quæ Desine Mænalios, jam desine, tibia, versus. 62. Damon dixit hæc: Hæc Damon: vos, quæ responderit Alphesibæus, vos, Pierides, dicite ea, Dicite, Pierides: non omnia possumus omnes. ALP. Effer aquam, et molli cinge hæc altaria vittâ : possumus facere omnia Verbenasque adole pingues, et mascula thura, Conjugis ut magicis sanos avertere sacris 63. Nos omnes non Experiar sensus. Nihil hic nisi carmina desunt. 65 Ducite ab urbe domum, mea carmina, ducite Daphnim. 70 Ducite ab urbe domum, mea carmina, ducite Daphnim. 73. Primùm circumdo Terna tibi hæc primùm triplici diversa colore hæc terna licia tibi, di- Licia circumdo, terque hæc altaria circùm versa .et Effigiem duco. Numero Deus impare gaudet. 75 Ducite ab urbe domum, mea carmina, ducite Daphnim. 80 78. Neete cos modò: Necte, Amarylli, modò: et Veneris, dic, vincula necto. 81. Sic Daphnis emolliatur nostro 83. Ego uro hanc 1 NOTES. 63. Pierides: the Muses. They were so called from Pieria, where, it is said, they were born. See Ecl. iii. 60. 64. Effer aquam. Here Alphesibœus personates some enchantress, who by charms and magic rites endeavors to make Daphnis in love with her. The words are supposed to be addressed to her servant maid Amaryllis, mentioned verse 78, infra. 65. Verbenas. A species of plant or herb called vervain, much used in magic operations. It is sometimes taken for all kinds of herbs used in such rites. Mascula. By this we are to understand the strongest and best kind of frankincense. 66. Ul experiar: that I may try to turn away the sound mind of my spouse: i. e. throw him into a violent passion for me, causing him to lose his reason and judgment. Conjux, here means an intended or expected husband. By it we are to understaud Daphnis, who it seems had left her for some other mistress. Sacris: rites, or ceremonies. perfect of all numbers, having regard to the beginning, the middle, and the end. Diversa: diversified-various. : 74. Circumdo in the sense of circumligo. 78. Veneris: in the sense of amoris. Modò: in the sense of nunc. The 80. Ut hic Limus, &c. The sorceress made two images or figures, one of mud (limus) to represent herself; the other of wax (cera) to represent Daphnis. former would naturally harden, and the other melt in the same fire. It was the received opinion that as the image melted and consumed, so did the person it represented melt and dissolve into love, losing all his cruelty and hardness of heart toward his mistress; while she, who was represented by the other figure, would grow harder, and more indifferent to the object of her love. 82. Sparge molam: break, or scatter the salt-cake. The mola was a kind of cake much used in sacrifices. It was made of the flour of grain that grew the same year, highly seasoned with salt. It was placed upon the forehead of the victim, and upon the fire. Incende: burn the crackling lau70. Circe. The name of a famous sor- rels with bitumen. The laurels were burnt ceress. See Æn. vii. 10. 67. Carmina: charms-a solemn form of words; to which the ancients attributed great efficacy. 71. Cantando ger. in do, of the verb canto. Ruæus says: dum incantatur: while the incantations or magic rites are performing. 73. Triplici colore: with triple color. The ancients had a great veneration for the number three. This was thought the most to consume the flesh of Daphnis, on whose account these rites were performed. The cake was crumbled upon his image, or upon the victims in sacrifices. Such was the nature of these ridiculous rites. 83. Malus Daphnis: cruel Daphnis burns me; I burn this laurel upon Daphnis-upon his image. By burning the effigy of a per 85 89 Daphnis me malus urit, ego hanc in Daphnide laurum. His 95 85. Utinam talis amor occupet Daphnim, qualis, cùm bucula fessa quærendo juvencum per nemora, atque altos lucos, procumbit 89. Teneat Daphnim 95. Moris ipse dedit has herbas 96. Enim plurima venena nascuntur in Ponto. Ego vidi Mærin ipsum sæpe fieri lupum his venenis, et condere se sylvis; vidi illum sæpe 101 excire Ducite ab urbe domum, mea carmina, ducite Daphnim. NOTES. son magically, it was thought that they burnt the person himself; or that some how or other, he was affected in a similar manner. 