Prætereà castis adolet dum altaria tædis; O mea progenies: thalamis neu crede paratis. NOTES. 71. Dum adolet altaria: while he kindles the altar with holy torches, &c. Some connect adolet with Lavinia, and understand her to have set fire to the altars. But it is evidently better to understand this of the father, his daughter standing near him. Castis: in the sense of puris vel sacris. 72. Ut: et is the common reading.Heyne reads ut, which makes the sense easier. 76. Fulvo. Rumus takes this in the sense of rutilanti. 77. Vulcanum: in the sense of flammam vel ignem. 73. Id verò, &c. This line is capable of a double meaning, according to the sense given to ferri. If it be taken in its usual sense, it will be this terrible thing, and wonderful to the sight, (began) to be spread abroad. It it be taken in the sense of haberi, it will be: this thing (began) to be considered terrible and wonderful to the sight. This is the sense given both by Ruæus and Davidson. Dr. Trapp favors the former. 79. Fatis. Fatum, here, is in the sense of fortuna. Canebant: in the sense of prædicebant. 81. Monstris: at the prodigies, or wonderful signs. Monstrum: any thing that is contrary to the ordinary course of nature. Fatidici: prophetic. 82. Consulit: he consults the grove under lofty Albuna. This was a fountain from which flowed the river Albula. Its waters were very deeply impregnated with sulphur. It was surrounded with a very gross and putrid atinosphere, which the poet calls sævam mephilim. Here was a grove sacred to Faunus. 85. Enotria tellus: Italy. See Æn. i. 530. 91. Affatur Acheronta: converses with the infernal powers in deep Avernus. Acherontu: acc. sing. of Greek formation. Acheron, by the poets, is made one of the rivers of hell. Here it is evidently used for the infernal gods. 94. Atque jacebat: and lay, supported by their skins and outspread fleeces-he lay down upon them. 97. Paratis. This alludes to the contemplated match with Turnus. Tholamis: in the sense of nuptiis. 99. Quorumque stirpe: descending from Omnia sub pedibus, quà Sol utrumque recurrens Aspicit Oceanum, vertique regique videbunt. Hæc responsa patris Fauni, monitusque silenti 103. Latinus ipse non Nocte datos, non ipse suo premit ore Latinus preinit suo ore hæc re- Sed circùm latè volitans jam fama per urbes sponsa ? Ausonias tulerat ; cùm Laomedontia pubes Gramineo ripæ religavit ab aggere classem. Æneas, primique duces, et pulcher Iülus, Corpora sub ramis deponunt arboris altæ : Instituuntque dapes, et adorea liba per herbam Subjiciunt epulis (sic Jupiter ille monebat) Et Cereale sólum pomis agrestibus augent. 112. Hic fortè aliis Consumptis hìc fortè aliis, ut vertere morsus cibis consumptis, ut pe- Exiguam in Cererem penuria adegit edendi ; Et violare manu, malisque audacibus orbem Fatalis crusti, patulis nec parcere quadris: Heus! etiam mensas consumimus, inquit Iülus. Ea vox audita laborum Prima tulit finem primamque loquentis ab ore 119. Paterque eripuit Eripuit pater, ac stupefactus numine pressit. eam primam ab ore filii Continuò, Salve, fatis mihi debita tellus ; loquentis nuria edendi 117. Nec dixit plura Nec plura, alludens. veria 124. Dicens, O nate, cûm fames coget te vectum 100 105 * 110 115 120 Vosque, ait, ô fidi Trojæ, salvete, Penates. NOTES. whose stock, our posterity shall see all things reduced, &c. This alludes to the extent of the Roman empire, which, in the height of its greatness, embraced the greater part of the then known world. It ruled the subject nations with a rod of iron. 105. Laomedontia pubes: the Trojan youth; so called from Laomedon, one of the kings of Troy. Tulerat: spread them abroad. 106. Rcligavit: moored. 110. Subjiciunt: they place along the grass wheaten cakes under their meat. They use them in the room of plates or trenchers. 111. Solum any thing placed under another to support it, may be called solum. Cereale solum, therefore, must be those wheaten cakes which they used on this occasion as plates. Augent: they load them with, &c. 112. Morsus: in the sense of dentes. 113. Ut penuria edendi: when want of other provisions forced them to turn their teeth upon the small cake, &c. Edendi: in the sense of cibi. 114. Violare. The eating tables among the ancients were considered sacred. They were a kind of altar, on which libations were made to the gods, both before and after meals. To destroy them was considered a kind of sacrilege or violence. Orbem talis crusti. By this we are to understand 125 the cake or trencher-the orb of the ominous cake. Fatalis is not to be understood in the sense of fatal in English, but rather as importing some great event, or something destined and ordered by fate. Patulis quadris: the broad or large quadrants. These cakes were divided by two lines, crossing each other in the centre, and dividing each cake into four equal parts, called quadrants. Audacibus malis: with greedy or hungry jaws. The 117. Alludens joking-smiling. 