sy^
■^
THE LIBRARY
OF
THE UNIVERSITY
OF CALIFORNIA
LOS ANGELES
^ /'trfi/l^ ^ Ji'fl'tt'
THE
O R K S
c f'
In LATIN and ENGLISH.
The .^ N E I D TranOated
By the Rev. Mr. CHRISTOPHER PITT;
The Eclogues and Georgics, with Notes on the Whole,
By the Rev. Mr. JOSEPH WARTON.
With feveral New Observations,
By Mr. HoLDswoRTH, Mr. Spence, C. Heyne, and Others.
ALSO,
A Dissertation on the Sixth Book of the ^neid.
By Mr. WARBURTON.
On the Shield of ^En-eas, by Mr. W. Whitehead.
On the CharacSler of Iapis,'
By the late Dr. ATTEREURY, Bifhop of Rochester.
AND,
Three Essays on Paftoral, Didactic, and Epic Poetry,
By Mr. J O S E P H WARTON.
IN FOUR VOLUMES.
The THIRD EDITION, with confiderable Improvements.
V O L. I.
•— — ' ■ - ■ ■ I ,.. — ^*
LONDON:
Printed for J. D o d s l e y, in Pali-Mall.
M.DCC.LXXVllI.
6b Oi
r i 1 ^^
TO THE
HONOURABLE
Sir GEORGE LYTTELTON, Bart.
ONEOFTHE
Lords commissioners of the treasury.
SIR,
CENSURE is fo feldom foftened by apologies,
tHat perhaps it may be ufelefs for me to de-
clare my confcioufnefs of inability to do juftice to
the moll perfed of poets, in the following tranf-
lation. When I firll entered upon this work, I
fometimes imagined, that I heard the voice of
Virgil addreffing me with the humanity of his
hero ;
^uo moriture ruts ? majoraque virihus audes P
Fall'it te incautum pietas tua ! ■
for Indeed nothing but my affedlion.for the author
could have engaged me in fo arduous an under-
taking.
Whoever confiders the degree of delicacy and
corre6bnefs to which the Eclogues of Virp-il are
polifhedj together with the eafe and wonderful
harmony of his numbers; will be convinced of
the extreme difficulty of transfufing into another
VoL' I, b tongue.
ii I^REFATORY DEDICATfOIir.
tongue, beauties of fo refined and fubde a nature^
It requires no fmall connmand of language, to be
able to carry on Pafloral Dialogues, without fink-
ing into vulgar idioms, to unite fimplicity with*
grace, and to preferve familiarity wichout flatnefs.
A ftyle too highly elevated would be naufeoudy
unnatural, and one too profaic and plebeian, would'
be infipid and unaffefting. And to keep a juft
mean, is perhaps as difficult in. writing as in.
life.
There are few images' and fentiments in the-
Eclogues of Virgil, but what are drawn from the
Wylliums of Theocritus : in whom there is a rural,,
romantic wildnefs of thought, heightened by the
Doric dialed;, with fuch lively pidures of the
pafTions, and of fimple unadorned nature, as are
infinitely pleafingto fuch lovers and judges of true
poetry as yourfclf. Theocritus is indeed the great
ftore-houfe of pafloral defcription; and every fuc-
ceeding painter of rural beauty (except Thomson
in his Seafons,) hath copied his images from him,
without ever looking abroad upon the face of na-
ture themfelves. And thus a fet of hereditary
obje<5ls has been continued from one poet to an-
other, which have been often made ufe of without
any propriety either as to age or climate»
But Virgil never borrowed an idea from h\»
•Sicilian mailer, without beautifying and heighten-
ing it with the luftre of his language. And per-
haps»
I.-W
Prefatory DEDICATIO^^. ill
haps it may be obferved in general, that If the
llomans ever excelled their Grecian mailers in the
graces of diclion, which however was feldom the
Gafe, it was owing to their exerting all their
powers, in drefTing up thofe thoughts and ideas
that were ready found to their hands. The mind
can attend but to one object at once, with any
vigour and intenfenefs : and if it be big and di-
lated with the conception and creation of new
images, has fcarce leifure to adorn them with that
pomp of fludied exprefTion, which the writer that
coolly copies them, can beflow upon them.
Indeed of all authors, either ancient or modern,
Virgil feemeth to be the mofl: perfed in his ftyle ?
1 mean in the poems he lived to finifh. There is
a profufion of the moft daring metaphors and moft
glowing figures, there is a^majeflyand magnifi-
cence of diiflion throughout the Georgics, that
notwithflahding the marvellous harmony and gran-
deur of the Greek verfification, is fcarcely excel-
led by Homer himfelf. Our author's terms and
epithets are chofen with fuch propriety, elegance
and exprefTivenefs, that, as Mr. Addifon finely ob-
fei-ves, We receive more flrong and lively ideas of
things from his words, than we could have done
from the obje6ls themfelvest and find our imagi-
nations more afFefted by his defcriptions, than they
would have been by the very fight of what he de-
fcribes. We may juflly therefore apply to him
what Ariftotle thought fo high a commendation of
b % ijome^ ;
iv* Prefatory Dedication.
Homer: that he foimd out living words. If the
arrows which arc impatient to deftroy, and the
fpears that thirft to drink blood, are fo defervedly
admired in the Iliad, Virgil doubtlefs merits equal
praife, for giving life and feeling, love and hatred,
hope and fear, wonder and ambition, to plants
and to trees, and to tiie very earth itfelf : and for
exalting his favourite infects, by endowing them
v/ith reafon, paflions, arts, and civil government.
To life Ariftotle's expreffion, Every thing in this
/poem hath manner s^ and all the creation is ani-
mated.
But alas ! fmce this is the cafe, what muft be-
come of a tranfiator of the Georgics, writing in a
language not half fo lofty, fo founding, or fo
elegant as the Latin, incapable of admitting many
of its beil and boldefl: figures, and heavily fettered
with the Gothic Ihackles of rhyme ! Is not this
endeavouring to imitate a palace of porphyry with
flints and bricks? A poem whofe excellence pecu-
liarly gonfifts in the graces of diftion is far more
difficult to be tranflated, than a work where fenti-
ment, or paffion, or imagination, is chiefly dif-
played. So that I fear we can receive but a faint
notion of the beauty of the JGeorgics from any
Englifh verfion of them. An engraving may in-
deed faithfully reprefent the fubjed, but can give
no idea of the colouring of one of Titian's land-
fcapes. Befides, the mcanncfs of the terms of
hufbandry'is Co_nccaleci and lofl in a dead language^
and
Prefatory DedjCatjon, v
and they convey no low or defpicable image to the
mind ; but the coarfe and common words I was
neceflltated to ufe in the following tranOation, viz.
plough and fow^ ^joheat^ dung, affocs, horfe and cozi\
&c. will, I fear, unconquerably difgufl many a
delicate reader, if he doth not make proper al-
lowances for a modern compared with an ancient
language j and doth not frequently recoiled,
verbis ea vlncere rraznnm
^uamfit ! et angiijlls hunc addere rebus honorem.
So juft is the obfervation of Boileau, that a mean
or common thought expreffed in pompous diction,
generally pleafes more than a new or noble fenti-
ment delivered in low and vulgar language ; be->
caufe the number is greater of thofe whom cuftom
has enabled to judge of v/ords, than v/hom {ludy
has qualified to examine things. In fhort, the
Georgics are the highefl flight of Virgil, and the
mafter-pieces of his genius, excepting always the
fourth book of the ^neid. Some of the tranfi-
tions with which they are adorned, are the boldeft
and moil daring imaginable, and hold very much
of the enthufiafm of the ancient lyrics ; and I
think one may venture to affirm, that this poem
contains more original unborrowed beauties, and is
more perfect in its kind as a Didaftic, than the
iEneid as an Epic poem. Of this laft work, give
me leave to fay, that I have ever obierved, perfons
of elevated and fublime imaginations are more cap-
tivated with the Iliad, and men of elegant and
b 3 tender
vi Prefatory Dedication.
tender minds with the ^Eneid. He that perufes
Homer, is like the traveller that furveys mount
Atlas; the vaftnefs and roughnefsof its r<icks, the
folemn gloominefs of its pines and cedars, the
everlafting fnows that cover its head, the torrents
that rulh down its fides, and the wild beads that
roar in its caverns, all contribute to ftrike the ima-;
gination with inexpreflible aftonifhment and awe.
While reading the ^neid is like beholding the
Capitoline hill at Rome, on which flood many
edifices of exquifite architedture, and whofe top
was crowned with the famous temple of Jupiter,
adorned with the fpoils of conqi^ered Greece.
If the defign of the iEneid was to compliment
Auguftus, and reconcile the Romans to the go-
vernmiCnt of the Julian family ; if, aj Mr. Pope
was ufed frequently to fay, it was evidently as much
a party-piece, as Abfalcm and Achitophel ; you. Sir,
arc too warm a lover of liberty and the virtue of
ancient Rome, not to cenfure the pocL as an abjeft
flatterer ; unlefs you will allow the validity of the
ufual excufe for his conduft ; that as the common-
wealth maxims were no 1^ nger pradbicable, and a
change in the governr- . c was unavoidable, after
the lafl ftruggle for .lOuty at Philippi had ended
fo unfortunately .d even the yirtuous MefTalla
had though*- .. no fhame to fubmit to the con-
queror, Virgil believed it would be the bed fervice
he could then do his countrymen, to endeavour to
fofccn their minds towards fo mild and gentle aj
5 qiafter
Prefatory Dedication. yii
mafter as Aiiguftus, out of whofe hands it was
impoflible for them to extort the power he had
ufurped. And that fome change in the conftitu-
tion of Rome was abfolutely neceflary, feems to be
the opinion of that admirable writer and pene-
trating politician, th-e prefident Montefquieu : It
muft be acknowledged, fays he, that the Roman
laws were too weak to govern the republic, whea
it was arrived at its height^, experience has proved
it to be an invariable fad, that good and jufl laws,
twhich raife the reputation and power of a fmall
j-epublic, become improper and ufelefs to it, when
once Its grandeur is eftablifhed, becaijfe it was the
natural effed of fuch laws to make a people great,
but not to govern them when made fo. He adds
afterwards v/ith his ufual pregnant brevity, Take
■this compendium of the Roman hiftory: they fub-
<lued all the nations by their maxims ; but when
they had fo far fucceeded, their republic could not
fubfifc any longer: the plan of their government
mull be changed^ and maxims contrary to the firft,
Jbeing then introduced, th^y were divefted of all
their grandeur.
As to the poetical faults of the iEneid I believe
they are but few. What may feem the moft liable
to cenfure in the condud of this poem, is the
making Dido a far more interefting and ftriking
character than Lavinia, upon whom the whole
adion turns. But this circumilance is furely ex-
^ufable^, if we re fled how great a ftroke of art the
b 4 poet
yiii Prefatory Dedication.
poet has exhibited, in affigning this origin of the
inveterate enmity betwixt the rival powers of Ronrie
and Carthage ; who were fo often engaged in thofe
important and bloody contentions of which Lu-
cretius fpeaks fo fublimely j
Omnia cum belli trepido conciijfa tiimultu^
Horrida contremiiere fub alt is aether is auris.
In dubioque fuit fub utrorum regna cadcndum
Omnibus humanis eJJ'et terraque marique.
L. iii. 845.
And farther; thofe who cenfure Lavlnia as a
tame and infipid charader, Ihould confider the re-
tired nature of female education among the an-
cients s for if Virgil had painted this beautiful
young princefs any othervvife than full of modefty
and refervednefs, filent and obedient to her parents,
he had falfified the manners of the age of which
he wrote : in which the fair fox were not permit-
ted to make that confpicuous figure in life they
have fince done, to the great ornament and im-
provement Q\ human fociety.
There are two particulars more, which perhaps
will not fo cafily admit of an excufe. One is, a
manifeft want of variety of charaflers in the
^neid, where the few that arc introduced are not
fufficiently diverfified : Homer's Achilles, Ajax,
Diomede and Heclor, are all brave ; and UlylTes
and Neflor are wife ; but then each of thefe heroes
is brave and is wife^ in a manner eminently different
from the other. *' The charaiflers of Virgil (fays
Mr,
PrefatoPvY Dedication. ix
Mi-. Pope) " are far from ftriking us in this open
" manner ; they lie in a great degree hidden and
" undiftinguifhed, and where they are marked moft
" evidently, affeft us not in proportion to thofe
^' of Homer. His charafters of valour are much
" alike ; even that of Turnus feems no way pecu-
" liar, but as it is in a different degree : and we
5f fee nothing that differences the courage of
" Mneftheus from that of Sergeftus, Cloanthijs,
" and the reft." Perhaps it may be urged, that
the charr^der of ^neas, v/hich is entirely of oisr
poet's own formation, and in which wifdom, piety,
and courage are fo happily blended and tempered
with each other, may in fome meafure atone for
this deficiency. — The other feeming biemifh is,
that in reading the laft fix books, one cannot for-
bear pitying Turnus, who undoubtedly ought to
have been dravv-n with fome fault or other to
have excited our averfion, or raifed our indigna-
tion. But to fee a valiant young prince, robbed q'_,
a miftrefs whom he paffionately loved and who re •■
turned his paffion, and to whom he v/as even be-
trothed j nay to behold him. murdered, while he
nghts to maintain his claim to her, by a perfeft
(tranger, who has nothing to plead for his conduct
but the gods and oracles; are circumftances that
while they prejudice the reader againft i^lneas,
deeply intereft him for Turnus. It were to be
wifhed the poet had either given the latter fome
unamiable quality, or elfe had reprefented Lavinia
as averfe to the match. All that can be faid in
6 defence
X Prefatory Dedication.
defence of this proceeding is, that the prefent
readers of Virgil judge of it in a manner different
from the Romans to whom he wrote ; who probably-
looked on Turnus as juflly punifhed for having
broke the foiemn truce agreed to in the twelfth
book^ and for fighting againft the will of Heaven ;
and moreover might view this gallant prince in an
unfavourable light as he oppofed the eftablifhment
of that perfon in Italy,
— — Genus wide Latlnum
Albanique patres, atque altae moenia Romae.
Thus am I rafhly endeavouring to pick out
feeming blemilhes and defeds in this admirable
writer, while I fliould be making fome apology for
undertaking the following tranflation, after fo many
perfons of eminence, and particularly Mr. Dryden,
for whofe name and writings I have the fincereft
veneration and love. But I muft at the fame time
beg leave to obferve, with truth, and I hope with
jnodefty, that in his verfion of the Eclogues and
Georgics, which is certainly inferior to his iEneid,
there are fo many grofs miftakes, fo many carelefs
incorred lines, and fuch wild deviations from his
original, as are utterly aftonifliing in fo great and
true a genius. But inflead of the invidious and
difagreeable talk of pointing out thefe palTages at
length, I choofe rather to fay in thofe generous
words of Mr. Pope on a fimilar occafion, " that
« nothing could have made Mr. Dryden capable of
*' fuch miilakes> but extreme hafte in writing;
*' which
Prefatory Dedication. 3si
'^ which never ought to be imputed as a fault to
*' him, but to thofe who fufFered fo nobje a genius
*^ to lie under the neceflity of it."
* And I have ftill a weightier reafon for not fpeci-
fying thefe blameable paflagesj which is, that I
am apprehenfive, an equal, or perhaps a greater
number of my own lines, might be produced on the
fame occafion. Juftice obliges me to add, that even
in the midfl of thefe lownefTes and inequalities of
Mr. Dryden, his native fpirit and vigour, the
'viteris vefiigia fiammae^ frequently break forth : and
I have deeply felt how difficult it is to work after
fo great a mafter on the fame fubjeft.
Give me leave to intrude on your patience a
moment longer^ to fpeak of Mr. Pitt's verfion
9^ the iEneid. I am very well informed that Mr.
Pope, notwithflanding his juft affedlion and even
veneration for Mr. Dryden, regarded Mr. Pitt's as
an excellent tranflation. It is lucky for me that
fome of Mr. Dryden's errors in this part of the
work have been lately pointed out by a very candid
writer, and one who entertains the higheft opinion
of his genius, to whom, fays he, our Englilh
poetry is more obliged for its improvements than
to any other writer, excepting only Mr. Pope.
What I hint at, is one of the chapters upon alle-
gory in Mr. Spence's Polymetis, where that gentle-
man hath endeavoured to Ihew, how very little our
poets have undcrftood the allegories of the ancients
even
xii Prefatory Dedication.
even in their tranflations of them s and has chofen
to inftance in Mr. Dryden's tranflation of Virgirs
jEneid, as he thought him one of our moil cele-
brated poets. The miftakes are very numerous,
and fome of them unaccountably grofs. Upon this
I was defirous to examine Mr. Pitt's tranflation of
the fame palTages, and was furprized to find, that
in near fifty inflances, which Mr. Spence has given
of Mr, Dryden's miftakes of that kind, Mr. Pitt
had not fallen into above three or four. A few
fpecimens may not be amifs, to entertain the cu-
riofity of their feveral readers.
J. Cum tacet omnis ager. jEn. 4. ver. 520,
And peace with downy wings was brooding on the ground,
Dryden, ver. 752.
Virgil does not mention peace at all on this occa-
fioni and I do not remember, fays Mr. Spence, to
have met with any one ancient rcprefentation of
Peace with wings, Pitt only fays :
O'er all the fields a brooding filence reigns.
Pitt, ver. 759,
2. "Javique rubefcebat radiis mare^ et aethere ab alto
Aurora in rcfeis fulgebat lutea bigis, SjVi. 7. 26.
Now when the rofy morn began to rife.
And wav'd her fafFron ftreamer thro' the fkies.
Dryden, ver. 35.
Mr. Dryden here feems to have admitted fome
mixture of the allegory and the reality together:
Virgil
Prefatory Dedication. xiii
Viro-il is free both from the flrcamcr, and this
o
faulty mixture ; fo alfo is Pitt j
Now on her car was gay Aurora borne.
And Ocean reddens with the rifing morn. Pitt, 31.
3. Turn quorum attomtae Baccho nemora avla matres
Infultant tbiafis, {neque enim leve nomen Amatae)
Undique colle£ii coeunt, Martemque fatigant.
JEn. 7. 5S2.
Then they, whofe mothers frantic with their fear.
In woods and wilds the flags of Bacchus bear.
And lead his dances with difhevell'd hair,
Increafe the clamour, and the war demand—
Dryden, 803
}
As he had before given a ftreamer to Aurora, he
here gives flags to the attendants of Bacchus j
Thofe too whofe mothers by the queen were led.
When fir'd by Bacchus, to the woods fhe fled,
(Such was her int'refl: in the realm) declare
For open arms, and breathe revenge and war.
Pitt, 735.
4. Cybele in another place is drawn by the tygers
of Bacchus inftead of her own lions.
Jllma parens Idaea deum, cut Dtndyma cordis
Tttrrigeracque urbes, bijugique ad fraena hones.
j^n. 10. 253.
Hear thou, great mother of the deities.
With turrets crown'd, on Ida's holy hill.
Fierce tygers rein'd and curb'd, obey thy will.
Dryden, 356.
Great
xlv Prefatory DedicAtiom*
Great guardian queen, of Ida's hills and woods*
Supreme, majeftic mother of the gods !
Whofe ftrong defence proud towering cities fhare,
While roaring lions whirl thy mighty car.
Pitt, 366.
5. Hlcy ubi disje£las moles, avulfaque faxis
Saxa videsy mixtoque undantem pulvere fumum^
Nepttmus muroSy magnoque emota tridenti
Fundamenta quatit', totamque ah fedibus iirhem
Eruit—-^ iEn. 2. 612**
This exalted palTage Mr. Dryden has thus tranf*
lated ;
Amid that fmother, Neptune holds his place.
Below the wall's foundation drives his mace.
And heaves the building from the folid bafe. 829
I
Where it is to be obferved he has divefled Neptune
of his trident, and equipped him with a Gothic
mace. That Pitt hath reftored the god his pro-
per injignia, is much the leaft part of his praife in
this fublime paflage :
Where yon' rude piles of fhatter'd ramparts rife,
Stone rent from ftone, a dreadful ruin lies,
Andblackwithrollingfmoketheduftywhirlwindflies
There Neptune's trident breaks the bulwarks down,
There from her bafis heaves the trembling town.
Pitt, 8l2*
}
6. — Paterque Sab'inus
Fitifatory (urvam fervans fub imagine f ahem.
JEn. 7. 179»
In
Paefatory Dedication. xv
in tranflating this paflage, Mr. Dryden hath made
SabiniJs lean his head upon his pruning hook,
which as it would appear abfurd in a ftatue or
pidure, cannot be proper in a poetical defcrip-
tion.
}
There ftood Sabinus, planter of the vines.
On a fliort pruning hook his head reclines.
And ftudioufly furveys his generous wines.
Dryden, 249.
Sabinus there who prefi: the foaming wine.
Extends the hook that prun'd the generous vine.
Pitt, 221.
7. One great occafion of faults in Mr. Dryden in
relation to the imaginary beings of the ancients,
is owing to his not being fufficiently acquainted
with (or not recollecting) their particular qualiti^,
rank and dignity -, and this makes him fometimes
vary from his original.
Ecce furem an'imh aderat Tirynthiusy omnemqitt
Accejfum lujirans^ hue ora ferehat et illuc.
Dent thus infrendens. Ter totum fervldus zrd
hujlrat Aventini montem ; ter faxea tentat
Limina nequicquam ; ter fejfui valle refedit.
JEn, 8, 22S:.
The wretch had hardly made his dungeon faft.
The fierce avenger came with bounding hafte j
Survey'd the mouth of the forbidden hold.
And here and 'there his raging eyes he roll'd ;
He gnafh'd his teeth, and thrice he compaft round
With winged fpeed the circuit of the ground.
Thrice
xyi Prefatory Dedicatioi^;
Thrice at the cavern's mouth he pull'd in vain.
And panting thrice defifted from his pain.
Dryden, 304.
Scarce had the fiend let down th' enormous weight,
. When fierce the god came thund'ring to the gate ;
He gnafh'd his teeth with rage, the pafTes try'd,
And roll'd his eager eyes on ev'ry fide ;
Now here, now there, a fiery glance he threw.
And thrice impetuous round the mountain flew ;
Thrice ftrove to ftorm the mafly gates in vain.
And thrice, o'er-fpent, fate panting on the plain.
Pitt, 3®0.
S^- Non tulit Alcides an'imis : feque ipfe per ignem
Praecipiti jecit faltu : qua plurimus undam
Fumus agit, nehulaqiie ingens fpecus aejluai atra.
iEn. 8. 258.
The wrathful god then plunges from above.
And where in thickcft waves the fparkles drove.
There lights j and wades thro' fumes, and gropes his
Half fing'd, half ftiflcd till he grafps his prey.
Dryden, 344.
This Inil particular is great in Virgil, and little in
Dryden ; and fitter for the herdfrnan hero (as he
calls him in the beginning of the llory, 279) than
the chief of all th . heroes who were deified for ha-
ving afted in this world- for the good of mankind
Let lis fee Mr. Pitt's tranflation.
With that the vengeful god in fury grew,-
And headlong thro' the burning tcmpsftflew;
Fierce on the fiend, thro' ftifling fumes he came,
Thro' flreams of fmyke and deluges of flame.
ver. 3;^ I.
In
Prefatory Depication. xvli
In fine, if my partiality to Mr. Pitt does not
miflead nae, I Ihould think he has executed his
work with great fpirit, that he has a fine flow of
harmonious verfification, and has rendered his
author's fenfe with faithfulnefs and perfpicuity ; but
my tellimony can be of little confequence in this
cafe i and there is no reafon to doubt but he will
fland by his own intrinfic merit -, which the public
hath already fufficiently approved.
I thought it proper to premife thefe few reflec-
tions, on Virgil, on Mr. Pitt, and myfelf, before I
ventured to give the foilov/ing tranflation into your
hands J I dared not fay,
■ — ■ ' in Meti defcendat jiidicls aures^
till I had endeavoured to point out the peculiar
difficulties attending this performance, and had
obviated any charge of envy, or even of emula-
tion, in attempting it after Mr. Dryden. I have
only to add, that among other reafons why I could
wifli this work may reach poflerity, one of the
greatefl: is, that it may be known, I enjoyed the
favour and friendfl:tip of Sir George Lyttelton.
I am,
S I R,
Your obliged and obedient fervant,
Jan. i^
JOSEPH WARTON.
Vol. I, €
[ xvlij. ]
ADVERTISEMENT.
J 753«
0~7/ E defign of the following volumes is to give a
poetical tranflaticn^ and a correal edition of Vir-
gil's WG/-h., illuftrate'd with explications of the difficulty
and ohfervatiohs on the beautiful paffages. For which
purpofe^ his befi critics and coT^imentators have been
confidtcd and made ufe oft but never quoted without
acknowledgment. Bef.des thefe ajjijlances, I muft in-
form the reader i that Mr. Spence hath promoted this
undertaking with that warmth and readinefs with
which he always fcrves his friends ^ by communicating
to me a great number of manufcript notes of the late
Mr. HoldjWorthy author of Mufcipula^ ^Sc : who by
refiding many years in Italy, and by making Virgil his
confant ccmpanicn in his travels, had an opportunity
of being very exa£i in his obfervations on his favourite
author. Many of ther/i, that are local, and relate to
the foil, the climate and cufloms of Italy, will I believe
be found extremely curious and ufeful. Mr. Spence
likezvife obliged me withfeveral excellent remarks of his
cwn, made ivf:en he was abroad, that were never yet
puhlifjcd, and with feme few of Mr. Tope's. His
P'oly metis alfo hath 'greatly tnriched the following col-
legion.
ADVERTISEMENT. xlx
liSflon. I mufi notnegle5i to return my thanks to Mr,
Warburton, for giving leave that his fnoji learned and .
ingenious dijjertation on the fixth hook of the yEneid
might he here inferted -, which the reader will find
much altered and enlarged with fevero2 valuable addi^
tions. Mr. William Whitehead hath contributed to
the ufefulnefs and beauty of this work by giving it
what Virgil has long wanted, a deftgn for the fhield of
Mneas. He hath added a differtation on this fubje5fy
wherein are fome curious re'inavks on the Ro7nan hiftory^
which it is not firange that he fhould underjland, who
has made one of its great eft heroes appear fo nobly on
our ^ fiage. To my learned and ingenious friend Mr,
Samuel Johnfon I am very much obliged i yiot only for
his elegant effay on Paftoral Poetry , but for fever al
mofi judicious remarks and ohfervations fcattered thro'
the whole. It was thought proper not to o-mit in this
edition, Bijhop Atterhury's celebrated conjecture, con^
cerning lapis, in the twelfth'hook of tjoe Mneid. It
fnay be neceffary likewife to take notice here that Mr.
Pitt has borrowed about f.xty lines from Mr. Dry deny
and I myfelf about a dozen, and a remark or two in
the life of Virgil. I am indebted alfo to Mr, Befifon
for fome ohfervations, and for fix lines of his tranfla-
tion of the two firfv Gcorgics. For the reji I am
anfwerahle ; and I hope thofe readers that are able to
judge, who are likewife ever mofi inclined to pardon^
will excufe the f mailer faults and inaAvertencies that
will neceffarily happen in the courfe of fo long a work.
f la his tragedy called the Reman Father.
/ begin
5?x ADVERTISEMENT.
/ begin now moft fenfibly to perceive the for^e of that
faying of a French author : " When a man writes-^
" he ought to animate himfelf with the thoughts of
*f pleaftng all the world j but he is to renounce that
^^ hope, the 'very moment the back goes out of his
«^ hands:*
In this edition are now firfi added, feveral remarks
And obfervationSy taken from an edition of Virgil,
publijhed at L.UPSiCy 177 ij in four volumes, o^avo,
ly the learned and ingenious Christopher. Gott.
Heyne. T!he title ^/Excursus, which he has given,
to fame of the longer of thefe obfervations, is here
freferved. And it was thought to be no objeSlion to
the infer tion of them, that fome of them contained re-r
marki contradiSiory to what had been before advanced
in thefe volumes. In criticifm, there will ever be ai\
ufeful variety of opinions,-
t I ]
THE
I F E
O F
V
'E have an eager defire to be thoroughly ac-
quainted with the minuteft circumdances in
the lives of thofe who have made themfelves
greatly eminent. It is probably owing to this curiofity,
that the writings of old Moitr.gne, not^yithfranding his
excurfions and irregularities, are found fo ami^ing and
delightful. Plutarch obferves, that the true genius, and
characleriilical turn of men's minds, are befl to be ga-
thered from the fmall and feemingly inconfiderable par-
ticulars of their lives and fortunes. ' It were to be
wifhed antiquity furnifhed us with any light of this fort
with regard to our celebrated Poet. But we have very
few materials to gather from ; only fom.e fcattered re-
marks of old commentators and grammarians, and a life
written by Tiberius Donatus, (by fome falfely fuppofcd
to be St. Jerom's mafter) whofe authenticity Rusus
hath taken great pains to explode and deftroy. What
can beft be depended upon fecmeth to be as foilov/s.
PuBLius ViRGiLius Maro was born on the fifteenth
Vol. I. B day
2 THE LIFE OF VIRGIL.
day of Odlober in the year of Rome 684, in the conful-
Ihip of Pompey and Craffus, at a village called Andes,
jiow Pctula, not far from Mantua. His father's name
was Virgil, according to the opinion of Servius and Pro-
bus ; for if he had been called Maro, as Donatus affirms,
our Poet's name rauft have been, according to the cuftom
of the Romans, Publius Maro Virgilius.
His father was undoubtedly of low birth and mean cir-
cumftances, but by his indufl;ry fo much recommended
himfclf to his mailer, that he gave him his daughter,
named Maia, in marriage, as a reward of his fidelity. Our
Poet, difcovering early marks of a very fine genius, was
fent at tv/elve years old to lludy at Cremona, where he
continued till his feventcenth year. He then removed to
Milan, and from thence to Naples, being the refidence
of feverai teachers of philofophy and polite learning, and
profecuted his ftudies with great induflry and intenfe-
nefs, carefully perufing the moft elegant of the Greek
and Roman writers. But phyfic and mathematics were
his favourite fciences, and to which he principally at-
tached himfelf : and to this early tincture of geometrical
• learnii^-^were owing, that regularity of thought, pro-
priety of expreiTion, and exaftnefs of conducting all fub-
jecls, for which he is fo remarkable. He learnt the Epi-
curean philofophy under the celebrated Syro, of whom
Cicero fpcaks twice with the grcateil encomiums both
of his learning and virtue.
His acquaintance with Varus, his firft patron, com-
menced by his being fellow-ftudent with him under this
philofopher, for whom Virgil fcems to have had a warm
affe6Hon and eflecm.
There is an epigram remaining, addrefled to Syro,
written with fo beautiful a fimplicity that one may fafely
pronounce it the work of Virgil : who being afraid his
father and family would be turned out of their eflatc at
Andes, endeavoured to find a retreat for his parents,
and
THE LIFE OF VIRGIL. 5
and cafl: his eye upon a little farm that Syro pofTcfied In
the country.
Ad Vill:im Scironis.
V'lUnla^ qucs Scironis eras, & pauper agelky
Verum illi domino tu qiioque divitl^ ;
Ale tibi, i^ hos una mecuni, quos fe?nper amavii
Si quid de patrid trijlii{s aiidiero,
Commendo, in prifnifqKe patretn ; tu nunc eris illi
Hdantua quod fuerat, quodque Gremena prius.
After Virgil had compleated his ftudleS at Naples, Dona^
tus affirms, that he made a journey to R.ome j that by
his extraordinary (kill in the difeafes Incident to cattle
of all kinds, he recommended himfelf to Augullus's mailer
of the horfe, who procured appointments for him in
the royal ftables ; that Auguftus having a colt prefented to
him by the Grotoniates which promlfed uncommon fwift-
nefs and fpirit, Virgil Immediately pronounced that he
came from a fickly mure, and would be good for nothino-,
which proved the cafe; and laftly, that the em.peror hear-
ing of his extraordinary penetration and difcernment,
fent for him privately to enquire concernino- his own
parentage, whether he was really the Ion of Oclavius or
not. But Ruseus and the mofi: judicious critics have re-
jected and refuted thefe ftorles as highly fabulous, im-
probable, and impertinent; and are of opinion that he did
not appear at Rome, and was not known to Auguftus till
long afterwards. Perhaps 'tis fafeft to fteer betwixt thefe
two oppofite opinions, and to fay, that cur Poet might
probably pay a vifit to Rome, and be introduced to Au-
guftus, though not by the methods Donatus has ailigned.
At leaft, Ruaeus feems to lay too great a ftrefs on that
pafTage in the firfl Eclogue,
Urbem quam dicunt Romam, Melihcse, putavi
Sinltus ego biiic nojlra fimilem
2 ^ And
4 THE LIFE OF VIRGIL.
And again,
Et qua tantafuit Romam t'lbt caufa vldendi ?
Libert as
For tho' Virgil is faid to reprefcnt himfelf under the!
pcrfon of Tityrus, yet this ignorance of the largenefs
of the city might be counterfeited, and thrown in, as a
natural ftroke of paftoral fimplicity, and may perhaps be
juflly confidered as afentiment rather beautifully poetical
than ftri^lly true.
We cannot imagine that fuch an exalted genius as Vir-
gil was bleft with, could lie long unaitive and unexerted.
We are told accordingly, that in the warmth of early
youth, he framed a noble defign, and boldly intended to
write a poem on the Wars of Rome j but after feme at-
tempts, he v/as difcouraged from proceeding, by the
roughnefs and afperity of the old Roman names, which
horridly difgufted fo delicate an ear. That great mafter
of verfe (fays a lively writer) found it difficult to put fuch
harfh words, as Vibius Caudex, Tanaquil, Lucumo, or
Decius Mus into his poetry. Some of the names of
towns could abfolutely find no place in heroic mca-
fure. They were almoft as frightful as Boileau's Woer-
den, or the hideous Wurts, of v/hofe name he fo woefully
complains as quite fearing his mufc.
Des villes que tu prcns Ics 7ioms durs et barbares,
N'offrent de toutes partes que fyllabes bizarres :
Et qui peutfans fiimir abordcr Woerdcn,
^lel vers ne tomberoit au feul nom de Henfden ?
Wurts, Vefpoir du pais, et rappui de ces mursy
Wurts — y^J) quel tio/Hj Gra'nd Roi, quel He£Ior que ce
Wurts ? Epitre 4.
Not only fo, but 'tis probable he was deterred from an
undertaking above his years, by the rcafon afligned by
our Englifh Boilcuu,
When
THE LIFE OF VIRGIL.
When firft young Maro fung of kings and wars,
Ere warning Phcebus touch'd his trembling ears.
Perhaps he feem'd above the critic's law.
And but from nature's fountains fcorn'd to draw;
But when t* examine every part he came.
Nature and Homer were he found the fame ;
Convinc'd, amaz'd, he checks the- bold defign;
And rules as ftricl his labour'd work confine.
As if the Stagyrite o'erlook'd each line.
}
Captivated with the native beauties of the Idylliums
of Theodritus, and ambitious of introducing a nev/ fpe-
cies of poetry among the Romans, our poet from hence-
forward feems to have bent his whole thoughts to imitate
and rival the fweet Sicilian: And having tranfplanted
Paftoral into his own country, it flourifhed as fuccefsfully,
as the cherry-trees v/hich Lucullus conveyed from
Pontus.
Of thefe compofitions 'tis highly probable that in-
titled Alexis was his nrft performance. Dr. Mart)'!!
thinks it might have been written in the year of Rome
709, when the Poet was in his twenty-fifth year, which
was a little while before Caefar was afiaffinated in the year
710. Julius Csefar might have read this beautiful imi-
tation of the 'Eg«r*j? of Theocritus, and been flruck with
admiration of the prominng genius of its author. Polu-
bly the Palaemon was his fecond performance; it is a
clofe imitation of the fourth and fifth Idyllia of Theo-
critus.
May I venture to mention the Silenus as the next com-
pofition in order of time ? This fine piece of philofophy
is faid to have been publicly recited on the fta'ge by
Cytheris, a celebrated comedian, remarkable for a fweet-
nefs and propriety of fpeaking, inibmuch that Catrou
imagines that expreffion in the tenth Eclogue, ^cs legat
ipfa LycorisjjioQS not only fignify that he may write fuch
B 3 verfes
6 THE LIFE OF VIRGIL.
verfes as may touch or afFea Cytheris (reprefented by
Lycoris) but fuch as may be fit for a perfon of a mar-
vellous fweetnefs of voice to pronounce. Let us hear
Catrou's opinion with regard to this fixth Eclogue. It is
jict from this vcrfe
Prima Syraccfio dignata eji luclere verfu^
that I conjedlure that this Eclogue ought to precede that
of Tityrus. It is for another reafon, that I am going to
produce. It is true, that the author of the life of Virgil
feems here to contradi£t himfclf. He affirms, in one
place, that the Tityrus was the firft Eclogue which the
Poet compofed. " It appears, fays he, that Virgil had
<' not compofc:d any Eclogue before the Tityrus, from
^* the fourth Georgic ; where he diftinguilhes his Buco-
*' lies by the Eclogue of Tityrus,"
Tityre te patulcs cecin'i fuh tegnunc fcigU
He adds befidcs, that the Poet fpcnt three years in com-
pofinf his Bucolics, 5tt(:i?//r<? ir'icnrao -perfech. '1 hat is,
if one can believe it, that Virgil began his firfl Eclogue
about the year of Rome 713, and finifned the laft after the
year 715. The fame author aUb relates, that the Silcnus
was recited by Cytheris, before a full audience, in the
prefcnce of Cicero. This lall fail cannot poffibly be
true, funpohng the Tityrus was Virgil's firft performance
in this kind. Cicero was dead when our Poet com.pofed
the Tityrus. In fo manifeft a contradiction, I incline to
the fide of the ftory of Cytheris, which is attcited by
Servius. As for the conjeclure formed by the writer of
Virgil's life, that the Tityrus was his firft Eclogue, it
is a rounded upon a very frivolous argument. The quo-
tation from the fourth Georgic, w^hich is the only fup-
port of it, proves only, that Virgil, in the edition of
his Bucolics, had placed the Tityrus in the front. It is
faid
THE LIFE OF VIRGIL. 7
faid alfo, that Virgil made all his Eclogues in three
years. Therefore Cicero could not hear any one of
them. But, in the original it is perfec'it^ that is, he per-
fected them ; he made them fit to appear. Thus this
Eclogue might have been prior to the Tityrus, and Cythe-
ris might have recited it in the prefence of Cicero.
I beg to add a conjecture purely my own, and fubmit
the dccifion of it entirely to the learned. Cicero having
heard this Eclogue, cried cut in an ecflafy of admiration,
that the author of it was
• Magna: fpes altera Roma:,
the fecond great hope of Rome, efteeming himfelf, fay the
commentators, to be the firft. I underftand the words in
a far different fenfe. The fubjedt of this piece, we fliould
remember, was an account of the Epicurean Philofophy
both natural and moral, which haj been but lately beauti-
fully illuftrated by Lucretius ; an author whom Cicero
was fo eminently fond of, as to revife and publifli his
work. Upon hearing therefore the beautiful verfes of
Virgil on the fame fubjedl:, Cicero exclaimed to this pur-
pofe ; Behold another great genius rijtng up amongjl us, who
'ivi It prove a fecond Lucretius. This interpretation at once
takes away the imputation of vanity of which Cicero has
been accufed for ufing thefe words, making the Spes altera
refer entirely to Lucretius. And befides, the expreflion
of Spes neceiTarily implies fomething y«/Krf and increafng;
whereas Cicero was at that time arrived at a maturity of
fame and abilities: neither do I perceive the propriety of
the connexion, in joining an eminent poet with an emi-
nent orator. 'Tis obfervable that Virgil inferted this he-
miftich afterwards in the twelfth book of his iEneid, and
applied thev/ords to Afcanius.
Dion Caffius relates, in his forty-feventh book, that in
the year of Rome 712 the Triumvirs, Antony, Ocravius,
^nd Lepidus, eredled and confccrated a temple to Julius
B 4 Csefar
8 THE LIFE OF VIRGIL,
Caefar in the forum, carried about his ftatue in folemi^
proccflion with one cf Venus in the Circenfian games,
decreed fupplications to him on the news of any victory,
and ordered he fhould be wcrfhipped a,s a god. In allu-
fion to the death and deification of Caefar, Virgil com-
pofed the fifth Eclogue. He introduces two fhepherds la-
menting the death of Daphnis, a Sicilian ll^iepherd ; he
reprefcnts the catde abflaining from their food for grief,
the very wild beafls lamenting, the iiclds withering, Apolla
and Pales leavinri; the plains, the nymphs mourning around
his body, and Venus herfelf bitterly lamenting^
^* Cum complcxa fiii corpus ralfcrahiie ?iatty
Atque deos atquc ojira vocat crudelia mater.
For Venus is undoubtedly the Mother here m.entionedj
and not the city of Rome, as Ruseus iniagines.
This opinion may be coniirmed by a parallel pafTage in.
the Metamorphofes. Ovid there reprefcnts Venus terri-
' fied at the approach of Ca;far's death \ fhc difcovers all
the fears and tendcrnefs of a mother; intercedes with the
gods for his prefervation ; . fmites her ov/n brcail, and cn-^
deavours to hide him in the cloud in which flic had pre-
ferved Paris and -fincasj
Sluod lit aurea vid-lt
MnecE genctrix, v'ldit quoque tr'ijle parar'i
Pcntijici ktum ; Iff conjurata arma moverl
Palluit :
Turn vera Cythcrca manu pcrcujftt utraque
FecluSy iff Mneaden molitur condcre niibc.
T cannot forbear obferving the peculiar beauty of the
epithet iniferahile in Virgil This fingle word points
out the mangled body of Julius Crefar in almoft as lively
a manner as Antony's artful fpeech in Shakefiiear ;
o ^ Look !
THE LIFE OF VIRGIL. 9
Look ! in this place ran Caffius' dagger thro' —
See, '.vhat a rent the envious Cafca made —
Through this the well-bcloved Brutus ftabb'd ;
And as he pluckt the curfed fteel away,
Mark, how the blood of Ca;far follow'd it !
'Julius Cisjar^ JSl 3. Sc. 6.
In the latter part of the paftoral, the Poet changes the
fcene into joy and triumph, which makes a noble con-
traft to the beginning. He rcprefents Daphnis admitted
into heaven, plcafure and joy overflowing the plains, the
very mountains breaking forth into fongs, altars ercvSlcd,
and folem.n facrificcs performed to him as to Ceres and
Bacchus. Auguftus muft have been irifmitely pleafed
with this exquifite piece of fiattery.
The fatal battle at Philippi w:is fought at the latter end
of the year 712, which at once put an end to all glorious
ftruggles for the liberty of the commonwealth, xho. pc<trict-
murdercrs, Brutus and Caiuus, having refolutely {lain
thcmfelves upon the defeat of their army, leaving Cae far
and Antony vi^Slorious. One cannot forbear wiftiing there
bad been fome Virgil to have lamented the death of the
incomparable Brutus, as well as that of the tyrant Julius
Csfar, who, notwithftanding his many amiable and exalt-
ed qualities, was no better than the enfiaver of his coun-
try. After this aci:ion the veteran foldiers began to mur-
mur for their pay, and Auguftus, to reward them, difai-
butcd amongft them the lands of Mantua and Cremona.
Appian relates, that when the lands were divided among
the foldiers, great num-bers both young and old, and wo-
men with their children, flocked to Rome, and filled the
forum and temples v/ith bitter lamentations, complaining
they were driven from their lands and houfes as if they
had been conquered enemies. Virgil was involved in this
common calamity, applied to Varus or to Pollio, or both,
who warmly recommended him to Auguftus, and. procured
his
ic THE LIFE OF VIRGIL.
his patrimony for him again. Full of gratitude to Au"
guftus, he compofed the Tityrus, introducing in it two
Ihepherds, one of them complaining of the diftradlion
of the times, and of the deftrudtion the faldiers had com-
mitted among the Mantuan farmers, the other rejoicing
for the recovery of his ellate, and promifing to honour the
perfon who reftored it to him as a ^oJ.
— — IlHus aravi
Sape tener nojiris ah ovUlhus i?nbuet agnus.
But our Poet's joy was not of long continuance ; for
we arc told that when he returned to take pofl'ciTion of his
farm, he was violently aflaulted by the intruder, and would
certainly have been killed by him, if he had not made his
cfcape by fwimming haftily over the Mincio.
Upon this unexpected difappointment, melancholy and
dejeiSled, he returned to Rome to renew his petition 3 and
during his journey feems to have compofed the ninth
Eclogue; which appears to have been haftily made up,
out of feveral little fragments of poems, and imitations
of Theocritus he had by him. One ftroke in it is too
artful to be omitted. He advifes the fhepherd to confult
no more the old conflellations and figns as they were
wont to do, but to look up to a brighter liar, the Juliurn
Sidus, — alluding to the famous comet which is faid to
iiave appeared {cvtn days after Julius Caefar's death, and
was fancied by the vulgar to be Caefar's foul converted
by Venus into a blazing flar. Suetonius fpcaks of it in
the following manner : In deoriim niimeru7n relatiis eji, non
ore modo decernentium, fed et ferfiiafione vulgi. Siquidem
ludisy qiios prhfio confecratos ei hicres Augujius edebat^ Jlella
crinita per fcptem dies continuos fulftt exoricns circa undeci-
mam korom. Creditumque ejl^ animam ejfe Cccfaris., in caelum
recepti^ i^ hdc de caufd ftmulacro ejus in vcrtice Jlella
additur.
In the year of Rome 714, Virgil compofed the cele-
brated
THE LIFE OF VIRGIL. n
brated Eclogue intitled ufually, but perhaps falfly, Pcllio,
as it related to the birth of his fon Salonius. But Ca-
trou has endeavoured to fliew that this is a grofs miftake,
and that the fubie<!:l of it is the birth of young Marccllus,
who was afterwards adopted by Auguftus. The fub-
ftance of his opinion is as follows ; which will give us
fome infif^ht into this intricate affair.
Csfar did not remain long in quiet after the compleat
victory which he obtained over Lucius, and Fulvia the
wife of Antony, who had rafhly taken arms againft him.
ThiS turbulent lady fled to her hufband, and incited him
to make war upon Ca;far. Antony inflamed with rage,
fleered his courfe to Italy ; and began a moft furious and
dangerous war. But the news of the death of Fulvia,
whom he had left fick at Sicyon, coming opportunelv,
gave a favourable opportunity of fettling a peace between
thefc mighty rivals. Cocceius, a common friend to both,
went between them, and projected a reconciliation : The
confui Pollio appearing on the part of Antony, and Mae-
cenas on the part of Csefar, to arbitrate the differences
between them. The arbitx'ators propofed, that as Fulvfa,
the wife of Antony, was juft dead, and Marcellus alfo,
the hufband of OcTravia, half fifler to Csefar, 06tavia
Ihould be given in marriage to Antony. This being agreed
to, caufed an univerfal joy : and the whole army expreffed
their joy by fliouting all that day, and the following night.
Oclavia was with ghild at" the tin:e of this marriage.
Therefore as this great lady, who w^as alfo a perfon of a
moft unfpotted character, was the cement of fo bieiTed a
peace and union between the tv/o great Triumvirs, who
were upon the point of tearing the world in funder by
their divifions, Virgil was not backv/ard in teflifying his
joy for fo happy an event. The Sibilline oracles had
foretold, that a child was to be born about this time,
who fhould rule the world, and eftablifh perpetual peace.
The Poet ingenioufly fuppofes the child, with which Oc-
tavia
ft THE LIFE OF VIRGIL.
tavia was then pregnant, to be the glorious infant, under
whofe rule mankind was to be made happy ; the golden
age was to return again from heaven ; and fraud and vio-
lence was to be no more. This is the fubjeft of that
Eclogue, of which the ufual title is Pollio. In this cele-
brated poem, the author, with great delicacy, at the fame
time pays his court to both the chiefs, to his patron Pol-
lio, to Octavia, and to the unborn infant. It is dedicated
to the great Pollio by name, who was at that time conful :
And therefore we are fure of the date of this Eclogue, as
it is known that he enjoyed that high office in the year of
Rome 714.
In the year of Rome 715, Pollio, who was now in high
favour with Auguftus, marched againft, and fubdued the
Parthini. During this expedition, Virgil addrefled to him
one of his moft beautiful Eclogues, the Pharmaceutria,
an imitation of one with the fame title in Theocritus.
Catrou groundlefsly imagines Auguflus to be the perfon
intended by the fine compliment at the beginning, becaufe
this prince attempted to write a drama called Ajax, in
imitation of Sophocles. Pollio's charadler was one of the
moft illuftrious that ever adorned Rome ; he was mafter
of many various accomplifhments, that feldom fliine to-
gether in one perfon j was a ikilful and fuccefsful ge-
neral ;
Cui laurus aternos honores
Dahnatico peperit triumpho :
was an admirable hiftorian, orator, and poet ; Horace
joins with Virgil in bearing teftimony to the excellence
of the tragedies he wrote, Od. i. Book 2.
Paiilu7n fever a mufa tragcdla
Defit thcatrh ; mox uhi puhUcas
Res ordlnarisy grande munus
Cecropto repetes cothurno.
In
THE LIFE OF VIRGlL. 13
In which ode one cannot forbear obferving that the poet,
confclous of the dignity of the perfon he was writing to,
has exerted his genius, and warmed his fancy, and has
given us feme of the moft fpirited and fublime images
that are to be found in his works :
'Jam nunc minaci murmur e cornuum
Perjlringh aures j ja7n Utuijirepunt !
Jamfulgor arinorum fugaces
Terret equos equhumque vultus ;
Aiid'ire magnos jam videor duces
Non indccoro pvlvere fordidos !
Pollio was likev/ife the firft who creeled a public libra-
ry at Rome, adorned with curious buflo's of the moft ce-
lebrated writers. He had a moft delicate tafte for the fine
arts, particularly architedlure and fculpture : Pliny tells
us, that fome of the capital pieces of the moft exquifitc
Grecian artifts were in his collection ; particularly, a Si-
lenus, a Neptune, an Apollo, and fome Bacchanalian
Nymphs, all by Praxiteles j which are particularly men-
tioned in the fifth chapter of the thirty-fixth book of his
Natural Hiftory. It was none of the fmalleft honours.
Virgil m.et with, to be protected and efteemed by this all-
accomplifhed courtier.
In the laft Eclogue our Author compofed, he introduces
his friend Cornelius Gallus, lying difconfolately under
a mountain in Arcadia, bitterly bewailing the inconftancy
of his niiftrefs, and furrounded by all the rural gods, and
by Apollo himfelf, who come to fympathize with him in
his grief, and endeavour to adminifter comfort to him..
He had before paid Gallus a high compliment in his Si-
lenus, reprefenting him wandering on the banks of Per-
mefTus, and met by one of the Mufes, who leads him to.
the Aonian mountains, where the whole aflembly of gods
and poets rifes up to greet his approach, and Linus gives
him the pipe of old Hefiod :
■ • -^uibus
14 THE LIFE OF VIRGIL.
» ^nbus ille folehat
Cantando r'lgldas deducere monUhns ornos.
Gallus was greatly beloved by Auguftus, who advanced
him from a low condition into the higheflpofts. But be-
in o- afterwards made governor of Egypt, he fell into a
debauched and luxurious life, abufcd the emperor in his
cups, and ereiSled flatues of himfclf throughout the pro-
vince; for which, and other mifdemeanors, bcing.banilh-
ed by Auguftus, he fell upon his own fword, in an agony
of grief and defpair. Donatus relates that Virgil v/as fo
fond of this Gallus, that the fourth Georgic, from the
middle to the end, was filled with his praifes ; and that
he afterwards changed this part into the ftory of Ariftzeus,
at the command of Aiiguflus. But Rureus judly queftions
the truth of this flory. He obferves that the flory of
Ariftaeus is fo well conneiSled with the culture of the
bees, that it does not feem to have been ftuck in, but to
rife naturally from the fubjedl, and to have been a firfi:
thought ; that it is not probable, that Virgil would be-
flow fo larp-e a part of his work in the praife of Gallus,
when he had given but a few lines to Maecenas himfelf,
to whom he dedicated the whole poem : and laftly, that
Auguftus himfelf, according to Suetonius, lamented the
death of Gallus-, and therefore cannot be thought fo
injurious to his memory, as to envy him fome empty
praife.
Thus we fee Virgil employed the very earlieft efforts of
his raufc, at a time, in other poets.
When pure dcfcription holds the place pf fenfe,
to ufcfal and prudent purpofes, to conciliate the coun-
tenance of the '^rcat, to relieve the diftrcffcs of himfclf
and liis family, to commemorate his benefaftors, to gain
the favour and fricndfl:iip of thofe by whom it was honour
and happincfs to be beloved.
And
THE LIFE OF VIRGIL. 15
And now being in his 34th year, he retired to a de-
lightful and convenient privacy at Naples, and laid the
plan of his inimitable Georgics : which he undertook at
the earneft entreaties of that v/ife and able minifter,
Maecenas : not to rival and excel Hefiod, whom he has
but little imitated, as he had lately done Theocritus,
but on a noble political motive, and to promote the wel-
fare of his country. Great was the defolation occafioned
by the continuance and cruelty of the civil wars : Italy
was almoll: depopulated ; the lands were uncultivated
and unuocked ; a famine and infurreiSlIon enfued ; Au-
guftus himfelf hardly efcaped being floned by the en-
raged populace, who attributed this calamity to his am-
bition. This beft and v/ifeft minifter therefore, M^sece-
nas, refolved if poflible to revive the decayed fpirit of
hufbandry ; to introduce a tafte for cultivation ; to
make rural improvements a fafliionable amufement of the
great. What method fo likely to efFecl this, as to re-
commend agriculture with all the infmuating charms of
poetry ? Virgil fully anfwered the expectations of his
polite patron ; for the Georgics contain all thofe maf-
terly beauties that might be expeiled from an exalted
genius, whofe judgment and imagination were in full
vigour and maturity, and who had leifure to give the laft
polifli and perfeClion to his incomparable workmanfliip.
As to Maecenas's charadler, tho' a bad writer himfelf,
fond of far-fetch'd metaphors and an affeded ftile, yet
was he indifputably the kindcft patron the Mufes ever
found, in any age or country. Paterculus has given us
a portrait of him, painted with his ufual elegance and
cxpreffivenefs. Urbis cujlodns prtepoftttis C. Mceceyias^
equejiri fed Jplend'ido genera natus : vlr^ ubt res vigiliam
exigeret^ fane exfomnis, providens atque agendi fciem \ fimiil
vera aliquid e:: negot'io remitti pofft, ot'io ac moUitih pane
ultra foeinvnam fiuens : non ?niuus Agrippa Cafari cariis^
fed minics honoratus ; quippe vixit angujio davo p^ne con-
tcntus ;
l^ THE LIFE OF VIRGIt.
tentus ; nee minora confequi potu'it^ fed non tarn concuplvtit
Even the admired Auguftiis was deeply indebted to this
favourite, for guiding his tafte and forming his man-
ners. 'Twas he who introduced the poets to his court ;
infpired him with a relifh for polite learning ; convinced
him of the importance of having his charadter handed
down to pofterity in an amiable light by the bell writers
of his age, and of having his flatue made by none but
a Lyfippus. That the emperor wanted fuch a mafter
to foften and polifh his temper and behaviour, is fuffi-
cicntly teillfied by Suetonius and other authors, who
tell us of his natural love of amphitheatrical fpe£lacles,
and other barbarous entertainments, little accommodated
to the intereftpf the ]\'Iufes. Horace, in his artful and
concealed manner, frequently glances at this, in many
paflages of the celebrated epiftle in his fecond book.
And Dion CafHus in particular r<'lates the frank treat-
ment which this prince receiv^ed from his friend M^ce-
nas ; who was forced to draw him from his bloody tri-»
bunal and murderous delight, with the reproach of
Surge Z'ero tandem, carnifex !
I cannot forbear adding a little refle6lion, which may
ferve, among others, to convince us of the great power-
fulnefs of poetry ; which is, that we fliould have enter-
tained a far different notion of Auguftus, who was in
reality a cool, a cruel and fubtle tyrant, and the perfon
who gave the laft wound to expiring liberty, if Virgil and
Horace had not fo highly celebrated'him, and gained us
as it were over to his party. But perhaps the refle(5lion
docs not much honour to thefe two poets.
We are at laft arrived to the period of time when
Virgil began writing his v^^neid, in the year of Rome
714, v/hen he himfelf was forty-five years old. His de-
iign in writing it has btcn very lately fo excellently ex-
plained
THE LIFE OF VIRGlL. 17
plained by a mafter of claffical learning, with equal
judgment and tafte, that it would be unjuft not to quote
his own words.
*' Virgil is faid to have begun this poem the very year
that Auguflus was freed from his great rival Antony :
the government of the Roman empire was to be wholly
in him: and tho' he chofe to be called their father; he
was, in every thing but the name, their king. This
monarchical form of government muft naturally be apt
to difpleafe the people. Virgil feems to have laid the
plan of his poem to reconcile them to it. He takes ad-
vantage of their religious turn, and of fome old prophe-
cies that muft have been very flatterins; to the Roman
people, as promifmg them the empire of the whole world.
He weaves this in with the mbft probable account of their
origin ; that of their being dcfcended from the Trojans.
To be a little more particular j Virgil in his ^Eneid Ihews,
that JEneas was called into their country by the exprefs
order of the gods. N. B. This is marked very ftrongly
throughout all the firft part of the JEnt'iA. The very
night Troy is burnt, iEneas is ordered to go and build a
city in Italy, and to carry his gods to it, by the fpirits of
Hedor and Creufa : CafiTandra had foretold the fame fre-
quently before : JEn. iii. ver. 185.
Nunc repeto hcec generi portendere dehita nojiro^
Et fcspe Hefperiam^ /ape Itala regna vocare.
Apollo orders the fame 3
Antiquam exqulrtte matrem :
Hie domus JEnece cunSJis dom'inabitur oris ;
Et nati natorum i^ qui nafcentur ab Hits.
JEn. iii. ver. gg.
And his domeftic gods, more exprefslyj JEn. iii. ver.
167. The fame orders are given to JEnezs whilft at
Vol. I. C Carthage,
iZ THE LIFE OF VIRGIL.
Carthage, by the fpirit of his departed father ; JEn. \v.
ver. 351. And laftly, by the great meflenger of the
chief of all their gods >
Jfcanium Jurgentem iS /pes haredis luli
Refpice ; cui regnum Italics Romanaque tellus
Debeniur •
JEn. iv. ver, 275.
He fhews likewife that he was made king of it by the
will of Heaven, and by all the human rights that could
be. Viz. he has an hereditary claim from Dardanus and
Jafius, JEn. iii. ver. 168. — He has a right by conqueft,
JEn. xii. ver. i. — He has a right by compaft, JEn. xii.
ver. 175 to 225. — And he has a right by marrying the
only daughter of the then king, ^n. xii. ver. 937. and
JEn. vii. ver. 50 — 52. He fhews likewife that there
was an uninterrupted fucceflion of kings from him to
Romulus ; that his heirs were to reign there for ever ;
and that the Romans under them were to obtain the
monarchy of the world. It appears from Virgil, and the
other Roman writers, that Julius Caefar was of this royal
race ; and that Auguftus was his fole heir. The natural
refult of all this is, that the promifesmade to the Roman
people, in and through this race, terminating in Auguf-
tus ; the Romans, if they would obey the gods, and be
mafters of the world, were to yield obedience to the new
eftablifliment under that prince. As odd a fcheme as this
may feem nov/, it is fcarce fo odd as that of fome people
among us, who perfuaded themfelves that an abfolute
obedience was owing to our kings, on their fuppofed de-
fcent from fome unknown Patriarch. And yet that had
its effcdl: with many about a century ago; and feems not to
hav: quite loft all its influence, even in our remembrance.
However that be, I think it appears plain enough that
the two great points aimed at by Virgil in his ^neid,
were to maintain their old religious tenets ; and to fup-
port the new form of government, in the family of the
3 Caefars.
THE LIFE OF VIRGIL. t^
Casfars. That poem therefore may very well be confi-
dered as a work merely political. If this was the cafe,
Virgil was not fo highly encouraged by Auguftus and
Mascenas for nothing. To fpeak a little more plainly ; he
wrote in the fervice of the new ufurpation on the ftate ;
and all that can be offered in vindication of him in this
light is, that the ufurper he wrote for was grown a tame
one ; and that the temper and bent of their confcitution
was fuch, that the reins of government muft have fallen
into the hands of fome one perfon or another; and might
probably, on a new revolution, have fallen into the
hands of fome one lefs mild and indulgent, than Auguf-
tus was at the time when Virgil wrote this poem in his
fervice. But whatever may be faid of his reafons for
writing it, the poem itfelf has been highly applauded in.
all ages, from its firft appearance to this day ; and tho'
left unfinifhed by its author, has been always reckoned as
much fuperior to all other epic poems among the Ro-
mans, as Homer's is among the Greeks. It preferves
more to us of the religion of the Romans, than all the
other Latin poets (excepting only Ovid) put together :
and gives us the forms and appearances of their deities
as ftrongly, as if we had fo many pictures of them pre-
ferved to us, done by fome of the beft hands in the Au-
guftan age. It is remarkable that he is commended by
fome of the ancients themfelves, for the ftrength of his
imagination, as to this particular ; tho' in general that is
not his character, fo much as exaftnefs. He w^as cer-
tainly the moft correft poet, even of his time ; in which
all falfe thoughts and idle ornaments in writing were
difcouraged : And it is as certain, that there is but little
of invention in his JEne'id ; much lefs, I believe, than is
generally imagined. Aimoft all the little fadis in it are
built on hiftory : and even as to particular lines, no one
perhaps ever borrowed more from the poets that preceded
him, than he did. He goes fo far back as to old iinniusj
C 2 and
26 THE LIFE OF VIRGIL.
and often inferts whole verfes from him, and fome other
of their earlieft writers. The obfoletenefs of their ftile
did not hinder him much in this : for he was a particular
lover of their old language ; and no doubt inferted many
more antiquated words in his poem than we can difcover
at prefent. Judgment is his diftinguiftiing character j
and his great excellence confifted in choofing and ranging
things aright. Whatever he borrowed he had the (kill of
making his own ; by weaving it fo well into his work,
that it looks all of a piece : even thofe parts of his poem,
where this may be moft praftifed, refembling a fine piece
of Mofaic ; in which all the parts, though of fuch dif-
ferent marbles, unite together j and the various fhades
and colours are fo artfully difpofed, as to melt off infen-
fibly into one another."
Polymetis, Dial. 3. pag. 18.
An event happened about this time too remarkable to
be omitted *. Auguftus, either cloyed with glory, or
terrified by the example of his predeceflor, or to gain
the credit of moderation with the people, or poflibly to
feel the pulfe of his friends, deliberated whether hefhould
retain the fovereign power, or reftore the commonwealth.
Agrippa, who was a very honefl: man, but whofe view
was of no great extent, advifed him to the latter : but
Maecenas, who had thoroughly ftudied his mafter's tem-
per, in an eloquent oration, gave contrary advice. That
emperor was too politic to commit the overfight of
Cromwell, in a deliberation fomething refembling this.
Cromwell had always been defirous of the power, as he
was afterwards of the title of King j but by a too vehe-
ment allegation of arguments againfl: it, he, who had
outwitted every body befides, at laft outwitted himfelf,
♦ See the author of Virgil's life, prefixed to Dryden's tranfla-
tlon. This ftory feems to have been feigned by the gram-
marians, and later rhetoricians.
by
THE LIFE OF VIRGIL. it
by too deep diflimulation : for his council, thinking to
make their court by aflenting to his judgment, voted
unanimoufly for him againft his inclination, which fur-
prized and troubled him to fuch a degree, that as foon
as he got into his coach he fell into a fwoon. But Caefar
knew his people better ; and his council being thus di-
vided, he afked Virgil's advice. Thus a poet had the
honour of determining the greateft point that ever was
in debate, betwixt the fon-in-law, and favourite of Casfar.
Virgil delivered his opinion in words to this effe£l; The
change of a popular into an abfolute government, has
generally been of very ill confequence : for betwixt the
hatred of the people, and injuftice of the prince, it of
neceflity comes to pafs that they live in diftruft and
mutual apprehenfion. But if the commons knew a juft
perfon, whom they entirely confided in, it would be for
the advantage of all parties that fuch a one fhould be
their fovereign. Wherefore if you fhall continue to ad-
miniller juftice impartially, as hitherto you have done,
your power will prove fafe to yourfelf, and beneficial to
mankind. This excellent fentence, which feems taken
out of Plato (with whofe writings the grammarians were
not much acquainted, and therefore cannot reafonably be
fufpedted of forgery in this matter) contains the true
flate of affairs at that time : For the commonwealth
maxims -were now no longer practicable ; the Romans
had only the haughtinefs of the old commonwealth left,
without one of its virtues. And this fentence we find,
almoft in the fame words, in the firft book of the ^neis,
which at this time he was writing ; and one might won-
der that none of the commentators have taken notice of
it. He compares a tempeft to a popular infurreiftion,
as Cicero had compared a fedition to a ftorm a little
before.
