through the doors, and are commanded to recline on the embroidered couches.

712-4. Especially the unhappy Phænician, (Dido,) destined to a fu ture destructive passion, cannot satisfy her mind, and burns enamored in beholding.

716. And satiated the great love of his supposed father.

717-9. Hæc deus,' she fastens her eyes, her whole heart upon him, and sometimes presses him to her bosom unhappy Dido, not knowing how great a god rested upon her miserable self! miseræ,' sibi' understood. Recollect the position at meals; the boy, being next to Dido, would be nearly in her arms.

720. Matris Acidaliæ; Venus, so called from the fountain Acidalia at Orchomenus in Boeotia, sacred to the Graces. 'abolere Sychoum,' to wipe out the memory of Sychæus.

721 - 2. et corda,' and tries, by a living passion, to acquire a hold on her now long unoccupied affections, and heart unused to love.

724. vina coronant,' adorn with wreaths the wine; or, as others understand it, fill high the wine.

725-7. Fit strepitus'; after the tables were removed, conversation began. dependent Incensi,' lighted lamps hang from the gilded ceilings funalia,' torches. aureis,' a disyllable; Gr. § 306. 729-30.quam- soliti,' implere' understood; which Belus and all the descendants of Belus were accustomed to fill.

731-3. Dido now speaks in solemn invocation; Jupiter, for they say that you give out the laws of, — preside over — hospitality, grant that this may be a joyful day for the Tyrians, and for those who have come from Troy, and that our descendants may long remember it; ‘hujus'; Gr. § 216.

735-6. celebrate faventes'; as we say, favor by your countenance, by your presence. laticum honorem,' poured out a libation of the liquor; that is, let fall a few drops on the table in honor of the gods. 737-8. Prima - increpitans,' and she first, having made the libation, just touched it with her lips, and then gave it to Bitias, inviting him to drink hausit,' eagerly received, not " drank," because that is expressed in the next line.

739.proluit se,' literally, moistened himself with; that is, drank up, emptied pleno auro,' for poculo,' the full cup.

740-1. Then, the other chiefs. Long-haired Iopas, with his gilded harp, sings what the great Atlas had taught him. A customary part of an entertainment, in the heroic age, was a song from the bard; these singers usually wore their hair long, perhaps in imitation of their deity Apollo, who is always represented with full flowing locks. Atlas, an African king, attained a great knowledge of astronomy; a high mountain being named after him gave rise to the fable of his supporting the heavens on his shoulders. He is properly introduced as the instructer of lopas in a song, which treats of the heavenly bodies.

742-3. labores,' eclipses: ignes,' lightning.

744. See notes to Geor. I. 204. 138. and III. 381. 745-6. Repeated from Geor. II. 481-2. See notes.

748-9. noctem trahebat,' prolonged the night: longum-amorem,' and drank deep of love.

751-2. Aurora filius'; that is, Memnon. 'equi'; the horses which Diomed captured from Rhesus; see note to line 469: quantus Achilles'; the great size of Achilles is mentioned by several of the poets. 753-6. But come now, O guest, and tell us from the very beginning: æstas,' the death of your friends and your own wanderings; for the seventh year is now carrying you about, wandering over every land and sea. This long period had elapsed since the destruction of Troy, and Æneas was still a homeless fugitive.

'casus

The story of the Eneid is finely opened in this book, which abounds with incident and change of scene, so that the reader is hurried forward with an interest that never flags. The misfortunes of the hero excite general sympathy, and curiosity is awake to know the history of his previous trials. All the characters are interesting, especially the females. Venus appears more than usually amiable, through her affection for her son; and Dido, lovely in herself, enlists the reader's feelings still further, through the brief hints that are thrown out, of the melancholy fate which awaits her. The composition is as perfect as language will permit. Notice the art with which the most trifling incidents are narrated in harmonious verse, the picture being always exact and complete, and the dignity appropriate to the subject, and to Epic poetry, being constantly preserved

THE ENEID.

BOOK II.

