Amphion Dircæus in Actæo Aracyntho. Nec sum adeò informis: nuper me in litore vidi, Cùm placidum ventis staret mare: non ego Daphnim, NOTES. in Beotia. But why it should be called Actaus, there is a difference of opinion. Servius thinks it is so called from a Greek word which signifies the shore. Probus derives it from Aclaon, who, hunting near this mountain, was torn in pieces by his dogs, for having discovered Diana bathing herself. Mr. Davidson places the mountain in the confines of Attica and Beotia; and thinks it is so called from Acta or Acte, the country about Attica. Ruæus interprets Actoo by maritimo. 26. Daphnim. A beautiful shepherd. See in Ecl. 5. Placidum: in the sense of tranquillum. 27. Imago. His image reflected from the water. Nunquam: in the sense of non. 28. O tantum libeat tibi: O that it would please you to inhabit with me, &c. These are sweet lines. Sordida rura. Most commentators join tibi to sordida, disdained or despised by thee. But there is no need of this refinement. Sordida is a very proper epithet for cottages and country villages, which in general are indifferent in themselves, and poorly furnished, when compared with the splendor and luxury of cities. Or, we may suppose the poet to speak in the character of a lover, who thinks nothing good enough for the object of his affections. Rus is opposed to urbs. 30. Viridi hibisco. Ruæus takes these words to be in the dative case, and understands by them: to green or verdant pasture; ad virentem hibiscum, says he: taking the hibiscum for a kind of plant. But this in terpretation is attended with difficulty. Dr. Trapp takes it for a large plant or little tree, out of which wands were made. He observes, Virgil no where mentions it as food for cattle. Compellere, &c.: to drive them with a green switch. 31. Pana. Pan, the god of shepherds and hunters, is said to have been the son of Mercury and the nymph Dryope. He was educated in Arcadia; and wrapped in the skin of a goat, he was carried up to heaven by Jupiter, where all the gods ridiculed his appearance. He chiefly resided in Arcadia. He is said to have invented the pipe with seven reeds. He was worshipped in Arcadia, and is said to have given out oracles on mount Lycæus. His festivals, called by the Greeks Lyca, were introduced into Italy by Evander, and established at Rome under the name of Lupercalia, and celebrated the 15th of February. He was the chief of the Satyrs. 34. Trivisse labellum: to have worn the lip. From the verb tero. 36. Cicutis. Cicuta, an herb much like the Hemlock. Hence used for any hollow reed: hence also, by Meton. for a pipe. Fistula: a pipe connected together with seven unequal reeds, &c. These were put toge ther with wax, as mentioned 32 supra. 41. Duo Capreoli: two young goats. Capreoli: a diminitive noun, from capra or caper. These were undoubtedly wild kids, taken from their dams, which he esteemed very much; and not those lost by him, and recovered again. Servius says: kids have Ipse ego cana legam tenerâ lanugine mala, 55. Quoniam vos po- Sic positæ quoniam suaves miscetis odores. 58. Quid ego volui mihi misero? Perditus immisi austrum floribus, Eheu, quid volui misero mihi? floribus Austrum Perditus, et liquidis immisi fontibus apros. et apros. NOTES. at first white spots, which afterwards change, and lose their beauty. If it be so, this circumstance will explain the words, sparsis etiam nunc pellibus albo: which also denotes that they were young. 46. Ecce ferunt: behold the nymphs bring for you lilies in full baskets, &c. The following lines are extremely beautiful. Mr. Warton observes, they contain the sweetest garland ever offered by a lover. The agitation and doubts of a lover's mind are finely set forth: nec munera curat Alexis, &c. At length he seems to come to himself, and to reflect upon the state of his affairs: vitis semiputata est, &c. Nympho. They were a kind of female Divinities supposed to exist for a very great length of time; but not to be altogether immortal. They were divided into two general classes-Nymphs of the land, and Nymphs of the water. Each of these classes was divided into several others. The former into Dryades-Hamadryades-Oreades-Napaa-Limoniades, &c. The latter into Oceanides-NereidesNaïades or Naides-Potamides-Limniades, &c. All of which are of Greek derivation. The nymphs were further distinguished by an epithet taken from the place of their residence. Thus the Nymphs of Sicily are called Sicelides-those of Corycus, Coryciades or Corycides, &c. Echo is said to have been formerly a nymph; but falling in love with a beautiful youth called Narcissus, who refused her addresses, at which she was so much grieved that she pined away, till every part of her was consumed but her voice, that continued to haunt the woods and fountains, which she once frequcnted. Narcissus, stopping to repose himself by the side of a fountain, where he chanced to see his image reflected in the water, became enamoured with it: taking it for a nymph, he endeavored to approach it; but all his attempts being un, he was so much disappointed that 55 he killed himself. His blood was changed into a flower, which bears his name. 47. Summa papavera carpens: gathering the heads of poppies. Papaver and Anethus were two beautiful youths; who, according to Servius, were changed, the former into the flower, which we call the poppy; the latter into the herb, which we Benè olentis: sweetcall anise or dill. smelling. 