Jura dabunt: diræ ferro et compagibus arctis Finibus arceret. Volat ille, per aëra magnum NOTES!! The Palladium of Troy was supposed to be preserved in her temple; where a fire was continually kept burning by certain virgins, who dedicated themselves to her service. There was another goddess of the same name, but generally confounded with Ceres, Cybelle, Tellus, &c. The word Vesta is frequently used for fire, by meton. 293. Arctis compagibus: with close joints bound fast with bars of iron. 294. Porta. The gates, or doors of the temple of Janus were open in time of war, and shut in time of peace. This happened only three times during a period of seven hundred years, so constantly engaged were the Romans in the work of death! Impius furor. This, Turnebus thinks, alludes to the image of warlike rage drawn by Apelles, and dedicated by Augustus in the Forum. But Germanus thinks it alludes to the statue of Mars, which the Spartans had in their city, bound in this manner, in chains of brass. Nodis: in the sense of catenis. 297. Genitum Maiâ: the son of Maia. Mercury was the son of Jupiter, and Maia, the daughter of Atlas. See Geor. i. 336. 298. Arces. This appears to be used in the sense of urbs: that the country and city of New Carthage might open in hospitality to the Trojans-might receive them kindly, and treat them with hospitality. 301. Remigio alarum: by the motion of his wings. Utens alis quasi remis, says Ruæus. The motion of his wings is beautifully expressed; it was like the motion of oars in propelling a boat forward. 302. Pani. The Carthaginians were sometimes called Pœni, or Phæni, from Phenicia, the country from which they came. Corda in the sense of animos. 304. Quietum animum: a friendly mind, and a benevolent disposition, or temper. 306. Data est: in the sense of orta est. 309. Exacta: neu. plu. the particulars of his discovery. 810. In convexo. The place where Æneas moored his fleet, lay in a circular form, nearly surrounded by a grove. Here they could be in safety, without fear of discovery. The words convexus and concavus are sometimes used for each other, which seems to be the case here; the former properly signifying the exterior of a round surface; the latter the interior. Horrentibus: deepthick shades. Uno: in the sense of solo. See Æn. iv. 451. 313. Crispans: in the sense of quassans. Lato ferro: of a broad barb, or point. 316. Spartano. The Spartan virgins were trained to all kinds of manly exerci ses, such as running, wrestling, throwing the quoit and javelin, riding and hunting, which is the reason that the poet attires Venus in their habit, or dress. Os: in tha sense of vultum. Harpalyce, volucremque fugâ prævertitur Eurum. 321. Ac illa prior in- Ac prior, Heus, inquit, juvenes, monstrate, mearum quit: Heus, juvenes, Vidistis si quam hic errantem fortè sororum, monstrate, si vidistis Succinctam pharetrâ et maculosa tegmine lyncis, rorum errantem hic, suc- Aut spumantis apri cursum clamore prementem. cinctam pharetrâ Sic Venus at Veneris contrà sic filius orsus: Nulla tuarum audita mihi, neque visa sororum, fortè quam mearum so 320 325 327. Mortalis vultus O, quam te memorem, Virgo? namque haud tibi vultus haud est tibi, nec tua Mortalis, nec vox hominem sonat. VOX O Dea certè : An Phœbi soror, an Nympharum sanguinis una? 330. Quæcunque es, Sis felix, nostrumque leves quæcunque laborem : Et quo sub cœlo tandem, quibus orbis in oris Jactemur, doceas: ignari hominumque locorumque Erramus, vento huc et vastis fluctibus acti. sis felix Multa tibi ante aras nostrâ cadet hostia dextrâ. Tum Venus haud equidem tali me dignor honore. NOTES. 317. Harpalyce: a celebrated Amazon, said to have rescued her father, who had been taken in battle by the Geta. The comparison here is simply between the habits of Venus, and those of Harpalyce. Eurum. Many copies read Hebrum; but there appears a manifest incongruity in it. It can hardly be supposed, that the poet, describing the swiftness of her speed, should say that she could outride the course of a river, however rapid it might be. In that there could be no difficulty. Besides, the epithet volucrem, is not very applicable to a river. Eurum is certainly the best reading; it is the language of poetry, while Hebrum is not. Fuga: in the sense of cursu. 320. Nuda genu, &c. This is a Grecism: naked as to her knee, and collected as to her flowing robe in a knot. See Ecl. i. 55. The meaning is, that she had her knee naked, and her flowing robe collected in a knot. Sinus: the folds of a garment; also the garment itself, by synec. Nado: nodus is properly any thing that binds or ties. Hence, a girdle, or belt-a knot, &c. 321. Quam: in the sense of aliquam. 323. Tegmine. It was a custom among the ancients for hunters to wear the skin of some one of the animals, they had killed. Prementem: pursuing. 325. Orsus: part. of the verb ordior: he began. The verb est is understood. 327. Quam te memorem? whom shall I call you? 328. Nec vox sonat: nor does your voice 330 336 sound (like) a human being-it does not indicate you to be mortal. Homo, is properly either a man or woman-a human being. 