follows, refers to the doctrine of Pythagoras and Plato, that an anima mundi, or divine principle, pervades all nature and animates all life, on the cessation of which, it returns to its source.

224. And every thing that is born obtains its subtile life.

225-7. Hither, indeed, all are afterwards returned, and, being resolved into their primitive elements, are carried back to it; nor is there any place for death; but living, they fly into the order of the stars, and come to the lofty heavens.

228-30. The poet now gives directions for gathering the honey. 'quando,' for 'aliquando': relines,' you open; a metaphor taken from unsealing an amphora. priùs-sequaces, first cleanse your mouth with a draught of water, spirting it out, and hold before you in your hand the smoky substances, that drive out the bees. The odor of the human breath is offensive to bees, wherefore the poet recommends cleansing the mouth. The interpretation is ambiguous and difficult, the text being probably corrupt.

there are two pe

231-5. Toice they collect the abundant produce,· riods for the harvest of honey. As soon as the Pleiad Taygete shows its beautiful face to the earth, and repels with its foot the scorned waters of Ocean; or, when the same Pleiad, flying from the constellation of the watery Fish, descends sadly from the sky into the wintry waves; see

notes to Geor. I. 138, and 221. Taygete was the name of one of the Atlantides. This constellation sets in November, so near the winter, that it is said to go down into the wintry waves. But which constellation is intended by the "watery Fish"? No two commentators agree in answering this question, but each adduces such convincing arguments in favor of his own solution, that they seem to be all right, or rather all wrong. The "Dolphin" is as good a guess as any. nes Oceani'; a Homeric phrase, azɛavoło goάov; properly used here, because 'amnis' is from "ambio,' and the ocean surrounds the earth. At least, so say the commentators.

am

236-8. Their anger is unbounded, and, being offended, they emit poison into the wounds, and, firmly fixed to the veins, they leave behind their hidden darts, and relinquish their lives in the wound." The sheath of the sting sometimes sticks so fast to the wound, that the insect is obliged to leave it behind; this considerably augments the inflammation of the wound, and to the bee itself the mutilation proves fatal."

239. parcesque futuro,' and shall consult for the future; that is, shall spare some of the honey for their future wants. Virgil now enumerates the enemies of the bees.

241. suffire inanes,' to fumigate with thyme, and to cut away the superfluous wax.

'et

243-4. The 'Stellio' is a small spotted lizard; ignotus,' because it creeps about secretly and unobserved. - blattis, and the restingplaces are filled with beetles that avoid the light. Immunis,' lazy: aliena, belonging to others. Stell' yet'; Gr. § 306. (4.) 245-7. crabro,' the hornet, which is larger and stronger than the bee. 'tineæ,' moths, like those found among clothes. 'aut- casses,'

or the spider, hated by Minerva, hangs her spacious webs at the doors. Arachne, whence aranea' is derived, a maiden of Lydia, challenged Minerva to a trial of skill at embroidery. The goddess struck her and destroyed her work, whereupon she killed herself. Then Minerva relented, and changed her into a spider.

248-9. The more they are deprived of their honey, the more do all apply themselves to repair the losses of their unfortunate race. It was bad policy to leave all to the bees, as abundance made them idle. 250. foros, originally, the gangways of a ship; here, it means the cells of the bees: horrea,' the combs, in which honey is stored, like grain in barns.

251. nostros casus,' our misfortunes, the diseases incident to men. 254-5. horrida-macies,' ghastly leanness disfigures their aspect: 'carentum luce,' of those deprived of the light of life; of the dead.

257. This is the common way in which the bees repose, and is therefore erroneously mentioned as a sign of disease. "It is curious to observe their mode of rest; four or five cling to a part of the hive, and extend their hind legs, whence others suspend themselves by their own forefeet. These do the same neighbourly turn for another line, and thus, at all times, either bunches or festoons of bees may be seen reposing.' -Nat. Hist. of Insects.

259-63. contracto frigore,' by hypallage, for 'contractæ frigore.' 'tractimque susurrant,' and make a continued hum. 'quondam,' in the sense of aliquando': 'Auster'; put for any wind whatever: Utundis, as the vexed sea resounds, the waves flowing back upon it; that is, dashed back from the shore. The three lines are closely imitated from Homer; see the Iliad, XIV. 394 -9. In the Greek poet, the shouts arising from the desperate conflict of two large armies are finely compared to the roar of the winds, the ocean, and the flames of a burning forest. Here, the constant hum of bees is to be illustrated, and the comparisons appear too ambitious, though beautifully expressed. 264. galbaneos'; see note to Geor. III. 415.

266. 'fessas,' 'apes' understood; the languid, or diseased bees.

267. 'gall,' gall-nut, possessing astringent properties: admiscere," to mix with the honey thus furnished to the bees.

269. 'Defruta'; new wine boiled down, with sweet herbs in it: passos,' from 'pando,' 'racemos,' bunches of grapes dried in the sun, raisins. Psithiâ'; see Geor. II. 93. It was a Greek vine.

