60.Tanquam hæc om nia sint Jam mihi per rupes videor lucosque sonantes 65 Spicula: tanquam hæc sint nostri medicina furoris, 60 Aut Deus ille malis hominum mitescere discat. 61. Aut tanquam ille Deus Cupido Jam neque Hamadryades rursum, nec carmina nobis 64. Illum Deum Cupi- Ipsa placent: ipsæ rursùm concedite sylvæ. dinem; nec equidem, si Non illum nostri possunt mutare labores; Nec si frigoribus mediis Hebrumque bibamus, Sithoniasque nives hyemis subeamus aquosæ : 67. Nec equidem, si Nec si, cùm moriens altâ liber aret in ulmo, versemus oves Ethiop- Ethiopum versemus oves sub sidere Cancri um, sub sidere cancri, Omnia vincit amor; et nos cedamus amori. Hæc sat erit, Divæ, vestrum cecinisse poëtam, sat erit vestrum poetam Dum sedet, et gracili fiscellam texit hibisco, cecinisse hæc carmina Pierides vos hæc facietis maxima Gallo : 72. Facietis hæc fieri Gallo, cujus amor tantùm mihi crescit in horas, Quantùm vere novo viridis se subjicit alnus. Surgamus: solet esse gravis cantantibus umbra: cùm 70. O Diva Pierides, NOTES. stain in Arcadia, where virgins used to hunt; from a Greek word signifying a virgin. It is here used as an adj. Circumdare: in the sense of cingere. 58. Sonantes: echoing-resounding. 59. Cydonia: an adj. from Cydon, a city of Crete, the arrows of which were held in great estimation. Partho cornu: a Parthian bow. The Parthians were a people famed for their skill in handling the bow, which they made of horn. Hence cornu: a bow. Libet: in the sense of juvat. 60. Medicina furoris: a remedy for our love. Tanquam: as if, 61. Malis: in the sense of miseriis. 62. Hamadryades: nymphs of the woods and trees. Their fate was supposed to be connected with that of particular trees, with which they lived and died. It is derived from the Greek. See Ecl. ii. 46. 63. Rursum concedite: again, ye woods, farewell. Concedite, is here elegantly put for valete. I wish you may grow and flourish, though I languish and die. 65. Hebrum. The Hebrus is the largest river of Thrace, rising out of mount Rhodope, near its junction with mount Hamus, and taking a southerly course, falls into the Egean sea: hodie, Marisa. The ancient Thrace forms a province of the Turkish empire, by the name Romania. Frigoribus: in the sense of hyeme. 66. Sithonias: an adj. from Sithonia, a part of Thrace, bordering upon the Euxine sea. Subeamus: endure-undergo. 67. Moriens liber: the withering bark, or rind. 70 75 68. Versemus: feed, or tend upon; in the sense of pasceremus. Ethiopum: gen. plu. of Ethiops, an inhabitant of Ethiopia, an extensive country in Africa, lying principally within the torrid zone. Here it is put for hot climate. Cancri. Cancer is one of the the inhabitants of any country lying in a twelve signs of the Zodiac. The sun enters it about the twenty-first day of June, causing our longest day. 69. Amor vincit, &c. The poet here hath finely represented the various resolutions and passions of a lover. Gallus having tried various expedients to divert his affections, and finding nothing sufficiently enticing to him, to accomplish that end, finally abandons the vain pursuit with this reflection: Love conquers all things—let us yield to love. 71. Texit: formed-made. Hibisco: in the sense of vimine. 72. Maxima: most acceptable-most precious. 73. In horas hourly-every hour. 74. Subjicit se: shoots itself up-springs up. 75. Umbra solet, &c. The shade of the evening is wont to be injurious to singers. Umbra here must mean the shade or dusk of the evening, which, on account of the falling dew, is reckoned an unhealthy part of the day. That the word is to be taken in this sense, appears from the circumstance mentioned in the following line. Hesperus venit: the evening star is approaching. Can!antibus; some read cunctantibus: to those dolaying, or loitering. W GICS. INTRODUCTION TO THE GEORGICS. THE civil wars, that had distracted the Roman empire, had nearly desolated Italy. The land lay neglected, and the inhabitants were reduced to great distress for want of the necessaries of life. In this state of things, they cast the blame upon Augustus, and murmured against his administration. To remedy the existing evils, and to avert heavier calamities, it became necessary to revive agriculture; which for many years had been almost wholly neglected, the people being taken from their lands to supply the armies. It occurred to Mæcenas that a treatise upon that subject would be highly useful to the inhabitants of Italy; he therefore engaged Virgil, who had just finished his Eclogues, to undertake the work. It had the desired effect. For, after the publication of the Georgics, Italy began to assume a new and flourishing appearance, and the people found themselves in plenty, and in the enjoyment of peace and content. Virgil spent about seven years in this part of his works. His correct taste, his chaste style, and above all, his extensive knowledge, duly qualified him for a work of this kind. The Georgics, like the Eclogues, were every where well received. The rules for the improvement of husbandry, and the advice given to the farmer upon the several subjects connected with it, were not only suited to the climate of Italy, but have been esteemed valuable in every country where "due honor has been paid to the plough," down to the present time. The word Georgica is from the Greek. Its original word properly signifies the cultivation or tillage of the earth. In the Georgics, Virgil imitated Hesiod, who wrote a treatise upon this subject, entitled, Opera et Dies, but he far excelled him in every respect. He began this part of his works in the year of Rome 717, being then about thirty-two years of age, and dedicated it to Macenas, his friend and patron, at whose request he wrote it. The Georgics are divided into four books. The first treats of the various soils, and the proper method of managing each. The second treats of the various ways of propagating fruit trees, and particularly the vine. The third treats of the several kinds of grass, and the proper method of raising horses, cattle, sheep, and goats. The fourth treats of the proper management of bees. With the main subject, the poet hath interwoven several very interesting fables and episodes, which contribute to our pleasure, and relieve the mind under the dryness of precept. QUESTIONS. What was the state of Italy, when Virgil began his Georgics? At whose request did he write them? From what language is the word derived? What effect had the Georgics upon the state of Italy? How long was Virgil in writing them? Were they well received by his countrymen? Was Virgil well qualified to write upon the subject of agriculture? Whom did he imitate? What is the comparative merit of each work? Do the Georgics contain valuable rules and directions to the agriculturist in all countries? Into how many books are they divided? |