?

as many more the next day. Ring-doves build in high trees, whence Virgil calls them aëriæ. The amorous disposition of these birds, and their reputed conjugal fidelity, make them a proper present from a lover to his mistress.

O quoties, &c.] Damætas speaks in a rapture of the soft things which Galatea has said to him; and invokes the winds to carry part of them even to the ears of the gods.

Partem aliquam, venti, &c.] The shepherd intreats the winds to bear at least some part of her words to the gods, that they may be witnesses of the promises which Galatea has made to him.

Quid prodest, &c.] Menalcas boasts also of the love that Amyntas bears to him, and adds a kind complaint, that this is not sufficient, since he will not let him partake of the dangers to which he exposes himself in the chase.

Phyllida mitte mihi, &c.] Damætas calls upon Iolas to send Phyllis to him, and invites him

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to come himself, when the Ambarvalia are celebrated. Menalcas claims Phyllis as his favourite mistress, and boasts of the tenderness which she shewed at parting with him.

Meus est natalis.] The ancients used to celebrate the day of their birth with much cheerfulness, and invite their friends to partake with them.

Iola.] Iolas may be supposed to be the father of Phyllis.

Cum faciam vitula, &c.] The shepherd invites Phyllis to a merry entertainment; but her father to a more solemn feast. He means the Ambarvalia, in which they offered sacrifice for the success of the corn. This solemnity is beautifully described by our poet in the first Georgick: See ver. 339.

Faciam.] Facere signifies to sacrifice, and the victim is put in the ablative case: thus faciam vitula in the passage before us signifies to sacrifice a heifer. La Cerda justly observes, that rem sacram, or some such words, must be understood after faciam, in confirmation of which, he

produces a quotation of Livy, which comes up fully to the purpose: "Omnibus divis rem divinam thure, ac vino fecisse."

Vitula.] We may observe, that this eclogue began with a reproach, that Menalcas threw upon his adversary, that he was only a hireling, that fed the flocks of others. Damætas, being stung with this obloquy, takes occasion, more than once, to represent himself as a man of property. He offered at first to stake a heifer, which Menalcas was unwilling to answer, because the herd was not his own, but his father's. Here again Damotas sets forth his own ability, and brags of offering a heifer at the Ambarvalia, which was a sacrifice peculiar to wealthy persons; for the poorer sort contented themselves with offering a lamb.

Ipse venito.] He treats Iolas, the father of Phyllis, with much respect, inviting him to the Ambarvalia, a solemn sacrifice, to which every one was obliged to come with the strictest purity.

Phyllida amo, &c.] Menalcas, in answer to Damotas's pretending to invite Phyllis on his birthday, declares that he loves her above all others; and calls Iolas to witness with what tenderness she took her leave of him.

Me discedere flevit.] For discessum meum flevit, a Grecism.

Longum formose vale, vale, inquit.] Longum vale, and æternum

E

vale, are Grecisms frequently used. Servius takes notice, that the last syllable of the second vale is short, because it comes before a vowel, as in Te Corydon o Alexi.

Iola.] Servius takes Iolas to be another name for Menalcas; so that, according to him, we should interpret this line, inquit, O formose Iola, vale, longum vale. Marolles is of the same opinion, for he translates it, adieu mon bel Iolas. But Ruæus has given a much better interpretation. "Iola," says he, "is not a word spoken by Phyllis to Iolas, but by Menalcas to Iolas. For as Damotas had before addressed himself to Iolas, saying, O Iolas, send Phyllis to me; so now Menalcas also addresses himself to the same person, O Iolas, I love Phyllis."-Here we may agree with the critics, that the victory belongs to Menalcas. Damotas endeavours to obtain the affection of Phyllis by an invitation; but Menalcas has already gained it. Besides, there is a greater tenderness and delicacy in the latter couplet than in the former.

Triste lupus stabulis, &c.] Damætas, finding his rival to have the advantage, with regard to Phyllis, turns the discourse to another mistress, and declares nothing is more terrible in his opinion than the anger of Amaryllis. Menalcas answers, that nothing is so delightful to him as Amyntas.

