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Si ad vitulam spectes, nihil est quòd pocula laudes.
ME. Nunquam hodie effugies: veniam quocunque vo-
Audiat hæc tantùm vel qui venit: ecce, Palæmon: [câris.
Efficiam posthac ne quemquam voce lacessas.

51

DA. Quin age, si quid habes; in me mora non erit ulla : Nec quemquam fugio: tantùm, vicine Palæmon,

NOTES.

who, &c. It is supposed that Aratus or Archimedes is meant. The former wrote in Greek a treatise concerning the situation and motions of the heavenly bodies: which was translated into Latin. The latter was a famous mathematician and astronomer of Syracuse, in Sicily. By the help of his burning-glasses and engines, he nobly defended that city when besieged by the Romans under Marcellus. After a siege of three years, however, it was taken by stratagem. Archimedes was slain by a soldier, while in the act of demonstrating a proposition.

45. Amplexus est ansas: he encircled the handles around with soft acanthus. The parts of the verb are here separated for the sake of the verse, by Tmesis. Acantho: a plant called Bear's-foot.

46. Orphea: acc. of Greek ending.Orpheus was a most ancient and excellent poet, the son of Eagrus, king of Thrace. But according to fable, he was the son of Apollo and Caliope, one of the Muses. He received a lyre from Apollo, some say from Mercury, upon which he performed in such a masterly manner, that the rivers ceased to flow-the savage beasts forgot their ferocity -and the lofty oaks bowed their heads and listened to his song. He was beloved by all the nymphs. Eurydice alone could make an impression on his mind. He married her; but their happiness was short. For Aristaus fell in love with her; and fleeing from him, a serpent lying in the way wounded her in the foot, of which she died. Orpheus was so much afflicted at the loss, that he resolved to recover her, or perish in the attempt. For this purpose, he descended to Hell, and gained admittance to Pluto, who was so charmed with his music, that he consented to restore to him liis wife, upon the condition that he would forbear to look behind him till he passed the bounds of his empire. The condition was accepted; hut as they were very near the region of

t, the unhappy lover turned his eyes to

behold his long-lost Eurydice. He saw her, but she immediately vanished away. He attempted to follow her, but was refused. The only consolation he could find, was in the sound of his lyre in groves and mountains apart from society. The Thracian' women, whom by his neglect and coldness he had offended, set upon him, while they were celebrating the orgies of Bacchus, and having torn his body in pieces, they threw his head into the river Hebrus, which continued to articulate Eurydice! Eurydice! as it was carried down the stream into the Egean sea. After his death, some say, he received divine honors. His lyre was transferred to the heavens, and made a constellation. Sequentes: obedient to his lyre.

47. Condita: laid up safe: a part. from condo, agreeing with pocula.

49. Nunquam effugies hodie: you shall by no means avoid the trial this day. Damotas had proposed to stake a heifer which Menalcas said he could not do through fear of his father and step-mother; but proposed to pledge his bowls. Damætas insisted upon the heifer, and so seemed to avoid the contest, because the conditions could not be accepted by Menalcas. At length, however, confident of victory, and laying aside his fear, he says: Veniam quocunque vocâris · I will come to any conditions you shall propose. Accordingly the bowls are laid aside, and a heifer is the prize.

50. Tantum vel qui venit, &c. Only (I have nothing more to say) even let him who comes yonder, hear these things. Menalcas was so sure of victory, that he was willing to submit to the decision of any third person; and accordingly seeing some person at a distance, says: even let him, who is coming there, be the judge of our controversy, whoever he may be. Upon his near approach, discovering who he was, he says: behold, it is Palemon our neighbor. Voce: in the sense of cantu.

51. Efficiam: I will cause.
53. Fugio: in the sense of recuso.

56

Sensibus hæc imis, res est non parva, reponas.
PAL. Dicite: quando quidem in molli consedimus herba :
Et nunc omnis ager, nunc omnis parturit arbos;
Nunc frondent sylvæ, nunc formosissimus annus.
Incipe, Damota: tu deinde sequêre, Menalca.
Alternis dicetis: amant alterna Camenæ.

DA. Ab Jove principium, Musæ; Jovis omnia
Ille colit terras; illi mea carmina curæ.
ME. Et me Phoebus amat: Phœbo sua semper
Munera sunt, lauri, et suavè rubens hyacinthus.
DA. Malo me Galatea petit, lasciva puella:
Et fugit ad salices, et se cupit antè videri.

plena :

60. O muse, princi61 pium omnium est ab apud 62. Sunt Phobo semJove :

[me

65

ME. At mihi sese offert ultro, meus ignis, Amyntas : Notior ut jam sit canibus non Delia nostris.

