Quæritur et nascentis equi de fronte revulsus, 515 515. Et amor equa Et matri præreptus amor. Ipsa molâ manibusque piis, altaria juxta, Sidera: tum, si quod non æquo fœdere amantes At non infelix animi Phoenissa: neque unquam Sic adeò insistit, secumque ita corde volutat : En! quid ago? rursusne procos irrisa priores NOTES. dews, which were thought to distil from the moon upon herbs, were reckoned favorable for magic. Those herbs, however, were to be cut with brazen sickles, ahenis falcibus. Lacte: in the sense of succo. 516. Et amor revulsus: and the love (of the mare) torn from the forehead of a newly foaled colt. The poet here means what is called the hippomanes; of which there are two kinds. See Geor. iii. 280. et sequens. The one here meant is very different from the one there described. According to the account given of it by the ancients, it was a lump of flesh growing on the forehead of the foal just brought forth, which the mare presently devours, or else she loses all affection for her young, and denies it suck. Its being so greedily sought after by the mother, is the reason of its being called her love. The circumstance just mentioned gave rise to the vulgar opinion of its efficacy in philtres, love potions, and magic rites. 518. Exuta pedem. It appears from this passage that Dido put herself in the habit of a sorceress. According to Ovid, it was their custom to strip bare one of their feet, and to be clad in a loose flowing robe. Ruæus takes recincta, in the sense of succincta; but in this he differs from most commentators. Heyne takes it in the sense of soluta. 520. Non æquo fædere: by this we are to understand an inequality in the love and affection of the parties-in an unequal match: where love is not reciprocated. 522. Nox erat. The whole of this description is a most beautiful, and, at the same time, perfect image of nature. Dr. Trapp objects to it as imperfect. But it is to be observed that the poet did not design revulsus de fronte nascentis equi, et præreptus matri 517. Dido ipsa moritura, exuta quoad unum 520 pedein vinclis, in recincta veste, stans justa altaria, molt piisque manibus, testatur Deos, et sidera conscia fati. Tum precatur numen, 525 si quod justumque me morque habet amantes junctos non æquo fœdere curæ sibi. 526. Quæque latè tenent liquidos lacus, quæ530 que tenent rura aspera dumis, omnes positæ sub silenti nocte lenibant curas somno; et corda ob lita sunt laborum. it as a description of night in general; but only of a calm and serene one, in order that he might set off to greater advantage the opposite image of Dido's anxiety and disquietude. And indeed nothing could give us a more lively idea of her restless situation, than thus to set it forth in opposition to the universal quiet and repose which reigned over all nature beside. She is so far from partaking of the blessings of sleep with the rest of the world, that the silence and solitude of the night, which dispose others to rest, only feed her care, and swell the tumult of her passion. 524. Lapsu: in the sense of cursu. 528. Lenibant curas, &c. This beautiful line Heyne marks as spurious, and concludes the sentence at silenti. It is not found in some ancient MSS. 529. Phænissa. Dido is so called, because she was a native of Phenicia, a country lying on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean; within the boundaries of which was the kingdom of Tyre. The words leniebat curas are to be supplied. 530. Noctem in the sense of quietem. 532. Irarum: passions-affections. Amor sævit. Here love is represented as a nighty sea, which had been for some time calin and still; but now begins to rise in furious waves, and rack her soul with a variety of tumultuous passions. Volutat. in the sense of cogitat. 534. Rursus-ne irrisa, &c. Ruæus and Servius take rursus in the sense of vicissim: shall I in turn have, &c. Dido had rejected the match of Iarbas and others; and shall she now pay court to them, as they ha Experiar? Nomadumque petam connubia supplex, 535 Iliacas igitur classes, atque ultima Teucrûm 538. Quiane juvat me Jussa sequar? quiane auxilio juvat antè levatos, eos antè levatos fuisse Et benè apud memores veteris stat gratia facti? meo auxilio; et gratia Quis me autem, fac velle, sinet? ratibusque superbis 540 veteris facti stat apud eos Invisam accipiet ? nescis heu, perdita, necdum benè inemores ejus? 540. Autem fac me Laomedonteæ sentis perjuria gentis? velle sequi eos, quis Quid tum? sola fugâ nautas comitabor ovantes? 