^c velui'i magno in populo cum f ape coorta eji
SedittOy favitque animis ignobile vulgusy
C 3 yamque
22 THE LIFE OF VIRGIL.
Jamque faces ac faxa volanU furor arma mlnijirat :
Turn pletate gravem &' meritis ft forte virum quern
Confpexere, filent, arrcSlifque auribus adjlant :
Jlle regit dtifis animos, ^ peSlora mulcet,
Auguftus was eagerly defirous to perufe the poem as far
as it had been carried ; he entreated Virgil to communi-
cate it to him by feveral letters in the warmeft man-
ner. Macrobius in the firft book of his Saturnalia, has
preferved to us one of Virgil's anfwers to the emperor ;
Ego vero frequentius a te Utter as accipto De Mnea qui-
dem meo, ft mehercule jam dignum auribus haberem tuis, li-
benter mitterem. Sed tanta inchoata res eji^ ut pane vitio
mentis taittum opus ingrejfus mihi videor j cum prafertim, ut
fcis, alia quoque Jludia ad id opus, multoque potiora im-
partiar.
Prevailed on at laft by thefe importunities, Virgil re-
cited (and 'tis remarkable that he read his verfes with a
wonderful fweetnefs and propriety) the fixth book to
Auguftus ; and his fifter 06lavia, who had juft loft her
fon Marcellus, the darling of Rome, and the adopted
fon of Auo-uftus, would needs be one of the audience to
alleviate and divert her forrow. Let us indulge a thought
that is naturally pleafmg, for a moment! Virgil, reading
the fineft part of the ^Eneid to the Lord of the whole
earth, attended by his fifter, and perhaps Mcecenas,
Horace, and other favourites ! He had artfully inferted
that beautiful lamentation for the death of young Mar-
cellus, beginning with,
naie, ingentem lu£fum ne quare tuorum
but fuppr-efled his name till he came to the line,
Tu Marcellus oris; — —
upon hearing which OcSlavia could bear no more, but,
fuddenly ftruck with furprize and forrow, fainted away.
When
THE LIFE OF VIRGIL. 23
When fhe recovered, fhe made the poet a prefent of ten
fefterces for every line, which amounted in the whole to
above two thoufand pounds flerling. A reward equal to
06lavia's generofity, and not above Virgil's merit !
The JEneid being brought to conclufion, but not to
the perfection our author intended to give itj he re-
folved to travel into Greece to corre6t and to polifh it at
leifure. It was on his undertaking this voyage, that
Horace addrefled to him that afFedionate ode j
Sic te Diva potens Cypri,
Sic Fr aires Helena, liiclda fydera^
Ventorumque regat pater,
ObJiriSlis aliis prater Icipyga,
Navis, qua tibi creditum
Debes Firgilium, finibus Atticis,
Reddas incolumem precor,
Et ferves anima dimidium mea.
It was during his ftay in Greece, that, in all proba-
bility, he added that fine introdudion to his third
Georgic, one of the fublimeft paflages in all his works :
the numbers alfo are particularly majeftic ;
Et vlridi in campo templum de marmore ponam
Propter aquam-
In medio mihi Cafar erit^ templumque tenebit,
Illi vi^or ego, l^ Tyrio confpeSfus in ojiro.
Centum quadrijugos agitabo ad jiumina currus ■ ■■■
In fori bus pugnam ex auro folidoque elephanto,
Gangaridum faciam, viSiorifque arma ^uirini: • ■
Addam urbes Afia domitas, pulfumque Niphatem j
Fidentemque fugd Partbum, verfifque fagittis : — —
Stabunt ^ Parii lapides, fpirantia figna,
Ajjaraci proles, demijfaque ab Jove gentis
Nomina, Trofque parens, & Troja Cynthius auSior,
This paflage contains a magnificent allegory, in which
C 4 the
24 THE LIFE OF VIRGIL.
the poet intimates, that when he returns from Greece he
would perfeft and publifh his JEne'xd : for this is the
fuperb temple he intends to ere£l in honour of Auguftus,
" JUcnumentum are perennlus,
Regalique fitu pyramidtim a It i us. HoR.
The emperor was the chief divinity of the temple ; his
anceftors were all to have their ftatues erefled in it, (that
is) were to be the principal aftors in the Mne'id-y and his
vidlories, like Bafib Relievos, were to adorn the glorious
work. Catrou was the firft who hit of this interpre-
tation, which adds an infinite beauty to the paflage.
Nature feems to ha/e thought, that for one perfon to
have produced two perfedl poems, -yvould have been too
great a portion of fame and felicity for humanity to en-
joy. Auguftus, returning victorious from the Eaft, met
with Virgil at Athens, who thought himfelf obliged to
wait upon the emperOr back to Italy. But he was fud-
denly feized with a fatal diftemper, which, being in-
creafed by the agitation of the veffel, he had fcarce time
to land at Brundufium, where he died on the twenty-
fecond day of September, in the fifty-fecond year of his
age. What can give one fo high an opinion, both of
his modefty and genius, as his earneftly requefting on his
death-bed, that his ^^neid might be burnt, becaufe it
had not received his laft corre£lions and improvements !
which, to fpeak the truth, the laft fix books apparently
want. But Mr. Upton is of opinion, that he ordered
his divine Work to be deftroyed, not becaufe it wanted
perfection as an epic poem, but becaufe it flattered the
fubvertcr of the conftitution.
Tully fays fomcwhat feverely, Jdhuc neminefn cognovi
poetam^ qui fill non optimus videretur. Tufcul. lib. i.
/ never yet kneiu any poety tvho did not think himfelf the hefl
cf his prcfcffion. This farcafm can be applicable to
lione but thofe trifling wits, who ov/e their complacency
to
THE LIFE OF VIRGIL. 25
to their indelicacy and infenfibility. Larger fouls are not
fo eafily felf-fatisfied. Raphael frequently declared, that
in none of his performances he had ever exprefTed his no-
tion of a perfed beauty. And Virgil's behaviour rather
puts one in mind of what the fame Tully fays elfevirhere,
that in none of his works or orations, he was able to
come up to that high idea of eloquence he had conceived
in his mind. Auguftus interpofed, and would not fufFer
a poem that was to confecrate his name to immortality,
to be deftroyed ; it was then bequeathed to Varius and
Tucca, with a ftrift charge that they fhould make no ad-
ditions j which they fo exadlly obferved, as not to fill up
even the hemiftichs which were left imperfedl. He died
with fuch fteadinefs and tranquillity, as to be able to
di6tate his own epitaph in the following words,
Mantua me genuit, Calalri rapuere, tenet nunc
Parthenope ; cecini Pafcua^ Rxira^ Duces.
His bones were carried to Naples, according to his
carneft requeft, and a monument was erefted at a fmall
iliftance from the city.
He was of a fwarthy complexion, tall of ftature like
his own Mufaeus ; of a fickly and delicate conftitution,
afflidled with frequent head-achs, coughs, and fpittings
of blood ; very temperate and abftemious in his diet,
very regular, fober, and chafte in his morals. 'Tis a
falfe opinion, that he was flovenly and ungraceful in his
habit and perfon *. He was fo balhful, that he fre-
quently
• See the following paflage in Polymetis, Dial. Zl. pag. 325.
It feems to have been a vulgar opinion among the moderns,
(at leaft, among the modern commentators) that Virgil was a
rough-looking, flovenly man. To overturn this opinion, I
fhould not alledge Urfmi's gem, which has fo often been called
a head of Virgil : both becaufe there is a great deal of reafon to
think.
26 THE LIFE OF VIRGIL.
quently ran into the fhops to prevent being gazed at in
the ftreets of Rome j yet fo honoured by the Romans,
think, that it is falfely attributed ro him; and becaufe we have
pidlures of Virgil drawn at full length, and much lefs to be
difputed. What I mean are two piftures, placed before two of
his Eclogues, in one of thofe old manufcripts of his works, in
the Vatican library. You fee him there reprefenced with a fweet,
modeft countenance, and drefTed particularly neat. Thefe pic-
tures, if you will allow of their authority, (and I know of no
other that can pretend to near fo good an one) may ferve per-
haps to give us the true fenfe of an expreffion in Statius, and to
fave a pafTage in Horace from the mifreprefentations of his com-
mentators. Statius, in fpeaking of Virgil, applies the epithet
of towns to him ; whence fome have been apt to imagine, that
Virgil had a ftern or four look. But if one ought to truft more
to this pifture than to the commentators, we ihould perhaps
underftand that expreflion of his writings rather than of his
perfonage, with which it will by no means agree: whereas if
it be applied to his works, it may fignify the dignity and ma-
jefty of them, which will agree with the context, and the occa-
Jion on which Statius ufes that expreflion, as much as in the
other fenfe it would be foreign to both. The paflage I had
in my eye; from Horace, is where that poet is fpeaking of a man
who had fome little faults, mixed with more material excellen-
cies, which might well enough conceal them, at leaft to every
good-natured obferver. The faults or defefts he mentions are,
that he was a little too paflionate, fomewhat ungenteel in his
converfation, and il!-drefled. Here, fay the commentators, one
fees an inftance of the fly way that Horace had of touching on
the faults of his beft friends, even whilft he is commending
them ; and the friend here touched upon they will have to be
Virgil. The lines are as follows :
Iracundior eft paijo ; minus aptus acutis
Naribus hcrum hominum: rideri pojjtt , eb quod
Rufticius tonfo toga dejiuit, 15 male laxus
In pede cake us haret
Hor. Lib. i. Sat. iii. 32.
that
,THE LIFE OF VIRGIL. if
that coming once into the theatre, the whole audience
rofe out of refpedt to him. His voice was mufical, and
his elocution marvelloufly proper, and pathetic. He
was of a thoughtful and melancholy temper, fpoke little,
and loved retirement and contemplation, and was an
enemy to thofe talkative impertinents, from which no
court (not even that of Auguftus) could be free. He
had a heart full of tendernefs and fenfibility, and formed
for all the delicate feelings of love and friendlhip. His
fortune was not only eafy, but affluent : he had a de-
lightful villa in Sicily, and a fine houfe and well-fur-
nifhed library near^ Maecenas's gardens on the Efquilinc
hill at Rome.
But ah ! Maecenas is yclad in clay.
And great Auguftus long ygo is dead.
And all the worthies liggen wrapt in lead.
That matter made for poets on to play :
fays an exquifite poet, who wanted fuch encouragement
as Virgil met with j and who adds, in a noble ftrain,
that, if he had been encouraged.
Thou kenft not, Percie, how the rime fliould ragei
O if my temples were diftain'd with wine.
And girt in girlonds of wild ivy-twine.
How I could rear the mufe on ftately ftage.
And teach her tread aloft in bufkin fine.
With queint Bellona in her equipage !
Spenfer's 0<3:ober.
. Juvenal fays finel)', that we fliould have wanted the
1 ftrongeft paintings, the nobleft ftrokes of imagination in
all the ^neid, if Virgil had not been blefs'd with the
Comforts and conveniencies of life.
Jldagna: mentis opus., nee de lodlce paranda
Sollicita^ currus & equos, faciefque deorum
Jfpicere
iS [THE LIFE OF VIRGIL.
^fp'iccre, ^ :u^'is Rutulum confundat Erimiys.
Namfi Virgiiio puer, & tolerabile defit
Ho/pit iiim^ coder ent omnes ex crintbus hydri,
Surda nihil gemeret grave bw.cina——'
Sat. vii. ver. 71.
He ufed to revife his verfes with a judicious feverity,
to dictate a great number of lines in the morning, and
to fpend the reft of the day in correding them, and re-
ducing them to a lefs number. He compared hmifelf
to a fhe-bear which licks her cubs into {hape. This
was alfo the practice of our great Milton. His beha-
viour was fo benevolent, gentle, and inofFenfive, that |
moft of his cotemporary poets (even the genus irritabile
vatum) tho' they envied and maligned each other, agreed
jn loving and cfteeming him. Yet that age, polite as it
was, could have furnifhed fome heroes for a Dunciad, a
Bavius, a Maevius, and a Corvilius Piftor, who joined
in traducing our Poet. But as an equivalent, Horace
addrefled two odes to him, and frequently mentions him
with particular tendernefs and efteem. In his entertain-
ing; journey to Brundufium, whither he went to meet
Maecenas, Cocceius, Capito Fonteius, and other ac-
compliftied wits, he tells us,
ft. .
Plotius Cff Farius Sinuejfa VirgiUttfque
Ocairruiit ; anima quales neque candidiores
Terra tulit., neque queis me fit devin^ior alter :
O qui complexus iff gaudia quanta fuerunt-!
Nil ego contulerim jucundo Janus amico.
Lib. i. Sat. 5.
I have often thought what a delightful evening this cluf-
ter of poetical friends muft have fpent at Sinuefia !
With regard to the charadleriflical difference between Vir-
gil and Homer (on which fo many fruitlefs and furious dif-
putes have been raifed} it may v/ith truth be alHrmed, that the
former
1
THE LIFE OF VIRGIL. iq
former excelled all mankind in judgment, and the latter
in iNVENTio:;. Methinks the two Poets (fays Mr. Pope)
refemble the heroes they celebrate ; Homer, boundlefs and
irrefiftible as Achilles, bears all before him, and fliines
more and more, as the tumult increafes : Virgil, calmly
daring like JEnczs, appears undifturbed in the midft of
the action, difpofes all about him, and conquers with
tranquillity. Or when we look on their machines.
Homer feems like his own Jupiter in his terrors, fhaking
Olympus, fcattering the lightnings, and firing the hea-
vens : Virgil like the fame Power in his benevolence,
counfelling with the gods, laying plans for empires, and
regularly ordering his whole creation.
By way of conclufion to this life, I will add fome
beautiful verfes, which I wonder to find omitted in all
our late editions ; as their purity and fimple elegance
may juftly induce one to fuppofe they came from the hand
©f Virgil.
Dedicatio ^Eneidos.
Ad Venerem.
SI m'lhi fufceptum fiierit decurrere munus^
O Venus, O fedss qucs colis Idalias !
Troius JEneas Romana per oppida digno
yam tandem ut tecum carmine 'ueilus eat ;
Non ego thure modo aut paSfa tua templa tabelld
Ornabo^ i^ puris ferta feram manibus ^
Corniger ho$ aries humiles ^ maxhna taurus
V'lSlhna facrato tinget odore focos j
Marmoreufque tibi diverjicoloribus alls
Interior piSia Jiabit amor pharetra j
JdfiSy O Cytherea ! tuus te Cafar olytnto^
Et Surrentini lift or is tj^'a vocat.
P. VIRGILII
[ so 3
P. VIRGILII MARONIS VITA
PER ANNOS DIGESTA.
V. C. Varr. 684. Cat. 682.
M. Licinius Craffus, Cn. Pompeius Magnus Cojf.
a. C. 70. Virgilii I.
His CoiT. et quidem Idibus Oclobribus, natum eflb
Virgilium tradunt ad vnum omnes. Confentiunt
et in hoc, Andes, agri Mantuani vicum, ei natale folum
fuifle. De patre eiusque nomine vt et de matre multa
ineptiunt Grammatici. Patrem Virgilium Maronem,
matrem Maiam fuifle dubitari nequit. Nomen et Virgi-
lius et Vergilius fcribitur. Sed videamus de fingulis.
Cofl". laudatos non modo Pfeudodonatus diferte me-
morat, et Phocas v. 20. 21. verum etiam Hieronymus in
Chronic. Eufeb. p. 151. et p. 40. ('ed. 1658.) Vlrgilius
Maro hi pago , qui Andes dicltur , baud proctil a Mantua ,
nafc'itur ^ Po?npeio et Cra£'o CoJf. cf. Scalig. Animadu. p.
152 b. Nam Graeca refpicienda non funt, in quibus p.
259 fequenti anno adfcriptum eft : Bj^yi^to? lyEK^^S»), quod
idem fequuntur Chronicon Pafchalef. Fafti Siculi p. 184. ,jj
C. Idatius Faftis Confular. a. 685. Apud eundem i
Hieronymum ad Olymp. 177, 3. is annus rede refertur. %
Phlegon Trallianus in Olympicorum et Chronicorum
colledtione apud Photium Bi^blioth. XCVII. p. 267, 25.
ed. Rothomag. vbi dc Olymp. 177, 3. "«« OtltgyiAtoj Ma^w*,
Andes Hieronymus 1. 1. et Donatus aliique memorant.
Anding m
i
p. VIRG. VITA PER ANN. DIGEST. 31
Andino vico, inquit Probus, qui aheji a Mantua mUlia
pajjuum II L Situs huius vici incertus eft. Mantuani
tamen eum efle contendunt, qui nunc duo millia pafluum
ab vrbe diffitus, vulgo dicitur Petolo. v. Cluver. Ital.
ant. p. 257. Ex more tamen fatis frequent! inter veteres,
de quo vel Catulli exemplo conftat, qui, in infula Be-
naci Sirmione natus, Veronenfis appellatur, Virgiliiori-
gines ad Mantuam ipfam referuntur, vt ab ipfo poeta
fa£lum efle videtur Ge. Ill, 10. alia aliorum loca v. ap.
Cluuer. 1. 1. /^^«^/«;?« appellatapud Macrobium Euange-
lus, Sat. V, 2. fed cum irrifione, vt fcilicet tanto magis
cum a cultu Graecarum litterarum alienum fingeret 5
nifi fecundum pofterioris Venetiae fines di6lum exiftimes ,
qui ad Adduum vfque flumen extendebantur. Phocas
Grammaticus in Vita Virgil. 21. Vatem Etrufcum appel-
lat, et V. 5. Aemula V'lrgilium tellus nrfi Tufca dedijfet. Poflit
id ad origines Mantuae referri 3 fed vix tarn do(3:e fcribere
voluit Phocas.
De Idibus OtStobr. non modo ex Phlegonte 1. 1. verum
ctiam ex Martiale XII, 6S. conftat : O^obres Mara con-
Jccrauit Idiis. Adde Aufon. Idyll. V, 26. A viris doc-
tis eas inter dies feftos habitas fuifle, cum exillis.locis
apparet, turn Silii Italic! exemplo apudPlin. Epift. Ill, 7.
multum vbtque — imaginum, quas non hahebat modof verum
ettam venerabatur i Virgilii ante omnes , cuius natalem re-
ligiofius qua?n fuuni celebrabat. Natum Virgilium , cum
Sol ex Virgine in Chelas receptus effet, h. in locum
Librae deinceps deftinatum , Phocas v. 21. 22. memorat.
Augufti aeuo Sol Libram adibat Kal, XII Oaobr.
De fcriptura nominis digladiati funt inter fe cum
veteres tum recentiores Grammatici. Lapides et codices
vtruir.que exhibent. Etiam Graeci modo Qm^y\'K\oc, modo
Oo«|yi?.;o? fcribunt : et Vergilius , Mcdiceus, Pierii Ro-
manus, et vetuftiiTimum Fragm. Afpri apud Benedi£linos
Nouv. Tr. de Diplomat. T. III. p. 152. Ceterum vide,
ii tanti eft, Corrad. in Vita Virgilii pr. adde quos
laudat
3* P. VIRGILII VITA
laudat Fabric. Biblioth. lat. Vol. II. p. 226. Burmaiirtv
V. C. Antholog. T. I. p. 399. Pierius, Cerda, Bur-
man, ad Virgil. Ge. IV. extr. Ruaeus Vita Virgilii pr.
Nomini in veteribus nonnullis libris Parthenius additur.
Pirentes Virgllius honeftos quidem , quales nobiles
noftros villaticos, fed tamen obfcuros et in agro fuo co-
lendo vitam agentes habuit» Vnde du£lumillud ap. Ma-f
crob. V, 2. Vnde enim Veneto rujiicis parentlbus nato^ inter
filuas et frutices eduSlo , vel leuis Graecarum not'itia Itttera-
rum'y cum ironia diftum , vt fignificet, immo vero longe
maximam fcientiam ei fuifle. Qiiod autem figulum pa- '
trem efle narrant , id vereor ne inepti monachi a filio
carmina fingente duxerint : vti altera narratio de patre
mercenario non aliunde nata, quam quod Tityrum in
prima Ecloga Virgilii patrem nonnulli tradiderant.
V. C. 689. 1
L. Aurelius Cotta. L. Manlius Torquatus^
a. C. 65. Virgilii l.
Q. Horatius Flaccus nafcitur VI. Id. Decemb. Suetow.'
in ei. Vita. %
V. C. 696.
L. Culpurnius Pifo. A. Gabinius.
a. C. 58. Firgilii if.
Hieronymus in Chron. Eufeb. p. 151 ad Olymp.
180, 3. adeoque h. a. Virgilius Cremcnae Jludiis eruditiir.
Aiiter Donatus § 6. Profe^tum tamen hinc efle videtur,
quod recentiores nonnulli fcriptores de ludo litterario
publico, qui Romanorum tempore Cremonae floruerit ,
memorant, v. c. Ludou. Cauitcllius Cremonenf. Annal.
p. 1262. A. T. III. Thef. Ant. Ital.
De magiftrls Virgilii vix quicquam certi tradi poteft.
Quae fiue Grammaticorum fidei, fiue dodlorum virorum
conie^luris debentur, ad Donatum reie^Sta funt ad § 7 et
79«
Ceterum
PER ANNOS DIGEStA. ^3
Ceterum etfi de magiftris Virgilii et difciplina non
fatis conftet, et eum obfcuro loco natum effe fatis ap-
pareat, liberal! tamen inftitutione eum vfum et cum viris
dodlis et elegantibus verlatum efife, tota ingenii eius in
carminibus exprefTa venudas fatis prodit. Ex humili
enim et fordida vita et confuetudine nemo facile generofi
poetae fpiritus fumit.
V. C. 699.
Cn. Pompeius Magnus II. M. Liclnius CraJJus II.
a. C. 55. Virgilii 4|.
Hoc anno virilem togam fumfit Virgllius, fi rerum
eft, quod a Donato § 6. memoratur, iifdem, quibus
natus erat, ColT. id- factum efle. Et anno fere XV vel
XVI ea fumebatur. v. Norif. Cenotaph. Pifan. p. 115
fq. et paflim alios, vt Maflbn. in Vita Horatii et Ouidii.
V. C. 701.
Cn. Domitius Caluiiius. M. Valerius Meffala.
a. C. 53. Virgilii rh
Hieronymus Chron. Eufeb. ad Olymp. 181, 4: Vir^
gilius fumta toga Mediolanum tranfgreditur : et pojl breui
tempus Ro7nam pergit. At Donatus § 7 : Sed Virgilius
Cremona Mediolanum ^ et inde pcrnUo poji NeapoUn tranfiit — •
fe in Vrhem contiiUt. Vter verius dixerit, quis definire
aufit ? Forte ne Romam quidem omnino tum adiit j aut,
fi adiit, in agrum fuum mox fe contulit, quod inter
belli ciuilis initia fadlum efie probabiie fit.
C. lulius Caefar IV. fine Collega.
a. C. 45. Virgilii \j.
; Alexin hoc anno fcriptum coniicit, prlmam certe
! omnium Eclogarura fuifle contendit Martinus in vita
Virg. p. XXXIV et ad Eel. V, 86. Ex verbis enim
huius eclogae : Hac te nos fragili donahimus ante cicuta \
Vol. I. D Rua
34 P. VIRGILII VITA
Haecnos, Formofum Cory don ardehat Alexin, Haec cadem
do cult : Cidum pecus , an Meliboei ? eclogam fecundam et
tertiam ante quintam fuifle fcriptam apparet. Videtur
autem quinto anno 712 edita efle, vt mox videbimus,
Tt adeo hoc certe anno anterior fit Alexis. lam autem
Martinus et hoc ponit, Virgilium Caefari notum fuifle,
idque haud dubie carmine aliquo, quod ipfum carmen
Alexin fuifle fufpicatur, adeoque in hunc annum reiicit;.
fequenti enim anno occifus fuit Caefar. Vidcs, vt fuf-
picio ex fufpicione nedi folcat. Efl: tamen Eclogae II
cum argumentum turn tota tra6latio, quod facile, fi fen-.
fum tuum, non opinionem, audias , eiufmodij vt noii
facile, nili in iuuenile ingenium , cadere pofllt.
V. c. 710. ■
C> Julius Caefar V' M. Antonius,
a. C. 44. Virgilii I7.
Idibus Martiis Caefar occiditur. Varia pofl: eius
mortem prodigia, inprimis Sol toto anno pallidior. v.
Plutarch. Caef. extr. Ea commemorat Virgilius Ge. I,
466 fqq. vbi cf. not. 06tauius tefliamento Caefaris ex
dodrante heres inftitutus et in familiam Caefaris nomen-
que adoptatus Apollonia Romam rediit, cum autem An-
tonium iniquiorem in fe eflTe videret , Optimatibus fefe
adiunxit. Apolloniae, quae Epiri vrbs eft, quo a Cae-
fare ad Parthos profeiSturo praemifius fuerat, fubfl:iterat,
ftudiisque vacauerat. Sueton. OtStau. c. 8.
V. C. 711.
C. Vibiui Pan/a. A. Hirtius.
C. Julius Caefar Oc^auianus. ^ Pedius fuffe^i.
a. C. 43. Virgilii |{.
Bcllum Mutinenfe, quo, cum totam Galliam Cifal-
pinam, turn agrum Mantuanum, adeoque Virgilii pof-
fcfllones valde affliftas fuifle necefle eft. Ex V. Kal.
Decembr. M. Lepidus, M. Antonius, C. Caefar Oc-
Uuianus
PER ANNOS DIGESTA. 35
tauianus Triiimuiros rcip. conftituendae in quinque annos
Tc renuntiant, profcriptorum tabulas proponunt, inter
quos a. di VII. Id. Dec. Cicero occiditur.
In prouinciarum diflributione, quum Africam , Si-
cilian!, Sardiniam reliquasque eius maris infulas Caefar
OclauianuSj Hifpanias cum Gallia Narbonenfi Lepidus,
teliquas Gallias Antonius obtinuifTet, v. Appian. Ciuil.
IV. pi 953. 954. ager Mantuanus M. Antonii forti ac-
cefTerat, Mifcrat hie in has terras Afinium Pollionem,
qui vfque ad a. 714 Galliam CifaJpinam in Antonii fide
continuit. cf. inf. ad 713;
Ad hunc porro annum Palaemoncm^ Eclogam III
i-efert Martinus Life of Virgil p. XLIV et ad Eel. V,
86. quoniam in ea Pollio et primus et folus poetae laudi-
bus ornatur. Ex iis j quae modo dicla funt, coniecSluram,
elegantifllmi viri alioqui leuiffimam firmare poiEs, certe hoc
impetrare, mature in Afinii Poliionis notitiam venifTepoe-
tam, cum is per eos annos in illis Italiae partibus de-
geret. Cur mihi inter prima poetae tentamina referenda
vidcatur Ecloga III; ea eft cauffa, quod iuuenilem medi-
tationem et exercitationem non obfcure prodat ; eft enim
ex Thcocritcis Idyll iis IV et V vnice conuerfa aut
adum.brata.
lulio Caelari Virgilium. innctuifTe et carum fuiffe^
ex EcL V, 52» amauit nos quoque Daph7:is , contendunt;
Daphnidem enim lulium Caefarem efte volunt. ef. ibid.
argument, item Martinum in Vita Virgil, p. XXXIV
et ad Eel. V, 52. Idem vir docSlus verfum ilium aJ
ftudium Cacfaris in Mantuanos refercbat, quibus, cum
ceteris Gaiiiae Tranfpadanae vrbibusj ciuitatem dcdifle
tnemoratDio XLI, 36.
Lepida Grammaticorum fabula eft de Ecloga fexta
ht theatro c C'jthcride mima cantata, quam cum Cicero
audiret^ magnam Virgilii famam praefagifle fertur. v.
Donat. § 41. Scru. ad EcL VI, 11.
Hoc anno ad XIII. Kal. ApriL (XX. Martii) Oul-
D 2 dius
,36 p. V I R G I L 1 1 VITA
dius natus eft j nee multo ante Propertius; Tibullus aiitem
iam ante 705 natus erat ; quanquam alii eius natales ad
a. 6go. Propertii autem ad a. 697 referre volunt.
V. C. 712.
M. Aemillus Lepidus II. L. Mimatlm Flaneur.
a. C. 42. Virgilii -||.
Triumuiri Caefari diuinos honorcs decernunt, Kal.
laiiuariis in eius a(Sta iurant. Sacellum ei tanquam heroi
in foro faciunt, et quae id genus plura apud Dionem
XLVII, 18. 19 memorantur. A quo inde tempore
D'lui jilius Odauianus dici coepit, de quo nomine fatis
copiofe agit Heinf. ad Aen. VI, 793, Anno fere exeunte
pugnatur ad Philippos in ea Macedoniae parte fitos,
quae olim ad Thraciam pertinebat. Brutus et Caflius fs
fua manu interficiunt. M. Antonius ad res Afiae confti-
tuendas difcedit. O^lauianus in Italiam redit , ad agros
€t praemia inter veteranosdiftribuenda.
Ad Caefaris confecrationem nobiles illi verfus fpec-
tant Aen. I, 290. 294. Nafcetiir pulchra Troianm origine
Caefar etc. et VI, 790. hie Caefar ^ et omnis luli Pro"
genies magnum caeli ventura ftib axem,
De cadcm confecratione feu apotheofi cum agerc
vulgo exiftimetur DaphntSy Ecloga V. Martino Life of
Virgil p. XLVI et ad Ed. V, 86. 20. 52. IX, 10. hoc
ipfo anno ea fcripta fuifle videtur ; vt adeo Odtauiano
Caefari iam turn commendatus effe videri debeat j id quod
hoc ipfo carmine facSlum coniicit Martinus ib. p. LI.
Si mibi haec coniectura de anno, quo fcripta fit Ecloga
V. firmanda eflet, aliud aliquanto firmius argumentum
afferre polTem. In IX Eel. v. 19. 20.. ^uis caneret
nymphas? qitis hnmiim florentibus berbis Spargeret? ant vi-
rUU forties induccret 'umhra? baud dubie ad Eel. V, 20*
40 rcfpicitur ; earn itaque nona, quam a. 713 fcriptam
cfle liquido conftat , priorcm eflc, neccfic eft.
•Do pugna ad Philippos v, Ge. 1, 489 fqq.
V. c.
PER ANNOS DIGESTA. 3^7.
V. C. 713.
P. Sertiilius Vatia Ifaiiricus II. L. Jntonius.
a. C. 41. Virgilii ||.
0£tauianu3 Caefar Romam reuerfus dum veteranis
praemia perfoluere eosque in agros municipales Italiac
a Triumviris promiflbs deducere inftituit, ingentes per
Italiam turbas, partim eorum, qui polTeffionibus fuis
eiiciebantur, indignatione, partim militum effreni cupi-
ditate et audacia , de qua v. Appian. p. 1082 fqq.
Dionem CafT. XLVII, 17. excitari videt. Qua de re
V. Argumentum Eel. I. Latiflime autem calamitas ilia
et ad quamplurimos pertinere debuit, maximaeque for-
tunarum conuerfiones videntur efle infequutae, vnde et
Antonius apud Appianum p. 1075 dicere potuit, 06la-
uianum in Italiam iffe, fi res dicenda fit, tamquam
omnem Italiam fedibus fuisemoturum, u'jix.rvc-avTr,v'\rct'K'\,siv,
Vix enim eft ex ea aetate poeta, aut fcrlptor, qui non
communi clade afiliclum fe memoret. Hinc Tibulli
felix quondam^ nunc pauper ager ^ Ij I5 19-23. cf. IV,
I, 183- igo. Propertius de fe IV, i, 129. Nam tiia
cum midt'i verforent rura iuuenci , AbJ}ulit excrdtas peri'ica
trijiis opes. Valerius Cato in Diris v. 45. Pertlca^ quae
nojtris metata ejl impia agellos. Dum Fuluia, M. Anto-
nii vxor, coloniarum dedu6tionem in viri aduentum dif-
ferendam tiic contendit, L. Antonius, Marci frater,
Conful, nouas et ipfe res molitur, et partim iis, qui
praediis et agris fuis exciderant, opem fuam pollicendo,
partim Caefarem ad veteranos criminando, magnum
cxercitum comparat, bellumque in Caefarem mouet.
In ilia agraria largitione (non enim ad aliam trahi
pofle, quamquam res probatione vix eget, Ruaeus pro-
bauit ad Virgilii Vitam 713) etiam Virgilius agros fuos
paternos amifit. Etfi enim Mantuani nihil in Triumuiros
commiferant, magna tamen agrorum fuorum parte mul-
tati funt, quoniam, vt aiunt, Cremonenfium , qui Bru-
ti et CaiTii partes fequuti erant, agri profcripti vetera-
D 3 nojrum
3f P. VIRGILII VITA
norum cohortibus, quae eo deduclae erant, non flifH*
ciebant. lam Virgilium Romam profe6tum 0£lauiani
liberalitate agros fiios recepifle, cum autem Mantuam
rediiflet, nouam veteranorum iniuriam expcrtum eifTe, ex
Eclcga I et IX fatis apparct, Confirmat Martialis
VIII, 56. Iiigera perdiderat (Virgilius) vi'ifcrac v'lcina
Cremonae ^ Flehat et abdu£las Tltyrus acger oues. Rlftt
^ufcus eques tic, Videamus nunc ea, quae ;i Gramma-
ticis, pleraque fide incerta, traduntur.
Si Seruianis laciniis ad Eel. IX, 7. fides hubenda, in his
Italiae partibus OSJauius Mufn , Umitaior ah Augujio da-
tus — qidndecim millia -pajjuuni agri Mantuam militibus
afilgnarat , cum Creiyionenfis non fuffceret ; offenfus a Alan-
tuanisy quod pccora e'lus in (igro publico aliquando claufijfent,
Alphenum tamen Varum metatorem^ edit alia in iisdem
alterius, vt videtur, Grammatici lacinia adv. 10. ^lod
alii dicunt Virgilium ojlendere voluijfe , quod Mantuanis per
iniquitatem Jlpheni Vari ^ qui agros diui fit ^ praeter paluf-
iria nihil reli^umfit; fuut ey oratione Cornelii in Jlphe7iu?ri
cjlenditur : *' Cum iuflus tria millia paffus a muro in
" diuerfa relinquere, vt otStingcntos palTus aquae qua
" circumdata eft, admetircris, reliquifti." Praeclaru&
locus, modo non cflct mutilus, Afinium Poliioncm ir»
his terris cum impcrio ciTe fupra vidimus, Et fane huna
diftribuendis agris praefuiffe, alia Seruianae compilationis
loca affirmant: ad Eel. II, i: Pollis^ qui eo tempore
Tranfpadanam Italiae partem tenehat ct agris praeerat diuii
dundis. Et Donatus in Vita Virgilii § 36: Hie Pollio
^ranfpadanani prouinciam rcgehat , cuius, fauorc , cum vc-^
teranis — agri dijlrihuercniur ^ juos Virgilius non amifi.
FaSta enim dijiributione , fuos feu Claudia feu Arrio datos
recuperauit. Non facile itaque aflequaris, quemadmodum
idem negotium ad Alfenum Varum refcrri aliis in locis
pofFit, Sed forte ea loca rem expedient, in quibus Al-
fcnus Varus Pollioni fugato fuccefiifle traditur. Seru.
ad Eel. IX, 29. Sane, blgnditur Alfena Varo ^ qui, Polliofie
9 f^S^iO:,
PER ANNOS DIGESTA. 3^
fugato , Ifgatus Tranfpadanis praepofitus ejl ah Aiignjlo \ et ad
Ed. VI , 6. Alii fufo fitgato que Afmio PoUione , ab Augiijlo
Alfcnum Varum legatum fuhjiittitum , qui Tranfpadanae pro-
2iiiiciae et agris diuidendis praeejfet ^ qui airoitit ^ ne ager ,
qui Virgilio refiitutin f Herat , a veteranis auferretiir. Ha-
bere nos putabo aliquid , quod fequi poflimus , modo
PolHonem eo anno fugatum efle probabile fieri poterit.
Erat is M. Antonii amicus ; et ftatim a triumuiratus inde
pactione V. C. 711. Galliae Cifalpinae ab Antonio prae-
fedus fuerat. (cf. Martin, p. X-LIII). hoc anno, 713
Octauiani copias ab Alpium tranfitu prohibuifle memo-
ratur, v. Appian. p. 1088. et in belle Perufiano eius fit
inter duces Antonianos mentio, qui Saluidienum e Galliis
06Lauiano copias adduccntem perfequebantur , et L.
Antonio fuppetias ferre cunclabantur, ibid. p. 1097 fqq.
Quum L. Antonius anno fequenti fe dedidiflet , cum iis,
quas habebat, copiis PoUio profeclus eft, vt Antonio
in Italiam venienti occurreret ; in itinere Domitium cum
copiis fibi adiunxit. v. Appian. p. 1113- 1 114. Vellei.
II, 76. Na-tn PolUo Afinius cian fepiein legionihus diu re-
tenta in poteftate Antoyiii Venetia^ magnis fpeciofisque rebus
circa Altinura aliafque eius regionis vrbes editis Antonium
petens , vagum adhuc Domitium — iunxit Antonio. Potuit
itaque inter has rerum viciffitudlnes fieri , vt Pollio ex
a2ris Tranfpadanis expelleretur.
Haberet hoc aliquam veri fpeciem ; fed turn in Alfeno
Varo nouae difHcultates oriuntur, quern nobilem ICtum
male nobis Grammatici in haec tempora intrudere viden-
tur. V. ar2;um. Eel. VI. fi tamen fatis fe vel de quocun-
que alio Varo ea narratio probauerit, turn alius ex Serui-
ano centone locus non tarn falfi conuincitur, quam
innuere videtur , plures in iis regionibus Triumuirorum
negotia curafie : ad Eel. VI. 64. Gallia — qui et a Triinw
uiris praepofitus fuit ad exigendas pecunias ab his mtmicipiisy
qiiorum agri in Tranfpadana rcgione non diuideba7itur. Ce-
tcrum vides , hie omnem illam licentiam iam turn viguilFe ,
D 4 quam
40 . P. yiRGILII VITA
quam nos fuperiori bello novo aliquo rnilitum acumine
ad defpoliandos homines increbruifle putabamus.
Virgilium Romam difcedentem , nam ipfum Romam
abiifle, ex iis, quae Tityrus' de fe narrat Eel. I, 20 fqq.
contendunt, vt agros recuperaret, Odlauiano Caefari
commendatum effe, omnes fere tradunt j fed alii ab Afinio
Pollione , v. Seru. ad Eel. IX, 11. Donat, Vit. § 36. alii
ab Alfeno Varo 5 alii a Gallo, vt modo vidimus, cf.
Donat. § 30. 96. alii eum Martiale VIII, 56. nifi is
craflius loquutus efle videri poteft , a Maecenate id factum
cfTe memorant. Scilicet, vt iam Ruaeo vifum eft, cum
Pollioni primum poeta innotuiflct , ab hoc MaecenatL
commendari, huiusque ftudio in Octauiani amicitiam ve-
nire potuit. Sed fatis eft, fi teneas , poetam his viris
omnibus mature gratum et carum fuifte.
Recuperate agro, Eclogamloco, non tempore primam,
fi fupra memorata retSte fe habent, fcriptam efle, dubitari ne-
quit. Obtinet tamen vulgaris opinio, anno hoc 713. aetatis
29. eum Bueolica feribere aggreffum efle. Quod quidem
confilium poetam Pollionis maxime aufloritate et hortatu
fufcepifte , inter Grammaticos fama tenet, v. Donat. Vit.
§ 36. lidem ex loco primo , quern Ecloga Titj^rus tenet,
omnium etiam tempore primam fcriptam , et calamitatc
amiffi agri addu6tum Virgiiiumi primum poeticen aggref-
fum (v. Phocas V. 67 fqq. Donatus § 91 etc.) efle piita-
bant; fciJicet vt ne vnus aliquis poeta efiet, quern non
fairies ct miferia ad verfus fcribendos pcpuliflct.
Cum Virgilius Mantuam redux agros fuos a veteranis
qui eos oceuparant, vindicaret, noi^ym iniuriamaccepit,
vt adco fuga vitae confulere necefle haberet. Patet id ex
li^cl. IX, quam ^um Romam, vt aiunt, regrefliis, vt
denuo 06lauiani opem imploraret, Varo obtulifle videri
poteft J quanquam in ipfo carmine nihil ea de re praeter
honorificam Vari mentionem v. 27.35. occurrit. v. Argum»
I)cl. IX. Non male hoc Ruaeus ipfa carminis forma ,
^uae fubitariam opcram fatis prodit, confirmari putat,
Menalcan
PER ANNOS DIGESTA. 41
^enalcan in eo carmine Virgilium intelligendum efle ,
"iam Quin6lilianus monuit Inft. VIII , 6,47. Vetera-
nus, cuius audaciae et furori Virgilius vix fuga fe fubducere
potuit , ab aliis Arrius centurio , ab aliis Clodius , a Probo
Milenus feu Milienus Toro primipilaris fuifle traditur.
Sed de his difputationem ad Donatum § 31 reiecimus.
Iniuriam banc pqetani non nifi Afmio Pollione fu-
gato, expertum effe, narratur in Seru. ad Eel. IX, 11.
quo, Pollione, y«^(?/5 J rurfus de praediis fuis fuerat Vir-
gilius expulfus.
Si quaeras , qua ratione poeta iterum in agros fuos
reduftus fuerit, Seruium habes Comment, in Bucol. pr.
§ 14 narrantem : Pojiea ab Augujlo mijfis triumuiris , et ipji
integer ager eji redditus , et Mantuanis pro parte. In quam
fententiam idem ibid, interpretatur verfus 11 fqq. Eel,
IX. Vix tamen illud hoe ipfo anno fieri potuit , quo
bellum Perufinum exarfit , quo late Italia conflagraret ;
itaque rebus demum padlione Brundifma a. 714 eompofitis
id effe factum, reftius ponit Martinus p. LI.
Mantuanis autem fimul in Virgilii gratiam agrorum
partem reftitutam fuiffe , fatis probabile fit ex Eel. IX,
y — 10. cf, Seru. ad. V. 10.
V. C. 714.
Cn. Domitius Caluinus II. C. Afinius PolUo.
Suffedli fub exitum anni : *
L. Cornelius Balbus. P. Canidius.
a. C. 40. Virgilii 14.
Bellum Perufinum. Oclauianus L. Antonium Peru-
flamque vrbem deditione acciplt. Cum, M. Antonii ill
Italiam aduentu, maxima omnium, ne bellum reerudef-
ceret, follieitudo effet, L. Coceeio, communi amico,
cum vtroque agente , et Maecenate et Pollione adhibitis,
• Apud Gruter. p. C. 8. Marmor vifitur, a. d. IV. Id,
pftobr. Cn. Domitio et C. Afinio Coff. infcriptum.
(Appian*
^2 P. VIRGILII VITA
( Applan. p. 1 126. Dio XLVII, 28. ) pace Brundiflna,
amicitia inter 06lauianum et Antonium iterum coaluity
ad quam tantomagis firmandam M. Antonius 06tauiam,
06tauiani fororem , cuius raaritus nuper obierat, vxorein
duxit. Mox cum Sext. Pompeius, qui claflibus mare
tenebat, commeatu vrbem intercluderet, famevrgente,
de pace cum Sexto agi coeptum eft. lam quae ex his
huius anni aftis ad Virgilium pertineant, paulld curatius
videamus.
Perufia capta, tota fimul Gallia Cifalpina cum reli-
quis Galliis et Hifpaniis in Caefaris ditionem venit. v.
Appian. p. 1 1 14 extr. Itaque turn demum Virgilio agros
fuos , poftquam eos iterum amif^rat,- reftitutos efle , cre-
dere licet. Tedificandae fuac laetitiae grataeque volun-
t-atis caufla in Vari honorcm , cuius opera fecundum
Eel. IX, 27 fqq. ea res perfecla fucrat , Eclogam fextam
tiim fcriptam cfle, opinatur Martinus Life of Virgil
p. LVI et p. 149. Fuifle, qui fextam omnium primo
loco fcriptam efie dicerent, Donatus in Vita § iC2 nar-
rat ; fed eos mala primi vcrfus : Prima Syracofio dignata
eji ludere verfu — acceptione indu^los fuifle vix dubitcs.
Aliam rationcm , quare ante Tityrum Silenus fcriptus
cfle debuerit, Catroeus ex eopetebat, quoniam fecundum
Donatum ct Scruium a Cythcride in fcena Cicerone adhuc
audiente ea recitata fuerit. Sic earn ante a. 711 quo Ci-
cero ex profcriptione intcrfe6lus eft , editam fuifle, necefl'e
cfl'et. At de Cicerone illam Eclogam recitari audicnte.
cxplofa iam fupra ad Donat. § 41 eft fabula.
Ad firmandam pacem Brundifii inter Cacfarem et M.
Antonium fa£iam 0<3:auiam Antonio in matrimonium da-
tam efle diximus. v. Dio XL VIII , 31. Appian. p. 11 26
fqq. Erat autem Odauia e priore marito , C. Claudia
Marccllo, crauida, vt Dio 1. 1. mcmorat. Cuius lauda-
tlillmae feminae , (de qua v. Baylium , nee non Froeli-
chium in Mantifl^a Numifm. rar. in Gorii Symbolis litt.
T. VII p. 123. vbi Tibcrii Cacfaiis numus cum Octauiae
ct
PER ANNOS DIGESTA. 43
tt Augufti ore exhibetur) confilio et prudentia cum omncs
boni pacem et concordiam tandem ftabilitam et firmiffimo
vinculo coaTmentatam crederent , cumque eius cum An-
tonio coniugium magna populi laetitia et acclamatione
cxccptum eflet, videtur fane Eclogae IV argumentum et
fcriptio ad h. a. referenda efle, vt infans ille nafciturus ,
cuius in CO carmine tarn praeclara fata ominatur poeta,
jiullus alius fit, quam is, quern 0<5tauia turn vtero ge-
rehat, Quamuis autem difficile fit dicere, quomodo dc
Marcelli poRhumo, fiue is ex Catroei, Martini et Spencit
opinionc Polymet. p. 189. 86. idem ille M, Marcellus ,
qui immatura morte V. C. 731 obiit, (ad quern annum
vide) fiue alius minor natu fuit , tot et tanta ad fummam
reruni fpectantia augurari turn aliquis potuerit ; cum
tamen jnfans ille ex Octauiani forore natus et ab Antonio
aliquando adoptatus, de quo forte iam turn conuenerat,
^d fummas opes peruenturus efl^e videretur, potuit pocta
laetitiae publicae impetum fequi , et rem fententiis exor-
nare et amplificare , quas poetica ratio fuppeditabat, in-
primis, quum Sibyliinum oraculum, quod fequeretur,
haberet, et Sileno, quae dicebat, tribueret. Hoc certe
anno, pace iam confecla , Eclogam banc fcriptam efie ,
dubitari nequit; quum Pollioni Confuli infcripta fit v.
3. II. |2. orbe iam pacato v, 17. Cf. Argum. illius Ec-
logae vbi et illud iiotatum , male multos arbitrari , Pol-
lioni filium natum eo carmine poetam gratulari. Secun-
idum hos Hieronymus Chron. Eufeb. MMXXX dixit,
C. Jfinius GalluSy Orator^ Afmi'i Pollionis filius^ cuius
etiam Virgilius rneminit, 4iris a Tiberio fuppliciis ene-
catur.
Non modo Brundifinam, yerum etiam Puteolanana
pacem iam tum confcctam fuifi'e , quum ea Ecloga fcri-
beretur, Ruaeus cum aliis memorat, vt vere totus orbis
pacatus videri pofi'et. Enimuero non nifi ineunte anno
fequenti , quum adeo Pollio iamdudum Confulatu abierat,
jlla pax eft compofita, quum Caefar et Antonius Pom-
peium
'j^ p. VIRGILII VITA
peium apud Mifenum conueniffent , v. Dio XLVIII,
■»1 extr. 36. Nam Appianus teinporum ordinem non
fatis accurate fequitur , quumetiam poft ifta p. 1135 extr.
ea commemoret , quae anno fupcriore perada fuerant.
Antequam Antonuis aduerfus Parthos proficifcebatur,
cxercitus In hibernadeducendi partem aduerfus Parthinos,
populum Illyricum , qui loca circa Epidamnum infidebat ,
et Brviti cauffae eximie fauerat, mittit. v. Appian. p.
II 25. Praefecerat iis copiis PoUionem , qui rem in iis
terris egre"-ie geflit, et anno fequente triumphum de Par-
thinis egit, v. Dio XLVIII , 41. et ib. notam Fabric.
Quo in itinere aduerfus Parthinos cum Pollio eflet,
Pharmaceutria, quae eft Ecloga VIII. ei a Virgilio mifla
fuifle videtur. Namque v. 6. Tu mthi feu magni fuperas
iamfaxa Timaui , Sine orajn Illyrici legis aequoris. cf. ibi
notas. Ruaeus in reditu Pollionis fcriptum carmen efle
putabat, id quod verborum et fcntentiarum ordini re-
pugnat. Qui enim a Timauo ad Illyricum procedit , is
profeftionem in Illyricum facere debet , non in Italiam
redire, Pollionis etiam iulTu Eclogam perfcriptam efle,
V. II. 12. apparet : iujfts carmlna coept(ituis^
V. C. 715.
Zj. Marcius Cenforinus. C. Calutjius Sabinuf.
a. C. 39. Virgim\l.
A. d. VIII. Kal. Nouembr. C. Afinlus Pollio ex
Parthinis triumphat. Fafti Capitol. Chronic. Eufeb. etc.
Eft is trlumphus Dalmat'iciis, cf. Flor. IV, 12. II. Horat,
Carm. II, i, 15. 16. De captis a Pollione Salonis,
Dalmatiae vrbe v. Porphyr. ad e. 1. et Seru. ad Eel. Ill,
88. IV, I. VIII, 12. cf. Pighii Annal. h. a. De filio
Pollionis, Salonino, feu Salonico, qui tamen nullus fuit,
fed nepos, eo nomine, v. Ruaeus ad Eel, IV. pr.
Dum Pollio in apparatu triumph! cum maxima efl'et,
tertiam Eclogam a Virgilio fadtam ex v. 84 fqq., Pollio
%mat nojlram etc. ingeuiofe colligit Ruaeus, vt;de vidti-?
ma
PER ANNOS DIGESTA. 45
mis triumphalibus in iis verfibus agatur. Sed vide fupra
ad V. C. 711.
Hoc anno Horatium Maecenati a Virgilio et Vario
commendatum efle , Sanadonius de conie6lura ponit, ex
.Horat. Sat. I, 6, 55. quod forte maturius fadum , fi
Weflelingii fententia ObiT. II, 15. vera eft, vere huius
anni, cum Antonius Athenis Brundifium appuliflet, vt
condi£ta die cum Caefare colloquium haberet, ab Agrip-
pa et Maecenate , qui eo accurrebant, Horatium, Vir-
gilium, Plotium ac Varium addudlum fuifle. Qua de r«
V. Horat. Sat. I. 5. Egrejfum magna etc. inprimis v. 40,
■Alii ad colloquii Tarenti habiti tempus a. 717 referunt.
v. Maflbn. vita Horatii ad 716. quod et ipfum verm tern"
pore mcxAit. v. Appian. p. 1149. vt adeo Weffelingio cur
adftipuler, nondum habeam.
V. C. 716.
App. Claudius Pulcher. C. Nor bonus Flauus.
a. C. 38. Firgilii ||.
Bucolicis hoc anno iinem impofltum et Eclogam adeo
X confcriptam efle , Ruaeus cum aliis exiftimat ; ea fci-
licet caufTa indudus, quod Grammatici intra triennium
Bucolica abfoluta fuifle memorant. v. Donat. Vita § 36.
Phocas v. 95. Sed hominum illorum vanitas cum rerum
argumentis tum iis ipfis, quae aliis locis repugnantia tra-
dunt, facile arguitur. Nihil itaque commento illi iam
Martinus tribuit in Life of Virgil p. LXIV. g.
At idem vir dodliflimus p. LXIII ad hunc annum ,
Meliboeum VII. Eclogam^ cuius alioqui incertum plane
tempus eft, refert, hoc vno argumento vfus, ne is
annus prorfus aliquo Virgiliani ingenii monumento
vacet.
V. C.
46 P. VIRGILII VITA
V. C. 717.
/I/. Vlpfantui Agrippa. L. Ctinbiiiis Galhist
tf. C. 37. Virgilii f^
Ad hunc annum Eclogam decimam referendam cfle;
cenfet Martians, hac de caufla, quoniam in co carmine
Gallo infcripto v. 23 et 47 Lycoris in Gallias abiifie et
alium amatorem, qui in aliquo exercitu ad Rhenum mili-
fabat, fequuta ^^q memoratur. — Tua cura^ Lycoris y Per-
que nines alium per que horrida cajh-a fequuta eji — Tu procuj
apatria^ nee fit mihi credere! tanium Alpinas ^ ah dura I
nines et frigora Rheni Me fine fcla vides, A lulio inde
Gaefare M. Agrippa primus fuit e Romanis, qui Rhenum
traiecit; idque initio huius anni facStum , quo Agrippa Col",
erat. v. Dio XLVIII, 49. Mox enim, hoc ipfo anno,
a Caefare in Italiam euocatus Agrippa, clafTique aduerfus
Sext. Pompeium fabricandae exercendaeque praefeclus fuit*
Poffitquidem aliquis haec alioDionis loco labefactari pu-
tare, vbi anno 715 ineunte 06lavianus Caefar in Gallias,
vt cxcitatos in iis mbtus fcdaret, profe6lus effe dicatur ,
lib. XLVIII, 20. cf. c. 28. pr. y\ppian. p. 1135. Scd
primum an excrcitum Tecum duxerit , non memoratum
invcnias, turn nee Rhenum tranfiilTc aut ad Rhenum quic-
quam rcrum eum gefTiilc doceas. Qiiicquid fit, probabi-'
lior haec ell fententia ,-quam ilia Scaligeri, ad Hieronym.
n. i960, qui ante cacdcm Caefaris Eclogam decimam
publice editam efie debcre putat, dum illam opinioneni
amplcdtitur, quintam in Caeiaris nccem efie fcriptam^
intra triejinium autem Bucolica fuifie abfoluta. lam itaque
fi , quantum Hue ex temporum notationc dcfinire , fiuc con-
icclura aflcqui poffisj ordinem Eclogarum uc tempus con^
ftitucrc vclis, ante cam, quae nunc primo loco pofita eft,
fccuTidam, tertiatn et quintam fcriptam cfle probabilc fit.
1'um prima et nona anno 713' Collocat poll Wane frxtam
pmiiecKira Martini. Turn anno 714 quariam ,715 odhiuam ,
tul^atuin fuiiTc iu confcflb eftj intra idem forte tempus
mna^
PER ANNOS DIGESTA. 47
ncna, et 717 declma vltimo loco fcripta fuitj vt adeo ad
temporis rationem ordo hie conftitai forte poiEt :
1 Ecloga II. 6 Ecloga VI.
2 — III. 7 — IV. 714.
3 — V. 8 — VIII. 715.
4-1. 713. 9 -- VII.
5 — IX. eod. 10 — X. 717,
Laudata et commendata funt Virgilii Bucolica iam ab
iis ipfis poetis, qui eadem aetate viuebant. Propertius ad
eorum argumenta alludit El. II, 34, 67 fqq. vbi : Vtqu:
decern poffint corru?npere mah ttiellayn^ M'ljfus et imprejjis
haedus ah vherlbus. Felix, qtti viles po?n:s mercaris amoves!
Hide licet ingraiae Tityrus ipfe canat h. huic puellae, licet
ea ingrata fit, cum tamen amores eius tarn paruo emantur,
ipfe Tityrus canat, qui Galatcam amabat, nullo ad pe-
culium fruclu, J^t Eel. 1 , 31 fqq. Felix intaSlum Cory don
^ui tentat j4lexi)i Agricolae domini carper e delicias. ^uamuls
ille fuam lajfns reqiiiejcat anenatn (igitur turn defierat fcri-
bere Bucolica) Laudatiir faciles inter Flamadryades. Oui-
dius autem Am. 1,15, 25. Tityrutn laudat, et Trift. II,
537. PhylUdis hie idem tenerojque AmarylUdis ignes Bucolicis
iuuoiis hiferat ante ?nodis.
Hoc etiam anno Maecenatis iufTu Virgilium Georgica
exorfum efie, communis eft opinio , quam tamen, fi mole-
ftior fis, non facile nifi Grammaticorumaucloritate probes.
De tempore abfoluti operis paullo certior nobis fides
fit ex Gecrgicorum extr. verf. v. ad 724. Eo confilio poetam
de re ruftica carmen condidilTc, vt hominum animos ad
agrorum cultum per bella ciuilia neglectum reuocaret,
docli viri coniiciunt. v. Argum. Georgicor.
Eodem anno ab Agrippa , vt recens aedificatae clalles
tutum rceepttim haberent , lacu Aiierno et Lucrino cum
mari commiffo, portus lulius factus eft, de quo v. inpri-
mis apud Dionem XLVIII , 50. 51. Huius operis Vir-
gilius meminit Ge. II, 161 — 164 An mcmorem portui
Lucrinaque cfHdita claujha etc.
Antonius
4» P. VIRGILII VITA
Antonius cum clafle ex Athenis Tarentum appulif;
Tandem Oftauia arbitra, OcElauius vt eum conueniret,
adducitur. Noua inter eos padlio fit. v. Dio XLVIII.
extr. Appian. p. 1149 fqq. Eodem Maecenas properans
Horatium, Virgilium, Plotium ac Varium fecum addux-
erat. vide fupra ad a 715.
V. C. 718.
L. Gell'ius PopUcola. M. Coccelus Nerua,
a. C. 36. Virgilii ft.
Oftauianus Caefar, Sext. Pompeio pugna nauali in-
ter Mylas et Naulochum , ad Siciliae littus, vido et Le-
pido in deditionem recepto , Romam reuerfus immodicis
honoribus affedus eft. Anno fuo XXVIII. inquit Ap-
pian. p. 1 1 78, oppidatim inter deos tutelares coli coepit.
Haec prima diuini honoris in eum collati mentio. v. Norif.
Cenotaph. Pifan. p. 51 fqq. Quod itaque iam ante hoc
tempus a Virgilio Deus appellatur, Eel. I, id fine dubio
CO pertinet , quod Diuuvi lulium patrem habebat. Dtui .
^^««; Aen. VI, 739. cf. fup. ad 712. Summi tamen illi et
exquifiti honores annis demum 724 et 725 fueredecreti. v.
Dio LI, iQ. 20.
V. C. 720.
L. Sc7-'ibonius Li bo. M. Antonius.
a. C. 34. Virgilii |^.
M. Bauius poeta., quern Virgilius Bucolicis notat^ in Cap-
fadocia moritur. Hieronym. Chron. Eufeb. Olymp. 186, 3.
V. C. 722.
Cn. Domitius Jhenobarbus. C. Softus.
a. C. 32. Vij-gilii fy.
Inimicitiae inter Caefarem et M. Antonium ad bellum
fpeftant. Magni vtrinque apparatus j de quibus verfus Ge.
I, 509 fqq. agere videntur: Hinc mouet Euphrates., illinc
Germania bellum ; Vicinae ruptis lifter fe legibus vrbes Arma
ferunt , faeuit toto Mars impius oi'be.
c V. C.
PER ANNOS DIGESTA. 49
V. C. 723.
Caefar O^iauiatms III. M. Valerius Mejfala.
a. C. 31. Virgilii l^.
Pugna apud A<5i:ium, Eiiiri promontorium, a. d. IV.
Non. Septembr. cuius mlgnifica ilia eft in fcuto Aeneae
defcriptio Aen. VIII, 671 fqq. M. Antonius vidtus in
Aegyptum fugit.
VirgiUu?n fequi voluijfe Augujlufn contra Antonlum ad
ASiiaca bella properantcm^ ait aliquis in Seruianis ad Eel.
Ill, 74. fcilicet, quemadrtiodum Horatius Maecenati
comes efle volebat Epod. I.
V. C. 724.
Caefar OSfauianus V. M. Licinius Crajfus.
a. C. 30. Virgilii l^,
Caefar poft Aftiacam pugnam cum Samum infulam
in hiberna fe recepifTet , turbatus nuntiis de feditione
militum, quos confe6ta vi6toria Brundifium praemiferat,
mtdia hyeme repetit Italiam, tempeftate in traiecSlu bis
confiidlatus. Nee amplius quam XXVII dies Brundifii
commoratus in Afiam reuertitur. Inde fpretis Antonii et
Cleopatrae legationibus , Aegyptum petit, obfeiraque
Alexandria, quo Antonius et Cleopatra confugerant,
breui potitus eft.
Itaque narratio ilia Donati Vita Virgilii § 42 de prae-
IcdSlis Caefari Atellae decumbenti Georgicis nuilam fidem
habet.
Aegypto in prouinciae formam redac^ae Cornelium
Galium, equitem R. Praefecftum dedit; de quo v. ad Eel.
X et VI, 64. 72. Fontanini hift. litt. Aquilei. p. 14.
15. Fuerat huius Galli infignis opera in Aegypto r-fci-
pienda. vid. Dio LI, q. Plutarch. Anton, p. 952.
Caefar, rebus Aegypti conftitutis , fer Syr jam in Afiam
prouinciam prcfcSius hilenia ibi cgit , f.mulque et juhdltornm
tmnia negotla et Parthica compcfvit. Ita Dio LI, 8. Ti-
VoL. I. E ridates
50 P. VIRGILII VITA
ridates regno a Phraate pulfus in Syriam confugerat, et, vt
Caefar fe Romanis copils reftitueret, fupplicabat, cum
jnterea legati a Phraate miffi et Tiridatem fibi reddi poftu-
larent et amicitiam cum Caefare iungerent. Caefar vtri-
que comiter refpondit, et Phraatis filium, fiue a Phraate
fiue a Tiridate acceptum, Romam fecum abduxit et pro
obfide habuit. v. Dio 1. 1.
lam hoc anno vltimam Georgicis manum adhibitam
efle, vulgaris eft opinio, inque earn fententiam verfus librf
IV extr. interpretantur, nee tamen fic, vt omnia fatis ex-
pediant : Caefar dum magntis ad ahum Fulminat Euphratem
hello .^ viSiorque volentes Per populos dat iura viamque affeSiat
Olympo. Vcrum quidem eft, efle eum poetarum faeculi
Auguftei perpetuum morem, vt, quamquam nihil Au-
guftus , quod admodum memorabile elTct, aduerfus Parthos
geflerit, magnifice tamen de rebus eius Parthicis loquan-
tur. Conftat porro e Dione, LI , 20. litteras de Parthicis
rebus initio anni fequentis Romam allatas tantum ad
publicam gratulationem momenti habuift'e, vt illuftrare
reliquam omnem Caefaris fortunam viderentur. Videtur
tamen illud , dum fulminat ad Euphrate7n , pro re tarn
tenui , ac legatis auditis, nimis faftuofum efle; vt adeo,
fi quis cum Martino in annum 731 illos verfus adeoque
finem Georgicorum referat, equidem non intercedam.
Nam illam narrationem , feptennio Georgica abfoluta a
poeta fuifTc, v. Donat. § 40. vndecim autem annos fuifle
Aeneidi impenfos, vt adeo ab hac inde hieme eum ad Ae-
ncida animum aduertilTe neccfle fit, inter Grammaticorum
commenta referendam efi'e puto. Forte etiam in reliquis
illis Georgicorum locis II, 170 - 173. HI, 26 - 33 , non-
nulla fmt, quae melius illius anni , quam huius , a6tis il-
luftrata videas. A Triftano Hijh generale des Ernpereurs
T. I. p. 137 conclufionem Georgicorum in annum expe-
ditionis Caii Caefaris in Parthos, quae in a. 754 incidit,
male referri , iam Norifius notauit Cenotaph. Pifan. DifT.
II. p. 249.
Virtrilium
PER ANNOS DIGESTA. 51
Virgilium Neapoli Georgicorum partem certe extre-
tnam pertexuIfTej.ex lib. IV extr. manifeftum eft, fi ver-
fus illi ab eius manu funt. Erat ea vrbs illuftrium et
doitorum virorum feceflu ilia aetate inprimis Celebris, vt
otio ac leuloribus ftudiis fe ibi committerent. In otia
natam Parthcnopen Quidius appellat Met. XV, 712. v.
Horat. Epod. V, 43^ ibique Gefner. Statium Silu. Ill, 5.,
85. Silium XII, 31. inprimifque Strabonem V. p. 378.
Cf. Camilli Peregrini Campaniam felic. DifT. II. § 21.
Etiam Aeneidis condendae paullo altius petitum fuifle
confilium, poft Spencium in Polymet. Dialog. III. p. 18.
autumant viri doiti , vt fummum vnius imperium et gen-
tem luliam fatis ei imperio deftinatatn Romanis commeiv»
daret*
V. C. 725.
Caefar OSiaiiianus V. Sext. Apule'iuu
a. C. 29. Virgilii -^i.
