be the disposal of the weather: thunder was the special symbol of his power. The rain-fall is often figured as the espousal of sky and earth (compare Georg. i. 418, ii. 419). Here Jupiter is, in a manner, confounded with the rain itself, as the gods often are with the thing which is their charge. Cf. i. 2, and note. — imbri (§ 245; G. 401; H. 416).

61. populus, the poplar, said to have been the transmuted form of the nymph Leuke who was borne away by Pluto. Its leaves were gathered by Hercules for a wreath on his return from the infernal regions.

62. myrtus: the myrtle loves the sea-shore, which was Venus' birthplace, and is her favorite plant. sua, for use of reflexive, see § 196, c; H. 449, 3. — laurea: Daphne, a nymph beloved of Apollo, was changed into a laurel which was sacred to him.

63. illas: the hazel.

68. pinus: see note, Ecl. i. 39.

69. contendere, for tense see § 288, b; G. 277, R.

70. ex illo, etc., i.e. ever since this match, Corydon has his true value as a singer.

ECLOGUE VIII.

1. Musam, the song (obj. of dicemus).

2. quos est mirata, at whom the heifer gazed with surprise as they strove (certantis, acc.). The charm of song is constantly represented as powerful over the lower animals. Naturalists give authentic instances, in the case of birds, mice, and even (it is said) spiders, as well as animals nearer to man; but none of the somewhat grotesque character described by the ancients. This particular animal, the lynx, belongs to the fable of Orpheus, not to any Italian scene.

4. mutata, i.e. in direction. — requierunt cursus, stayed their The verb becomes transitive by a stretch of its meaning.

course.

6. tu, is the subj. of superas; mihi depends on liceat, though it is repeated in v. 8. The two are put together from the Latin fondness for contrasting persons. Timavi: this was a stream flowing into the Adriatic near Trieste (cf. Æn. i. 125). The expedition of Pollio was against the Parthini, an Illyrian tribe, and he is supposed to be on his return to Rome. -superas, pass beyond; iam gives the idea of at last or by this time. Compare note, Ecl. vii. 47.

7. legis oram, skirt the shore. -en gives force to the question. Compare ecquis; see also Ecl. i. 68.

8. cum liceat (§ 322, R. cf. § 320, a; G. 582, R.'; H. 521, 2, 2).

9. ut liceat, result-clause (§ 332, a; G. 558, 3; H. 500, ii.).—ferre, etc., i.e. spread the fame of, etc.

10. Sophocleo, i.e. tragedy worthy of Sophocles. — tua carmina : see note to iii. 86. The sock (soccus) and buskin (coturnus) are still emblems of comedy and tragedy respectively, originally so on account of the persons that wore them on the stage. Compare Milton's L'Allegro, v. 121. The tragic buskin had high heels to increase the stature of the wearer.

11. a te, i.e. from Pollio came the first incentive to song. (Supply erat.) Which Eclogue is meant as the first is uncertain, and again on the other hand this one is not the last, although it has every appearance of an Epilogue. It has been supposed, not improbably, that this was the close of the first edition of the Eclogues. — desinam (preserved from elision by the pause; most editions have desinet): to thee I will cease.

12. sine... serpere (§ 331, c; G. 532; H. 535, ii.), suffer this ivy (referring to the humble pastoral song, cf. vii. 25) to twine about your temples amid the laurels of victory.

14. caelo, ablative of separation.

15. cum, the time when.

16. tereti olivae, on the rounded olive, i.e. the polished staff of olivewood (teres, cylindrical, is round like a staff; rotundus, like a ball). For case see § 228; G. 346; H. 386.

17. age, lead in. — Lucifer, morning star. - almum, kindly (root in alo). — prae ... veniens: the prepositions in composition were still loosely connected, and hence are easily separated. · - diem really belongs in sense both to age and prae.

18. deceptus, deceived by the love of my betrothed, which she merits not (indigno).

19. divos, obj. of adloquor.— nil

...

• profeci, i.e. it is of no avail that they have been called to witness our vows. — testibus, abl. of means.

20. tamen opposed to quamquam.

21. Maenalios, Arcadian.

imitations.

Such epithets as this are meaningless

22. Maenalus, a mountain of Arcadia. · tibia, pipe, or flageolet (see Fig. 1), sometimes made double, and so with two registers. These lines are a kind of excuse for singing.

24. Pana, object of audit, i.e. hears him play the pipe. — calamos, see note, i. 2.— inertis: the reeds were not left to whisper idly, but were fashioned to the uses of song,

25. quid non speremus, what have we not to look for? what may we not expect (if such matches as this occur)? This verb is often used of evils as well as things desirable.

26. speremus, see § 268; G. 258; H. referred to 485.

27. iam, presently.

grypes, griffins, winged lions, with eagles' heads. In Fig. 28 griffins are represented drawing the emblems of Apollo.

"In the north of Europe," says Herodotus, "there appears to be the greatest abundance of gold: but how it is got I cannot exactly tell; it is said, however, that Arimaspians, one-eyed men, steal it from the griffins. But I am not persuaded of this, that there are one-eyed men, in other respects like to other men (iii. 116); about the griffins, apparently, he has no scruple. — equis

(§ 248, a, R.; G. 346, r.2; H. 385, 3).

Fig. 28.

