According to Donatus, this book, with the Fourth and Sixth, was selected by Vergil to be read before Augustus. The story, if not true, is well invented, for it represents the almost unanimous verdict of criticism, ancient and modern. Pococurante himself, in Voltaire's Candide, admits that these books are readable. The Second Book is inferior to none in graphic description, in harmony of design, and the majestic march of the Whatever Vergil may have borrowed, he has only exercised the royal prerogative of genius, and on all he has set his own image and superscription. verse. Aeneas is throughout the central figure. The deathstruggle of Troy is, if I may borrow the expressive phrase which Mr. Hutton applies to Browning's lyrics, a semi-dramatic utterance. Even in the final rout he never loses sight of his mission, and appears rather as a passive instrument in the hands of Providence than the leader of a forlorn hope. The ghost of Hector, unlike the Homeric prototype, instead of urging him to renew the fight, warns him to save himself and his gods, and fly the devoted city. For himself, his chief concern is to carry off in safety the Trojan Penates; his father and child are his second care; and the account which he gives of the loss of Creusa sounds to us like a piece of special pleading for his seeming neglect. The subsequent marriage of Aeneas and Lavinia, which symbolised the union of the Italian and Trojan races, was an integral part of the poem, and necessitated the sacrifice of the Trojan wife, no less than the desertion of the Carthaginian queen. P. VERGILI MARONIS AENEIDOS LIBER PRIMUS. 3 [ILLE ego qui quondam gracili modulatus avena: carmen, et, egressus silvis, vicina coegi, ut quamvis avido parerent arva colono, gratum opus agricolis; at nunc horrentia Martis] Arma virumque cano, Troiae qui primus ab oris vi Superum, saevae memorem Iunonis ob iram, Musa, mihi causas memora, quo numine laeso, quidve dolens regina deum tot volvere casus 10 insignem pietate virum, tot adire labores impulerit. tantaene animis caelestibus irae? Urbs antiqua fuit, Tyrii tenuere coloni, Carthago, Italiam contra Tiberinaque longe ostia, dives opum studiisque asperrima belli; 15 quam Iuno fertur terris magis omnibus unam posthabita coluisse Samo: hic illius arma, hic currus fuit; hoc regnum dea gentibus esse, si qua fata sinant, iam tum tenditque fovetque. progeniem sed enim Troiano a sanguine duci 20 audierat, Tyrias olim quae verteret arces; hinc populum late regem belloque superbum venturum excidio Libyae: sic volvere Parcas. id metuens veterisque memor Saturnia belli, prima quod ad Troiam pro caris gesserat Argis: 25 necdum etiam causae irarum saevique dolores exciderant animo; manet alta mente repostum iudicium Paridis spretaeque iniuria formae, et genus invisum, et rapti Ganymedis honores: his accensa super, iactatos aequore toto 30 Troas, reliquias Danaum atque immitis Achilli, arcebat longe Latio; multosque per annos errabant, acti fatis maria omnia circum. tantae molis erat Romanam condere gentem. Vix e conspectu Siculae telluris in altum 35 vela dabunt laeti et spumas salis aere ruebant, cum Iuno, aeternum servans sub pectore volnus, haec secum: 'mene incepto desistere victam, nec posse Italia Teucrorum avertere regem? quippe vetor fatis. Pallasne exurere classem 40 Argivom atque ipsos potuit submergere ponto, unius ob noxam, et furias Aiacis Oïlei? ipsa, Iovis rapidum iaculata e nubibus ignem, disiecitque rates evertitque aequora ventis; illum exspirantem transfixo pectore flammas, 45 turbine corripuit scopuloque infixit acuto : ast ego, quae divom incedo regina, Iovisque et soror et coniunx, una cum gente tot annos bella gero. et quisquam numen Iunonis adorat praeterea, aut supplex aris imponet honorem ?' 50 Talia flammato secum dea corde volutans, nimborum in patriam, loca feta furentibus Austris, Aeoliam venit. hic vasto rex Aeolus antro luctantes ventos tempestatesque sonoras imperio premit ac vinclis et carcere frenat. 55 illi indignantes magno cum murmure montis circum claustra fremunt; celsa sedet Aeolus arce, sceptra tenens, mollitque animos et temperat iras. ni faciat, maria ac terras caelumque profundum quippe ferant rapidi secum verrantque per auras. 60 sed pater omnipotens speluncis abdidit atris, hoc metuens, molemque et montes insuper altos Ad quem tum Iuno supplex his vocibus usa est: 65 'Aeole, namque tibi divom pater atque hominum rex et mulcere dedit fluctus et tollere vento, gens inimica mihi Tyrrhenum navigat aequor, Ilium in Italiam portans victosque Penates: incute vim ventis submersasque obrue puppes, 70 aut age diversos et disiice corpora ponto. sunt mihi bis septem praestanti corpore Nymphae, quarum, quae forma pulcherrima Deïopea, conubio iungam stabili propriamque dicabo, omnes ut tecum meritis pro talibus annos 75 exigat, et pulchra faciat te prole parentem.' Aeolus haec contra: 'tuus, o regina, quid optes explorare labor: mihi iussa capessere fas est. tu mihi quodcumque hoc regni, tu sceptra Iovemque concilias, tu das epulis accumbere divom, So nimborumque facis tempestatumque potentem.' Haec ubi dicta, cavum conversa cuspide montem impulit in latus; ac venti, velut agmine facto, qua data porta, ruunt et terras turbine perflant. 85 una Eurusque Notusque ruunt creberque procellis Africus, et vastos volvunt ad litora fluctus. insequitur clamorque virum stridorque rudentum. eripiunt subito nubes caelumque diemque Teucrorum ex oculis: ponto nox incubat atra. 90 intonuere poli et crebris micat ignibus aether, praesentemque viris intentant omnia mortem. extemplo Aeneae solvuntur frigore membra; ingemit, et duplicis tendens ad sidera palmas, talia voce refert: 'o terque quaterque beati 95 quis ante ora patrum, Troiae sub moenibus altis, contigit oppetere! o Danaum fortissime gentis Tydide, mene Iliacis occumbere campis non potuisse, tuaque animam hanc effundere dextra, saevus ubi Aeacidae telo iacet Hector, ubi ingens 100 Sarpedon, ubi tot Simois correpta sub undis scuta virum galeasque et fortia corpora volvit ?' Talia iactanti stridens Aquilone procella velum adversa ferit, fluctusque ad sidera tollit. franguntur remi; tum prora avertit, et undis 105 dat latus; insequitur cumulo praeruptus aquae mons. hi summo in fluctu pendent; his unda dehiscens terram inter fluctus aperit; furit aestus harenis. tris Notus abreptas in saxa latentia torquet (saxa vocant Itali, mediis quae in fluctibus Aras, 110 dorsum immane mari summo), tris Eurus ab alto in brevia et syrtis urguet, miserabile visu, illiditque vadis atque aggere cingit harenae. unam, quae Lycios fidumque vehebat Oronten, ipsius ante oculos ingens a vertice pontus 115 in puppim ferit: excutitur pronusque magister |