329. An soror Phœbi: art thou the sister of Phoebus, or one of the blood of the nymphs? See Ecl. iv. 10. The verb es is to be supplied. 330. Felix: kind-propitious. Oris: in the sense of regione. Orbis: of the world, or earth. 334. Multa hostia: many a victim shall fall for you before the altars. 335. Haud me dignor: I do not consider myself worthy, &c. 338. Urbem Agenoris: Carthage, founded by Dido, a descendant of Agenor. Punica regna: the kingdom, or realm of Carthage. It is distinguished from the city, which is called Urbs Agenoris. Punica: an adj. from Pani, or Phani. 339. Fines Libyci: the country is Africa. Libyci: an adj. from Libya, agreeing with fines. Libya was properly that part of Africa bordering upon Egypt on the west; but is frequently used for any part of Africa, or Africa in general. Genus intractabile: a race fierce in war. The Carthaginians extended their conquests with unexampled rapidity, and were the only people that appeared to dispute the empire of the world with the Romans. Their misfortunes, and final ruin, were owing more, perhaps, to party spirit and civil cabals, than to the arms of the Romans. See Rol. An. His. Art. Carthage. Imperium Dido Tyriâ regit urbe profecta, NOTES. 340. Dido: the name of a Tyrian princess, implying beautiful, or well-beloved. See Æn. iv. 1. Regit imperium: manages the government. 342. Ambages longa: the circumstances are long and tedious. Sequar summa fastigia rerum: I will mention only the chief heads of the business-I will trace only the outlines of the affair. Ruæus takes sequar in the sense of perstringam. 345. Primis ominibus: with the first omens. This alludes to a custom among the Romans of consulting the omens in all the important concerns of life, before they entered upon them, to see if they would prove successful or not. Jugârat: by syn. for jugaverat. Cui: to whom, to wit, Sichæus. Intactam: adhuc virginem, says Ruæus. 347. Immanior scelere ante: great in wickedness above all others. The comp. is here used in the sense of the pos. 348. Sichaum. He was the priest of Hercules, an office in dignity next to royalty. It appears that Pygmalion came upon Sichæus unexpectedly, while he was officiating at the altar, and slew him. This circumstance greatly adds to the atrocity of the deed. Furor: in the sense of odium. Inter quos: between Sichæus and Pygmalion. 350. Securus. regardless of the love of his sister. Superat : in the sense of interficit. 352. gram amantem: the afflicted, or disconsolate lover. Lusit: deceived-deluded. 353. Inhumati. According to their system of religion, the shades of those, who were unburied, must wander a hundred years, before they could be at rest. The circumstance of Pygmalion's leaving the body of Sichæus unburied, in this view, greatly heightens the enormity of the crime first committed. Imago: in the sense of umbra. 354. Conjugis. Conjux is either a husband or a wife; here the former. Pallida: pale in a wonderful manner. Os: in the sense of vultum. 356. Nudavit: laid bare the cruel altars, at which he was slain. Retexit: disclosed -brought to light. 358. Recludit: shows, or opens to her, &c. Justin tells us that Sichæus, for fear of the king, buried his money in the earth, fearing to keep it in his house; but no one knew the place of its deposit during his life. 362. Parata. Tyre, being a great commercial city, in the ordinary course of business, many ships might be prepared and ready for scu. The verb sunt is to be supplicd. 364. Opes avari, &c. Either the wealth of Sichæus, which Pygmalion now imagined his own; or along with her husband estis vos? bis. 365. Illi devenêre ad Devenêre locos, ubi nunc ingentia cernes locos, ubi Mania, surgentemque novæ Carthaginis arcem. 367. Mercati sunt so- Mercatique solum, facti de nomine Byrsam, lum, dictum Byrsam de Taurino quantum possent circumdare tergo. nomine facti, tantum Sed vos qui tandem? quibus aut venistis ab oris ? spatii, quantum possent 369. Sed tandem, qui Quòve tenetis iter? Quærenti talibus ille Suspirans, imoque trahens à pectore vocem : 370. Ille suspirans, O Dea, si primâ repetens ab origine pergam, trahensque vocem à pec- Et vacet annales nostrorum audire laborum; tore imo respondet ei Antè diem clauso componet vesper Olympo. quærenti in talibus verNos, Trojâ antiquâ, si vestras fortè per aures 375. Tempestas suâ Trojæ nomen iit, diversa per æquora vectos, forte appulit Libycis oris Forte suâ Libycis tempestas appulit oris. nos vectos per diversa Sum pius Æneas, raptos qui ex hoste Penates æquora ab antiqua TroClasse veho mecum, famâ super æthera notus. Italiam quæro patriam; et genus ab Jove summo. Bis denis Phrygium conscendi navibus æquor, Matre Deâ monstrante viam, data fata secutus : Vix septem convulsæ undis Euroque supersunt. Ipse ignotus, egens, Libyæ deserta peragro, 385. Nec Venus passa Europâ atque Asiâ pulsus. Nec plura querentem est eum querentem plura Passa Venus: medio sic interfata dolore est: jâ, si ab NOTES. money, Dido took the treasure of her brother, and fled with it to Africa. 