Optabis nato funus pater. Hei mihi! quantum 58. Tu, O Ausonia, Præsidium, Ausonia, et quantum tu perdis, Iüle! perdis, in Pallante Hæc ubi deflevit, tolli miserabile corpus 62. Quæ sunt exigua Intersintque patris lachrymis: solatia luctûs solatia texunt crates 64. Alii haud segnes Haud segnes alii crates et molle feretrum Arbuteis texunt virgis, et vimine querno, Extructosque toros obtentu frondis inumbrant. Hic juvenem agresti sublimem in stramine ponunt: 68. Talem, qualem Qualem virgineo demessum pollice florem florem seu mollis viola, Seu mollis violæ, seu languentis hyacinthi; 60 65 seu languentis hyacin- Cui neque fulgor adhuc, necdum sua forma recessit; 70 thi, demessum 77. Alteraque comas 81. Manus veste Non jam mater alit tellus, viresque ministrat. Tum geminas vestes, auroque ostroque rigentes, Ipsa suis quondam manibus Sidonia Dido 76. Quasi supremum Harum unam juveni, supremum mæstus honorem inferias umbris Pallantis 82. Flammam rogi NOTES. Though it would be a source of grief to see his son a corpse; it would nevertheless be some mitigation of that sorrow, to find that he fell not by dishonorable wounds-that he fell facing his enemy, and not in flight. It was considered disgraceful to be slain, or to receive a wound in the back. Pudendis: in the sense of indecoris. 57. Nec pater optabis: These words are susceptible of a double meaning: the father will not imprecate a cruel death to himself, in conséquence of the disgrace of his son: or, he will not imprecate a cruel death upon his son, whose life had been disgracefully preserved. This last is the sense given to the passage by Davidson. Ruæus says, nec optabis tibi mortem acerbam, filio turpiter salvo, taken it in the former sense. This is also the opinion of Heyne. 58. Præsidium: protection. 59. Ubi deflevit: when he said these things weeping-having spoken these things with tears. 62. Intersint: may be present at, or bear a part with. 64. Segnes: in the sense of tardi. 65. Arbuleis: of the arbute tree. 66. Toros: here is the bed raised, or made high upon the fevetrum, or bier. Obtentu frondis. Rumus says, umbraculo foliorum. They shaded the bed by sy reading (obtentu) leafy branches over it. 75 80 67. Stramine agresti. By this we are to understand the bed mentioned in the preceding line. It is called agresti, rural, or rustic, because it was made of the green boughs of trees, leaves, &c. Stramen, from sterno, properly signifies any thing placed, or strewed under as a bed; such as straw, leaves, &c. 68. Qualem florem: This is a beautiful simile. He looks fair, and still blooming like a flower, just plucked by the the vir gin's hand. 69. Languentis. This very beautifully represents the hyacinth, just after it is plucked, beginning to fade, and droop its head. 70. Forma: beauty-comeliness. 74. Quas Sidonia Dido ipsa: which Sidonian Dido herself, pleased with the labor, had made, &c. 75. Discreveral. Ruæus says, distinxerat. Tenui auro: with a slender thread of gold. 77. Obnubit: he binds up, or veils. 78. Pugna: of the battle, fought upon the plains of Laurentum. 81. Vinxerat manus: he bound the hands of those, &c. This barbarous custom the poet takes from Homer. It might suit the temper of Achilles, but does not agree with that of Eneas. 82. Caso in the sense of fuso. Inferias: sacrifices for the dead. Ümbris: to the Indutosque jubet truncos hostilibus armis 84. Figi his truncis 85 arborum. 90 - Pectora nunc fœdans pugnis, nunc unguibus ora: Jamque oratores aderant ex urbe Latina, NOTES. shade of Pallas. Eight prisoners were sent as victims to be offered at the funeral pile of Pallas. The poet mentions this circumstance, without any expression of disapprobation. It is true, Achilles, in the Iliad, does the same thing at the tomb of his friend Patroclus; but he is represented as a person of a very different character from Eneas, the hero of the Eneid. And moreover, the loss which he had sustained was more severe, and his grief more poignant. But above all, he lived in a state of society very different from that in which Virgil lived. These things serve in some measure to mitigate the enormity of the deed. And yet there is one passage of Homer, which Eustathius understands as conveying a strong censure of the barbarous act. The practice of sacrificing prisoners at the funerals of their generals, in process of time, appeared to the Romans barbarous and cruel. They therefore changed it, says Servius, for the milder shows of the gladiators! See Æn. x. 518. et seq. 83. Truncos: trunks of trees. These were considered the less trophy, and were carried in the hand. They were dressed in the spoils of the enemy. 