314. Ego oro te per 315 has lacrymas, tuamque dextram (quando ipsa jam reliqui nihil aliud mihi misera) per nostra 317. Aut si quicquam meum fuit dulce tibi, 320 miserere 325 Mene fugis? per ego has lacrymas dextramque tuam, te, NOTES. give over the idea of it altogether. Sidere: in the sense of tempore. 316. Hymenaeos: in the sense of amores. Qui novitate sunt dulces, says Servius. 319. Mentem: purpose-design of leaving me. 320. Tyranni Nomadum: the kings of the Numidians. The ancient Romans used the words tyrannus and rex promiscuously. 321. Tyrii infensi. She here alludes to the purpose of her brother to pursue her, as already mentioned. 322. Pudor extinctus: my chastity is gone, and my former fame, by which alone I reached the stars. 324. Quoniam hoc nomen: since this name alone remains of the husband. It is to be observed that Dido does not address him by the endearing name of husband, but by that of stranger or guest, hospes: and she can look upon him in no other light, since he is going to leave her. 325. Quid moror? what do I wait for? 328. Siquis parvulus: if any little Eneas could play to me in my hall, who only might resemble you in form, I should not, &c. Some ancient copies read tamen, instead of tantùm: who nevertheless should resemble thee, &c. Some explain the words, qui te tantùm referret ore; as if Dido did not wish her son to resemble Eneas in his mind, cruelty and hardness of heart, but only in 330 321. Odere me, et Tyrii infensi sunt mihi: propter te eundem, meus pudor extinctus est, et mea prior fama 327. Siqua soboles saltem suscepta fuisset mihi de te ante fugain; si quis parvulus Æneas 334. O Regina, ego nunquam negabo te pro335 meritam esse plurima de me, quæ tu vales enumerare fando 336. Dum ego ipse ero memor mei, dum person and features. But this sentiment does not very well agree with the present strain of her discourse; which is full of tenderness, soft address, and moving expostulation. Since she could not enjoy his person, it would have been some alleviation of her distress, if she had a son by him, who night only set the image of the father before her eyes, if he could do nothing more. Heyne reads tamen. Rumus says, qui repræsentarit te tantùm modò vultu. 330. Capla. Ruæus interprets this by decepta, which is very harsh, and cannot be the meaning of the speaker. Capta refers to what she had said just before, 326 supra, aut captam ducat Getulus Iarbas. In order to paint her distress to Æneas in the liveliest colors, she represents him as the only person, on whom she could depend for protection; and now he was going to abandon her, considers herself forlorn, deserted, and left a prey to her enemies, who had already, as it were, made her their captive. This is the dreary image that haunts her disturbed fancy by day, and her dreams by night. See verse 466. infra. 333. Refert: in the sense of respondet. 337. Loquar pauca pro re: I will speak a few things to the point in question. Nec ego speravi: nor did hope to conceal my departure, &c. This is a reply to Dido's nam sortes jussêre me quærere Prætendi tædas, aut hæc in fœdera veni. 345. Grynæus Apollo Sed nunc Italiam magnam Grynæus Apollo; NOTES. accusation, dissimulare etiam, &c. Verse 305, supra. 339. Prætendi. Rumus takes this in the sense of Prætexui, in allusion to verse 172, where it is said of Dido, prætexit culpam hoc nomine: nor did I ever cover over our marriage with the name of husband, or come into the bands of Hymen. Some take prætendi in the sense of prætuli: nor did I ever bear before me the nuptial torch: in allusion to a Roman custom of carrying lighted torches before the new married couple. In either case, the plain meaning is: I had no part in our nuptialsI consented not to them; nor did I enter into any contract of that nature. This answers Dido's charge against him: Nec te noster amor, &c. Verse 305, supra. 