DA. Parta meæ Veneri sunt munera: namque notavi Ipse locum, aëriæ quo congessere palumbes.

ME. Quod potui, puero sylvestri ex arbore lecta 70 Aurea mala decem misi: cras altera mittam.

DA. O quoties, et quæ nobis Galatea locuta est! Partem aliquam, venti, divûm referatis ad aures.

ME. Quid prodest, quòd me ipse animo non spernis, Si, dum tu sectaris apros, ego retia servo?

[Amynta, 76

DA. Phyllida mitte mihi, meus est natalis, Iola.

Cùm faciam vitulâ pro frugibus, ipse venito.

*

ME. Phyllida amo ante alias: nam me discedere flevit :

* playful

NOTES.

54. Imis sensibus: your deepest attention, or thoughts. Res: the controversy.

59. Alternis: in alternate verses. This is called carmen amabæum. It consists not solely in the dialogue; but requires that what the first says shall be replied to by the other upon the same or similar subject. Carmina verses, is understood. Camana: the Muses. It was formerly written Carmena and Casmena. Theme, carmen.

60. Muse. They were nine in number, the daughters of Jupiter and Mnemosyne. They were supposed to preside over the arts and sciences. They were born in Pieria in Macedonia, and were said to reside on mount Helicon and mount Parnassus, the former in Beotia, the latter in Phocis.Their names are: Calliope, Clio, Erato, Thalia, Melpomene, Terpsichore, Euterpe, Polyhymnia, and Urania.

61. Ille colit: he regards the earth; he regards my verses.

62. Phœbus. The same as Apollo and Sol; the son of Jupiter and Latona. The laurel and hyacinth were sacred to him. Hence they are called sua munera, his own gifts. See Ecl. IV. 10.

66. Ignis: properly a fire or flame. By meton. love--also the object of love; as in the present casc.

67. Ut jam Delia non: so that Delia now is not better known, &c. Diana is some

per apud me sua munera, nempe, lauri

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times called Delia from Delos, the place of her birth. She was the goddess of hunting, and protectress of Dogs. Ruæus and Dr. Trapp understand by Delia, not Diana, but a servant of Menalcas by that name.

68. Meæ veneri: for my love-the dear object of my affections.

69. Congessere: in the sense of nidifica

verunt.

71. Aurea: yellow-ripe.

72. Venti, referatis: bear some part of them, O winds, &c. Either because her words were so sweet that they would delight even the ears of the gods: or that the gods might be witnesses to her promises.

74. Quid prodest, &c. Damotas had been just before expressing his joy at the conversation which he had with his mistress. Menalcas now endeavors to go beyond him in sentiments of tenderness and affection; and intimates that he cannot have any enjoyment while Amyntas is absent; nay, unless he share with him his dangers.

75. Retia: plu. of rete: toils, or snares set to take any prey.

76. Phillida: a Greek acc. of Phillis. She was the slave of lolas, and mistress both to Damætas and Menalcas.

77. Faciam vitulâ: that is, faciam sacra ex vitula: I will make the sacrifice of a heifer for the fruits.

Et, "longum, formose, vale, vale," inquit, Iola.
DA. Triste lupus stabulis; maturis frugibus imbres; 80
Arboribus venti; nobis Amaryllidis iræ.

ME. Dulce satis humor; depulsis arbutus hædis,
Lenta salix foto pecori: mihi solus Amyntas.

DA. Pollio amat nostram, quamvis est rustica, Musam.
85

86. Pascite taurum illi, Pierides, vitulam lectori pascite vestro. qui jam

88. Veniat quoque quò gaudet eum te pervenisse.

92. O pueri, qui legitis flores et fraga nascentia humi, fugite

ME. Pollio et ipse facit nova carmina; pascite taurum, Jam cornu petat, et pedibus qui spargat arenam.

DA. Qui te, Pollio, amat; veniat quò te quoque gaudet: Mella fluant illi, ferat et rubus asper amomum.

ME. Qui Bavium non odit, amet tua carmina, Mævi.
Atque idem jungat vulpes, et mulgeat hircos.

DA. Qui legitis flores, et humi nascentia fraga,
Frigidus, ô pueri! fugite hinc, latet anguis in herbâ.