Decreto Senatus lanus claufus eft. v. Dio LI, 20 et
ibI not. Quo Virgilius refpexifle creditur Aen. I, 295
- 300* Afpera turn pojitis mitefcent fecula bellis — dirae ClaU'
dentur belli portae : vti v. 296. Cana Fides et Vejla, Rema
cum fr aire ^tirinus Jura dabunt^ ad Cenfuram hoc anno
aCaefare, afl'umto M. Agrippa collega, a£lam. Dio LII,
42. A. d. VIII. VII. et VL Id. Sext. tres Caefaris ex
Afia et Graecia reducis triumphl habiti , vnus ex Illyrico ,
alter ex Adtiaca vicloria , tertius de Cleopatra et Aegypto
fuba£la. v. Dio LI, 21.
Ad hunc annum Caefaris de imperio deponendo ha-
bita cum Agrippa et Maecenate confultatio pertinet. v.
Dio LII. pr. Quas Virgilio ea in re partes dederint in-
epti Grammatici, v. in Donato § 78.
Hoc aut fuperiore anno Dacas trans Iftrum cum Ba-
ftarnis, Moefis et aliis populis bello adortus erat M.
Craflus : de qua expeditione v. Dio LI , 22. 23 fqq- Vn-
\ de verfus Virgilii du6tus Ge. II , 497. aut coniurato defcen-
j densDaciis ab JJiro, A. M. Antonio ad focietatem et auxilia
E 2 ferenda
52 P. VIRGILII VITA
ferenda pelle£li fuerant ifti populi , quo fadum efTe vlde-
tur , vt in fines Romanes infeftis mox armis incurrerent.
V. C. 726.
Casfar O^autmius VI. M. Jgrippa IL
a. C. 28. Virgilii ^^.
ApoHinis in Palatio templum cum bibliotheca Cadar
perfecit et dedicauit. Ludos A6liacos quinquennales ,
propter viiloriam Adliacam iam ante decretos, cum Agrip-
pa exhibuit. Tunc gymniei quoque ludi adli funt, Dio
LIII, I.
Hos ludos adumbrault poeta fub iis, quos Aeneam
fuum facit inftituere Acn. Ill, 280. A^fiaqtie lUacis cete-
hramus littora ludis. Exercent patrias oleo labente palaejlras
Nudat'i foci'u
V. C. 727.
Caefar OSfaalamis VIL M. Jgrippa III.
a. C. 27. Virgilii J|.
Caefay ex aiite diem XVI Kal. Februarii , fententia L.
Munatii Planci, a fenatu ceterifqite ciiiibus Auguftus appel-
lants ejl , fcfe fcptimum , et M. Vipfanio Jgrippa tertium
Confidibus. Cenforinus c. 22. v. Dio LIII, 16 ibique
Fabric. Romuli nomcn a nonnullis propofitum, et ah
ipfo Augufto magnopere efle appetitum, fiitis conftat. v.
Dio ibid. Sueton. Aug. 7. Itaque vcrfuni Ge. Ill, 27.
•viSlorifque arma ^irini hinc interpretandum efTe exifti-
mant viri do6ti ; quod fi redle faciunt , patet et ex hoc ,
Gcorgica ferius , quam 724 abfoluta, faltem edita et
vulo-ata fuifTe. Namque illud nonnullorum commentum,
de verfibus ferius et fecunda aliqua rccenfione inferfis,
quod forte ex Donato § 50 petitum eft, non admodum
probamus. Ncc Harduinr fomnia nos tcncbunt, cum in
reliquis, turn in iis, quae ex temporum anguftia contra
Aencidis a Virgllio fufceptum opus difputat in Pfeudouir'
gilio (inter Opera varia p. 280). Talia refellere, noftri
•tii non eft. Poft hoc itaque tempus etiam ille locus Aen.
VI,
PER ANNOS DIGESTA. 53
VI, 792. fcriptus efle debet : Hie vir, hie ejl ^ tihi quern
promitti faepius audis, Augrijlm Caefar ^ Diui genus.
Hunc porro annum aflignant viri do6li Satyrae declmae
libri I. Horatii , in qua v. 45. 7nolle atqiiefacetiim Virgilio cd-
nuerunt gaudentes rure Camocnac. Quod iudicium cum vnice
ad Bucolica et Georgica fpe6tet, cumque ibidem: forte
epos acer^ Vt nemo, Varius ducit , adieclum fit, nihil adhuc
de Aeneide turn poetam cogitafle, nihil certe vulgafTe^
probabile fit.
V. C 728.
Caefar Augujius VIII. T. Statilius Taurus //.
a. C. 26. Virgilii -^-j".
Cornelius Gallus primus Aegypti praefe6lus Augufta-
lis, cum propter multa flagitiofe acta infamia ab Augufto
notatus, mox et fenatus iudicio dam.natus efiet, dolorem
non ferens, poenam morte voluntaria anteuertit. Dio
LIII, 23. Eius laudes quarto Georgicorum libro Au-
gufti iuflu turn fublatas Ariftaei fabulae locum fecifle,
narrant Grammatici, v. Ponat. § 39. Seruius ad
Eel. X, 1.
V. C. 729.
Caefar Augujlus IX. M. lunius Silanus.
a. C. 25. Firgilii ^.
Expeditio Augufti in Cantabros. Abfentem eum a
Virgilio litteris fuis Aeneidem flagitafle, Donatus memo-
rat § 46. vbi V, not.
V. C. 730.
Caefar Auguflus X. C. Norhanus Flaccus.
a. C. 24. Virgilii J|.
Hieronymus Chron. Eufeb. ad Olymp. 189, i. ^inc-
iilius Cremonenjis, Virgilii et Horatii familiaris, moritur»
De eius obitu confolatur Virgilium Koratius noto car-
mine lib. I. Od. 24. Qiiis ille Quinailius fuerit, igno-
ratur : nam Grammaticorum commenta audienda non
E 3 funt.
54 P. VIRGILII VITA
Cunt. V. Argum. Eel. VI. cf. Mafibn Vita Horatii
ad h. a.
V. C. 731.
Caefar Augujlus XL A. Terenttus Varro Muraena
fuff\ Cn. Calpurnlus Pifo,
a. C. 23. Virgilii ||.
Auguftus e graui morbo Antonii Mufae opera conuale-
fcens iemeftri fpatio interie6lo M. Marcellum fororis fi*
lium, cum aedilitatem anno fuperiore fufcepiffet, et Au-
gufto vulgo imperii heres deftinaretur, e morbo decedere
videt. Gravis tunc totius populi lu(£lus. Dio LIII, 30.
Virgilius eius mortem pulcherrimis verfibus ornat Aen.
VI, 861-887. De quibus verfibus le6lis et lauta remu^
neratione honeftatis, v. Donat. § 47. De M. Marcello
et eius numo, v. Fortunati Mandclli Commentarium in
Nmua Raccolta d' Opufc. fcient. T. XII.
Tiridates ipfe, a Phraate vero legati^ controller fiarum fua-
rmn caujfa Romam venere. ^ibiis in fenatwn ititroduSiis,
aim Augufio canJJ'ae cogniUo decreta ejfet^ Tiridatem Phraati
fiequaquam tradidit, fiUum tamen Phraatts, quern in potejiate
fua habehat^ patr'i remifit hoc lege, vi fro eo captiuos figna-
que milharia, CraJJi et Antonii cladibiis amijjh, reciperet.
Dio LIII, 33. Res tamen non perfecla ante annum 734.
Ad hoc Augufti poftulatum, quo negato bellum in Parthos
fufceptuni iri Tufpicio effet, refpexilTe creditur Virgilius
Acn. VII, 605, 606. Siue Getis inferre manu lacrimabile
helium Hyrcanisue Arabisue pa rani, feu tender e ad Indos
Auroramqtie fequi, Parthosque repojcere fgna. Addebat
Ruacus fub h. a. " Igitur annis minus quatuor fox fere
vltimos operis libros poeta perfecit j ncc vero tanta in iis
elucet, quanta in fuperioribus, cura." Atqui poterant
et haec fecundis curis operi inferta cffe , fi fcmel hoc ad-
mi fcris.
V. a
.PER ANNOS DIGESTA. 55
V. C. 732.
Af. Claudius Marcellus Aeferninits. L. Aruntius,
a. C. 22. Virgllii ^|.
Augujlus in Siciliam profeSlus ejl , vt earn ac omnes alias
ed Syriam vfque prouincias conjlituerct. Dio LIV, 6. Fac-
tum id fub finem anni videtur. Videri poteft de hoc
itinere Norif. Cenotaph. Pifan. p. 292 - 294.
Aethiopes, duce regina, Candace, impreflionem in
Aegyptum faclunt , et Elephantinen vrbem diripiunt.
Reuertentes eos ad terras fuas C. Petronius , Aegypti
praefedlus, caedit, regiam euertit, et terram eorum prae«
fidiis occupat. v. Dio LIV, 5. Strabo lib. XVII. vbi de
Aethiopibus agit. Haec Virgilius refpicere videtur Aen.
VI, 795 — fuper et Garamantas et Indos Prof erst imperium.
V. C. 733.
M. Lollius. ^ Aemilius Lepidus,
a, C. 21. Firgilii n-
Augujlus rebus in Sicilia ordinatis i?i Graeciam tranfmi-
fit. Rebus in Graecia confe^lis in Samum nauigauit ^ ibiqiii
hiemauit. Dio LIV, 7.
V. C. 734.
M. Apuleius. P. Silius Nerua,
a. C, 20. Firgilii {°.
Vere Augujlus in Afiam perrexit, ibique et in Bithynin
mnia- conjlituit, Dio LIV, 7. etiam Syriam adiit. ibid,
luftin. XLII, 5. Hanc Augufti in prouinciis adeundis,
dignam principe tanto, induftriam praedicat Virgilius,
Aen. VI, 802 - 806. Nee vera Alcides tantum telluris obiuit
etc. cf. Sueton. c. 47,
Cum in Syriam adueniflet, Phraates, veritus ne bello
peteretur , figna Augufto cum captiuis et exercituum Rem,
ipoliis remifit. Qua re nihil ad Augufti gloriam illuftrius
vnquam fadlum vifum eft. v. Dio LIV, 8. et ibi Fabric,
Itaque magnopere inprimis a poetis ea res ^xtollitur et
E 4 juagnilici»
56 P. VIRGILII VITA
magnificis verbis ornatur, vt de profligatis Parthis, euerfa
corum iir^pcrio, viilo Oriente, India debellata, eos loqui
videas. Ad hunc itaque annum verfus poetae noftri
Ge. IV, extr. II, 170- 173. Ill, 26-33 non malereferri,
fiipra ad a, 724 fignificauimus.
Occifo Artaxia^ qui aliis Artabr.zes fiue Artavafdes, per
dol'um prop inquor urn ^ datus a Caefare Armeni'is (maiori Ar-
menlae) Tigranes, deduliusque inrcgnum a Tib er io N crone.
Tacit. Annal. II, 3. v. Dio LIV. g. et ibi Fabric.
Hinc Virgilii illud Ge. III. 30. pulfumque Niphaten\ qui
Armeniae mons eft, male a poetis nonnullis pro fiumine
habitus, quorum loca v. apud Mafibn. Vita, Horatii
p. 306 fqq.
E Syria Auguflus In Samum reuerfus ibidem iterum
hiemauit. Frequentes hie ad euni legationes conuenerunt,
et Indi paccm, quam antea per oratores pttierant, tunc
interpofito foedere fanxerunt et dona miferunt. Dio LIV,
9. Hoc paullo faftuofius forte extulifle videri poteft poeta
Ge. Ill, 26. In foribus pugnam ex auro fol'rdoque elcp]>anio
Gangar'idiim faciam\ nifi, quod malim, de Augufto ea
omnino vaticinatur, quae ab eo iamdudum exTpcclaban,-?
tur, vc Parthos et Indos imperio Romano adderets
V. C. 735.
C. Sentlus Saiurninus. .^. Lucretius Vefpilh»
a. C. ig. Virgilii \{.
Donatus in Vita § 51. Ajino quinquagcjimo fecundo , vt
'vliimam rnanum Aeneidi imponeret ^ Jlatuit in Graeciam.et
Afiam decedere, triennioque continuo omnem operam limationi
dare , vt reliqua vita tantum philofophiae vacarct. Sed cum in-
grcjfus iter Athenis occurriJJ'ct Atigujio , ab Oriente Romatn re-
vertcnti^ (quod vcrum eft v. Dio LI V, 10) vna cum Caefare
red'ire Jlatuit. Ac cum Megara, vicinum Athenis oppidinn^
Z'ifendi gratia peteret , latiguorem na£lus eji : quern non inter-
mijfa nauigatio auxit, ita, vt grauior indies , tandem Brun-
difium ( alios Tarentum mcmorare , in notis monitum )
adueniarlt ,
PER ANNOS DIGESTA. 57
eduentarlt , -vbt diebu^ paucis obiit , X Kal. Oifobr. C. Sentto ,
^.Lucretio Cojf.
Annum obitus confirmat Hieronymus Chron. EuTeb.
ad Olymp. 190, 2. Virgilius Brundifti moritur ^ Sentto Sa-
turnino et Lucretio Ctnna ( hoc nullum Lucretiorum cogno-
men) Cs/^ Plin. XIV, I. Haec {v'ltxs per fe in vino picem
refipicns ) Virgili'i vatls aetate incognita^ a cuius obitu XC
aguntur anni : numero rotundo ; cum XCV eflent. v.
B:iylium Di£lionn. Virgile litt. H. Harduin. ad Plin.
ibid, et XIV. fea. 5,
Cum in Graeciam proficifceretur Virgilius, fcriptum"
fuIlTe creditur ab Horatio Carmen III libri I. Sic te Diua
potens Cypri.
Dum in Graecia fult, tertio Georgicorum libro fplendi-
dum illud eyiQvAinm.'. Primus Idumeas referam tibi ^ Man-
tua, pabnas, additum fuifle cum Catroeo V/artonus puta-
bat (Life of Virgil ) ex interpretatione fcilicet parum'
fubtili.
Fuifie, qui eum in itinere Tarenti vita cxcefiifTe trade-
rent, ad Donatum § 51 didlum, quae vrbs cum ad Cak-
briam referatur, hinc intelligendus verfus Epitaphii :
Mantua me genuit, Calahri rapuere ^ h. in Calabria vitas
ereptum fe ilgnincat. cf. Phocas v. 105. vtCalabros tetigit
— vchemcns luxauit corpora morbus.
OlTa Virgilii Neapolin translata et ibi in via Puteolana
fepulta. V. Donat. ^ c^^- 5^ et ibi not. Apud Hieronymum
1. 1. OJfa eius Neapolin translata in fecundo ab vrhe miliaria
fepeliuntur, iitulo ijliufmodi fupra fcripto , quern moriens ipfe
diBuuerat .♦ M A NT V A ME G E N V I T ; quod apud
Donatum § 55 legas, et in Eufebianum Chronicon baud
dubie ab interpolatore venit ; repetitum inde a Vincent.
Bellouac. Specul. hift. VII, 60.
De teftaoiento Virgilii v. Donatum § 56.
Eum paullo ante mortem fcrinia adeoque omnia fua
fcrjpta, (vt etiam Grammaticus in Antholog. lat. II, 184,
10-14
5« P. VIRGILII VITA
10-14 accepit) comburere voluifle, mox, vt Aeneis fal-
tem combureretur, tanquam imperfetSlum opus, tefta-
mento iubcre voluifle, tandem, amicorum precibus vic-
tum, Vario ac Tuccae, de quibus v. ad Donat. § 53.
fcripta fua legafle, ea fub conditione ne emendarent,
narrat Donatus § 52. 53. ab ils tamen, iuflu Cajefaris,
Aeneidem emendatam fuifle, in eadem farragine memo-
ratur § 56. quod tamen ita intelligas, vt emendarint
quidem tollendo, non autem addendo. Ita fere Hierony-
mus Chron. Eufeb. ad Olymp. 190, 4. Var'ius et Tucca^
y'lrgilii et Horatii contubernales , poctae habentur illujires,
qui Aeneidum pojiea libros emendarunt fub ea lege , vt nihil
«dderejit.
Reliqui Grammatici modo hoc mode illud fequuntur.
At veteres fcriptores, Plin. VII, 30. f. 31. D. Augujius
cgrmina Virgilii cretnari contra tejlamenti eius vereciindiam
veiuit J maiusque ita vati teJlt?noniu?n contigit , qua?n ft ipfs
fua probafjet. Gell. XVII, 10 — fed quae procrajiinata
funt ab eo, vt pojl recenferentur ^ et abfolui^ quoniam mors
praeuerterat , nequiuerunt , nequaquam poetarum elegantifftmi
nomine atque iudicio digna funt : itaque , quujn , viorbo op-
preffus , aduentare mortem videret , petiuit orauitque a fuis
amicijfimis impenfe , vt Aeneida , qtiam nondum fatis elima-
uiJJ'et , abolerent, Macrob. Sat. I, 24. qui enim moriens poemai
fuum legauit igni, quid nifi famae fuae vulnera pojieritati
fubtrahenda curauit? nee immerito. Multa in earn rem va-
riorum Epigrammata v. in Cataledlis Scaligeri et Bur-
Bianni Anthologia. Adde Donat, § 57. 58.
Ceterum Virgllio mox coinitcm ad Elyfios carnpos mors
mifit Tibullum iuuenem. v. Domitii Marfi Epigramma ad
calcem Tibulli. Ouidius turn annum XXV agebat,
itaque Virgilium tantum fe''vidiffe teftatur Trift. IV, 10,
5J. Horatius annum ingrefl'us crat XLVII.
Aeneidem cum viuo Virgilio multis hominum defideriis
«xfpedatam, turn eo raortuo magno fauore et praedicatione
accep.tan:\
PER ANNOS DIGESTA. 59
jicceptam fuilTe, ex poetis eius temporis colligas. Ouidius
Rem. 395. 396. Taniu?nfe nobis Elegi debere fatentur ^lan-'
turn Virgilio nobile debet epos*. Sed idem Aeneidis iam
meminit Am. I, 15, 25. quod carmen ad annum 736,
proximum a Virgilii morte, Maflbnus retulit : Tityrus et
fegetes Aeneiaque arma legentur , Roma trtumphaii dum caput
erbis erit. Et in Arte 751 edita lib. Ill, 337. Et profugum
Aenean , altae primordia Romae , ^0 nullum Lath clarius
extat opus. Nondum abfoluta et edita erat Aeneis, cum
Propertius nobiles illos verfus fcriberet lib. II. Eleg. extr.
61 fqq. ^ui nunc Aeneae Troiani fufcltat arma etc.
Virgilium paullo poft, et adhuc aeuo Augufteo, in
fcholis praeledtum et enarratum fuilTe, e Suetonio fcimus
de ill. Grammat. c. 16. Q. Caecilius Epirota Cornelii
Galli familiaris — primus' dicitur latine ex tempore difpu-
tajfe, primusque Virgilium et alios poet as muss praelegere
coepije.
Caligula Virgilii memoriae admodum infeftus fuit. Sed
et Virgilii et T. Liuii fcripta et imagines , paullum afuit^ quin
ex omnibus bibliothecis amoueret , quorum alterum , vt nullius
ingenii minimaeque do£lrinae — carpebat Sueton. Calig. 34,
Itaque Virgilii Codices ad paruum turn numerum redaftos
fuifTe neceffe eft. An forte inde in tanto nunc apocrrapho-
rum numero mirus ille librorum etiam vetuftiorum in cor-
ruptelas confenfus repetendus eft? vt, cum poft haec Vir-
giliana carmina ex paucis, nee forte emendatiftimis exem-
plaribus defcriberentur, vera iam tum ledlio periiflet; quo
faclum, vt fruftra nunc a libris auxilium, vbi haereas, ex-
fpe^letur. Exftabat tamen Virgilii manus adhuc Plinii
maioris aetate H. N. XIII, 12 extr. et Quincliliani ,
Inft. I, 7, 20. Virgilii idiographum librum infpedtum.
ita leg. nam opus nobile effet quidem carmen eplcum, non
poefis epica.
fed
6o P. VIRG. VITA PER ANN. DIGEST.
fed ab aliis, Gellius memorat N. A. XI, 14. cf. eun-
dem II, 3. XIII, 19. I, 21.
Magnam copiam verfuum et lufuum in Virgilium eius-
que carmina cum bona turn mala, vetuftiorum et fcriorum
poetarum, v. poft Pithoeum et lof. Scaligerum in Cata-
le<ftis ap. Burmann. V. CI. in Antholog. Lat. lib. II. ep,
in %'
A DIS-
C Si ]
DISSERTATION
UPON
PASTORAL POETRY.
MAN Is not fo depraved, but that reprefentations
of innocence and tranquillity, are ftill delightful
and pleafing to the mind. The firft employment of our
forefathers was undoubtedly the tending of cattle : an
employment which princes and patriarchs did not difdain
to undertake, however oppofite it may appear to the re-
finements of modern life. This plainnefs and fimpH-
city of manners is highly amufmg and captivating to
perfous uncorrupted, and, as Shakefpear fays, unhack-
ney'd in the ways of men ; who love to be carried back
into that age of quiet, of innocence and virtue^-''
What time Dan Abraham left the Chaldee land.
And paftur'd on from verdant itage to ftage.
Where fields and fountains him could bed eno-zo-e ;
Toil was not then. Of nothing took they heed.
But with wild beafts the filvan war to wage,
And o'er vaft plains their herds and flocks to feed;
Bicft fons of Nature they, true golden age indeed !
Thomson's Caftle of Indolence.
The love of ths country is fo ilrong a paflion, that it
9 tan
62 A h'lfferiation upon Pastoral Poetry.'
can hardly be ever obliterated or overcome : tho' bufi .
nefs or amufements, or criminal purfuits, or conveniences,
or courts, carry men into cities, yet they ftill continue
fond of fields and forefts, of meadow^s and rivulets. A
very accomplifh'd courtier affures us, that the ftatelieft
edifices, and the fineft piecTes of architedure v/ould lofe
their beauty, if rural objedls were not interfperfed among
them.
Ne7npe Inter v arias nutritur fylva columnas,
Laudaturque do?nuSy longos qiics profpicit agros ;
Naturam expellas furcd tamen ufque re cur ret.
HOR.
This is owing to the fuperior power which the works
of nature hold above thofe of art, to afFeft and enter-
tain the imagination. For altho' the latter may fome-
times appear very beautiful, or even wonderful, yet they
can have nothing in them of that vaftnefs and immenfity,
which afford fo great an entertainment to the mind of
the beholder. The one may be as polite and delicate as
the other j but can never appear fo auguft and magnifi-
cent in the defign. There is fomething more bold and
mafterly, in the rough carelefs ftrokes of nature, than ir»
the niceft touches and embellifhments of art. For this
reafon is Paftoral Poetry fo amufing to the mind : In hef
fairy region are found,
Et fecura quies, ^ nefcla fallere vita.
Dives opu?n variarum : hie latis otiafundis^
Spelunca^ vivique lacus, hicfrigida Tcmpe^
Mvgitufque boum^ mollefque ftib arbcre fomni.
ViRG.
A true Paftoral, fays Mr. Pope, is an imitation of the
aftion of a fhepherd j the form of this imitation is dra-
matic, or narrative, or mixed of both ; the fable fimple,
the manners not too polite,' nor too ruftic : the thoughts
3 ^'"^
A DtJfertaUon upon Pastoral Poetry. 63
are plain, but admit a little quicknefs and paiTion, yet
that Ihort and flowing. The exprelTion humble, yet a»
pure as the language will allow j neat, but not florid ;
eafy, and yet lively. In fhort, the manners, thoughts, i;
and expreflions, are full of the greateft fimplicity in na- \
ture. The complete character of this poem confifts in
fimplicity, brevity, and delicacy : the two firft of whicl»
render an Eclogue natural, and the laft delightful.
Many laboured and tedious treatifes both of French
and Italian critics, have been written on the nature of
this kind of poetry j but I have not been able to find
any thing on the fubjeft fo rational, fo judicious, and
yet fo new, as a little piece very lately publiflied, by an,
excellent writer of our own country, in a paper called /i
the Rambler, which is therefore inferted in this place. .
*TN writing or judging of Paftoral Poetry, neither the
X authors or critics of later times feem to have paid
fufficient regard to the originals left us by antiquity;
but have entangled themfelves with unnecefiary difficul-
ties, and advanced principles, which, having no foun-
dation in the nature of things, are wholly to be rejedled
from a fpecies of compofition in which, above all others, 1
mere nature is to be regarded. 1
It is, therefore, neceflfary, to enquire after fome more
diftin61: and exact idea of this kind of writing. This
may, I think, be eafily found in the Paftorals of Virgil ;
from whofe opinion it will not appear very fafe to de-
part, if we confider that every advantage of nature, and
of fortune, concurred to complete his productions : that
he was born with great accuracy, and feverity of judg-
ment, enriched with all the learning of one of the bright-
efl: ages, and embellifhed with the elegance of the Roman
court J that he employed his powers rather in improving,
than inventing ; that, taking Theocritus for his origi-
* The Rambler. N° 37.
nal.
64 A Dijfertation upon PastorAl Poetry.
nal, he found Paftoral much advanced towards perfec-
tion, if not already perfed j and that having therefore'
fo great a rival, he muft have proceeded w^ith uncommort
caution.
If w^e fearch the v^^rltings of Virgil^ for the true defi-
nition of a Paftoral, it w^ill be found a Poem in which any
a6lion or pajjion is reprefented by its effeSfs upon a country
life. Whatfoever, therefore, may^ according to t\i&
common courfe of things, happen in the country, may
afford a fubjeft for a Paftoral Poet.
In this definitionj it will immediately occur, to thofc
who are verfed in the writings of the modern critics,-
that there is no mention of the golden age» I cannot
indeed eafily difcover why it is thought neceflary to refer
defcriptions of a rural ftate to remote times, nor can I
perceive that any writer has confiftently preferved the
Arcadian manners and fentiments. The only reafort
that I have read, on which this rule has been founded,
is, that according to the cuftoms of modern life, it is
improbable that ftiepherds fliould be capable of harmo-
nious numbers, or delicate fentiments ; and therefore
the reader muft exalt his ideas of the Paftcral character,
by carrying his thoughts back to the age in v.'hich the
care of herds and flocks was the employment of the wifeft
and greateft men.
Thefe reafoners feem to have been led Into their hypo-
thefis, by confidering Paftoral, not in general, as a r'c-
prcfcntation of rural nature, and confequently as ex-
hibiting the ideas and fentiments of thofe, whoever they
are, to whom the country affords pleafure or employ-,
ment ; but fimply as a dialogue, or narrative of men rc-
tually tending flicep, and bufied in the lovvcft and moft
laborious offices : from whence they very readily con-
cluded, fince characters muft neccffanly be preferved,
ihat either the fentiments muft fink to the level of the
fpcakers.
A DiJJ'eriation upon Pastoral Poetry. 65
Speakers, or the fpeakers muft be raifed to the height of
the fentiments.
In confequence of thefe original errors, a thoufanJ
precepts have been given, v/hich have only contributed
to perplex and to confound. Some have thought it ne-
ceflary that the imaginary manners of the Golden Age
Ihould be univerfally preferved, and have therefore be-
lieved, that nothing more could be admitted in Paftoral,
than lilies and rofes, and rocks and ftreams, among
which are heard the gentle whifpers of chafte fondnefs,
cr the foft complaints of amorous impatience. In Paf-
toral, as in other v/ritings, chaftity of fentiment ought
doubtlefs to be obferved, and purity of manners to be re-
prefented ; not becaufe the Poet is confined to the images
of the Golden Age, but becaufe, having the fubjecl in his
ov/n choice, he ought always to confult the interefl of
virtue.
Yet thefe advocates for the Golden Age lay down other
principles, not very confiftent with their general plan j
for they tell us, that, to fupport the chaj-acler of the
Ciepherd, it is proper that all refinement fhould be
avoided, and that fome flight inftances of ignorance
fhould be interfperfed. Thus the fhepherd in Virgil is
fuppofed to have forgot the name of Anaximander, and
in Pope the term Zodiac is too hard for a ruftic appre-
henfion. But, furely, if we place our (hepherds in tlieir
primitive condition, we may give them learning among
tiieir other qualifications j and if we fufFer them to al-
lude at all to things of later exiftence, which, perhaps,
cannot with any great propriety be allowed, there can
be no danger of making them fpeak with too much ac-
curacy, fmce they converfed with divinities, and tranf-
mitted to fucceeding ages the arts of life.
Other writers, having the mean and defpicable con-
dition of a fhepherd always before them, conceive it
necefTary to degrade the language of Pailoral, by obfo-
Vot. I. F lete
66 A Dijprtat'ton upon Pastoral Poetry.
lete terms and ruftic words ; which they very learnedly
call Doric, without reHe6ling, that they thus become
authors of a mingled diale(fti which no human being ever
could have fpoken j that they may as well refine the
fpeech, as the fentiments of their perfonages ; and that
none of the inconfiftencies which they endeavour to
avoid, is greater than that of joining elegance of thought
with coarfenefs of diilion. Spenfer begins one of his
Paflorals with ftudied barbarity,
Diggon Davie, I bid her good-day :
Or, Diggon her is, or I miflay.
Dig. Her was her while it was day-light.
But now her is a moft wretched wight.
What will the reader imagine to be the fubjeiSl on which
fpeakers like thefe exercife their eloquence ? Will he
not be fomewhat difappointed, when he finds them met
together to condemn the corruptions of the church of
Rome ? Surely, at the fame time that a fhepherd learns
theology, he may gain fome acquaintance with his native
language.
Paftoral admits of all ranks of perfons, becaufe per-
fons of all ranks inhabit the country. It excludes not,
therefore, on account of the charaiSlcrs neccffarv' to be
introduced, any elevation or delicacy of fcntiment ; thofe
ideas only are imipropcr, which, noc owing their original
to rural objecSls, are not paftoral. Such is the exclamation
in Virgil,
Nunc f do quid Jit Amor^ tluris in cauUhus ilium
Ifmarus^ aut Rhodopcy aut extremi Garamantes^
Nee generis ncjlri puerum nee fanguiniS) edunt.
which Pope endeavouring to copy, was carried to ftill
greater impropriety,
I know
A Di//ertation upon 'Pastoral PoETRr. 67
I know thee. Love, wild as the raging main.
More fierce than t3Agers on the Lybian plain.
Thou wert from Etna's burning entrails torn.
Begot in tempefts, and in thunders born !
Sentiments like thefe, as they have no ground in na^
ture, are indeed of little value in any poem ; but in
Paftoral they are particularly liable to cenfurcj becaufe
they are more proper for tragic or heroic v/ritings.
Paftoral being the reprefentat'ion of an aclion or pajfion^
hy its effeSIs upon a country I'lfe^ has nothing peculiar but
its confinement to rural imagery, without which it ceafes
to be Paftoral. This is its true chara6terifticj and this
it cannot lofe by any dignity of fentiment, or beauty of
didion. The Pollio of Virgil, with all its elevation, is
a compofition truly Bucolic, though rejected by the eris-
tics J for all the images are either taken from the coun-
try, or from the religion of the age common to all parts
of the empire.
The Silenus is indeed of a more difputable kind, becaufe
I though the fcene lies in the country, the fong being re-
ligious and hiftorical, had been no lefs adapted to any
other audience or place : Neither can it v/cll be defended
as a fidion, for the introdu£l:ion of a God' feems to imply
the Golden Age, and yet he alludes to many fubfequent
tranfadions, and mentions Gall us the Poet's cotem-
porary.
It feems neceftary to the perfedion of this poem,
that the occafion which is fuppofed to produce it, be at
leaft not inconfiftent v/ith a country life, or lefs likely
to intereft thofe who have retired into places of folitude
and quiet, than the more bufy part of mankind. It is
therefore improper to give the title of a Paftoral to
veifes, in which the fpeakers, after the flight mention of
their flocks, fall to complaints of errors in the church,
and corruptions in the government, or to lamentations
F 2 ©f
68 A DiJJertation upon PajTORal PoETRt.
of the death of feme illuftrious perfon, whom whert
once the poet has called a fhepherd, he has no longer
anv labour upon his hands^ but can make the clouds
weep, and lilies wither, and the fheep hang their heads,
without art or learning, genius or ftudy.
It is pdtrt of Claudian's character of his ruflic, that he
computes his time not by the fucceflion of confuls, but
of harvefts. Thofe who pafs their days in retreats dif-
tant from the theatres of bufmefs, are always leaft likely
to hurry their imaginations with public affairs.
The facility of treating adlions or events in the paftoral
i flile has incited many writers, from whom morejudg-
I ment might have been expelled, to put the forrow or the
I joy which theoccafion required into the mouth of Daphne
' or of Thyrfis ; and as one abfurdity muft naturally be
expected to make way for another, they have written with
an utter difregard both of life and nature, and filled their
produ(Elions with mythological allufions, with incredible
fictions, and with fentiments which neither paffion nor
reafon could have dictated, fmce the change which reli-
gion has made in the whole fyftem of the world.
Thus far the learned and judicious Mr. Johnson.
If I might now venture to fpcak of the merits of th«
fcveral paftoral writers, I would fay, that in Theocritus
we arc charmed with a certain fweetnefs, a romantic
rufticity and wildnefs, heightened by the Doric dialeil,
that are almoft inimitable. 'Tis worth remarking, that
he hath borrowed many beautiful images from the moft
cxquifite paftoral now extant, I mean the Song of Solomon -^
which he probably had read with pleafure in the Greek
tranflation of the Seventy Interpreters, who were his
cotemporaries in the polite court of Ptolomy. Several of
his pieces indicate a genius of a higher clafs, far fuperior
to Paftoral, and equal to the fublimeft fpccies of poetry :
fuch are particularly, his Panegyric on PtC>lomy, the
3 I'^ifiHt
A D'ljfertation upon Pastoral Poetry. 69
Fight between Amycus and Pollux, the Epithalamium of
Helen, the Europa, the young Hercules, the Grief of
Hercules for Hylas, the Death of Pentheus, and the
killing the Nemean Lion. Which of thefe compofitions
is moft fpirited and exalted, 'tis impolHble to determine :
aiid I muft here apply a noble fimile of his own, which
he ufes on a like difficulty,
\ootv £5 Tto'Kvdtvccov uvrio iXijTOjt/ioj iX^uVf
T» Trparo» y.xrccXi^ij j itth Tractx, fAV^icc iIv/jy.
The fweet and pathetic lamentation of Mofchus on the
death of Bion, and of Bion on the death of Adonis, are
pieces of paftoral grief,
■ qute Venus
^ulnta parte fui neJfaris tmbu'it \ HoR.
and oblige us to lament the lofs of their works with fin-
cere concern, We know of no other Greek paftoral
writer.
Virgil, who comes next to be confidered, has excelled
his mafter Theocritus in thefe three particulars j in de-
cency, in delicacy, and in the variety of his fubjecls. '
We have feen Eclogues remaining of Titus Calpur-
nius, a native of Sicily, who flouriflied under the Em-
peror Carus and his fon. Some of them are prettily fan-
cied, and condudled with judgment ; but the ftile favours
of the barbarifm and corrupted tafte, that long before his
age infected the Roman poetry.
Mantuan is full of the moft abfurd allegories, and of
allufions to Chriftianity ridiculoufly mixed and blended
with the Gods and cuftoms of the Heathens. In one of
his Eclogues you have a catalogue of all the Virgin
Mary's holidays ; in another an apparition of the Virgin,
■who promifcs a fhepherd, that when he fhall have pafled
F 3 his
7® A Dijpcrtattan upon Pastoral Poetry,
his life in Mount Carmel, flie will convey him to a far
more delicious place, and will make him dwell In heaven
with the Dryades and Kamadryades, a fort of new faints,
jvhom v/e had not been accuftomed to hear of as inhabi-
tants of heaven.
The Pifcatory Eclogues of Sannazarius deferve to be
mentioned with applaufe. I know not why the critics
have condemned him for choofmgfubjedls fruitful of new
imagery and fentiments.
The Aminta of TaiTo, the celebrated Paftoral Comedy
of which the Italians boaft fo much, is not free from
the common vice of all their compofitions, falfe thoughts
and glittering conceits^ quite contrary to nature and truth.
Sylvia, feeing the reflexion of her face in a fountain, and
adorning hcrfelf with flowers, tells them fhe does not Avear
trhem to mend her beauty, but to leflTen theirs, and dif-
grace them by being placed near her brighter charms.
All critics of a truly claflical tafte, will be difgufted at
fuch far-feicV d prettinejfes. But the paftoral pieces of
Guarini, of Bonarelli, and Marino, are infinitely more
\ unnatural and forced, crowded, to the laft degree, with
•j Jittle points of v/it, with epigrammatic turns, with af-
] feded conceits, and with every inftance of falfe glitter
and ornament, that ufually dazzle and delight fuperficial
j-eaders.
The Paftorals of the ingenious Fontenelle, are too polite
and refined in their fentiments. His fhepherds are all
courtiers j and are better fuited to the toilets of Paris,
than the forefls of Arcadia. Inftead of ridiculing Theo-
critus and Virgil, he had better have followed the precepts
t)f his judicious countryman, the beft defender, judge, apd
imitator, of the ancients ; who gives the following ad-
YJce to paftoral writers :
Telle qiiune bergere, au plus beau jour de fejicy
JDe fuperbc rubis nc charge point fa tejiey
10 J^i
A Dijfertat'ion upon Pastoral Poetrv. t
Et fans meter a I' or t eclat de diamans^
Cueille en un champ voijin fes plus beaux ornemens.
Telle, amiable en /on air, mais humble dans fonjiile^
Doit eclat er fans pompe une elegante Idylle j
Son tour fimple ^ naif 7ia rien de fajieux,
£t n'aime point I'orgueil d'un vers prefompteux :
II fait que ce douceur flat e, chat oiii lie, eveille^
Et jamais de grands mots n'epouvante roreille.
BoiLEAUj I'Art Poetique, c. 2.
P 4* P. Virgilii
p. Firgilii Maronis
BUCOLIC A.
THE
ECLOGUES
O F
V I R G I U
[ IS ]
ECLOGUE THE FIRST,
ARGUMENT:
Vo reward the veteran foldiers that conquered Brutus and
Cajfius at the battle of Philippic Augujiiis dijiributed
amongjl them the lands of Cremona and Mantua : VirgiVs
ejlate was feized among the reji^ hut he recovered it by the
interejl of PolUo, who warmly recommended him to the
emperor. This Eclogue was written on this occafion out
of gratitude to Augvjlus. Sojue commentators, fond of
allegorical interpretations, imagine that by the names of
the two mijirejfes Amaryllis and Galatea, are meant Rome
and Mantua ; but this interpretation cannot jujily be fup-
ported. It has been conjeSlured, that Virgil infinuates
his old mijirefs Galatea zvas of Brutus' s party ; and his
new one Amaryllis of OSiavius's ; and that by changing
mijirejfes he hints at his changing parties j and in confc
qimice of that, at his leaving Mantua, and going to
Rome.
[ 76 ]
P, VIRGILII MARONIS
BUCOLIC A,
E C L O G A I,
T I T Y R U S,
Meliboeus, Tityrus.
Meliboeus.
TITYRE, tu patulae recubans fub tegmine fagi
Silveftrem tenui mufam meditaris avena :
Nos patriae finis, et dulcia linquimus arva ;
Nos patriam fugimus : tu, Tityre, lentus in umbra
Tormofam refonare doces Amaryllida filvas. 5
Tityrus.
O Meliboee, deus nobis haec otia fecit.
Namque erit ille mihi femper deus : illius aram
Saepe tcner noftris ab ovilibus inbuet agnus.
Ille meas errare boves, ut cernis, et ipfum
Ludere, quae vellem, calamo permifit agrefti. le
Ver. 2. Reed.] Avena, fays the original.— —The mufical
inftruments ufed by fhepherds were at firft made of oat and
wheat ftraw ; then of reeds and hollow pipes of box ; after-
wards of leg bones of cranes, horns of animals, metals, &c.—
Hence they are called aiiena, Jiipula, calamus, arundo, Jijiul(i,
kuxuSf tibia, cornu, aes. Sec.
Et Zephyri cava per calamorum Jifila primum
Agrejies docuere cavas infiare cicutas :
feys Lucretius, b. e. v. 1381, in a paffage which muft have
been of ufe to Virgil in polilhing the Latin verfification.
I 77 3
THE
ECLOGUES
O F
VIRGIL.
ECLOGUE THE FIRST.
T I T Y R U S.
Meliboeus, Tityrus.
Meliboeus.
IN beechen fhades, you Tit'rus, ftretcht along.
Tune to the flender reed your fylvan fong ;
We leave our country's bounds, our much-lov'd plains.
We from our country fly, unhappy fwains !
You, Tit'rus, in the groves at leifure laid, j|
Teach Amaryllis' name to every fhade.
Tityrus.
O 'twas a god thefe blefTmgs, fwain, beftow'd.
For ftill by me he fhall be deem'd a god !
For him the tend'reft of my fleecy breed
Shall oft in folemn facrifices bleed. 10
He gave my oxen, as thou fee'ft, to ftray.
And me at eafe my fav'rite ftrains to play.
7- 'Tvjas a god."] This is pretty high flattery. Oflavlus had
not yet received divine honours, which were afterwards bellow-
ed on him: but Virgil fpeaks as if he were. already deified.
This was the language of the courtiers of that time.
Pre/enti tihi maturas largimur bcnores,
fays Horace. One cannot but recoiled, on reading fuch fort
of paffages, the words of the fpirited hiftorian : Igitur 'verfo
fi^itatis ftatu, nihil ufquam prifci tf integri maris : omfiis exutd
Mqualitatejufaprincipis afpeaan. Tacitus, Annal. lib. i. c. 4.
fB P. ViRGitii Maronis Bucolica* Ech I
Meliboeus.
Non equidem invideo : miror magis. undique totis
Ufque adeo turbatur agris. en ipfe capellas
Protenus aeger ago : banc etiam vix, TityrC) duco.
Hie inter denfas coruios modo namque gemellos,
Spem gregis, ah ! filice in nuda connixa reliquit» ic
Saepe malum hoc nobis, fi mens non laeva fuiflct,
De coelo ta6las memini praedicere quercus :
Saepe fmiftra cava praedixit ab ilice cornix.
Sed tamen, ifte deus qui lit, da, Tityre, nobis.
TlTYRUS.
Urbem, quam dicunt Romam, Meliboee, putavi 20
Stultus ego huic noftrae fimilem, quo faepe folemus
Paftores ovium teneros depellere foetus.
Sic canibus catulos fimilis, fie matribus hacdos
Noram : fie parvis conponere magna folebam.
Verum haec tantum alias inter caput extulit urbis, 25
Quantum lenta folent inter viburna cupreffi.
Melieoeus.
Et quae tanta fuit Romam tibi caufla videndi ?
TiTYRUS.
Libertas : quae fera tamen refpexit inertem ;
Candidior poftquam tondenti barba cadebat ;
Refpexit tamen, et longo poll tempore venit, ^0
Poftquam nos Amaryllis habet, Galatea reliquit.
Namque (fatcbor enim) dum me Galatea tenebat,
1
•
27. The cl/y.] This manner of fpeaking of Rome, has the
true paftoral fimplicity in it.
34. Js lofty.'] Not only different in magnitude, but in kipd,
fay the commentators.
41. There Amaryllis reigns.] Some fanciful critics imagine
that the poet meant Rome by Amaryllis, and Mantua by
Galatea. But Ruaeusjuftly looks on thefe allegorical inter-
pretations as trifles, and rejefts them for the following reafons.
1. As the poet has twice mentioned Rome exprefsly, and by its
proper name, in this Eclogue, what could induce him to call it
lometimes Rome, an4 fometimes Amaryllis? 2. He diftin-
guifties Galatea from Mantua alfo ; when he fays, that whilll
he was a flave to Galatea, he had no profit from the cheefea
which he made, from that unhappy city, 3. If we admit the
Eel. r. The Eclogues of Vircu. ^
Meliboeus.
Nay, mine's not envy, fwain, but glad furprife j
O'er all our fields fuch fceries of rapine rife !
And lo ! fad part'ner of the general care, 1 5
Weary and faint I drive my goats afar,
While fcarcely this my leading hand fuftains,
Tir'd vv'ith the way, and recent from her pains j
For mid' yon tangled hasles as vi^e paft.
On the bare flints her haplefs tv4ns fhe caft, 20
The hopes and promife of my ruin'd fold !
Thefe ills prophetic figns have oft foretold ;
Oft from yon hollow tree th' hoarfe raven's croak.
And heaven's quick lightning on my blafted oak :
I was blind thefe warnings not to fee ! 25
But tell me, Tit'rus, v/hp this god may be ?
TiTYRUS.
The city men call Rome, unlkilful clown,
1 thought refembled this our humble town ;
Where, Meliboeus, with our fleecy care.
We fliepherds to the markets oft repair. ^0
So like their dams I kidlings- wont to call.
So dogs with whelps compar'd, fo great with fmall :
But Ihe o'er other cities lifts her head.
As lofty cypreffes low fhrubs exceed.
Meliboeus.
And what to Rome could Tit'rus' ileps perfuade ? 35
TiTYRUS.
'Twas Freedom call'd ; and I, tho' flow, obey'<i.
She came at lafl:, tho' late fhe bleft my fight.
When age had filver'd o'er my beard with white ;
But ne'er approach'd till my revolting breaft
Had for a new exchang'd its wonted gueft : 4.0
There Amaryllis reigns j yet fure 'tis true,
While Galatea did my foul fubdue,
fldlegory, that verfe Mirahar quid moefta deos, is inextricable.
4. Servius has laid it down as a rule, that we are not to under-
ftand any thing in the Bucolics figuratively, that is, allegori-
Cally. RuAEUs and Martyn.
|||C> P' ViRGlLII MaRONIS BuCOLlCA. E'cl. I*
Nec fpes libertatis erat, nee cura peculi,
Quamvis multa meis exiret vi£lima feptis,
Pinguis et ingratae premeretur cafeus urbi, ^i
J^on uuiquam gravis acre domum mihi dextra redibat.
Meliboeus.
Mirabar, quid moefta deos, Amarylli, vocares :
Cui pendere fua patereris in arbore poma,
Tityrus hinc aberat. ipfae te, Tityre, pinus,
Ipfi te fontes, ipfa haec arbufta vocabant. 4^
Tityrus.
Qviid facerem ? neque fervitio me exire licebat,
Nec tam praefentis alibi cognofcere divos.
Hie ilium vidi juvenem, Meliboee, quot annis
Bis fenos cui noftra dies altaria fiimant.
Hie mihi refponfum primus dedit ille petenti :
Pafcite, ut ante, boves, pueri : fubmittite tauros.
Meliboeus.
Fortunate fenfex, ergo tua rura manebunt ?
Et tibi magna fatis : quamvis lapis omnia nudus,
Limofoque palus obducat pafcua juneo ;
tvfon infueta gravis tentabunt pabula foetas : 59
Nee mala vicini pecoris contagia laedent.
Fortunate fenex, hie inter flumina nota,
Et fontis facros, frigus captabis opaeum.
Hinc tibi, quae femper vicino ab limite fepes;
Hyblaeis apibus florem depafta fali6li, 55
i
I
52. TheJhruhsJ] The arhujfa were large pieces 6f ground
planted with elms or other trees, at the diftance commonly of
forty feet, to leave room for corn to grow between them. Thefe
trees were pruned in fuch a manner, as to ferve for ftages to the
vines, which were planted near them. The vines faflened after
this manner, were called arhujii'vae vites. See the 12th chapter
cf Columella <?V arboribus.
58. Sivains fee{/.] The woid /uimittiie in the original may
mean the breeding the cattle, as well as yoking oxen^
61. ff'^iat tho' rough /ones.] The reader of tafte cannot but
be pleafed with this little landfcape, efpecially as fome critic»
Etl. 1. The Eclogues of Virgil. 8r
Carelefs I liv'd of freedom and of gain,
And frequent victims thinn'd my folds in vain j
Tho' to th' ungrateful town my cheefe I fold, 45
Yet ftill I bore not back th' expected gold.
Meliboeus.
Oft, Amaryllis, I with wonder heard
Thy vows to heav'n in foft diflrefs preferr'd.
With wonder oft thy lingering fruits furvey'd ;
Nor knew for whom the bending branches i^ay'd : 50
'Twas Tit'rus was away — for thee detain'd
The pines, the fhrubs, the bubbling fprings complain'd.
TiTYRUS.
What could I do ? where elfe expect to find
One glimpfe of freedom, or a god fo kind ?
There I that youth beheld, for whom fhall rife 55
Each year my votive incenfe to the fkies.
'Twas there this o-racious anfwer blefs'd mine ears,
Sv/ains feed again your herds, and yoke your, fteers.
Meliboeus.
Happy old man ! then ftill thy farms reftor'd.
Enough for thee, fhall blefs thy frugal board. 6«
What tho' rough flones the naked foil o'erfpread.
Or marfhy bulruili rear its watry head.
No foreign food thy teeming ewes fhall fear.
No touch contagious fpread its influence here.
Happy old man ! here mid' the cuftom'd ftream.s 65
And facred fprings, you'll fliun the fcorching beams,
While from yon wiliow-fencc, thy paftures' bound.
The bees that fuck their flow'ry flores arouxid,
Shall fweetly mingle, with the whifpering boughs.
Their lulling murmurs, and invite repofe : 70
think Virgil is here defcribing his own eflate. 'Tis a miftake
to imagine the fpot cf ground was barren, for we lind it con-
tained a vineyard and apiary, and good pafture land ; and the
fhepherd fays he fupplied Mantua with viaims and cheefes.
Vol. I. G
/
/
/
I 82 p. ViRGiLii Maronis Bucolica. Eel. I.
Saepe kvi fomnunv fuadebit inire fufurro.
Hinc alta fub rupe canet frondator ad auras.
Nee tamen interea raucae, tua cura, palumbes,
Nee gemere aeria ceffabit turtur ab ulmo.
TiTYRUS.
Ante leves ergo pafcentur in aethere cervi, 60
Et freta deftituent nudos in litore pifcis :
Ante, pererratis amborum finibus exful,
Aut Ararim Parthus bibet, aut Germania Tigrin,
Quam noftro illius labatur peclore voltus.
Meliboeus.
At nos hinc alii fitientis ibimus Afros : 65
Pars Seythiam, et rapidum Cretae veniemus Oaxen,
Et penitus toto divifos orbe Britannos.
En umquam patrios longo poft tempore finis.
Pauperis ac tuguri congeftum eefpite culmen,
Poft aliquot, mea regna videns, mirabor ariftas ? 70
Inpius haec tarn culta novalia miles habebit ?
Br.rbarus has fegetes ? en quo difeordia civis
Produxit miferos ! en quis eonfevimus agros !
Infere nunc, Meliboee, piros ; pone ordine vitis.
Ite meae, felix quondam pccus, ite capellac, 75
77. The Parthlan.l Thefe images are not fo much in charac-
ter as thofe in the two preceding lines. They are too remote for
our fimple flicpherd.
85. Ah! pall I never. '\ By f« in the original, fay the com-
mentators, is meant wiquamne, aliquaiidone, or an unquam.
Pxuacus obferves that thele expreffions are in general only a bare
and cold interrogation, but furely in this paflage the poet mean»
an interrogation joined with an eager defire; a fort of languifh-
ing in Meliboeus after the farms and fields he was obliged to
leave. We find the fame exprelfion in the fame fenfe in the
eighth Eclogue.
En erit unquam
llle dies, mihi cu?n liceat tua dicere faSIa !
86. Ma7iy a year."] "Ey po/i aliquot arijl as in the original, is
certainly meant after fame years. It is natural for fhcpherds to
mea fare
i
\
Eel. I. The Eclogues of Virgil- 83
While from fteep rocks the pruner's fbng is heard ;
Nor the foft-cooing dove, thy fav'rite bird,
Mean while fhall ceafe to breathe her melting ftrain.
Nor turtles from th' aerial elm to plain.
TlTYRUS.
Sooner the flag in fields of air fhall feed, 75
Seas leave on naked fhores the fcaly breed,
The Parthian and the German climates chainge.
This Arar drink, and that near Tigris range,
Than e'er, by ftealing time effac'd, flaall part
His much-lov'd image from my grateful heart. So
Meliboeus.
But we far hence to diftant climes fhall go,
O'er Afric's burning fands, or Scythia's fnow^
Where roars Oaxis, or where feas embrace, \
Dividing from the world, the Britifb race.
Ah ! fhall I never once again behold, B^
When many a year in tedious round has roll'd.
My native feats ? — Ah ! ne'er with ravifht thought
Gaze on my little realm, and turf-built cot ?
What ! mull thefe rifiiig crops barbarians fhare ?
Thefe well-till'd fields become the fpoils of war ? 90
See to what mis'ry difcord drives the fwain !
See, for what lords we fpread the teeming grain !
Now Meliboeus, now, renew your cares,
Go, rank again your vines, and graft your pears :
Away, my goats, once happy flocks ! away ! 05
No more fhall I refume the rural lay :
meafure the years by the haryefts. Jri/a is the beard of the
wheat ; the R5man hufbandmen fowed only,the bearded wheat.
87. J/?/ ne'er.] Thefe Ihorc and abrupt exclamations are very
natural, and have quite a dramatic air. The image of his
little farm and cottage being piunder'd, breaks in upon the
fliepherd, and quite diforders his mind. The irony in the fol-
lowing lines,
Infere nunc, Meliboee, piros, &c.
ftrongly exprefies both grief and indignation.
G 2
S4^ P. ViRGiLii Maronis Bucolica. Ed. i.
Non ego vos pofthac, viridi proje£lus in antro,
Dumofa pendere procul de rupe videbo.
Carmina nulla canam. non, me pafcente, capellae,
Florentem cytifum, et falices carpetis amaras.
TiTYRUS.
Hie tamen hanc mecum poteras requiefcere nodtem 83
Fronde fuper viridi. funt nobis mitia poma,
Caftaneae mollcs, et prefTi copia ladlis.
Et jam fumma procul villarum culmina fumant,
Majorefque cadunt altis de montibus umbrae,
97. No more, as /;;.] I have feen in Italy (and on the Vati-
can hill near Rome, in particular) a little arch'd cave made by
the fliepherds of ever-greens, not high enough to {land in ;
there they lie at their eafe to obferve their flocks browfing. Is
it not fuch a fort of cave which is meant here ? Viridi is not a
proper epithet for the infide of a natural cave, efpecially for
inch rocky ones as one finds in Italy. Spence.
104. Cheefe.'Y The Roman peafants ufed to carry the curd
as foon as it v/as prefled into the towns, or elfe fait it for cheefc
a^aivift the winter.
Eel. I. The Eclogues of Virgil. 85
No more, as in my verdant cave I lie.
Shall I behold ye hang from rocks on high :
No more fhall tend ye, w^hile ye round me browfe
The trefoil flow'rs, or v\^illovv^'s harfher boughs. lOO
TiTYRUS.
Yet here, this night, at Icaft, with me reclin'd
On the green leaves, an humble welcome find ;
Ripe apples, chefnuts foft, my fields afford.
And cheefe in plenty loads my rural board.
And fee ! from village-tops the fmoke afcend, 105
And falling fhades from weftern hills extend.
END OF THE FIRST ECLOGUE,
G3
C 87 J
ECLOGUE THE SECOND.
ARGUMENT.
A Jhepherd defpairing to gain the affeSlions of a youth ^ named
Alexis^ is here introduced,, uttering thofe natural and
bitter complaints^ that difappointed affeSlion is fo apt to
fuggejl. Dr. Trapp obferves, " That there is no loofe
idea,, nor one immodeji exprejjion in the whole piece ; which
means no more, than either the platonic love of the beauties,
both of body and 7nind, or excefs of friendjhip, or rather
both. Experience gives us many injlances of perfons of the
fame fex, one of whom is beloved by the other, to an ex-
tremity of fondnefs, and almofi dotage. I dare fay no
perfo7i, U7ilefs monjiroufy debauched beforehand, and fo
being a tempter to himfelf (which he may be in reading
not only innocent but f acred things) had ever an ill thought
fugge/lcd to him, by the reading of this Eclogue.''
G4
[ 88 ]
E C L O G A ir.
ALEXIS.
FORMOSUM pallor CoryJon ardebat Alexin,
Delicias domini : ncc, quid fperaret, habebat.
Tantum inter denfas, umbrofa cacumina, fagos
Adudue veniebat. ibi haec incondita folus
Montibus et filvis ftudio jaflabat inani. 5
O crudelis Alexi, nihil mea carmina curas ?
Nil noftri miferere ? mori me denique coges.
Nunc etiam pecudes umbras ac frigora captant :
Nunc viridis etiam occultant fpineta lacertos :
Theftylis ct rapido fcflis meflbribus aeftu I©
Allia ferpullumquc hcrbas contundit olcntis.
At me cum raucis, tua dum. veliigia luftro,
Sole fub ardenti refonant arbufta cicadis.
Nonne fuit fatius, tridis Amaryllidis iras
Atque fuperba pati faflidia ? nonnc Mcnalcan ? 15
Qiiamvis ille niger, quaravis tu candidus efTes.
O formofe puer, nimium ne credc colori.
Ver. 13. Garlic pounds. "l We are told by Pliny that gar-
lic was very much ufcd in the country as an excellent medi-
cine ; Allium ad m:;lta, ruris praeciput, medicamenla prcdcjfc cre-
ditiir. It mufi; in Italy be a very nutritious food for huiband-
men.
16. Shrill Cicada.'] I don't know how every body almofl
in England came to imagine, that the Cicada in the Roman
writers was the fame with our grafliopper ; for their charafters
are different enough to have prevented any fuch miftake. The
Cicada is what the Italians now call Cicala, and the French
Cigale. They make one conilant uniform noife all day long
in fummer-time, which is extremely difagreeable and tire-
fome, particularly in the gre^t h^ats. Their note is Iharp and
Ihrill in the beginning of tlie fummer, but hoarfe and harfh
towards the latter part of it. They are fuppofed to feed on
;he mo:.Kng de\v, and then fix on feme funny branch of a
tree^
[ 89 1
ECLOGUE THE SECOND.
ALEXIS.
YOUNG Corydon with hopelefs love ador'd
The fair Alexis, fav'rite of his lord.
Mid' fhades of thickeft beech he pin'd alone,
To the wild woods and mountains made his msan.
Still day by day, In incoherent ftrains, 5
'Twas all he could, defpairing told his pains.
Wilt thou ne'er pity me, thou cruel youth.
Unmindful of my verfe, my vows, and truth ?
Still, dear Alexis, from my pafllon fly ?
Unheard and unregarded muft I die ? I®
Now flocks in cooling (hades avoid the heats.
And the green lizard to his brake retreats.
Now Theftylis the thyme and garlic pounds,
And weary reapers leave the fultry grounds.
Thee ftill I follow o'er the burning plains 15
And join the fhrlll Cicada's plaintive ftrains.
Were it not better calmly to have borne
Proud Amaryllis' or Menalcas' fcorn ?
Tho' he was black, and thou art heav'nly fair ?
How much you truft that beauteous hue beware ! 20
tree, and fing all day long. It is hence that this infedl is op-
pofed to the ant in the old ^fopian fables, which is as in-
duftrious and inoffenfive as the other is idle and troublefome.
Virgil calls the Cicada, querulae and raucae ; Martia\, argutae
and inhumanae. Their note is the more troublefome, becaufe
in the great heats they fmg alone. Any one who has paffed a
fummer in Italy, or in the fouth of France, will not think
the epithet inhumanae too fevere for them. Spence.
18. Amaryllis .'\ Servius informs us, that the true name of
Amaryllis was Leria, a beautiful girl whom Maecenas gave to
Virgil, as he alfo did Cebes, whom the poet mentions under
the perfon of Menalcas. Catrou thinks this ftory of Servius
is a liaion ; but adds another fi(^ion of his own, that Rome is
I jneant by Amaryllis.
bo P. ViRGiLii Maronis Bucolica. Eel. 2.
Alba liguftra cadunt, vaccinia nigra leguntur.
Defpedus tibi fum, nee qui fun quaeris, Alexi :
Quam dives pecoris nivei, quam ladlis abundans. 20
Mille meae Siculis errant in montibus agnae.
Lac mihi non aeftate, novum non frigore defit.
Canto, quae folitus, fi quando armenta vocabat,
Amphion Dircaeus in A6taeo Aracyntho.
Nee fum adeo informis : nuper me in litore vidi, 25
Cum placidum ventis ftaret mare, non ego Daphnin
Judice te metuam, fi numquam fallit imago.
O tantum libeat mecum tibi fordida rura,
Atque humilis habitare eafas, et figere cervos,
Haedorumque gregem viridi conpellere hibifco ! 30
Mecum una in filvis imitabere Pana canendo.
Pan primus calamos cera conjungere pluris
Inftituit : Pan curat ovis, oviumque magiftros.
Nee te poeniteat calamo triviffe labellum.
Haec eadem ut fciret, quid non faciebat Amyntas ? 35
Eft milii difparibus feptem conpafta eicutis
Fiftula, Damoetas dono mihi quam dedit olim,
Et dixit moriens : Te nunc habet ifta fecundum,
Dixit Damoetas : invidit ftultus Amyntas,
27. Sufig.'] The ancient fhepherds walked before, and called
their ihttp after them.
29. Fieav'^.] La Cerda has very fully vindicated Virgil,
again ft thofe who deny the pciEbility of an image being re-f
fiefted by the fea. When it is perfectly calm it is quite a
mirrour. I
I don't know whether you have taken notice of a mifcarriagc i|
in the moll judicious of all poets. Theocritus makes FoJypheme i
Kai ya.^ ^y,v ad' tidoj i^u xccitoVf u; fxt Xsyovrt,
H yap 'wpscv t^ TiovTcv scrt'urXi'Bj'ov' riv c£ yaXa'^x,
Nothing could be better fancied than to make this enormous ;
fon of Neptune ufe the fea for his looking-glafs : but is Virgil
fo happy when his little landman fays,
AVr
Eel. 2. The Eclogues of Virgil. ^i
The privet's filver flow'rs we ftill neglect.
But dulky hyacinths with care collect.
Thou know'ft net whcm thou fcorn'ft — what fnowy kine.
What lufcious milk, what rural ftores are mine !
Mine are a thoufand lambs in yonder vales, ^^
My milk in fummer's drought, nor winter fails j
Nor fweeter to his herds Amphion fung,
While with his voice Boeotia's mountains rung ;
Nor am I fo deform'd ! myfelf I view'd
On the fmooth furface of the glafly flood, 30
By winds unmov'd, and be that image true,
I dread not Daphnis' charms, tho' judg'd by you.
O that you lov'd the fields and {hady grots.
To dwell with me in bowers, and lowly cots.
To drive the kids to fold, the flags to pierce j 35
Then fhould'ft thou emulate Pan's fkilful verfe.
Warbling with me in woods ; 'twas mighty Pan
To join with wax the various reeds began;
Pan, the great god of all our fubje£t plains.
Protects and loves the cattle and the fwains j 40
Nor thou difdain, thy tender rofy lip
Deep to indent with fuch a mafter's pipe.
To gain that art how much Amyntas try'd !
This pipe Damoetas gave me as he dy'd j
Seven joints it boafts — Be thine this gift, he faid : 45
Amyntas envious figh'd, and hung the head.
Nec/um adeo infer mis : nuper me in littore 'vidi.
Cum placidum <ventis Jiaret mare ? — —
I His wonderful judgment for once deferted him, or he might
have retained the fentiment with a flight change in the appli-
, cation. Kurd's letter on the marks of imitation.
; 41. Rofy lip.'\ There is a fondnefs in mentioning this cir-
I cumilance of his wearing his lip. — This fiftula is ufed to this
; day in the Grecian illands. The conftant eiFeft of playing
on it, is making the lip thick and callous. Mr. Dawkins
■ affured me he faw feveral ihepherds with fuch lips.
I 45- Joints.'] Servius tells us, that Cicuta means the fpace
between the two joints of a reed.
62 P.'Vl'RGILII MaRONIS BuCOLICA. EcJ. 2.
Praeterea duo, nee tuta milii valle reperti, 40
Capreoli fparfis etiam nunc peliibus albo,
(Bina die ficcant ovis ubera) quos tibi forvo.
Jam pridem a me illos abducete Theftylis orat :
"El faciet : quoniam Ibrdent tibi munera noftra.
Hue ades, 6 formofe puer. tibi hlia plenis 45
Ecce ferunt nymphae calathis : tibi Candida Nais,
Pallentis violas et fumma papavera carpcns, *
Narciffum et florem jungit bene olentis anetlii.
Tum, cafia atque aliis intexcns fuavibiis herbis,
MoUia luteola pingit vaccinia caltha. 5a
Ipfe ego'cana legam tenera lanugine mala,
Cailaneafque nuces, mea quas Amaryllis amabat.
Addam cerea pruna : honos erit huic quoque porno.
£t vos, 6 lauri, carpam, et te, proxima myrte.
Sic pofitae quoniam fuavis mifcetis odores. 55
Rufticus es, Corydon. nee munera curat Alexis :
Nee fi muneribus eertes, concedat Idas.
Eheu, quid volui mifero mihi ? floribus auftrum
Perditus, et liquidis inmifi fontibus apros.
47. Kii^s.] Thefe were undoubtedly wild kids, taken from
their proper dam, and not kids which Corydon had loft, and
now recovered again. Servius fays, kids at firft have white
ipots, which alter and lofe their beauty afterwards.
