Addidit, expediam: pro quâ mercede, canoros Curetum sonitus crepitantiaque æra secută, Solæ communes natos, consortia tecta 150 150. Pro qua tanquam mercede, illa secutæ canoros sonitus 163. Ha solæ omnium animalium habent Urbis habent, magnisque agitant sub legibus ævum; NOTES. 150. Expediam: in the sense of describam. Pro quâ mercede. According to fable, Saturn intending to devour his infant son Jupiter, he was concealed by his mother among the Curetes, or Corybantes, her priests, the sound of whose brazen armour and cymbals, as they revelled, prevented his cries from betraying him to his father. It is said that Melissus was then king of Crete, whose daughters, Melissa nourished Jupiter with the milk of a goat and honey. Hence arose the story of his being nourished by a goat called Amalthea and bees, Melissa being the Greek name for bees. For which reason, the goat was translated to the heavens, and his horns given to the nymphs, with this quality added to them, that whatever they should ask for, should flow from them plenteously and for the service, which the bees rendered on this occasion, they were endowed by Jupiter with an extraordinary degree of sagacity and wisdom, as a reward. 152. Dictao: an adj. from Dicte, a city and mountain in Crete. On this mountain, it is said, Jupiter was brought up. 153. Consortia : in the sense of communia. 154. Agitant: in the sense of ducunt. The poet here speaks of the bees as living in a regular, and well organized society. 155. Certos penates: in the sense of fixas domos. 157. Experiuntur: they practise or use. 158. Victu: for victui. See Ecl. 5, 29. Invigilant: watch over--have the care of providing. Pacto fædere: in the sense of certa lege. 159. Exercentur: in the sense of laborant. Septa: the enclosures of their hives. 160. Narcissi. The flower of Narcissus, or daffodil, forms a kind of cup in the middle, which is supposed to contain the tear of the youth Narcissus, who pined away with the love of himself. See Ecl. ii. 48. 163. Educunt adultos fœtus: they nourish or tend upon their young, till they are full grown or, they lead forth their full grown young. Servius prefers the former sense: as also Ruæus. 164. Liquido: in the sense of puro. Nectare: nectar here, evidently, is to be taken for honey-the purest, and most refined part of it. 166. Aquas: in the sense of pluviam. 168. Fucos: the drones, a lazy herd. These are bees that make no honey. They have no stings, and they do not assist the others in their labors. Præsepibus. See note, verse 104. supra. 169. Opus fervet: the work glows-it goes on briskly. 170. Cùm properant Cyclopes. The Cyclops are said to have forged the thunderbolts of Jove. To this the poet alludes. This comparison of the bees in their labors, with those workmen of Jupiter in their shops, has been censured by some. Properant in the sense of fabricuntur. 172. Alii accipiunt: simply: some blow the bull-hide bellows. Lacu: in the trough of water. 177. Habendi mella grandævis : Accipiunt, redduntque alii stridentia tingunt In numerum, versantque tenaci forcipe ferrum. Non aliter, si parva licet componere magnis, Cecropias innatus apes amor urget habendi, 178. Oppida sunt curæ Munere quamque suo. Grandævis oppida curæ, Et munire favos, et Dædala fingere tecta. At fessæ multâ referunt se nocte minores, 181. Plenæ quoad cru- Crura thymo plenæ : pascuntur et arbuta passim, ra thymo Et glaucas salices, casiamque, crocumque rubentem, Et pinguem tiliam, et ferrugineos hyacinthos. 175 180. 184. Est omnibus una Omnibus una quies operum, labor omnibus unus. quies Manè ruunt portis, nusquam mora: rursus easdem 185 Vesper ubi è pastu tandem decedere campis decedere 185. Rursus, ubi vesper admonuit easdem apes esse tempus tandem Admonuit, tum tecta petunt, tum corpora curant. Fit sonitus, mussantque oras et limina circùm. Post, ubi jam thalamis se composuere, siletur In noctem, fessosque sopor suus occupat artus. Nec verò à stabulis, pluviâ impendente, recedunt Longiùs, aut credunt cœlo, adventantibus Euris: 193. Tutæ ab pluvia Sed circùm tutæ sub mœnibus urbis aquantur, Excursusque breves tentant: et sæpe lapillos, 194. Et sæpe tollunt lapillos, ut Ut cymbæ instabiles, fluctu jactante, saburram, instabiles cymba tollunt sabur- Tollunt: his sese per inania nubila librant. ram, fluctu jactante eas: Illum adeò placuisse apibus mirabere morem, his lapillis Quòd nec concubitu indulgent, nec corpora segnes et vento NOTES. 