50. Pingit mollia, &c. She adorns or sets off the soft hyacinths with saffron-colored marygold. Vaccinium, here is plainly the Hyacinthus of Theocritus, whom Virgil here copies; so say Turnebus, Salmasius, and Ruæus. 51. Mala. Malum signifies several kinds of fruit, such as apples, peaches, quinces, &c. The last is here meant, as appears from the cana tenera lanugine: white with soft down, or fur. Mr. Dryden renders mala, peaches. 53. Cerea: of waxen-color. 54. Myrte. The Romans used crowns or garlands of laurel in their most splendid triumphs: and those of myrtle, in the ovatio. which was on horseback, and considered the lesser triumph, or triumph of less honor and dignity than that in which the conqueror rode in a chariot. The myrtle tree was sacred to Venus, and the laurel to Apollo. Proxima: next in honor to the laurel. 56. Rusticus: in the sense of stultus. 57. Iolas. The owner or master of Alexis. 58. Eheu, quid volui, &c. Lit. what have I done to myself, a miserable man? Alas! ruined, I have let in the south winds, &c. These expressions are proverbial, and applicable to those who wish for things that prove ruinous to them. Dr. Trapp explains the passage thus: By my folly in indulging this extravagant passion, I have ruined my peace and quiet, and permitted my affairs to go to decay, which were before well managed, flourishing, and prosperous. Volui. Ruus interprets it by feci. Quem fugis, ah, demens! habitârunt dî quoque sylvas, clover 1 61 Te Corydon, ô Alexi: trahit sua quemque voluptas. 65 70 Et sol crescentes decedens duplicat umbras. or geam NOTES. 60. Demens: O foolish boy, whom do you flee? Demens, compounded of de and mens. 61. Paris. See nom. prop. under Paris. Dardanius, an adj. of Dardanus, one of the founders of Troy. Pallas, the same as Minerva. See Geor. I. 18. 62. Colat: in the sense of incolat. 65. Sua voluptas trahit quemque: his own pleasure draws every one-every one is drawn by his own pleasure. 66. Referunt. After the labor of the day, they drew home the plough inverted, so that the share would glide easily over the ground, and hang, as it were, lightly upon the yoke. 71. Quin tu, &c. Why do you not rather prepare to make (weave) at least some of those things which need requires, of osiers and pliant rushes? The verb indigeo governs the genitive. Usus: need, or necessity. QUESTIONS. What is the subject of this pastoral? of Corydon? Who under that of Alexis? Where is the scene laid? Who was Amphion? What is said of him? Who was Pan? What is said of him? What were his festivals called by the Greeks? What by the Romans? By whom were they introduced into Italy?" When were they celebrated? Who were the Nymphs? Into how many classes may they be divided? Was each of these classes subdivided into other classes? Can you mention some of those subdivisions? Who was Echo said to have been? From what language are the names of the Nymphs derived? ECLOGA TERTIA. MENALCAS, DAMŒTAS, PALÆMON. THE subject of this pastoral is a trial of skill in music between the shepherds Menalcas and Damætas; who after rallying each other a while, resolve to try a song in the presence of their neighbor Palemon, whom they constitute judge of their performances. Having heard each of them attentively, he declared he was unable to decide so weighty a controversy; but pronounced each one to be deserving of the pledge. tus. This beautiful pastoral is in imitation of the fifth and eighth of the Idylls of TheocriIt is conjectured that under the character of Damætas, we are to understand Virgil; and under that of Menalcas, some rival poet at Rome. 1. Cujum pecus est istud? an est pecus Melibai? non: verùm est pecus Egonis. MEN. DIC mihi, Damota, cujum pecus? an Melibai? DA. Parciùs ista viris tamen objicienda memento 8. Novimus et qui Novimus et qui te, transversà tuentibus hircis, corruperint te et in quo Et quo, sed faciles Nymphæ risêre, sacello. transversa, sed 5 sacello, hircis tuentibus ME. Tum, credo, cùm me arbustum vidêre Myconis, 10 10. Tum, credo, illa Atque malâ vites incidere falce novellas. riserunt, cum vidêre me incidere arbustum lia. DA. Aut hìc ad veteres fagos, cùm Daphnidis arcum 16. Audent facere ta- Et, si non aliquà nocuisses, mortuus esses. ME. Quid domini facient, audent cùm talia fures? NOTES. 