YIELDING to the request of Dido, Æneas begins the story of his misfortunes; and the whole of this book is occupied with his account of the capture and sack of Troy. The Greeks, in the tenth year of the siege, appeared to give up all hope of success, and set sail apparently for home; but they really went to conceal themselves in the neighbouring island of Tenedos. The Trojans go out to view the deserted camp, and find there an immense wooden horse, within which lay concealed a band of armed Greeks. The priest Laocoon in vain tries to dissuade them from removing this machine into the city. Sinon, a pretended deserter from the Greeks, tells them that the horse was built to appease Minerva, who was angry because Ulysses had stolen her image from the city; that it was made large, in order to prevent its introduction within the walls, which it would again render impregnable. Laocoon and his two sons are killed by two monstrous serpents, and the Trojans, considering their fate as a confirmation of Sinon's story, carry the fatal engine into the city, and give themselves up to feasting and rejoicing over their deliverance. When all is quiet at night, Sinon releases the party shut up in the horse, who open the gates, and admit their countrymen, that had returned from Tenedos. The sack of the city begins. Æneas is warned by the ghost of Hector in a dream, starts up on hearing the tumult, and is told by Panthus of the desperate situation of affairs. He collects a small party, and rushes out to the fight, where for a time he is successful. Forcing his way to Priam's palace, he finds it fiercely attacked by the Greeks, who at last force the doors. Priam and his son Polites are killed by Neoptolemus. Æneas returns to his own house, in order to save his father Anchises, who at first refuses to fly, but is at length persuaded by a sign from the gods. Eneas takes him up on his shoulders, and, attended by his wife Creusa and his son, makes his way out of the city. Creusa, lagging behind, is lost, and Eneas, returning to seek her, is met by her ghost, who advises him to fly. He goes back to Mount Ida, and there with his companions prepares to make his escape by sea.

1-2. 'intenti tenebant,' turned their countenances toward him in eager attention: orsus,' est loqui' understood: ab alto toro,' from the lofty couch, on which he was reclining.

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3. O queen, you command me to revive great sorrow.

4-5. ut Danai Eruerint,' by narrating how the Greeks destroyed: 'Trojanas opes,' the Trojan power: 'quæque - vidi,' and all the pitiable occurrences, which I myself saw.

6-8. And in a great part of which I was an actor. What one of the Myrmidons, or the Dolopes, or what soldier of cruel Ulysses, in narrating such things, could refrain from tears? The Myrmidons were the troops of Achilles. The Dolopes, from Thessaly, followed Phenix to the war. Even these foes must weep at the sufferings of the Trojans.

9. Præcipitat,' 'se' understood. The night, as well as the day, was represented by the poets as passing in a chariot over the heavens. 'cadentia,' setting. The night was already far advanced, when Æneas commenced his story.

12-6. Although my mind dreads the recollection of it, and shrinks back with grief, I will begin. 'fatis'; the fates had determined, that Troy should not be taken till the tenth year of the siege. labentibus, having passed away. Instar montis,' in size like a mountain : • abiete,' a trisyllable, as if abyete.'

17-9. They spread a report, that it was built in pursuance of a vow, which they had made for their safe return. 'Votum,' esse' understood. Huc-lateri,' having secretly singled out chosen men- Huc,' for this purpose, they shut them up in its dark interior; 'corpora virum, for viros.'

21. The island of Tenedos is about five miles distant from the Troad, and might therefore be seen from the shore.

23. Now there is only a bay, and a dangerous anchorage for ships. 25. We supposed that they had gone, and had sailed for Mycena, — here put for the whole of Greece; petere vento,' to sail.

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27. Dorica castra '; the Dorians in after times became a powerful people, and their name might well be applied to all Greece. But at this period, they were only a small tribe, and the phrase, the refore, is a partial anachronism.

29. Hic-manus,' here the band of the Dolopes encamped: 'tendebat,' 'tentoria' understood; pitched his tent.

31. A part wonder at the fatal gift to the unmarried Minerva, for whom the horse was reported to be built. This goddess resolutely declined matrimony.

34-5. Either from treachery, or because the fates of Troy now willed it But Capys and those whose minds had more wisdom; 'sententia,' 'erat' understood; Gr. § 226.

so.