91

ME. Parcite, oves, nimiùm procedere: non benè ripa Creditur ipse aries etiam nunc vellera siccat.

DA. Tityre, pascentes à flumine reice capellas:

Ipse, ubi tempus erit, omnes in fonte lavabo.

ME. Cogite oves pueri: si lac præceperit æstus,

Ut nuper, frustrà pressabimus ubera palmis.

95

DA. Eheu, quàm pingui macer est mihi tauros in arvo10 Idem amor exitium pecori est, pecorisque magistro. ME. His certè neque amor causa est: vix ossibus hæ bus, cur sint tam macra. Nescio quis teneros oculus mihi fascinat agnos.

102. Neque est amor certè causa his meis ovi

NOTES.

79. Longum, formose, &c. These are not the words of Phillis, addressed to Iolas, but of Menalcas; and first addressed to Menalcas by Phillis. They made a deep impression on his mind-they stole his affections. O beautiful youth, said she, farewell -farewell, a long time. Stabulis: sheepfolds. By meton. the sheep. Triste is to be supplied with each member of the sentence following, as also the verb est.

82. Arbutus: the strawberry tree, so called from the resemblance of its fruit to a strawberry. Depulsis: the words à lacte are understood.

82. Salis. The dat. plu. a substantive from the part. pass. of the verb sero, I sow. It signifies any thing sown or planted-standing corn. Depulsis hadis: to the weaned kids. Dulcis is to be supplied in each member of the sentence; as also the verb est.

85. Pierides. The Muses are so called from Pieria, the place of their birth. See 60. supra.

86. Pollio. A noble Roman, the friend and patron of Virgil. See next Ecl. Nova: good-excellent.

88. Veniat quò gaudet, &c. May he also arrive at those honors to which it delighteth him that thou hast arrived. Pollio was invested with the consulate in the year of Rome 714, and in the following year he reived a triumph. He was also a poet and

ian; and considered among the most

[rent

learned men of his time. See Ecl. IV. 12. 89. Amomum. An aromatic fruit of great value. The Assyrian was considered the best. Rubus: the blackberry bush.

90. Qui Bavium non odit. Bavius and Mævius were two contemptible poets, and very inimical to Virgil and Horace. These two lines are wonderfully satirical. Let the same persons yoke oxen and milk hegoats. But this would be a useless, as well as a ridiculous employment.

93. Frigidus: deadly, by meton. or cold, descriptive of the nature of the snake.

95. Creditur. It is not easy to translate impersonal verbs always literally. They frequently occur in sentences, when such a version would be very awkward English. This is the case here. Menalcas is cautioning his sheep not to proceed too far; and adds as a reason for so doing, that it is not well to trust to the bank. To give force to this caution, he mentions the case of the ram that had just recovered of a fall from it into the river, and was then drying his fleece.

96. Reice. Imp. of the verb reicio, by syncope for rejicio: drive back.

98. Præceperit: if the heat should dry up the milk-should take it before us, then in vain, &c.

103. Quis oculus: what evil eye bewitches my tender lambs. Mihi: in the sense of

meos.

DA. Dic quibus in terris, et eris mihi magnus Apollo, Tres pateat cœli spatium non ampliùs ulnas.

ME. Dic quibus in terris inscripti nomina regum Nascantur flores: et Phyllida solus habeto.

PA. Non nostrum inter vos tantas componere lites. Et vitulâ tu dignus, et hic: et quisquis amores Aut metuet dulces, aut experietur amaros. Claudite jam rivos, pueri sat prata biberunt.

NOTES.

105. Spatium cœli pateat. Damætas here proposes a very intricate riddle. Various have been the conjectures to solve it. It is most generally thought that the place in tended is the bottom of a well, from whence the space of the heavens appears no broader than its mouth, which in the general may be taken for three ells.

107. Flores nascantur inscripti. Without solving the riddle of Damætas, Menalcas proposes this one, and it is an equal match for his. The solution of it is all conjecIt is generally supposed that the hyacinth is the flower alluded to. Nomina inscripti inscribed as to the names of kings or with the names of kings. See Ecl. I. 55.

ture.

108. Non nostrum: it is not in my power

105

109. Et tu es dignus vitulâ, et hic.

110. Quisquis aut metuet dulces amores, aut

110 experietur amaros amo

res.

to settle, &c. Est is to be supplied. Palomon declares his inability to determine the controversy between them; but pronounces them both worthy of the prize.