340. Si fata paterentur: if the destinies had permitted me to lead my life, &c. But we This passage furnishes the critics with a pretext to condemn Æneas of ingratitude and insensibility. Was it not enough, say they, for him to let Dido know that he was forced by the Destinies elsewhere, without insulting her with an open declaration, that he preferred other objects to her? shall not think Æneas so much to blame, if we consider the true meaning of his words. Dido had urged him to stay; he answers, it is not in his power, because the Destinies opposed it: in proof of it, he assures her that if they had left him to his own choice, he would never have left his native country: he would have rebuilt Troy, which now lay in ashes. This is not saying; if I were at liberty, I would forsake you and return, and rebuild Troy; but I would never have formed any other design than that of repairing the desolation of my 340 345 350 355 country. What makes the objection appear the more specious is, that Virgil uses colerem for coluissem; but there are many instances where the imperfect of the sub. has the same signification with the plup., and it is plain that it has in the present instance, both from the sense, and the use of posuissem in the following line, with which the preceding verbs are connected. Auspiciis: in the sense of voluntate. Curas: in the sense of negotia, says Heyne. 344. Recidiva: rebuilt-raised up after a fall. Posuissem: in the sense of restituissem. 345. Grynæus Apollo. The epithet Grynæus was given to Apollo from Gryna, a city of Eolia, near which was a grove called Grynæum, where Apollo had an oracle of great antiquity, and also a splendid temple. 346. Lycia sortes. Lycia, a maritime country of Asia Minor, in which was the city Patara, where Apollo had a famous temple and oracle. This and some other Oracles were called Sortes, because they determined the fate of the person by casting or drawing lots, throwing dice, or by some such method, which was thought to be under the iminediate direction of the god. 350. Fas. This word properly signifies a divine law-what is right or lawful—also a duty towards God. Et, often, as here, bath the sense of etiam, vel quoque. 355. Fatalibus arvis: fields destined to him by fate. Æneas had all along been directed to go to Italy, under the assurance of a peaceful settlement. This country the gods had destined to him. 357. Testor utrumque caput: I call to witness each god, viz. Mercury and Jove. Detulit. Ipse Deum manifesto in lumine vidi Talia dicentem jamdudum aversa tuetur, 360 Nec tibi Diva parens, generis nec Dardanus auctor, 365 362. Dido jamdudum aversa tuetur illum dicentem Nam quid dissimulo ? aut quæ me ad majora reservo ? NOTES. Caput, by synec. is here put for the whole Dody, or person: so also in line 354. Valpy understands it of Dido and Æneas. But he is singular in this. Ruæus says, utrumque Deum. 359. Hausi his auribus: I drew his voice into these ears-I heard his voice. This is a pleonasmus common to most languages. It adds strength to the affirmation. 360. Incendere: to trouble-afflict. 365. Nec tibi Diva, &c. Dido, finding Æneas deaf to all her entreaties, after recalling all the fine things she had said of him, verse 12 et sequens, breaks forth into the most bitter invectives: Nor is a goddess your parent-nor Dardanus the founder of your race; but frightful Caucasus brought you forth among its hard rocks, and the Hyrcanian tigers gave you suck. Caucasus: a very inhospitable mountain, which divides Scythia from India. It lies between the Caspian and Euxine seas. Hyrcania tigres: Hyrcania, a country in Asia, anciently a part of Parthia, lying between Media on the west, and Margiana on the east; and having the Caspian sea on the north. It is subject to the Persians. Hodie, Tabarestan. This country was infested with the most savage beasts. Admôrunt: they moved their teats to you. 374. Excepi eum ejec375 tum litore, egentem omnium; et demens locavi eum in parte regni 380 368. Majora: in the sense of majores injurias. 369. Num ingemuit nostro: did he sigh at my tears? did he move his eyes, &c. This refers to 331 supra: Ille Jovis monitis immota tenebat lumina. 371. Quæ quibus anteferam: what things can I mention before these? Ruæus says: Inter quæ omnia signa immanitatis, quænam aliis majora dicam. Valpy says: how shall I express myself? to which feeling shall I first give utterance? But the words will bear another meaning: before whom can I carry these things' viz. my complaints. To this we are led from considering what follows; as if Dido had said: to whom can I apply for redress? since neither powerful Juno, nor father Jove regards my sufferings with equal eyes. There is justice neither in heaven nor earth. 