36-9. Command them either to throw into the sea the wiles and suspicious gifts of the Greeks; that is, the horse; or to burn it by placing fire beneath. 'terebrare et tentare,' to open and search. The common people, irresolute, were divided between opposite opinions.

41-2.ardens,' eager, in haste: Et procul,' 'clamat' understood; and cries out, while yet far off.

45. Either Greeks lie concealed, shut up in this wooden machine.

47. That is said of the engine, which belongs to the men within it, who will spy out our habitations, and descend from it into the city. From its great height, overtopping the walls, Laocoon suspects that it is intended to be used, as towers were, in besieging a city.

48.Aut error,' or some fraud is concealed in it.

49-51. Whatever it is, I suspect the Greeks, even when offering gifts to the gods. hastam' is the object of Contorsit': 'In - alvum,' against the side of the beast and its belly curved round with jointed work; 'feri,' 'equi' understood.

52-3.stetit caverna,' it stood there quivering, and the hollow recesses of the reverberating abdomen sounded, and gave forth a groan. 54-5. læva' is here united with a different meaning to two nouns; see Gr. § 323. 1. (2.) Joined with fata,' it means adverse; with

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'mens,' infatuated; and if divine fate had not been aaverse, and the mind of the people had not been infatuated. Impulerat,' for the pluperfect subjunctive; he would have induced them: ferro fœdare,' to break open with the axe.

56. An affecting apostrophe, drawn from Æneas by the recollection of the moment, when his country's fate hung equally poised in the balance. Troja' and 'arx' are in the vocative.

57-8. Behold, in the mean time, the Trojan shepherds brought before the king, with loud shouting, a young man having his hands bound behind his back; manus'; Gr. § 234. II.

59-62.qui ultro Obtulerat se ignotum morti,' who had voluntarily given himself up, unknown to them, on their approach, that he might execute this very thing, and open the gates of Troy to the Greeks; being resolute in mind, and prepared for either chance, whether to carry through the stratagem, or to meet certain death.

64-6. Come round in a crowd, and vie with each other in harassing the captive crimine — omnes,' from the fruud of one, learn how deceitful they all are.

71-2. For whom there is nowhere a place among the Greeks, and even the Trojans, also hostile, demand the punishment of death against me; 'supèr,' adverbially; moreover, also.

73. conversi animi,' the minds of the bystanders were changed, and they ceased tormenting him.

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75. That he should tell what message he brought, and what cause of hope he had, now that he was a captive; capto,' illi' understood. 77. fuerit quodcumque,' whatever may happen to me.

79-80. This first I say; if wicked Fortune has made Sinon wretched, it shall not also make him false and deceitful.

81. Fando fortè,' perchance, in some conversation.

82-5. ‘Belidæ Palamedis, of Palamedes, the descendant of Belus. Sinon, by commencing his tale with an account of the misfortunes of this Grecian prince, slain by the treachery of Ulysses, facts well known to the Trojans, gives an appearance of truth to the latter part of his story, which was entirely false. inclyta - Gloria,' renown great in common report: falsà sub proditione,' under a false accusation of treason: 'infando indicio,' by a wicked calumny: 'vetabat,' dissuaded. Ulysses forged letters against him, on the strength of which he was condemned. 6 'Demisère neci,' thrust down to death, killed : cassum lumine, deprived of the light of life; dead. 86-7. My poor father sent me hither to the war, in the first years of the siege, as a companion to him, being his near relative.

91-2.Haud ignota,' well known facts, for every one knew, that the arts of Ulysses had killed him. 'superis-oris,' passed away from this upper world, another phrase to express the death of any one. 'in tenebris, in an obscure situation, keeping quiet and by himself.

94-6. 'demens'; because it was foolish to bring on himself the anger of the artful and powerful Ulysses. fors-tulisset,' if any chance should bring about my safe return: Promisi me ultorem,' I threatened to be the avenger of his death.

97-100. prima labes,' the first cause: 'Criminibus,' allegations 'et-arma,' and, conscious of guilt, to seek for arms, means of protecting himself against Sinon's revenge. 'Calchante ministro,' by the assistance of Calchas, who was the principal soothsayer of the Greeks. Sinon here artfully breaks off the story, conscious that he had excited great curiosity to know the issue.