1. Cujum: an adj. agreeing with pecus: in the sense of cujus. 2. Egon. The name of a shepherd, the rival of Menalcas in the love of Neara. It is derived from a Greek word signifying a goat. 3. O oves, infelix pecus. The sheep are called unhappy, because their master Ægon, while in love with Neæra, had given up all care of them; and because they had fallen into the hands of a hireling, who treated them so inhumanly. 5. Alienus. An alien, or hireling shepherd-custos. 6. Succus: may mean the same with lac mentioned just after. By milking the dams, the natural food (lac) of the young would be taken from then, and they suffered to starve. Or succus may mean nourishment in general. It being taken away or diminished to the dams, the milk would be di 15 minished or taken away proportionably from their young. This was a heavy charge brought against Damætas. He highly resented it. 8. Transversà: crosswise-asquint. An adv. from the adj. of the neu. plu. in imitation of the Greeks. 9. Sacello: any place consecrated to the worship of God-a cave or grotto; as in the present case. 10. Arbustum: properly, a place planted with trees for vines to grow up by. By meton. the trees themselves. See Ecl. I. 40. Novellas: new, or young. 13. Qua tu, &c. Which (bow and arrows) when you saw given to the boy, you both grieved, and would have died, if you had not, in some way, injured him. 16. Fures: slaves. They were sometimes so called, because notorious for stealing. Non ego te vidi Damonis, pessime, caprum DA. An mihi cantando victus non redderet ille, 20 ME. Cantando tu illum? aut unquam tibi fistula cerâ 25 25. Tu vicisti illum Juncta fuit? non tu in triviis, indocte, solebas Stridenti miserum stipulâ disperdere carmen? DA. Vis ergò inter nos, quid possit uterque, vicissim 30 35 ME. De grege non ausim quicquam deponere tecum; NOTES. 18. Lycisca. A mongrel dog-an animal half dog and half wolf. 20. Post carecta: behind the sedges. See Ecl. I. 68. 21. .An non victus cantando: vanquished in singing, should he not return to me the goat which, &c. 26. Triviis. Trivium, a place in which three ways met. So Bivium and Quadrivium, places in which two and four ways met. Disperdere miserum carmen: to murder a sorry, or wretched tune, on a squeaking strawpipe. 30. Ubere: the udder. By meton. for the milk contained in it. Fatus: calves. 31. Quo pignore: with what pledge or bet. Tell me what pledge you will put against my heifer. 34. Ambo numerant: they both count the flock twice in a day; and one counts the kids. Pecus is properly a flock or herd of neatcattle, as here. Alter, properly is one of two -unus, one of many. 36. Insanire: to be beside yourself to play the fool; by contending with me, who am so much more skilful than you. Pocula fagina: beechen bowls-made of the beechwood. 37. Alcimedontis. The name of a very skilful and ingenious carver. Mr. Martin thinks he was some intimate friend of Virgil, who wished to transmit his name to posterity. History is silent respecting him. cantando? 35. Verum, quoniam libet tibi insanire, ponam id quod tute ipse fatebere esse multò majus pignus, nempe, duo fagina pocula, cœlatum opus 40 38. Lenta vitis quibus; around which a limber vine, superadded by the easy carving instrument, covers over (mantles) the diffused (loosely hanging) clusters with pale ivy.These lines are somewhat intricate, and have divided the opinions of commentators. Rumus takes quibus in the abl. and interprets facili torno by ope facilis torni. Dr. Trapp and some others take facili torno in the dat. and understand by it the wood after it is smoothed and polished in the turner's lathe, by meton. Davidson, on the other hand, takes quibus for the dat. and facili torno for the abl. but then he takes these last for the ingenious carver, or easy skilful workman, which he might do by meton. The sense I have given is the most natural and easy. The meaning of the poet is this: That each of these bowls was engraved or carved with vine and ivy boughs, so curiously interwoven, that the ivy-berries were shaded or mantled with the limber or pliant vine. 40. Conon. The name of a famous mathematician and astronomer of Samos, a cotemporary and friend of Archimedes. Signa: figures. Et quis fuit alter? This is a very pleasant turn. There is something agreeable in this picture of pastoral simplicity. He had mentioned the name of one, but had forgotten the name of the other. He turns to himself and asks: quis fuit alter? but the name not recurring to him, he goes on to describe him by his works: It was h |