110. Metuet dulces: shall fear successful love-shall fear that it would not be lasting. Experietur amaros: shall experience disappointed love-love not returned or reciprocated.

111. Claudite. This is a beautiful line: shut up your streams, O swains, the meads have drunk enough. It is a metaphor taken from rivers refreshing the meadows through which they pass; to music and poetry, delighting the ear, the fancy, and the judgment. It implies that it was time to cease their song; they had given sufficient proofs of their skill in music.

QUESTIONS.

What is the subject of this pastoral? Does Virgil here imitate Theocritus? Who is to be understood under the character of Damætas? Who under that of Menalcas? Who under that of Palæmon? Who was Conon? Who was Archimedes? What did he do against the Romans? What became of him afterwards? Who was Orpheus? Whom did he marry?

What did he do to recover his lost Eurydice?

What became of him at last?

In what consists the carmen amabæum? Who were the Muses? How many were they in number? What were their names? Who was Diana? Where was she born? Over what did she preside?

3

"

ECLOGA QUARTA.

POLLIO.

VIRGIL's design in this pastoral is to celebrate the birth of a son of Pollio, as appears from verse 17; on which account he dedicated it to that noble Roman. But it is evident that he ascribes to the son of his friend, what cannot be attributed, with any propriety, to a being merely human. On examination, it will be found that there are several expressions and passages, which remarkably correspond with the prophecies and predictions of the Messiah, contained in the scriptures of the Old Testament; and particularly with those of the prophet Isaiah. That the poet was inspired is not pretended. We are assured, on the most credible testimony, that about this time there was a general expectation of the Messiah's appearance. This was partly from the dispersion of the Jews over the Roman empire, who carried with them their scriptures; and partly from the Sibylline oracles then much in repute. What, therefore, was generally said, and was the common opinion concerning the Messiah, the poet applies to the son of Pollio. It was not fulfilled in him. For he died on the ninth day after his birth. It was, however, actually fulfilled in about forty years afterwards, when the Savior appeared. Some suppose that the poet hath in view Marcellus, the son of Octavia, the sister of Augustus, whose birth corresponds with the consulship of Pollio. Augustus adopted him, and designed him for his successor in the empire. This is the same Marcellus whom Virgil highly compliments in the sixth book of the Æneid. He died soon after he arrived at manhood.

SICELIDES Musæ, paulò majora canamus.
Non omnes arbusta juvant, humilesque myricæ.
Si canimus sylvas, sylvæ sint consule dignæ.
Ultima Cumæi venit jam carminis ætas :

NOTES.

1. Sicelides: an adj. from Silicia, the island of Sicily, the country of Theocritus, the father of pastoral poetry. Hence Sicelides Musa, pastoral inuses.

2. Arbusta-myrica. Trees and shrubs seem to be put here for pastoral subjects, or the style and manner in which they are sung, by meton. Myrica: a shrub called the tamarisk. The poet here proposes to write in a style different from the usual style of pastoral; for that does not please every ear. A more elevated strain he will now attempt.

3. Sylvas: the woods. By meton. pastoral or rural subjects. If we sing of pastoral subjects, those subjects should be worthy of a consul's ear.

4. Ultima atas: the last age of the sibylline prophecy hath now arrived-the last age, which was the subject, &c. I would here observe that the last days-the latter days, or times, are common expressions in the scriptures to denote the age of the Gospel, which is the last dispensation of grace. Cumai: an adj. from Cuma, a city of Campania, in Italy, famous for having been the

residence of a sibyl. There were several
others of the same name; but the most dis-
tinguished were, a city of Æolis, in Asia
Minor, and a city of Eubaa, an island in
the Egean sea: hodie, Negropont. The re-
sidence of this sibyl was a cave or vault
dug into a rock. Justin Martyr informs us,
that he visited the spot, and was shown a
kind of chapel in the rock, into which the
inhabitants told him (as they received it
from their forefathers) she retired whenever
she gave out her oracles. He also men-
tioned several other particulars. Onuphrius
tells us, that the cave or residence of the
sibyl remained in the same state Justin
Martyr described it, until 1539, when it was
entirely destroyed by an earthquake which
shook all Campania. See Prideaux's Con
Part 2. Lib. 9. The sibyls were women
said to have been endued with the spirit of
prophecy, and to have foretold the destinies
of states and kingdoms. They lived at
different periods of time, and in different
countries. They took the name of Sibyllæ,
or Sibyls, from the first, who was thus en-
dued, her name being Sibylla.
Varro enu-

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