373. Ejectum: shipwrecked. 375. Reduxi: in the sense of servave. See Æn. vii. 431. Amissam: in the sense of quassatam. 376. Nunc augur Apollo. She here alludes to what Æneas had said before, verse 345, et sequens. Feror: in the sense of rapior. 381. I, sequere Italiam ventis, &c. This Quintilian gives as an instance of the ironical style. Nothing is more in character of an injured lover, than to order him to do the very thing, which was contrary to her 382. Spero equidem Spero equidem mediis, si quid pia numina possunt, te hausurum supplicia Supplicia hausurum scopulis, et nomine Dido in mediis scopulis, et sæpe vocaturum Dido Sæpe vocaturum. Sequar atris ignibus absens : nomine, si pia numina Et, cùm frigida mors animâ seduxerit artus, 385 possunt efficere quid Omnibus umbra locis adero. Dabis, improbe, pœnas: 387. Hæc fama tua- Audiam, et hæc Manes veniet mihi fama sub imos. rum panarum veniet His medium dictis sermonem abrumpit, et auras mihi sub imos Ægra fugit, seque ex oculis avertit et aufert, 390. Linquens eum Linquens multa metu cunctantem et multa parantem cunctantem metû, et Dicere. Suscipiunt famulæ, collapsaque membra Marmoreo referunt thalamo, stratisque reponunt. At pius Æneas, quanquam lenire dolentem Solando cupit, et dictis avertere curas; 395. Labefactus quoad Multa gemens, magnoque animum labefactus amore: animum magno amore, Jussa tamen Divûm exsequitur, classemque revisit. tamen exsequitur jussa Tum verò Teucri incumbunt, et litore celsas Deducunt toto naves: natat uncta carina; 401. Cernas Trojanos Frondentesque ferunt remos, et robora sylvis migrantes, ruentesque Infabricata, fugæ studio. 402. Ac veluti cùm Migrantes cernas, totâque ex urbe ruentes. formica memores hy- Ac veluti ingentem formicæ farris acervum enis populant ingen tem acervum farris, re- Cùm populant, hyemis memores, tectoque reponunt: ponuntque in tecto It nigrum campis agmen, prædamque per herbas NOTES. in clinations. Servius observes too, that Dido commands in a way that implies dissuasion, by mentioning the winds and the waves, which served to remind him of his danger; and by using the word sequere, as if Italy fled from him. 382. Spero equidem: I hope indeed you will suffer punishment among the intervening rocks, &c. Hausurum: part. fut. of haurio: to drink. This seems to be used in allusion to the death which she hoped he would die, that is, by drowning. This was reckoned the peculiar punishment reserved by Heaven for perfidious lovers. Dido: a Greek acc. of the contracted nouns. 384. Absens sequar, &c. The meaning is that the remembrance of Dido, whom he had abandoned, though absent, would still haunt his guilty mind, like a grim fury. This satisfaction she should have in life; and when death should separate her soul and body, and her ghost, umbra, should be at liberty to range over the universe, it should also haunt him wherever he went. Atris ignibus refers probably to the representation of the furies, armed with torches; which Cicero explains of the stings and torments of a guilty conscience. 386. Umbra adero: I, a shade, or ghost, will be present with you, &c. 387. Hæc fama veniet: this news shall come to me under the lowest shades. The ancients observed a threefold distinction in the immortal part of man, viz.: the Umbra, 391 396 400€ phantom or shade, which commonly frequented the place where the body was buried; or haunted those abodes to which it had been accustomed in life: the Manes, which were confined to the lower regions; and the Spiritus, which returned to heaven, its original abode. Manes is frequently taken for the place of the dead, by meton which is the meaning here. 388. Auras: in the sense of lucem. 389. Egra fugit auras: faint, she fled the light-she withdrew from further conference with Eneas, into her private apartment. Here, quite overcome, she fainted, as we may suppose, when her servants came to her aid, and placed her upon her bed. "She withdrew from the light to her apartment," says Valpy. Some think she fainted quite away, and ceased to breathe; but this is not consistent with what follows: avertit et aufert, &c. 390. Mulla. The multa in the preceding part of the line, appears entirely expletive. 