119. Stupefactus numine pressit. prophetic Celano (Æn. iii. 257.) had foretold that the Trojans should be reduced to such extremity as to consume their tables before they could expect an end to their wanderings. By numine we are to understand the solution or fulfilment of this prophecy, or divine purpose. Pressit does not refer to the words of Ascanius, as Servius supposes, but to Eneas. The prophecy had been wrapped up in mystery till the present moment. The solution of it was a matter of surprise and joy. It excited a degree of wonder and admiration, and caused him to pause a while upon the subject. Pressit : he kept silence. Vocem is understood. 123. Repeto: I recollect—I call to memory. Memoriam is understood. 125. Dapibus accisis: your provisions having failed-being consumed. Tum sperare domos defessus, ibique memento Quare agite, et primo læti cum lumine solis, Quæ loca, quive habeant homines, ubi monia gentis, Sic deinde effatus, frondenti tempora ramo Diditur hic subitò Trojana per agmina rumor, Postera cùm primâ lustrabat lampade terras Donaque ferre viro, pacemque exposcere Teucris. NOTES. 138. Noctem. This goddess sprang from Chaos, according to Hesiod. Æneas invokes her, fearing, perhaps, during the darkness, some mischief from the natives. 139. Idæum: an adj. from Ida, a mountain in Crete, where Jupiter was brought up. Phrygiam matrem: Cybele. 140. Duplices parentes: both his parents, Venus and Anchises; the former in heaven, the latter in Elysium; at least his idolum, or simulacrum 141. Clarus: may mean loud-shrill; or perhaps it may imply that the sky was clear, which was considered a good omen. aureis radiis lucis, by hend, the golden bearna of light. 144. Diditur: is spread abroad. 145. Debita: in the sense of destinata. 143. Lampade in the sense of luce. 150. Stagna fontis: the streams of the fountain Numicus. This was a small river, or stream, flowing between Laurentum and Ardea. Diversi: they in different directions. 154. Ramis Palladis: with the boughs of Pallas-with the olive. The olive was sacred to Minerva, and the badge of peace. Velatos: coronatos, says Ruæus. 157. Ipse designat: he himself, in the mean time, marks out. his city with a low furrow, and prepares the place for building. This city of Eneas was situated on the east bank of the Tiber, a little above the sea. He called the name of it Troy. In after times, Ancus Martius, a king of the Romans, founded here a city, which he called Ostia, from its vicinity to the mouth of the Tiber. 142. Radiis lucis et auro. This is for See En. v. 755. 158. Cingitque primas Moliturque locum: primasque in litore sedes, sedes in litore pennis at- Castrorum in morem, pinnis àtque aggere cingit. que aggere 160. Jamque juvines emensi iter cernebant Jamque iter emensi, turres ac tecta Latinorum peans 169. Mediua suorum Imperat, et solio medius consedit avito. civium. Tectum augustum, ingens, centum sublime columnis, 174. Hoc templum Perpetuis soliti patres considere mensis. NOTES. 159. Cingitque primas: and he incloses his first settlement on the shore with a rampart, and a mound, &c. The pinnæ originally were the tufts or crests on the soldier's helmet. Hence they came to be applied to the turrets and battlements in fortifications. 160. Emensi iter: having completed their Journey to the city of Latinus. 163. Domitant: they break the harnessed steeds in the dusty plain. Currus is-properly a chariot: by meton. the horses harnessed in it. 164. Acres arcus: elastic bows. Lenta: tough-rigid-not easily bent. 165. Lacessunt: they challenge one another at the race, and missive weapon. La Cerda understands by cursu the throwing of the javelin as they ran forward: and by ictu, the shooting of the arrow. But it is better to take cursu for the races and other exercises on horseback and in the chariot, and ictu for the shooting of the arrow and throwing of the javelin. 167. Nuntius prævectus: a messenger on horseback relates, &c. 169. Avilo solio: on the throne of his ancestors. 170. Tectum augustum: a building, &c. put in apposition with regia. 