103. Id est,' and it is enough to hear this, that I am a Greek. 104. The Ithacan wishes this my death, and the sons of Atreus would purchase it at a great price; magno'; Gr. § 252. Rem. 3. Ulysses was king of Ithaca, a small island west of Greece.

107. ficto pectore,' from his lying mind.

110-1. Fecissent utinam,' would that they had done so! 'aspera hiems,' a serere storm: 'ponti,' of the sea, prevailing at sea: Auster'; the south wind would be adverse to a party returning from the Hellespont to Greece. 'euntes,' when about to depart.

112-3. quum-equus,' when already this horse stood here, constructed of maple beams. Sinon here makes only a passing allusion to the horse, knowing that the Trojans would seek to know more.

114-5. Suspensi - Mittimus,' rendered anxious, we send Eurypylus to inquire of the oracle of Phabus; scitatum'; Gr. § 276. II.

116. placâstis,' for placavistis: virgine casâ'; this refers to the story of Iphigenia, the daughter of Agamemnon. When the Greeks, at the commencement of their expedition, were detained at Aulis by contrary winds, they were told by the oracle, that the gods would be appeased only by the sacrifice of Iphigenia, and the father, though reluctant, was compelled to obey. But when the maiden was already bound to the altar, Diana took pity on her, and snatched her away, leaving a hind in her place.

118-9. Sanguine Argolicâ,' a safe return also must be sought by the blood of a victim, and the life of a Greek must be the acceptable sacrifice. vox,' saying, report.

121. cui- parent, for whom the Fates were making ready.

123. quæ-divum,' what was the meaning of this response.

124-7. canebant,' foretold: 'et — videbant,' in their own minds saw what was to come; taciti' for apud se': 'tectus'; that is, keeping a mysterious silence: opponere morti,' to expose to death.

128-31. ' actus,' urged on : ' Compositò,' for ' de composito,' according to agreement previously made: rumpit vocem,' he broke silence, as we say 'et- tulêre, and the fears, which each one entertained for himself, he now converted to the destruction of one unhappy being.

132-3. sacra,' the sacred rites: salsa fruges'; that is, the 'mola'; see note to Ecl. VIII. 82. 'vittæ'; see note to Geor. III. 487.

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The

135-6. I lay concealed in a muddy pool, during the night, hidden in the sedge, until they should set sail, if perchance they would do so. tale is artfully contrived to excite the compassion of the hearers. 139-41. fors,' adverbially, for 'forte: reposcent ad pœnas,' demand to be punished. 'piabunt,' arenge: Quòd,' wherefore: 'conscia - veri,' the gods, who are acquainted with the truth, who know that what I say is true. 'Superos,' for' deos'; Gr. § 205. Rem. 7.

142-4. si qua Intemerata fides est,' if there is any unspotted uprightness yet left in the world; but 'fides here seems rather to signify a regard for justice and humanity: laborum,' misfortunes; Gr. § 215. - ferentis,' suffering what it has not deserved.

'non

145-7. His lacrymis; the ablative of cause: Ipse - Priamus,' Priam himself first orders the manacles and close-drawn bonds to be taken off from the man; vincla,' by syncope, for vincula.'

149-50. mihi - auctor, and answer these questions truly, which I ask you. Wherefore have they erected this fabric of an immense horse? Who was the adviser of the measure?

152. instructus,' well versed in: 'arte Pelasgâ,' Greek cunning. 154-6. 'ignes'; that is, sun, moon, and stars. Sinon appears like a liar of no ordinary magnitude; he takes oaths by the wholesale. ' non - numen,' I call to witness your divine power, that cannot be violated with impunity. gessi,' which, as a victim, I have worn. 157. It is right for me to cancel the sacred ties, which once united me to the Greeks; I am absolved from all duties of patriotism.

quas

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158. ferre sub auras,' to bring to light, to disclose.

159. Si qua tegunt,' if there is any thing concealed, any secrets. 160-1. Do you only abide by your promises, and let Troy, preserved by my disclosures, keep her faith, if I speak true,—if I repay largely your kindness.