84. Inimica nomina: the names of the enemies to be inscribed upon them. [tur, 95 100 103. Ut ille redderet illis corpora, quæ 104. Esse illi nullum certamen cum victis, et iis cassis æthere, ut par105 ceret iis being laid aside, he is now dressed in mourning. Post: behind. 90. It lachrymans: he moves on weeping. Virgil here is indebted to Homer for this thought, Iliad. 17. Where the horses of Achilles are represented as weeping at the death of their master, and obstinately refusing to obey their driver. Both Aristotle and Pliny say, that horses often lament their masters slain in battle, and even shed tears over them. 94. Processerat. This is the common reading. Davidson reads præcesserat, upon the authority of Pierius, who assures us he found that reading in the Roman, and other manuscripts, which he consulted. Heyne reads processerat. Ordo: the procession. 96. Ad alias lachrymas: to other scenes of sorrow-to the burial of the other dead. 97. Salve mihi. This is after the manner of the Greeks, who used their personal pronoun in the same manner. Salve--vale: these were the novissima verba, or last words, with which they departed from the funeral, Farewell for ever, farewell for ever, most illus trious Pallas. Fata: state-condition. 101. Veniam: the favor, that he would restore to them, &c. 102. Fusa: in the sense of cæsa vel strata. 103. Succedere tumulo: to be buried, or 87. Sternitur terræ: he grovels, or rolls interred in the earth. on the ground. 89. Ethon: the name of the horse of Pallas. Insignibus positis: his trappings 104. Cassis: deprived of: a part, from careo. Æthere: in the sense of luce. 105. Quondam: his former host-friend. 106. Quos precantes Quos bonus Æneas, haud aspernanda precantes, ea quæ sunt haud Prosequitur veniâ, et verbis hæc insuper addit⚫ Quænam vos tanto fortuna indigna, Latini, nos 109. Vos, qui fugiatis Implicuit bello, qui nos fugiatis amicos ? et vivis Pacem me exanimis, et Martis sorte peremptis 112. Nec veni huc, nisi 116. Si ille apparat Si bellum finire manu, si pellere Teucros finire Apparat, his decuit mecum concurrere telis: Dixerat Æneas. Olli obstupuere silentes; NOTES. Soceris parents-in-law, Latinus and Amata. By marrying Lavinia, he would become related to the whole Latin nation. 107. Prosequitur veniâ: he follows, or accompanies them with the desired favor. He granted their request as soon as asked. It was reasonable in its nature, and consonant with the laws of war. 109. Implicuit: hath entangled-involved. 110. Pacem, me. This is the reading of Heyne, and Valpy after him. Some ancient copies have the same. The common reading is pacem-ne. Peremptis: for those slain by the lot of war. Martis: for belli. 112. Veni: in the sense of venissem. 115. Equius fuerat: it had been more just that Turnus, &c. It may here be remarked, that Latinus did not take part with Turnus of his own free will and accord; but was forced into it by the importunities of his wife Amata. He was convinced that he acted against the will and purposes of the gods, in so doing. 117. Apparat: in the sense of statuit. Manu: by force, or valor. 110 115. 120 125 130 ing the war by single combat was made by Eneas. 122. Odiis et: in hatred and crimination inimical, &c. Drances embraced every opportunity to vent his envy and hatred against Turnus, and to throw upon him all the blame of the war. It is supposed, that under the character of Drances, the poet portrays Cicero, who was no friend of Virgil. See infra, 336. et seq. 124. Orsa: in the sense of verba. 126. Justitiæ-ne: this is the common reading. Catrou however reads, justitiá-ne priùs mirer, belli-ne laborê, which Pierius says, is the reading of the Roman, and of some other manuscripts of antiquity. Servius justifies the common reading, by making it a Grecism. Priùs: chiefly, or most. Shall I most admire thy justice, or thy achievements in war? Rumus says: Admirabor te ob justitiam, an ob opera bellica. Heyne reads, as in the text. 130. Moles murorum: your walls—or the towers and fortifications built upon them. Fatales: destined by the fates. 133. Sequestra: intervening-intermediate. They had agreed upon a truce, or cessation of hostilities for twelve days, for Erravêre jugis. Et jam fama volans, tanti prænuntia luctûs, Contrà turba Phrygum veniens plangentia jungunt 145 Sed venit in medios. Feretro Pallanta repôsto Procumbit super, atque hæret lachrymansque gemensque : Et via vix tandem voci laxata dolore est : Haud ignarus eram, quantum nova gloria in armis, Vota, precesque mea! tuque, ô sanctissima conjux, NOTES. the purpose of burying the dead, and other rites of sepulture. This was intermediate between the war, before and after; during which time no act of hostility could be done by either party. Hence the propriety of the word impune in the following line, in safety, or without fear of injury. 