Candida succinctam latrantibus inguina monstris, these monsters to be part of Dulichias.] Dulichium is one of those islands in the Ionian sea, called Echinades. It lies over against the mouth of the river Achelous, and was subject to the dominion of Ulysses. Vexasse.] We are informed by Aulus Gellius, that some ancient grammarians, among whom was Cornutus Annæus, in their comments on Virgil, found fault with this word, as being ill chosen and mean. They thought it applicable only to trifling uneasinesses; and not strong enough to express so great a misery, as the being devoured by a horrid monster. But that learned critic affirms it to be a very strong word; and thinks it was derived from vehere, to carry, which expresses force; because a man is not in his own power when he is carried. A man who is taken up, and carried away by violence, is properly said to be vexatus. For as taxare is a much stronger word than tangere, from which it is derived; 75 80 jactare than jacere; and quassare Aut ut mutatos Terei, &c.] See Omnia quæ Phabo, &c.] The poet concludes this fine eclogue with telling us, that Silenus related all the stories also which Apollo himself sung on the banks of the Eurotas, when he courted his darling Hyacinthus. Eurotas.] This river, according to Strabo, has its spring near that of Alpheus: for they both rise near Asea, a village belonging to Megalopolis, in the Peloponnesus. They both run under ground for some furlongs, and then break out again; when the Alpheus takes its course 2 Ille canit: pulsæ referunt ad sidera valles ; Cogere donec oves stabulis, numerumque referre Jussit, et invito processit Vesper Olympo. through the Pisatis, and the Eurotas through Laconia, running by Sparta, passing through a small valley at Helos, falls into the sea between Gythium, which is the maritime town of Sparta and Acrææ. Jussitque ediscere lauros.] The banks of the Eurotas are said to abound with bay-trees. Hence perhaps Apollo was fancied by the ancients to be more particularly fond of this river than of any other. Cogere donec oves, &c.] At the end of the first eclogue, the evening was described by the smoking of the cottage chimneys, and lengthening of the shadows in the second, by the oxen bringing back the plough: 85 P. VIRGILII MARONIS BUCOLICORUM ECLOGA SEPTIMA. MELIBUS. MELIBEUS, CORYDON, THYRSIS. MEL. FORTE sub arguta consederat ilice Daphnis, Forte sub arguta, &c.] In this eclogue is represented an Amobean contention between two shepherds, Corydon and Thyrsis. They are described sitting under a tree, in company with Daphnis, who seems to have been appointed to judge between them. Melibœus, happening to pass that way in quest of a goat that had strayed, is spied by Daphnis, who calls him, and insists on his staying to hear the dispute. The whole affair is related by Melibœus. Arguta.] Servius interprets it canora, stridula. Nothing is more frequent with the poets than to speak of the whispering or murmuring of trees. Ruæus thinks this epithet may be applied to trees, either on account of the birds singing on their branches, or of the wind whistling among their leaves. Arcades ambo.] Servius says, they were not really Arcadians, because the scene is laid near Mantua; but so skilful in singing, that they might be taken for Arcadians. 5 Et cantare pares, et respondere parati. Huc mihi, dum teneras defendo a frigore myrtos, Vir gregis ipse caper deerraverat : atque ego Daphnim Depulsos a lacte domi quæ clauderet agnos: Et certamen erat, Corydon cum Thyrside, magnum. Alternis igitur contendere versibus ambo Dum teneras, &c.] The mention of defending the myrtles from the cold, has occasioned some trouble to the commentators in settling the time of year in which this eclogue is said to be written. Servius says, some understand this passage in the plain and obvious sense of the words. Catrou thinks the epoch of this eclogue is March or April, when the weather is cool enough to require a shelter for the more tender trees. Hic viridis, &c.] The verdure of the fields adjoining to the Mincius seems to have been remarkable. Sacra quercu.] The oak was accounted sacred, not only by the Greeks and Romans, 10 15 20 COR. Nymphæ, noster amor, Libethrides, aut mihi carmen, Quale meo Codro, concedite: proxima Phœbi Hic arguta sacra pendebit fistula pinu. THYR. Pastores hedera crescentem ornate poëtam 25 Nymphæ, noster amor, &c.] "This first Amœbean contains a prayer for poetry. Corydon entreats the Muses to give him such a power of verse as they have bestowed on Codrus; otherwise he declares he will give over the art." Ruaus.Thyrsis answers by calling on the Arcadian shepherds to crown some rising genius with ivy, to break the heart of Codrus; or to crown him with baccar, to defend him from the influence of a malicious tongue. Nymphæ Libethrides.] According to Strabo, Libethrum is the name of a cave in or near the mountain Helicon, which lies near Parnassus, consecrated to the Libethrian nymphs or muses, by the Thracians who inhabited those parts, were called Pieres, and were afterwards succeeded by the Macedonians. Meo Codro.] We may conIclude, that this Codrus was contemporary with Virgil, from his being mentioned here; that he was his friend, from his calling him my Codrus; and that Virgil thought him a good poet; because he says he makes verses next to those of Apollo. All these expressions are put into the mouth of Corydon, to whom he assigns the victory at last; and therefore we may believe, that what he says is conform able to the opinion of Virgil himself. Aut si non possumus omnes, &c.] We must consider non possumus omnes, as the same proverbial expression with non omnia possumus omnes, that is, we cannot do every thing without the assistance of a deity, or by our own strength. According to this construction the sense will be this: "O ye Muses, inspire me to write such verses as Codrus; or else, if, as we commonly say, we cannot all do every thing, that is, if you refuse your assistance, and I cannot perform this by my own strength, I will hang my pipe here on the sacred pine, that is, I will never attempt to make any more verses." Sacra pendebit fistula pinu.] It was a custom among the ancients, when they gave over any employment, to devote their instruments, and hang them up in some sacred place. Pastores hedera, &c.] It is the general opinion of the commentators, that Thyrsis speaks here in contempt of Codrus, whom Corydon had extolled. But I rather think, that Virgil intended a compliment to that poet in these lines of Thyrsis, as well as in those of his antagonist. The compliment is more direct in the former, and more oblique in the latter. Corydon |