53, T^e nymphi in bajkets bring.] Thefe lines are of an ex-
quifite beauty, and contain the fweeteft garland that ever was
offered by a lover. He concludes this defcription of his pre-
fents by faying that, Alas! Alexis would not regard any of his
gifts, as he was only a poor ruftic, and that his rival lolas
was able to make fiir richer prefents. At the mention of his
rival's name he iiops fhort, and cries. Fool that 1 am, to put
Alexis in mind of him, — who will certainly prefer him to me !
This feems to be the true meaning of quid njolui mifero mihi ?
tho' feveral commentators give a different interpretation. The
agitation and doubts of a lover's mind are finely painted in
this paffage and the fucceeding lines. At laft the fhepherd
feems to come to himfelf a little, and reflefts on the bad con-
dition of his affairs, which his paffion has occafioned, y^;»;-
putata tibi, &c. and finally relolves to leave the obdurate
Alexis, and go in fearch of another obje(^.
5
Eel. 2. The Eclogues of Vihgil. 93-
Befides, two dappled kids, which late I found
Deep in a dale with dangerous rocks around.
For thee I nurfe ; v/ith thefe, O come and play !
They drain two fwelling udders every day. 50
Thefe Theftylis hath begg'd, but begg'd in vain ;
Now be they her's, fince you my gifts difdain.
Come, beauteous boy ! the nymphs in bafkets bring
For thee the lovelieft: lillies of the fpring ;
Behold for thee the neighb'ring Naiad crops 55
The violet pale, and poppy's fragrant tops,
Narcifius' buds fhe joins v/ith fweet jonquils.
And mingles cinnamon with daffodils ;
With tender hyacinths of darker dyes.
The yellow marigold diverfifies. " 60
Thee, with the downy quince, and chefnuts fweet.
Which once my Amaryllis lov'd, I'll greet j
To gather plumbs of gloffy hue, will toil ;
Thefe fhall be honour'd if they gain thy fmile.
Ye myrtles too I'll crop and verdant bays, 65
For each, fo plac'd, a richer fcent conveys.
O Corydon, a ruftic hind thou art !
Thy prefents ne'er will touch Alexis' heart !
Give all thou canft, exhauft thy rural ftore,
Tolas, thy rich rival, offers more. 70
What have I fpoke ? betray'd by heedlefs thought,
The boar into my cryftal fprings have brought !
60. Marigold.'] Dr. Martyn has taken great pains to explain
the true names of the flowers here mentioned by Viirgil, and from
his Ikill in botany one may imagine he has juftly afcertained
; them. I follow him.
j 61. Chefnuts hoeet.] There are ftxll in Italy, garlands in-
i termixt with fruits as well as flowers, like that defcribed by
I Virgil in his Eclogues. I have fcen feme of thefe carried
I about the ilreets of Florence, the Sunday before Chriftmas-
) day : They were built up in a pyramid of ever-greens, chiefly
; of bays, and faced with apples, grapes, and other fruits.
Spence.
71. What.] This reading is after the Vatican manufcript.
^4 P- ViRGILII MaRONIS BucoLICA. EcL' 2.'
Quern fugis, ah, demens ! habitarunt di quoque filvas, 60
Dardaniufque Paris. Pallas, quas condidit, arces
Ipfa colat. nobis placeant ante omnia filvae.
Torva leaena lupum fequitur, lupus ipfe capellam ;
Florentem cytifum fequitur lafciva capella :
Te Corydon, 6 Alexi. trahit fua quemque voluptas. 65
Afpice, aratra jugo referunt fufpenfa juvenci,
Et fol crefcentis decedens duplicat umbras :
Me tamen urit amor, quis enim modus adfit amori ? a
Ah Corydon, Corydon, quae te dementia cepit ! '
Semiputata tibi frondofa vitis in ulmo eft. no
Qiiin tu aliquid faltem, potius quorum indiget ufus,
Viminibus mollique paras detexere junco ?
Invenies alium, fi te hie faftidit. Alexin.
77. Pallas is faid to be the Inventor of archltefture.
88. Elms.'] The epithet frondofa has great propriety : for
Servius fays, here is a double inftance of negleft ! the vines
are half pruned, and the elms are fuffered to make longfhoots.
91. If this Alexis. "[ Even when he refolves to forget the be-
loved perfon, he fondly repeats the beloved name. Tr app.
92. From Theocritus.
La Cerda has colledled, with much exaftnefs, all the paflages
which Virgil has taken from Theocritus ; their number is in-
deed very great.
I
Ed. 2. The Eclogues of Virgil. 55
Wretch that I am ! to the tempeftuous blaft
O I have given my blooming flowers to wafte !
Whom deft thou fly ? the gods of heav'n above, 75
And Trojan Paris deign'd in v/oods to rove;
Let Pallas build, and dwell in lofty towers.
Be our delight the fields and fhady bovvers :
Lions the wolves, and wolves the kids purfue.
The kids fweet thyme— and I ftill follow you. go
Lo ! labouring oxen fpent with toil and heat.
In loofen'd traces from the plough retreat.
The fun is fcarce above the mountains feen.
Lengthening the fhadows o'er the dufky green ;
But flill my bofom feels not evening cool, S5
Love reigns uncheck'd by time, or bounds, or rule.
What frenzy, Ccrydon, invades thy breaft ?
Thy elms grow wild, thy vineyard lies undreft;
No more thy neceflary labours leave,
Renew thy works, and ofier-bafkets weave : 90
If this Alexis treat thee with difdain,
Thou'It find another, and a kinder fwain.
END OF THE SECOND ECLOGUE.
[ 97 ]
ECLOGUE THE THIRD.
ARGUMENT.
This Eclogue contains a difpute between two Jhepherds., of that
fort which the critics call Amoebaea, from A/Aot(S«to?, mutual
er alternate» In this way of writing the perfons are re^
frefented to fpeak alternately^ the latter always endeavour-
ing to exceed, or at leaji equal, what has been faid by the
former, in the very fame number efverfes; in which if he
fails, he lofes the viSfory. Here Menalcas and Damoetas
reproach each other, and then fing for a wager, making
Palaemon judge between them. Menalcas begins the con-
tention, by cafling fame reflexions on his rival Aegon, and
his ferunnt Damoetas. Fives, as ufual, endeavours to al-
legorize this Eclogue, and fays that Virgil means himfelf
jfnder the fiSfitious name of Damoetas. I heard, fays Mr,
Holdfworth, a poetical conteji of this kind at Val-Ombrofa^
which being very fatirical, put me in mind of the eld
Bucolics,
Vol. I. H
[ 98 3
E C L O G A III,
PALAEMON.
Menalcas, Damoetas, Palaemon.
Menalcas.
Die mihi, Damoeta, cujum pecus ? an Meliboei ?
Damoetas.
Non : verum Aegonis. nuper mihi tradidit Aegon.
Menalcas.
Infelix 6 femper oves pecus ! ipfe Neaeram
Dum fovet, ac, ne me fibi praeferat ilia, vereturj
Hie alienus ovis cuftos bis mulget in hora : 5
Et fuccus pecori, et lac fubducitur agnis.
Damoetas.
Parcius ifta viris tamen objicienda memento.
Novimus et qui te, tranfverfa tuentibus hircis,
Et quo, fed faciles Nymphae riferc, lacello,
Menalcas.
Turn, credo, cum me arbuftum videre Myconis, 19
Atque mala vitis incidere falce novellas.
Damoetas.
Aut hie ad veteres fagos, cum Daphnidos arcum
Fregifti et calamos : quae tu, perverfe Menalca,
Et cum vidifti puero donata, dolebas,
Et, fi non aliqua nocuifles, mortuus efles, J5
12. f^e knoiv that you.] Virgil here imitates Theocritus
{No'vimui, ^c.) but is not fo grofs and indelicate as the Greel^
poet,
r 99 ]
ECLOGUE THE THIRD,
P A L A E Pvl O N.
MeNALCAS, DaMOETAS, FAgLAEMOS,
Menalcas.
ARE thefe, Damoetas, Meliboeub' fheep ?
Damoetas.
No ; thefe their mafter Aegon bade me keep.
Menalcas.
Unhappy flieep ! yet more unhappy fwain !
Whilft he Neacra wooes, but wooes in vain ;
And fears left I by fairer fortune bleft e
Should win precedence in the virgin's breaft;
Lo! here an hireling waftes his mafter's gains.
And twice an hour of milk the cattle drains.
How lean, too deeply drain'd, appear the dams f
And cheated of their milk how pine the lambs ! 10
Damoetas.
At leaft to men this fcoffing language fpare;
We know that you — with whom — and when — and where i
We know the cave — 'tis well the nymphs were kind.
Nor to the deed the leering goats were blind.
Menalcas.
Ay, the kind nymphs, forfooth, no notice took, IC"
When Mycon's vine I tore with wicked hook,
Damoetas.
Or rather when, yon ancient beech below.
In fpite you broke young Daphnis' darts and bow.
O fwain perverfe ! nay, when the boy receiv'd
The gift, oh ! how your jealous foul was griev'd ! 20
Twas well you found that way, or you, I vveen.
Had died in very impotence of fpleen,
H 2
100 p. ViRGILII MaRONIS BUCOLICA. EcI. 3,
Menalcas.
Q^iid domini faciant, audent cum talia fibres ?
Noil ego te vidi Damonis, peflime, caprum
Excipere infidiis, multum latrante Lycifca?
Et cum clamarem : Qvio nunc fe proripit ille ?
Tityre, coge pecus : tu poft care£la latebas. 20
Damoetas.
An mihl cantar.do villus non redderet illp,
Qiiem mea carminibus meruiiTet fiftula, caprum?
Si nefcis, meus iile caper fuit; et mini Damon '
Ipfe fatebatur : fed rcddcre pofle negabat.
Menalcas.
Cantando tu ilium ? aut umquam tibi fiftula ccra 2^
luniSla fuit ? non tu in triviis, indo6i:e, folebas
Stridenti mifprum ilipula difperdere carmen ?
Damoetas.
Vis ergo inter nos, quid pofli't uterque, viciflim
Experiamur ? ego banc vitulam, ne forte recufes.
Bis venit ad mul6lram, binos alit ubere foetus, 30
Depono: tu die, mecum quo pignore certes,
Menalcas.
De grege non aufim quidquam dcponere tecum.
Eft mihi namque domi pater, eft injufta noverca!
Bifque die numerant ambo pccus, alter et haedos.
Varum id, quod multo tute ipfe fatebere majus, 3^
Infanire libet quoniam tibi, pocula ponam
Fagina, caelatum divini opus Alcimedontis :
36. To J} are. '\ Nothing can be fp fatyrical as this line. All
thefeR's (\vj Ji a repetition ofy? \\\ Jiridenti l^ Jiipuld) could not
concur witiiout feme defign. Milton imitates this paflage in
his beauciiul pocrn entitled Lycidas,
Grate on their fcraunel pipes of wretched ftraw.
48. /ihimedon '\ As there is no account left us of any famous
artill called yMvir.iedon, Dr. Martyn imagines that he was a
friend of our poet, who was thercfpre willing to tranfmit his
name to poflciity. By his name, he appears to have been a
Greek. liow highly the arts of painting and carving were
elleemed in Greece, appears from this \tr^ remarkable pafTagc
in
iEcl. 3. The Eclogues of Virgil» ioi
Menalcas.
What daring fcandal muft thy mafter prate,
Since thou, his flave, canft talk at fuch a rate !
Did not I fee thee, thief, ileal Damon's goat, 25
While loud Lycifca gave the warning note ?
And when I cry'd, — " See, where the rafcal fpeeds j
" Tit'rus take care" — you Ikulk'd behind the reeds.
Damoetas.
The goat was mine, and won beyond difpute;
The lawful prize of my victorious flute. 30
Not Damon's felf the juft demand denieSj
But owns he could not pay the forfeit prize.
Menalcas.
You win a goat by mufic ? did thy hand
E'er join th' unequal reeds with waxen band ?
Vile dunce ! whofe fole ambition was to draw 35
The mob in ftreets to ftare at thy harlh-grating flraw.
Damoetas.
Howe'er that be, fuppofe we trial make ?
I, to provoke you more, yon heifer ftake.
Two calves Ihe rears, twice fills the pails a-day.
Now for the ftrife 'tis your's fome pledge to lay. 40
Menalcas.
You cannot from my flock a pledge require.
You know I have at home a peevifli fire,
A cruel fl:ep-dame too — ftrict v/atch they keep.
And twice each day they count my goats and fheep.
But fmce your proffer'd prize fo much you boaft, 45
I'll ftake a pledge of far fuperlor coft.
Two beauteous bowls of becchen v/ood are mine.
The fculpture of Alcimedon divine;
in Pliny ; fpeaking of Eupompus, he fays^ *' It v/as enjoined by
** his authority, firftin Sicyon, and next chroughout all Greece,
•' that ingenuous youths fhouid above all things learn the art
*' oi carving, that is, of making defigns in box ; and that this
*' art Ihould be ranked among the firlt of the liberal ones. He
H 3 " thought
102 P. ViRGiLii Maronis Bucoi^ca. Ecl. 3.
Lenta quibus torno facili luperaddita vitis
DifFufos edera veflit pallente corymbos.
In medio duo figna, Conon : et quis fuit alter, 40
Defcripfit radio totum qui gentibus orbem,
Tempera quae melTor, quae curvus arator haberet ?
Nccdinn illis labra admovi, fed condita fervo.
Damoetas.
Et nobis idem Alcimedon duo pocula fecit,
Et niolli circum eit anfas amplexus acantho, 45
Orpheaque in medio pofuit, filvafque fcquentis.
Necdum illis labra admovi, fed condita fervo.
Si ad vitulam fpeclas, nihil eft quod pocula laudes.
Menalcas.
Nunquam hodie effugics. veniam quocunque vocaris. ■
Audiat haec tantum vel qui venit : ecce, Palaemon : 50
Efficiam pofthac quemquam ne voce laceflas.
Damoetas.
Qiiin age, fi quid habes ; in me mora non erit ulla,
Nec quemquam fugio. tantum, vicine Palaemon,
Senubus haec imis (res eft non parva) rcponas.
Palaemon.
Dicite: quandoquidem in molli confedimus herba. 55
Et nunc omnis ager, nunc omnis parturit arbos,
Nunc frondent filvae, nunc formofiflimus annus.
Incipe, Damoeta ; tu deinde fcqucre, Menalca.
Alternis dicctis : amant alterna Camenae.
' thoug^it ihe laws of honour were violated, if any but gentle-
* men, or at leall thofe that were reputably born, praftifed this
* art; and made a perpetual prohibition that Haves never
' Ihould be admitted to Jearn it. Hence it is that we fee no
* celebrated pieces uf ca7-'v:n^, neither ot engraving, or relie'vo,
' [Toreutice] done by any perfon in the degree of a flave."
Nat. Hilt. b. 35. c. 10.
Eel. 3, The Eclogues of Virgil, I03
Whofe eafy chiflel o'er the work has twin'dj
A vine with berries of pale ivy join'd. 5®
Full in the midfl: two comely forms appear,
Conon, with him who fram'd that wond'rous fphere.
Which points the change of feafons to the fwain.
And when to plough the foil^ or reap the grain.
Thefe are my pledge ; which yet with care I keep 55
Untouch'dj and unpolluted by the lip.
Damoetas.
I have a pair by the fame artift made»
Their handles with acanthus' leaves o'erlaid,
Where Orpheus in the midft attracts the grove —
But my firft-profFer'd prize is ftill above 60
All we can ftake ; tho' yet my cups I keep
Untouch'd, and unpolluted by the lip»
Menalcas.
Name your own terms, nor think the field to fly,
We'll choofe, forjudge, the firft who pafTcs by
Palaemon comes let him the caufe decide i 6jJ
For once I'll tame an empty boafter's pride.
Damoetas.
I fear the threats of no vain-glorious fwain.
No proud Menalcas, nor his vaunted ftrain.
The fong, Palaemon, with attention hear.
No mean debate demands thy liftening ear. ^O
Palaemon.
Begin, fmce on the tender turf we reft,
And fields and trees in fruitful ftores are dreft.
The lofty groves their verdant livery wear.
And in full beauty blooms the laughing year.
Begin Damoetas ; next, Menalcas, prove 75
Thy fkillj the Nine alternate meafures love.
H4
104 P* ViRciLii Marokis Bucolica. Eel. 3*
Damoetas.
Ab Jove principium, Mufae : Jovis omnia plena : 60
Ille colit terras, illi mea carmina curae.
Menalcas.
Et me Phoebus amat : Phoebo fua Temper apud me
Munera funt, lauri, et fuave rubens hyacinthus.
Damoetas.
Malo me Galatea petit, lafciva puella ;
Et fugit ad falices, et fe cupit ante videri. 65
Menalcas.
At mihi fefe ofFert ultro me^is ignis Amyntas :
Notior ut jam fit canibus non Delia noftrisr
Damoetas.
Parta meae Veneri funt munera : namque notavi
Ipfe locum, aeriae quo congeflere palumbes.
Menalcas.
Quod potui, puero filveftri ex arbore le£la 70
Aurea mala decern mifi : eras altera mittam.
Damoetas.
quoties, et quae nobis Galatea locuta eft!
Partem aliquam, venti, divom referatis ad auris.
77. Mufes from mighty. '\ Virgil feems to have laid it down as
an indifpeniable rule to himfeif, in thefe Amoebaean verfes,
to make the refpondent (hepherd anfwer his opponent, in exadtly
the fame number of lines. Either this rule was never taken
notice of by any former tranflator; or the extreme difficulty
of obferving it, hath deterred them from attempting to follow
it. How I have fuccceded (both in this and the feventh Eclogue)
mull be left to the determination of the judicious reader, who,
it is hoped, will make proper allowances for fuch a conftraint.
82. Laurel.] The ancient poets feem to ufe laurus indiifer-
endy for laurels, or bays : ftriftly fpeaking, lauro, or lauroregio,
ijgiufics the former in Italian, and alloro the latter; but their
bell poets ufe lauro indifferently for both. Spence.
103. Brcfzes, bear.] This fentinient of Damoetas is beauti>
ful and poetical to the lafl degree, efpecially, partem aliquam..
Ed. 3» The Eclogues op Virgji.; 105
Damoetas.
Mufes from mighty Jove begin the theme ;
With mighty Jove all nature's regions teem t
With liberal hand he fows the plenteous plains.
Nor unpropitious hears my rural ftrains. 5o
Menalcas.
E'en me, mean fhepherd, Phoebus deigns to love^
Sacred to him I rear a laurel-grove :
And ftill along my lavifh borders rife.
His hyacinths of fweetly-blooming dies.
Damoetas.
At me an apple Galatea threw, ^^
Then to the willov/s, wily girl, withdrew;
Yet as with hafty fteps fhe fkimm'd the green,
Wifh'd, ere fhe gain'd the willows, to be feen,
Menalcas.
But unfolicited Amyntas burns
For me, fpontaneoufly my love returns ; ^
Unalk'd the boy prevents each foft requeft.
Nor by my dogs is Delia more carefs'd.
Damoetas.
To the dear Venus of my love-fick mind.
Her fwain a welcome prefent has defign'd.
I mark'd the bough where two fond turtles coo'd, 95
And her's fhall be the neft, and feathery brood.
Menalcas.
Amid the woodland wilds a tree I found,
Its plenteous boughs with golden apples crown'd ;
Then, all I could, to my dear youth I fent.
And mean ten more to-morrow to prefent. 100
Damoetas.
How oft with words fo mufically mild.
Has Galatea every fenfe beguil'd !
Some part, at leaft, to heav'n, ye breezes, bear.
Nor let fuch words be loft in common air.
io6 P. ViRQiLii Maroni$ Bucolica. Eel. 3.
Menalcas.
Quid prodeft, quod me ipfe animo non fpernis, Amynta,
Si, dum tu f«<3:ari5 apros, ego retia fervo ? y^
Damoetas.
Phyllida mitte mihi : meus eft natalis, lola :
Cum faciam vitula pro frugibus, ipfe venito.
Menalcas.
Phyllida amo ante alias; nam me difcedere flevit :
Et, longum formofe vale, vale, inquit, lola.
Damoetas.
Trifte lupus ftabulis, maturis frugibus imbres, 80
Arboribus vend ; nobis Amaryllidis irae.
Menalcas.
Dulce fatis humor, depulfis arbutus haedis,
Lenta falix foeto pecori ; mihi folus Amyntas,
Damoetas.
Pollio amat noftram, quamvis eft ruftica, Mufam :
Pkrides, vitulam le^iori pafcite veftro, 85
Menalcas.
Pollio et ipfe facit nova carmina. pafcite taurum.
Jam cornu petat, ac pedibus qui fpargat arenam.
Damoetas.
Qiii te, Pollio, amat, veniat, quo te quoque gaudet.
107. T/je hoar at hay."] Orig. Si, dum tufe8aris apros, ego retia
fernjo ? " What fignifies your love to me, if you will not let me
" fliew mine to you by Iharing your dangers?" — For all the
danger was in hunting the wild beafts ; none in watching the
nets. RuAEUs and Trapp.
133. Phillis o'er enjery other nymph. '\ The original is, et longum
fcrmo/e, 'vale lola! The vocative cafe lola does not agree
v/ii\\ formofe, but is to be conilrued at the beginning of the cou-
plet: O lolas, I lo'ue Phillis above other n.K!omen, for fie n.uept
nvhen I parted from her, and cried, O fair Jhepherd [Menalcas ]
farenxiel, l5c.
121. Vernal Jho-wers.l La Cerda thinks the fhepherds are
equal in thefe couplets : but Catrou, accordini' tocuflom, affirms
that Menalcas has the advantage. " The images," fays he,
** which Menalcas here prefcnts to the mind, are more agree-
•' able than thofe of his adverfary. A wolf, unfeafonable rains,
c '• and
Eel. 3. The Eclogues of Virgil. 107
Menalcas.
In vain, Amyntas, you pretend in vain 105
To love ; you treat me with unkind difdain.
If while you hold the briftly boar at bay,
I keep the nets, nor fhare the dangerous day.
Damoetas.
Bid Phillis hafte t'improve the genial mirth
Of this the day that gave her (hepherd birth ; 1 10
And when my heifer bleeds at Ceres' feaft,
lolas, come thyfelf, and be a welcome gueft!
Menalcas.
Phillis o'er every other nymph I prize.
Oh ! how fhe took her leave with weeping eyes !
And as I went, " Dear fliepherd," oft {he cry'd, 115
And many a long adieu thro' the deep vales fhe figh'd.
Damoetas.
The wolf is fatal to the folded fheep ;
With fatal force o'er trees loud tempefts fweep ;
Fatal the rufhing fhow'rs to ripening corn :
To me more fatal Amaryllis' fcorn ! I2*.
Menalcas.
Sweet are the vernal fliow'rs to fwelling feed ;
The flow'ry arbute to the weanling kid j
The tender willows to the teeming herd :
By me o'er all Amyntas is preferr'd.
Damoetas.
Pollio approves, though rough, my rural reed} 125
Mufes, an heifer for your patron feed !
Menalcas.
Since Pollio deigns to build the lofty ftrain ;
Feed him a bull that butting fpurns the plain.
Damoetas.
Let him who loves a Pollio's facred name
Gain what he loves, and (hare a Pollio's fame: 130
** and tempeftuous winds, are the ornament of Daraoetas's dif-
*• courfe. In that of Menalcas, we have favourable rains, and
•• an agreeable nourifhment to the flocks.'*
loS P. VlRGlLII MaRONIS fiuCOLICA. EcI. 3.
Mella fluant illi, ferat et rubus afper amomum.
Menalcas.
Qui Bavium non odit, amet tua carmlna, Maevi : go
Atque idem jungat volpes, et mulgeat hircos.
Damoetas.
Qui legitis floras, et hvrmi nafcentia fraga,
Frigidus, 6 pueri, fugite hinc, latet anguis in herbs.
Menalcas.
Parcite oves nimium procedere : non bene rlpae
Creditur. ipfe aries etiam nunc vellera ficcat. 95
Damoetas.
Tityre, pafcentis a flumine reice capellas :
Ipfe, ubi tempus erit, omnis in fonte lavabo.
Menalcas.
Cogite ovis, pueri : fi lac praeceperit aeflus,
Ut nuper, fruftra preflabimus ubera pal mis.
Damoetas.
Eheu, quam pingui macer eft mihi taurus in ervo ( 100
Idem amor exitium pecori eft, pecorifque magiftro.
Menalcas.
His certe neque amor caufla eft : vix oflibus haerent.
Nefcio quis teneros oculus mihi fafcinat agnos.
Damoetas.
Die, quibus in terris, et eris mihi magnus Apollo,
Tris pateat coeli fpatium non amplius ulnas. 105 •
Menalcas.
Die, quibus in terris infcripti nomina regum
Nafcantur flores : et Phyllida folus habeto.
139. Graze not."] Catrou underftands this couplet as an alle-
gory, implying a caution to avoid being furprized by dangerous
inclinations. This feems a ftrained and forced interpretation.
148. What magic eye."] The notion of an evil eye, ftill pre-
vails among the ignorant vulgar. Lord Bacon fpeaks of the
power of the glances of an envious eye. See an account of
fafcination in Chambers's DiSlionary.
151. Tell this. '\ Catrou and Dr. Trapp are for the w<f/«»//
the o'ven, as the moft fimpleand fuitable to a Ihepherd's under-
ftanding. But Dr. Martyn propofes a new interpretation, and
thinks the Ihephcrd may mean a celeftial globe or fphere.
3
]£cl. 2' The Eclogues of Virgil. 109
For him let golden ftreams of honey flow.
And fragrant fpices breathe from every bough.
Menalcas.
Js there a fwain that hates not Bavius' lays ?
Be it his curfe vile Maevius' verfe to praife:
The fame degree of madnefs might provoke I^c
To milk male goats, or ftubborn foxes yoke.
Damoetas.
Ye boys that gather flow'rs and ftrawberries,
Lo ! hid within the grafs a ferpent lies !
Menalcas.
Graze not, my fheep, too near the faithlefs bank.
Scarce yet the ram has dry'd his fleeces dank. 140
Damoetas.
Tityrus, thy kids too near the river ftray,
Myfelf will wafh them all fome fitter day,
Menalcas.
Boys, fold your fheep, 'tis vain to prefs the teat.
When all the milk, as erfl, is dry'd with heat.
Damoetas.
How lean my bull on yonder cloyer'd plain f I45
Love waftes alike the cattle and the fwain.
Menalcas.
Some heavier plague has made thefe lambs fo leani
What magic eye my tender brood has feen !
Damoetas.
Tell me the place, where heaven's contracted bound
Appears to view but three fhort ells around ? I50
Tell this, and thou my god of yerfe fhalt Ihine.
Menalcas.
Tell this, and lovely Phillis fhall be thine:
O tell in what delightful region fprings
The flow'r that bears infcrib'd the names of kings.
154. 0/ kings.] The flower here meant is the hyacinth,
?vhich as if is faid to fpring from the blood of Ajax, was mark'd
AI.
110 p. VlRGiLii Maronis Bucolica. Eel. 3.
Palaemon.
Non noftrum inter vos tantas conponere litis :
Et vitula tu dignus, et hie : et quifquis amorcs
Aut metuet dulcis, aut experietur amaros. no
Clauditc jam rivos, pueri. fat prata biberunt.
159. 1'he Jireams."] Claudite jam ri-vos, is an allegorical ex-
preffioD, taken from a river's refreshing the meadows, and ap-
plied to mufic and poetry delighting the ears, the fancy, and
the judgment.
Eel. 3. The Eclogues of Virgil. hi
Palaemon.
Which to prefer perplexing doubts arife : 155
Neither have won, but both deferv'd the prize;
And all deferve alike, whofe fong can prove.
Like yours, how much they fear'd or hop'd in love.
'Tis time to ceafe, my boys : the ftreams reftrain.
Enough the floods have drench'd the thirfly plain. 160
END OF THE THIRD ECLOGUE.
I
[ 113 3
ECLOGUE THE FOURTH.
ARGUMENT.
Catrou feems to be the firjl commentator that ha: given any
thing like a rational interpretation of the fubjeSf of this
famous Eclogut. His words are as fcllcius^ viz. In the
year of Rome 714, fays he^ when Afmius Pollio and Do-
mitius Calvinus were confuls, the people of Rome ccmpelled
the triumvirs O^avian and Anthony to make a durable
peace between them. It was hoped, that thereby an end
would be put to the war with Sextus Pompey, ivho had
made himfelf mafler of Sicily^ and by the interruption of
commerce., had caufed a famine in Rojue. To make this
peace the more firm, they ivoidd have Anthony, vshofe wife
Fulvia was then dead, to marry OSlavian Caefar s ffier
OSfavia, who had lately lofi her kujhand Marccllus, and
was theyi big with a child, of which Jhe was delivered
after her marriage with Anthony. This child retained the
name of his own father Marccllus, and as long as he lived
was the delight of his uncle OSf avian, and the hope of the
Roman people. It is he that is the fubjeii of this Eclogue.
Virgil addreffes it to Pollio, vjho ivas at that time confuly
and thereby makes a compliment to Caefar, Ayithony, Oc^
iavia, and Pollio, all at once. The Marcelius, vjhofe
birth is here celebrated, is the fame zvhofe death is larnented
by Virgil in the fixth Acneid. The poet borrows zvhat
was predicted by the Camaean Sybil ccnccrning Jifus
Chrij}, and applies it to this child.
Vol. I.
[ "4 ]
E C L O G A IV.
P O L L I O.
'Icelides Mufae, paullo majora canamus.
Non omnes arbufta juvant, humilefquc myricae.
Si canimus filvas, filvae fint Confule dignae.
Ultima Cumaei venit jam carminis astas :
Magnus ab integro faeclorum nafcitur ordo. 5
Jam redit et Virgo, redeunt Saturnia regna:
Jam nova progenies coelo demittitur alto.
Tu mode nalcenti pucro, quo ferrea primum
Defmet, ac toto furget gens aurea mundo,
Cafta fave Lucina : tuus jam regnat Apollo. tO
Toque adeo decus hoc aevi, te Confule, inibit,
Pollio : et incipient magni procedere menfcs.
Te duce, fi qua manent fceleris veftigia noftri,
Inrita perpetua folvcnt formidine terras.
Ille dcum vitam accipiet, divifque videbit 15
Permixtos heroas, et ipfe videbitur illis :
Pacatumque reget patriis virtutibus orbem.
Ac tibi prima, puer, nullo munufcula cultu,
Errantis ederas paflim cum baccare tellus,
Ver. 21. For thee, O child.'] 'Tis impoffible to forbear ob-
ferving the great fimilitude of this pafiage, and vhat famous
one of Ifaiah :
** The wildernefs and the folitary place fhall be glad for
*' them : and the defert fhall rejoice, and bloflbm as the rofe,
" chap. XXXV. ver. 1. The glory of Lebanon fhall come unto
" thee, the fir-tree, the pine-tree, and the box together,
" chap. xi. ver. 13. The wolf alfo fhall dwell with the lamb,
*' and the leopard lie down with the kid : and the calf, and
** the young lion, and the failing together, and a little child
*' fliall lead them. And the cow and the bear fhall feed,
*• their young ones fliall lie down together; and the lion fhall
" eat
[ us 1
Eclogue the fourth.
On the Birth of MARCELLUS.
To P O L L I d.
GIVE me, Sicilian maids, fubllmer ilrainSj
All love not lowly fhrubs and rural plains :
Or if ye choofe to fmg the fliady grove,
Make your theme worthy a great conful's love.
The years approach, by Sybils fage foretold^
Again by circling time in order roll'd !
Aflrea comes, old Saturn's holy reign.
Peace, virtue, juftice, now return again !
See a new progeny from heav'n defcend !
Lucina hear ! th' important birth befriend f 1 10
The golden age this infant fhdl reftore.
Thy Phoebus reigns— and vice fhall be no more.
The months begin, the babe's aufpicious face,
Pollio, thy glorious confulfhip fhdl grace ;
What footfteps of our ancient crimes remain 1 5
For ever fhall be banifh'd in thy reign.
He fhall enjoy the life divine, and fee
The gods and heroes of eternity ;
The jarring world in lafting peace fhall bind.
And with his father's virtues rule mankind. 20
For thee, O child, fpontaneous earth fhall pour
Green ivy, mix'd with ev'ry choicefl flow'r :
** eat ftraw like the ox. And the fucking child fhall play
" upon the hole of the afp, and the weaned child fnall put
*' his hand on the adder's den, chap. xi. ver. 6, j, 8."
How much inferior is Virgil's poetry to Ifaiah's ! The for-
mer has nothing coniparable to thefe beautiful llrokes ; " that
•' a little child fhall lead the lion ; that the very trees of
** the foreft fliall come to pay adoration." Virgil fays
I 2 only
Il6 p. ViRGILII MaRONIS BUCOLICA. Ecl. 4.
Mixtaque ridenti colocafia fundet acantho. 20
Ipfae lade domum referent diilenta capellae
Ubera : nee magnos metuent armenta leones.
Ipfa tibi blandos fundent cunabula floras.
Occidet et Terpens, et fallax herba veneni
Occidet : Aflyrium vulgo nafcetur amomum. 2^
Ac fimul heroum laudes et fa£la parentis
Jam legere, et quae fit poteris cognorcere virtus :
Molli paullatim flavefcet campus arifta,
Incultifque rubens penuebit fentibus uva :
Et durae quercus fudabunt rofcida mella. 3*
Pauca tamen fuberunt prifcae veftigia fraudis.
Quae tentare Thetin ratibus, quae cingere muris
Oppida, quae jubeant telluri infindere fulcos.
Alter erit tum Tiphys, et altera quae vehat Argo
Deledos heroas : erunt etiam altera bella; 35 '
Atque iterum ad Troiam magnus mittetur Achilles.
Hinc, ubi jam firmata virum te fecerit aetas,
Ccdet et ipfe mari vector ; nee nautica pinus
Mutabit merces : omnis feret omnia tellus.
Non raftros patietur humus, non vinea falcem : 4®
Robuflus quoque jam tauris juga folvet arator.
Nee varies difcet mentiri lana colores.
Ipfe fed in pratis aries jam fuave rubenti
Murice, jam crocco mutabit vellera luto.
etily occidet et fcrpens ; Ifaiah adds a circumflance inimitably
pitturefque, that the fucking child Ihall play upon the hole of
the afp ; and that the weaned child, a little older and begin-
ning to make ufe of its hands, fliall put his lingers on the
adder's den. There are certain critics who would never ceafe
to admire thefe circum (lances and ftrokes of nature, if they had
not the ill fortune to be placed in the Bible.
33. Har'veJIs.] The ancients ufcd to fovv bearded or prickly
wheat, which deterred the birds from picking the ears. The
epithet molli may therefore imply, that the corn fhall no longer
ftand in need of this fortification, this pallifade, this vallum
arijiarum as Cicero calls it, to defend it from injuries, but
Ihall
Eel. 4. The Eclogues of Virgil. it;
Each field fliall breathe A/Tyria's rich perfume,
And fweets ambrofial round thy cradle bloom :
With milk o'ercharg'd the goats fhall homeward fpeed, ^^5
And herds fecure from mighty lions feed.
The baleful afp and fpeckled fnake fhall die.
Nor pois'nous herb 'mid flow'rs conceal'd fhall lie.
But when his matchlefs father's deeds divine.
And how in virtue's arduous paths to fliine, 30
Warm'd with old heroes' fame, the youth fliall know,
Then cluflering grapes on forefl-thorns fhall glow i
Swains without culture golden harvefls reap.
And knotted oaks fhall fhowers of honey weep.
Yet of old crimes fome footfteps fhall remain, 35
The glebe be plough'd, fhips tempt the dang'rous main j
'Round cities bulwarks rife, and malTy tow'rs.
And other Argo's bear the chofen pow'rs ;
New wars the bleeding nations fhall deftroy, J
And great Achilles find a fecond Troy. / 40
Lafl, when he reaches manhood's prime complete,
The failor fhall forfake the ufelefs fleet ;
No freighted fhip fhall wander ocean 'round.
With ev'ry fruit fhall ev'ry clime be crown'd :
No lands fhall feel the rake, nor vine the hook, 45
The fwain from toil his bullocks fhall unyoke :
No wool fhall glow with alien colours gay.
The ram himfelf rich fleeces fhajl difplay
fhall fpring up fpontaneoufly, and grow ripe with fbft and
tender beards.
38. Jrgo's.] By navigation and commerce Virgil means
that avarice, and by wars, that ambition fhall ftill fubfift,
Catrou.
39. Wars.] A bloody war at lafl reduced Sextus Pompey to
quit Sicily, and meet his death in Aiia by Anthony. The
conjunfture of affairs, the preparations made by Oftavian, and
above all, the difpofitions of men's minds, gave room for the
prediftion of the poet, Catrou.
Is
3iS P. ViRGiLii Maronis Bucolica. EcL 4.
Sponte fua fandyx pafcentis veftiet agnos. 45
Talia faecla, fuis dixerunt, currite, fufis
Concordes ftabili fatorum numine Parcae.
Adgredere 6 magnos (aderit jam tempus) honores,
Cara deum fuboles, magnum Jovis incrementum.
Afpice convexo nutantem pondere mundum, 50
Terrafque, tra£lufque maris, coclumque profundum :
Afpice, venture laetantur ut om.nia faeclo.
O mihi turn longae maneat pars ultima vitae,
Spiritus et quantum fat erit tua dicere fa£la !
Non me carminibus vincet nee Thracius Orpheus, 55
Nee Linus : huic mater quamvis, atque huic pater adf|t,
Orphi Calilopea, Lino formofus Apollo.
Pan etiam Arcadia mecum fi judicc ccrtct.
Pan etiam Arcadia dicat fe judice viclum.
Incipe, parve puer, rifu cognoiccrc matrcm : 60
49. Purple.] Murex was a fhell-fifh fet about with fpikes,
from whence the Tyrian colour was obtained. Lututn is that
herb, fays Dr. Martyn, which our Engiifli writers of botany
defcribe under the name of Luteola, wild woad, and dyer's
weed. It is ufed in dying yellow both wool and filk.
50. Sa7iciyx.'\ Servius and La Cerda afH.m the fandyx to be
an herb, which is a great miflake. Sandyx is fpoken of by-
Pliny, as a cheap material lor painting. The true fandaracha,
fays Dr. Martyn, which feems to be our native red arfenic,
was faid to come from an ifland in the Red Sea.
54. O progeny of Jo'-ve."] Would it have been proper to be-
fiow thefe illultrious appellations on a fon of Pollio? Surely
Virgil does not here pour them forth without reafon. But
wh::t younf^ prince could at that time dcferve to be called
the child of the gods, and the illuftrious cfi'spring of Jupiter?
Without doubt it muft have been one of the family of the
Caeh^rs ! And did there at that time come into the world any
child of the family of the Caefars, except young Marcellus .?
Tiberius was not yet entered into the houfe of Odavian by Jiis
mother, and Drufus was not yet born. Catrou.
55. Tr4t,:ri>:g nature.'] What is the meaning of kh/^tw/^ot .•'
fays the learned Dr. Trapp. With, or under what does it nod
or ftagge.- ? With its guilt and mifcry, fay fome, and fo wants
JO to
£cl. 4. The Eclogues of Virgil. X19
Of native purple and unborrow'd gold.
And fanuyx clothe with red the crowded'fold. 50
The Sifters to their Ipindles faid " Succeed,
Ye happy years ; for thus hath fate decreed f
AfTume thy ftate ! thy deftin'd honours prove.
Dear to the gods ! O progeny of Jove !
Behold how tottering nature nods around, 55
Earth, air, the wat'ry wafte, and heav'n profound !
At once they change they wear a fmiling face.
And all with joy th' approaching age embrace !
O that my life, my vigour may remain |
To tell thy adlrons in heroic flrain j | 60
Not Orpheus* felf, not Linus fiiould exceed
My lofty lays, or gain the poet's meed,
Tho' Phoebus, tho' Calliope infpire.
And one the mother aid, and one the fire.
Should Pan contend, Arcadia's felf fliould own 65
That I from Pan himfelf had gain'd the crown.
Begin, begin, O lovclieft babe below !
Thy mother by her tender fmile to know !
to be fuccoured by this nev.'-born hero. But that to others
feems rot to agree with the happinefs which is afcribed even to
the firft divifion, and to the beginning of this happy age.
And therefore they fay, it either nods, i. e. moves and (hakes
itfelf with joy and exultation ; which is pretty harfh to my
apprehenficn ; or, which is not much better, inclines and tends
to another, i. e. a yet more happy ftate; 'vergentetn, fay they,
nutcjitemquc in meliorem Jiatum. After all I like the firft inter-
pretation heft. 'Twas gcod Tenfe to fay, the world at prefent
labours with its guilt and mifery ; but yet rejoices at the very
near profpeft of the happy change, which is in a manner begun
already.
68. Thy ?nother by her tender fmile. "l The commentators are
divided in opinion, whether he means the fmile of the child,
or that of the mother. I choofe the latter meaning, as it may
be fupported by the bell reafons. See Ruaevs, and Ery-
THRAEUS.
I4
120 P. ViRGiLii Maronis Bucolica. Ecl. 4.
Matri lono-a decern tulerunt faftidia menfes.
Incipe, parve puer : cui non rifere parenfes.
Nee dcus hunc menfa, dea nee dignata cubili eft.
t
71. SmUe Koi.] Thofe who underftand this paflage of the
child, ftrain the verb cognofcere, to fignify that the child fhould
own, or acknowledge his mother, by fmiling on her : but I do
not find any inftance of its having been ufed in that fenfe.
In the next line, the making of the laft fyllable but one
fhort tulerunt y is a poetical licence not very unufual ; thus we
read Jieterunt et mifcuerunt , for Jieterunt et tni/cu^runt ; fo that
there is no occafion to read tulerint, as fome have done wi^^
out any good authority.
Eel. 4. The Eclogues of Virgil» t2i
(Ten tedious months that mother bore for thee
The ficknefs and the pains of pregnancy) yo
For if thy parents fmile not, 'tis decreed.
No god fhall grace thy board, no goddefs blefs thy bed.
72. No god. "l The life of the gods or apotheofis (here pro-
mifed by the poet) confifted of two particulars ; the fitting at
the table of Jupiter, and the marriage of feme goddefs ; there-
fore the threats of Virgil amount to this — —You Ihall not
enjoy the life of the gods, becaufe neither Jupiter will admit
you to his table, nor any goddefs to her bed, Ruaeus,
^ND OF THE FOURTH ECLOGUE.
I i2i ]-
ECLOGUE THE FIFTH.
ARGUMENT.
Tbefubje^ of the following Eclogue is great ^ and the ■poet la^
hcured his compofition accordingly ; it is no lefs than the
death of Julius Caefar^ and his deification. Many rea-
fons maylje given, why hy Daphnis is not meant Saloni-
nus, the pretended fon of Pollio, nor Flaccus, FirgiTs
^.brother. This Eclogue mufl have greatly reco?nmended our
author to the favour of Augnfius. Ruaeus thinks it was
vjritten vjhen fome plays or facrifices were celebrated in
honour of Julius Caefar. The fcene of it is not only
beautiful in itfelf but adapted to the folemnity of the
fubjeSi ; the fnepherds ft and fing in the azveful gloom of a
grotto, ivhich is overhung by wild vines.
( 124 3
E C L O G A V,
D A P H N I S.
Menalcas, Mopsus#
Menalcas.
CU R non, Mopfe, boni quoniam convenimus ambo,
Tu calamos inflare levis, ego dicere verfus.
Hie corulis mixtas inter confidimus ulmos ?
Mopsus.
Tu major, tibi me eft aequum parere, Menaka :
Sive fub incertas Zephyris motantibus umbras, 7j
Sive antro potius fuccedimus. afpice, ut antrum
Silveftris raris fparfit labrufca racemis.
Menalcas.
Montibus in noftris folus tibi certet Amyntas,
Mopsus.
Quid fl idem certet Phoebum fuperare canendo ?
Menalcas.
Incipe, Mopfe, prior ; fi quos aut Phyllidis igneSj J©
Aut Alconis babes laudes, aut jurgia Codri.
Incipe : pafcentis fervabit Tityrus haedos,
Mopsus.
Immo baec, in viridi nuper quae cortice fagi
Carmina defcripfi, et modulans alterna notavi,
jLxperiar : tu deinde jubeto certet Amyntas, 15
Ver. 2. SkiWd.'] Boni difcere IS infiare, in the orig. is Z
Grecifm of which there are many in our author.
5. Elder,'] Servius fays, it may either mean, major natu vel
merito. But the context feems to favour the firft.
15. Alcon—Codrus.] Surely thefe fubjedls are not paftoral
enough to be here mentioned by Menalcas.
^8. J beech's.] Cortice fagi. It was the ancient cuftom of
Italy
[ 125 3
ECLOGUE THE FIFTH.
D A P H N I S.
Menalcas and Mopsus.
Menalcas.
SINCE thus we meet, whom different fancies lead,
I fkill'd to fing, and you to touch the reed,
Why fit we not beneath this woven fhade,
Which the broad elm with hazles mixt hath made ?
Mopsus.
Mine elder thou; 'tis juft that I obey 5
What you propofe ; whether you choofe to ftay
Beneath the covert of the branching trees.
Which fhift their fhadows to th' uncertain breeze.
Or rather in yon' cooling grot recline,
O'erhung with clufters of the flaunting vine. I©
Menalcas.
Amyntas only can vrith you compare :
Mopsus.
What if to fing with Phoebus' felf he dare ?
Menalcas,
Begin thou firft ; whether fair Phillis' flame»
Or Codrus' patriot quarrel be the theme ;
Or fkilful Alcoji's praifes fwell thy notes : ijj
Tityrus mean while fhall tend thy feeding goats.
Mopsus.
Rather -Fll try thofe verfes to repeat.
Which on a beech's verdant bark. I writ :
I writ, and fung between : when thefe you hear,
Judge if Amyntas' ftrains with mine compare. 2Q
Italy to write on the barks of trees, as it was in Egypt to writa
on the Papyrus, a fort of rulh, from which the word Paper i«
derived.
126 p. ViRGILII MaROUIS fiucOLICA. EcL 5,'
Menalcas.
Lenta falix quantum pallenti cedit olivae,
Puniceis humilis quantum faliunca rofetis :
Judicio noftro tantura tibi cedit Amyntas.
Mopsus.
Sed tu define plura, puer : fucceflimus antro.
Exftindtum nymphae crudeli funere Daphnin 2Cf
Flebant : vos coruli teftes, et flumina, nymphis :
Cum, complexa fui corpus miferabile gnati,
Atque deos atque aftra vocat crudella mater.
Non ulli paftos illis egere diebus
Frigida, Daphni, boves ad flumina: nulla nequeamnem 25
Xibavit quadrupes, nee graminis adtigit herbam,
Daphni, tuum Poenos etiam ingemuifle leones
Interitum, montefque feri filvaeque loquuntur.
Daphnis et Armenias curru fubjungere tigris
Inftituit, Daphnis thiafos inducere Bacchi, 3^*
Et foliis lentas intexere mollibus haftas.
Vitis ut arboribus decori eft, ut vitibus uvae,
Ut gregibus tauri, fegetes ut pinguibus arvis ;
Tu decus omne tuis. poftquam te fata tulerunt,
Ipfa Pales agros, atque ipfe reliqiiit Apollo. 35
Grandia faepe quibus mandavimus hordea fulcis,
Infelix lolium, et fteriles nafcuntur avenae.
22.1 There is no Englifli name ior faliunca : it is either the
nardus Celtica, or elfe entirely unknown. Martyn.
27. His /ad mci/^er.] Dr. Martyn with great probability
obferves, that by the mother is meant Venus, and confirms
his opinion by an almoft parallel pifTage in Ovid's Metamor-
phofes, Book 15. Ovid there reprefents Venus to be terrified
at the approach of Crefar's death ; fhe difcovers all the fear»
and tendernefs of a mother, and confiders the injury as offered
to herfelf.
29. No cattle, — no horfe."] This circumdancc is remarkable,
and may allude to a ftrange fa£t that happened, according ta
Suetonius's account, at Julius Cxfar's death: He tells us,
that the horfes which this emperor confecrated when he pafTed
the Rubicon, and had been turned wild ever fmce, were ob-
fcrved
Eel. 5. The EcIogues of Virgil. 127
Menalcas.
When the weak willow with the olive vies.
Or nard with the fv/eet rofe's crimfon dies ;
Then may Amyntas with thy matchlefs ftrain :
Mopsus.
Enouo-h— — for fee ! the folemn grott we gain.
Round Daphnis dead the nymphs in anguifh mourn'd, 25
Witnefs, ye woods and ftreams, for ye their plaints re-
turn'd !
While his fad mother his cold limbs embrac'd,
Heav'n and the gods acculing in her hafle.
No fwain then drove his cattle to the flood ;
No horfe would tafte the ftream, or graffy food : jo
Thee, defart rocks, thee vocal woods bemoan'd.
For thee with dreadful grief, ev'n Lybian lions groan'd,
Armenian tygers Daphnis taught to yoke.
And whirl the car obedient to the ftroke.
To dance in frantic mood at Bacchus' feaft, 2 j
And fliake the fpear with tender foliage dreft :
As vines the trees, as grapes the vines adorn.
Bulls grace the herds, and fields the golden corn.
So Daphnis while he dwelt upon the plains.
Shone with faperior grace among the fwains. 40
Thee when the fates in vengeance fnatch'd away.
Pales nor Phoebus deign'd a longer ftay :
In vain v/e fow ; the promis'd harvefts fail j
While v/retched lolium and wild oats prevail ;
ferved to abftain from their food, pertmacijfime fahulo ahjlinere
ubertimque fiere.
33. Armenian tygers.'\ Ruaeus fays, the folemnities of Bac-
chus were in a manner reftored and celebrated by Caefar witli
greater magnificence than they had ever been before.
44. Wretched lolium.'\ Virgil here gives lolium the epithet of
infelix. It is of a malignant nature, and is fo much the more
dangerous from its not being eaiily to be diftinguiflied from the
corn among which it ufually fprings up. The ancients thought
it bad for the eyes : Mirum eji lolio iii^itare tc tarn njili tritico.
P. ^id
X2$ ?• ViRGlLII MaRONIS BuCOLiCA- EcI. ^»
Pro molli viola, pro purpureo narciflb,
Carduus, et fpinis furgit paliurus acutis.
Spargite humum foliis, inducite fontibus umbras, 46
Paftores : mandat fieri fibi talia Daphnis.
Et tumulum facite, et tumulo fuperaddite carmen :
Daphnis ego in filvis, hinc ufque ad fidera notus,
Formofi pecoris cuftos, formofior ipfe.
Menalcas.
Tale tuum carmen nobis, divine poeta, 45
Quale fopor feflis in gramine : quale per aeftum
Dulcis aquae falienbe fitim reftinguere rivo.
Nee calamis folum aequiparas, fed voce magiflrum.
Fortunate puer, tu nunc eris alter ab illo.
Nos tamen haec quocunque mode tibi noftra viciilim 50
Dicemus ; Daphninque tuum tollemus ad aftra :
Daphnin ad aftra feremus. amavit nos quoque Daphnis.
Mopsus.
An quidquam nobis tali fit munere majus ?
Et puer ipfe fuit cantari dignus : et ifta
Jam pridem Stimicon laudavit carmina nobis. 55
Menalcas.
Candidus infuetum miratur limen Olympi,
Sub pedibufque videt nubes et fidera Daphnis.
Ergo alacris filvas, et cetera rura voluptas,
Panaque, paftorefque- tenet. Dryad afque puellas.
Nee lupus infidias pecori, nee retia cervis 60
P. ^iJjamP S. ^ia lu/citio/us. P. Aedepol tu quidem eaecuJ,
nen lufcitiofus. Plaut. Mil. Gloriof. Aft. 2. Sc. 3.
Et dareant loUis cculos niitiantihus agri.
OviD.Faft. I. 690.
And the modern Italians have yet a worfe notion of it : for
rhey look upon it as the caufe of the melancholy kind of mad-
nefs; and 'tis common with them to fay of any fuch perfop,
J mangiato pane con loglioy * He has eat bread with lolium in
* it.' HoLDswoRTH and Spekce.
Eel. 5. The Eclogues of Virgil.
For violet foft, for purple dafFodill,
Brambles and prickly burrs the meadows fill.
With boughs the brooks o'erfhade, ye rural train,
With leaves and flowers befpread the verdant plain;
Daphnis thefe rites did for himfelf ordain.
With grateful hands his monument erecEl, 50
And be the ftone with this infeription deck'd i
" I Daphnis here repofe j fam'd to the fkyj
*' Fair was my flock, but fairer far was I !"
Menalcas.
O bard divine ! as fweet thy tuneful lay,
As flumber to tir'd fwains on new-mown hay^ 55
Or as in fummer's fultry drought to tafte
Cool fl:reams that bubbling o'er the meadows hafte.
Thou ev'n with Pan deferv'ft an equal meed,
For fkill to tune the voice or touch the reed.
Bleft youth ! who now flialt fliare that maflier's fame ; 60
Yet will I Arrive th' alternate lays to frame :
Bid Daphnis' praifes to the ftars afcend.
For Daphnis lov'd ev'n me, his humble frieridi
Mopsus.
How can'fl: thou pleafe me more? — The youth thy praife
Deferv'dj and Stimichon approves the lays. 6^
Menalcas.
Daphnis with wonder mounts to heav'ri on high.
Above the clouds, above the ilarry fky :
Hence joy enchants the woods, and fmiling plains,
Pales and Pan, the Dryads, and the fwains j
"No more the prowling wolf the cattle fear, jCJ
Nor fecret toils deceive th' incautious deer j
54. hard di'vine.'\ The elegance and fweetnefs of thefe
lines are not to be equalled by any thing, but the anfwer Mop-
fus makes to them afterwards in line 82 of the original.
Nam neque me tantum, is'c.
Vol. I, K
j^o p. ViRGiLii Maronis Bucolica, EcI. 5.
Ulla dolum meditantur. amat bonus otia Daphnls.
Tpfi lactitia voces ad fidera jadlant
Intonfi montcs : ipfae jam carmina rupes,
Ipfa fonant arbufta : Deus, dcus ille, Menalca.
Sis bonus, 6 felixque tuis ! en quatuor aras : 65
Ecce duas tibi, Daphni, duoque altaria Phoebo.
Pocula bina novo fpumantia laite quotannis,
Craterafque duos ftatuam tibi pinguis olivi :
Et multo in primis hilarans convivia baccho.
Ante focum, fi frigus erit, fi meflis, in umbra ; yo
Vina novum fundam calathis Aruifia ne6tar.
Cantabunt mihi Damoetas, et Lydlius Aegon :
Saltantis Satyros imitabitur Alphefiboeus.
Kaec tibi Temper erunt, et cum folennia vota
Reddemus Nymphis, et cum luftrabimus agros. yj
Dum juga montis aper, fluvios dum pifcis amabit,
Dumque thymo pafcentur apes, dum rore cicadae.
Semper honos, nomenque tuum, laudefque manebunt*
Ut Baccho Cererique, tibi fic vota quotannis
Agricolae facicnt : damnabis tu quoque votis. 80
73. Peace."] This expreffion of cfia feems more particularly
to allude to the mercy and clemency of Caefar : virtues for
which he was fo much celebrated by Tully and other writers.
77. A god, a god.] This paflage is very fuLlime, and bears a
great refemblance to that of Ilaiah (which probably Virgil
might have read) '* Ereak forth into Jinging, ye mountains,
*' O forcft, and every tree therein." And this lofty language
muft confirm the opinion that Julius Caefar is meant, by
Daphnis.
83. Chlos\'\ Arvifium was a promontory of the ifland Chios^
now Scios, from whence the finell: of the Greek wines came.
91 . When the ^jiBims.] This ceremony was called Ambar-Tja-
lia. The facred dances mentioned in the lines immediately
preceding, were ufed by the ancients both Jews and heathens
in religious ceremonies. An account of them may be feen in
Dr. Delany's life of David, and in Lucian oteo» o;-^yj,(Ttoi;.
95. So long.] Aeneas addreffes Dido in almoll the fame
words : but obferve that all the Ibepherd's ideas are taken from
rural objedts, whereas thofe of Aeneas are taken from philofophy.
$uch propriety doth Virgil ever obferve in his fcniiments.
10
Eel. 5» The EcLocuts of Virgil. i^t
The fylvan wars of cruel hunters ceafe,
Daphnis the mild loves univerfal peace.
The defert mountains into finging break.
The forefts and the fields in tranfport fpeak ; 7^
The rocks proclaim the new divinity I
A god, a god ! the vocal hills reply.
O hear thy worfhippers ! four altars fee.
For Phoebus two, and Daphnis, two for thee !
Two jars of fatteft oil, each' rolling year. So
Two bowls of frothinp- milk to thee I'll bear ;
The ritual feaft ihall overflow with wine.
And Chios' richeft nedlar ftiall be thine j
On the warm hearth in winter's chilling hour
We'll facrifice ; a fummer in a bow'r; 85
Alphefiboeus tripping fhall advance,
And mimic fatyrs in the feftal dance j
Damoetas there and fkilful Aegon fing ;
And conftantly our off 'rings v/Ill v/e bring.
Both to the nymphs when facrcd rites are paid^ 90
And when the victims round the fields are led :
While the cicada ftps the dew, while thyme
The bees fiiall fuck, while boars the mountains climb.
While fi{hes wanton in the wat'ry wafte.
So long thy honour, name and praife fliall laft. 9^
Thofe holy vows which on a folemn day.
At Bacchus' and at Ceres' fhrine we pay,
Daphnis to thee fhall rife each circling year :
Thou too {halt be invok'd and hear our pray'r !
99. Thou — hfitr cur prayer,] Ruaeus has well explamed
this pafiage: He who makes a vow defires fomething from
God, and pfomifes fomething to him at the fame time. If
God grants his requeft, then he, who makes the vow, is in a
manner judged, and obliged to perform his promife. Thus
God is faid damnare "vctis or 'voti, when he grants the requeft,
and fo obliges the perfon to perform what he had promifed.
K 2
l;^Z P. VlRGILlI MaRONIS BUCOLICA. £d#5.
Mopsus.
Qiiae tibi, quae tall reddam pro carmine dona ?
Nam ncque me tantum venientis fibilus aflftri.
Nee percufla juvant flu<£lu tam litora, nee quae
Saxofas inter decurrunt flumina valles.
Menalcas.
Hac te nos fragili donablmus ante cicuta. 85
Haec nos, Formofum Corydon ardebat Alexin :
Haec eadem docuit, Cujum pecus ? An Meliboei ?
Mopsus.
Ac tu fume pedum, quod, me cum faepe rogaret,
Non tulit Antigenes, (et erat tum dignus amari)
Formofum paribus nodis atque aere, Menalca. go
109. The fame, &c.] 'Tis inferred from this paflage that
Virgil certainly means himfelf under the name of Menalcas ;
and llkewife, that by his mentioning oiily the fubjeds of the
Palaemon and the Alexis, and not a fyllable of the Tityrus,
that all thefe three Eclogues were written before the Tityrus ;
notwithftanding that Eclogue, ufually, but erroneoufly, is
placed firfl in all editions. It is not improbable, that the
Alexis was publilhed before the death of Julius Caefar, who
might read and admire it.
Eel. 5. The Eclogues of Virgil. 133
Mopsus.
"What thanks, -what recompence, can my weak lay 100
For fuch exalted ftrains as thine repay ?
Not from frefh whifpers of the fouthern breeze.
Nor gentle dafhings of the calmeft feas,
Nor from the murmuring rills, fuch joys I feel.
That gliding down the pebbly vallies fteal ! 105
Menalcas.
But firft receive this flender pipe, the fame
That told poor Corydon's unpitied flame.
Who vainly fought Alexis' heart to move :
The fame with which Damoetas fondly ftrove.
Mopsus.
And thou, Menalcas, take this well-form'd crook, no
With polifh'd joints adorn'd and brazen hook ;
Which ev'n Antigenes could ne'er obtain
Tho' worthy to be lov'd, a beauteous fwain.
END OP THE FIFTH ECLOGUE.
K
[ ^35 ]
ECLOGUE THE SIXTH.
ARGUMENT.
^hls piece is perhaps one of the nioji lemitiful of all the ten
Eclogues. Virgil addrejfes it to Varus his friend and fel-
low Jludent under the celebrated Syro an Epicurean philofo-
pher. Two Jhepherds are introduced^ zvho feize Silenus
fleeping in a gratto^ and compel Kwi^ with the ajjijlance of
a luater ny?nph, to entertain them with a fong he had often
pro7nifed them. The god inunediately begins to give them
an account cf the formation of things., and lays before
them the jyjlc7n of Epicurus' s philofophy both natural and
moral ; which laji circumjiance zvas never thought cf or
underftood by any one tranjlator or commentator before Ca-
trou. After Silenus has told them hoiv the world was
made according io the do^rine of Epicurv.s^ his adjungit
Hylam ; that is, fay the critics, he recounted the mofl
famous ancient fables, and fome furprizing transformations
that had happened in the world. How abfurd and unlike
the regularity and exaSlnefs of Virgil I The meaning feems
to he, — that after Silenus had done with the natural, he en-
tered upon the moral philofophy of Epicurus : zvhich con-
fiflcd in teaching men to avoid all outrageous paffions and
violent perturbations of mind. This was the reafon that he
fung to than the immoderate grief of Hercules for the
hoy Hylas, the brutal lufl of Pafpha'e, the vanity of the
Praetidjs, the avarice of Atalanta, and the immoderate
grief of the fijiers of Phaeton. Allivhich the Epicureans
condemned as enemies to that quiet and f ft rcpofe which they
e/leaned the perfection of virtue andhappinefs.
K 4
[ 136 ]
E C L O G A VL
S I L E N U S.
Faunorum, Satyrorum et Silvanorum, DeIe£latio.
PRIMA Syracofio dignata eft ludere verfu,
Noflra, neque erubuit filvas habitare, Thalia.
Cum canerem reges et praelia, Cynthius aurem
Vellit, et admonuit : Paftorem, Tityre, pijiguls
Pafcere oportet ovisj deduftum dicere carmen. 5
Nunc ego (namque fuper tibi erunt, qui dicere lai^des,
Vare, tuas cupiant, ac triftia condere bella)
Agreftem tenui meditabor arundine mufam.
Non injufTa cano. fi quis tamen haec quoque, fl quis
Captus amore leget ; te noftrae, Vare, myricae, lO
Te nemus omne canet. nee Phoebo gratior ulla eft,
Quam fibi quae Vari praefcripfit pagina nomen.
Pergite, Pierides. Chromis et Mnafylos in antro
Silenum pueri fomno videye jacentem,
Inflatum hefterno venas, ut Temper, iaccho. 15
Serta procul tantum capiti delapfa jacebant :
Et gravis adtrita pendebat cantharus anfa.
AdgreiTi (nam faepe fenex fpe carminis ambo
Luferat) injiciunt ipfis ex vincula fertis.
Addit fe fociam, timidifque fupervenit Aegle : 20
Aegle Naiadum pulcherrima. jamque videnti
Ver. 3. C/6/V/0.] This alludes to Virgil's attempt to write an
hJHorical poem on the aftions of the Alban kings.
6. Humhler.'\ The word deduSlum in the original is a metaphor
taken from wool, which by fpinning is made fmaller and
fmaller. Tenui dcdiid.a poematafilo. Hor. Ruaeus.
21 . Gohlet.'] Cantharus was a cup facred to the ufe of Bacchus,
and not ufed by mortals.
22.] The commentators are equally divided about the true
meaning ot procul tantum, which undoubtedly fignify near or
juji by ; tantum procul , is barely at a dijiance.
[ 137 ]
ECLOGUE THE SIXTH.
S I L E N U S.
On the Epicurean Philofophy natural and moral.
My Mufe firft fported in Sicilian drains,
Nor blufh'd to dwell amid' the woods and plains;
When chiefs and fields of fight to fing I try'd,
Apollo whifp'ring check'd my youthful pride j
Go, Tit'rus, go, thy flocks and fatlings feed, ^
To humbler fubjecfts fuit thy ruftic reed j
Thus warn'd, O Varus, in heroic lays.
While bards fublime refound thy martial praife,
I meditate the rural minftrelfy ;
Apollo bids, and I will fmg of thee. jO
Pleas'd with the fubjeft, with indulgent eyes
If any read, and this, ev'n this fliould prize.
Thy name fhall echo thro' each hill and grove.
And Phoebus' felf the votive ftrains approve 3
No page fo much delights the god of verfe, 15
As where the lines great Varus' praife rehearfe.
Stretch'd in a cavern on the mofly ground.
Two fportive youths Silenus fleeping found,
With copious wine o'ercome; his flowery wreath
Jufl from his temples fall'n, lay ftrewn beneath ; 20
His mafly goblet drain'd of potent juice
Was hanging by, worn thin with age and ufe j
They bind him fail: (tho' cautious and afraid)
With manacles of his own garlands made;
For oft the fenior had deceiv'd the fwains 25
With hopes (for well he fung) of pleafmg ftrains;
Young Aegle too to join the frolic came.
The lovelieft Na'id of the neighb'ring ftream ; ^
1^8 P. ViRGiLii Maronis Bucolica. Eel. 6.