135. Ferro bipenni: an axe with two edges, one that cuts both ways. 136. Actas: raised-grown up to. 139. Prænuntia: a forerunner, or harbinger, in apposition with fama. 140. Complet. This is the common reading. But Pierius observes that most of the ancient manuscripts have replet. 143. Longo ordine: in a long train, or succession. Ruæus says, longa serie. 144. Discriminat. This word Ruæus interprets by dividit. Davidson renders it "illuminates." 145. Contrà: in an opposite directionmeeting the mourners from the city.. 147. Incendunt: in the sense of concitant. Ruæus says, commovent. 148. Polis est: the same as potest. 151 dere 141. Eadem fama, quæ modò ferebat Latio PalJanta esse victorem 146. Quæ agmina postquam matres 151. Pra dolore 155 156. O misera primitiæ juvenis 160 161. Ut ego genitor restarem superstes filio, Rutuli obruerent me 149. Repôsto: for reposito. The bier being placed on the ground. 151. Tandem vix dolore via. At the first sight of the corpse, he was overwhelmed with grief, which entirely prevented his speech. At length, however, recovering from it, he gives utterance to the effusions of his heart, but with difficulty. A true pathos pervades this whole speech of Evander. The various turns of passion, and the alternate addresses to the living and the dead, are the very language of sorrow. 155. Decus: in the sense of honor. Posset: in the sense of valeret. 156. Primitia: beginnings-essays. Pro pinqui: neighboring-confederated, or allied. Evander assisted Eneas as an ally: their arms were associated in the war. Ru æus says, vicini. 157. Rudimenta: in the sense of experi menta. 160. Ego vici mea fata: I have overcome my time by living-I have outlived my time. Or, fata may mean the purposes and decrees of the gods; that regular and ordinary Junximus hospitio, dextras: sors ista senectæ Debita erat nostræ ! Quòd si immatura manebat Mors natum; cæsis Volscorum millibus antè, Ducentem in Latium Teucros, cecidisse juvabit. Quin ego non alio digner te funere, Palla, Quàm pius Æneas, et quàm magni Phryges, et quàm 171. Dignati sunt te. Tyrrhenique duces, Tyrrhenûm exercitus omnis. Illi ferunt magna tro- Magna trophæa ferunt, quos dat tua dextera leto. phæa ex illis, quos Tu quoque nunc stares immanis truncus in armis, 174. Si esset mihi par Esset par ætas, et idem si robur ab annis, 165 169 ætas, et idem robur ab Turne. Sed infelix Teucros quid demoror armis? 175 annis tecum; tu, O Vadite, et hæc memores regi mandata referte: Turne 176. Vestro regi: o Quòd vitam moror invisam, Pallante perempto, causa, quòd vides Enea, tua dextra est Dextera causa tua est; Turnum natoque patrique 189. Rogos suorum Decurrêre rogos: ter mæstum funeris ignem amicorum 195. Pars conjiciunt mortuis nota munera, nempe, clypeos Lustravêre in equis, ululatusque' ore dedêre. Conjiciunt igni, galeas, ensesque decoros, 180 185 190 Frænaque, ferventesque rotas: pars, munera nota, 195 NOTES. course of things, which takes place in the world: which is, that the son should outlive the father. This is the sense given by Heyne. Valpy says, "I have survived my own fate -I have exceeded the natural bounds of life." 165. Sors: calamity. 168. Juvabit: it will console me that he fell leading, or preparing the way for, the Trojans, &c. 169. Digner non: I cannot honor thee, &c. Ruæus says, non honorabo. 170. Phryges: the Trojans. They are so called from Phrygia, a country of the lesser Asia. It was divided into the greater and the less. The less Phrygia was also called Troas, the ancient kingdom of the Trojans. 174. Par atas, &c. This may refer to Pallas or Evander; neither of whom was able by inequality of age and strength to meet Turnus. Davidson refers it to the father: who, had his age permitted, would have gone to the war in person. And in this case, had he met Turnus, he would haye been victorious, and brought back his trophy to grace his triumph. See 6. supra. 180. Hic locus vacat: this method alone remains to thee, and thy fortune. Modus solandi me restat tibi, says Ruæus. For vacat, Heyne says relictus est. 187. Caligine: in the sense of fumo. In tenebras. Ruæus says, in similitudinem noctis. 189. Cincti: clad in shining armor they marched, &c. Lustravêre in equis: they rode around. The former has reference to that part of the ceremony performed by the infantry, or foot; the latter, to that performed by the horse, or cavalry. Funeris: in the sense of pyra. 192. It cœlo: in the sense of tollitur ad cœlum. 193. Hinc: in the next place-after this 195. Ferventes: in the sense of rapidas, |