543. Quid tum agen- An Tyriis, omnique manu stipata meorum, dum est? ego-ne sola Insequar? et quos Sidoniâ vix urbe revelli, fugâ comitabor civium insequar eos 544. An stipata Tyriis, 552. Fides promissa Sichæo cineri non servata est. Tantos illa suo rumpebat pectore questus. 556. Forma Dei re- Eneas celsâ in puppi, jam certus eundi, deuntis eodem vultu ob- Carpebat somnos, rebus jam ritè paratis. tulit se huic in somnis, Huic se forma Dei, vultu redeuntis eodem, visaque est rursus ita similis Obtulit in somnis, rursusque ita visa monere est ; Mercurio quoad omnia, Omnia Mercurio similis, vocemque, coloremque, monere eum: NOTES. formerly done to her? Irrisa: mocked- 537. Ultima: the lowest-basest. 538. Quia-ne juvat: because it delighted me formerly, that they should be relieved by my assistance; and the grateful remembrance of my former deed remains with them, duly mindful of it? Dido here speaks ironically. Some copies have exilio, in allusion to the friendly retreat which Dido gave to Eneas and his followers: but auxilio is the most approved reading. 541. Invisam: hated-an object of their aversion. Some copies have irrisam. This is the reading of Ruæus. Heyne reads, invisam, and assures us it is the best. 542. Necdum sentis, &c. Here Dido al Judes to the well known story of Laomedon, who defrauded the gods, Neptune and Apollo, of their hire for building the walls of Troy. See Geor. i. 502. Laomedonteœ: an adj. in the sense of Trojana. 543. Ovantes: in the sense of lætantes, vel triumphantes. It is applicable to mariners in general, who usually set out with acclamations of joy: but here it is to be considered in that particular, in which Dido viewed them as triumphing over her in their departure. Insequar. Some copies have inferar. This is the reading of Heyne, and Valpy after him. 544. Stipata: in the sense of comitata, 545 550 555 546. Rursus agam: shall I again conduct on the sea, those whom with difficulty I forced from the Sidonian city? Sidonia: an adj. from Sidon, which formed a part of the kingdom of Tyre: here in the sense of Tyria. Revelli: this expresses the difficulty of her former enterprise. 248. Tu, Germana, evicta: thou, O sister, overcome by my tears, thou first, &c. Furentem: in the sense of amantem. Dido here alludes to the speech of her sister. See verse 32. supra, and following. Anna could not bear to see her pine away in mournful widowhood, and therefore dissuaded her from it, and encouraged a love for Æneas. 550. Non licuit: was it not lawful for me, without blame, to lead a life free from the marriage bed, &c. Some copies have expertam vitam a life having experienced the marriage bed. But the other is evidently the most approved reading. Though Dido here seemingly approves of a single life; by representing it as the life of a savage beast, she in fact condemns it; and insinuates that marriage is the most perfect society, and distinguishes the life of man from that of brute animals. 551. Tangere: to know, or experience. . 558. Similis Mercurio omnia: like Mercury in all things. All the commentators make this god to be Mercury himself, except Catrou. He thinks it to be some other god, who assumed the likeness of Mercury. Et crines flavos, et membra decora juventæ: 560 Non fugis hinc præceps, dum præcipitare potestas? 565 Eia age, rumpe moras: varium et mutabile semper Tum verò Æneas, subitis exterritus umbris, on 570 575 580 Idem omnes simul ardor habet: rapiuntque, ruuntque : Et jam prima novo spargebat lumine terras NOTES. 560. Sub hoc casu: in this juncture or crisis of affairs. 561. Deinde: this appears to be in this place entirely expletive. Videtur otiosum esse, says Heyne. 563. Versat in the sense of meditatur. 566. Turbari trabibus: to be in commotion with ships. Heyne says, impleri navibus Carthaginiensium: and Ruæus, agitari remis. 567. Fervere to glitter-to shine with flames. The meaning is, that as soon as the morning shall return, Dido will pursue you with her ships, with torches and with flames. You must weigh anchor and be gone. 570. Fœmina: a woman is something always variable, and subject to change. This is a singular construction. Mercury here insinuates that hatred may succeed to Dido's love for him; which might induce her to seek revenge. Umbris: apparition. 572. Fatigat arouses his companions. 