Sangulneis frontem moris ac tempora pingit.
Ille dolum ridens, Qiio vincula ncftitis ? inquit.
Solvite me, pueri. fatis eft potuiiTe videri.
Carmina quae voltis, cognofcite : carmina vobis ^ 25
Huic aliud mercedis erit, fimul incipit ipfe.
Turn vero in numerum Faunofque ferafque videres
Ludere, turn rigidas motare caQumina quercus.
Nee tantum Phoebo gaudet Parnafia rupes :
Nee tantum Rhodope mirantur et Ifmarus Qrphea. 30
Namque canebatj uti magnum per inane coa6la
Semina terrarumque, animaeque, marifque fuiflent,
Et liquidi fimul ignis : ut his exordia primis
Omnia, et ipfe tcner mundi concrcverit orbis.
Turn durare folu-m, et difcludere Nerea ponto 3J
Coeperit, et rerum paullatim fumere formas.
Jamque novum ut tcrrac ftupeant lucefcere folem,
Altius utque cadant Tubmotis nubibus imbres :
Itieipiant filvae cum primum furgere, cumque
Rara per ignotos errent animalia mentis. 4®
Hinc lapides Pyrrhae jactos, Saturnia regna,
Caucafiafque refert volucres, furtumque Promethi.
%g.] That Is, juft as Silemus began to open his ^yes : 'videnti
Sile/w.
32. Enough.] Scrvius tells us the demi-gods were vifible only
when they though: proper.
44. Hovj feeds of •water.] This is the fyilem of the atomical
philofophers ; though it is certain Epicurus was not the inven-
tor of this dodrine, but received it from Democritus. Thefe
philofophers held, that there were two principles of all things,
body, and void ; or, as the moderns fpeak, matter, and fpace ;
and that by a fortuitoui concourfe of chefe atoms, or particles
of matter,' the univerfe was formed without the affiftance of a
tiircfting Mind. , r vj r x
47. Moifi.] The earth, by growing compadl and iolid, forced
the waters to retire from it, and to form the feas. Thus the
fea was fcparated or diftinguifhed, which is the proper meaning
oUifchdere. Martyn.
50. Struck nt:ith the neio-born fun's.] This circtimlcance of
the earth's being amazed at the iirft appearance of the lun> is
ftrondy imagined; yet has been omitted by feveral tranllators.
Eel. 6. The Eclogues of Virgil. :i3^
Who, as the god uplifts his drowzy eyes.
With berries' purple juice his temples diesi 30
Pleas'd with the fraud — " Unloofe me, boys," he cry'd,
<« Enough, that by furprize I've been efpy'd.
*' Attend, ye youths, and hear the promis'd lay,
^* But Aegle fhall be paid a better way."
Soon as he rais'd his voice, the lift'ning fauns, 35
And wondering beafts came dancing down the lawns j
The hills exulted, and each rigid oak,
High-feated on their tops, in tranfport fhook ;
ParnafTus' cliffs did ne'er fo much rejoice,
At the fweet echoes of Apollo's voice j .40
Nor Rhodope nor Ifmarus that heard
The magic warblings of the Thraclan bard.
He fung, at univerfal nature's birth.
How feeds of water, fire, and air, and earth.
Fell thro' the void ; whence order rofe, and all 45
The beauties of this congregated ball :
How the moift foil grew ftifFen'd by degrees.
And drove to deftin'd bounds the narrow'd feas ;
How Earth was feiz'd with wonder and affright.
Struck with the new-born fun's refulgent light. 50
How clouds condens'd, in liquid fhowers diflill'd,
Dropt fatnefs and refrefliment on the field ;
How firft up-fprings fublime each branching grove.
While fcatter'd beafts o'er pathlefs mountains rove.
Next to the world's renewal turns the ftrain, 55
To Pyrrha's fruitful ftones, and Saturn's reign ;
And bold Prometheus' theft and punifhment.
His mangled heart by angry vultures rent.
58. His mangled heart by hungry 'vultures rent.} This tale has
been prettily allegorized. It is an ingenious but cruel ftory
which the poets have contrived to exprefs the train of cares
brought into life by Prometheus or Forefight : The chains
which fafiened him to the rock, and the infatiable vulture that
jends his vitals every morning.
Blackwell's Life of Homer, p. 124.
;i40 P. ViRGiLii Maronis Bucolica. EcI. &.
His adjungit, Hylan nautae quo fonte relidtum
ClamafTent; ut litus, Hyla, Hyla, omne fonaret.
Et fortunatam, fi nunquam armenta fuiflent, 45
Pafiphaen nivei folatur amore juvenci.
Ah, virgo Infelix, quae te dementia cepit?'
Proetides inplerunt falfis mugitibus agro-s :
At non tam turpis pecudum tamen ulla fecuta eft
Concubitus, quamvis collo timuiflet aratrum, 50
Et faepe in levi quaefiflet cornua fronte.
Ah I virgo infelix, tu nunc in montibus erras !
Ille, latus niveum molli fultus hyacintho,
Ilice fub nigra pallentis ruminat herbas,
Aut aliquam inmagno fequitur grege. claudite nymphae,
Di6laeae nymphae, nemorum jam claudite faltus; 56
Si qua forte ferant oculis fefe obvia noftris
Errabunda bovis veftigia. forfitan ilium
Aut herba captum viridi, aut armenta fecutum,
Perducant aliquae ftabula ad Gortynia vaccae. 60
Tum canit Hefperidum miratam mata puellamj
*T\im Phaethontiadas mufco circumdat amarae
Corticis, atque folo proccras erigit alnos.
6z. JrJ Hyla S.I Hylas, the favourite of Hercules, falling Into
a well, was faid to be fnatched away by the nymphs. Pafiphae, '
tJie wife of Minos king of Crete, was faid to have had an un-
natural pafllon for a bull. The daughters of Proetes, king of
the Argives, being ftruck with madnefs by Juno, imagined
themfelves co be cows.
63. Cretan queen,'] The medals of the people of this town
are marked with a cow or bull. Lord Pembroke's medals, 2,
34, 5. Quajre, whether they had any facred cattle of that kind
kept there ? or, whether the woman riding 00 it be not Pafi-
phae ? Gortyna was a city of Crete. Spence.
67. At this verfe, Proetides inplerunt, Src. begins the famous
manufcript of Virgil in the Lorenzo library; authorized by one
of the coiifuls, and dated by him in the 5th century. Spenck.
y-^. Side reclines.'] In the original /«//«j hyacintho. Among
the ancients every one was faid to he fultus by whatfoever he
refted upon. Thus we read Pul'vino fultus in Lucilius. Servius,
T\it Rumen or Paunch is the firll ot the four ilomachs of thofe
animals which are faid to ruminate or chew the cud.
75. tJymphs.] In the original claudite nymphae, ' Here
Pafiphae is introduced fpeaking to the nymphs.
EcL 6. The Eclogues of Virgil. 141
To thefe he adds, how blooming Hylas fell,
Snatch'd by the Naids of the neighb'ring well, 60
Whom pierc'd with love, Alcides loudly mourn'd.
And Hylas, Hylas loft, each echoing fhore return'd.
Then, he bewail'd the love-fick Cretan queen j
Happy for her if herds had never been j
Enamour'd of a bull's unfpotted pride, 65
Forfaking {hame, for him fhe pin'd and figh'd.
The Proetian maids whofe lowings fill'd the plain.
Ne'er knew the guilt of thy unnat'ral pain;
Tho' fearful oft their necks fhould bear the plough.
They felt in vain for horns their polifh'd brow. 70
Ah ! wretched queen ! while you o'er mountains rove.
Near fome dark oak regardlefs of your love.
He, on foft hyacinths his fide reclines.
Or for fome happier heifer fondly pines.
** Dictean nymphs ! with toils your woods furround, 7^
*' Search where my favourite's footfteps may be found,
*' Haply the herds my wanderer may lead,
*' To frefher grafs on rich Gortyna's mead,
" Or far away, while I fuch pains endure,
" The wanton heifers may my love allure !" 80
Next told, the nimble-footed, cruel maid.
By the falfe apple's glittering fhew betray'd ;
The nymphs who their ambitious brother mourn'd.
He next inclos'd in bark, and to tall poplars turn'd.
81.] Hippomanes being engaged in a race with Atalanta, in
order to obtain her in marriage, threw down a golden apple
v/henever fhe gained ground upon him ; which fne {looping to
gather up, Hippomanes had an opportunity of getting before
her, and of confequence of obtaining the lovely prize. The
fifters of Phaeton confumed themfelves with weeping for his
death, and were transformed into trees. Phaeton rafhly at-
tempting to drive the chariot of the fun, would have fet fire to
the earth if Jupiter had not ftruck him down with a thunder-
bolt,
84. Inclos'd.'\ I have ventured to tranflate ViteTally drcumdaf,
becaufe it is very lively. He did not now fing .^ovj they were
inclofed with mofs, but he inclofed them.
142 P' ViRGiLii Maronis Bucolica. EcI. 6.
Turn canit, errantem Permeffi ad fluminai Galium
Aonas in mentis ut duxerit una fororum ; 65
Utque viro Phoebi chorus adfurrexerit omnis;
Ut Linus haec illi divino carmine paftor,
Floribus atque apio crinis ornatus amaro,
Dixerit, Hos tibi dant calamos (en accipe) Mufae^
Afcraeo quos ante feni : quibus ille folebat jQ
Cantando rigidas deducere montibus ornos.
His tibi Grynaei nemoris dicatur origo :
Ne qui fit lucus, quo fe plus ja6let Apollo;
Qiiid loquar ut Scyllam Nifi, aut quam fama fecuta eft^
Candida fuccindlam latrantibus inguina monftris 75
Dulichias vexafTe rates, et gurgite in alto
Ah timidos nautas canibus lacerafle marinis :
Aut ut mutatos Teri narraverit artus ?
Quas ille Philomela dapes, quae dona pararit ?
■* Quo curfu deierta petiverit, et quibus ante d<3
Infelix fua te^ta fupervolitaverit alis?
Omnia quae, Phoebo quoridam meditante, beatu»
Audiit Eurotas, juflitquc edifcere laiiros,
Ille canit. puliae referunt ad fidera valles.
Cogere donee ovis ftabulis, numerumque referfe 85
Juflit, et invito prdceflit Vefper Olympo.
88.] When Virgil himfelf once entered the theatre, all the
fpedlators rofe up to honour his entrance.
89. LtJius.] Virgil has been blamed very ridlculoufly for not
faying any thing of Homer in his fixth Aeneid (637. 6yy,)
where if he had faid any thing of him, he muft have put him
in Elyfium before he was born. It feems more juft to complain
that he has not mentioned him in all his v/orks. He feems to
have had a fair opportunity here, and another in the fourth
Eclogue (v. 55.) But have not the poets he mentions in both
thefe places lome relation to palloral poetry ? And might not
the mentioning of an epic poet be improper in both? Here he
names Linus onlyj and before, the fixme Linus, Orpheus, and
Pan. Spbnce.
Eel. 6. The Eclogues of Virgii,. I4'5
How tuneful Gallus wandering, next he fings, 85
Indulging raptures, near poetic fprings,
A mufe conducted to th' Aonian feat,
Whofe whole aflemblj'' rofe the gueft to greet ;
While hoary Linus, crown'd with parfly, fpake ;
*' The pipe, the Mufes' gift, O Gallus, take, go
*' Which erft the fweet Afcrean fage they gave,
*' Who bade the wandering oaks their mountains leave;
*' Go, fing on this thy fam'd Grynaean grove,
'*= So {hall Apollo chief that foreft love."
Why xhould I tell, the maid with monfters arm'd, 95
Whofe barkings fierce the wand'ring Greeks alarm'd,
Whofe hungry dogs the fhrieking failors tore.
And round her dungeon ting'd the fea with gore.
Or why the Thraciati tyrant's alter'd fhape,
And dire revenge of Philomela's rape, 100
Who murder'd Itys' mangled body dreft,
;And to his father ferv'd the direful feaft.
What Phoebus fung, Eurota's banks along.
And bade the liftening laurels learn the fong.
All thefe Silenus chaunts; the vales reply, . lO^
And bear their echoes to the diftant fky;
Till Hefper glimmering o'er the twilight plains.
To fold their counted fheep had warn'd the fwains ;
The heav'ns delighted with the matchlefs lay.
To Hefper's beams unwillingly gave way. II9
91. Afcnan fage.'\ T\i& fenex Afcraeus, is Keilod, who was of
Alcra, a city in Boeotia. According to feme he was coaeval
with Homer. He writes with great fimplicity, though in his
defcription of the battle between the giants aad the gods, he
rifes to the true fublime.
1 10. Univillingly.] There is a peculiar beauty in that epithet
JTfvito Olympo, The iky was fo delighted with the fong of
Silenus, that it was forry and uneafy to fee the evening ap-
proach.
END OF THE SIXTH ECLOGUE,
r 145 ]
ECLOGUE THE SEVENTH.
ARGUMENT.
^he folloiv'ing poetical contejl betivtxt Thyrfis and Corydon^
related by A'lcUboeus, is an imitation of the fifth and eighth
Idylliurns of Theocritus. So?ne fanciful commentators ima-
gine that tinder thefe /hephcrds are reprefe?ited Gallus or
Pollio^ or Cehes and Alexander^ and that Mcliboeus is Vir-
gil himfelf But there are not fufficient grounds for this
conjeSfiire. This pajloral is introduced with a pretty rival
advcj-.iure.
This feventh Eclogue ^ as the third before, f corns to be an
imitation of a cujlom among the foepherds of old, of vying
together in extempore verfe. At leajl 'tis very like the Ini-
provifatori atprefent in Italy ; ivho fourifo now perhaps more
than any other poets among them, particularly in Tufcany.
They are furprifingly ready in their a-nfmers (refpondere
parati) and go on o^zvn for octave, or fpeechyj?r fpeech
alternately (altcrnis dicetis, amant alterna Camenae.)
In both thefe Eclogues the fccond fpeaker fcems obliged to
follow the turn of thought ufed by the firfl ; as at prefent
the fecond Improvifatore is obliged to foiloiu the rhyme of
the firjh At Florence I have heard of their having even
Improvifo comedies. There were Improvifatori of this
kind of old; for before Livius Andronicus endeavoured to
make a?iy thing of a regular play, compofitum temere ac
rudem alternis jaciebant, fays Livy, 7. 2. II. C. 391.
They were Tufcans too %vho brought this method to Rome.
Spence.
Vol. I.
[ 146 ]
E C L O G A VII.
M E L I B O E U S.
Meliboeus, Corydon, 7^hyrsis.
Meliboeus.
FORTE fub arguta confederat ilice Daphnls,-
Conpulerantque greges Corydon et Thyrfis in unirm ;
^^hyrfis ovis, Corydon diilentas la6te capellas.
Ambo florentes aetatibus, Arcades ambo,
Et cantare pares, et refpondere parati. 5
Hie mihi, dum teneras defendo a frigore myrtos,
Vir gregis ipfe caper deerraverat. atque ego Daphnin
Afpicio : ille ubi me contra videt ; Ocius, inquit.
Hue ades, 6 Meliboee : caper tibi falvus, et haedi.
Et, fi quid ceiFare potes, requicfce fub umbra. 10
Hue ipfi potum venient per prata juvenci :
Hie viridis tcncra praetexit arundine ripas
Mincius, eque facra refonant examina quercu.
Quid facerem ? neque ego Alcippen, nee Phylllda habebam,
DepulTos a lacte domi quae clauderet agnos : 15
Et eertr.men erat, Corydon cum Thyrfide, magnum.
Pofthabui tamen illorum mea feria ludo.
Alternis igitur contendere verfibus ambo
Coepere : altcrnos Mufae meminifTe volebant.
Hos Corydon, illos referebat in ordine Thyrfis. 2C
CORVDON.
Nymphi;c, nofter amor, Libethrides, aut mihi carmen,
Quale meo Codro, concedite: proxima Phoebi
Ver. 16. Bees.'\ That is, apum examina,
20. Gaiits.'\ 'Tis difficult to maice the paftoral fimplicity of
this iiitrodudion to the contefl:, agreenble to modern readers.
The images are all taken from plain unadorned nature, and will
not bear ro be drefs'd up with florid epithets and pompous lan-
guage, as is the cuftom of our modern paftoral writers in paint-
ing their fccnes of ?.£l:ion.
23. Isymphi of the Jpring.'\ The critics are greatly divided
about the htuation of Libeihriim (N^'mphae Libethrides J but the
learned
t 147 ]
teCLOGUE THE SEVENTH.
M E L I B O E U S.
Meliboeus, Corydon, Thyrsis.
Melisoeus.
(Y chance beneath an ilex' darkfome ftiade
That whifper'd with the breeze was Daphnis laid 5
Their flocks while Corydon and Thyrfis join'd,
Thefe milky goats, and thofe the fleecy kind j
Both blooming youths, and both of Arcady, e
Both fkill'd alike to fing and to reply.
Thither my goat, the father of the fold.
While clofe I fenc'd my myrtles from the cold.
Rambling had ftray'd ; I Daphnis fitting fpy'd,
He faw me too, and Hither hafte, he cry'd, lO
Safe is thy goat and kids : one idle hour.
Come, wafte with me beneath this cooling bov/'r :
Here Alincius gently winding through the meads.
Fringes his banks with grafs and bending reeds :
Hither thy herds at eve to drink will come, l^
While from yon' facred oak bees fwarming hum.
What could I do ? Alcippe was not near.
Nor Phillis to the ualls~m,y lambs to bear;
Great was the llrife betwixt the tuneful fwains,
And bent on pleafure I forgot my gains; 20
In fweet alternate numbers they began,
(So bade the Nine} and thus the conteft ran.
Corydon.
I Give me the lays, nymphs of th' infpiring fprings !
' Which Codrus, rival of Apollc, fings !
learned and accurate Strabo, whofe teftlmony Is worth that of a
■ thoufand commentators, tells us, that Libethrum is the name
] of a cave in or near Mount Helicon, confecrated to the Mufes
I by the Thracians.
I .^^' ^°^f^-''] Codrus, fays Servius, was a cotemporary poc*
j with Virgil, and is mentioned in the Elegies of Valgius.
X. z
14-8 P. ViRGiLii Maronjs Bucolica. Ed. 7.
Verfibus ille facit. aut, fi non poflumus omnes.
Hie arguta facra pendebit fiftula pinu.
Thyrsis.
Paftores, edera crefccntem ornate poetam, 25
Arcades, invidia rumpantur ut ilia Codro.
Aut fi ultra placitum laudarit, baccare frontem
Cingite, ne vati noceat mala lingua future.
CORYDON.
Setofi caput hoc apri, tibi Delia, parvus
Et ramofa Mycon vivacis cornua cervi. 30
Si proprium hoc fucrit, Icvi ds mannore tota
Puniceo ftabis furas evinfta cothurno.
Thyrsis.
Sinum ladlis, et haec te liba, Priape, quotannis
Expedlare fat eft : cuflos es pauperis horti.
Nunc te marmorcum pro tempore fecimus : at tu, 35
Si foetura gregem fuppleverit, aureus efto.
Corydon.
Ncrinc Galatea, thymo mihi dulcior Hyblae,
Candidior cycnis, cdera fcrmofior alba :
Cum primum pafti repetent praefepia tauri.
Si qua tui Corydonis habct te cura, venito. 40
Thyrsis.
Immo ego Sardois videar tibi amarior herbis,
Horridior rufco, projcvfla vilicr alga ;
30. With iaccat:] It was imagined by the ancients that this
plane carried an amulet or charm againll the fafcination of what
they called an evil tongue.
33. If jlill the chace.'\ In the original, ft proprium hoc fuerit\
/. e. fays Ruaeus, if you Ihall make it as it were my own, and
perpetual. Da proprium ThjmLrae domum, M\\. 3. What is
the meaning of hoc ? That I Ihould make fuch verfes as Codrus,
fays Servius. — But falfely, — The meaning is. As I have fuc-
ceeded in hunting this boar and flag, fo may this fuccefs be
perpetual.
40. I-uy^hite.'\ More beautiful than ivy, to us mayfeem but
an odd fimile. It might found otherwife to an Italian, whofe
country abounds with ever-greens ; moll of them of a ruUy and
difagreeable colour j whereas ivy is of a clean lively green.
They
Eel. 7. The Eclogues of Virgil. 149
But if too weak to reach his flights divine, 25
My ufelefs pipe I'll hang on yonder pine.
Thyrsis.
Ye fwains, your rifing bard with ivy deck,
Till Codrus' heart malign with envy break j
Or if pernicious praife his tongue beftow.
To guard from harms with baccar bind my brow. 30
CORYDON.
This briftly head, thcfe branching horns I fend,
Delia ! and Mycon at thy fhrine fhall bend;
If ftill the chace with fuch fuccefs be crown'd.
In marble fhalt thou ftand, with purple bu(kins bound,
Thyrsis.
Priapus ! cakes and milk alone expe6l, 35
Small is the garden which you nov/ prote6l !
But if the teeming ewes increafe my fold.
Thy marble ftatue chang'd fhall (hine in polifh'd gold.
CoRYDON.
O Oalatea! nymph than fwans more bright.
More fweet than thyme, more fair than ivy v/hite, 4*
When paftur'd herds at evening feek the flail,
Hafle to my arms ! nor fcorn thy lover's call !
Thyrsis.
May I appear than wither'd weeds more vile.
Or bitter herbage of Sardinia's ifle.
They ufed it of old in the moft beautiful parts of their gardens :
Pliny fpeaking of his garden, and of the Hippodrorr.e, which
feems to have been one of the prettieft things in it, A.ys, Plata-
nis circuit ur, iUae hedera •veftiuntur ; utque f-ummae Juis, it a imae
alienis frondibus 'virent. L. 5. Ep. 6. Horace compares young
beauties to ivy, and old women to dead withered leaves. L i.
Od. 25. St. u'lt. Spe::c^.
44. Sardinia^ s.'\ Diofcorides fays exprefsly, that the poiion-
ous herb of Sardinia is a fpecies of Botl^x-/iov, ranunculus orcroTM-.
foot.
1^%
150 P. ViRGiLii Maronis Bucolica. Eel. 7.
Si mihi non haec lux toto jam longior anno eft.
Ite domum pafti, fi quis pudor, ite juvenci.
CoRYDON.
Mufcofi fontes, et fomno mollior herba, 45
Et quae vos rara viridis tegit arbutus umbra,
Solftitium pecori defendite. jam venit aeftas
Torrida : jam laeto turguent in palmite gemmae.
Thyrsis.
Hie focug, ac taedae pingues, hie plurimus ignis
Semper, et adfidua poftes fuligine nigri. 50
Hie tantum Boreae curamus frigora, quantum
Aut numerum lupus, aut torrentia flumina ripas.
CoRYDON.
Stant et juniperi, et caftaneae hirfutae :
Strata jacent pailim fua quaeque Tub arbore poma :
Omnia nunc rident. at fi formofus Alexis 55
Montibus his abeat, videas et flumina ficca.
Thyrsis.
Aret agcr : vitio moriens fitit aeris herba !
Liber pampineas invidit coilibus umbras.
Phyllidis adventu noftrae nemus omne virebit :
Juppiter et laeto defcendet plurimus imbri. 6a
CORYCO.V.
Populus Aicidae gratiffima, vitis laccho,
Formofae myrtus Veneri, fua laurea Phoebo.
Phyllis amat corulos. illas dum Phyllis amabit.
Nee myrtus vincet corulos, nee laurea Phoebi.
47. Te mcjfy founts.'] This Amoebaean is doubtlefs more
beautiful than the fucceeding, and contains more delightful
images of nature. Mr. Dryden has omitted the natural Ilroke
of the fmoky polls in the cottage.
54. IVol'ues.] Catrou gives <]uite a new but fanciful interpre-
tation to the word mmerum ; he fays it means mufical numbers.
58. Streams ivonid ceafe tofoiv.'] The end of this Amoebaean
appears to fome critics to be flat — videas et fiumina ficca. But
I am of opinion the poet defign'd the line Ihould be faint and
languilhing, as it were, more fully to exprefs that mournful
ftatc
Ed. 7. The Eclogues of Virgil. 151
If a year's length exceeds this tedious day ; 45
Homeward ye well-fed goats (for fliame) away!
CORYDON.
Ye moCCy founts, and grafs more foft than fleep,
Who ftill, with boughs o'er-hung, your coolnefs keep,
Defend my fainting flocks ! the heats are near,
And burlling gems on the glad vine appear. 50
Thyrsis.
Here ever glowing hearths embrown the pofts.
Here blazing pines expel the pinching frofts,
Here cold and Boreas' blafts we dread no more.
Than wolves the fheep, or torrent ftreams the fhore.
CoRYDON.
Here junipers and prickly chefnuts fee, 55
Lo ! fcatter'd fruits lie under every tree ;
All nature fmiles ; but fhould Alexis go
From thefe bleft hills, ev'n ftreams would ceafe to flow.
Thyrsis.
Parch'd are the plains, the wither'd herbage dies,
Bacchus to hills their viny fliade denies; 60
Let Philiis come, frefh greens will deck the grove.
In joyful fhowers defcend prolific Jove.
CoRYDON.
Alcides, poplar ; Venus, myrtle groves ;
Bacchus, the vine ; the laurel, Phoebus loves j
Philiis the hazels; while they gain her praife, 65
Myrtle to them fhall yield, and Phoebus' bays.
Hate of nature in his painting. Mr. Pope has imitated this and
the following paffage in his firft paftoral.
59. Parch^d.'\ A fine contraft is obfervable in thefe two
Amoebaeans. The flourifhing fcenes of nature are ftrongly fet
off by the fading and languifhing profpedl that fucceeds.
63. Alcides. 1 When Hercules returned from hell, he was
fabled to have crown 'd his head with a chaplet of poplar leaves.
ti
152 p. ViRGiLii Maronis Bucolica. Eel. 7.
Thyrsis.
Fraxinus ir. filvis pulcherrima, pinus in hortis, 65
Populus in fiuviis, abies in montibus altis.
Saepius at fi me, Lycida formofe, revifas,
Fraxinus in filvis cedat tibi, pinus in hortis.
Meliboeus.
Haec memini, et vi6lum fruftra contendere Thyriin, fl
Ex iI!o Corydon, Corydon eft tempore nobis. 70
71. But 'vanquijh''d'vjerehis Jiralns.'\ The viftory is adjudged
to Corydon, becaufe Corydon in the firft Amoebaean begins with v
piety to the gods; Thyriis with rage againll his adverfary : in 1
the fecoiid, Corydon invokes Diana, a chaile goddefs ; Thyrfis,
an obicene deity, Priapus : in the third, Corydon addrefles him-
felf to Galatea with miidnefs ; Thyrfis with dire imprecations:
in the reft, Corydon's fubjefts ar ■ generally plealing and de-
lightful to the imagination ; thofe oi Thyrfis are direcliy con-
trary. RUAEUS.
72. And Corydon '\ The original fays, ex illo Corydon, l^c.
which is an ellipfis, fays Servius, and may be fupplied miilor
■nohilis fupra omnes. Simplicius fays, ex illo tempore Corydon ha~ J
ietur a nobis -vere Corydon : that is, really worthy the reputatioi^ 1
he has obtained.
Eel. 7. The Eclogues of Virgil. 153
Thyrsis.
Lovelieft in walks the pine, the afh in woods.
Firs on the mountains, poplars in the floods j
Fair Lycidas, revifit oft' my field.
Pine, poplar, fir, and afh to thee fhall yield ! 70
Meliboeus.
Thus Thyrfis ftrove, but vanquiih'd were his ftrains j
And Corydon without a rival reigns.
DND OF THE SEVENTH ECLOGUE.
i
[ ns ]
ECLOGUE THE EIGHTH.
ARGUMENT.
^is is evidently an imitation of the ^ot^i/.»y.ivi:^ix of Theo-
critus y and is very valuable not only for its poetical beau-
ties, but likezvife for the account it preferves to us of
feveral fuperjiitlous rites and heathen notions of inchant-
ment. The poet fe ems to have had an high idea of his com-
pofitlon by his Introducing It In fo lofty a Jlraln^ quorum
ftupefactae carmine lynces. The critics have been very
much divided whether It Is Infcrlbed to Polllo or Augujius,
Catrcu pleads very frongly for Augujius \ but Dr. Marty n
largely examines this plea, and confutes It folldly. There
is doubtlefs a great Jirefs to he laid on
Sola Sophocleo tua carmina digna cothurno.
For though Augujius began a tragedy on the death of Ajax,
(after Sophocles) yet this piece was never publlfned, as
many fine ones of Polllo vjere, who Is highly celebrated by
Horace for his dramatic excellence. Lib. II. Od. i.
Motum ex Metello, occ. 57?^ enchantments defcribed \
in this Eclogue, are finely Imitated In the Arcadia del I
Sannazoro ; a book to which our Sir Philip Sidney In
his Arcadia Is much Indebted. Sannazaro has there given
a loofe to his fancy, and has Jhewn that he had a very
exuberant one, — Prcfa. lO.
C 156 ]
E C L O G A VIII.
PHARMACEUTRIA.
Damon, Alphesiboeus.
PAftorum mufam Damonis et Alphefiboei,
Immemor herbarum quos eft mirata juvenca
Certantis, quorum ftupefa6lae carmine lynces ;
Et mutata fuos requierunt ilumina curfus :
Damonis mufam dicemus ct Alphefiboei. 5
Tu mihi feu magni fuperas jam faxa Timavi,
Sive Oram Illyrici legis aequoris ; en crit umquam
Ille dies, liceat mihi cum tua dicere fadla ?•
En erit, ut liceat totum mihi ferre per orbem
Sola Sophocleo tua carmina digna cothurno ! j^
Ate principium : tibi defmet. accipejuflis
Carmina coepta tuis : atque banc fine tempora circum
Inter vicSlrices ederam tibi ferpere laurus.
Frigida vix coelo no6lis decefi'erat umbra.
Cum ros in tenera pecori gratiflimus herba, i^
Incumbens tereti Damon fie coepit olivae.
Damon.
Nafcere, praeque diem veniens age, Lucifer, almum ;
Conjugis indigno Nifae deceptus amore
Dum queror, et divos, (quamquam nil teftibus il|is
Profeci) extrema moriens tamen adloquor hora. 20
Incipe Maenalios mecum, mea tibia, verfus.
Maenalus argutumque nemus pinofque loquentis
Semper habet ; femper paftorum ille audit amores,
Panaque, qui primus calamos non paflfus inertis.
Incipe Maenalios mecum, mea tibia, verfus. 25
Ver. 17. Reclin'd.l Denoting the melancholy pofture of
the fhephcrd, leaning againft the tree, not incumbens bacul»
ex oli'va.
25. 'Tis very poetical to perfonify the mountain Maenalus,
and afcribe to it a voice and the power of hearing.
[ 157 ]
ECLOGUE THE EIGHTH.
PHARMACEUTRIA.
Damon and Alphesiboeus.
CHarm'd with the fongs of two contending fwains.
The herds for wonder ceas'd to graze the plains.
In deep furprife the lynxes liftening ftood.
The rolling rivers ftopt their headlong flood !
O Pollio ! leading thy victorious bands, ^
O'er deep Timavus' or Illyria's fands ;
O when thy glorious deeds fhall I rehearfe.
When tell the world how matchlefs is thy verfe.
Worthy the lofty ftage of laurell'd Greece,
Great rival of majeftic Sophocles ! 10
With thee began my fongs, with thee fhall end j
The ftrains thyfelf commanded, O attend !
And 'mid the laurels which thy brows entwine.
Admit this humble ivy-wreath of mine.
Night, her unwholefome fhadows fcarce withdrew, 15
What time the cattle love the cooling dew,
Damon, againft an olive's trunk reclin'd.
Thus pour'd the tranfports of his jealous mind.
Damon.
Bright Lucifer arife ! bring on the day.
While 1 deceiv'd by Nifa pine away, HOf
To heav'n addrefling my laft pray'rs and tears.
Yet which of all the gods my forrow hears ?
Begin with me, my pipe, Maenalian ftrains.
Delightful Maenalus, 'mid echoing groves.
And vocal pines, ftill hears the fhepherds' loves ; 25
The rural warblings hears of fkilful Pan,
Who firft to tune negle6led reeds began.
Begin, &c.
158 i*- ViRCiLii Maronis Bucolica. Eel. Bo
Mopfo Nifa datur. quid non fpcremus amantes ?
Jungentur jam gryphes equis : aevoqtie fequenti
Cum canibus timidi veJiient ad pocula damae.
Mopfe, novas incide faces : tibi ducitur uxor.
Sparge, marite, nuces : tibi deferet Hefperus Oetam. 30
Incipe Maenalios mecum, mea tibia, verfus.
O digno conjun£ta viro, dum defpicis omnis,
Dumque tibi eft odio mea fiftula, dumque capellae,
Hirfutumque fupercilium, prolixaque barba :
Nee curare deum credis mortalia quemquam. 35
Incipe Maenalios mecum, mea tibia, verfus.
Sepibus in noftris parvam te rofcida mala
(Dux ego vefter eram) vidi cum matre legentem^
Alter ab undecimo turn me jam acceperat annus :
Jam fragilis poteram a terra contingere ramos. 40
Ut vidi, ut perii, ut me malus abftulit error !
Incipe Maenalios mecum, mea tibia, verfus.
Nunc fcio, quid fit amor, duris in cotibus ilium
Aut Tmaros, aut Rhodope, aut extremi Garamantes^
Nee generis noftri puerum nee fanguinis edunt. 45
Incipe Maenalios mecum, mea tibia, verfus.
32. Timid deerJ] Benfon obferved that Virgil in this paflage
chofe rather to infringe grammar than to make a rhime ;
Timidi venient ad pocula Dams.
34. Nuptial lights. '\ The bride ufed to be led home by night
with lighted torches before her. Their torches were pieces of
pine or unftuous wood, which were cut to a point that they
might be the more eafily inflamed. Plutarch fays, there were
fve ufually carried. ' Martyn.
That nuces fignify nvalnuts, and have a myftical fignification
in the nuptial ceremonies, fee Martyn's Georgics, v. 187,
36. He/per. 1 That is, night approaches.
Hefperus that led
*' The ftarry hoil (hone brighteft, till the moon, &c.
MiLTOK,
40. Levgth of heard.'] La Cerda is of opinion, that tho
meaning is, my violent love has made me negledl my perfon.
45. The choice/} fruit.] The circumftances of his officiouf-
nefs of pointing out the fruit, and of his being but juft able
to
A
Eel. 8. The Eclogues of Virgil. 159
Fair Nifa Mopfus weds ! O wond'rous mate.
Ye lovers ! what may we not hope from fate ? jo
Now gryphons join v/ith mares ! another year,
With hoftile dogs fhall drink the timid deer :
Thy bride comes forth ! begin the feftal rites !
The walnuts ftrew ! prepare the nuptial lights !
O envied hufband, now thy blifs is nigh, 2^
Behold for thee bright Hefper mounts the fky.
Begin, &c.
O Nifa I congratulate thy choice !
Me you defpife, my pipe, and artlefs voice.
My goats, my fhaggy brows, my length of beard, 40
Nor think the gods your broken vows have heard.^
Begin, &c.
Once with your mother to our fields you came.
For dewy apples — thence I date my flame j
The choiceft fruit I pointed to your view, 45
Tho' young my raptur'd foul was fix'd on you !
The boughs I fcarce could reach with little arms.
But then, ev'n then could feel thy pow'rful charms.
how I gaz'd in pleafing tranfport toft !
How glow'd my heart in fweet delufion loft ! 50
Begin, &c.
1 know thee. Love ! on horrid Tmarus born.
Or from cold Rhodope's hard entrails torn,
Nurs'd in hot fands the Garamants among.
From human ftock the favage never fprung. 55
Begin, &c.
to reach the branches from the ground, are natural and poe-
tical.
IJt 'vidi ! ut peril / ut me malus abjiuUt error !
is not equal to
'S2j t^o», a? £f<«»5, Ui «S j6«6fv a^^lT' i^tfTa.
Abjtulit error is not fo ftrong as the Greek.
52. 0« horrid Tmarus.] Does not the fhepherd Laraon
feem to be too well acquainted with the geography of diftant
countries !
5
i6o P. ViRGiLit Maronis BucolicA. Eel. S*
Saevus amor docuit gnatorum fanguine matrem
Conmaculare manus. crudelis tu quoque, mater ;
Crudelis mater magis, an puer inprobus ille ?
Inprobus ille puer : crudelis tu quoque, mater. 5#
Incipe Maenalios mecum, mea tibia, verfus.
Nunc et ovis ultro fugiat lupus : aurea durae
Mala ferant quercus : narcifTo floreat alnus :
Pino-uia corticibus fudent eledlra myricae.
Certent et cycnis ululae : fit Tityrus Orpheus : 55
Orpheus in filvis, inter Delphinas Arion.
Incipe Maenalios mecum, mea tibia, verfus.
Omnia vel medium fiant mare : vivite filvae.
Praeceps aerii fpecula de mentis in undas
Deferar. extremum hoc munus morientis habeto. 6®
Define, Maenalios jam define, tibia, verfus.
Haec Damon : vos, quae refponderit Alphefiboeus,
Dicite, Pierides. non omnia pofioimus omnes.
Alphesiboeus.
EfFer aquam, et molli cinge haec altaria vitta :
Verbenafque adole pinguis et mafcula tura : 65
Conjugis ut magicis fanos avertere facris
Experiar fenfus. nihil hie nifi carmina defunt.
Ducite ab urbe domum, mea carmina, ducite Daphnin.
57. Relentlefs low.] After Medea had fled with Jafon, one
of the Argonauts, from her father and country, he bafely for-
fook her and married another : this fo highly enraged her, that
Ihe murdered before his face the children Ihe had by him. The
moil: pathetic tragedy of Euripides is on this fine fubjeft :
wherein the tendernefs of the mother, and the fury of the for-
faken miftrefs, produce noble ftruggies of paflion. I cannot
forbear adding, that the celebrated lines crudelis mater magis,
&c. contain a trifling play and jingling of words very unwor-
thy the fimplicity of Virgil's flyle. Dr. Trupp and Dr. Martyn
are of a quite contrary opinion, and think the pafl:"age beau-
tiful.
78. n tuneful virgins.] The poet hints that he is unable to
proceed by his own Ihength, and begs theretbre the afliitance
of the mufes.
80. Bring water.] The water was heated in the houfe, and
the
Ed. 8. The Eclogues of Virgil. i6i
Relcntlefs Love the mother taught of yore.
To bathe her hands in her own infants' gore;
O barbarous mother thirlting to deftroy !
More cruel was the mother or the boy ? 63
Both, both, alike delighted to deftroy,
Th' unnat'ral mother and the ruthlefs boy.
Begin, &c.
Now hiingry wolves let tim'rous lambkins chacc,
NarcifTus' flowers the barren alder grace, 65
Lei blufliing apples knotted oaks adcrri.
Let liquid amber drop from every thorn !
Let owls contend with fwans j our rural bard
To Orpheus or Arion be preferr'd !
Like Orpheus draw the liftening trees along, yo
Or like Arion charm the finny throng.
Begin, &c.
Let the fea rufli o'er all, in ftiorelefs floods !
Take this laft dying gift ! — fnrewel, ye v/oods !
Nifa adieu ! — from yon impending deep, 75
Headlong I'll plunge into the foamy deep !
Ceafe now, my pipe, now ceafe Maenalian ftrains.
Thus Damon mourn'd. Ye tuneful virgins tell
The fwain's reply — Not all in ail excel.
Alphesiboeus.
Bring water for the folemn rites deilgn'd, 80
The altar's fides with holy fillets bind —
The flrongeft frankincenfe, rich vervain burn.
That mighty magic may to madnefs turn
My perjur'd love — 'Tis done — and nought remains
To crown the rites but all-inchanting ftrains. 85
Bring Daphnis, bring him from the town, my ftrains.
the forcerefs calls to her affillant Amaryllis to bring it out
her ; fo there is no need to read afer, as (bine have done.
^2..ThefirongeJ}.'\ The ancieni
mkincenfe, inule.
Vol. I, M
to
82. The firongefi .'\ The ancients called the Ibongeft fort of
frankincenfe, inule.
i62 p. ViRGiLii Maronis Bucolica. Jilcl. S*
Carmina vel coelo pofTunt dcducere lunam:
Carminlbus Circe foclos mutavit Ulixi : yo
Frigtdus in pratis cantando rumpitur anguis.
Ducite ab urbe domum, mea carmina, ducite Daphnin»
Terna tibi hacc primum triplici diverfa colore
Licia ciicumdo, terque haec sltaria circum
Effigiem duco. nuniero deus inparc gaudet. 75
Ducite ab urbe domum, mea carmina, ducite Daphnin.
Ne<Sle tribus nodis ternos, Amarylli, colorcs :
Nedle, Amarylli, modo : et. Veneris, die, vincula neclo.
Ducite ab urbe domum, mea carmina, ducite Daphnin.
Limus ut hie durefcit, et hacc ut ccra liquefcit 80
Uno eodemque igni ; fie noftro Daphnis amore.
Sparge molam, et fragilis incende bitumine lauros.
Daphnis me malus urit : ego hanc in Daphnide laurum.
Ducite ab urbe domum, mea carmina, ducite Daphnin.
Talis amor Daphnin, qualis, cum fefia juvencum 85
Per nemora atque altos quaerendo bucula luces.
Propter aquae rivom viridi procumbit in ulva
JPerdita, nee ferae meminit decedere nodti :
94. For three."] The ancients had a prodigious veneration fof
the number t/jree, and held many ridiculous fuperftitions in re-
lation to it. This number was thought the moll perfeft of all
numbers, having regard to the beginning, middle, and end.
103. js this fame fire.] There were plainly mjoo figures
made, one of wax, and the other of clay; the former would
natural! V melt, and the other harden by the fire. The notion
was, that as the image confumed, fo did the perfon it repre-
fented. Dr. Martyn obferves, that in the beginning of the
lall century, many perfons were convicted of this and other
fuch like practices, and were executed accordingly, as it was
deemed to be attempting the lives of others. King James the
Firll: was a great believer of the power of magic, and wrote
a very idle book on the fubjed, entituled, Daemonologie.
Shakefpear feems to have chofen the fubjcdt of his Macbeth to
pleafe the tafte of that prince.
The bays were burnt alfo to confume the flefli of the perfon
on whofe account thefe magical rites were performed. The
cake is crumbled upon the image of Daphuis as upon the vi^im
•f this fiicrifice.
}
Eel. 8. The Eclogues of Virgil. 163
By llrains pale Cynthia from her fphgre defcends;
Strains chang'd to brutes Ulyfles* wondering friends j
Strains in the meadow, or the fecret brake.
Can the deaf adder fplit, and vxnom'd fnake. gp
Bring, &c.
Lo ! firft I round thy waxen image twift.
And clofely bind this triple-colour'd lift.
And three times round the altar walkj for three
Is a dear number to dread Hecate. 95
Bring, Szc.
Hafte, Amaryllis, ply thy bufy hand ;
Hafte, quickly, knit the confecrated band.
And fay 'tis knit at Venus' dread command ;
In three clofe knots the mixing colours knit, lOO
For ardent lovers fuch clofe bands befit.
Bring, &c.
As this fame fire melts wax and hardens clay.
To others deaf, let him my love repay.
Crumble the facred cake, let wither'd bays, 105
Inflam'd with liquid fulphur crackling blaze ;
As Daphnis warms my bofom with defire.
May Daphnis burn in this confuming fire !
Bring, &c.
May Daphnis feel fuch ftrong, unanfwer'd love, no
As the fond heifer feels, thro' copfe and grove,
Who feeks her beauteous bull, then tir'd and faint
On the green rufhy bank lies down to pant.
Loft to herfelf and rolling on the ground,
JHeedlefs of darkfome night now clos'd around ! 115
105. The mcla was made of meal faked and kneaded, mo-
iita, whence it was called mola : and viftims were faid to be
immolated, becaufe the foreheads of the viftims, and the
hearths and the knives had this cake crumbled on them.
RUAEUS.
115. Night.'] Perdila, nee ferae meminit decedere «o<S;'; whifii
fweet line, fays Macrabius, is taken entirely from Varius,
>I 2
164 p. ViRGiLii Maronis BucoLieA. Eel. 8.
Talis amor teneat, nee fit mihi cura mederi.
Ducite ab urbe domum, mea carmina, ducite Daphnin. go
Has olim exuvias mihi perfidus ille reliquit,
Pignora cara fui : quae nunc ego limine in ipfo,
Terra, tibi mando. debent haec pignora Daphnin.
Ducite ab urbe domum, mea carmina, ducite Daphnin.
Has herbas, atque haec Ponto mihi le£la venena, 95
Ipfe dedit Moeris. nafcuntur plurima Ponto.
His ego Taepe lupum fieri, et fe condere filvis
Moerin, faepe animas imis excire fepulcris,
Atque fatas alio vidi traducere meflis.
Ducite ab urbe domum, mea carmina, ducite Daphnin. lOO
Fer cineres, Amarylli, foras : rivoque fiuenti,
Tranfque caput jace : ne refpexeris. his ego Daphnin
Adgrediar : nihil ille deos, nil carmina curat.
Ducite ab urbe domum, mea carmina, ducite Daphnin
Afpice : corripuit tremulis altaria flammis 105
Sponte fua, dum ferre moror, cinis ipfe. bonum fit !
Nefcio quid certe eft : et Hylax in limine latrat.
Credimus ? an, qui amant, ipfi fibi fomnia fingunt ?
Parcite, ab urbe venit, jam parcite, carmina, Daphnls.
126. Sage Moeris.'] The defcrlption of the powerfulnefs of
Moeris his magic, is fublime. Pontus was the land of poi-
fons : Mithridates, who ufed to eat poifon, reigned there ; and
Medea was born in Colchis.
133. Thefe ajhes.] The moft powerful of all incantations
was to throw the afhes of the facrifice backward into the water.
141. T'he dying embers,'] The ancients thought the iuddea
blazing of the fire a very happy omen. For Plutarch relates,
that th3 veftal virgins congratulated Cicero, and begged him
to proceed in his profecution of Catiline, and affureJ him of
great fuccefs, becaufe the lire of their facrifice lighted of in'
own accord.
Eel. S. The Eclogues of Virgil. 165
Ev'n thus, may difregarded Daphnis burn,
Pine to defpair, nor I his Hame return !
Bringj &c.
This veft the faithlcfs traitor left behind.
Pledge of his love I give, to thee confign'd, 120
O facred earth ! thus plac'd beneath the door,
O may the precious pledge its lord reftore !
Ering, &c.
Thefe powerful, poifonous plants in Pontus dug,
(Pontus abounds in many a magic drug) 125
Sage Moeris gave ; in dire enchantments brew'd,
IVIoeris his limbs with thefe has oft bedew'd.
Hence the fell forcerer have I feen become
A wolf, and thro' wild forefts howling roam.
With thefe from graves the Parting fpedres warn, 130
And whirl to diftant fields the landing corn.
Bring, Sec.
Take now thefe afhes from th' expiring wood.
And llrew them, Amaryllis, o'er the flood ;
But backv/ard cafi: them, dare not look behind, 135
With thefe I'll ftrive to touch his harden'd mind ;
But weak all art my Daphnis' brealt to move,
For he nor charms regards, nor pow'rs above.
Bring, &c.
Lo ! round the altar's fides what flames afpire ! 140
The dying embers buril into a fire !
Lift ! Hylax barks ! O may it lucky prove !
But ah ! how oft are we deceiv'd that love ?
Can it be truth ? my heart will Daphnis eafe ?
He comes, my Daphnis comes — Enchantments ceafe !
END OF THE EIGHTH ECLOGUE,
M3
[ 1^7 ]
ECLOGUE THE NINTH.
ARGUMENT.
Wc are told by Servius that jMoeris is the perfon who had
the care of Firgi/'s farm, zuas his 'procurator, cr bailiff,
as ive fpeak at prcfent \ end that when Virgil had from
Augujlus received a grant cf his lands, one Arrius a cen-
turion refufed to admit him into poffcffion, and would cer-
tainly have killed him if Virgil had not faved his life by
fwi?nming over the AJincius. This accident is mentioned in
this Eclogue. Lycidas overtakes Moeris on his way to
Rome, and afks him to repeat to him as they paffed along
fame favourite verfe:, that he formerly had heard fro?n
him. Moeris grants his requejl, but fuddcnly breaks off
in a natural and dramatic mariner.
M 4
[ i68 ]
E C L O G A IXt
M O E R I S.
Lycidas, Moeris.
LVCIDAS.
Quo te, Moeri, pedes ? an, quo via duclt, in urbem ?
Moeris.
O Lvcida, vivi pervenlmus ; advena noftri,
Qiiod numquam veriti fumus, ut poffefTor agelli
Diceret : Haec mea funt ; veteres migrate coloni.
Nunc vidi, triftes, quoniam Fors omnia verfat, 5
Hos illi (quod nee bene vertat) mittimus haedos.
Lycidas.
Certe equidem audieram, qua fe fubducere colles
Incipiunt, mollique jugum demittcre clivo,
Ufque ad aquam et veteres, jam fracla cacuminn, fagos.
Omnia carminibus veftrum iervaffe Menalcan. 10
Moeris.
Audicras ; et fama fuit. fed carmlna tantum
Noftra valent, Lycida, tela inter Martia, quantum
Chaonias dicunt, aquila veniente, columbas.
Quod nifi me quacumque novas incidere litis
Ante fmiftra cava monuiflct ab ilice comix, 15
Nee tuus hie Moeris, nee viveret ipfe Menalcas.
Lycidas.
Heu, cadit in quemquam tantum fcelus ! heu, tua nobis
r. By /ear.] The two emthets 'vfat zryd trijie.' , Burman de-
clares he cannot digeft; but the rule ^e epithetis tion 7iiuliiplicandis,
is a mere dream of the grammarians ; nor did the beft poets
regard it. Spence.
C 1^9 J
ECLOGUE THE NINTH.
M O E R I S.
Lycidas, Moeris.
Lycidas.
SAY, Moeris, to the city doft thou hafte ?
Moeris.
O Lycidas, the day's arriv'd at hil.
When the fierce ftranger, breathing rage, fhall fay,
Thefe fields are mine, ye veteran hinds away !
To whom, by Fortune crufli'd, o'ercome by fear, 5
Thefe kids (a curfe attend them !) muft I bear.
Lycidas.
Sure I had heard, that where yon' hills defcend,
And to the vale their Hoping fummits bend,
Down to the ftream and ancient broken beech.
Far as the confines of his paftures reach, lO
Menalcas fav'd his all by fkilful {trains.
Moeris.
Such was the tale among the Mantuan fwains;
But verfe 'mid dreadful war's mad tum.ults, proves
As weak and powerlefs, as Dodona's doves.
When the fierce, hungry eagle firft they fpy, 15
Full on their heads impetuous dart from high.
The boding raven from an hollow tree,
Warn'd us to ceafe the ftrife, and quick agree ;
Elfe of our liberty, nay life, depriv'd.
Nor Moeris. nor Menalcas had furviv'd. 20
Lycidas.
What rage the ruthlefs foldier could induce
To hurt the fweeteft favourite of the mufe ?
\
170 p. ViRGiLii Maronis Bucolica. EcI. g.
Paene fimul tecum folatia rapta, Menalca !
Quis caneret Nymphas ? quis humum florentibus herbis
Spargeret ? aut viridi fontis induceret umbra ? 20
Vel quae fublcgi tacitus tibi carmina nuper.
Cum te ad delicias ferres Amaryllida noftras ?
Tityre, dum redeo, brevis eft via, pafce capellas :
Et potum paftas age, Tityre ; et inter agendum
Occurfare capro, cornu ferit ille, caveto. 25
MoERIS.
Immo haec, quae Varo nee dum perfcfta canebat.
Vare, tuum nomen (fuperet modo Alantua nobis,
Mantua vae miferae nimium vicina Cremonae !)
Cantantes fublime ferent ad fidera cycni.
Lycidas.
Sic tua Cyrneas fugiant examina taxos : 30
Sic cytifo paftae diftentent ubcra vaccae.
Incipe, fi quid habes. et me fecere poetam
Pierides : funt et mihi carmina. me quoque dicunt
Vatem paftores : fed non ego credulus illis.
Nam neque adhuc Varo videor, nee dicere Cinna 35
Digna, fed argutos inter ftrepere anfer olores.
MoERis.
Id quidem ago ; ac tacitus, Lycida, mecum ipfe voluto,
Si valeam meminiiTe : neque eft ignobile carmen.
Hue ades, 6 Galatea, quis eft nam ludus in undis ?
Hie ver purpureum : varios hie fiumina circum 40
25. JVho then could firewo.'] Virgil certainly alludes to his
Eclogue, entitled Daphnis, compoled on the death of Julius
Caefar.
35. Cremona' s P^ Auguftus divided the lands of Cremona
Simongrc his foldiers, becaufe they fided with Ancoay. But that
country not affording fufiicieut quantities of land for all the
/bldiers, part of the territory of Mantua was added and given
away in that manner.
40. Cyrnaean.'l Corfica was called Cyrnus by the Greeks.
The hor.jy of this illand was moll; remarkably bad.
43. Cinna s, ^V.] This undoubtedly was no: Helvius Cinna
the poet who was murdered, by miftaking him for Cornelius
Cinna, and an enemy of Julius Caefar, at that emperor's fu-
o neral.
Eel. 9. The Eclogues of Virgil. 171
O direful thought ! hadft thou, Mcnalcas, bled,
With thee had all our choiceft pleafures fled !
Who then could ftrew fweet flow'rs, the nymphs could fing
Who fhade with verdant boughs the ,cryfl;al fpring ? 26
Or chant thofe lays which privately I read.
When late we vifited my fav'rite maid :
" Watch, Tityrus, watch, and fee my goats receive
*' At morn frefh pafture, and cool ftreams at eve i 30
'' Soon I'll return j but as the flock you lead,
*' Beware the wanton ridg'ling's butting head.'*
MOERIS.
Or thofe to Varus, tho* unfinifh'd ftrainS' ■ -
" Varus, fhould we preferve our Mantuan plains,
*' (Obnoxious by Cremona's neighbouring crime) 35
'' The fwans thy name fliall bear to heav'n fublime."
Lycidas.
Begin, if verfe thou haft, my tuneful friend ;
On trefoil fed fo may thy cows diftend
Their copious udders ; fo thy bees refufe
The baneful juices of Cyrnaean yews, a.o
Me too the mufes love, and give me lays,
Swains call me bard, but I deny their praife ;
I reach not Varus' voice, nor Cinna's fong,
But fcream like gabbling geefe fweet fwans among.
MOERIS.
Thofe ftrains am I revolving in my mind, 45
Nor are they verfes of a vulgar kind.
** O lovely Galatea ! hither hafte !
" For what delight affords the wat'ry wafte ?
*' Here purple fpring her gifts profufely pours,
** And paints the river-banks with balmy flow'rs ; 50
neral. But it feems to have been Lucius Cinna, the grandfon
of Pompey, and a great favourite of Auguftus. Others think
the words relate to two writers.
47. O lo've/y Galatea.] Thefe verfes in the original, afiemble
together fome of the lovelieil: objedls of wild unadorned nature.
They are a copy of a beautiful paifage in Theocritus.
172 p. ViRGlLII MaRONIS BtJCOLICA. Ecl. g.
Fundit humus flores : hie Candida populus antro
Inminet, et lentae texunt umbracula vites.
Hue adesj infani feriant fine litora flu6lus.
Lycidas.
Quid, quae te pura folum fub noiSle can en tern
Audieram ? numeros memlnl, fi verba tenerem. 45
MoEillS.
Daphni, quid antiques fignorum fufplcis ortus ?
Ecce Dionaei proceffit Caefaris aftrum :
Aftrum, quo fegetes gauderent frugibus ; et quo
Duceret aprlcis In collibus uva colorem.
Infere, Daphni, piros : carpent tua poma nepotes. 50
Omnia fert aetas, animum quoque. fuepe ego longos
Cantando puerum memini me condere foles.
Nunc obllta mihl tot carmlna. vox quoque Moerm
Jam fugit Ipfa : lupl Moerin videre priores.,
Sed tamen ifta fatis referet tibi faepe Menalcas. 55
Lycidas.
CaufTando noftros in longum duels amores.
52. Leaves.'l Obferve how Judicioufly Virgil mentions only
the fhades of the vines j it being yet only Tpring, there could
be no grapes.
5S. Daphnis ! behold.] Virgil, fays La Cerda, fecms to have
contended with himfelf in this place for viftory. Heoppofes thefe
fi\'e verfes to thofe which went before. Hue ades, Galatea, in
which having excelled Theocritus, he now endeavours to excel
himfelf. In the former he aimed only at the fweetnefs of ex-
preffion, as became one who addreffed himfelf to Caefar, who
was then admitted among the gods. There he defcribes the
delights of the fpring, flowers, rivers, Ihades, fuch objedts as
tend to pieafure ; here, he produces the fruits of fummer, corn,
grapes, and pears, all which are ulcful to man. Who can iay
that Virgil fpeaks idly, or to no purpofe ?
58. Beheld ike Julian.'] The Julian liar, according to Doaor
Halley, was a comet ; and the fame that appeared (for the
third time after) in 1680. Ho fays that the tiiil of that comet
in its neareil approach to the fun, was fixty degrees long. §0
that it muft have made a very confiderabh figure in the heavens,
as Horace fays the Julian liar did. After Caefar's death a
comet happened to appear, which the fuperlUtious vulgar
thought was the foul of Julius Caefar, placed among the gods,
Augullus'j courtiers propagated this notion.
Eel. 9* The Eclogues of Virgil. ^73
" Kcre, o'er the grotto the pale poplar weaves
<' With blufning vines a canopy of leaves j
•' Then auit the feas ! againft the founding fhore
** Let the vext ocean's billows idly roar !"
Lycidas.
What's that you fung alone, one cloudlefs night ? 55
Its air I know, could I the words recite.
MoERis.
*' Why (lill confiilt, for ancient figns, the fkies ?
** Daphnis ! behold the Julian ftar arife !
** Whofe power the fields with copious corn Ihall nil,
" And clothe with richer grapes each funny hill j 60
" Now, Daphnis, for thy grandfons plant thy pears,
" Who lufcious fruits fhall crop in diftant years."—
Alas ! by Healing time how things decay !
Once could I fing whole fummer-funs away ;
But ah ! my mem'ry fails — fome wolf accurs'd 65
.Hath ftopt my voice and look'd on Moeris firft :
But oft Menalcas will repeat thefe lays.
Lycidas.
My ftrong uefires fuch flight excufes raife ;
59. Fields.] Segetes generally fignifies xhsfeUs in Virgil's
writings.
62. Fruits.'] Poma is commonly ufed by the ancients for any
efculent fruit.
63. Alas I by paling.] Here the Ihepherd breaks ofF abruptly,
as if he had forgot the rail of the poem.
65. My memory fails.] Obferve two things, fays Ruaeus,
I. That oblita is ufed in a paffive fignlfication. 2. That mihi is
put for me. So in the Aeneid, Niella tuarum audita mihi neqtie
vifa fororum.
65. Some luolf accurs'd.] The ancients imagined, that if a
wolf happened ro look on any man firft, the perlbn was inllantly
deprived of his voice. Afxai- e»^£;, e-sjan^i tk, w? cto^oj liTtiv, fays
Theocritus.
68. Caujfando in the original, fignifies by pretending to make
excufes.
Stultus uterque locum immeritum caiifatur iniqui. HoR.
174 P. VlkGILII MaRONIS BUCOLIGA. EcI. ^*
Et nunc omne tibi ftratum filet aequor : et omnes,
(Afpice) ventofi ceciderunt murmuris aurae*
Hinc adeo media eft nobis via. namque fepulehrum
Incipit apparcre Bianoris. hie, ubi denfas 6o
Agricolae ftringunt frorides, hie, Moeri, canamus :
Hie haedos depone, tamen veniemus in urbem.
Aut fi, nox pluviam ne conligat ante, veremur,
Cantantes licet ufque (minus via laedat) eamus.
Cantantes ut eamus, ego hoc te fafce levabo. . 65
MoERis.
Define plura, puer : et, quod nunc inftat, agamus.
Carmina turn melius, cum venerit ipfe, canemus.
70. The neighboring lal:e.'\ The original fays, Jlrdtum Jilet
nequor. By aequor cannot polTibly be underilood the fea, as
feme tranflators have imagined. Catroa's obfervation is very
ingenious. Our fliepherds were already arrived at the edge of
|he lake of Mantua, which is formed round the city by the
Mincio. Is not a lake T^fsa inthe eyes of Ibepherds ?
72. Bianor's tomb^l Eianor, fon of the river Tiber, by the
daughter of Tireuas, named IVIanto, is fabled to have firft of
all fortified the city of Mantua, and to have given it the name
of his mother. His tomb, as ancient ones uiually were, waa
placed by the way- fide. Hence the expreffion, abi i.'ioAor,JiJie
'viator — abfurdly intioduced into uio^eaa epitaphs, not placed
«a fuch fiiuacions.
Jlcl. g. The Eclogues of Virgil. i^^
Behold no whifp'ting winds the branches fnake j
Smooth is the furface of the neighb'ring lake 3 ^9
Befides, to our mid-journey are we come,
I fee the top of old Bianor's tomb ;
Here, Moeris, where the fwains thick branches prune,
And ftrew their leaves, our voices let us tune j
Here reft a while, and lay your kidlings down, 75
Remains full time to reach the deftin'd town;
But if you tempefts fear and gathering rain.
Still let us footh our travel with a ftrain ;
The v/ays feem fhorter by a warbled fong,
I'll eafe your burden as we pafs along. 80
Moeris.-
Ceafe your requeft ; proceed we o'er the plain j
When HE returns we'll fing a fweeter ftrain.
y^. And fire^v their leaves."] La Cerda fays, they gathered
llie leaves to ftrew them on Bianor's tomb : but the epithet
denfas feems to point to amputation, which they wanted by
growing too thick. Holdfworth fays, a grove I fuppofe in
which the peafants ftrip off the leaves ; Catrou has millakea
the meaning.
KxN'D OF THE l^flNTir ECLOGUE,
[ '77 ]
ECLOGUE THE TENTH.
ARGUMENT.
^e poet introduces bis friend and patron G alius, lying under
a folitary rock in Arcadia, bewailing the incsnjiancy of
his 7nijir-efs Lycoris, by ivhofn is meant the beautiful Ci-
theris, a mojl celebrated acfrefs, that left him to follow
feme officer into Gerjnany. He defcribes the rural deities
coming to vifit Callus in his difircfs, as they do Daphnis /?z
Theocritus^ and lafi of all Apollo hi?nfelf who all e?tdea'
Z':ur in vain to comfort him.
1^
Vol. I. N
C 178 3
E C L O G A X.
G A L L U S.
EXtremum hunc, Arethufa, mihi concede laborem,
Pauca meo Gallo, fed quae legat ipfa Lycoris,
Carmina funt dicejida. neget quis carmina Gallo ?
Sic tibi, cum fluilus fubter labere Sicanos,
Doris amara fuam non intermifceat undam. 5
Incipc. follicitos Galli dicamus amores,
Dum tcnera adtondent fimae virgulta capellae.
Non canimus furdis : refpondent omnia filvae.
Quae nemora, aut qtii vos faltus habuere, puellae
Naides, indigno cum Gallus amore periret ? 10
Nam neque Parnafi vobis juga, nam neque Pindi
Ulla moram fecere, neque Aoniae Aganippes.
Ilium etiam lauri, ilium etiam flcvere myricae :
Pinifer ilium etiam fola fub rupe jacentem
Maenalus, et gelidi fleverunt faxa Lycaei. 15
Stant et oves circum : noftri nee poenitet illas :
Nee te poeniteat pecoris, divine pceta :
Et formofus oVis ad flumina pavit Adonis.
Venit et upilio : tardi venere bubulci : *
Uvidus hiberna .venit de glande Menalcas. 20
Onrnes, unde amor ifte, rogant, tibi ? venit Apollo :
Galle, quid infanis ? inquit. tua cura Lycoris
Ver. 10. While bro^vxe the goats.] The original calb them
Jimae capellae, fnub-nos'd goats, which will HOt bear to be
rendered into Erglidi. This is one inftance among a thou-
fand that may be given, of the utter impoffibility of giving
any gracefulnefs to many images in the claffics, which in a
dead language do not appear grol's or common.
13. Where iK-ere ye. Naiads.] This is finely imitated in that
excellent piece of Milton, intituled, Lycidas, but is originally
in 'I'heccritus.
f 179 J
ECLOGUE THE TENTH.
G A L L U S.
A I D the laft labour of nay rural mufe,
'Tis Gallus afks, aufpicious Arethufe ?
But then fuch pity-moving ftrains impart.
Such numbers as may touch Lycoris' heart ;
Yet once morCj tuneful nymph, thy fuccour bring j 5
What bard for Gallus can refufe to finer i"
So while beneath Sicilian feas you glide,
May Doris ne'er pollute your purer tide !
With Gallus' baplefs love begin the lay,
XVhile brow^ze the goats the tender-budding fpray ; IQl
Nor to the deaf our mournful notes we fing.
Each wood (hall with refponfive echoes ring.