175. In numerum: they raise their arms in regular order, making a sort of harmony with the strokes of their hammers. Jamblicus informs us that the sound of the smith's hammer led Pythagoras to invent the monochord, an instrument for measuring the quantities, and proportions of sounds geometrically. 177. Cecropias: Attic, or Athenian bees, so called from Cecrops, the first king of Athens. The Attic honey was much celebrated. 178. Quamque suo munere: each one in his own office-department. 179. Dædala: an adj. from Dædalus, a very ingenious artificer of Athens. The word, as here used, signifies any thing artificial, or curiously and ingeniously wrought. 180. Minores: in the sense of juniores. 181. Plena crura. The hairiness of the legs of the bee is favorable to the retention of the juices, which they collect from the flowers. 132. Rubentem: yellow, or of a golden hue. Rumus says, rufum. 183. Ferrugineos: purple-dark red. 184. Operum: in the sense of ab opere. Una: one and the same rest. 188. Oras: this Ruæus interprets by vestibulum. Mussant: they buzz-they make a buzzing noise. 190 195 189. Thalamis: in the sense of cellis. 190. Suus: in the sense of proprius. Ruæus says, conveniens. 191. Stabulis. See note, verse 104. supra. 192. Euris. Eurus, the east wind, here put for wind in general: the species for the genus. 193. Aquantur. This verb appears to be used in the sense of the middle voice of the Greeks: they water themselves. This manner of expression is common with the poet. Ruæus says, hauriunt aquas. 195. Saburram: ballast. This is some ponderous substance, as sand, gravel, iron, &c. that light vessels usually take on board to render them steady. 198. Nec indulgent, &c. This account of the production of bees here given by the poet, is justly exploded. It is found that no animal is produced without the concurrence of the sexes. However as this method was the general received one among the ancients, the poet might very well adopt it, whatever his own opinion might have been upon the subject. Pliny says of the bees: Foetus quonam modo progenerarent, magna inter eruditos, et subtilis quæstio fuit: Apum enim coitus visus est nusquam. This, however, modern philosophers have solved in a satisfactory manner. They have found that the laboring bees are of neither sex; that the In Venerem solvunt, aut fœtus nixibus edunt. NOTES. drones alone have the male organ of generation, and that the monarch is of the female sex. She is wholly employed in the increase of her family, laying several thousand eggs every summer, in each of which is hatched a small white worm, which in due time, changes itself into a drone or bee. Concubitu: for Concubitui. See Ecl. v. 29. 199. Nec solvunt: nor do they debilitate their bodies in lust. Segnes: in the sense of inertes vel inutiles. Edunt: in the sense of parturiunt. Nixibus: by labor, or travail. 200. Foliis: from the leaves of flowers. 201. Parvos Quirites: they raise up a king, and little subjects. The bees are here called Quirites, by meton. taken from the Romans, who were sometimes called Quirites from Romulus, who was also called Quirinus.See Æn. 1. 274. 204. Dedêre: in the sense of amiserunt. 207. Septima Estas. Aristotle informs us that bees live six, and sometimes seven years; but if the swarm subsists nine or ten years, it is considered fortunate. 208. At, in the sense of tamen. 210. Ægyptus. The name of the country put, by meton. for the inhabitants. The Egyptians were very great admirers of their monarchs, many of whom they deified. 211. Lydia: a country of Asia Minor, proverbial for its wealth, and the grandeur of its kings. Populi Parthorum: simply, the Parthians. They are said to have been so submissive to their king, as to kiss his feet, and to touch the ground with their lips, when they approached him. Hydaspes: the name of a river put, by meton. for the inhabitants of the country, through which it flowed. There have been various opinions and conjectures with a view to reconcile the poet with matters of fact. Hydaspes is a river of India, and falling into the Indus, forms one of its branches. How it could be called Median, with any propriety, does not appear. There might have been a small river by that name, rising in Media, to which the poet alludes. Mr. Davidson thinks the river Choaspes, which rises in Media, and passes through the province of Susiana, near Susa, one of the capitals of the Persian empire, is intendea. However this be, poets do not always confine themselves to historical or geographical precision. 