573. Vigilate: wake quick-in haste. Transtris: the seats or benches on which the rowers sat. 575. Tortos funes: the ropes, or cables, by which the ships were moored. Dr. Bentley thinks the anchors are intended; but how tortos can be applied to them, I see not. 576. Sancte Deorum: O holy one of the 585 563. Illa Dido certa mori versat dolos 566. Dum potestas est tibi præcipitare 576. Ecce Deus missus ab alto æthere iterum stimulat me festinare fugam, incidereque tortos funes. 583. Cœrula maria. gods, whoever thou art, &c. This mode of expression is in imitation of the Greeks. 578. O adsis: O may thou be propitious. 579. Dextra sidera: favorable, or propitious stars in the heavens. Feras: givegrant. 580. Ferit: in the sense of secat. Fulmineum: shining, glittering. Rumus says, coruscantem. 582. Deseruere litora. This change of the tense adds much to the description. They hale off, and hurry away; and no sooner have they done this, than they have left the shore, and are completely out to sea. 585. Et jam Aurora: and now Aurora, leaving the saffron bed of Tithonus, first spreads the earth over with early light. Tithonus was either the son or brother of Laomedon, king of Troy. On account of his beauty and gracefulness, Aurora fell in love with him, and endued him with immortality; but not thinking to bestow on him perpetual youth and beauty, he grew so weak and exhausted by old age, that he wished for mortality. But the goddess not being able to restore it to him, in pity to his case, changed him into a grasshopper. See Geor. iii. 48. This is a most beautiful circumlocution to denote the early dawn, when the earth be. comes first enlightened by the beams of t sun. Regina è speculis, ut primùm albescere lucem Vidit, et æquatis classem procedere velis; Litoraque et vacuos sensit sinè remige portus: 589. Percussa quoad Terque quaterque manu pectus percussa decorum, decorum pectus manu, Flaventesque abscissa comas: Proh Jupiter! ibit abscissaque quoad fla- Hic, ait, et nostris illuserit advena regnis ? ventes comas, ait: Proh Non arma expedient, totâque ex urbe sequentur ? 593. Non-ne alii diri- Diripientque rates alii navalibus? ite, 590 pient Forte citi flammas, date vela, impellite remos, 594 bas sceptra tua perfido homini. En dextra, fidesque illius, quem aiunt 600 597. Decuit te tum Tum decuit, cùm sceptra dabas. En dextra, fidesque ! cogitare de his, cùm da- Quem secum patrios aiunt portare Penates! Quem subiisse humeris confectum ætate parentem! Non potui abreptum divellere corpus, et undis Spargere? non socios, non ipsum absumere ferro 601. Non potui absu- Ascanium, patriisque epulandum apponere mensis? mere socios, non potui Verùm anceps pugnæ fuerat fortuna: fuisset. absumere Ascanium ip- Quem metui moritura? faces in castra tulissem : sum ferro, apponereque eum, Implêssemque foros flammis: natumque patremque 605 606. Ego ipsa dedis- Cum genere extinxêm: memet super ipsa dedissem. sem memet super eos. Sol, qui terrarum flammis opera omnia lustras ; Tuque, harum interpres curarum et conscia, Juno, Nocturnisque, Hecate, triviis ululata per urbes, 587. Velis æquatis: the sails were equally distended on each side of the mast. This shows that the wind blew fair, and directly after them in nautical phrase, wing and wing. 593. Diripient alii: will not others tear iny ships from the docks, and go in pursuit of him? 596. Nunc impia facta. Mr. Davidson observes that this is the reading of the Cambridge edition, founded on the authority of Probus and the Codex Mediceus; and it makes the sense obvious. By impia facta, we are to understand the violation of her faith to Sichæus, and her amours with Eneas; by which she brought on herself infamy and disgrace. Now she feels the weight of those actions, and the punishment due to her deeds. Ruæus and others, who read fata, take impia in the sense of crudelia. Nunc ultima fata, dura sors, suprema dies instant tibi, says Ruus. Heyne and Davidson read facta. 599. Subiisse: to have carried, or borne upon his shoulders. 600. Divellere. There is here an allusion to the manner in which the Bacchanals tore the bodies of Orpheus and Pentheus in pieces. 602. Apponere: served him up to be feasted upon at his father's table Reference is here nad to the story of Progne, who, to be venged upon Tereus, for his cruel treatment of her sister Philomela, served up his son Itys for him at a banquet. See Ecl. vi. 78. 603. Fortuna: in the sense of eventus. 604. Moritura: in the sense of cùm decreverim mori. Castra: in the sense of classem. 605. Foros: the decks or hatches of his ships. Extinxêm: by syn. for extinxissem : in the sense of interfecissem. 