Where were ye, Naiads ! in what lawn or grore.
When Gallus pin'd with unregarded love ?
For not by Aganippe's fpring we play'd, 15
Nor Pindus^ verdant hill your fteps delay'd }
For hirri lamented every laurel grove ;
The very tamafifcs wept his haplefs love j
His woes ev'n pine-topt Maenalus bemoan'd,
Thro' all his caverns the dark mountain groan'd ; 20
And cold Lycaeum's rocks bewail'd his fate,
As fad beneath a lonelycliff he fate.
Around him ftood his flock in dumb furprize,
A fhepherd's lowly name I ne'er defpife :'
Nor thou, fwcet bard, difdain fair flocks to guide, 25
Adonis fed them by the river's fide ;
The heavy hiiwl to him, and goat-herd hafte,
And old Menalcas wet from gathering wint'ry mail j
All of his love enquire ; Apollo came ;
" Why glows my Gallus' bread with fruitlefs flame ? 30
N 2
l8© P. ViRGlLII MaRONIS BuCOLICA. Eel, 10.
Perque nives alium, perqiie horrida caftra fecuta eft.
Venit et agrefli capitis Silvanus honore,
Florentis ferulas et grandia lilia quaffans. 25
Pan deus Arcadiae venit : quern vidimus ipfl
Sanguineis ebuli baccis minioque rubentem.
Ecquis erit modus ? inquit. amor now talia curat.
Nee lacrimis crudelis amor, nee gramina rivis.
Nee cytifo faturantur apes, nee fronde capellae. 30
Triftis at ille, Tamen cantabitis, Arcades, inquit,
Montibus haec veilris : foli cantare periti
Arcades. 6 mihi tum quam molliter olTa quiefcant,
Veftra meos olim fi fiflula dicat amores !
Atque utinam ex vobis unus, veftrique fuifTem 35
Aut cuftos gregis, aut maturae venitor uvae !
Certe five mihi Phyllis, five eflet Amyntas,
Seu quicumque furor, (quid tum, fi fufcus Amyntas ?
Et nigrae violae funt, et vaccinia nigra)
Mecum inter falices lenta fub vite jaceret. 40
Serta mihi Phyllis legeret, cantaret Amyntas.
Hie gelidi fontes : hie m.ollia prata, Lycori.
Kic nemus : hie ipfo tecum confumcrcr aevo.
Nunc infanus amor duri me Martis in armis,
Tela inter media, atque adverfos dctinet hollis. 45
Tu procul a patria (nee fit mihi credere) tantum
Aipinas, ah dura, nives et frigora Rheni
41. Sad Galliis then."] This addrefs of Gallus to the Arca-
dians is tender and moving; eipecially that part of it where
he wifhes he had been only an humble Ihephcrd like them.
But when he jull afcervvarjs addreiTes his milliefs, the lines are
inexpreflibly pathetic.
Hie gelt Ji fontes ; hie molUa prata, Lycori ;
Hie nemus : hie ipfo tecum conjumercr aevo.
And then he turns off at once to the evils his pafiion has cx-
pofed him to,
J\unc injanus amor, 13 c.
Ed. 10. The Eclogues of Virgil. i8i
" To feek another youth thy falfe one flies,
*' Thro' martial terrors and inclement Ikies." ^ .
Shaking the ruftic honours of his brow.
The lilly tall, and fennel's branching bough,
Sylvanus came ; and Pan, Arcadia's pride, 35
With vermil-hues, and blufliing elder dy'd :
" Ah ! why indulge, he cries, thy boundlefs grief,
" Think'ft thou that love will heed, or bring relief?
*' Nor tears can love fuiEce, nor fhowers the grafs,
*' Nor leaves the goat, nor flowers the honied race." 40
Sad Gallus then.— Yet O Arcadian fwains.
Ye beft artificers of foothing ftrains !
Tune your foft reeds, and teach your rocks my woes.
So fhall my (hade in fweeter reft repofe ;
O that your birth and bus'nefs had been mine, 45
To feed the flock, and prune the fpreading vine !
There fom.e foft folace to my amorous mind.
Some Phillis or Amyntas I {hould find :
(What if the boy's fmooth ikin be brown to view.
Dark is the hyacinth and violet's hue) 50
There as we lay the vine's thick (hades beneath.
The boy fhould fing, and Phillis twine the wreath.
Here cooling fountains roll thro' flow'ry meads.
Here woods, Lycoris ! lift their verdai^t heads,
Here could I wear my carelefs life away, 55
And In thy arms infenfibly decay,
Inftead of that, me frantic love detains,
'Mid foes, and deathful darts, and bloody plains :
While you, and can my foul the tale believe, "^
Far from your country, lonely wand'ring leave, 60 >
Me, me your lover, barbarous fugitive ! J
Seek the rough Alps, where fnows eternal fhine.
And joylefs borders of the frozen Rhine.
53. Thefe four lines are taken from Sir George Lyttelton's
elegant Eclogues, entitled. The progrefs of lo-ve.
N 3
l82 p. ViRGILII MaRONIS BuCOLICA. Ed. 10.
Me fine fola vidcs. ah te ne frigora laedant !
Ah tibi ne teneras glacies fecet afpera plantas !
Ibo, et Chalcidico quae funt mihi condita verfu 50
Carmina, paftoris Siculi modulabor avena.
Certum eft in filvis, inter fpelaea ferarum,
Malle pati, tenerifque meos incidcre amores
Arboribus : crefcent illae : crefcetis amores.
Interea mixtis luftrabo Maenala nymphis : 55
Aut acris venabor apros : non me ulla vetabunt
Frigora Parthenios canibus circumdare faltus.
Jam mihi per rupes videor lucofque fonantis
Ire : libet Partho torquere Cydonia cornu
Spicula ; tanquam haec fint noftri medicina furoris, 60
Aiit deus ille mails homlnum mitefcere difcat.
Jam neque Hamadryades rurfum, neque carmina nobis
Ipfa placent : ipfae rurfum concedite filvae.
Non ilium noftri poft'unt mutare labores :
Nee fi frigoribus mediis Hebrumque bibamus, 65
Sithoniafque nivis hiemis fubeamus aquofae.
Nee fi, cum moriens alta liber aret in ulmo,
Aethiopum verfemus ovis fub fidere Cancri.
Omnia vincit Amor, et nos cedamus Amori.
Haec fat erit, divac, veftrum cecinlffe poetani, 70
Dum fedet, et gracili fifcellam texit hibifco,
66. I go, I go.] How juflly are the various refolutions and
(hit'ting paffions of a lover here defcribed ! Firft, he refolves
to renev/ his poetical ftudies, (for Gallus was a writer of ele-
gies) then fuddenly he talks of leaving the world, and finding
out feme melancholy folitude, and hiding himfelf among the
dens of wild beafts, and amufing himfelf by carving her name
on the trees. Then all at once he breaks out into a refolution
that he will fpend all his time in hunting; but fuddenly re-
collefls with a figh, that none of thefe amufements will cure
his paJion ; and then bids adieu to all the diverfions of which
he had been fpeaking.
88. Fee^.] Fer/cmus, In this place, in the original fignifies to
/eei/ Iheep, or drive them about, to feed.
89. £//».] Libey in the original fignifies the inmoft bark of
a tree.
90. Virgil ufes the conftellation of Cancer to exprefs the
7 tropic.
£cl. 10. The Eclogues of Virgil. 183
Ah ! may no cold e'er blaft my deareft maid.
Nor pointed ice thy tender feet invade ! 1 65
I go, I go, Chalcidian ftrains to fuit V
To the foft found? of the Sicilian flute ! \
'Tis fix'd ! — to mazes of the tangled wood, j
Where cavern'd monfters roam in queft of blood, j
Abandon'd will I fly, to feed my flame ' 70
Alone, and on the tree,s infcribe her name ;
Faft as the groves in ftately growth improve.
By pow'r congenial will increafe my love.
Mean while on fummits of Lycaeum hoar, i
With the light nymphs I'll chafe the furious boar, . 75
Nor me fhall frofts forbid with horn and hound
Parthenia's echoing forefts to furround.
Now, now, thro' founding woods I feem to go,
Twanging my arrows from the Parthian bow i
As if thefe fports my wounded breaft could heal, 80
Or that fell god for mortal pangs would feel !
But now, again no more the woodland maids,
Nor paftoral fongs delight — Farcwel, ye fhades !
No toils of ours the cruel god can change,
Tho' loft in frozen defarts we fhould range, 85
Tho' we fhould drink where chilling Hebrus flows.
Endure bleak winter's blafts, and Thracian fnows ;
Or on hot India's plains our flocks fhould feed.
Where the parch'd elm declines his fickening head ;
Beneath fierce glowing Cancer's fiery beams, go
Far from cool breezes and refrefhing ftreams.
Love over all maintains refiftlefs fway.
And let us love's all-conquering power obey.
Thus, as a bafket's rufhy frame he wove,
Your bard, ye mufcs, fung the pains of love : 95
tropic. The fun enters Cancer on the 10th or uth of our
June, which is the longeft day of the year, and naturally the
hottcft.
N 4.
184 ?♦ ViRGILII MaRONIS BueOLICA. Eel. 10.
Pierides. vos haec facietis maxima Gallo :
Gallo, quojus amOr tantum mihi crefcit in horas.
Quantum vere novo viridis fe fubjicit alnus.
Surgamus : folet efie gravis cundlantibus umbra. 75
Juniperi gravis umbra, nocent et frugibus umbrae.
Ite domum faturae, "venit Hefperus, ite capellae.
lOO. Loitering.l La Cerda reads, cunSiantibus, not cantanti-
lusy in the original, which feems to be the truu fcnfe.
102. Even the fhades of juniper, tho' it is a tree whofis
leaves are fo fragrant, are Hill very unwholefome.
Eel. 10. The Eclogues of Virgil. 185
May Gallus view the fong with partial eyes,
For whom each hour my flames of friendfliip rife j
Faft as when vernal gales their influence fpread.
The verdant alder lifts his blooming head.
But hafte, unwholfome to the loitering fwain 100
The fhades are found, and hurtful to tlie grain ;
Ev'n juniper's fweet fliade, whofe leaves around
Fragrance difFufe, at eve are noxious faund.
Homev/ard, ye well-fed goats, now finks the day j
ho, glittering Hefper comes f my goats away. 10^
END OF THE TENTH ECLOGUE.
Yol:I.^ Wi87
iiliiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiw
p. Firgilii Maronis
G E O R G I C A.
THE
G E O R G I C S
O F
V I R G I L.
[ i89 ]
BOOK THE FIRST.
ARGUMENT.
The poet begins with propofing the fubje^fs of the four books
of his zvork -J then eafily Jlides into an invocation of fucb
deities as were proper to ajjijl him in his execution of it,
artfully introducing Augufius among thofe deities. Thefe
circumjlances are ccm.prehended in the exordium. The book
itfelf may be divided into fx parts. I. The various me-
thods of tilling ground, according to its different natures
and qualities. II. The origin of agriculture. III. The
inflruments of hujhandmen, IV. The proper feafons for
the works of hujhandmen. V. The prognoflics of the
weather. VI. The prodigies that attended the death ef
Julius Caefar.
C 190 ]
P. VIRGILII MARONIS
G E O R G I C A.
AD C. CILNIUM MAECENATEM.
LIBER PRIMUS.
QUID faclat laetas fegetes, quo fidere terrain
Vertere, Maecenas, ulmifque adjungere vitcs
Conveniat : quae cura bourn, qui cultus habendo
Sit pecori, atque apibus quanta experientia parcis,
Hinc canere incipiam. Vos, 6 clariflima mundi 5
Lumina, labentem coelo quae ducitis annum :
Liber et alma Ceres, veftro fi muncre tell us
Chaoniam pingui g|andem mutavit arifta,
Poculaque inventis Acheloia mifcuit uvis :
Et vos agreftum praefentia numina, Fauni, 10
Ferte fimul Faunique pedem Dryadefque puellae:
Munera veftra cano. tuque 6, cui prima frementem
Fudit equum magno tellus percufla tridenti,
Ver. 1. Fields.] The fubjefts of the fear following books of
Georgics are particularly fpecified in thefe four firft lines ;
CorTi and Plcug/jiJig are the lubjefl of the_/fr/?, Fines of the y^-'
<o»d, Cattle of the third, and Bees of the la/. By /eges Vir-
gil generally means the fields. ^0 fidere is very poetical for
quo tempore. Mr. Dryden fays only •vjhsn to turn, &c. I ap-*
ply experientia to the bees after Grimoaldus and Dr. Trapp,
as more poetical than the other meaning, and as fuitable to
Virgil's manner cf ifcribing human qualities to thefe infefts.
I wonder, fays Mr. Holdfworth, whence Seneca came to fpeak
fo lightly of Virgil's exattnefs in his Georgics : but this I am
fure of, that the more I have looked into the manner of agri-
culture ufed at prcientiji Italy, the more occafion I have had to
admire
C 191 3
THE
GEORGICS
O F
VIRGIL.
TO C. CILNIUS MAECENAS,
B O OK TH E FIRST.
WHAT culture crowns the laughing fields with coriii
Beneath what heavenly figns the glebe to turn.
Round the tall elm how circling vines to lead,
The carf of oxen, cattle how to breed.
What wond'rous arts to frugal bees belong, 5
Maecenas, are the fubje^s of my fong.
Lights of the world ! ye brighteft orbs on high.
Who lead the Hiding year around the fky !
Bacchus .and Ceres, by whofe gifts divine,
Man chang'd the cryftal ftream for purple wine ; 10
For rich and foodful corn, Chaonian maft ;
Ye Fauns and virgin Dryads, hither hafte ;
Ye Deities, who aid induftrious fwains.
Your gifts I fing I facilitate the ftrains I
And thou, whof$ trident ftruck the teeming earth, 15
Whence ftrait a neighing courfer fpruag to birth,
admire the juftlce and force of his exprefllons, and his exa6l.
nefs even in the minuteft particulars. Holdsworth.
7. Lights of the 'world.'\ ClariJJima mundi lumina cannot be
put in appofition or joined with Bacchus et alma Ceres ; Virgil
firft invokes theya« and moon, and then Bacchus. — Varro's invo-
cation proceeds in the fame manner.
II. Chaoania» maj}.'\ The famows grove of Dodona was ii>
Epiras or Chaonia.
I92 p. ViRGiLil Maronis Georgica. Lib. I,
Neptune; et cultor nemorum, cul pinguia Ceae
Ter centum nivei tondent dumeta juvenci : i e
Ipfe nemus linquens patrium faltufque Lycaei
Pan ovium cuftos, tua fi tibi Maenala curae,
Adfis 6 Tegeaee favens, oleaeque Minerva
Inventrix, uncique puer monftrator aratri,
Et teneram ab radice ferens, Silvane, cuprefTum : 20
Dique deaeque omnes, ftudium quibus arva tuerij
Quique novas alitis non ullo femine fruges :
Quique fatis largum coelo demittitis imbrem.
Tuqiie adeo, quern mox quae fuit habitura deoruin
Concilia incertum eft; urbifne invifere, Caefar, 25
Terranimque velis curam, et te maximus orbis
Auctorem frugum, tempeftatumque potentem
Acclpiat, cingens materna tempera myrto ;
An deus immenfi venias maris, ac tua nautae
Numina Tola colant : tibi ferviat ultima Thule, 30
Teque fibi generum Tethys cmat omnibus undis :
Anne novum tardis fidus te meniibus addas.
18. Sncvj-nvhite heifers, feeds. '\ Ariftaeus is here invoked^
who taught the arts of curdling milk and cultivating olive
trees. Triptolemus the fori of Celeus was the inventor of the
plough. In a contention between Neptune and i\'Iinerva
about naming Athens, Neptune ftruck the earth with his tri-
dent, and produced a horfe, and Pallas an olive tree.
19. Lycaeus' gro-ve.] Lycaeus and Maenalus were two moun-
tains in Arcadia, facred to Pan.
25. SjI'va/ius.] Medals rcprefent Sylvanus bearing a young
cyprefs tree torn up by the roots. Neither Mr. Dryden nor
Mr. Benfon feem apprchcnfive of this allufion, which is very
pifturefque.
31. ^nd thou.'\ The poet here begins a fine addrefs to Aa-
gullus, afking him whether he woiild chufe to be the god of
earlh, fea, or heaven. Cntrou ingenioiifly imagines this ad-
drefs was added by Virgil the year before his death, when (c-
veral otlier paHages were likcwifc inferted; for he fays Auguf-
tus was not thus highly honoured till after his return from the
conqucll: of Egypt.
46. Scorplics.] Libra, or the Balance, was originally re-
prefented as held up by Scorj^ius, who extended his claws for
that
Book I. The Georgics of Virgil. 193
Come thou, whofe herd, in Caea's fertil meads,
Of twice an hundred fnow- white heifers, feeds :
Guardian of flocks, O leave Lycaeus' grove,
If Maenalus may ftill retain thy love, Z^
Tegaean Pan ; and bring with thee the maid
Who firft at Athens rais'd the olive's fhade.
Propitious Pallas ; nor be abfent thou.
Fair youth, inventor of the crooked plough ;
Nor thou, Sylvanus, in whofe hands is borne 25
A tender cyprefs by the roots up-torn :
Come, all ye gods and goddefTes, who hear
The fuppliant fwains, and blefs with fruits the year j'
Ye, who the wild fpontaneous feeds fuftain.
Or fwell with fhowers the cultivated grain. 2Q
And thou, thou chief, whofe feat among the gods
Is yet unchofen in the bleft abodes.
Wilt thou, great Caefar, o'er the earth prefide,
Protedl: her cities, and her empires guide.
While the vail globe fhall feel thy genial pow'r, 35
Thee as the god of foodful fruits adore.
Sovereign of feafons, of the ftorms and wind.
And with thy mother's boughs thy temples bind ?
Or over boundlcfs ocean wilt thou reio-n.
Smooth the wild billows of the roaring main, 40
While utmoft Thule ihall thy nod obey,
To thee in fhipwrecks fliivering failors pray,
While Tethys, if fome wat'ry nymph could pleafe.
Would give in dow'ry all her thoufand feas ?
Or wilt thou m.ount a fplendid fign on high, 45
Betwixt the Maid and Scorpius deck the fky ;
that purpofe out of his own proper dominions ; and that, un-
der Augullus, or a litde after his death, they made Scorpius
contraft his claws, and intioduced a new perfonage (moll
probably Auguftus himfelf) to hold the Balance. On the
Farnefe globe it is held by Scorpius ; (which, by the way,
may perhaps fhew that work to have been previous to the Au-
guftan age :) in feveral of the gems and medals on which we
Vql. I. O have
194 P- ViRCiLii Maronis Georgica. Lib. i.
Qua locus Erigonen inter Chelafque fequentis
Panditur. ipfe tibi jam brachia contrahit ardens
Scorpios, et coeli jufla plus parte reliquit. 35
Quicquid eris ; (nam te nee fperent Tartara regem,
Nee tibi regnandi veniat tarn dira eupido :
Quamvis Elyfios miretur Graecia campos.
Nee repetita fcqui euret Proferpina matrem)
Da faeilem curfum, atque audaeibus adnue coeptis, 40
Ignarofque viae mecum miferatus agreflis
Ingredere, et votis jam nune adfuefce voeari.
Vere novo, gelidus eanis eum montibus humor
Liquitur, et zephyro putris fe glebarefolvit ;
DeprefTo ineipiat jam tum mihi taurus aratro 45
Ingemere, et fulco adtritus fplendefcere vomer>
Ilia feges demum votis refpondet avari
Agricolae, bis quae folem, bis frigora fenfit :
Illius immenfae ruperunt horrea mefles.
Ac prius ignotum ferro quam fcindimus aequorj 50
Ventos, et varium eoeli praedifeere morem
Cura fit, ac patrios cultufque habitufque locorum,
Et quid quaeque ferat regio, et quid quaeque recufet.
have the figns of the zodiac. It Is held by a man. This is
faid to be Auguftus. It was a very common thing among the
Jloman poets to compliment their emperors with a place
among the conftellations ; and perhaps the Roman aftrono-
:;iers took the hint of placing Auguftus there, and that ia
this very fjtuation, from Virgil's compliment of this kind 10
the emperor. To fay the truth, there could fcarce have been
a place or employment, better chofen for Auguftus. The
aftronomcrs originally were at a lofs how to have the Balance
fuppoi ted : they were obliged, for this purpofe, to make Scor-
pius take up the fpace of two figns in the zodiac ; which was
quite irregular ; and to be fure they would be ready to lay hold
of any fair cccafion of reducing to his due bounds again. On
the oiher hand, it was quite as proper for Auguftus, as it was
improper for Scorpius, to hold it : for, befide its being a com-
pliment to him for his juftice, or for his holding the ba-
lance of the affairs of the world, (if they talked of princes then,
in the ftyle we have been fo much ufed to of late) Libra was
the very fign that was faid to prefide over Italy ; and fo Auguf-
2 tus
Book I. The Georgics of Virgil. 195
Scorpius e'en now his burning claws confines,
And more than a juft fhare of heav'n refigns ?
Whate'er thou choofe ; (for fure thou wilt not deign,
With dire ambition fir'd, in hell to reign, 50
Tho' Greece her fair Elyfian fields admire,
Whence Proferpine refufes to retire) —
Look kindly down, my invocations hear !
AiTift my courfe, and urge my bold career ;
Pity with me, the fimple ploughman's cares» 55
Now, now aflume the god, and learn to hear our pray'rs.
In earlieft fpring, when melting fnow diftils
Adown the mountains' fides, in trickling rills.
When Zephyr's breeze unbinds the crumbling foil,
Then let my groaning fleers begin the toil ; ^yi
Deep in the furrows prefs the fhining fhare j
Thofe lands at lafl repay the peafants' care.
Which twice the fun, and twice the frofts fuflain.
And burfl his barns furcharg'd with pond'rous grain.
But ere v/e launch the plough in plains unknown, 65
Be firft the clime, the winds and weather fhewn ;
The temper and the genius of the fields.
What each refufes, what in plenty yields j
tus in holding that, would be fuppofed to be the guardian
angel of his country aiter his dcceafe, as he had been fo for-
mally declared to be the father and protedor of it in his life-
time. Upon the whole, I do not fee how any thought of this
kind could have been carried on with more propriety, than this
feems to have been, by the admirers or flatterers of that emperor.
PoLYMETis, Dialogue 11. p. 170.
57. In earliejl /pring.'] The writers of agriculture, fays Dr.
Marty n, did not coifine themfelves to the computation of
aftrologers ; but dated their fpring from the end of the froft/
weather. Pojfunt igiiur ac idibus 'Januariis, ut principetn men/em
Romani anni cbjcwet, aufpicari culinrarum offcia.
Columella.
63. Which tvjicc th: fun, and t-jJiceS^ The meaning" is, that,
a field which has lain ftill two years together, initead of one
(which laft is the common method) will bear a much greater
crop. Benson.
O a
I96 p. ViRcrLii Maronis Georgica. Lib. i.
Hie fegctes, illic veniunt felicius uvae :
Arborei foetus alibi atque injufTa virefcunt 55
Gramin?.. nonnc vides, croceos ut Tmolus odores,
India mittit cbur, molles fua tura Sabaei ?
At Chalybes nudi ferrum, virofaque Pontus
Caftorea, Eiiadum palmas Epiros equarum ?
Continuo has leges, aeternaque foedera certis 60
Inpofuit Natura locis : quo tempore primum
Deucrdion vacuum lapides ja^?cavit in orbem :
Unde homines nati durum ijenus. ero-o aje, terrae
Pingue folum primis extemplo a menfibus anni
Fortes invoitant taurij glebafque jacentis 65
Pulverulenta coquat maturis folibus aeftas-
A"; fi non fuerit tellus fccunda ; fub ipfum
Ara:urum tenui fat erit fufpendere fulco :
Illic, CiHciant lactis nc frugibus herbae j
Hie, fterilem exiguus ne deferat humor arenam. 70
Alternis idem tonfas cefTare novalis,
Et fegnem patiere fitu durefcere campum.
Aut ibi fiava feres m.utato fiderc farra,
Unue prius laetum filiqua qiiafTante legvimen,
Aut tenuis foetus viciac, triftifquc lupini 75
Suftuleris fragilis calamos filvamque fonajitcm.
Urit enim lini campum fegcs, urit avcnae :
Urunt Lethaeo pcrfufa papavera fomno.
74. CaJJo)-.'] 'Tis a vulgar miftake that the tedicles of the
beaver contain the cajlcr; for 'tis taken from fome odoriferous
glands about the groin of this animal. Virofa in this place does
not m^2ca foifonous, but efficacious ox ponx:crful.
87. There, lejt the nveciis.] Virgil fpeaks of the feafons of
•ploughing ftrong and light ground. The firlt, fays he, mull
Le ploughed early in the fpring, and lie all fumnier ; and the
Other lightly in autumn : 01 elfe the llrong ground will run
all to weeds, and the light ground will have all its juices ex*
haulied. Err,' son.
92. The lupin pooL] The /r//?;> //ir//»»^ is not our lupin, but-
. that feed which ihey now in Italy lay afoak fo long in water,
to get rid of it* biucrnefs, and even fell it fo in their Iheets.
It -Tis
Book I. The Georgics of Virgil. 197'
Here golden corn, there lufclous grapes aboun-I,
There grafs fpontaneous, or rich fruits are found ; 7«
See'ft thou not Tmolus, fafTron fweet difpenfe ?
Her ivory, Ind ? Arabia, frankincenfe ?
The naked Chalybes their iron ore ?
To Caftor Pontus give it's fetid pov/'r ?
While for Olympic games, Epirus breeds, ^5
To whirl the kindling car, the fwifteft fteeds ?
Nature, thefe laws, and thefe eternal bands,
Firft fix'd on certain climes, and various lands,
What time the ftones, upon th' unpeopled world.
Whence fprung laborious man, Deucalion hurl'd. So
Come on then : yoke, and fvveat thy fturdy fteer.
In deep, rich foils, when dawns the vernal year ;
The turf difclos'd, the clinging clods unbound,
Summer fball bake and meliorate thy ground :
But for light, fteril land, it may fufHce, 85
Gently to turn it in autumnal fkies ;
There, left the weeds o'er joyful ears prevail.
Here, left all moifture from the fands exhale.
The glebe fhall reft, whence laft you gather'd grain,
Till the fpent earth recover ftrength again : gO
For where the trembling pods of pulfe you tookj
Or from its rattling ftalk the lupin fliook.
Or vetches' feed minute, will golden corn
With alter'd grain that happy tilth adorn.
Parcht are the lands, that oats or flax produce, 95
Or poppies, pregnant with Lethean juice j
Nor want uncukur'd fallows grace or ufe.
}
'Tis but a very infipid thing at beft. Ihefafehis of the Romans
is our lupin. Holdsworth.
95. Parcht are the lands.] That flax, oats, and poppies, dry
and impQverifii the foil, we have the concurrent teftimon/ of
Columella, Paladius, and Pliny. The Romans cakivaied
poppies, not our common Icarlet ones, but our garden poppy,
Martvn.
o ^
ig8 P. ViRGiLii Maronis Georgica, Lib. i.
Sed tamen alternis facilis labor : arida tantum
Ne facurare fimo pingui pudeat fola ; neve 80
J^fFoetos cinerem inmuadum jailare per agros.
Sic quoque mutatis requiefcunt foetibus arva.
Nee nulla interea eil inaratas gratia terrae.
Saepe etiam flerilis incendere profuit agros,
Atque levem llipulam crcpitantibus urcre flammis : 85
Sive inde occultas vires, et pabula terrae
Pinguia concipiunt : five illis omne per ignem
Excoquitur vitium, atque exfudat inutilis humor :
Seu pluris calor ille vias et caeca relaxat
Spiramenta, novas veniat qua fuccus in herbas : go
Seu durat magis, et venas adftringit hiantis :
Ne tenues pluviae, rapidive potentia folis
Acrior, aut Boreae penetrabile frigus adurat.
Multum adeo, raftris glebas qui frangit inertis,
Vimineafque trahit crates, juvat arva : neque ilium 95
Flava Ceres alto nequicquam fpedlat Olympo ;
Et qui, profciiTo quae fufcitat aequore terga,
Rurfus in obliquom vcrfo perrumpit aratro,
Exercetque fiequens tellurem, atque iniperat arvis.
102. To burn the barren glehe.'\ Virgil, fays Mr. Benfon (but
he feeins to ho mill.ikcn) fpeaks of two different things, of
burning tiie foil itfelf before the ground is ploughed, and of
burning the Itubble after the corn is taken ofl' from arable land.
The rapidity oi jaepe le-vem Jiipulam crepitantibus tirere Jlammis ^
cxpreiTes tlie crackluig and Iwiftnefs of the iiame.
iCj. While the Irght fiubble.'] They Itill ufe the method fo
much recommended by Virgil (Geo. I. 84 to 93) of burning
the Hubble, efpeci;illy in the more barren fields, in moft parts
of It<'iy; and about Rome in particular, where there is fo
much bad ground. The Ihioke is very troublcfome when they
do it; and there had been fo many complaints made ot it to Cle-
mer.t Xi. that he had refolved to forbid that pradice. When
the order was laid before that pope, to be figned by him ; a
cardinal (who happened to be with his holinefs; fpoke much
of the ufc of it ; Ihewed him this paflage in Virgil ; and the
pope on reading it, changed his mind, and rejeded the order.
HOLDSWORTH,
113. Cold JhouU /cor ch.'\ Burning applied to cold is not merely
apoetical exprelTion; but we find it made ufe of by the philofo-
phers.
Book I. The Georgics of Virgil. 199
But blufn not fattening dung to caft around.
Or fordid afhes o'er th' exhaufted ground.
Thus reft, or change of grain, improves the field, lOO
Thus riches may arife from lands untill'd.
Gainful to burn the barren glebe 'tis found,
While the light ftubble, crackling, flames around :
Whence, or to earth new ftores of ftrength are lent.
And large fupplies of richer nutriment ; 105
Or oozing off, and purify'd by fire.
The latent, noxious particles tranfpire ;
Or thro' the pores relax'd, the tender blade
Frefh fructifying juices feels convey'd ;
Or genial heat the hollow glebe conftrains, HO
Braces each nerve, and binds the gaping veins ;
Left flender ftiowers, or the fierce beams of day.
Or Boreas' baleful cold (hould fcorch the crops away.
Much too he helps his labour'd lands, who breaks
The crumbling clods, with harrows, drags, and rakes 3115
Who ploughs acrofs, and back, with ceafelefs toil,
Subdues to duft, and triumphs o'er the foil :
Plenty to him, induftrious fwain ! is giv'n.
And Ceres fmiles upon his works from heav'n.
phers. Ariftotle fays, that cold is accidentally an aftlve body,
and is fometimes faid to burn and v/arm, not in the fame man-
ner as heat, but becaufe it condenfes or conftrains the heat by
furrounding it. Martyk.
116. Who ploughs acrofs.'] What the poet fpeaks of here re-
tains the Roman name to this day, in many parts of England ;
and is called, fowing upon the back ; that is, fowing iHfF
ground after once ploughing. Now, fays Virgil, he that
draws a harrow or hurdle over his ground before he fows it,
midtum jwjat arva, for this fills up the chinks, which other-
v.'ife would bury the corn ; but then, fays he, *' Ceres -always
looks kindly on him, who ploughs his ground acrofs again."
Benson.
119. Jnd Ceres.] Virgil, fays Spence, in his Georgics gives
us an idea of Ceres as regarding the laborious hulbandman
from heaven, and blefling the work of his hand with fuccefs.
There is a pifture like this in the famous old manufcript of
Virgil in the Vatican ; and Lucretius has a ftrong defcription
O 4 of
200 P. ViRGiLii Maronis Georgica. Lib. I.
Humida folftitia atque hiemes orate ferenas, 100
A'rricolae : hiberno laetiflima pulvere farra,
Lactus ager. nullo tantum fe Myfia cultu
Ja6lat, et ipfa fuas mirantur Gargara meffis.
Quid dicam, jafto qui femine comminus an-^a
Infequitur cumulofque ruit male pinguis arenae ? i©5
Deinde fatis fluvium inducit, rivofque fequentis ?
Et, cum exuftus ager morientibus aeftuat herbis,
Ecce fupercilio clivofi tramitis undam
Elicit, ilia cadens raucum per levia murmur
Saxa ciet, fcatebrifque arentia temperat arva. IIO
0»id> oui, ne gravidis procumbat culmus ariftis,
Luxuriem legetum tenera depafcit in herba ;
Cum primum fulcos aequant fata ? quique paludis
Conledtum humorem bibula deducit arena ?
Praefertim incertis fi menfibus amnis abundans 115
Exit, et cbduclo late tenet omnia limo ;
Unde cavae tepido fudant humore lacunae.
Nee tamen (haec cum iliit hominumque boumque labores
Vcrfando terram experti) nihil inprobus anfer,
Strymoniaeque grues, et amaris intuba fibris, 120
OiRciunt, aut umbra nocet. pater ipfe colendi
of another deity, exaftly in the fame attitude, though with a
very different regard. Polymetis, page 103.
This imajje of Ceres puts one in mind of that beautiful one
in tiie Tp^-iWri^— Right ccu/ne/s (a perfon) hath looked donxin frcm
heaven. Pf. Ixviii. ver. 2.
121. Soljh'ce.] ScllHce, when ufed alone, is always ufed for
the Icmmer folftlce by the ancients. Holdsworth.
125. J^id Cargarus.] This is one of thofe figures that raife
the ilyle of the Georgics, and make it fo majeltic.
133. Riils.] When the Perfians were m alters of Afia, they
pcrmir':cd thofe who conveyed a fpring to any place, which had
not been watered before, to enjoy the benefit for five genera-
tions ; and as a number of rivulets flowed from mount Taurus,
they fparccl no expence in directing the courfe of their flreams.
At th'.s day, without knowing how they came thither, they are
oua d in the fields and f^ardens.
MoNTESQjLjiEu's Spirit of Lav's, Vol. 1. p. 325.
J 39. Feeds down.} It is a common pradice among the far-
mers
Book I. The Georgics of Virgil. 201
Ye hufbandmen ! of righteous Heav'n intreat 120
A winter calm and dry 5 a folftice wet ;
For winter-duft delights the pregnant plain,
The happieft covering for the bury'd grain ;
Hence matchlefs harvefts Myfia boafting reaps,
And Gargarus admires his unexpecfled heaps. 125
"Why fhould I tell of him, who, on his land
Frefh-fown, deflroys each ridge of barren fand j
Then inflant, o'er the levell'd furrows brings
Refrefhful waters from the cooling fprings ;
Behold, when burning funs, or Syrius' beams 13©
Strike fiercely on the fields, and withering flems ;
Down from the fummit of the neighb'ring hills.
O'er the fmooth ftones he calls the bubbling rills;
Soon as he clears, whate'er their pafiage flay'd.
And marks their future current with his fpade, 135
Before him fcattering they prevent his pains,
Burfl all abroad, and drench the thirfty plains.
Or who, left the weak ftalks be over-weigh'd.
Feeds down, betimes, the rank luxuriant blade.
When firft it rifes to the furrows' head. 140
Or why of him, who drains the marfhy fands,
CollecEls the moifture from th' abforbing fands,
When burfting from his banks, th' indignant Rood
The country covers wide, with flimy mud.
In doubtful months, when fwelling dykes refo-und 145
With torrents loud, and fweat and boil around.
Yet after all thefe toils of fwains and fleers,
Still rifing ills impend, and countlefs cares ;
The glutton goofe, the Thracian cranes annoy.
Succory and noxious Ihade thy crops deftroy. 150
mers at prefent, when the corn is too rank and luxuriant, to
turn in their fheep and feed it down.
143. Goo/e.] Virgil fpeaks of the geefe as a very trouble-
fonie bird, and very pernicious to the corn. They are ftill fo
in flocks, in the Campania Felice, the country^ which Virgil
had chiefly in his eye when he wrote his Georgics.
PJOLDSWORTH.
I
302 P. ViRGiLii Maroms Georgica. Lib. I,
Haud facilem efTe viam voluit, primufquc per artem
Movit ao-ros, curis acuens moitalia corda.
Nee torpere gravi pafius I'ua rcgna vcterno.
Ante Jovem nulli fubigebant arva coloni : 125
'Ncc Tignare quidem aut partiri iimitc campum
Fas erat. in medium quacrcbant : ipfaque tellus
Omnia libcrius nullo pofccnte ferebat.
Ille malum virus ferpcntibus addidit atris,
Pracdarique lupos juflit, pontumque moveri : 1^0
Mellaque decuilit foliis, ignemque removit,
Et paiTim rivis currentia vina repreflit :
Ut varias ufus meditando extunderet artis
Paullatim, et fulcis frumenti quaereret herbam ;
Ut filicis venis abilrufum excuderet ignem. 135
Tunc alnos primum fluvii fenfere cavatas :
Navita tum ftellis numeros et nomina fecit,
Pic'iadas, Hyadas, claramque Lycaonis AriSlon.
Tum laqueis captare feras, et fallere vifco,
Inventum ; et magnos canibus circumdare faltus. 140
Atque alius latum funda jam verberat amnem,
Alta pctcns : pelagoque alius trahit humida Una.
Turn ferri rigor, atque argutae lamina ferrae :
(Nam primi cuneis fcindebant fifllle lignum)
Tum variae venere artes. labor omnia vicit 145
Inprobus, ac duris urguens in rebus egeftas.
Prima Ceres ferro mortalis vertere terram
Inftituit : cum jam glandes atque arbuta facrae
Deficerent filvae, et vi(Slum Dodona negaret.
Mox ct frumentis labor additus : ut mala culmos 150
EiTct robigo, fegnifquc horreret in arvis
153. irii/j cares he rolls' d."] This account of the provldei
uretiiinefs of foine fceming evils, is not only beautifully
Idential
poe-
tical, but llriaiy philofophical. Want is the origin of arts:
Infirmicies and weaknefles are the caufc and cement of human
fociety. If man were perfe«^t and.felf-fufficient, all the efforts
of induftry would be ufclefs. A dead calm would reign over
all the fpccics.
* Wants,
Book I. The Georgics of Virgil. 203
Th' eternal fire, immutably decreed,
That tillage fhould with toil alone fucceed ;
With cares he rous'd, and ftiarpen'd human hearts,
Bright'ning the ruft of indolence by arts.
Ere Jove had reign'd, no fwains fubdu'd the ground, 155
Unknown was property, unjuft the mound 3
At will they rov'd ; and earth fpontaneous bore,
Unafk'd, and uncompeil'd, a bounteous ftore :
He, to fierce ferpents death ful venom gave.
Bade wolves deftroy, bade fi:ormy ocean rave; 160
Conceal'd the fire, from leaves their honey fliook ;
And ftopp'd of purple wine each flowing brook :
That ftudious want might ufeful arts contrive;
From planted furrows foodful corn derive j
And ftrike from veins of flints the fecret fpark : 165
Then firft the rivers felt the hollow'd bark ;
Sailors firfl nam'd and counted every ftar.
The Pleiads, Hyads, and the northern car.
Now fnares for beafts and birds fell hunters place.
And wide furround with dogs the echoing chace : 170
One, for the finny prey broad rivers beats.
One, from the fea drags flow his loaded nets.
Eril did the woods the force of wedges feel.
Now faws were tooth'd, and temper'd was the ft:eel ;
Then all thofe arts that polifli life fucceed ; 175
What cannot ceafelefs toil, and prefling need !
Great Ceres firft the plough to mortals brought.
To yoke the fteer, to turn the furrov/ taught ;
What time, nor mafl, nor fruits the groves fupply'd.
And fam'd Dodona fuftenance deny'd : 180
Tillage grew toilfome, the choak'd harvefts dy'd ;
}
' Wants, frailties, paffions, defer ftlll ally
* The common int'reft, and endear the tye ;*
feys the great moral poet in his Effay on Man. And this doc-
trine is llrongly illullrated throughout the whole fyftem.
5104- P. ViRGiLii Maronis GeorgIca. Lib. I,
Carduus. intereunt fegetes : fubit afpera filva
Lappaeque tribulique ; interque nitentia culta
Infelix lolium et fteriles domlnantur avenae.
Quod nifi et adfiduis herbam infeftabere raftris, 155
Et fonitu terrcbis aves, et ruris opaci
Fake premes umbras, votifque vocaveris imbrem :
Heu, magnum alterius fruftra fpe6tabis acervom j
ConcufTaque famem in filvis folabere quercu.
Dicendum, et quae fmt duris agreftibus arma : i6a
Quis fme nee potuers feri, nee furgere mefTes.
Vomls, et infiexi primum grave robur aratri,
Tardaque Eleufinae matris volventia plauftra,
Tribulaque, traheaeque, et iniquo pondere raftri :
Virgca praeterea Celei vilifque fupellex, 165
Arbuteae crates, et myflica vannus lacchi.
Omnia quae multa ante memor provila repones ;
Si te digna manet divini gloria riiris.
189. From forefi-oaks.'l This Is anoir.er Inftance of Virgil's
poetical manner of telling plain thinps ; inftead of faying.
You will have no crop ; You will be forc'd, fays he, to go
into the wild forells, as man ufed to do, before he was civilized,
for food.
19:;. Plough.l I have a drawing of an antique plough, from
a brafs figure in the Jefuits college ut Rome. I don't know the
exact time or place in which it was m^de, but every part of it
feems to me to havs fomething to anfwer it in Virgil's defcription.
The figure of it is below : and. I take all the bending part of
the wood, or the plough tail (mark'd aj to be what Virgil
calls buris ; b the pole or te})io ; c the two pieces that go over
the necks of the oxen 3 which he calls aKr^j ; d the p'.ough-
fhare, dentale ; e the two clouts of iron to faften the plough-,
fhare, dorfa \ and f the handle of the plough, or Jii'va.
Spenck,
Book I. The Georgics of Virgil. 205
Caltrops, wild oats, darnel, and burrs affail
The beauteous tilth, and blights o'er the rich crops pre-
vail ;
Unlefs with harrows' unremitted toil,
Thou break, fubdue, and pulverize the foil, 185
Fright pecking birds, lop overfhadowing bovvers.
And beg of fmiling Heav'n refrefliful fliowers,
Alas ! thy neighbour's ftores with envy view'd^
Thou'lt fhake from foreft-oaks thy taftelefs food.
Next mud we tell, v/hat arms ftout peafants wield, 190
Without whofe aid, no crops could crown the field :
The fliarpen'd fiiarc, and heavy-timber'd plough,
And Ceres' pond'rous waggon, rolling flov/ ;
And Celeus' harrows, hurdles, fieds to trail
O'er the prefs'd grain, and Bacchus' flying fail. 195
Thefe long before provide, you, who incline
To merit praife by hulbandry divine !
I have borrow'd a few lines from Mr. Benfon's tranflation of
this paffage.
195. Bacchus'' fiying fail. "[ The perfons who were initiated
into any of the ancient mylteries, were to be particularly good ;
they looked upon themfelves as feparated from the vulgar ot
mankind, and dedicated to a life of fingular virtue and piety.
This may be the reafon that the fan or van, the myfiic a 'v an-
nus lacchi, was ufed in initiations : The inftrument that fe-
parates the wheat from the chaif being as proper an emblem
as can well be, of fetting apart the geod and virtuous from the
wicked or ufelefs part of mankind.
In the drawings of the ancient paintings by Bellori, there arc
two that feem to relate to initiations ; and each of them has the
vannus in it. In one of them, the perfon that is initiating.
Hands in a devout pofcure, and with a veil on, the old mark of
devotion; while two that were formerly initiated hold the van
over his head. In the other there is a perfon holding a van,
with a young infant in it. The latter may fgnify much the
fame with the fcriptuie exprelTion, entering into a llate of vir-
tue " as a little child." Mark x. 15. The van itfelf puts one
in mind of another text relating to a particular purity of life,
and the feparation of the good from the bad, " Whofe fan is in
" his hand, and he fhall thoroughly purge his floor, and will
•' gather the wheat into his ;;arner ; but the chaiF he will
** burn with unquenchable fire.^' Luke iii. 17.
HoLDswcRTH and Spence.
2o6 p. ViRGiLii Maronis Georgica. Lib. r.
Continuo in filvis magna vi fiexa domatur
In burim, et curvi formam accipit ulmus aratri. I'jQ
Huic ab ftirpe pedes temo protentus in o6lo,
Binae aures, duplici aptantur dental ia dorfo.
Caeditur et tilla ante jugo levis, altaque fagus,
Stivaque, quae currus a tergo torqueat imos,
Et fufpenfa focis explorat robora fumus. 175
Poflum multa tibi veterum praecepta referre ;
Ni refugis, tenuifque piget cognofcere cui^as.
Area cum primis ingenti aequanda cylindro,
Et vertenda manu, et creta folidanda tenaci :
Ne fubeant herbae, neu pulvere vidla fatifcat ; 180
Tum variae inludant peftes. faepe exiguus mus
Sub terris pofuitque domos atque horrea fecit :
Aut oculis capti fodere cubilia talpae.
Inventufque cavis bufo, et quae plurima terrae
Monftra feru.nt : populatque ingentem farris acervom 185
Curculio, atque inopi mctuens formica feneilae.
Contemplator item, cum fe nux plurima filvis
Induct in florem, et ramos curvabit olentis :
Si fuperant foetus, pariter frumenta fequentur,
Magnaque cum magno veniet tritura calore. igOf
At fi luxurie foliorum exuberat umbra,
Nequidquam pinguis palea teret area culmos.
Semina vidi equidem multos medicare ferentes,
Et nitro prius et nigra perfundere amurca,
Grandior ut foetus filiquis faliacibus effet. 195
Et, quam^vis igni exiguo properata maderent,
Vidi lecta diu, et multo fpedlata labore
Degenerare tamen : ni vis humana quotannis
202. Light to."] Magna "vi dojnaiur tilmus — alta fagus caedi"
t'ur — currus torqueat — all expreflions ufed to ennoble the de-
fcription. Holds worth.
208. Floor.'] Aream ejffe cportet—fcUda terra pa'-j'itam,maxim'i
Ji cji argilla, ne aejiu paeminofa, in rimis ejus grana delitefcant, et
recipiant aquam, et cjlia apcriant murihiis iff fcr7nicis. Itaque
amurcd folent perfundere, ea enim her bar um ejl inimica l^ for mi-
carum.
I
Book I. The Georgics of Virgil. 207
When bent betimes, and tam'd the ftubborn bough,
Touffh elm receives the figure of the plough ;
Eight foot the beam, a cumbrous length appears ; 200
The earth-boards double ; double are the ears j
Light to the yoke the linden feels the wound.
And the tall beech lies ilretcht along the ground ;
They fall for ftaves that guide the plough-fhare's courfe.
And heat and hardening fmoke confirm their force. 205
More ancient precepts could I fing, but fear
Such homely rules may grate thy nicer ear.
To prefs the chalky floor more clofely down.
Roll o'er its furface a cylindric ftone ;
Elfe thro' the loofen'd duft, and chinky ground, 210
The grafs fprings forth, and vermin will abound.
Oft working low in earth the tiny moufe
Her garners makes, and builds her fecret houfe;
Their nefts and chambers fcoop, the eyelefs moles.
And fwelling toads that haunt the darkfome holes j 215
The weafel heaps confumes, or prudent ant
Provides her copious {lores, 'gainft age or want.
Mark likewife when in groves the almond blows,
And bends with luxury of flow'rs his boughs ;
If fruit abound, the corn alike will thrive, 220
And toil immcnfe the copious threfhing give j
But if with full exuberance of fhade,
The cluftering leaves a barren foliage fpread.
Then will the chalry fralks, fo lean and poor.
In vain be trampled on the hungry floor. 225
Some prudent fowers have I (een indeed
Steep with preventive care the manag'd feed,
In nitre, and black lees of oil ; to make
The fwelling pods a larger body take :
But the well-difciplin'd, and chofen grains, 23c
Tho' quicken'd o'er flow fires with fkilful pains,
'Starve and degenerate in the fatteil plains,
ca-um, l^ t alp arum <vev.enu7n. Thus fays Varro, from whom 'tis
plain yirgu bcrrow'd this precept, as he has done iTiar.y othsr».
I
2o8 fP. ViRGiLii Maronis Georgica. Lib. I.
Maxuma quaeque manu legeret; fie omnia fatis
In pejus ruere, ac retro fublapfa referri. 200
Kon aliter, quam qui adverfo vix flumine lembum
Remigiis fubigit ; fi brachia forte remifit,
Atque ilium in praeceps prono rapit alveus amni.
Praeterea tarn funt Ar6luri fidera nobis,
Haedorumque dies fervandi, et lucidus Anguis ; 205
Quam quibus in patriam ventofa per aequora veilis
Pontus et oftriferi fauces tentantur Abydi.
Libra die fomnique pares ubi fecerit horas,
Et medium luci atque umbris jam dividit orbem :
Exercete, viri, tauros ; ferite hordea campis, 21»
Ufque fub extrcmum brumae intraclabilis imbrem.
Nee non et lini fegetem et Cereale papaver
Tempus humo tegcre, et jamdudum incumbere raftrisy
Dum ficca tellurc licet, dum nubila pendent.
240. The torrent.'\ It is remarkable in Virgil, that he fre-
quently joins in the fame fentence the complete and perfeftpre-
fent with the extended and paffingprefent ; which proves that he
confidered the two, as belonging to the fame fpecies of time ;
and therefore naturally formed to co-incide with each other.
Bi hrachia forte retnijltt
Atque illutn in praeceps prono rapit alveus amni. Geor. L M
'Terra tremif, fugere ferae, G. I.
Praefertim Ji tempefas a <vcrtice fyliiis
Incubuit, glomcratqueferens incendia 'ventus. G. II.
Tardis in gens uhi flexibuS err at
Mincius, et tenera praetexit ar undine ripas, G. III.
Ilia noto citius, <volucrique fagittd.
Ad terram fugit , et portu fe condidit alto. Aen. 5
In the fame manner he joins the fame two modifications of
time in the pall: ; that is to fay, the complete and perfed with
the extended and pafling.
' - Irruerant Danai l^ tedium omne tenebant,
Aen. U, .
TV/j imbris torti radios, iris nubis aquofae
Addiderantt rutiili tris ignis, et alitis aujlriy
\
Book I» The Georgics of Virgil. 209
Unlefs with annual induftry and art.
They cull'd each largefl out, and pbc'd apart :
For fuch the changeful lot of things below, 235
Still to decay they rufhj and ever backwards fiow.
As one, who 'gainft a fcream's impetuous courfe.
Scarce pulls his flow boat, urg'd with all his forcej
If once his vigour ceafe, or ar:ns grow fiack,
Inftant, with headlong hafte, the torrent whirls him back.
We too as much muft mark Arfturus' ligns, 241
When rife the Kids, when the bright Dragon fhines.
As home-bound mariners, in tempefts toft.
Near Pontus, or Abydos' oyfler'd coaft.
When Libra meafures out to day and night, 245
Equal proportions both of fhade and light ;
Work, work your bullocks, barley fow, ye fwains,
'Till winter's firfl impra6licable rains.
Now in their beds, your poppies hide and flax ;
With frequent harrowings fmooth the furrows' backs,
Now while ye may, while the dark welkin iow'rs, 251
O'er the dry glebe while clouds fufpend their fhow'rs.
Fuhores nunc terrificos fonit unique mctumque
Mifcebant operi, Jiammi/que Jequacibus iras. Aen. VIII.
Harris's Hermes, p. 133.
248. Winter S.I Bruma was not ufed by the ancients for the
whole winter ; but for one day only of it, the fhortell day, or
the winter foluice. Holdsworth.
248. Firft,'\ The word extremus in Latin has two very dif-
ferent fignifications ; it may relate to the beginning, as well
. as the end of any thing ; or to the neareft part of it, as well as
the fartheil off. Thus if one was to fay, in extremo pcnte, it
may mean the hither extremity or end of the bridge ; and when
Virgil fays his countrymen fliould work
Ufque fub extremum brumae intraSabilis imbrem :
it muft be underftood of the beginning of that rainy feafon,
which was itfelf unfit for work ; this took up the latter half of
December, which was therefore turned all into holy-days, or
the Saturnalia, in which the flaves that were at other times
kept hard to work, were indulged in particular liberties, and
fpent all the time in mirth and joviality. Holdsworth.
Vol. I. P
210 P. ViRGiLii Maronis Geot^gica. Lib. I*-
Vere fabis fatlo. turn te quoque, Medica, putres 215
Acciplunt fulci ; et milio venit annua cura ;
Candidus auratis aperit cum cornibus annum
Taurus, et avcrfo ccdcns Canis occidit aftro.
At fi triticeam in mcflem rcbuuaque farra
Exercebis humum, fclifque initabis ariltis : 22©'
Ante tibi Eoae Atlantides abfcondantur,
Cnofliaque ardentis decedat ftella Coronae,
Debita quani fulcis conmittas femina, quamque
Invitae properes anni fpera credere tcrracr.
Multi ante occafam Maiae coepere : fed illos 225
Exfpedlata feges vanis elufit avenis.
Si vero viciamque feres vilemque fafelum.
Nee Pelufiacae curam afpernabere lentis ;
Haud obfcura cadens mittet tibi figna Bootes.
Incipe, et ad medias fcmentem extende pruinas. 23O
Idcirco certis dimenfum partibus orbem
Per duodena regit mundi Sol aureus aftra.
Qiiinque tenent coelum zonae : quarum una corufco
Semper fole rubens, ac torrida feniper ab igui :
Qi'.am circum extremae dextra laevaque trahuntur, 235
Caerulea glacie concretae atqiie imbribus atris.
257. His hack-TX'ard-rifivg Jiar.~\ • By a^uerfo aflro, in the ori-
ginal, 'tis mofl probable Virgii nieans the Bull; tor that conllel-
lation rifes v/ith his hinder parts upwards. Throughout Ma-
milius the Lull i; called aflrum ai'erfum. Some read ai/'verjhm ;
but that is fcarce reconcileable to the fcnfe of this pafTage.
260. f/a'^des.] The heliacal fetting of thefe flars Eoag
Atlantides is pointed cut by the word ahfco-ndantur. Where-
cvcr Virgil fpeaks of the fetting of any liars in general, and
without any fuch reilridlion, it is always to be undcrflood of
their natural fetting. Koldsworth.
272. Fi-ve zones.] tinder the torrid or burnirg zone lies
that part of the earth which is contained between the two-
tropics. This was thought bv the ancients to be uninhabit-
able, becaufe of the exceflive heat: but later difcoveries have
fiicwn it to be inhabited by many great nations. It contains
a great parr of /\fia, Africa, and South America. Under the
two frigid or cold zones lie thofe parts of the earth, which
5 arc
feook I. The Georgics of Virgil. 211
1
Sow beans in fpring : in fpring, the crumbling foil
Receives thee, lucern ! I^vledia's Hov/ery fpoil j
But flill to millet give we r.nnual care, 2^
When the Bull opes Vv';th golden horns the year.
And the Dog fets, to Tnun his backward-rifing ftar.
But if for v/heat alone, for ftronger grain.
And bearded corn, thou exercife the plain,
Firft let the morning Pleiades go down, 260
From the fun's rays emerge the Gnoffian crown,
Ere to th' unvrilling; earth thou truft the feed.
And marr thy future hopes with ill-judg'd fpeed.
Some have begun, ere Maia funk ; but them
Their full-ear'd hope mock'd with a flattering ftem. 265
If the mean vetch, or tare, thou deign to fow.
Nor fcorn to bid Acgyptian lentils grow.
Signs, not obfcure, Bootes, fetting yields.
Begin, and fow, thro' half the frofts, thy fields.
For this the golden fun, in his career, 270
Rules thro' the world's tv/elve figns the quarter'd year^
Five zonL'S infold heav'n's radiant concave : one,
Plac'd full beneath the burnings of the fun.
For ever feels bis culminating; ravs.
And gafps for ever in the fcorching blaze ; 275
On each fide which, tv/o more their circles mark,
Clog'd v/ith thick ice, vrith gloomy tem.pefts dark j
are included within the two pclar circles, which are fo cold,
being at a great diilancc from the fun, as to be fcarce habita-
ble. Vv'ithin the artlc circle, near the north pcle, are con-
tained Nova Zem.bla, Lapland, Greenland, &c. within the
antartic circle, near the fouth pole, no land as yet has been
dilcovered ; tho' the great quantities of ice found there make
it probable^ that there is more land rear the fouth than the
north pole. Under the two temperate zones are contained
thofe parts of the globe which, lie between the tropics and
polar circles. The temperate zone, between the artic circle
and the tropic of Cancer, contains the greateft part of Europe
and Afia, part of Africa, and almoft airNorth America. That
between the antartic circie and the tropic of Capricorn, con-
tains par: of South America, or the Antipodes.
SI2 P. ViRGiLii Maronis Georgica. Lib. I.
Has inter mediamquc duae mortalibus aegris
Munere conceffac divom. via fe6ta per ambas,
Obliquus qua fe fignorum verteret crdo.
Mundus ut ad Scythiam Riphaeafquearduus arcis 24»
ConTurgit ; premitur Libyae dcvcxus in auflros.
Hie vertex nobis femper fublimis : at ilium
Sub peuibus Styx atra vidct, Manefque profundi;
Maxumus hie flexu finuofo elabitur anouis
Circum, perque duas in morem flurninis Ardtos, 245
Ar^flos Oceani metuentis aequore tingui.
Illic, ut perhibent, aut intcmpefta filet nox
Semper, ct obtenta dcnfcntur no6le tenebrae :
Aut redit a nobis Aurora, diemque r.dueit :
Nofque ubi primus equis Oriens adflavit anhelis, 250
Illic fera rubens accendit lumina Vefper.
Hinc tempeftates dubio praedifcere caelo
Pofuimus, hinc meuifque diem, tempufque ferendi ;
Et quando infidum remis inpellere marmor
Ccnveniat : quando armatas deducere clafTis, 255
Aut ternpefiivam fllvis evertere pinum.
Nee fruftra fignorum obitus fpeeulamur et ortus,
Temporibufque parem diverfis quatuor annum.
Frigidus agricolam fi quando eontinet imbcr,
Multa, forcnt quae mox cacio prcperanda fercno, 260
7.81. Roll the Ji^?ts.'\ Here the poet defcribes the zodiac,
which is a broad belt fpreauing about five or fix degrees on
each fide of the ecliptic line, end contains the twelve conllel-
lations or fjgns. Tht-y are Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer,
Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, S..git:ar:i:s, Capricorn us, Aqua-
rius, Pifccs. The ecliptic line cut; the equinodlial obliquely in
two oppofitc points, whence the poet calls the zodiac obliquus
Jlgnorum ordo. It traverfes the whole torrid zone, but neither of
the temperate zones ; fo that per ambas, mull mean bet-iueen,
not thro' them. Thus prefently after, fpeaking of the Dragon,
he fays it twines, per duas arSlcs : now that conllellation cannot
be faid to twine thro' the two lieais, but between them. The
zodiac is the annual path of the fun, thro' each fign of which
he palTcs in and about the fpace of a month. He is faid to be
in one of thofe figns, when he appears in that part of the
heavens, where thofc itars arc of which the fjgn is compofed.
Martyn.
\
Book I. The Georgics of Virgil. 213
Betwixt the firft and thefe, indulgent Heav'n
Two milder zones to feeble man hath giv'n ;
Acrofs them both a path oblique inclines, 280
Where in refulgent order roll the figns.
Bleak Scythia's fnows, Riphaea's tow'ring clifts.
High as this elevated globe uplifts.
So low to fouthern Libya it defcends.
And with an equal inclination bends. 285
One pole for ever o'er our heads is roll'd,
One, darkfome Styx and hell's pale ghofts behold
Beneath their feet : here, the vaft Dragon twines
Between the Bears, and like a river winds ;
The Bears that ftill with fearful caution keep 29O
Unting'd beneath the furface of the deep.
There, in dead filence, iHll night loves to reft.
Night without end, with thickeft gloom oppreft ;
Or from our hemifphcre, the morning ray
Returns alternate, and reftores the day ; 295
And when to us the orient car fucceeds,
And o'er our climes have breath'd its panting fteeds.
There ruddy Vefper, kindling up the fky,
Cafts o'er the glowing realms his evening eye.
Hence, changefid Heav'n's rough ftorms we may foreknow.
The days to re::p, th£ happieft times to fow j 301
When with iafe oars it may be fit to fweep
The glafiy furface of the faithlefs deep ;
When to the waves the well-arm 'd fleet refign,
And when in forefts fell the timely pine. 305
Nor vain to mark the varying figns our care.
Nor the four feafons of th' adjuHed year ;
Whene'er the hind a fleety fhow'r detains.
Full many a work that foon muft coft him pains
290. The Bears.] Mr. Benfon thinks this line in the original
fjpurious, and omits it as fuch.
P3
214 p. ViRGiLii Maronis Georgica. Lib. I.'
Maturate datur. durum procudit arator
Vomeris obtufi dentem : cavat arbore lintres :
Aut pecori fignum, aut numeros inprefut acervis.
Exacuunt alii vallos, furcafque bicornis,
Atquc Amcrina parant lentae reiinacula viti. 265
Nunc facilis Rubia texatur lilcina virga:
Nunc torrete igni fruges, nunc frangitc faxo.
Quippe ctiam feflis quacdam exercere dicbus
Fas et jura finunt : rivos diducere nulla
Relligio vetait, fcgcti praetendere fcpem, 270
Infidias avibus moliri, inccudere vepres,
Balantumque grcgem fiuvio merfare falubri.
Saepe oleo tardi coftas agitator afelli,
Vilibus aut onerat pomis : lapidemque rcvertens
Incufum, aut atraa maffam picis urbe reportat. 275
Ipfa dies alios alio dedit ordine Luna
Felices opcrum. quintam fuge : pallidus Orcus,
Eumenidefque fatae. turn partu terra nefando
Coeumque lapctuinque creat, faevomque Typhoea,
Ft conjuratos caelum refcindere fratres. 280
Ter funt conati inponere Pelio OITam
Scilicet, atque OfTae frondolum involvere Olympum :
313. Mr.rLl How came the P,.omans not to find out the art
of printing many ages ago ? Tine Csfars imprefied tiieir whole
names on grants and Ictrers, and this pradlice was lb common a
one, that even fhepherds imprelTed their names on their cattle.
— Fi'vi qucqne pondera melU
Arge7iti ccquito, Untitmque bitumen nheno,
Impiejfurus onj'i tua nomina ; hauc tibi lues
Aiifert ingentes h8v.s prcfcjjor in ar^voi
Calpi:urniui, Eel. 3. 85. S?ence.
The fame obfervation is made by Toland, in his Letters on
the'Druids.
3 37* Q^ "" Pdlon?^
Ter funt conati imponere Peliq Offam.
To reprefent the giants piling up th<i mcuntaiuS on each
"''"■ The
Book I. The Georgics of Virgil. 215
To hurry forward, when the fky is fair, 310
He may v/ith prudent forefight now prepare ;
Now to a point the blunted fliare may beat ;
Scoop troughs from trees, m.ark flocks, or fackr. of wheat;
Long fpars and forks may (harpen ; or fupply
Amerian twigs the creeping vine to tie ; 315
With Rubean rods now bafkets may be wove, [ftove.
Now grain be ground with flox-^.es, now parch'd upon tlie
Nor do the laws of man, or Gods above.
On facred days fome labours difapprove ;
No folemn rite fliould e'er forbid the fwain, 320
The mead with fudden ftreams o'erflow'd, to drain :
To raife (Irong fences for the fpringing corn.
To lay the fnare for birds, to burn the thorn ;
Nor to forbear to wafh the bleating flock,
And foundly plunge them in the healthy brook. 325
Oft' the flow afs's fides the driver loads,
With oil, or apples, or domeftic goods.
And for the mill brings an indented ftone.
Or with black lumps of pitch returns from town.
For various works behold the moon declare 33O
Some days m.ore fortunate — the iifth beware !
Pale Orcus and the Furies then fprung forth,
lapetus and Cocus,. having earth
Produc'd, a foul abominable birth !
And fierce Typhoeus, Jove who dar'd defy, . 335
Xcagu'd in conjuncPcion dire to ftcrm the fky !
OflTa on Pelion, thrice t' uplift they ilrove.
And high o'er nodding Offa roll above
The line too labours, and the words move flow.
PoPEo
The verfe cannot be read without making paufes ; ib ju-
dicioufly are the hiatus's contrived. Heliod has nobly defcribed
this battle of the giants in his Theogony. See Milton's battle
of the angels. Book 6, and compare it with Hefiod,
2i6 p. ViRGiLii Maronis Georgica. Lib. I,
Tcr pater exftrudlos disjecit fulmine montis.
Septuma pofl decumam felix et ponere vitem,
Et prcnfus domitare boves, et licia telae 28c
Addere. nona fugae melior, contraria furtls.
Multa adeo melius gelida fe noifle dedere,
Aut cum fole novo terras inrorat Eous.
NocHre leves melius {llpulae, nocSte arida prata
Tondentur : nottis lentus non deficit humor. 290
Et quidam feros hibcrni ad luminis ignes
Pervigilat, ferroque faces infpicat acuto.
Interea longum cantu folata laborem
Argute conjunx percurrit pc£line telas :
Aut dulcis mufti Volcano decoquit humorem, 295
Et foliis undam tepidi defpumat aheni.