212. Observant: in the sense of veneran tur. 213. Fidem: in the sense of societatem. 214. Crates: the structure or fabric. 215. Custos: in the sense of præses. 216. Denso fremitu: with loud buzzing or humming. 220. Haustus: in the sense of spiritus. 226. Sed omnia viva volarc, quæque in nu Quemque sibi tenues nascentem arcessere vitas. 225 Deinde dixere Scilicet huc reddi deinde, ac resoluta referri omnia resoluta scilicet Omnia: nec morti esse locum sed viva volare reddi, ac referri huc Sideris in numerum, atque alto succedere cœlo Si quando sedem augustam, servataque mella Thesauris relines; priùs haustu sparsus aquarum, Ora fove, fumosque manu prætende sequaces. simul Bis gravidos cogunt fœtus, duo tempora messis. Taygete simul os terris ostendit honestum eadem Pleias, et Oceani spretos pede reppulit amnes : Aut eadem sidus fugiens ubi piscis aquosi, merum 231. Sunt duo tempora messis: unum Pleias Taygete 234. Aut ubi Pleias NOTES. 224. Quemque nascentem: that every one, at his birth, derives tender life to himself, from him. Hinc: from hence-from God. 225. Scilicet: in the sense of certè. Huc: hither-to God. Resoluta: in the sense of dissoluta. 226. Nec locum, &c. Virgil here gives the opinions of those philosophers, who rejected the doctrine of a vacuum, and atoms. They maintained that the universe was animated: that God was omnipresent: that all animals received existence from him: that after death they are all returned, and carried back to him: that there is no room for extinction (morti) or loss of existence: that all, volare viva, fly alive into the order of his star, and take their station in high heaven. In other words, all transmigrate into other beings in a perpetual round. This notion was held by many distinguished philosophers of the heathen world. But it was far from the truth. All irrational animals perish at their death. Man alone is immortal. When unassisted reason is employed upon the subject of a future state of existence, it discovers its own weakness. The researches of philosophy serve only to bewilder the mind. All correct information upon that subject must come through the medium of divine revelation. Pythagoras and his followers strenuously maintained this doctrine. The Epicurians maintained the doctrine of a vacuum, and the atomic theory. 228. Si quando, &c. The poet now proceeds to mention the proper seasons for opening the hives. He gives directions how to proceed in the business, and notices the passionate temper of the bees upon such occasions. Augustam. This is the reading of the best editions, and is supported by ancient manuscripts. Ruæus, Davidson, Valpy, and some others, have angustam. But if the poet intended to inform us that the hive was small, he might have saved himself the pains. Besides, augustam is, by no means, an improper epithet. It is exactly in the spirit of try. It is well known that the bee-hive most exquisite piece of architecure, er we regard the form of the comb, 295 230 the materials of which it is composed, or the manner of the workmanship. Virgil emphatically calls their hives, Dadala tecia. Verse 179. supra. Heyne reads augustam. 229. Thesauris: in the sense of favis.Priùs haustu, &c. Commentators do not agree upon this passage; and it must be confessed a difficult one. Davidson follows Servius, who takes sparsus for spargens: making the meaning to be: First hold in your mouth draughts of water, spouting it upon them. Dr. Trapp rejects sparsus for spargens, and thinks sparsus should be retained; thus: Fove ore haustus aquarum, take water in your mouth; then by an ellipsis of the words; projice in modum pluvia, spout it upon them in the manner of rain, which you cannot do without being wet yourself, sparsus. Heinsius, Ruæus, Heyne, and some others read: Priùs haustu aquarum ora fove. This, however, is not without objections. If we could read haustum or haustus for haustu, the passage would be easier; then ore would be preferable to ora. But whatever difficulties may attend the construction, the meaning is obvious. Heyne takes Fove ora haustu aquarum, in the sense cf, tene vel contine aquam haustam ore. Davidson reads haustus, and ore. 230. Fumos: it is customary, at the present day, to drive or force the bees from the hive with smoke. 