85. Juvencum: the bull. Talis. Here is an ellipsis of the words, occupat juvencum, or some other of the like import, to make the sense complete. 87. Ulva: a kind of sedge, or meadowgrass. Some copies have herba. 88. Perdita: wretched-desperate; without hope of finding the object of her search. Nec sera nocti, &c. She is so intent upon the object of her love, that she thinks of nothing else she thinks not of returning home, even though it be late at night. De cedere seræ nocti: to yield or give place to the late night. 89. Mederi: to cure him. 91. Ille perfidus, &c. That perfidious (shepherd) formerly left these clothes with me, as the dear pledges of himself. It appears hence that Daphnis had pledged his love to her, but afterward violated his word. This justifies the use of the word conjux, as applied to him, verse 66. 92. In ipso limine: in the very threshold, or entrance. Servius thinks we are to understand the entrance of the temple of Vesta; others, of Daphnis' own house. But it is better to understand it of her own house, for it appears that here she performed her magic rites. 93. Mando: in the sense of committo. Hæc pignora: these pledges owe Daphnis to me. The clothes that a person once wore, or any thing that belonged to him, were 105 thought to be very efficacious in enchantments. Accordingly she lays much stress upon them; she is sure they will bring him home to her. One part of these magic rites was to bury the clothes of the lover under the threshold, to constrain him to return. 95. Ponto. Pontus, an extensive country in Asia Minor, bordering upon the Euxine sea. It abounded in poisonous herbs. Mithridates, king of Pontus, rendered his country notorious by the long and bloody wars which he maintained against the Romans. He was, however, at last overcome by Pompey the Great. Venena; magic plants. Those of a poisonous quality were considered the most efficacious, and were particularly sought for, and required in all enchantments. 101. Fer cineres. The most powerful, and usually the last efforts of the enchanter, were to throw the ashes of the magical sacrifice over the head backward into running water. Servius says, this was done that the gods might catch the ashes without being seen, as they were unwilling to show themselves, unless on extraordinary occasions. 102. Ne respexeris: in the sense of ne respice. 103. Aggrediar his, &c. With these ashes I will assail Daphnis. Nihil and nil are often used as simple negatives, in the sense of non: he does not regard the gods, &c. In other words, he does not regard his solemn promises made in the presence of the gods; he regards not my charms. 105. Aspice. This and the following 106. Bonum omen 109. O mea carmina Sponte suâ, dum ferre moror, cinis ipse: bonum sit! WHEN Augustus divided the lands about Mantua among his soldiers, the estate of Virgil fell to Arius, a centurion. When he went to re-enter upon his estate, after it had been restored to him, he met with much severe treatment from the new possessor, and on one occasion, was near being killed. He saved his life by swimming over the river Mincius. In consequence of which, he returned to Rome to acquaint the Emperor of the matter. He left his steward, who is here called Maris, behind, and directed him to treat his new landlord with civility and respect. Moris is going to him with a present of some kids, and meets Lycidas, who is supposed to be some Mantuan shepherd. Upon their meeting the pastoral opens. The scene is the road to the town. The evening is coming on: the air is tranquil and serene. The pastoral contains a complaint of Virgil's hard treatment under the character of Menalcas; a compliment to his friend Varus, and another to Julius Cæsar, and consequently to Augustus; together with several scraps of poetry artfully interwoven with the subject. The whole pastoral is elegant and beautiful. 