At rubicunda Ceres medio fucciditur aeftu,
Et medio toftas aeftu terit area fruges.
Nudus ara, fere nudu3. hiems ignava colono.
Frigoribus parto agricolae plerumque fruuntur, 303
Mutuaque inter fe keti convivia curant.
Invltat genialis hiems, curafque refolvit :
Ceu preffae cum jam pcrtum tetigere carinae,
Puppibus et Jaeti nautae inpofuere coronas.
Scd tamcn et quernas glandes turn ftringere tempus, 305
Et lauri baccas, oleamque, cruentaque myrta.
Turn gruibus pedicas et rctia ponere cervis,
Auritofque fequi lepores : turn figere damas,
Stuppea torquentem Balearis verbera fundae,
357. Cor».] The Romans did not l/jnj^ or ^vinnoiv their
corn: in the heat of the day, as foon as it was reaped, they
laid it on a floor made on purpofe, in the middle of the field,
and then they drove horfes or mules round about it, till they
trod all the grain out. Benson.
This was the common praftice too all over the eaft ; and
that humane text of fcripture, " Thou Ihall not muzzle thq
" ox that treadeth out the corn," is
a plain allufion to it.
Sook I. The Georgics of Virgil. 217
Olympus fhagg'd with woods ; th' almighty fire
Thrice dafh'd the mountains down with forky fire. 340
Next to the tenth, the feventh to luck inclines,
For taming oxen, and for planting vines ;
Then heft her woof the prudent houfewife weaves;
Better for flight the ninth, adverfe to thieves.
Ev'n in cold night fome proper ta(ks purfue, 34.5
Or when gay morn impearls the field with dew;
At night dry ftubble, and parcht meadows mow.
At night, fat moifture never fails to flow ;
One, by the glowing ember's livid light,
Watches and works the livelong v/inter's night, 350
Forms fpiky torches with his fliarpen'd knife;
Mean "while with equal induftry his wife.
Beguiling time fings in the glimmering room.
To chear the labours of the rattling loom ;
Or on the lufcious muft while bubbles rife, 355
With leaves the trembling cauldron purifies.
But cut the golden corn in mid-day's heat.
And the parcht grain at noon's high ardor beat.
Plough naked ; naked fow ; the buiy auid
No refi: but in bleak wintry hours can find ; 360
In that drear feafon, fv/ains their flores enjoy.
Mirth all their thought, and feafting their employ ;
The genial time to mutual joy excites.
And drowns their cares in innocent delights.
As when a freighted fhip has touch'd the port, 365
'I'he jovial crews upon their decks refort.
With fragrant garlands all their fterns are crown'd.
And jocund ftrains from (hip to fhip refound.
Yet then from leaflefs oaks their acorns fi:rip.
From bays and myrtles blcoJy berries flip, 37«
For noxious cranes then plant the guileful fnare,
O'er tainted ground purfue the liftening hare ;
Pitch toyls for flags, and whirling round the ftring,
Smite the fat doe with Balearic fling.
2i8 p. ViRGiLii Maronis Georgica. Lib. I,
Cum nix alta jacet, glaciem cum fiumina trudunt. 310
Quid tempeftates autumni et fidcra dicam ?
Atque ubi jam breviorque dies, et mollior aeftas,
Qviae vigilanda viris ? vel cum luit imbriferum ver ;
Spicea jam campis cum meiliS inhorruit, et cum
Frumenta in viridi ftipula laftentia turguent ? 315
Saepe ego, cum flavis mefibrcm induceret arvis
Agricola, et fragili jam ftringcret hordea culmo.
Omnia ventorum concurrere proelia vidi :
Quae gravidam late fegetem ab radicibus imis
Sublime expulfum eruerent : ita turbine nigro 32O
Ferret hiems culmumque levem ftipulafque volantls.
Saepe etiam inmenfum caelo vcnit agmen aquarum,
Et foedam glomerant tempeftatem imbribus atris
Conledlae ex alto nubes. ruit arduus aether,
Et pluvia ingenti fata laeta boumque labores 325
Diluit. inplentur fofiae, et cava flumina crefcunt
Cum fonitu, fcrvetque frctis fp'irantibus aequor.
Ipfe pater, media nimborum in noiScc, corufca
Fulmina molitur dextra. quo maxuma motu
Terra tremit : fugere ferae ; et mortalia corda 330
J*er gentes humilis ftravit pavor. iile flagranti
395. Great Jove himfelf pavilion' d.'\ This defcription is very
fublime. While the winds are roaring, the niins defcending,
the rivors overflowing, he noblv introduces Jupiter himfelf fur-
rounded with a thick cloud, and from thence darting his thun-
derbolts, and fplitting the lofticft mountains, all the earth
trembling and alloniihed with fear and dread. I follow Mr.
Bcnfon and Mafvicius, in reading //<2«^/^ (inftead oi pLwgunt)
becaufe it adds a poetical and bold image of Jupiter's linking
the woods and fhores. This defcription, fine as it is, is ex-
celled by the llorm in the i8th pfalm. God is defcribed flying
upon the wings of the wind " He made darknefs his fecret
place, his pavilion round about him, with dark water and thick
clouds to cover him. The fprings of waters were feen, and
the foundations of the round world were dlfcovered at thy
chiding, O Lord." See the whole, too long to be tranfcribed,
but inimitably great and fublime.
Cedite Romani /crIp(ores, cedite Graii !
k
I
Book I. The Georgics of Vir.GiL. 219
While on the ground the fnow deep-crufted lies, 375
And the clog'd floods pu/h down chick flakes of ice.
Why fliould I fing autumnal ftars and feies ;
What florms in that uncertain fcafon rife ?
How careful fwains fliould watch in fiiorter days,
When foften'd fu'mmer feels abated rays : 38a
Or what, in fliowery fpring, the farmer fears.
When fwell with milky corn the briftling ears.
When hinds began to reap, and bind the field.
All the wild war of winds have I beheld
Rife v/ith united rage at once, and t-ar 385
And whirl th' uprooted harveft into air.
With the fame force, as by a driving blaft
Li'iht chaff or ftubble o'er the plains are caft.
Oft in one deluge of impetuous rain.
All heav'n's dark concave ruihes down amain, 390
And fweeps away the crops and labours of the fwain.
The roaring rivers drown the oxen's toil.
The toffing feas in furious eddies boil ;
Great Jove himfelf, v/hom dreadful darknefs fhrouds,
Pavilion'd in the thicknefs of the clouds, 395
With lightning arm'd his red right hand puts forth.
And fliakes with burning bolts the folid earth .
The nations fhrink appall'd; the beafts are fled;
All human hearts are funk, and pierc'd with dread :
398. The beajls are fied.l Dr. Trapp juftly obferves, that
fugere bein - put ia the preter-perfed tenfe has a wonderful
•force : " We fee, fays he, the bealts fcudding away, and thejr
" are gone, and ouc cf fight in a moment." It is a pity that
learned gentleman did not preferve the force of this tenle in his
tranflation. He has not only ufed the prefent tenfe, but has
diminifhed the urength and quicknefi of the expreffion, which
Virgil has made to confift only of two words, fugere ferae, by
adding an epithet to beaib, and mentioning tne place they
fly to :
Savage beafts to coverts fly.
Dryden has been guilty of the fame overfight :
And flying beafts in forefts feek abode.
The
220 P. ViRGILII MaRONIS GeORGICA. Lib. I.
Aut Atho, aut Rhodopen, aut alta Ceraunia telo
Dejicit : ingeminant auftri, et denfiflimus imber :
Nunc nemora ingenti vento, nunc litora plangit.
Hoc metuens, caeli menfis, et fidera ferva, 335
Frigida Saturni fefe quo ftella receptet,
Qi'.os ignis caeli Cyilenius erret in orbis.
In primis venerare deos, atque annua magnae
Sacra refer Cercri l.ictis cpcratus in herbis,
Extremae fab cafum liiemis, jam vers fereno. 349
Turn plagues agni, et turn molliflima vina :
Turn fomni dulces, denfaeque in montibus umbrae.
Cuniia tibi Cererem pubes agreftis adoret.
Quoi tu la£le favoF, et miti dilue baccho :
Terque novas circum fclix eat hoftia fruges ; 345
Omnis quam chorus, et focii comitentur ovantes ;
Et Cererem clamore vocent in tc6la : neque ante
Falcem maturis quifquam fupponat ariftis,
Quam Cereri torta redimitus tempora qucrcu
Det motus incompofitos, ct carmina dicat. 35$
Atque haec ut certis poffimus difcere fignis,
Aeftufque, pluviafque, et agei)tis frigora ventos j
Ipfe pater ftatuit, quid menftrua Luna moneret.
Quo figno caderent Auftri : quid faepe vidcntes
Agricolae^ propius ftabulis armenta tenerent. 355
Continue ventis furgentibus aut freta ponti
Licipiunt agitata tumefcere, et aridus altis
Montibus audiri fragor ; aut refonantia longe
The Latin, fays PJr. Benfon, is as quick and fudden as their
flight. Fugire ferae, they are all vanifhed in an inflant. But in
Mr. Drydens tranflation, one would imagine thefe creatures
were drove out of fome inclofed country, and were fearching
for entertainment in the next forcll. Yet Mr. Benfon himfelf
did not obferve the beauty of the tenfe.
Far Ihakes the earth, beads fly, and mortal hearts
Pale fear dejefts.
417. And Ceres call.] This facrifice the Romans called Ambar-
valia from ambire ar'va; for they led the vidlim round the fields.
Book I. The Georgics of Virgil. 221
He ftrikes vaft Rhodope's exalted crown, 400
And hurls huge Athos, and Ceraunia dcvn.
Thick fall the rains ; the wind redoubled roars ; [fhores.
The God now fmites the woods, and now the founding
Warn'd by thefe ills, obferve the ftairy figns.
Whither cold Saturn's joylefs orb inclines, 405
Whither light Hermes' wandering flame is driv'n.
Firft to the Gods be all due honours giv'nj
To Ceres chief her annual rites be paid.
On the green turf, beneath a fragrant fliade.
When v/inter ends, and fpring ferenely fhines, 41O
Then fat the lambs, then mellow are the wines.
Then fweet are flumbers on the flowery ground.
Then with thick fhades are lofty mountains crown'd.
Let all thy hinds bend low at Ceres' fhrine ;
Mix honey fweet, for her, with milk and mellow wine ;
Thrice lead the vidtim the new fruits around, 416
And Ceres call, and choral hymns re found :
Prefume not, fwains, the ripen'd grain to reap.
Till crown'd with oak in antic dance ye leap.
Invoking Ceres, and in folemn lays, 420
Exalt your rural queen's immortal praife.
Great Jove himfelf unerring {igns ordains,
Of chilling v/inds, and heats, and driving rains ;
The moon declares when bluft'ring Auiler falls.
When herds fhould be confin'd near fhelt'rine: ftalls.
When winds approach, the vex'd fea heaves around, 426
From the bleak mountain comes a hollow found,
427. Mountain.l This puts me in mind of a pafTage in Tiiom-
fon's Seafons on the fame iubjeft, the approach of a itorm :
Along the woods, along the moorifh fens.
Sighs the fad genius of the coming florm ;
And up among the loofe disjointed cliffs.
And fraflur'd mountains wild, the brawling brook
And cave prefageful fend a hollow moan,
Refounding long in liuening fancy's ear.
Thomson's Winter, ver. 70,
222 P. ViRGiLii Maronis Georgica* Lib. r.
Litora tnifceri, et nemorum increbrcfcere murmur.
Jam fibi turn a curvis male temperat uiida carinis, 36a
Cum medio ccleres revolant ex aequore mergi,
Clamoremque ferunt ad litora : cumque marinac
In ficco ludunt fulicae : notafque paludes
Deferit, atque altam fupra volat ardea nubem.
Saepe etiam flellas, vento inpendcnte, videbis 365
Praecipites caelo labi, notStifque per umbram
Flammarum longos a tergo albefcere tradlus:
Saepe levem paleam et frondes volitare caducas^
Aut fumma nantis in aqua conludere plumas.
At Boreae de parte trucis cum fulminat, et cum 370? j
Eurique Zephyrique tonat domus ; omnia plenis
Rura natant foffis, atque omnis navita ponto
Humida vela legunt. numquam inprudentibus imber
Obfuit. aut ilium furgentem vallibus imis
Aeriae fugere grues : aut bucula caelum 37^
Suipiciens patulis captavit naribus auras :
Aut arguta lacus circumvolitavit hirundo:
Et veterem in limo ranae cecinere querelam.
Saepius et te<3:is penetralibus extulit ova
Auguftum formica terens iter, et bibit ingens 380?
Arcus : et e paftu decedens agmine mugno
Corvorum incrcpuit denfis exercitus alis.
Jam varias pelagi volucres, et quae Afia circum
Dulcibus in ftagnis rimantur prata Cayfcri,
Certatim largos humeris infundere rores ; 3^^
Nunc caput objedlare frctis, nunc currere in undas,
Et fludio incafium videas geftire lavandi.
446. The heifer toj/ing.'] This prognci1;ic is taken from-
Aratus ; and I would oblcrve once for all, that almoft each 01
the figns of weather are borrowed (and indeed beautified) froittj
that ancient writer. The line
Arguta lacus, circunt'voUta'v'tt hirundo,
with feveral that precede and follow it, are intircly taken with: j
very fmall alterations from Varro Atacinus, as may be feen in,
Servius.
'
Eook r. The Geoi^gics of Virgil. 223
The loud blaft whiftles o'er the echoing fliore,
Ruftle the murm'ring woods, the rifing billows roar.
From the frail bark that ploughs the raging main, 430
The greedy waves unwillingly refrain,
When loud the corm'rant fcreams and fecks the land,
And coots and fea-gulls fport upon the fand ;
And the tall hern his marfhy haunts forfakes.
And tow'rs to heav'n above the 'cuftom'd lakes : 435
Oft, ftars fiill headlong thro' the Ihades of night.
And leave behind v/hite tracks of trembling light.
In circles play light chafF and wither'd leaves.
And floating feathers dance upon the waves.
But v/hen keen lightnings flaOi from Boreas' pole, 440
From Eurus' houfe to weft, when pealing thunders roll.
The country fwims, all delug'd are the dales.
And every pilot furls his humid fails.
Sure warnings ftill the ftormy fhowers precede ;
The confcious cranes forfake the vapoury mead, 445
The heifer toiTmg high her head in air,
With broader noftrils fnufFs the gale afar ;
Light fkims the chirping fwallow o'er the flood.
The frogs croak hoarfely on their beds of mud 5
Her eggs abroad the prudent pifmire bears, 450
While at her work a narrow road fne wears.
Deep drinks the bow; on ruftling pinions loud, [crowd.
The crows, a numerous hoft ! from pafture homeward
Lo ! various fea-fowl, and each bird that breeds
In Afian lakes, near fweet Cayfter's meads, 455
O'er their fmcoth fhoulders ftrive the ftream to flino;.
And wafh in wanton fport each fnowy wing ;
Now dive, now run upon the wat'ry plain,
And long to lave their downy plumes in vain :
452. Deep drinks the io--w.] Alludes to the ridiculous noiion
of the ancients, that the rainbow fuck'd up water with its
horns from lakes and rivers.
224 P* ViRGiLii Maronis Georgica. Lib. I.
Turn cornix plena pluviam vocat improba voce,
Et fola in ficca fecum fpatiatur arena.
Ne noclurna quidem-carpentes penfa puellae 390
Nefcivere hiemem : tefta cum ardente viderent
Scintillare oleum, et putris concrefcere fungos.
Nee minus eximbris foles et aperta ferena
Profpicere, et certis poteris cognofcere Tignis.
Nam neque tum ftellis acies obtufa videtur, 395
Nee fratris radiis obnoxia furgere Luna ;
Tenuia nee lanae per caelum vellera ferri.
Non tepidum ad folem pennas in litore pandunt
Dile£tae Thetidi Alcyones : non ore folutos
Inmundi meminere fues jaclare maniplos. 400
At nebulae magis ima petunt, campoque recumbunt :
Solis et occafum fervans de culmine fummo
Nequicquam feros exercet noftua cantus.
Adparet liquido fublimis in aere Nifus,
Et pro purpureo poenas dat Scylla capillo. 4^5
Quaeumque ilia levem fugiens fecat aethera pennis,
Ecce inimicus atrox magno ftridore per auras
Infequitur Nifus : qua fe fert Nifus ad auras,
Ilia levem fugiens raptim fecat aethera pennis.
Tum liquidas corvi preflb ter gutture voces 410
Aut quater ingeminant : et faepe cubiiibus altis,
Nefcio qua praeter folitum dulcedine laeti.
Inter fe foliis ftrepitant. juvat imbribus a(Stis
Progeniem parvam dulcifque revifere nidos»
461. Stalks acr of s the f cor ching funds. '\ The line admirably
reprefenis the aftion of the crow, and is an echo to the fenfe.
Thofe who are fond of alliteration, are delighted with this verfe,
where fo many S's are found together : they may fay the fame of
plena plwvi am, ^ 'vocat 'voce, in the preceding line.
467. Calm.'\ According to what Pierius found in feveral old
manufcripts : ex imbres in the original, for the poet liegins ta
fpeak of fair weather.
I
Book. I. The Georgics OF Virgil. 225
Loudly the rains the boding rook demands, 460
And folitary ftalks acrofs the fcorching fands.
Nor lefs the virgins nightly tafks that weave
With bufy hands, approaching ftorms perceive.
While on the lamp they mark the fputtering oil.
And fungous clots the light, adhefr/e, foil. 46^
Nor lefs by certain marks may'ft thou defcry
Fair feafons, in the calm, and ftormlefs fky;
Then fhine the ftars with keener luftre bright,
Nor Cynthia borrows from her brother's light.
No fleecy clouds flit lightly through the air, 47O
The mifts defcend, and low cin earth appear.
Nor Thetis' halcyons balking on the ftrand.
Their plumage to the tepid fun expand :
Nor fwine deep delving with the fordid fnout.
Delight to tofs the bundled ftraw about. 475
To watch the fetting fun, the fullen owl
Sits penfive, and in vain repeats her baleful howl;
Nifus appears fublime in liquid air.
And Scylla rues the ravifh'd purple hair :
Where with fwift wings fhe cuts th' etherial way, 480
Fierce Nifus prefl*es on his panting prey,
Where Nifus wheels, fhe fwiftly darts away.
With throats comprefs'd, with fhriM and clearer voice.
The tempeft gone, the cawing rooks rejoice j
Seek with unufual joys, on branches hung 485
Their much-lov'd neiis, and feed their callow young.
477. In nja'in repeats. '\ Dr. Trapp interprets nequicquam, in
^ain. Dr. Martyn, 770/' repeats.— If we underftand the poet to
be fpeaking of the continuance of fair weather, nequicquam muft
fignify Kct ; bec:;ufe, according to Pliny, the hooting of the
owl at fuch a time would be a fign of rain.
Mr. Dryden has ftrangely tranflated this palTage :
And owls that mark the fetting fun declare,
A ftar-light evening and a morning fair.
Vol. L Q.
}
226 P. ViRGiLii Maronis Georgica. Lib. I.
Haud cquidem credo, quia fit divinitus illis 415
Ingenium, aut rerum fato prudentia major.
Verum, ubi tempeftas, et caeli mobiiis humor
Mutavere vias, et Juppiter uvidus auftris
Denfat, erant quae rara modo, et, quae denfa, relaxat;
Vcrtuntur fpecies animorum, et pe<5lora motus 429
Nunc alias, alios, dum nubila ventus agebat,
Concipiunt. hinc ille avium concentus in agris,
Et laetae pecudes, et ovantes gutture corvi.
Si vero folem ad rapidum lunafque fequentis
Ordine refpicies ; numquam te craftina fallet 425
Hora, neque infidiis noftis capiere ferenae.
Luna revertentcs cum primum conligit ignis.
Si nigrum obfcuro conprenderit aera cornu,
Maxumus agricolis.pelagoque parabitur imber.
At, fi virgineum fufiTuderit ore ruborem, 43O
Ventus erit. vento femper rubet aurea Phoebe.
Sin ortu quarto (namque is certiiSmus auftor)
PuxT., neque obtufis per caelum cornibus ibit ;
Totus et ille dies, et qui nafcentur ab illo
Exa6lum ad menfem, pluvia ventifque carebunt : 435
Votaque fervati folvent in litore nautae
Glauco, et Panopeae, et Inoo Melicertae.
Sol quoque et exoriens, et cum ie condit in undas,
Signa dabit. folem certiflima figna fequuntur,
Et quae mane rcfert, et quae furgentibus aftris. 44a
Ille ubi nafccntem maculis varlaverit ortum
Conditus in nubem, medioque refugerit orbe ;
487. Not that to them.] This is a remarkable inftance of Vir-
gil's clear and beautiful ftyle in expreffing even the moft ab-
fliui'c notions. The meaning of the worda fato prudentia major,
which occaiions diliicukies among the commentators, ieems to
be, a crreater knowledge (tlian men have) in the fate of things.
\o:^'l Clearly.'] The vcrfe in the original is quoted by Seneca
in his works, in a different manner from the common reading,
Plena, 7uc obtufis per coelum cornibus ibit ; and he certainly
meant
Book I. The Gecrcics of Virgil. 227
Not that to them a genius Heav'n hath lent.
Or piercing forefight of each dark event,
But when the changeful temper of the fkies.
The rare condenfes, the denfe rarifies, 49O
New motions on the alter'd air impreft.
New images and paffions fill their bread: :
Hence the glad birds in louder concert join.
Hence croaks th' exulting rook, and fport the lufl:y kine.
But if thou flialt obferve the rapid fun, 495
And mark the moons their following courfes run.
No night ferene with fmilcs, fhall e'er betray.
And fafely may'ft thou truft the coming day :
When the young moon returning light colledls.
If 'twixt her horns we fpy thick gloomy fpecks, 500
Prepare, ye mariners and watchful fwains.
For wafteful ftorms and deluges of rains !
But if a virgin-blufh her cheeks o'erfpread,
Lo, winds ! they tinge her golden face with red j
But the fourth evening if fhe clearly rife, 505
And fail unclouded thro' the azure fkies.
That day, and all the following month behind.
No rattling ftorm ihall feel of rain or wind :
And failors fav'd from the devouring fea,
To Glaucus vov/s prefer and Panope. 5'**
Nor lefs the fun, when eaftern hills he leaves.
And when he finks behind the blufhing waves,
Prognoftics gives : he brings the fafell figns
At morn, and when the ftarry evening fhines :
When with dark fpots his opening face he clouds, 515
Shorn of his beams, and half his glory fhrouds,
meant it fo, by what he fays of it. If this be the true reading,
it may be thus underltood. — '• If on the fourth day of the new
moon J its WHOLE DISK appears, and the liorns of that part of
it which is enlighten'd, are fliarp, and well-pointed ; then the
next day, and all the following to the end of the month, will
be free both from high winds and rain." HoLDSwpRjH.
Q2
•J28 F. ViKGiLii Maronis Gi:orGica. Lib. X.
Sufpedli tibi fint imbres. namque urguet ab alto
^rboribufqne fatifque Notus pecorique fmifter.
Aut ubi fub lucem denfa inter nubila {e{e 445
Divoiii rurnpent radii, aut ubi pallida furget
Tithoni crcceum linquens Aurora cubile j
Fleu, male turn mitis dcfendet pampinus uvas t
Tarn multa in testis crepitans falit horrida grando.
Hoc ctiam, enienfo cum jam decedet Olympo, 45»-
Frofucrit meminiiTe magisr nam faepc videmus
Ipfius in- voltu varies errare colores.
Cacrulcos pluviam denuntiat, igneus Euros*
Gin maculae incipient rutilo inmifcerier igni ;
Omnia tunc pariter vento nimbifque videbis 45^5
Ferverc. non ilia quifquam me no£l:e per altum
Ire, neque a terra moneat convellere funem.
At fi, cum referetque diem, condetque relatum,
l.ucidus orbis erit, fruflra terrebere nimbis,
El claro fiivas cernes aquilone m^overi. 460
Deniquc, auiJ vefper ferus vchat, unde ferenas
Wnt-is :i^;t nubes, quod cogitet humidus Aufter,
Sol tibi il^na dabit. Solem quis dicere falfum
Audeat ? ille etiam caecos inftare tumultus
Sat-pe monet, frauJemque et opcrta tumefcere bella. 465
Ille etiam. extindo mifcratus Cacfare Romam,
525, T/je dujhy, rain.'\ Tho' I believe there is no one thing
in the whole language of the Romans, that we are more at a
•Jofs about now, than their names of colours ; it appears evi-
dently enough, that coeruhus was ufed by them for fome dark
colour or other. One might bring a number of inltances to
prove this, but one or two from Virgil will be fufficient :
Coeruleus plti'viam dcniaitiat.
■ Coeruleus Jupra caput ajlltit imber,
Nodcm hyememjuefei-ens, et ifihorruit unda tenebris,
Aen. 3. 19«^.
PoLYMETis, pag. 167. note 24.
536. Aujler meditate.'] Several of the commentators that have
been ulcd to confiJtr the winds only in a natural way, and
never perhaps in an allegorical one, are greatly offended at the
v/orJ cogilet here. The thinking of a nvind is to them the
highcll
Book I. The Georgics of Virgil. ' 229
Sufpe£l thou fhowers : the fouth from ocean borne.
Springs noxious to the cattle, trees and corn.
When fcatter'd are his rays ; with palenefs fpread
When faint Aurora leaves Tithonus' bed ; 520
Ah ' can the leaves their ripening grapes defend !
Such heaps of horrid hail on rattling roofs defccnd \
Obferve too, when he ends his heavenly race,
What various colours wander o'er his face :
The dufky, rain ; the fiery, wind denotes; 525
But if with glowing red he mingle fpot3.
Then fhowers and winds commixt (liak thou behold
In dreadful tempeft thro' black aether roll'd ;
In fuch a night, when foon the waves will roar.
None {hould perfuadc to loofc my bark from fhore. 530
But if his orb be lucid, clear his ray.
When forth he ufliers, or concludes the day.
Fear not the ftorms : for mild will be the breeze.
And Aquilo bat gently wave the trees.
In fine, what winds may rife at evening late, 535
What fhow'rs may humid Aufter meditate,
Py fureft marks th' unerring fun declares,
And who, to call the fun deceitful, dares ?
He too foretells fedition's fecret fehemes.
Tumults and treafons, wars and ftratageiiis. 54G
He too, bewailing her unhappy doom.
When fell her glorious Caefar, pitied Rome ;
higheil pitch of abfurdity that can be. They are therefore for
altering the paffage into qiiii^ cogat et humidus aiijier, or quid
(oncitet contra omnes codices, as themfelves fay : If thefe
gentlemen would pleafe to coniider that it is not thev, but
Virgil that is fpeaking here ; that the winds were frequently
reprefented as perfons in his time ; that he had been ufcd to
fee them fo reprefented both in Greece and. in his own coun-
try; that they were commonly worfhipped as gods — and they
may perhaps be perfuaded not to think this fo ilrange an ex-
preffion for him to ufe. Pglvmetis, Dial. 13. p. 204..
Horace fpeaking of the river Aufidus fays finely, Dlluuiem
MEDiTATUR agris. Od. 14. Lib. 4.
541. He too, be=ivailing .'] 'Tis fomething ftrange that the bel^
liiltorians, Pliny, Plutarch, and Appian, join in relating thefe
0^3 prodigies
2,3© P- ViRGiLii Marqnis Georgica. Lib. I*
Cum caput obrcura nitldum ferrugine texit,
Inpiaque aeternam timuerunt faecula noftem.
Tempore quamquam illo tellus quoque, et aequoraponti,
Obfcenasquc canes, inportunaeque volucres 470
Signa dabant. quoties Cyclopum eiFervere in agros
Vidimus undantem ruptis fornacibus Aetnam,
Flammarumque globos, liquefadaque volvere faxa !
Armorum fonitum toto Germania caelo
Audiit: inrolitis tremuerunt motibus Alpes. 475
Vox quoque per lucos volgo exaudita filentis
Ino-ens, et fimulacra modis pallentia miris
Vifa fub obfcurum nodlis, pecudefque locutae,
Infandum ! fiflunt amnes, terraeque dehifcunt,
Et macftum inlacrimat templis ebur, aeraque fudant. 48Q
Proluit iniano contorquens vortice filvas
Fluviorum rex Eridanus, campofque per omnes
Cum ftabulis armenta tulit. nee tempore eodem
TriHibus aut extis fibrae adparere minaces,
Aut puteis manare cruor ceiTavit : et alte 485
Per nocStem refonare, lupis ululantibus, urbes.
Non alias caelo ceciderunt plura fereno
Fulo-ura : nee diri toties arfere cometae.
Ergo inter kk paribus concurrere telis
JRomanas acies iterum videre Philippi : 49^
prodigies. Plutarch noi: only mentions the palenefs of the fun,
for a whole year after Caeiar's death, but adds, that the fruits
rotted for want of heat. Appian relates the ftories of the
c!a(hing of arms, and fnoiits in the air, an ox fpeaking with
a human voice, ftatues fweatirg blood, wolves howling in the
Forum, and vidims wanting entrails.
562. Eridanus.^ 1 he redundant fyllable in fwviorutn, is
expieffive of the inundation. Dion CafTius relates, that the
river Po did net only overflow and occafion prodigious da-
mages, but left likewife great quantities of ferpents when it
jetired. , . . , ,., , ,
569. Philippi ] Many learned critics have difputed about
the meaning of this palfage, which was never cleared up till
Mr. Holdfvvuiih publilhed a judicious diifertation on the fub-
jeft. He is of opinion, that Virgil means by his two battles
of
Book I. The Georcics of Virgil. 231
With dufky rednefs veil'd his chearful light.
And impious mortals fear'd eternal night :
Then too, the trembling earth, and feas that rag'd, 545
And dogs, and boding birds dire ills prefag'd :
What globes of flames hath thund'ring Aetna thrown.
What heapr of fulphur mix'd v/ith molten (lone,
From her burft entrails did (he oft exfpire.
And deluge the Cyclopean fields with fire I 550
A clank of arms and rufhing to the wars.
The found of trampling fteeds, and clattering cars.
Heard thro' th' aftonifti'd fky, Germania (hock'd,
The folid Alps unufual tremblings rock'd !
Thro' filent woods a difmal voice was heard, 555
And glaring ghofts all grimly pale appear'd.
At dufky eve ; dumb cattle filence broke.
And with the voice of man (portentous !) fpoke !
Earth gapes aghaft ; the wondering rivers flop ;
The brazen flataes mourn, cold fweats from ivory drop i
Monarch of mighty floods, fupremely ftrong, 561
Eridanus, whofe forefls whirl'd along.
And rolling onwards with a fweepy fway.
Bore houfes, herds, and helplefs hinds away :
The viftims' entrails dire events forebode I 565
Wolves howl in cities I wells o'erflow with blood.
Ne'er with fuch rage did livid lightnings glare,
"Nor comets trail fuch lengths of horrid hair I
For this, Philippi fav/, with civil rage.
The wretched Pvoman legions tv/ice engage ; 570
of Philippi, not two battles fought on the fame individual fpot,
but at two diftant places of the fame name, the former at Phi-
lippi (alias Thebae Fhthiac) near PijarLuus in Thefialy : the
latter at Philippi near the cpnfines of Thrace. And though
hiftorians (all except Lucius Florus) for diftinftion's fake, call
the latter battle only by the name of Pniiippi; yet. as there
was one at Philippi near Pharlalia, in fight of which the former
was fought, the poets call both by the fame name. As to the
reafons which he fays determined Virgil to call bpth battles by the
Q,^ fame
:232 P. ViRGiLii Maronis Georcica. Lib. u
Nee fuit indignuni fuperis, bis fanguine noftro
Emathiam, et latos HaeirJ pinguefcere campos.
Scilicet et tempus veniet, cum finibus illis
Agricola, incurvo terram molitus aratro,
Exefa inveniet fcabra robigine pila : 495
Aut gravibus raflris galeas pulfabit inarjs,
Grandiaque effoffis mirabitur ofla fepulcris,
Di patrii Indigetes, et Romule, Veftaque mater.
Quae Tufcum Tiberim, et Romana Palatia fervas,
Hunc faltem everfo juvenern fuccurrere faeclo 50»
Ne prohlbete. fatis jam pridem fanguine noftro
Laomedonteae luimus perjuria Troiae.
Jam pridem nobis caeli te regia, Caefar,
Invidet, atque hominum queritur curare triumphos.
fame name, the chief of them I think is this: that in compliment
to Auguftus, he might imprefs the fuperfticious Romans with 3
belief, that the vengeance of the Gods againfl the murderers of
Caefar was denounced by numbers of prodigies and omens ;
and in fo remarkable a manner that there appeared in it a par-
ticular firoke of providence, according to the heathen fuperfti-
tion, that the fecond battle which proved fatal to the Romans,
Ihould be fought in the fame province with the firlt, and near
a fecond Philippi.
574. Plcughs.'\ The delicate art of the poet in returning to
Ms fubjeft by inferting this circumflance of the ploughman's
finding old armour, cannot be fufficiently admired. Philips
has finely imitated it in his Cyder, where fpeaking of the de-
ftrudion of old Ariconium, he adds.
Upon that treacherous traft of land
She whilom flood ; now Cereb, in her prime.
Smiles fertile, and, with ruddieft freight bedeck'd
The apple-tree, by oar foreTathers' bicod
Improv'd, that now recalls the devious mufe»
Urging her deflin'd labours to purfue.
Philips's Cyder, Book I.
579. Ye greater guardian gods.'\ Virgil (fays Mr. Spence)
by the dii patrii, here means the great train of deities, firft
received all over the eaft, and afterwards fuccefiively in Greece
jind-Italy. Among the Romans, the three deities received as
y ' fupremc.
Book I. The Geotigics of Virgil. 233
Emathia, (Heaven decreed !) was twice imbru'd,
Jind Haemus' fields twice fatten'd with our blood.
The time at length ihall come, when lab'ring fwains.
As with their ploughs they turn thefe guilty plains,
'Gainft hollow helms their heavy drags fhall ftrike, 575
^nd clafh 'gainft many a fword, and rufty pike;
View the vail graves with horror and amaze.
And at huge bones of giant heroes gaze.
Ye greater guardian gods of Rome, our pray'r,
And Romulus, and thou, chafte Vcfta, hear ! 580
Ye, who preferve with your propitious powers.
Etrurian Tiber, and the Roman towers !
At leaft permit this youth to fave the world
(Our only refuge !) in confufion hurl'd :
Let ftreams of blood already fpilt atone -585
For perjuries of falfe Laomedon !
The Gods, O Caefar, envy and complain.
That men and earthly cares thy fteps detain j
fupreme, were Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva ; and therefore
Virgil adds the word indigetes, to fix it to the Sso» 'ma.rfu.oi, or
the three great fupreme gods, received as fuch in his own
country. Indigetes hevQ is much the fame as ncj}ri in Juvenal,
when he fpeaks of thefe vfrv deities. Mr. bpence obferves
how faultily Dryden has tranfiated this pafTage.
POLYMETIS, Dial. 20.
582. Etrurian.'] Virgil in this place, and in Geo. 2. 530.
fpeaks of Tufcany and Rome almoil as if they were upon the
fame footing ; chieHy out of complaifance for his great patron
Mecaenas, who was defcended from the old race of the kings
of that country. Holdsworih.
586. Falje Laomedon.] Apollo and Neptune being hired by
Laomedon, to affilt him in building a wall round his city of
Troy, when the work was finifhed were by him defrauded of
their pay.
587. O Cae/ar.] I at firft tranfiated it great Caefar; but ob-
ferved afterwards that the poet joins no epithet to Caefar ; I
therefore omitted fo improper an addition ; which weakens the
dignity and fimplicity of the original.
534 P* Vjrgilii Maronis Georgica. Lib. i.
Quippe ubi fas verfum atque nefas *. tot bella per orbem :
Tarn multae fcelerum facies : non ullus aratro 506
Dignus honos. fqualent abduftis arva colonis,
Et curvae rigidum falces conflantur in enfem.
Hinc movet Euphrates, illinc Gcrmania bellum :
Vicinae ruptis inter fe legibus urbes 51*
Arma ferunt. faevit toto Mars inpius orbe.
Ut, cum carcerJbus fefc- efFudere quadrigae,
Addunt in fpatia, et fruftra retinacula tendens
Fertur equis auriga, neque audit currus habenas,
590. Impious fwars.^ The amiable and gentle temper, the
univerfal benevolence of Virgil, appear in this flrlking paffage.
A certain melancholy flow in the numbers, and an atr of pity
for the diftreffes of his fellow-creatures, make thefe lines more
valuable than even the poetry they contain. At the time I
write this, 1 76 1, it is impoffible to read them without feeling
their force.
}
Book I. The Georgics of Virgil. 235
Where facred order, fraud and force confound,
Where impious wars and tumults rage around, 5^0
And every various vice and crime is crown'd :
Difhonour'd lies the plough ; the banifh'd fwains
Are hurried from th' uncultivated plains ;
The fickles into barbarous fwords are beat,
Euphrates here, there war the Germans threat. 595
The neighbouring cities break faith's mutual bands.
And ruthlefs Mars raves wild o'er all the lands.
As when four furious courfers whirl away
The trembling driver, nor his cries obey.
With headlong hafts fwift-pouring o'er the plains, 600
The chariot bounds along, nor hears the reins.
JIND OF THE FIRST GEORGIC.
[ 237 )
BOOK THE SECOND.
ARGUMENT.
This Book, which treats of planting, is divided into /even
parts, I. The poet fpeaks of the various ways in which
trees are produced, both by nature and art. II. Their
different fpecies and forts, and how they are to be managed,
III. What foils are mofl fuitahle to each ; from whence hi
naturally digrejfes into an encomium on the foil and pro-
duSfions of Italy. IV. The method of dif covering and
difiinguijhing the nature of each foil. V. 27»^ culture
and management of the vine. VI. The culture of the
«live and other trees, VII. The praifes of a country life.
[2138]^
P. VIRGILII MARONIS
G E O R G I C A.
LIBER SECUNDUS.
HACTENUS arvorum cultus, et fidera coeli :
Nunc te, Bacche, canam, nee non filveftria tecum
Virgulta, et prolem tarde crefcentis olivae.
Hue, pater 6 Lenaee, (tuis hie omnia plena
Muneribus : tibi pampineo gravidus auftumno 5
Floret ager ; fpumat plenis vindemla labris)
Hue, pater 6 Lenaee, veni ; nudataque mufto
Tingue novo mecum direptis crura cothurnis.
Principio arboribus yaria eft natura creandls.
Namque aliae, nullis hominum cogentibus, ipfae 10,
Sponte fua veniunt, eampofque et flumina late
Curva tenent : ut molle filer, lentaeque geniftae,
Populus, et glauea canentia fronde fali(!^a.
Pars autem pofito furgunt de femine : ut altae
Caftaneae, nemorumque Jovi quae maxima frondet i^'
Ver. 2. Noiv thee I fing, O Bacchus.'] Inftead of coolly pro-i
pofing the fubjeft he is going to treat of, viz. the cultivation of]
vines, olives, &c. the poet at once breaks out into a rapturous
addrefs to Bacchus, in the ftyle of an hymn ; the image con- |
tained in the follov/ing lines is beautiful and piflurefque.
Hue, pater L naee, veni : nudataque mujio
Tingue novo mecum direptis crura cothur?:is.
We fee the god treading the wine-prefs. Mr. Dryden'l
tranflation of this paffage is remarkable.
Come, ftrip with me, my god, come drench all o'er
Thy limbs in mull of wine, and drink at ev'ry pore.
f 239 ]
THE
GEORGICS
O F
VIRGIL.
BOOK THE SECOND.
THUS far of tillage, and the heav'nly figns ;
Now thee I fing, O Bacchus, god of vines !
With thee the native race of fylvan trees.
And olives, blooming late by flow degrees.
Come, facred fire, with lufcious clufters crown'd, £
Here all the riches of thy reign abound ;
Each field replete with blufhing autumn glows.
And in deep tides for thee, the foaming vintage flows.
O come, thy bufkins, facred fire, unloofe,
And tinge with me thy thighs in purple juice. I»
Kind nature trees, by feveral means, fupplies>
Spontaneous fome, by art untaught, arife ;
At will, by brook, in lawn or meadow, bloom
Th' obedient ofier, and the bending broom ;
While with the poplar on the mazy fhore 15
The willow waves its azure foliage hoar.
Part by the force of quick'ning feed arife.
Hence tow'rs the Icfty^chefnut to the fkies ;
And Aefculus, great monarch of the grove,
Supreme and flatelieft of the trees of Jove : 29
II. Kind nature trees.] The poet fays, wild trees are pro-
duced three leveral ways, i. spontaneously, 2. by seeds,
3. and by SUCKERS. He ftill ufes the fame order at verfe the
61ft, &c.
24© P- V'iRGiLii Maronis Georgica. lib. '2o'
Aefculus, atque habitae Graiis oracula quercus.
Pullulat ab radice aliis denfiflima filva :
Ut cerafis, ulmifque : etiam Parnafia laurus
Parva fub ingenti matris fe fubjicit umbra. '
Hos Natura modos primum dedit : his genus omne 10
Silvarum, fruticumque viret, ncmorumque facrorum.
Sunt alii, quos ipfe via fibi repperit ufus.
Hie plantas teriero abfcindens de corpore matrum
Depofuit fulcis : hie ftirpes obruit arvo,
Quadrifidafque fudes, et acuto robore vallos : 25
Silvarumque aliae preflbs propaginis arcus
Exfpeftant, et viva fua plaritaria terra.
Nil radicls egent aliae : fummumque putator
Haud dubitat terrae referens mandare cacumeri.
Quin et caudicibus fe6lis (mirabile didu) 3a
Truditur e ficco radix oleagina ligno.
JEt faepe alterius ramos impune videfnus
Vertere in alterius, mutatamque inlita mala
Ferre pirum, et prunis lapidofa rubefcere coma.
Quare agite 6, proprios generatim difcite cultus, 35
Agricolae, fru6luTque feros mollite colendo :
Neu fegnes jaceant terrae : juvat Ifmara baccho
Conferere, atque olea magnum veftirc Taburnuift.
22. Greece devoutly paid.'] In this, and many other paflages,
lie glances at, and ridicules the fuperftitions of the Grecians.
24. Cherries.] This kind of fruit had not been brought into'
Italy many years before Virgil wrote. 'Tis faid, LucuUus
firlt introduced them into that country after he had conquered
Mithridates.
29. Tet other means."] Having fpoken of trees^ which fpon-
taneoufly propagate their fpecies, he now proceeds to mention
thole methods which are ufed by human induftry. Thefe are
by fuckers, fets, layers, cuttings, pieces cf cleft wood, and in-
grafting. Martyn.
32. Crofs-fplit, or jharpen^ d flakes .] There are two ways of
planting fetters. The qundrijidas fudes (fays Mr. Benron) is
when the bottom is flit acrofs both ways ; the acuto robore \&
when it is cut into a point, which is called the colt's foot.
37. Olive.] It is common in Italy to fee old olive-treesy
thac
Book 2. The Georcics of ViRgil. 241
With the proud oak, beneath whofe aweful fhade
Religious rites fond Greece devoutly paid.
Some pour an infant forefl from their roots,
Thus elms and cherries fpring in frequent ihoots.
Thus too, their tender tops ParnafTus' bays, 25
Beneath their mother's fnehering ihadow, raife.
So fpring, as nature various means approves.
Or woods, or fnrubs, or confccrated groves.
Yet other means hath fage experience found ;
This, from the mother-trunk, within the ground 30
The tender fucker fets ; another takes
Of larger growth, crofs-x''plit, or fliarpen'd ftakes.
And oft, in native earth, the boughs we fee
Inverted, multiply the parent tree :
Nor fears the gard'ner oft, the fmallefl fhoot 35
To truil to earth ; fomc afk not for a root.
Nay from cleft olive-trunks with age decay'd
New fibres fhoot, and fprings a wond'rous fliade.
£ven different kinds a mutual change alTume,
And Hill improv'd, v/ith alien foliage bloom; 40
By pear-trees are ingrafted apples borne.
And ftony corncils blufhing plums adorn.
Search then, ye farmers, with fagacious mijid.
How beft to manage every various kind.
With culture civilize your favage trees, 45
Nor let your lands lie dead in flothful eafe. »•
What joy the grapes on Ifmarus to crop.
And clothe with olives huge Taburnus' top f
that feem totally dead in the trunk, and yet have very flourilh-
ing yoang heads. The lame is olteii as lurprizing in old wil-
lows ; of which I have feen feveral (a. d particularly fonie in
the garden iliand in St. James's Park) which fend down a tap-
root from their heads through the crunk, that often fcems in-
tirely decayed ; and fo foiin a young tree on an o!d flock,
which looks as flourifning as the other does rotten. Spi-. nce.
47. Ifmarus.'\ Ifcarus is a mountain in Thrace ; Taburnus
an Campania, famous for olives.
Vol. I. R
242 P. ViRGiLii Maronis Georgica. Lib. 2.
Tuque ades, inceptumque una decurre laborem,
O decus, 6 famae merito pars maxima noftrae, 40
Maecenas ; pelagoque volans da vela patenti.
Non ego cun£la meis ampledti verfibus opto :
Non, mihi fi linguae centum Tint, oraque centum,
Ferrea vox. ades, et primi lege litoris oram.
In manibus terrae. non hie te carmine fidto, 45
Atque per ambages et longa exorfa tenebo.
Sponte fua quae fe tollunt in luminis oras,
Infecunda quidem, fed lacta et fortia furgunt :
Quippe folo Natura fubeft. tamen haec quoque fi quis
Inferat, aut fcrobibus mandet mutata fuba6lis, 5©
Exuerint filveftrcm ahimum : cultuque frequenti.
In quafcumque voces artis, baud tarda fequentur.
Nee non et, llcrilis quae ftirpibus exit ab imis.
Hoc fiiciet, vacuos fi fit digeila per agros :
Nunc altae frondcs, et rami matris opacant, 55
Crefcentique adimunt foetus, uruntque ferentem.
Jam, quae feminibus jadlis fe fuftulit, arbos
Tarda venit, feris fadtura nepotibus umbram :
51. Z?5 thou, Maecenas.l If I miilake not, no patron was ever
fo £nely commended as Maecenas is in this work. Indeed all
Virgil fays to him, or of him, is as follows, viz. In the firft
book, Virwil names him in the fecond line. In the fecond •
book, he begs him to afliU him in his undertaking, and de-
clares he owes the greateft pp.rt of his reputation to him. In
the third book, he mentions the difficulty of the taCc Maecenas
had put him upon, and again begs his afTillance. In the
fourth book, he defires him to look favourably upon that piece,
and addrefles it more particularly to him, than he had done
any of the former. 'Tis true there is no great eclat in all
this, but the compliment to Maecenas lies here. Virgil under-
took a very necefTary work for the fervice of his prince, and
Jiis country. He declares it was Maecenas put him upon
it. He Ibund the work very difliciilt, but Itill Maecenas
perfuades him to perfift in it ; and by his patronage, and his
gencrohty, enabled him to go through with it ; fo that the
whole, all tncjullicc that is done to Augullus's charafter, all j
the fervice that work could do his country, was owing to Mae- j
cenas. This was complimenting him in the lineft manner. He |
was 1
1
Book 2, The Georgics of Virgil. 243
Hafte then, my better part of fame, my pride,
Do thou my courfe at once aflift and guide ; 50
Do thou, Maecenas, fhare with me the gale.
And o'er expanded feas unfurl the fwelling fail.
Nor foars my thought ambitious to rehearfe
All nature's wonders, in my fhorter verfe;
A tafk like this, would afk an hundred tongues, 55
An hundred mouths, and iron-armed lungs.
Still will we keep the friendly fhore at hand.
Nor dare to launch too boldly from the land :
Nor will I tire thine ear with fables vain.
With long preambles and fuperfluous ftrain. 60
The trees, whofe fliades fpontaneous pierce the fkies,
Tho' barren, beautiful and vig'rous rife;
For nature works beneath : but if thy toil
Graft, or tranfplant them in a gentler foil.
Their genius wild, where-e'er thou lead'ft the way, 65
Of difcipline fequaceous, will obey :
So will the fprouts that from the roots arofe.
If plac'd amid the plain, in order'd rov/s : '
For elfe the mother's overfhadowing top.
Or blafls the fruit, or checks the promis'd crop. 70
All trees from feed advance by flow degrees.
And for a future race their fliades increafe ;
was fpeaking of a minlfler. The cliarafler he gives him Is that
of a perfon, who employs his power and fortune in counte-
nancing one that could be of ufs to his mafter, and the public.
Here the poet makes a graceful figure, whilft he fhe.vs his gra-
titude by owning his obligations, and at the fame time that he
makes his court to his patron, he makes his patron's court to
his prince. Eexson.
59. Fables '■vain.'] He points at the truth, and the dignity,
and the utility of his fubjeft, exalting it above lubjecls of mere
fiction, and Grecian tales.
61. The trees.] The poet had before mentioned the three
ways by which wild trees are produced. ^ — Here he follows the
fame method, and Ihews by what culture each fort may ba
meliorated. Martyn.
R 2
244 -P* VirCilii Maronis Georgica. Lib. 2.
Pomaque degenerant fuccos oblita priores :
Et turpis avibus praedam fert uva racemos. 60
Scilicet omnibus eft labor inpendendus, et omnes
Cogendae in fulcum, ac multa mercede domandae.
Sed truncis oleae melius, propagine vites,
Refpondent, folido Paphiae de robore myrtus.
Plantis edurae coruli nafcuntur, et ingens 65
Fraxinus, Herculeaeque arbps umbrofa coronae.
80. But quite full-grcnvn.'] A curious diflertallon on the fub-
jeft of thefe verfes by Mr. Holdfworth was publiihed not long
ago, of whom I have heard many able judges declare, that he
underftood Virgil better than any man living. In my humble
opinion, fays he/ after the general conclufion of planting out.
Scilicet omnibus ejl labor impendendus, y omnes
Cogeudce injulcum, ac multa mercede dovianda,
and the fliort remark added, that fome trees thrive beft, not by
the ordinary way of planting, but by layers and truncheons,
Sed truncis oleae melius ^ If^c,
Virgil proceeds next to another fort of planting, ftill more dif-
ficult ; and tells us, that not only young plants and trunche-
ons may be removed, but even grown trees. This is methodi-
faJ, and confident with what preceded, the tranfition eafy, and
the climax juft. Vy''e continue Hill in the plantation, but we
are led into a part we had feen nothing of before, a grove of
fome confiderable growth, newly planted. And therefore we
may obferve, all the epithets and decorations, ufed here to eiX'
liven the fubjeft, are fi^ited to trees of an advanced age,
Plantis edurae coryli, l^c.
By this interpretation i,t muft appear already, that the epithet
ardua, which is a difficulty with Dr. Martyn, becomes pbin
and eafy : and indeed it was fo far from embarrafiing me, tliat
it helped to explain what went before. We advance farther
in the plantation, and are fhewn, that even the palm too (an
exotic) may be tranfpla.nted when tall, or, in poetic language,
be born a tree ; and fo likewife the fir, when grown fit for a
mafh
We may very reafonably imagine, that in Virgil's time, that
age of luxury, the great men of Rome tranfplanted tall trees
from woods and nurferies, as is frequently done with us, into
rhcir walks and gardens. Maecenas, to whom this book is de-
dicated.
t
Book 2. The Georgics of Virgil. 245
Fruits of the richeft iuice in time decay.
And birds amid degenerate vineyard^; prey ;
All, all, muft feel the force of toil intenfe, 7^
Be to the trench confin'd, and tam'd with large expence.
With beft fuccefs, from truncheons olives fpring ;
Layers of the vine the faireft cluilers bring ;
From fets will bloOm the myrtle, plant of love ;
But quite full-grown tranfplant the hazle grove ; So
Alh too, tho' tall, and that fair tree whofe boughs
Bear the broad crown that binds Alcides' brows,
dicated, had a garden, we know, on the Efquiline hill, cele-
brated by Horace and others ; and 'tis not improbable, that
in order to bring it fooner to perfcclion, this might be prac-
tis'd there, perhaps juil at the time when Virgil was vvritino-
this Georgic. If fo. how arcfally does the poet here iniinuate,
with his ulual addrefs, a compliment to his patron r I only hint
this as a conjefture ; but am more inclin'd to believe, that
fomething of the wildernefs part of a garden is intended, by
the palm being placed among the others ; which, tho' a fruit-
tree in its own country, yet is not improperly put here in the
company of foreft-trees, becaufe it did not bear fruit, nor was
counted' a fruit-tree at that time in Italy ; as Pliny informs us
lib. iii. c. 4. and therefore could be planted only, as the others
might, for beauty and ornament to gardens.
Whether Virgil had any fuch view or not, there can, at leaft
be no doubt bat that removing tall trees was prafiis'd am.ong
the PvOraans. We find by Pliny, that the comm.oa method of
making their arhujia, or plantations for fupporting vines, was
ty planting out elms, when about five years old, or about
twenty foot high : lib. xvii. c. ii. And the fir, mention'd
above, which Piiny tells us had fo deep a root, muft certainly
have been a tall tree, and yet, he fays, was removed. As to
the palm, tho' it did not arrive to fuch perfection in Italy, as to
bear fruit, yet we find it was common there ; and a tree which
not only would bear removing, but thrive the better for it.
And to put this m.atter about removing tall trees beyond dif-
pute, Virgil himfelf confirms it in another place, and makes
his Corycius Senex put it in pradice, Georg. iv. 144, &c.
Ille etlam /eras in 'verfum dijiulit ulmos,
Ediiramquc pirum, t^ /pines jam prima fercntss y
"Jamque minijirantem platanum potantibus umbras,
'Tis true, moft of the commentators and tranllators feem not to
have rightly aporehended the meaning of this pafTage, as Dr.
R 3 Martyn
246 P- ViRGiLii Maronis Georgica. Lib. 1.
Chaonlique patris glandes : etiam ardua palma
Nafcitur, et cafus abies vifura marinos.
Inferitur vero ex foetu nucis arbutus horrida ;
Et fteriles platani malos geflere valentis, 70
Caftaneas fagus, ornufque incanuit albo
Flore piri, glandemque fues fregere fub ulmis.
Nee modus inferere, atque oculos inponere fimplex.
Nam qua fe medio trudunt de cortice gemmae,
Et tenuis rumpunt tunicas : anguftus in ipfp 75
Fit nodo finus : hue aliena ex arbore germen
Includunt, udoque docent inolefcere libro.
Aut rurfum enodes trunci refecantur, et alte
Finditur in folidum cuneis via : deinde feraces
Piantae inmittuntur, nee longum tempus, et ingens 8{
Exiit ad caelum ramis felicibus arbos,
Miraturque novas frondes, et non fua poma.
Praeterea genus baud unum, nee fortibus ulmis.
Nee falici, lotoque, neque Idaeis cypariflis :
Nee pingues unam in faciem nafcuntur olivae, 85
Orchades, et radii, et amara paufia bacca,
Martyn obferves, and thereby have loll much of its fpirlt. But
fince he has render'd it juflly, and given it its full force, I
doubt not, but when he compares the expreffions of both paf-
fages together, he will more eafily agree to my interpretation ;
and will be furpriz'd, as indeed I am, how it before efcap'd
him. With regard to the verfes following in the original,
Inferitur ^ero ex foetu nucis arhutus horrida \
Et fier lies platani malos geffere 'valentis,
C aft aneas fagus, ornujque incanuit albo
Flore piri f glandcjnque fues fregere fub ulmis,
Mr. Holdfworth obferves, that Virgil had before fpoken of
grafting in the common method, from ver. 32 to 34.
Et faepe alterius ramos impune -videmui
Vertere in alterius, mutatamque infita mala
Ferre pirum, et prunis lapidoja rubejcere corna-
As he there grafts only kernel fruit on kernel, and Hone on
Hone, he fliews plainly that he underllood what was the com-
mon method, and conforms to it, Again, f.oin ver. 49 to 5 j.
3 under
}
Book 2. The Georgics of Virgil. 247
Jove's oak, or palm high-v/aving o'er the fteep.
And fir now fit to tempt the dang'rous deep.
On th' horrid arbute graft the walnut's fpray, 85
Or bid with apples barren planes look gay :
Oft has the beech improv'd, the chefnut bore.
The wild afh ftood with pear-tree bloflbms hoar.
And fwine beneath the elm have crack'd the mafty ftore.
The fwains v/ho graft, employ a different art go
From rhofe, who to the bark a bud impart :
For thro' the rind where burfts the tender gem,
Faft by the knot they wound the taper ftem.
Then in the flit an alien bud confin'd.
They teach to knit congenial with the rind ; 05
Or thro' the polifh'd trunk they v/edge their way.
And in the chafm infert a lufty fpray j
Ere long to heaven the foaring branches fhoot.
And wonder at their height, and more than native fruit.
Befides, of fturdy elms a different kind, lOO
Of willows, and the watery lote, we find.
Th' Idean cyprefs various looks affumes.
In numerous forms the lufcious olive blooms :
Nor Orchite's nor the Radius' kind is one,
Nor Paufia's by their bitter berries knov/n ; X05
under the articles of improvements, he obferves, that chance-
plants, which are naturally wild, raay be civilized by grafting,
as crabs, floes, or wild plums, &c.
Tamen haec quoqiie Jt quis
Infer at, aut fcrcbibus mandet mutata fubaSliSj
Exuerint fylvejlretn animum.
Having thus fufficiently mentioned this praftice, and there be-
ing no neceflity to repeat it as he endeavours to be as concife
as poflible ; he proceeds in the next place to tell us, that trees
of different kinds may likewife be grafted on each other. And
as he had before fliewed, in the four preceding verfes, what art
could do in tranfplanting tall trees ; he advances here to flievv
what may likewife be done by the help of art in grafting, viz.
that any fcion may be ingrafted on any flock. All th* tranf-
lators have miflaken this paflage : and I am indebted ro Mr.
Koidfworth for his clearing it up.
R4
248 p. ViRGiLii MAr.oN'is Geokgica. Lib. 2.
Pomaque, et Alcinoi filvae : nee furculus idem
Cruitumiis, Syriifque piris, gravibufque volemis.
Non cadcm arboribus pcndct vindcmia noftris,
Qiiam Methymnaeo caipit de pal mite Lefbos. go
Sunt Thafiae vitcs, funt et Marcotides albae :
Pinguibus hae teiris habiles, levioribus iliac,
Et paflb Pfythia utilicr, tenuiuiue Lageos,
Tentatura pedes olim, vin£liiraque linguam,
Purpurcac, preciaeque. et quo te carmine dicam, 95
Rhaetica ? nee cellis ideo contcnde Falernis.
Sunt ctiam Ammineae vitcs firmifiima vina,
Tmoliiis adfurgit quibus, et rex ipfe Phanacus,
Argitifquc minor : cui non certaverit uUa,
Aut tantum fiuere, aut totidem. durarc per annos. lOD
Non ego te, Dis et menfis acecpta feeundis,
Tranfierim, Rhodia, et tumidis, bumafte, racemls.
Sed neque quam multae fpeeies, nee nomina quae fmt.
Eft numerus ; neque enim numero coaprcndere rcfert :
Qiiem qui fcire vclit, Libyci velit aequoris idem 105
Difcere quam multae zephyro turbcntur arenae :
Aut, ubi navigiis violentior incidit eurus,
Nofie quot lonii veniant ad litora fluiStus.
Nee vcro tcrrae ferre omnes om.nia pofiunt.
Fluminibus falices, cralTifque paluJibus alni iio
Nafcunlur : ftcriles faxofis m.ontibus orni.
Litora myrtetis laetifiima. dcnique apertos
Bacehus amat collis : aquilcncm et frigora taxi.
114. Pfyihi.i.'\ Pajfiun is a wine made from raifins, or dried
grapes, common botii in Italy and the fouch of France. But
tJie grapes are only hung up to dry, and not fqueezed into
barreJi like our common raiuns,
126. LibaiioHs.'\ Among the Romans the f.rfl courfe con-
fined of fisfh, and the fecond of fruit, at which they poured
out wifle to oiTer to the pods, called a Libation.
Arbuthnot on Coins.
127. Flumpejl.'\ Eumafius is the very large red fort of
grapes, txiat they give you fo perpetually in their deferts ia
9 Italy :
1
Book 2. The Georgics OF Virgil. 149
In feveral hues to fliine the apple loves j
How many fpecies deck Alcinous' groves ^
What vaft varieties each orchard bears.
In fyrian, bergamot, and pounder pears ?
Nor the fame grape Hefperia's vintage fill?, IIO
Which Lefbos gathers from Methymnia's hills.
Of Thafian vines, and Mareotic white.
One loves a fatten'd foil, and one a light ;
Beu are the Pfythian when by Phoebus dry'd ; 114
Thin is Lageos' penetrating tide, [^''y'^ >
By which the faultering tongue, and ftaggering feet are
Purple there are, and grapes v/hich early fpring.
But in what ilrains thee, Rhaetic, fhall I fmg ?
Yet dare not thou with Falern juice conteft !
Amminean wines for body are the bcft ; - 120
To thefe, ev'n Tmolus bends his clufter'd brows.
And, king of vine-clad hills, Phanaeus bows j
By thefe is Argos' leffer grape furpaft,
Tho' fam'd fo much to flow, fo long to laft.
Nor thine, O Rhodes, I pafs, whofe ftreams afford 125
Libations to the Gods, and crown the board :
Nor thee, Bumadus, grape of plumpeft fize ;
But can my fong each various race comprife ?
He that cou'd each rehearfe, the fands might count.
That from the Libyan wafte in whirling eddies mount :
Or tell the billows as they heat the fhores, 131
When all th' Ionian fea with raging Boreas roars.
Nor every race will thrive in every ground :
Willows along the river-banks abound ;
While adders bud in v/tt and weeping plains, 135
The wild afh on the ridgy mountain reigns :
Myrtles the fliore, the baleful eugh approves
Bleak blafts, and Bacchus funny fummits loves.
Italy : and particularly at Florence. It has its name from its
Ihape, each grape being like the teat of a cow; Varro half la-
tinifes the Vk'ord, where he calls it bumamma. Holdsvvorth.
250 ?• ViRGiLii Maronis Georgica. Lib. 2.
Afpice et extremis domitum cultoribus orbem,
Eoafque domos Arabum, pidlofque Gelonos. 115
Divifae arboribus patriae, fola India nigrum
Fert ebenum : folis eft turea virga Sabaeis,
Quid tibi odorato referam fudantia ligno
Balfamaque, et baccas femper frondentis acanthi ?
Quid nemora Aethiopum molli canentia lana ? 120
Velleraque ut foliis depedunt tenuia Seres ?
Aut quos Oceano propior gerit India lucos,
Extremi finus orbis ? ubi aera vincere fummum
Arboris baud ullae jaftu potuere fagittae.
Et gens ilia quidem fumtis non tarda pharetris. 12?
Media fert triftis fuccos, tardumque faporem
Felicis mali ; quo non praefentius ullum,
Pocula fi quando faevae infecere novercae,
Mifcueruntque herbas et non innoxia verba,
Auxilium venit, ac membris agit atra venena. i90
Ipfa ingens arbos, faciemque fimillima lauroj
Et, fi non alium late ja£taret odorem,
Laurus erat. folia baud ullis labentia ventis :
Flos ad prima tenax. animas et olcntia Medi
Ora fovent illo, et fenibus medicantur anhelis.
Sed neque Medorum filvae ditiflima terra.
Nee pulcher Ganges, atque auro turbidus Hermus,
135
154. Median fields. "] Virgil here gives a very high charadler
of this tree, both for its beauty and ufefiilnefs : I take it that
he means orange-trees, which were brought firft into Italy from
Media in his time. As the orange- tree was not yet generally
known in Italy, he defcribes it by its likenefs to a tree, well
known there, the laurel-tree. The leaves, fays he, refemble the
leaves of that; but have a finer and more difFufed fmell, and
it is almoft always beautify'd with flowers. Pliny (Nat. Hift.
lib. xii. c. 3.) calls the orange-tree malus Medica, and his ac-
count of it agrees extremely with this in Virgil.
HOLDSWORTH.
166. Medians groves.] We are now come to his moil beauti-
ful praifes of Italy ; nor is it eafy to determine which is greateft,
the poet's (kill, or the patriot's love of his country. He glances
at Gieect with Tome ironical farcafl^.^, in i'everal parts of this
paflage J
Book 2. The Georgics of Virgil. 251
Th' extreme of cultivated lands furvey,
The painted Scythians, and the realms of day; I40
All trees allotted keep their feveral coafts,
India alone the fable ebon boafts ;
Sabaea bears the branch of frankincenfe.
And fhall I fing, how teeming trees difpenfe
Rich fragrant balms in many a trickling tear, 145
With foft Acanthus' berries, never fear ?
From Aethiop w^oods, where woolly leaves increafe.
Hew Syrians comb the vegetable fleece ?
Or fhall I tell how India hangs her woods,
Bound of this earth, o'er Ocean's unknown floods? 150
Where to fuch height the trees gigantic grow,
That far they leave the founding fhaft below,
Tho' fkiil'd the natives are to bend the bow.