367. Mercati solum, &c. This passage hath been differently interpreted. Donatus explains it, of the money being made of bull's leather, with which she purchased the ground (solum) for the city. Others say, that she cut the hide into very small strings, and by connecting them together, surrounded twenty-two stadia, or furlongs. Neither of these appears to be the true solution. The language of the Phoenicians was a dialect of the Hebrew, in which language the word Bosra means a fortification, or fortified place. The Greeks, mistaking this meaning of the word, or overlooking it, supposed, from the similarity of the words, that it was the same with their Byrsa, which means a bull's hide. Virgil followed the common received opinion. Mercati: they bought the ground, which they called Byrsa, from the name of the deed, &c. This story of the bull's hide, Mr. Rollin observes, is now generally exploded. It appears, however, that Dido was to pay the Africans an annual tribute, as a quit rent, for the land which she purchased. This the Carthaginians afterward refused to do, which was the cause of the first war in which they were engaged. See En. iv. 1. 373. El vacet: and there should be leisure to you to hear, &c. 374. Annules: in the sense of historiam. Componet: the evening star shall shut up the day, before I shall have done my story. This is an allusion to the opinion that night shut or sealed up the gate of heaven, and the day 365 370 375 380 385 opened it. Clauso Olympo: heaven being closed. Olympus is a mountain in Thessaly. The ancients supposed its top touched the heavens: from which circumstance, the poets placed upon it the court of heaven. It is about a mile and a half high. Olympus is often put for heaven. 376. Iit hath reached, or come to. 377. Suâ forte. Ruæus says, solito casu. Sua vi, says Minelius. 378. Penates: properly, household gods. See Geor. ii. 505. In the sack of Troy, Eneas saved his Penates from the hands of the Greeks, and took them as companions of his adventures. See Æn. ii. 717. Ethera: a Greek acc. in the sense of cœlum. 380. Quæro Italiam: I seck Italy, my country: my descent (genus) is from Jove supreme. Dardanus was an Italian, and one of the founders of the Trojan race. He was the son of Jove. 381. Bis denis navibus: with twenty ships. Equor: in the sense of mare: properly, any level surface, whether land or water. 382. Secutus fata data: following the decrees of the gods made in my favor-obeying the decrees, &c. 383. Convulsa: in the sense of concussæ, the east wind, put for wind in general; the agreeing with naves, understood. Euro: species for the genus. 384. Ignotus: a stranger. 386. Interfata est: she thus interrupted him in the midst of his grief: she could bear the piteous story no longer. Quisquis es, haud credo, invisus cœlestibus auras NOTES. 387. Cœlestibus: in the sense of superis. 388. Carpis: you breathe the vital air, &c. 390. Reduces: returned safe-brought back. 392. Ni parentes vni: unless my parents vainly taught me divination in vain-to no purpose. Unless through a love of vanity and ostentation, they taught, &c. Heyne observes, that a person may be called vanus, who promises what he cannot perform, or professes a false or useless doctrine. Actam: in the sense of provectam. 394. Ales Jovis: the bird of Jove-the eagle. Etherea plagâ: from the etherial region. Agmine: in a flock. Turbati: pursued-chased. 396. Nunc videntur: now they seem to choose the ground where to alight, in a long train or to look down upon it chosen and selected. By alighting, they would be out of danger from their pursuer. 397. Reduces: in the sense of tuti. Stridentibus flapping-making a whizzing noise. 398. Dedere: in the sense of emiserunt, Pubes tuorum: the same in sense with tui socii. Cinxere polum: and have made a circle in the heavens in company. Polus, is properly the pole; but by synec. is often put for the whole heaven, or any part there of. Fowls in a flock usually fly around, making one or more circles in the air before they alight. By doing this, they descend with more ease and safety. 403. Ambrosa: an adj. from ambrosia, the food of the gods, according to the poets; perfumed with ambrosia. Vertice: in the sense of capite. Spiravere: in the sense of emiserunt. 405. Patuit vera Dea. The poet here mentions four characteristics of divinity: her rosy-colored neck-her ambrosial locks her long flowing robe, (which she had gathered up in a knot to prevent discovery,) and her gait, or motion. It was the opinion of the ancients that their divinities did not move upon the ground, but glided along the surface with a regular motion. By these signs, Eneas knew her to be Venus, whom he had hitherto taken for a Lybian virgin. Voce: in the sense of verbis. 408. Ludis: in the sense of decipis. Imaginibus forms-figures. Veras: true -real--not dissembled. 411. Gradientes: eos is understood. The poet here hath in his view that passage of the Odyssey, where Pallas spreads a veil of air around Ulysses, and renders him invi sible. 412. Circumfudit. The parts of the verb are separated by Tmesis, for the sake of the verse: she surrounded them with the thick garment of a cloud, that no one, &c. |