270-5. Cecropium'; see note to line 177. 'centaurea,' the herb centaury; so called, because the centaur Chiron cured with it a wound accidentally inflicted by an arrow of Hercules. 'amello'; Gr. § 204. Rem. 8; starwort, aster Atticus: facilis quærentibus,' easily found by those who search for it: 'ingentem sylvam'; that is, a number of stems; 'uno de cespite'; Martyn explains this, as one fibrous root, the fibres of which, thickly matted together, form a sort of turf. 'quæ - Funduntur,' which are thrown out round it in great numbers. The central part of the flower is round and yellow, and from this radiate slender purple leaves.

276-8.nexis torquibus,' with garlands woven of it, that is, with festoons: tonsis,' where the grass has been cropped by sheep: 'Mellæ'; a river of northern Italy, near Brescia.

279. Seethe its roots in fragrant wine; that is, in good wine. 281-4. Virgil now goes on to explain the mode of obtaining a fresh supply of bees, when the former ones are entirely lost. quem,' for 'aliquem': 'proles, stock. Tempus - Pandere,' it is time to describe the remarkable discovery of the Arcadian bee-master; that is, of Aristæus, whose story is about to be told. The accuracy with which Virgil appears to have observed the habits of bees, as I have shown by comparing his account with citations from modern naturalists, makes it the more astonishing, that he could believe the silly fable, here given, respecting the mode of obtaining swarms by spontaneous generation. The method is as follows: a calf is to be killed in a very cruel manner, by sewing up its mouth and nostrils, and beating it. The carcass is then left, till the inward parts decay, and herbs of which bees are fond being put round the hide and bones, they are placed in a solitary shed built for the purpose. The theory was, that bees would be generated from the putrefying mass, and thus new swarms could be obtained. Wild bees, that take any small opening, generally the hollow of a decayed tree, as a place for depositing their combs, very probably may sometimes apply to such a purpose the cavity within the skeleton of some quadruped. The reader will remember the story in Holy Writ, where Samson finds a swarm of bees and honey in the carcass of the lion, which he had slain: see Judges, xiv. 5-10. Observing such instances, and seeing also the great number of insects about any decaying animal matter, the ancients probably supposed, that bees might thus be generated spontaneously. The only wonder is, that experience did not convince them of their error.

285-6. Insincerus,' corrupted by decay. omnem famam,' the whole story: repetens altiùs,' tracing it far back.

287. fortunata'; fortunate on account of the richness of their soil. Canopus was a city of Egypt, at the west angle of the Delta. It was called Pellean Canopus, from Pella, the chief city of Macedonia, where Alexander was born, because it was situated near Alexandria. 238-9. In the annual overflow of the Nile, to which lower Egypt owes its fertility, the water beyond the channel of the river is nearly stagnant. During the inundation, the inhabitants go about over their grounds in boats. 'pictis faselis,' in painted boats, such as were used by the ancient Egyptians.

290-3. In this order; Quâque amnis (Nilus,) devexus usque ab coloratis Indis, urget vicinia pharetratæ Persidis, et fœcundat,' &c.; and where the river, coming down even from the country of the dark-colored Indians, (that is, from the Ethiopian country,) bounds the regions contiguous to the quiver-bearing Persia, and fertilizes verdant Egypt with its

mud, and pouring along divides itself into seven distinct mouths. 'vicinia' is here the accusative plural from vicinium.' Persia is here taken in its widest sense, for the great Persian empire, which, under Cyrus the Great, extended as far as Egypt. The epithet "quiver-bearing seems to refer to the Parthians, famous for archery, who formed a part of that empire. Ethiopia was considered a part of India by the Romans. " nigra arenâ,' the mud, which the Nile leaves behind it. 294. This whole country places its confident hope of remedy in this art of obtaining bees from the carcasses of animals. The last seven lines have greatly perplexed the commentators, but, with the explanation above given, the sense appears sufficiently clear. Virgil means, that this mode of obtaining bees was practised by all the natives of lower Egypt, or the Delta, -even from its western angle, where Canopus was situated, to the eastern angle, where it bordered on the Persian empire, and thence to the southern angle, where the Nile divides itself into seven branches.

'hunc

295-8. ipsos usus,' made small for this very purpose: fenestras, they inclose this space with the gutter-shaped arch of a small roof, and with narrow walls; and they add four windows, receiving a slanting light from the four winds; that is, from the four cardinal points. 300. spiritus oris,' the breath of his mouth, instead of his mouth. 301. Multa reluctanti,' resisting strenuously: plagis perempto,' killed by beating.

302. The crushed entrails decay under the whole skin.

305. This is done, when the west winds first ruffle the waves; that is, early in February.

309-11. Estuat,' ferments: Trunca-primo,' at first without feet; this seems to indicate a partial knowledge of the successive transformations of insect life: aera carpunt,' like 'viam carpunt'; they endeavour to fly.

313-4. aut Parthi,' or like arrows from the propelling string, whenever the agile Parthians make a beginning of battle.