171. Regia Laurentis Pic. This magnificent palace was erected by l'icus, the father of Latinus. It was situated on the highest ground or part of the city, and supported by a hundred columns. Horrendum: awful by its sacred groves, and the religion of their ancestors. By religione, Mr. Davidson understands the religious monuments, images, groves, &c. that had been consecra 160 165 17 175 ted by the founders of the family; some of which are mentioned. Sublime: high-raised high upon, &c. 173. Primos fasces: the first badges or authority-the first ensigns of power: by meton. the first power. 174. Omen erat regibus. Ruæus and Dr. Trapp take omen in the sense of initium. Davidson takes omen in the sense of mos, a custom or practice; but one on which they laid a religious stress, and on which they imagined the prosperity of their kings, in a degree, to depend; and had they been consecrated in any other place, they would have considered it deficient and imperfect. Valpy is of the same opinion with Davidson. Hoc templum. In this noble structure, it appears there was one part for religious purposes, another for the senate, and a third for sacred banquets. 175. Ariete caso: in the sense of victimâ casa: sacrifice being offered. 176. Considere perpetuis. The most ancient posture at table was sitting; afterward luxury introduced that of reclining on couches. Perpetuæ mensa, were tables that extended from one end of the hall te the other. 177. Quin etiam effigies: moreover the statues of their ancestors of ancient cedar stood in the vestibule arranged in order, &c Rurus and Heyne connect Vitisator with pater Sabinus, which appears incorrect; for the planting of the vine in Italy is ascribed to Saturn by most authors; and the scythe was the well known symbol of that god. La Cerda makes a full stop after Sabinus, which is unnecessary and improper. Antiquâ è cedro, Italusque, paterque Sabinus, Picus, equûm domitor; quem capta cupidine conjux 100 185 190 2 Tali intus templo Divûm, patriâque Latinus NOTES. 178. Antiqua: may here mean durable -lasting. It is the quality of cedar not to decay. Italus: a king of Sicily, who extended his conquests into Italy, then called Enotria, to which he gave the name of Italia. Sabinus. He was the second king of Italy, and the founder of the Sabines, to whom he gave name. 179. Sub imagine. Servius explains this by sub oculis. The meaning is, that the scythe hung down in his hand, and the statue was in a stooping posture over it, and looking upon it. 130. Janique bifrontis: double-faced Janus. See 610,, infra. 187. Quirinali lituo: the augural wand. The lituus was a wand or rod used by the augurs. It was crooked toward the extremity. It is here called Quirinalis, from Quirinus, a name of Romulus, who, we are informed, was very expert at augury. 188. Trabea. This was a robe worn by augurs, and sometimes by kings and other officers of state. Broad trimmings of purple ran across it like beans, from which it took its name. Ancile. This was a small oval shield worn chiefly by the priests of Mars. 191. Circe: a famous sorceress. Conjux, 187. Picus ipse, do mitor equûm sedebat cum Quirinali lituo, succinctusque 189. Quem percussum aurea virgâ, versumque venenis conjux Circe, capta cupidine ejus, fecit avem 194. Illis ingressis. 196. Vosque auditi advertitis cursum huc æquore. 197. Quæ causa vexit rates vestras ad Auso200 nium litus per tot cærula vada, aut egentes cujus rei advenistis huc? sive acti errore viæ 204. Sed suâ sponte. here, is plainly used in the sense of amatrix: a lover. She desired to become his wife. Sparsil alas: she spread or covered his wings with colors. These were purple and yellow. The bird into which Picus was changed, is the pie or woodpecker. See Ovid. Met. lib xiv. 320. 194. Edidit: in the sense of dixit. 196. Auditi: head of being known. 198. Vada. Vadum, properly, signifies shallows, places in the sea, or rivers, where one may walk, from vadere. Here it is put for the sea in general. 200. Multa qualia: many such things. 202. Neve ignorate: in the sense of nos cite. 203. Equam just, not by restraint, nor by laws. Vinculum is any thing that binds or fastens. Reference may here be made to the golden age, when Saturn reigned. Latinus calls his people the nation of Saturn, either because he reigned in Latium over the same people; or because they governed themselves by the principles of justice and equity, and walked in the steps of that god. 205. Fama est obscurior annis: the tradition is rather obscure through years. Sca liger would understand it, as being more obscure than might be expected, consider |