1. O Mari, quò tui pedes ducunt te? an ducunt te in urbem, quò via ducit? Lvc. Quò te, Mori, pedes? an, quò via ducit, in urMa. O Lycida, vivi pervenimus; advena nostri [bem? (Quod nunquam veriti sumus) ut possessor agelli NOTES.' 2. Viri pervenimus: we living have come to that condition-or have lived to see the day, that, &c. Advena: a noun of common gender, here used as an adj. It may signi fy intruding—usurping, as well as foreign, in the present case, it includes the idea of all of them. 5 Diceret: Hæc mea sunt; veteres migrate coloni. Usque ad aquam et veteris jam fracta cacumina fagi, 2. Nos vivi pervenimus eò miseriæ, ut advena possessor 4. Hæc arva sunt mea; vos, O veteres coloni, 7. Certè equidem audieram vestrum Domi10 num Menalcan servâsse sibi omnia arva suis carminibus ab eo loco, quà colles incipiunt subdu 15 cere se 11. Audieras illud, et talis fuit fama 13. Columbas valere heu tua cornix Ma. Audieras, et fama fuit: sed carmina tantùm 66 NOTES. 3. Agelli: a noun diminutive from ager: a little farm. 5. Fors: in the sense of fortuna. 6. Quod nec benè vertat: which (present of the kids,) I wish may not turn out well to him. The usual mode of congratulation upon receiving a favor was: Benè vertat, I wish you joy-may it turn out well to you. nec benè vertat, therefore, was a kind of imprecation: may it prove a mischief to you. 7. Subducere se: to decline-to fall. 8. Demittere jugum: to lower their ridge, or top, by an easy descent. Here we have a description of the farm of Virgil. It was bounded on one side by a sloping hill; in other parts of its limits, were the broken top of an old beech-tree, a marsh, and the river Mincius. 9. Ad aquam: perhaps the river Mincius. 13. Aquila veniente: the eagle coming upon them-pursuing them. Here we have a beautiful circumlocution, expressing the inutility of his verses, and the charms of poetry, amidst martial arms. Chaonias: an adj. from Chaonia, a part of Epirus, where was the city Dodona, and a grove of the same name, famous for its oracular oaks. Columbas: two doves endued with a prophetic spirit are said to have resided among these oaks. Afterward one of them is said to have flown to the temple of Apollo at Delphi, and the other to the temple of Jupiter Ammon in Africa. They are here put for doves in general. 20 25 18. Heu tua solatia rapta sunt penè nobis simul tecum 21. Vel quis caneret carmina, quæ tacitus 23. Quorum versuum hoc est fragmentum: 0 Tityre, pasce 26. Immo potius quis caneret hæccarmina, quæ ille Menaleas 14. Incidere novas lites, &c. To break off my new disputes in any way whatever. Lis, is properly an action or case at law. 15. Sinistra: ill-boding. See Ecl. 1. 18. 16. Hic tuus Maris. It appears from this that the life of Virgil, who is here called Menalcas, and that of Maris, had been in danger from the new landlord. 17. Heu, tantum scelus, &c. Alas! that so great wickedness should fall upon any one. Or the words may be rendered thus; Alas! that so great wickedness should come into any one's mind:—that any one should conceive the idea of perpetrating the horrid deed of murder. This is the usual sense given to the words. 18. Heu, tua solatia, &c. Alas, Menalcas, your delight (the delight of your song,) was almost snatched from us with yourself: and if you had been quite slain, in that case, who would have sung the nymphs, &c. Heyne observes that by solatia we are to understand the song, carmina, or verses of Menal cas. 21. Sublegi: I purloined from you. Ruæus says, surripui. 22. Nostras delicias: for nostram amicam. Delicia is used only in the plural; delightdarling: here a mistress. 