Unde- cepit,'

315-7. 'extudit,' hammered out, that is, invented. whence did this new experience (knowledge gained by experience) of men take its rise? 'Penela Tempe'; see note to Geor. II. 469. The river Peneus flows through the vale of Tempe. Aristæus was the son of Apollo and the nymph Cyrene, the daughter of the river Peneus. He invented the arts of curdling milk, managing bees, and cultivating olives. The remainder of this Georgic is occupied with a digression, in which a passage of his life, including the story of Orpheus and Eurydice, is narrated at length. Donatus says, that this episode was introduced by Virgil in place of a passage in praise of Gallus, which was expunged when that person incurred the displeasure of Augustus. But this story is very problematical. Aristaus, going to the source of the river Peneus, makes a bitter complaint to his mother, that he had lost all his bees by disease and famine. She hears his moan in her cavern under the waves, where she was occupied with her attendant nymphs in domestic labor, and by her command the waters divide, and open a passage for Aristæus. He comes down to the watery palace, and is entertained and consoled by Cyrene.

Tristis —

318-9. ut fama,'' est' understood; as the report goes. amnis,' stood mournful at the sacred source of the rising stream. 322-5. Ima tenes, who occupiest the depths: quid genuisti me, Invisum fatis, præclarâ stirpe deorum?' 'Si-Apollo,' if indeed, as you declare, Thymbræan Apollo is my father; an epithet of Apollo, derived from Thymbra, a city of the Troad, where a temple was consecrated to him. aut. amor, or whither has your love for me departed, or been driven away? 326-8. In this order; En etiam relinquo hunc ipsum honorem,' &c. 'te matre,' though you, a goddess, are my mother, yet I suffer this

loss. 'Quem - extuderat,' which the diligent care of fruits and cattle had hardly obtained for me, when I had tried all expedients.

329. Go on, then, and with your own hand root up my pleasant woods. The position and speech of Aristaus seem to be closely imitated from the complaint of Achilles to Thetis in the Iliad.

334-5. 'Carpebant,' were spinning: Milesia vellera,' Milesian wool; see note to Geor. III. 306: hyali colore,' a glass-green color. 337. Their shining hair spread over their white necks; Gr. § 234, II. 338. The ancient poets, Ovid particularly, seem to have taken great delight in stringing together proper names in verse. These are of Greek origin, and are all significant, but the task of explanation is a needless one.

་

340-1. The other having just experienced the first pains of child-birth ; the goddess for the thing presided over. 'Oceanitides ambæ;' these two only were daughters of Ocean. The others were simply Nereids. 343-4. Asia; an adjective; Deropea came from the Asia palus;' see note to Geor. I. 383. And swift Arethusa, having at last laid aside her arrows. She was a huntress, before she was changed into a fountain; see note to Ecl. X. 4.

345-6. A pleasing picture of the life of these nymphs. They were occupied in spinning wool under the eye of their mistress, while one of the band entertained the others by telling stories. ' curam inanem,' the bootless anxiety of Vulcan, who, having detected his spouse Venus in an amour with Mars, confined them both in a net, and exposed them to the derision of the other gods. 'inanem,' because he only published his own disgrace thereby.

347-9. And enumerated the frequent amours of the gods even from Chaos; that is, from the beginning of things. 'Carmine Devolvunt,' while, pleased with this song, they wind off the soft wool on their spindles, the complaint of Aristæus is heard by them, and Arethusa runs up to learn the cause of the outcry.

352.summâ undâ,' raised her golden-haired head above the wave. 354-6.ipse- lacrymans,' the sad Aristaus himself, your chief care, (he whom you most love,) stands weeping near the waters of your father Peneus: nomine dicit,' for 'nominat.'

·

357-60. Huic,' to her; that is, to Arethusa, mater ait.' 'Duc - ait,' haste, bring him, she said, bring him to me; it is lawful for him to enter the habitation of the gods; because he was of divine origin. gressus inferret,' might enter.

362. misitque,' and permitted him to pass.

363-4. In these beautiful lines, which show a greater play of fancy and imagination, than we often find in Virgil, the aim of the poet seems to be, to describe, in very general terms, a vast reservoir of waters beneath the earth, where the nymphs and sea-gods had their shining green palaces, and all streams and fountains their head-quarters, each going forth by its separate orifice, and attended by its guardian deity. Speluncis—sonantes,' waters shut up in cavernous receptacles, and sounding groves of marine plants.

367-70. diversa locis,' each in its own place. Phasis and Lycus are rivers of Armenia, that empty into the Black sea. 'Et caput,' and the source, fountain. The Enipeus is a river of Thessaly, that waters the plain of Pharsalia. The Hypanis is now called the Bog. The Calcus is a river of Mysia. The Tiber and Anio are sufficiently known.

371-2. With the face of a bull having two gilded horns, under which form the Po was personified. The violence of this stream has been celebrated in all time.

374-7. Postquam Perventum est,' when he had arrived; Gr. § 205. Rem. 18. thalami - tecta,' the hanging ceiling of her chamber constructed of pumice stone: fletus inanes,' idle lamentation; that is, grief excited by a slight cause. 'liquidos fontes,' pure water: tonsis villis,'