28. pocula, watering-places: compare Georg. iii. 529, "Pocula sunt fontes liquidi." The climax here depends upon the deer doing it of their own accord. dammae, notice the gender.

Fig. 29.

29. incide: Mopsus, the rival, is bidden to cut the pine-knots for his own wedding torches. The poet mocks his own disappointment by congratulating his rival. —novas, i.e. for the new wedding. - tibi, see § 225, b; G. 343; H. 384, 3, N.', but compare tibi in next line (§ 235).- ducitur: the bride is already on the way. In the ancient wedding the bride was escorted by torchlight with various ceremonies to the house of the husband; hence ducere, to marry, used of the For the ancient torch see Fig. 29.

man.

30. sparge nuces: among marriage customs, the bridegroom scattered nuts among the boys bear

ing torches: as some say, to signify that he has put away childish things. The Roman boys seem to have used nuts as marbles, cf. Hor. Sat. ii. 3, 171.

deserit . . . Oetam, the evening star is forsaking Eta, the mountain which lies back of Thermopyla (i.e. night is coming on). The scenery is Greek, though the customs are Italian.

32. digno, worthy (ironical). — viro (§ 248, a, R.; G. 346, r.'; H. 385, 3).—dum, etc., i.e. you, so dainty a maid, who despise all other lovers, scorn me, and arrogantly violate your plighted vows: hinting strongly at the inferior graces of his rival.

33. odio (§ 233; G. 350; H. 390).

34. supercilium: the shaggy brow and long beard are dwelt on in imitation of Polyphemus in Theocr. xi.

35. deum (gen. pl.), you think that no god has regard for mortal affairs, to punish broken vows.

37. saepibus, i.e. our orchard. —roscida mala, etc., I saw thee, a little girl, plucking dewy apples.

38. dux, guide: i.e. I knew where to find the fairest fruit.—cum matre, with my mother (as in Theocritus).

39. alter ab, next to, i.e. the twelfth.

41. ut vidi, ut perii, how I gazed, how was I undone! Observe the hiatus after perii. — malus, fatal.

43. scio, i.e. by experience. — quid, see § 189, c. — cotibus, flintstones: often written cautibus, cliffs. The same word, but with a slight difference of meaning.

44. Tmaros, etc.: these names belong to Epirus, Thrace, and Africa, - mere symbols of barbarism. The termination of Rhodopē is unelided, according to Greek use.

45. generis nostri, i.e. of no civilized parentage (§ 214; G. 364; H. 396, i.). — edunt, the present tense seems to confound the god and his office, as if he were born anew in every case of love.

47. matrem: Medea, who slew her two children in jealous rage. mater, Venus, the mother of Cupid.

52. ovis... lupus, etc.: the prayer is that the whole order of nature may be reversed. — fugiat (§ 267; G. 256; H. 484).

53. narcisso, see § 248; G. 401; H. 420.

54. sudent electra, distil amber: this was thought to be a product of the poplar (Ovid, Met. ii. 365); here the humbler shrub is to be as richly endowed. For case see § 238; G. 331; H. 371, 1, 2).

55. certent... ululae, let screech-owls vie with swans, a proverbial saying. Swans, for some unknown reason, were supposed by the ancients to be as melodious in their song as they are stately in their movement, and were held sacred to Orpheus. They have a soft plaintive note in calling their young; and the fabled melody of their death-song was proverbial. — cycnis, dative, in imitation of the Greek, with words of contention. See $ 229, c.

56. Orpheus, i.e. in the general, violation of nature, let the humble poet equal the mythic bards. delphinas: there are many ancient tales of the supposed association of this creature with man, and its fondness for music. The most famous is the one here alluded to of the minstrel Arion (Ovid, Fasti ii. 83–118), who, being forced into the sea by a ship's crew, was rescued by a dolphin.

58. medium mare, mid-sea. This appears to be a mistranslation of Theocr. i. 134 (εváha taken for evaλha): the true rendering would be, may all things become reversed. — vivite, farewell.

59. specula de montis, from the watch-tower of a high mountain, i.e. a steep cliff (cf. Æn. x. 454). See § 263, N.

60. extremum munus, this last boon: his voluntary death for her sake.

62. vos, emphatic: do you tell, I cannot attempt so lofty a strain. omnia, there is no occasion to supply facere, for posse is constantly followed by neuter pronouns. See § 240, a, and note.

64. effer, bring forth: the maiden, supposed to be standing before the altar, addresses her attendant Amaryllis. -molli vitta, a fillet or band of soft wool, worn about the head by women, used also by priests and consecrated persons. For these latter, the vittae were properly the narrower braids hanging from the ends of the infula, or broad head-band. The vitta was used, as here, with any consecrated object. (See Fig. 30.)

Fig. 30.

65. verbenas pinguis, unctuous herbs (cogn. acc.). The word verbena is used to mean any plant — especially a consecrated sprig or turf – used in sacred ceremonies. It is also more properly the name of the herb vervain (Georg. iv. 131), a small flowering shrub. — adole (oleo), burn, i.e. cause to emit fragrance by burning. — mascula tura, large grains of incense.

66. coniugis (cf. v. 18), lover, or betrothed. sanos avertere sensus, i.e. turn his mind, now sound, to the insanity of love. Compounds of ab are often used in this way without any direct expression of that from which the action is directed.

67. nihil, i.e. every thing is prepared except the song. — carmina, charms, or magic song.