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Depulsis arbutus hadis.] The goats are fond of the arbute, or strawberry-tree. See the notes on ver. 148. of the first Georgick, and ver. 300. of the third. Depulsis signifies weaned, a lacte being understood.

Pollio amat nostram, &c.] Damætas introduces a new subject, and boasts that Pollio is fond of his poetry. Menalcas lays hold on this occasion to celebrate Pollio, as being a poet himself. C. Asinius Pollio was a poet, orator, and historian, and a great patron of poets, especially of Virgil and Horace. He was chosen consul in the year of Rome 714. The next year he had a triumph decreed him for his victory over the Dalmatians, at which time Ruæus supposes this eclogue to be written, because mention is here made of preparing victims for Pollio.

Jam cornu petat, &c.] These circumstances make a good description of a young bull, that is just come to maturity.

This line is repeated in the ninth Eneid, ver. 629. It can hardly be doubted but that the victory here belongs to Menalcas. Da mætas speaks of Pollio only as a judge of poetry: but Menalcas

celebrates him, as being a good poet himself. Damotas offers him a heifer: but Menalcas proposes a bull for him. Thus the latter excels the former in each particular. The shepherds are now equal; Damætas excelling in the first, second, and fourth, and Menalcas in the third, fifth, and seventh; for they were equal in the sixth; as they will also appear to be in the remaining part of this contention.

Qui te, Pollio, amat, &c.] Damotas, unwilling to fall short of his adversary, in the praises of Pollio, expresses the highest regard for him, and wishes that all who love him may reach the same honours. Menalcas, on the other side, expresses the strongest detestation of the detractors from that great man.

Veniat; quo te quoque gaudet.] Here no doubt venisse must be understood, according to Servius, who adds, that the poet alludes to the consulship, which Pollio obtained, after having taken Salonæ, a city of Dalmatia: though others affirm, that the victory over the Dalmatians was in the year after the consulship.

Mella fluant illi.] Burman interprets this to mean eloquence. It seems rather to allude to the happiness of the golden age, in which the poets feign that honey dropped from oaks. See the note on ver. 131, of the first Georgick.

Ferat et rubus asper amomum.] Rubus is without doubt the bramble, or blackberry-bush. Servius says the amomum is an Assyrian flower; to prove which, he quotes these words of Lucan; "Vicinæ messis amomum." It has been a matter of great question among the modern writers, whether we are at present acquainted with the true amomum of the ancients. It is sufficient for our present purpose to know, that there was such a spice or perfume, in high esteem among them, and that it came from the eastern parts of the world. Therefore, when Damotas wishes that Pollio's friends may gather amomum from brambles, he makes a second allusion to the happiness of the golden age. Thus we find again in the next eclogue;

-Assyrium vulgo nascetur

amomum.

Qui Bavium non odit, &c.] Menalcas changes the subject from the admirers of Pollio to his detractors; and as Damotas had wished all happiness to the former, so he expresses the greatest detestation of the latter.

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"Let him who does not hate Bavius, be punished with liking the poems of Mævius." Wherein does the punishment consist? It would indeed be punishment to a person of good taste, to be obliged to read bad poetry; but surely it can be none to him that likes it. We know that both Bavius and Mævius were contemporary with Virgil: perhaps Bavius was the older of the two, and his verses allowed without dispute to be ridiculously bad. Let us suppose then, that Mævius was the adversary of Pollio: the satire in this case will be very plain, and strongly levelled against Mævius. The sense then will be, that none can bear the poetry of Mævius, but such as are so senseless as to like the wretched verses of Bavius.

Atque idem jungat, &c.] Here Menalcas says, that such as can like the poetry of Mævius, are capable of employing themselves in the grossest absurdities.

"In

Qui legitis flores, &c.] these and the following couplets, the shepherds seem to be grown friends they do not sting one another, as before; but only oppose one sentence to another; in which they appear to me to be always equal. The allego.. ries which some have imagined, do not please me. Damotas admonishes the boys to avoid the flowers of the meadows,