393. Dolentem: referring to Dido. Some copies have dolorem, as Heyne informs us. 393. Deducunt: launch the lofty ships along the whole shore. 399. Ferunt remos: they bring from the woods green (unwrought) oars, and rough timber; such was their hurry and impatience to be gone. Frondentes: covered with leaves-not even stripped of their leaves. 403. Tecto: in their cells, or holes. Convectant calle angusto: pars grandia trudunt Quis tibi tunc, Dido, cernenti talia sensus? Et perferre, soror, potero. Miseræ hoc tamen unum NOTES. 405. Convectant: they carry often. By using this verb, the poet represents those animals marching backward and forward, and returning frequently to their cells, full laden with their booty, like soldiers reaping the spoils of an enemy. Pars obnixa: a part, shoving with their shoulders, push along the large grains. 406. Moras: in the sense of morantes: those that delay. Frequent allusions have been made by poets of all ages to the ants, as examples of industry, wisdom, and foresight. "Go to the ant, thou sluggard, consider her ways, and be wise," says Solomon. Modern observation has not discovered in them any such instances of industry. On certain days they carry out of their cells, and expose to the warmth of the sun, their eggs; but we find no store of provisions laid up against approaching want. during the cold season of the year, they lie in a torpid state, and require no food. For 409. Fervere to be all in a bustle-to be busily occupied. 412. Improbe: in the sense of crudelis, vel vehemens. 414. Cogitur ire iterum: she is forced again to go into tears, again to try him by supplication, &c. As the poet had used cogis just before, so here he repeats the same word, and shows the constraining power of love in Dido's conduct-she is forced, in spite of her pride, her resentment, her resolutions, and her imprecations. Animos. Animus, in the plu. properly signifies the affections or passions of the mind. The meaning of the passage is: she is forced again to have recourse to tears, again to try him with prayers, and to submit her passions, her resentment, her pride, and 405 410 415 408. Quis sensus erat tunc tibi 410. Videresque totum æquor misceri 412. Quid non cogis mortalia pectora perpetrare 419. O soror, si ego potui sperare hunc tantum dolorem, potui per419 ferre; et potero perferre eum. 421. Nam ille perfidus homo solebat colere te solam, etiam credere arcanos sensus tibi : tu sola nôras molles aditus her indignation, to love to give up all to the superior power and efficacy of her love. 415. Moritura frustrà. Commentators are not agreed upon the meaning of the word frustrà in this place. Servius connects it with inexpertum. The meaning then will be: that she might not leave any thing unattempted, though in vain; since she was resolved to die. But it is more like a lover to entertain some glimmering hope as long as the dear object is within reach. The better meaning is: lest by leaving any thing unattempted, or untried, she should die in vain-she should seem to throw away her life. 416. Properari: there is a hastening, stir, or bustle around on the whole shore. This verb is used impersonally. 418. Nauta imposuere: the joyous mariners have placed garlands on the sterns. It was a custom among sailors to deck the sterns of the ship, both at sailing and landing. The reason for this was, that on the sterns was a chapel in honor of the gods Petaci, who were considered the patrons and protectors of the ship. 419. Si ego potui sperare, &c. Ruæus obscures this, and the following line, by connecting them closely together. It is plain there is an ellipsis of the words potui perferre, which must be supplied. This sudden and abrupt transition is perfectly agreeable to the temper of Dido's mind, and shows the propriety of potero being in the future; which otherwise cannot be justified on any principles of language. 421. Exsequere: do-perforin. 422. Colere: in the sense of amare. 424. Hostem. This word sometimes was used by the ancients in the sense of hospes. |