231. Gravidos fœtus: in the sense of plenos favos. The comb is properly the fœtus or production of the bees. Messis: gathering or taking the honey: here called the harvest. 232. Taygele: one of the Pleiades, here put for the whole, by synec. This, and the three following lines, is a beautiful circumlocution to express the rising and setting of these stars; the former is in the latter part of April, the latter about the end of October, or the beginning of November. See Geor. 1. 138. 233. Amnes: in the sense of aquas. 234. Sidus aquosi piscis the constellation of the rainy fish. The Pisces here cannot be meant for the sun does not enter that sign till some time in February. Probably the Tristior hybernas cœlo descendit in undas. Sin duram metues hyemem, parcesque futuro, Si verò (quoniam casus apibus quoque nostros Vita tulit) tristi languebunt corpora morbo; Quod jam non dubiis poteris cognoscere signis : Continuò est ægris alius color: horrida vultum NOTES. Dolphin may be intended, as that constellation rises soon after the setting of the Pleïades. 236. Læsa: in the sense of offensa. 237. Caca: in the sense of occulta: morsibus: stings. Inspirant: they infuse. 238. Affixa: having affixed themselves. 240. Parces futuro: you should spare their future nourishment, and pity their drooping spirits, and afflicted state. Commentators have embarrassed the sense of this passage. The meaning is plainly this: If you are afraid of a hard winter, and that the bees will not be able to sustain the cold, unless they be well fed, you should spare their honey, their future nourishment, and take none of it from them. 241. At quis dubitet, &c. However you may be disposed to follow my direction in leaving the honey untouched, there is one thing that should not be neglected in any case; and that is, to fumigate the hives, and to cut away the superfluous wax. 243. Stellio. This is a small spotted lizard, called also an eft or swift. It creeps into holes and corners; hence the poet calls it ignotus. Congesta: in the sense of plena. Blattis. The blatta is an insect something like a beetle. Some take it to be the cockroach. They are called lucifugis, because they do not appear in the day time. 244. Fucus immunis. The Drones are the male bees. They have neither stings, nor those elastic teeth which the laboring bees have for the purpose of collecting honey. Their only business seems to be, to have intercourse with the queen: they may be said to be her husbands: they are several hundred in number in each hive. After 1 they have performed their office, they soon die. Their way of living is very different from the rest: they are exempt from labor, and enjoy a most luxurious fare, being fed with the best of the honey: Immunis sedens ad aliena pabula, may very properly be said of them. 245. Crabro: the hornet, a well known insect. It is larger and stronger than the bee. Hence it is said to engage them with, imparibus armis. 246. Tinea the moth; an insect very injurious to clothes. The common reading is durum: Heyne, Valpy, and some others, read dirum. 247. Aranea invisa. Arachne, daughter of Idinon, a Lydian, is said to have vied with Minerva in the arts of spinning and weaving. She performed her work to admiration; but being outdone, she hung herself through grief; whereupon the goddess, out of pity, changed her into the spider. Some say she represented on her work several of the crimes of the gods, which so displeased the goddess, that she, in a rage, destroyed it. Hence invisa Minerva. See Ovid Met. Lib. 5. 248. Quò magis. The poet here observes, the more you drain the honey from the bees, the more industrious they will be to repair the loss. By being too full fed, they become idle, and consequently less profitable. He then proceeds to consider the diseases incident to them, and the remedies proper for each. 250. Horrea in the sense of favos. Texent: they will form, or make. 252. Vita: the state, or condition of life. |