607. Sol. Dido invokes the sun, either because he is the supporter of life in general, or because, surveying all things here below, could be a witness of her wrongs; Juno, because she was the goddess of marriage; and Hecate, because she presided over magic rites; the Furies, because they were the avengers of wrongs. Flammis: in the sense of luce. 608. Interpres interpreter of these my cares (sorrows) and conscious of my wrongs. Servius takes interpres to mean, witness, judge, or arbitress. Ruæus interprets curarum by nuptialium negotiorum. 609. Hecate ululata: Hecate invoked, or called upon, &c. When Pluto ravished Proserpine, or Hecate, her mother Ceres traversed the earth in search of her with lighted torches, stopping at those places where two or three ways met, to invoke her name, which she did with a doleful outcry. Hence it became a custom in her sacred ites, for the matrons, on certain days, to go about the streets and crossways, filling the Et Diræ ultrices, et Dî morientis Elisæ, Et nostras audite preces. Infandum caput, ac terris adnare necesse est; 610 615 620 Sed cadat ante diem, mediâque inhumatus arenâ. air with shrieks and howlings. Nocturnis triviis. The epithet nocturnis is used, because the rites of Hecate were celebrated in the night, and in a place where three ways met. See 511, supra. 611. Advertite: turn a due regard to my misfortunes. Rumus and others understand by malis, the wicked, to wit, the Trojans. But this seems not to agree with the tenor of the subject. Ruæus says: applicate numen meritum à sceleratis huc. Heyne, on the other hand, says: advertite vestrum numen (vim et potestatem) contra improbos et impios Trojanos. Davidson renders the words: turn your divine regard to my wrongs. 613. Caput properly, the head; by synec. the whole body-here, Æneas. 614. Hæret in the sense of fixus sit. 615. At bello vexatus. It was a prevailing opinion among the ancients, that the prayers of the dying were generally heard, and their last words prophetic. Thus Virgil makes Dido imprecate upon Æneas a series of misfortunes, which actually had their accomplishment in his own person, or in his posterity. After his arrival in Italy, he was engaged in a war with Turnus, a bold and warlike prince. He was torn from the embrace of his son, and as it were an exile, forced to go to Etruria, to implore the assistance of Evander. See En. viii. 80. He saw his friends slain, and lie dead before his eyes. It is said he submitted to the terms of a disadvantageous peace with king Latinus, among which it was stipulated that the Trojans should abandon their native language, drop their appellation, and adopt that of the Latins. In the third year after 612. Si necesse est infandum caput tangere portus, ac 615. At vexatus bello et armis audacis populi, extorris suis finibus, avulsus complexû Iüli 624. Esto nullus amor 625 his populis, nec sunto 628. Imprecor litora contraria litoribus, undas contrarias fluctibus, arma contraria arinis: this treaty, in a war with the Tuscans, he was himself slain (ut plerique tradunt) by Mezentius their king, on the banks of the river Numicus, where his body was left unburied, and finally carried off by its waters, and never more seen. The Romans and Carthaginians were bitter enemies to each other: no league, no religious obligations, could bind them in peace; and after Hannibal arose, he proved himself Dido's avenger. He entered Italy with fire and sword: the Roman armies fled before him; and Rome itself was providentially saved from his conquering arms. 617. Indigna: cruel-undeserved. 620. Cadat ante diem: let him fall before his time-let him die an untimely death. 621. Vocem: in the sense of verba. 623. Mittite hæc: present these offerings to my ashes. This is said in allusion to the sacrifices that were offered to the dead. They were usually poured upon the tomb, and consisted of milk, wine, and blood. Exercete: in the sense of persequimini. 625. Exoriare aliquis ultor: arise some avenger from my bones. This is much more forcible, and shows more fully the state of her mind, than if she had used the third person. Allusion is here made to Hannibal. Dardanios colonos: simply, the Trojans. Dardanios: an adj. from Dardanus, one of the founders of Troy. here 627. Olim. This word signifies the future, as well as the past time: now, after, whenever power shall present itself. 628. Contraria: in the sense of hostilia, vel infesta. |