24. Age pastas: drive them full fed to drink. Potum: sup. in um, to drink-take water. Inter agendum: in driving themwhile driving them, beware, &c. 26. Varo: to Varus. See Ecl. 6. 7. tuum nomen 27. Quorum hoc est Mantua, væ miseræ nimiùm vicina Cremona !) fragmentum: O Vare, Cantantes sublime ferent ad sidera cycni cantantes cycni ferent Lv. Sic tua Cyrneas fugiant examina taxos, Sic cytiso pasta distentent ubera v vacca: Incipe, si quid habes: et me fecere poëtam Pierides: sunt et mihi carmina me quoque dicunt dulus illis. 2 : 34. Ego sum non cre- Vatem pastores, sed non ego credulus illis. 35. Nam adhuc videor mihi dicere carmina digna noque 38. Nunc recordor frag O Galatea: པ་ས་ Ma. Id quidem ago, et tacitus, Lycida, mecum ipse voSi valeam meminisse: neque est ignobile carmen. [luto, mentum ejus: ades huc," Huc ades, ô Galatea: quis est nam ludus in undis? "Hic ver purpureum; varios hic flumina circùm Fundit humus flores. hic candida populus antro "Imminet, et lèntæ texunt umbracula vites. "Huc ades; insani feriant sine litora fluctus." 43. Sine ut insani 44. Quæ carmina audieram te solum canentem sub pura nocte 40 Lv. Quid, quæ te purâ solum sub nocte canentem The Star NOTES. 28. Cremona. Cremona was a city on the western bank of the river Po, not far from Mantua. Its inhabitants were involved in the same misfortune with those of Mantua, in having their property and lands taken from them by Augustus. Hence the epithet misera. 29. Cycni: properly swans. By meton. poets. The meaning of this fragment is, that if Mantua should be preserved from the calamity which had befallen Cremona, through the influence of Varus, the Mantuan poets would celebrate his praises and raise his name to the stars. By Cantantes cycni, says Heyne, we are to understand the Mantuan poets. 30. Cyrneas; an adj. from Cyrnus, an island in the Mediterranean sea. Hodie Corsica. This island abounded in the yewtree hence the epithet Cyrnean. The honey made of this tree was of a bitter quality, and universally considered bad. For this reason Lycidas wished the swarms of his friend to shun those trees. Examina: swarms of bees. 32. Poetam a poet. Vatem: a poet, or prophet. These words are frequently used as synonymous, but they are not strictly so. 35. Cinna. Cornelius Cinna, the grandson of Pompey the Great. He became a favorite of Augustus. ipse voluto: I am thinking silently with myself, if I can recollect it. Voluto: I am revolving it in my mind. 39. Quisnam ludus: what sport is there in the waves? The parts of the word are separated by Tmesis. Nothing can be more beautiful than the whole of this fragment. It is in imitation of the eleventh Ĭdyl of Theocritus. 40. Purpureum : blooming-gay. Est is to be supplied. 41. Fundit: in the sense of producit." 43. Insani: raging-stormy. 45. Mimini numeros: I recollect the tune; if I knew the words, I would sing them. These last, or some other of the like import, are evidently implied. Or else we must take si in the sense of Utimam; I wish-O that. 46. Suspicis: in the sense of miraris. 47. Astrum. This word properly signifies a constellation of stars. The poet uses it here for a single star, thereby giving the greater dignity to the star of Cæsar. Virgil makes fiilus the son of Eneas, the founder of the Julian family. Iülus was the grandson of Venus, who according to some was the daughter of Dione, a nymph of the sea, by Jupiter. Hence the epithet Dionaan. About the time of Julius Cæsar's death, it is said a remarkable comet appeared, which the Romans considered to be the soul of Cæsar received up to heaven. The poet calls it the star of Cæsar, agreeable to the vulgar notion. This comet, according to 37. Ago: in the sense of facio. Tacitus Dr. Halley, appeared the third time in 36. Digna: things worthy of: or it may agree with carmina, understood; verses worthy of the attention of Varus and Cinna; or worthy to celebrate their actions. strepere anser: to gabble as a goose among tuneful swans-to make inharmonious sounds, &c. |