The Median fields rich citron fruits produce,
Tho' harfh the tafte, and clammy be the juice ; 155
Bleft antidote ! which, when in evil hour
The ftep-dame mixes herbs of poifonous power.
And crov/ns the bowl v/ith many a mutter'd fpell,
Will from the veins the direful draught expell.
Large is the trunk, and laurel-like its frame, j6o
And 'twere a laurel, were its fcent the fame.
Its lafting leaf each roaring blaft defies.
Tenacious of the ftem its flourets rife :
Hence a more wholefome breath the Medes receive.
And of pale fires the lab'ring lungs relieve. 165
But neither Media's groves, her teeming mold.
Fair Ganges' flood, nor Plermus thick with gold j
paffage; particularly he feems to laugh at feme of their abfurd
Itories: in thefe lines,
Haec loca 7ion tauri fpirantes naribus ignem
In'vertere, fatis inmanis dentibus hydri,
he alludes to the famous Itory of Jafon. Mr. Thomfon has
finely imitated thefe praifes of Italy in his Seafons, where he
celebrates Great Britain. See his Saramer.
25^ p. ViRGiLii MAnoms Georgica. Lib. 2.
Laudibus Italiae certent : non Baftra, neqtie Indi,
Totaque turiferis Panchaia pinguis arenis.
Haec loca non tauri fpirantes naribus ignem 14»
Invertere, fatis inmanis dentibus hydri ;
Nee galeis, denfifque virdm feges hcrruit haftis :
Bed gravidae fruges, et Bacchi Mafilcus humor
Inplevere : tenent oleae armentaque laeta.
Hinc bellator equus catiapo {e{z arduus infert : 145
Hinc albi, Clitumne, greges, et maxuma taurus
ViiSlima, faepe tuo pertufi flumine facro,
Romanes ad templa deum duxere triumphos.
Hie ver adfiduum, atque alienis menfibus aeftas :
Bis gravidae pecudes, bis pomis utilis arbos. js%
At rabidae tigres abfunt, et faeva leonum
Semiiia: nee miferos fallunt aconita legentis ;
Nee rapit jnmcnfos orbis per humum, neque tanto
Squameus in fpiram traftu fe conligit anguis.
Adde tot egregias urbis, operumque laborem, 151
Tot congefta manu praeruptis oppida faxis j
Fluminaque antiques fubterlabentia muros.
An mare, quod fupra, memorem, quodque adluit infra,
181. Cliiumnus.] Now called Cliiumno; it rifes a Utile belowJ
the village of Campello in Ombria. The inhabitants near this'
river lliil retain a notion, that its waters are attended with a
fupernatural property, imagining that it makes the cattle white
that drink of it ; a quality for which it is likewife celebrated by
many of the Latin poets. See Melmoth's Pliny, p. 455.
196. With loivns — cliJJ's.'\ Among other inftances of the hap.
pinefs of Italy, Virgil mentions its having fo many towns built
on craggy rocks and hills. There were more formerly, and are
feveral llill. In the road foom Rome to Naples, you fee no lefs
than four in one view, from the hill on which Piperno now
ftands ; reckoning that for one of them. Thefe were very
ufeful, of old, for defence, among fuch a fighting race of
people: and are fo ftill for their coolnefs, in fo hot a climate,
that they are generally forced to drive their flocks of flieep up
upon the mountains for the fummer feafon, as they ufually
feed them in the (heltercd plains by the fea-fide in the winter.
HoLDiwoRTH and Spence.
198. Ocean.'] Italy Is wafl^cd on the north fide by the Adri-
atic fea, or gulph of Venice^ which is callsd tnave fupcrumt or
the
Book 2. The Georgics op Virgil. 253
Nor all the ftores Panchaia's glebe expands.
Where fpices overflow the fragrant fands ;
Nor Badrian, nor Arabian fields can vie 170
With the bleft fcenes of beauteous Ital/.
Bulls breathing fire her furrows ne'er have known.
Ne'er with the dreadful dragon's teeth were fown.
Whence fprung an iron crop, an armed train.
With helm and fpear embattell'd on the pL.nu 175
But plenteous corn fhe boafts, and gen'rous v.'ine.
The lufcious olive, and the joyful kine.
Hence o'er the plain the warrior-fteed elate.
Prances with portly pace in martial ftate ;
Hence fnowy flocks wafh'd in thy facred ftream, iZo
Clitumnus, and of victims the fupreme
The mighty bull, have led, thro' fhouting trains,
Rome's pompous triumphs to the lofty fanes.
The fields here fpring's perpetual beauties crown.
Here fummer fhines in feafons not her own. 185
Tvv'ice teem the cattle each revolving year,
And twice the trees their blufhing burthen bear.
Nor here the tygrefs rears her rav'nous breed.
Far hence is the fell lion's favage feed ;
Nor wretched fimplers fpecious weeds invite, 1^0
For wholefome herbs, to crop pale aconite :
Nor fcaly fnakes in fuch vad volumes glide.
Nor on a train fo thick, and fplres fo lofty ride.
Add too around what far-fam'd cities rife.
What ftateiy works of daedal artifice ! 195
With tow'red towns here craggy cliflfs are crown'd.
Here rivers roll old mofs-grov/n ramparts round.
And fhall my fong her tvvc-fold ocean boaft,
That pours its riches forth on either coaft ?
the upper fea ; and on the fouth fide by the Tyrrhene or Tufcan
fea, s-,\i\z\i\% c?Mt^7r.ars inferum, or the lower fea. The La-
rius is a great lake at the foot of the A^ps in the Milanefe,
now called, Lago di Como. The Benacas is another great lake
ia
254 P* ViRGlLII MaRONIS GeORGICA. Lib. 7.4
An ne lacus tantos ? te, Lari maxime^ teque,
Fludlibus et fremitu adfurgens, Benace, marino ? i6o
An memorem portus, Lucrinoque addita clauftra :
Atque indignatum magnis ftridoribus aequor,
Julia qua ponto longe fonat unda refufo,
Xyrrhenufque fretis inmittitur aeftus Avernis ?
Haec eadem argenti rivos, aerifque metalla 165
Oftendit venis, atque auro plurima fluxit.
Haec genus acre virum Marfos, pubemque Sabellam,
Adfuetumque malo Ligurem, Volfcofque verutos
Extulit : haec Decios, Marios, magnofque Caraillos :
Scipiadas duros bello : et te, maxime Caefar : 170
Qiii nunc extremis Afiae jam victor in oris
Inbellem avertis Romanis arcibus Indum.
Salve, magna parens frugum, Saturnia tellus ;
Magna virum : tibi res antiquae laudis et artis
Ingredior, fandlos aufus recludere fontis, 175
Afcraeumqiie cano Romana per oppida carmen.
Nunc locus arvorum ingeniis : quae robora cuique,
Quis color, et quae fit rebus natura ferendis.
Difficiles primum terrae, collefque maligni.
Tenuis ubi argilla, et dumofis calculus arvis, 180
Palladia gaudent filva vivacis olivae.
in the Veronefe, now called Lago di Garda', out of which flows
the Mincius, on the banks of which our poet was born. Lu-
crinus and Avernus are two lakes of Campania ; the form., cf
which was almoft wholly deftroyed by an earthquake, Lrt ..fC
latter is ftill remaining, and now called Lago d' Anjerno.
214. The Scipios.'\ The elder Scipio delivered his country
from the invafion of Hannibal, by transferring the war into
Africa ; where he fubdued the Carthaginians, impofed a tri-
bute upon them, and took hoftages. Hence he had the fur-
name of Africanus, and the honour of a triumph. The younger
Scipio triumphed for the conclufion of the third Punic war,
by the total dcflruftion of Carthage. Hence they were called
the thunderbolts of war — duo fid mi na belli Scibiadas. Aen. 6.
Virgil borrows the expreffion, from Lucretius, Scipiades belli
fitlmen.
218. Ml hail.'] The conclufion of Pliny's Natural Hiftory
bears a very near rcfeir.blanLC to this pafiaee, and is very beau-
tiful.
Book 2. The Georgics of Virgil. 255
Her fpacious lakes ; firft mighty Larius, thee ? 20©
And thee, Benacus, roaring like a fea ?
Her ports and harbours, and the Lucrine mounds,
From which the beating main indignant bounds 3
Where Julius' flood of bonds impatient raves,
And calm Avernus' ftreights confine the Tufcan waves ?
Her fields with brafs and filver veins have glow'd, 206
Her pregnant rocks with gold abundant flow'd.
She birth to many a race, in battle brave.
The Marfian, and the Sabine foldier, gave.
Her's are Liguria's fons, untaught to yield, 210
And her's the Volfci, fkill'd the fpear to wield ;
The Decian hence, and Marian heroes came.
Hence fprung thy line, Camillus, mighty name :
Hence rofe the Scipios, undifmay'd in fight,
And thou, great Caefar, whofe vi6lorious might, 215
From Rome's high walls, on Afia's utmoft plains,
Aw'd into peace fierce India's rage reftrains.
All hail, Saturnian foil ! hail, parent great
Of fruits and mighty men ! my lays repeat
For thee this argument of ancient art, 220
Thefe ufeful toils, rever'd of old, impart ;
For thee, I dare unlock the facred fpring.
And thro' the Roman ftreets Afcrean numbers fing.
Next, of each various foil the genius hear !
Its colour, ftrength, what befl difpos'd to bear. 225
Th' unfriendly cliffs, and unprolific ground.
Where clay jejune, and the cold flint abound,-
Where buflies overfpread the ftubborn field.
Will beft th' unfading grove of Pallas yield :
tiful. £rgo in toto orbe et quacunque coeli con-jex'ttas 'vergit,
pulcherrima eji omnium, rebufque merito principatum ohtinens,
Italia, reilrix parenfque mundi altera \ -uirisy fceminis, ducibus,
militibus, fer-vitiis, artium praejiantia, ingeniorum claritatibus,
jam Jit u ac falubritate coeli atcue temperie, acceJJ'u cundcrum gentium
facili, littoribus portuojts, benigno --uentoritm ajjlatu. The whole
pafiage is worth the reader's perufal.
256 p. ViRGiLii Maronis Georgica. Lib. 2.
Indicio eft, tradiu furgens oleafter eodem
Plurimus, et ftrati baccis filveftribus agri.
At quae pinguis humus, dulcique uligine laeta,
Quique frequens herbis et fertilis ubere campus, 185
Qualem faepe cava mentis convalle folemus
Difpicere : hue fummis liquuntur rupibus amnes,
Felicemque trahunt limum : quique editus Auftro,
Et filicem curvis invifam pafcit aratris :
Hie tibi praevalidas olim multoque fluentes 19O
Sufficiet baccho vitis : hie fertilis uvae.
Hie laticis, qualem pateris libamus et auro,
Inflayit cum pinguis ebur Tj'rrhenus ad aras,
Laneibus et pandis fumantia reddimus exta.
Sin armenta magis ftudium vitulofque tueri, 195
Aut foetus ovium, aut urentis culta capellas :
Saltus, et f^turi petito longinqua Tarenti,
Et qualem infelix amifit Mantua campum,
Pafcentem niveos herbofo flumine cycnos.
Non liquidi gregibus fontcs, non grarnina deerunt ; 200
Et quantum longis carpent armenta diebus,
Exigua tantum gelidus ros no«5le reponet.
Nigra fere, et prefTo pinguis fub vomere terra,
Et cui putre folum, (namque hoc imitamur arando)
Optuma frumentis. non ullo ex aequore cernes 205
Plura domum tardis decedere plauftra juvencis :
Aut unde iratus filvam devexit arator,
Et nemora evertit muitos ignava per annos,
Antiquafque domos avium cum ftirpibus imis
Eruit : illae altum nidis petiere reliclis. 2l<
}
Book 2. The Georgics of Virgil. 25;
Here the wild olive woods luxuriant fhoot, 230
And all the plains are ftrewn with fylvan fruit.
But the rich foil with genial force endu'd,
All green with grafs, with moifture fweet bedew'd,
Such as we oft furvey from cavern'd hills,
Whence many a ftream defcends in dripping rills, 235
And with rich ooze the fatt'ning valley fills;
Or that which feels the balmy fouthern air.
And feeds the fern unfriendly to the fhare ;
Ere long will vines of luftieft growth produce,
And big with bounteous Bacchus' choiceft juice, 24O
Will give the grape, in folemn facrifice,
Whofe purple ftream the golden goblet dies ;
When the fat Tufcan's horn has call'd the god,
And the full chargers bend beneath the fmoking load.
But bullocks would you rear, and herds of cows, 245
Or fheep, or goats that crop the budding boughs ;
Seek rich Tarentum's plains, a diftant coaft.
And fields like thofe my lucklefs Mantua loft j
His filver-pinion'd fwans where Mincio feeds,
As flow they fail among the wat'ry weeds. 25O
There for thy flocks frefli fountains never fail.
Undying verdure cloaths the grafly vale ;
And what is crop'd by day, the night renews.
Shedding refrefhful ftores of cooling dews.
A fable mold and fat beneath the fliare, 255
That crumbles to the touch, of texture rare,
And (what our art effects) by nature loofc.
Will the beft growth of foodful gain produce :
And from no field, beneath pale evening's ftar 259
With heavier harvefts fraught, returns the nodding car.
Or elfe the plain, from which the ploughman's rage
Has fell'd the foreft, hoar through many an age.
And tore the tall trees from their ancient bafe.
Long the dark covert of the feathery race ;
Vol. I. S
258 p. ViRGiLii Maronis Georgica. Lib. 2»
At rudis enituit inpulfo vomere campus.
Nam jejuna quidem clivofi glarea ruris
Vix humilis apibus cafias roremque miniftrat :
Et tophus fcaber, et nigris exefa chclydris
Creta, negant alios aeque ferpentibus agros 215
Dulcem ferre cibum, et curvas praebere latebras*
Quae tenuem exhalat nebulam, fumofque volucris ;
Et bibit humorem, et, cum volt, ex fe ipfa remittit*
Quaeque fuo Temper viridi fe gramine veflit.
Nee fcabie et falfa laedit robigine ferrum j 220
Ilia tibi laetis intexet vitibus ulmos :
Ilia ferax oleo eft : illam experiere colendo,
Et facilem pecori, et paticntem vomeris unci,
Talem dives arat Capua, et vicina Vefevo
Ora jugo, et vacuis Clanius non aequus Accrrls. 225
Nunc, quo quamque modo pofTis cognofccre, dicam.
Rara fit, an fupra morcm fi denfa, requiras ;
Altera frumentis quoniam favet, altera baccho ;
Denfa magis cereri, rariflima quaeque lyaeo :
Ante locum capies oculis, alteque jubebis 23O
In folido puteum demitti, cmncmque rcpones
Rurfus humum, et pedibus fummas aequabis arenas.
Si dcerunt, rarum pecorique et vitibus almis
Aptius uber erit. fin in.fua pofle negabunt
272. Rcrctnque mlnifiratJl Ros does not in this place fignify
ifeiv, as Dryden traiiflatcs it, but rofcmary. Virgil fays that
the dry hungry foil (now under coiifideration) is of fo bar-
ren a nature, that not even thofe common plants, cafia and
rofemary, will grow in it. Dr. Martyn lias proved the cafia
here mentioned not to be the celebrated aromatic cafia, but a
very vulgar herb. Perhaps the epithet hmniUs, in this place,
ought to be coiiltrued mePM or i>ijlg7uficant, rather than loiu of
gron.vtlj.
288. Dcfife.'] B^rja fignifies fiich a foil, as will not eafily ad-
mit the rain, is eafily crack'd and ape to gape, and fo lei: in
the fun to the root of the vines, and in a manner to firangle
the young plants. This therefore mr.ll be a hard or flifF foil ;
rara, lets the fhowers quite through, and is apt to be dry'd up
with the fun. Therefore this hiuit be a loofe foil. See Dr.
Martyn,
Book. 2. The Georgics of Virgil. 259
Banifli'd their bow'rs, abroad they mount in air, 265
While fliines the recent glebe beneath the fhare.
For the lean gravel of the floping field,
And mould'ring ftones, where fnakes their manfions build.
Where in dark windings filthy reptiles breed,
And find fweet food their lurking young to feed ; 270
To bees ungenial, fcarcely will fupply
Their cafia-flow'rs, and dewy rofemary.
In that bleft ground, which from its opening chinks.
At will, a fteam.ing mift emits, or drinks ;
Which blooms -svith native grafs for ever fair, 275
Nor blunts with eating ruft the Aiding fhare.
Round thy tall elms the joyous vines fhall weave j
And floods of lufcious oil thy olives give ;
This, with due culture, thou fhalt furely find
Obedient to thy plough, and to thy cattle kind. 280
Such fertile lands rich Capua's peafants till.
And fuch the foil beneath Vefevus' hill ;
And that, where o'er Acerrae's proftrate tow'rs
Clanius his fwelling tide too fiercely pours.
Rules to knov/ different foils I next difpenfe ; 285
How to diftinguifh from the rare the denfe.
This befl for vines, that golden grain approves,
Ceres, the denfe ; the rare Lyaeus loves.
Firft chcofe a fpot that's for the purpofe fit.
Then dig the folld earth; and fink a pit; 200
Next, to its bed th' eie<Si:ed foil reftore.
And prefs v/ith trampling feet the furface o'er ;
If the mold fail, 'tis light ; that foil inclines
To fatten herds, and fwell thy clufter'd vines.
Mnrtyn, Vv-ho grounds this interpretation on Julius Graecmus,
as he is quoted by Colamella.
289. Choofe?^ It is extremely difficult to make this experiinent,
which is told with great dignity in the Latin, read gracetu.ly
and agreeably in a tranflation, particularly the animated ex-
preffions, negabur.t ire Isca, et /upsrabit terra.
S 2
26o p. ViRGiLii Maronis Georgica. Lib. 2.
Ire loca, et fcrobibus fuperabit terra repletis, 235
Spiffus ager : glebas cun<ftantis craflaque terga
Exfpe6ta, et validis terram profcinde juvencis.
Salfa autem tellus, et quae perhibetur amara,
Frugibus infelix (ea nee manfuefcit arando.
Nee baccho genus, aut pomis fua nomina fervat) 240
Tale dabit fpecimen. tu fpiflb vimine qualos,
Colaque praelorum fumofis deripe teftis.
Hue ager ille malus, dulcefque a fontibus undae
Ad plenum calcentur. aqua elu£tabitur omnis
Scilicet, et grandes ibunt per vimina guttae. 245
At fapor indicium faciet manifeftus, et ora
Triftia tentantum fenfu torquebit amaror.
Pinguis item quae fit tellus, hoc denique padio
Difcimus. baud limquam manibus jaftata fatifcit,
Sed picis in morem ad digitos lentefcit habendo. 25«
Humida majores alit herbas, ipfaque jufto
Laetlor. ah nanium ne fit mihi fcrtilis ilia,
Neu fe praevalidam primis oftendat ariftis !
Quae gravis eft, ipfo tacitam fe ponderc prodit;
Quaeque levis. promptum eft oculis praedifcere nigram,
Et quis cui color, at fceleratum exquirere frigus 256
Difficile eft : piceae tantum, taxique nocentes
Interdum, aut ederac pandunt veftigia nigrae.
His animadverfis, terram multo ante memento
Excoquere, et magnos fcrobibus concidere mentis, 269
Ante fupinatas aquiloni oftendere glebas,
Quam laetum infodias vitis genus, optima putri
Arva folo : id vcnti curant, gclidaeque pruinac,
Et labefada movens robuftus jugera foffbr.
309. Bitter.'] Amaror is in the ftyle of Lucretius, and the
true reading ; though many read amaro, making it agree with
fenfu. Servius.
311. It fticks.\ Ad digitos lentefcit habendo, cannoc Itartle a
delicate ear fo much as mult the tranflation of that expreffion
from
1
Book 2. The Georcics of Virgil. 261
But o'er the pit replenifh'd, if the ground 295
Still rife, and in fuperfluous heaps abound.
O'er the thick glebe let fturdy bullocks toil.
Cleave the compared clods and fluggifh foil.
But earth that's bitter, or with fait imbu'd.
Too wild for culture, for the plough too rude, 300
Where apples boaft no more their purple hues.
And drooping Bacchus yields degen'rate juice.
May thus be known : Of twigs a bafket twine
Like that from whence is ftrain'd the recent wine ;
This with the foil and cryftal water fill, 305
Then fqueeze the mafs, while thro' the twigs diftil
The big round drops in many a trickling rill ;
Soon fhall its nature from its tafte appear.
And the wry mouth the bitter juice declare.
We learn from hence a fat and vifcid land ; 31»
It fticks like pitch uncrumbled to the hand ;
The moifter mold a rank luxuriance feeds.
Of lengthen'd grafs, and tall promifcuous weeds }
O may be mine no over-fertile plain,
That fhoots too ftrongly forth its early grain ! 315
The light and heavy in the balance try.
The black and other colours ftrike the eye ;
Not fo the cold ; lo ! there dark ivy fpreads.
Or yews on pitch-trees lift their gloomy heads.
Thefe rules obferv'd, expofe the clods to dry, 320
Bak'd and concodcd by the northern (ky.
Trench deep, and turn the foil, before ye place
The tender vines, a joy-difFufmg race j
Fat molds grow mellow by the delver's pains,
Bv fannino- winds and frofts, and cooling rains. 325
from the fingle circumftance, of a vulgar idea being quite con-
cealed in any dead language.
J.62 p. ViRGiLii Maronis Georgica. Lib. 2.
At fi quos hand ulla viros vigilantia fugit ; 265
Ante locum fmiilem exquirunt, ubi prima paretur
Arboribus feges, et quo mox digefta feratur,
Mutatam igncrent fubito ne femina matrem.
Qiiin etiam caeli regionem in cortice fignant :
Ut, quo quaeque modo fteterit, qua parte calores 270
Auftrinos tulerit, quae terga obverterit axi,
Reflituant. adeo in teneris confuefcere multum eft.
Collibus, an piano melius fit ponere vitem,
Qiiaere prius. fi pinguis agros metabere campi,
Denfa fere : in denfo non fegnior ubere bacchus. 275
Sin, tumiilis adclive folum collifque fupinos,
InduKe ordinibus : nee fecius omnis in unguem
Arboribus pofitis fecto via limite quadret.
Ut faepe ingenti bello cum longa cohortis
Explicuit legio, et campo fletit agmen aperto, 280
Dire£laeque acies, ac late fiu£luat omnis
Acre renidenti tcilus, ncc dum horrida mifcent
327.] Columella fays the trenches fhould be dug a year be-
forehand. Mr. Hcldfworth ul'ed to fay, that Columella's trea-
tife on huibdndry was by much the belt comment on Virgil's
Gecrgics, that he knew of. Spence.
327. T'VJo foils-l Having explained the feveral forts of foil,
fiiv s Martyn, he proceeds to give fome inftrudtions concerning
the pluming of vinci, ; and fpcaks of the trenches to be made
to receive the plants out of the nurfery ; of taking care that
tlie nurfery and the vineyard's Ihould have a like foil, and that
the plants Ihould be fct wxch the fame afped which they had in
the nurfery.
346. Js in juji r/7"Js.^ Virgil, fays Dr. Martyn, does not
mean the form of a ^incunx m this defcrJption, but that you
fhould plant your vines in a fquare in the following order ;
*****
*****
* * -^ * »
■^ tS tIc ^ TF
*****
As Virgil compares the difpofrion of the trees in a vineyard^
to an army drawn up in battle ^rray, 'tis evident that he muft'
mean tius figure. The Romans ufually allowed three foot
10 fquarc
Book 2. The Georcics of Virgil. 263
But hinds of greater diligence r.r.d care.
Two foils, of genius fimilar prepare,
Left the fond offspring its chang'd mother mourn,
And genial lap whence fuddenly 'tis torn :
Thus plants from infancy to ftrength arrive, 330
And in a kindred foil, tranfplanted thrive.
Eefides their former fite they nicely mark.
With fharpen'd knife upon the yielding bark ;
And place them as before they flood inclin'd
To the hot fouth, or bluftering northern wind : 335
Such is the ftrength of cuftom, fuch appears
The force of habits gain'd in tender years.
Confider, firft, if beft the vine will grow
On the high hill, or in the valley low.
If on rich plains extends thy level ground, ' 340
Thick fet thy plants, and Bacchus will abound j
If on a gentle hill or iloping bank.
In meafur'd fquares exa6f: your vineyards rank ;
Each narrow path and equal opening place.
To front, and anfwer to the crofling fpace. 345
As in juft ranks, and many an order'd band,
On (ome vaft plain the Roman legions ftand.
Before the fhouting fquadrons battle join.
And earth reflects the dazzling armour's fhine,
fquare for every common foldier to manage his arms, that Is,
fix foot between each, which is a proper diftance for the vines
in Italy, according to Columella, who fays the rows fhould
rot be wider than ten feet, nor nearer than four.
349. Jad earth reflcSls.'] uiere renidcnti tcllus, fays the ori-
ginal. This expreilion is borrowed from Lucretius's acre
renidefcit tellus. Beth thefe poets feem to have had Euripides
in their eye ;
iCCTCi^ecXxo)! ccTTX»
Ui^iov «rgaTTTsi. Phaenifs. ver. no.
The fhining beauties of the cluflers of the vines (fays Dr.
Martyn) is finely reprefented by the fplendor of the brazen
arms. I beg for once to difTent from this learned gentleman,
and to oblerve, that this part of the comparifon feems too
min\ite, and too much like an Italian conceit, for Virgil to have
the ugh t of.
S 4
264 p. ViRGiLii Maronis Georgica. Lib. 2.
Proelia, fed dubius mediis Mars errat in armis.
Omnia fint paribus numeris dimenfa viarum :
Non animum modo uti pafcat profpedus inancm : 285
Sed quia non aliter vires dabit omnibus aequas
Terra, neque in vacuum poterunt fe extendere rami.
Forfitan et fcrobibus quae fint failigia quaerag.
Aufim vel tenui vitcm committere fulco.
Altior ac terrae penitus defigitur arbos, 290
Aefculus in primis : quae quantum vertice ad auras
Aetherias, tantum radice in Tartara tendit.
Ergo non hicmes illam, non flabra, neque imbres
Convellunt. inmota manet, multofque nepotes,
Multa virum volvens durando faecula vincit. 295
Turn fortis late ramos ct brachia tendens
Hue illuc, media ipfa ingentem fuftinet umbram.
Neve tibi ad folem vergant vineta cadentem :
Neve inter vites corulum fere : neve flagella
Summa pete, aut fumma deftringe ex arbore plantas :
(Tantus amor terrae) neu ferro laede retufo 301
Semina, neve oleae filveftris infere truncos.
Nam faepe incautis paftoribus excidit ignis.
Qui furtim pingui primum fub cortice tedus
Robora conprendit, frondefque elabfus in altas 305
Ingentem cacio fonitum dedit. inde fecutus
Per ramos victor, perque alta cacumina rco-nat,
Et totum involvit flammis nemus, et ruit atram
Ad caelum picea craflus caligine nubem :
Praefertim fi tempeftas a vertice filvis 310
Jncubuit, glomeratquc ferens inccndia ventus-
350. Mars fternly.'\ This is theonly fimilein all thij Georgic ;
the reaibn of which feems to be, that metaphors and fhort de-
fcriptions, which are fo frequent in every part of thio Georgic,
arc of the fame nature and ufe in poetry, a? fimiles. Bensok.
370. To the ^j:cji declir.e,^ 'Tis worth obferving chat the poet
has brought together here, more precepts than in any part of
all the Georgics ; but it is likewife remarkable, that he has
placed them \Qry artfully betwixt that £ne paifiige juft men-
tioned, and another equally beautiful. Benson.
Book 2. The Georgics of Virgil. 265
Mars fternly ftalks each equal front betwixt, 350
Nor yet the fate of either hoft is fixt :
Ev'n thus, your vines difpos'd at diftance due,
Not only ftrike with joy the gazer's view.
But earth more equal nutriment fupplies.
The plants find fpace to fpread, and vigorous rife, 35^
Perhaps the depth of trenches you'll demand j
The vine I dare to plant in fhallow land;
But foreft-trees that rear their branches higher,
A deeper mold, and wider room require :
Chief the tall Aefculus, that tow'rs above 360
Each humbler tree, the monarch of the grove ;
High as his head (hoots lofty to the fkies.
So deep his root in hell's foundation lies ;
While ftorms and wintry blafts and driving rain
Beat fiercely on his ftately top in vain ; 365
Unhurt, unmov'd, he Hands in hoary ftate.
For many an age beyond frail mortals' date.
This way and that, his vaft arms widely fpread.
He in the midft fupports the thick-furrounding fhade.
Nor let thy vineyards to the weft decline j 370
Nor hazles plant amid the joyous vine j
No fcions pluck a-top, but near the roots ;
Nor wound with blunted fteel the red'ning fhoots j
Nor let wild olives (noxious plants !) be found
Nigh to thofe fpots where lufcious grapes abound*. 375
For oft from heedlefs fliepherds falls a fpark.
Which lurking firft beneath the undluous bark.
Seizes the folid tree ; with dreadful roar
The flames thro' catching leaves and branches (bar.
Swift thro' the crackling wood triumphant fly, 380
And hurl the pitchy clouds into the darken'd fky.
But moft they ravage, if the roaring wind
With doubled rage fliould rife, with fire combin'd ;
376. Falls a /park.'] This fine defcription of a fire raging
among the vines and their iupporters, judicioufly relieves the
drynefs of the Didadic lines preceding.
266 p. ViRGiLii Maronis Georgica. Lib. 2.
Hoc ubi ; non a flirpe valent, caefaeque reverti
Poflunt, atque ima fimiles revirefcere terra :
Infelix fuperat foliis oleafter amaris.
Nee tibi tarn prudens quifquam perfuadeat au£lor, 315
Tellurem Borea rigidam fpirante moveri.
JRura gelu turn claudit hiems : nee fcmine ja6lo
Coneretam patitur radicem adfigere terrae.
Optima vinetis fatio, cum vera rubenti
Candida venit avis longis invifa colubris : 320
Prima vcl auclumni fub frigora, cum rapidus Sol
Nondum hiemcm contingit equis. jam praeterit aeflas,
Ver adeo frondi nemorum, ver utile filvis :
Vere tument terrae, et genitalia femina pofeunt.
Turn pater omnipotens fecundis imbribus Aether 325
Conjugis in gremium laetae defcendit, ct omnes
Magnus alit, magno conmixtus corpore, foetus.
Avia turn refonant avibus virgulta canoris, >■
Et venerem certis repetunt armenta diebus :
Parturit almus ager, Zephyrique tepentibus auris 330
Laxant arva fmus. fuperat tener omnibus humor j
In que novos foles audent fe germina tuto
Credere : nee metuit furgentis pampinus Auftros,
Aut aftum eaelo magnis Aquilonibus imbrem :
Sed trudit gemmas, et frondis explicat omnis. 335
Non alios prima crefcentis origine mundi
Inluxifle dies, aliumve habuiffe tenorem
Crediderim. ver illud erat : ver magnus agebat
Orbis, et hibernis parcebant fiatibus Euri :
.394. Infpring.'] There are few pafTages in the Georgics more
charming than this defcription of fpring. He ftrives hard to
excel Lucretius, but I am afraid it cannot be faid that he has
done it. The conjugis in gremiutn is evidently taken from
In gremium mctris terra'i praecipitavit.
And the following lines of the fame writer, to whom Virgil
Book 2. The Georgics of Virgil. 267
No vines, hereafter, fow'd, or prun'd, will thrive j
The bitter-Ieav'd v/ild olives fole furvive. 385
Let none perfuade to plant, in winter hoar,
When rigid Boreas' fpirit blufters frore ;
Winter the pores of earth fo clofely binds.
No paffage the too tender fibre finds ;
Plant bell the vines, in bhifliing fpring's freih bloom, 390
When the white bird, the dread of fnakes, is come :
Or in cool autumn, when the fummer's paft,
Ere Phoebus' fteeds to the cold tropic hafte.
In fpring, in blufhing fpring, the woods refume
Their leafy honours, and their fragrant bloom ; 395
Earth fwells with moifture all her teeming lands,
A genial fruftifying feed demands ;
Almighty Jove defcends, more full of life.
On the warm bofom of his kindling wife ;
The birds with mufic fill the pathlefs groves,- 40O
Stung by defire the beafts renew their loves ;
The buried grain appears, the fields unbind
Their pregnant bofoms to the wcftern wind j
The fpringing grafs to truft this feafon dares ;
No tender vine the gathering tempefts fears, 405
By the black north or roaring Aufter roU'd,
But fpreads her leaves, and bids her gems unfold.
Such were the days, the feafon was the fame.
When firft arofe this world's all-beauteous frame j
The fky was cloudlefs, balmy was the air, 410
And fpring's mild infiuence made young nature fair :
is indeed infinitely obliged, are very fine ; lie is likewife fpeak-
ing of the genial influence of the fpring :
Hinc laetas urbes pueris fiorere indemus,
Frondiferafque ncvis wvibus carter e undique Jylvas,
Hinc fejjae pecucies pingues per pabula laeta
Corpora deponunt, et candens ladeus humor
TJberibus rnanat dijlentis ; hinc ncva proles
Artibus injirmis teneras la/ci-va per herbas
Ludit lade mere, mentes percuffa novellas.
404. The afcribing boldnefs and fear to trees is highly poetical.
I
i68 P. ViRGiLii Maronis Georgica. Lib. 2.
Cum primae lucem pecudes haufere, virumque 340
Ferrea progenies duris caput extulit arvis,
Inmifiaeque ferae filvis, et fidera caelo.
Nee res hunc tenerae poflent perferre laborem.
Si non tanta quies iret frigufque caloremque
Inter, et exciperet caeli indulgentia terras. 945
Quod fupereft, quaecumque premes virgulta per agros.
Sparge fimo pingui, et multa memor occule terra :
Aut lapidem bibulum, aut fqualentis infode conchas.
Inter enim labentur aquae, tenuifque fubibit
Halitus, atque animos tollent fata, jamque reperti, 350
Qiii faxo fuper, atque ingentis pondere teftae
Urguerent : hoc cffufos munimen ad imbris :
Hoc, ubi hiulca fiti findit Canis aeftifer arva.
Seminibus pofitis, fupereft dedticere terram
Saepius ad capita, et duros jadare bidentis : 355
Aut preflb exercere folum fub vomere, et ipfa
Fie6lere ludlantis inter vineta juvencos. *
Turn levis calamos, et rafae haftilia virgae,
Fraxineafque aptare fudes, furcafque bicornis :
Viribus eniti quarum, et contcmnere ventos 360
Adfuefcant, fummafque fequi tabulata per ulmos»
Ac, dum prima novis adolcfcit frondibus actas,
Parcendum teneris : et dum fe laetus ad auras
415. S/ars.] This feems to be oddly put together at firft
fight. The forells were ftock'd with beafts, and the heavens
with conftellations. It was not fo in thofe times, when the
conftellations were generally confidercd as real animals, and
many of them as men, but moft of them as beafts. The pro-
logue to Plautus's Rudens is fpoken by Ardurus, as one of
the Dramatis Perfonae. Sp E N c E .
422. Pebbles hide.'\ Mr. Evelyn mentions the placing pot-
fherds, pebbles, or flints near the root of the fteni ; but then
he adds, remember you remove them after a competent time,
elfe the vermin, fnails, and infefts, which they produce and
fhelter, will gnaw and greatly injure their bark ; and therefore
to lay a coat of moill rotten litter with a little earth upon it,
will preferve it moill in fummer, and warm in winter, enrich-
ing the fliov.ers and dews that Ilrain thro' it.
EvjiLViN of Foreft Trees,
Book 2. The Georoics OF Virgil. 269
When cattle firft o'er new-born mountains fpread.
And man, an iron race, uprear'd his hardy head :
V/hen beafts thro' pathlefs brakes began to prowl.
And glittering ftars thro' heav'n's blue concave roll. 415
Nor could this infant world fuftain th' extremes
Of piercing winter, and hot Sirius' beams,
Did not kind Heav'n, the fierce excefs between.
Bid gentler fpring's foft feafon intervene.
Now, when you bend the layers to the ground, 420
Caft fatt'ning dung and copious mold around ;
Or near the roots rough fhells and pebbles hide.
Thro' which the foftering rains may gently glide;
Thro' which may fubtle vapours penetrate.
And to large growth the tendrils inftigate. 425
There are, with weights of ftone who prefs the roots.
Bed fafeguard to the plants, and future fruits,
Botji in immoderate (bowers, or fummer's heat.
When Sirius' beams on the parcht vineyard beat.
About the roots oft turn the neighb'ring foil, 43»
And urge the drag and hough with frequent toil ;
Or introduce thy plough's unwieldy load,
And 'twixt thy vines the ftruggling bullocks goad.
Then the fmooth cane, the forky afh prepare,
Auxiliar pole, and ftrong fupporting fpear ; 435
Affifted thus, the lufty plants defpife
The fhattering whirlwinds, and the ftormy flcies,
A^nd to the tall elm's top by juft gradations rife.
The new-born buds, the tender foliage fpare;
The (hoots that vigorous dart into the air, 440
5>
}
436. AJJifted t&us.] The word tahnlata in the original fig-
tiifies the branches of elms extended at proper diftances to fuf-
tain the vines.
440. Dart into t&e air.] The original fays, laxis per purum
immiffus habenis : this expiellion is doubtlefs extremely bold
and ftrong, but the poet had the authority of his mafter Lu=
«retius.
Crefctndi magnum immijis certamtn hahtnis.
i.'id v. ViRGiLii Maronis Georgicaj Lib. i,
Palmes agit, laxis per purum inmiffus habenis,
Ipfa acies nondum falcis tentanda, fed uncis 36*
Carpendae manibus frondes, interque legendae.-
Inde ubi jam validis amplexae ftirpibus ulmos
Exierint, turn ftringe comas, tum brachia tonde*
Ante reformidant ferrum ; tum denique dura
Exerce imperia, et ramos conpefce fluentis. 370
Texendae fepes etiam, et pecus omne tenendum :
■Praecipue dum frons tenera inprudenfque laborum :
Cui, fuper indignas hiemes folemque potentem,
Silveftres uri aflidue capreaeque fequaces
Inludunt : pafcuntur oves avidaeque juvencae. 375
Frigora nee tantum cana concreta pruina,
Aut gravis incumbens fcopulis arentibus aeftus.
Quantum illi nocuere greges, durique venenum
Dentis, et admorfo fignata in ftirpe cicatrix.
Non aliam ob cuipam Baccho caper omnibus aris 380
Caeditur, et veteres ineunt profcenia ludi :
Praemiaque ingeniis pagos et compita circum
rhefidae pofuere, atque inter pocula laeti
A4ollibus in pratis unftos faliere per utres.
Nee non Aufonii^ Troja gens miflaj coloni 385
Vcrfibus incomtis ludunt, rifuquc foluto ;
Oraque corticibus fumunt horrenda cavatis :
Et te, Bacche, vocant per carmina laeta, tibique
Ofcilla ex alta fufpendunt mollia pinu.
460. Hence on the lofty Ji age.'] The antient theatre was a
femicircular building, appropriated to the afting of plays, the
name being derived from ^ixiuui to behold. It was divided
into the following parts. i. The porticus, fcalae, fedllia ;
the rows oi fedilia, or feats, were called cunet, becaufe they
v/ere formed like wedges, growing narrower, as they came
nearer the center of the theatre ; and thefe were all difpofed
about the circumference of the theatre. 2. The orcheftra, fo
called from oap^eis-ea» to dance : it was the inner part, or center
of the theatre, and the lowell of all, and hollow, whence the
whole open fpace of the theatre was called cavea. Here fat
the fcnators, and here were the dancers and mufic. 3. The
profceniiim, which was a place drawn from one horn of the
heatre
Book 2. The Georgics OF Virgil* 27X"
DiTdaining bonds, all free, and full of life,
O dare not wound too foon with ftiarpen'd knife !
Infert your bending fingers, gently cull
The roving fhoots, and red'ning branches pull :
But when they clafp their elms with ftrong embrace, 445
Lop the luxuriant boughs, a lawlefs race ;
Ere this, they dread the ileel j now, now, reclaim
The flowing branches, the bold wand'rers tame.
Guard, too, from cattle thy new-planted ground.
And infant-vines that ill can bear a wound : 45O
For not alone by v/inter's chilling froft.
Or fummer's fcorching beam the young are loft ;
But the wild buffaloes and greedy cows,
And goats and fportive kids the branches browze ;
Not piercing colds, nor Sirius' beams that beat 455
On the parcht hills, and fplit their tops with heat.
So deeply injure, as the nibbling flocks.
That wound with venom'd teeth the tender, fearful flocks»
Hence is the goat on Bacchus' altar laid.
Hence on the lofty ftage are fables play'd. 460
Th' Athenians firft to rival wits decreed,
In ftreets and villages the poet's meed ;
The feaft with mirth and foaming goblets kept.
And on the goat-ftcin bladders rudely leapt.
Nor lefs th' Aufonian fv/ains deriv'd from Troy, 465
Sport in rough numbers and unwieldy joy ; ,
Their hollow vizards fcoop from barks of trees.
And (lain their ghaftly mafks with purple lees i
Bacchus, on thee they call, in hymns divine.
And hang thy ftatues on the lofty pine ; 47O
theatre to the other, between the orcheftra and the fcene, be-
ing higher than the orcheftra, and lower than the fcene :
here the comic and tragic a£lors fpoke and afled upon an ele-
vated place, which was called x.h& pulpitum, or ftage. 4. The
fcene was tlie oppofite part to the audience, decorated with
picLurcs and columns, and originally with trees, to ftiade the
aftors, when they performed in the open air. 5. Profceniumf
or part behind the fcenes. Ru a e us.
27* P- ViRGiLii Maronis Georgica. Lib. 2-
Hinc omnis largo pubefcit vinea foetu : 350
Conplentur vallefque cavae faltufque profundi,
Et quocumque Deus circum caput egit honeftum»
Ergo rite fuos Baccho dicemus honores
Carminibus patriis, lancefque et liba feremus ;
Et du6lus cornu ftabit facer hircus ad aram, 395
Pinguiaque in verubus torquebimus exta colurnis.
Eft etiam ille labor curandis vitibus alter :
Cui numquam exhaufti fatis eft. namque omne quotannis
Terque quaterque folum fcindendum, glebaque verfis
Aeternum frangcnda bidentibus : ornne levandum 400
Fronde nemus. redit agricolis labor actus in orbem,
Atque in fe fua per veftigia volvitur annus.
Ac jam olim feras pofuit cum vinea frondis,
Frigidus et filvis Aquilo decuffit honorem j
Jam turn acer curas venientem extendit in annum 405
Rufticus, et curvo Saturni dente relidam
Perfequitur vitem adtondens, fingltque putando.
Primus humum fodito, primus devedla cremate
Sarmenta, et vallos primus fub teila referto :
Poftremus metito. bis vitibus ingruit umbra : 41a
Bis fegetem denfis obducunt fentibus herbae.
Durus uterque labor, laudato ingentia rura :
Exiguum colito. nee non etiam afpera rufci
Vimina per filvam, et ripis fluvialis arundo
Caeditur, incultique exercet cura falidti. 415
Jam vin6lae vites : jam falcem arbufta reponunt :
Jam canit effoetus extremos vinitor antes.
473. I'he God.] Virgil fpeaks of fome little heads of Bac-
chus, which the countrymen of old hung up on trees, that the
face might turn every way ; out of a notion that the regard»
of this god gave felicity to their vineyards : and Ovid men-
tions Bacchus's turning his face towards him, as a blefiing.
The former, in a pafTagc, which is not very eafy to be under-
ftood of itfelf ; and for the full underllanding of which, I
was obliged to a gem in the Great Duke's colleftion at Flo-
rence. Virgil on this occafion fays, that there is plenty where-
cver this god turns his beautiful face. Mr. Dryden, in his
jranflation of the words, feems to have borrowed his idea of
Bacchus
Book 2. Th£ Georgics OF ViRGlL. 273
Hence plenty every laughing vineyard fills.
Thro' the deep vallies and the Hoping hills ;
Where-e'er the God inclines his lovely face,
More lufcious' fruits the rich plantations grace.
Then let us Bacchus' praifes duly fing, 475
And confecrated cakes, and chargers bring ;.
Dragg'd by their horns let victim-goats expire.
And road on hazel fpits before the facred fire.
Another toil in dreiling vines remains.
Unconquerable ftill by ceafelefs pains j 480
Thrice and four times the foil, each rolling year.
The ponderous ploughs, and heavy drags muft bear ;
Leaves muft be thinn'd : ftill following in a ring
The months frefh labours to the peafants bring.
Ev'n when the tree its laft pale leaves hath fhed, 485
And Boreas ftript the honours of its head.
To the next year the careful farmers look.
And form the plant with Saturn's bending hook.
Dig thou the firft, and fhoots fuperfluous burn.
And homeward firft the vineyard's ftakes return ; 49O
But, unbetray'd by too impatient hafte.
To reap thy lufcious vintage be the laft.
Twice noxious weeds, twice ftiade, o'er-run the land,
Whofe rank increafe requires the pruner's hand.
To larger vineyards praife or wonder yield, 495
But cultivate a fmall and manageable field.
Nor fail to cut the broom and watery reed,
And the wild willow of the grafTy mead.
The vines now ty'd with many a ftrcngthening band,
No more the culture of the knife demand. 500
Glad for his labour paft and long emiploy.
At the laft rank the drefler fings for joy !
Bacchus from the vulgar reprefentations of him on our %n-
pofts, and fo calls it, [in dovjnright Englijh'\ Bacchus' s honeji
face. Poly MET IS, page 130.
502. At the lajl ran^.] Mr. Benfon complains, that he
could not find that the word antes in the original, was ufed
Vol. I. T h/
274 P* ViRGiLii Maronis Georgica. Lib. 2.
Sollicitanda tamen tellus, pulvifque movendus,
Et jam maturis metueiidus Juppiter uvis.
Contra, non ulla eft oleis cultura : neque illae 420 "
Procurvam exfpedlant falcem raftrofque tenaces.
Cum femel haeferunt arvis, aurafque tulerunt.
Ipfa fatis tellus, cum dente recluditur unco,
Sufficit humorem, et gravidas cum vomere fruges.
Hoc pinguem et placitam Paci nutritor olivam. 425
Poma quoque, ut primum truncos fenfere valentis,
Et viris habuere iuas, ad fidera raptim
Vi propria nituntur, opifque baud indiga noftrae.
Nee minus interea foetu nemus omne gravefcit,
Sanguineifque inculta rubent aviaria baccis. 43«
Tondentur cytifi, taedas filva alta miniftrat,
Pafcunturque ignes nofturni, ac lamina fundunt.
Et dubitant homines ferere, atque inpendere curam ?
Quid majora fequar ? falices, humilefque geneftae,
Aut illae pecori frondem, aut paftoribus umbras, 435
Sufficiunt : fepemque fatis, et pabula melli.
Et juvat undantem buxo fpe6tare Cytorum,
Naryciaeque picis lucos : juvat arva videre,
Non raftris hominum, non ulli obnoxia curae.
by any other Reman writer, and fays, that he did not know
what to make of it. Ic undoubtedly fignifies ranks or files, and
is a metaphor taken from the army. For Caio de Re Militari,
fays, pedites quatuor agminihus, equites duohus antibus duces.
505. But happier oii-z-es.] We are now come to a new fcenC.
Hitherto Virgil has expatiated on the vine ; but now he enters
on a very ditferent fubjeCl. He has fhewn what endlefs labour
the vine requires, and the uncertainty of the produft at iail.
Now, fays he, quite contrary to the vine, the olive requires no
labour at all, after it is once well fettled in the ground. All
you n£ed do, is to plough the foil about them, and you may
be fure of a crop of olives.
After olives, he gees on to fruit trees ; and all the trouble
that belongs co th<rm is nothing but ingrafting. Then he pro-
ceeds to the wild iorcll fruits, which require no manner of la-
bour ; afterwards to the cytlfus, wi.'ows, fuizc, box, and
other phnts ; and laiUy, he declarer ilie uiefuineffi of old de-
cayed tree^»
Thu»
Book 2. The Georgics of Virgil. 275
Yet ftill muft he fubdue, ftlll turn the mold,
And his ripe grapes ftill fear Jove's piercing cold.
But happier olives afk nor pains nor care, 505
When rooted once, they mounc into the air.
Nor harrow's teeth, nor arched knives demand,
But felf-fuftain'd, alone, and vigorous, ftand.
If crooked teeth juft make her furface loofe.
The earth alone the plants fupplies with juice j 510
But if more deep thy ploughs unlock the foil.
From the large berries burft rich floods of oil :
to
Then ne'er to raife the fruitful olive ceafe.
The plant of Pallas, and the pledge of peace.
And when th' engrafted apples feel their ftrength, 515
Their trunks they ftretch, and doubled is their length j
While fwift they dart into the lofty ficies,
Self-nourilh'd ftand, nor afk from man fupplies.
Nor lefs wild fruits in pathlefs forefts grow ;
And haunts of birds with bluftiing berries glow j 52©
The cytifus of foodful leaves is fliorn,
And prudence finds an ufe in ev'ry thorn.
The pitchy pines afford us heat and light.
To cheat the tedious gloom of wintry night.
And can the fwains ftill doubt, and ftill forbear, 525
To plant, to dig, and cultivate, with care ?
Why fmg I trees alone, that loftier rife ?
The lowly broom to cattle, browze fupplies ;
Willows to panting fliepherds fhade difpenfe.
To bees their honey, and to corn defence. 53^
What joy to fee Cytorus wave with box.
And pines nod aweful on Narycium's rocks !
Fields, that ne'er felt or rake or cleaving fiiare.
Wild above art, difdaining human cafe I
Thus he makes this work of univerfal concern. All lands
will not bear vines, or corn, of olives ; but every land v/ill
bear fomething or other, and by pointing cut the produce of
the feveral kinds of foil, he applies himfeli to all forts of coun-
T'v np.ovle. Benson.
T a.
276 p. ViRGiLii Maronis Georgica. Lib. 2.
Ipfae Caucafio fteriles in vertice filvae, 440
Quas animofi Euri affidue franguntque feruntque,
Dant alios aliae foetus : dant utile lignum
Navigiis pinus, domibus cedrumque cuprefTofque.
Hinc radios trivere rotis, hinc tympana plauftris
Agricolae, et pandas ratibus pofuere carinas. 445
Viminibus falices fecundae, frondibus ulmi :
At myrtus validis haftilibus, et bona bello
Cornus : Ituraeos taxi torquentur in arcus.
Nee tiliae leves aut torno rafile buxum
Non formam accipiunt, fcrroque cavantur acuto. 4.50
Nee non et torrentem undam levis innatat alnus,
Miffa Pado : nee non et apes examina condunt,
Corticibufque cavis vitiolaeque ilicis alvo.
Quid memorandum aeque Bacche'ia dona tulerunt ?
Bacchus et ad culpam cauiTas dedit. ille furentis 455
Centauros leto domuit, Rhoetumque, Pholumque,
Et magno Hylaeum Lapithis eratere minantem.
O Fortunatos nimium, fua fi bona norint,
Agricolas ! quibus ipfa, procul difcordibus armis,
Fundit humo facilem vicl:um juftiffima Tellus. 460
Si non ingentem foribus domus alta fuperbis
Mane falutantum totis vomit acdibus undam;
Nee varios inhiant pulchra teuudine poiles,
541. Elms, foodful leaves. '\ The ufe of the very leaves of
this tree, efpecially of the female, is not to be defpifed ; for be-
ing fufFered to dry in the fun upon the branches, and the
fpray Ibipped oft" about the decreafe in Augull (as alfo where
the fuckers and llolones are fupernumerary, and hinder the
thriving of their nurfes) they will prove a great relief to cattle
in winter, and fcorching fummers ; when hay and fodder is
dear, they will eat them before oats, and thrive exceedingly
well with them. Evelyn.
550. The fierce Centaurs.] This happened at the nuptials of
Pirithous, king of the Lapitha», where a Centaur, aided by his
brethren, attempted to ravifh his bride Hippodan i.
552. 'T'/jnce kappy fivains.] The following defc ption of the
plcafurcs of a country life is celebrated alniolt to a proverb; it
affords the highcll ideas of Virgil's uncorrupt mind, as well as
of
1
Book 2. The Georgics of Virgil. 277
Ev'n the rough woods on Caucafus fo bleak, 535
Which ever-roaring whirlwinds bend and break.
For (hipping pines afford, thrice ufeful trees,
For houfes, cedars and tall cyprefTes :
Hence peafants turn their fpokes ; hence orb their wheels.
Hence find for fwift-v/ing'd veffels crooked keels ; 540
Elms, foodful leaves ; and twigs, the willows bear;
Cornels and myrtles give the martial fpear :
The yew obedient to the bender's will.
Forms the ftrong bows with which the Parthians kill
Ana limes and polifh'd boxconfefs the carver's fkill :
Do- 1 Po's fwift torrents the light alders glide, 546
And bees in hollow oaks their honey hide.
What gifts like thefe can Bacchus' fruits beftow ?
To Bacchus crimes and contefts, mortals owe ;
He, the fierce Centaurs, Rhoetns, Pholus flew, 550
And Hyleus who enrag'd, a mafly goblet threw.
Thrice happy fwains ! whom genuine pleafures blefs.
If they but knew and felt their happinelr, !
From wars and difcord far, and public ftrife,
Earth with falubrious fruits fupports their life : 555
Tho' high-arch'd domes, tho' marble halls they want,
And columns cas'd in gold and elephant.
In aweful ranks where brazen ftatues ftand,
The polifh'd works of Grecia's fkilful hand ;
Nor dazzling palace view, whofe portals proud 560
Each morning vomit out the cringing crowd ;
of his poetry. He has afiembled here all the moft ftrlkinG: and
beautiful objefts of nature. No contraft was ever worked up
more ftrongly, than this between the city and country life.
553. Felt their happinefs.'\ Sua Ji bona norint, is a tender re-
proach to the Roma::', for their infenfibility of being delivered
a difcordibus armis, and reflored to the quiet enjoyment of their
polteflions. Benson.
556. Tho* high-arch* d domes. '\ Virgil hath fo evidently taken
the very tu.".and manner of expreflion in thefe lines from a
pafTage in h' 'mafler Lucretius, that I cannot forbear inferting
it ; and fhall leave the reader to judge which of the two is moft
beautiful.
T 3 5r
2yB P. ViRGitii Maronis Georgica. Lib. x.
Inlufafque auro veftis, Ephyreiaque aera ;
Alba neque Aflyrio fucatur lana veiieno, f 465
Nee cafia liquid! conriimpitur ufus olivi :
At fecura quies, et nefcia fallere vita.
Dives opum variarum ; at latis otia fundis,
Speluncae, vivique lacus ; at frigida Tempe,
Mugitufque bourn, mollefque fub arbore fomni 470
Non abi'unt. illic faltus ac luftra ferartim,
Et patiens operum, exiguoque adfueta juventus,
Sacra Deum, fandtique patres : extrema per illos
Juilitia excedens terris vefligja fecit.
lyie vero primum dulces ante omnia Mufae, 475
Qiiarum facra fero ingenti percuffus amore,
Accipiant ; caelique vias, et lidera monftrent :
Defeitus foils varies, lunaeque labores :
Unde tremor terris : qua vi maria alta tumefcant
Objicibus ruptis, rurfumque in fe ipfa refidant : 480
Quid tantum Oceano properent fe tinguere foles
Kiberni, vel quae tardis mora nodlibus obilet.
Sin, has nc poflim naturae accedere partes,
Frigidus obiliterit circum praecordia fanguis ;
Rura mihi et rigui placeant in vallibus amncs ; 485
Flumina amem filvafque inglorius. 6, ubi campi,
Sperclieofque, et virginibus bacch:ita Lacacnis
Si non aurea /unt jtivenum Jifnulacra per aedes,
Lampadas jgniferas manious reiinmlia dexirh,
j.uminn noclurnis epulis ut Juppe di tent ur ;
ISec domits argento fitlget, nuroque renidet :
Mtiavieri inter fe projirali in grarnine inoUi
Propter aquae rinjum, fub ramis arboris ultae,
Non magnis opibus jucundc corpora curant. B. Z- 24.
rSS. Me may the lonxh 'vales?^ Cowley obfcrves upon this
pailage, that the firll wiib of ^'irf^il was to be a good philo-
ioplicr ; the feccnd, a good huibandman ; and God, whom he
feernfd to underitand better than rnoltof the learned heathens,
dealt with him juil as he did with ijolomcn; hecaufe he prayed
for wiidom in the iirft place, he added all things elfe which
v.ere fubnrdinately to be defired. • He made him one of the
bell phiiofophers, and the beil huft»andmai> ; and to adorn
and communicate both th.ofe faculties, the bcft poet: he made
him befides all this a rich man, and a man who defired to be
rio richer. 6
Book 2. The Georgics of Virgil. 27^
Nor wear the tiflu'd garment's cumb'rous pride.
Nor feelc foft wool in Syrian purple dy'd.
Nor with fantaftic luxury defile
The native fweetnefs of the liquid oil ; 565
Yet calm content, fecure from guilty cares.
Yet home-felt pleafure, peace, and reil, are theirs ;
Leifure and eafe, in groves, and cooling vales.
Grottoes, and bubbling brooks, and darkfom dales j
The lowing oxen, and the bleating fheep, 570
And under branching trees delicious fleep !
There forefls, lawns, and haunts of beafts abound,
There youth is temperate, and laborious found ;
There altars and the righteous Gods are fear'd,
And aged fires by duteous fons rever'd. 5^5
There Juftice linger'd ere fhe fled mankind.
And left fome traces of her reign behind !
Take me, ye mufes, your devoted prieft,
Whofe charms with holy raptures fire my breaft !
Teach me the way.s_of Heav'n, the ftars to knov/ ; 580
The'radiaiTt fun and moon's eclipfes fhew;
V/hence trembles eartli, what force old Ocean fwells
To burfl his bounds, and backward what repells ;
Why vv-intry funs roll down with rapid flight,
And whence delay retards the lingering night. 585
But if my blood's cold llreams, that feebly flow,
Forbid my foul great nature's v/orks to know.
Me may the lowly vales, and woodlands pleafe.
And winding rivers, and inglorious eafe !
O that I wander'd by Sperchius' flood ! rgo
Or on Taygetus' facred top I flood !
590. Othat Ii\iander'd.'\ O, ubi campi, l£c. It cannot pofiibly
be the poet's enquiry where theie places are fituated, the' moll
of the traniiators take it fo ; but it is an ardent wilh to be
placed in fuch delightful retreats. Catrou, and the learned
M. Haec. biihop of Avranches, read O uhi Tempe, inllead of
cam£ty wiuch ia molt conliltent with the pafla^e.
28o p. ViRGiLii Maronis Georgica. Lib. 2.
Taygeta ; 6, qui me gelidis in vallibus Haemi
Siftat, et ingenti ramorum protegat umbra !
Felix, qui potuit rerum cognofcere cauflas : 400
Atque metus omnis et inexorabile fatum
Subjecit pedibus, ftrepitumque Acherontis avari !
Fortunatus et ille, deos qui novit agreftis,
Panaque, Silvanumque fenem, Nymphafque forores !
Ilium non populi fafces, non purpura regum . 495
Fiexit, et infidos agitans difcordia fratres j
Aut conjurato defcendens Dacus ab Hiftro :
Non res Romanae, perituraque regna. neque ille
Aut doluit miferans inopem, aut invidit habenti.
Qiios rami fru6lus, quos ipfa volentia rura 500
Sponte tulere fua, carpfit : nee ferrea jura,
Infanumque forum, aut populi tabularia vidit.
Sollicitant alii remis freta caeca, ruuntque
In ferrum ; penetrant aulas, et limina regum :
Hie petit excidiis urbem, mifsrofque penatis, 505
Ut gemma bibat, et Sarrano indormiat oftro.
Condit opes alius, defofibque incubat auro.
592. Haemus.] The very beft of the Roman poets copied fo
much after the Greeks, that they fometimes give us ideas of
things, that would be proper enough for a Greek, but found
quite improper from a Roman. Virgil's and Horace's inftanc-
ing Thrace, as fo very cold a country, is a flrong proof of this.
■ Thrace was full north of Greece, and fome of the Greeks
therefore might talk of the coldnefs of that country as ftrongly,
perhaps, as fome among us talk of tiie coldnefs of Scotland. 1 he
Roman writers fpeak jult in the fame llile of the coldnefs of
Th.'-ace, the' a confiderable part of Italy lay in as northern a
latitude, and fome of it even farther north than I'hrace.
Sfence.
594. Happy the man.'\ Thefe noble lines are undoubtedly a
compliment to Lucretius, to whofe poem Virgil is much in-
debted, and whofe fyftem mull lead him to dcfpife the fears
of death and hell : how llrongly and poetically is the latter
particular cxprefTed by the roaring (din or noife) of the infer-
nal river Acheron !
604. He nveeps no ivr£tcFs.'\ The meaning oi nee doluit mife-
rans inopcin is not, that he looks on diltrefs and mifery with a
7 lloical
Books. The Georgics OF Virgil. 281
Who, In cold Haemus' vales my limbs will lay,
And in the darkeft thicket hide from day ! -
Happy the man, whofe vigorous foul can pierce c^-^tM..^^.
Tht-o' the formation of this univerfe ! 595
Who nobly dares defpife, with foul fedate.
The din of Acheron, and vulgar fears, and fate.
And happy too, tho' humbler, is the man,
Who loves Sylvanus old, the Nymphs, and Pan :
Nor power, nor purple pomp his thoughts engage, 600
Nor courts and kings, nor faithlefs brothers' rage.
Nor falls of nations, nor affairs of Rome,
Nor Dacians leagu'd in arms, near rapid Ifter's foam :
^e weeps no wretch's pitiable ftate.
Nor looks with pining envy on the great : 605
The loaded trees, the willing fields afford
Unpurchas'd banquets for his temperate board ;
The noify people's rage he never faw.
Nor frauds and cruelties of iron law-
Some brave the tempefts of the roaring main, 610
Or rufh to dangers, toils, and blood for gain j ■ ^ i
Some ravage lands, or crowded cities burn, v
Nor heed how many helplefs widows mourn.
To fatiate mad ambition's wild defire.
To quaff in gems, or fleep on filks of Tyre : 615
This, to follicit fmiles of kings reforts.
Deep praclis'd in the dark cabals of_cpurts j
This, low in earth conceals his ill-got ftore,
Hov'ring and brooding on his ufelefs ore :
iloical apathy and IndiiFerence, but that there is no body la
the country (fo happy are they) to be pitied. Benson and
Trapp. But I fear this interpretation is groundlefs.
608. The I oify people s rage. '\ T\ie tahiilarium in the original
was the place where the publick records were kept at Rome.
, It was in the temple of Liberty. Catrou.
, 615. To quaff in gems.'] The Romans carried luxury fo far,
i as to procure large drinking cups made oi 07ie entire gem. See
, inftances of this kind in Pliny's Natural Hiftory. Pocula myr-
i rhina were common among them. Tyre was anciently called
; Sarra, hence Sarrano ojiro.
282 P. ViRGiLii Maronis Georgica. Lib. 2.
Hie ftupet adtonitus Roftris : hunc plaufus hiantem
Per cuneos (geminatus enim) plebifque patrumque
Conripuit : gaudent perfufi fanguine fratrum ; 51»
Exfilioque domos et dulcia limina mutant;
Atque alio patriam quaerunt fub fole jacentem.
Agricola incurvo terram dimovit aratro:
Hinc anni labor : hinc patriam parvofque penatis
Suitmet; hinc armenta bourn, meritofque juvcncos. 515
Nee requies, quin aut pomis exuberct annus,
Aut foetu pecorum, aut Cerealis mergite culmi :
Proventuque oneret fulcos, atque horrea vincat.
Venit hiems j teritur Sicyonia bacca trapetis,
Glandt: fues laeti redeunt, dant arbuta filvae : 52®
Et varios ponit foetus au£lumnus, pt alte
Mitis in apricis coquitur vindemiri faxis.
Interea dukes pendent circum ofcula gnati :
Cafta pudicitiam fervat domus. ubera vaccae
Ladtea demittunt, pmguefque in gramine laeto 525
Inter fe adverts luccantur cornibus haedf.
Ipfe dies agitat feftos ; fufufque per herbara.
Ignis ubi in medio, et focii cratera eoronant,
Te libans, Lenaee, vocat : pecorifque magiflris
Velocis jaculi certamina ponit in ulmo ; 53*
Corporaque agrcfli nudant praedura paleftrae.
Hanc olim veteres vitam coluere Sabini :
H:u>ci Rem.us, ct frater : Tie fortis Etruria erevit :
641. His infants.^ Pendent circum ofcula, hang about hir
kiffesy is an inirge moll poetical and well expreffed ; but
would not bear a literal tianilation. The pafTage in Lucre-
tius, from whom this is imitated, has an image lliil more
tender and natural. — He fays, — mc dukes occurrunt ofcula nati
fraeripere. which laft word, reprefenting the children run-
ning out to meet their father, and driving which fliall have
the}?r/? kifs is very beautiful.
652. The frugal Saiines.] To raife the praifes of the country
life ftill higher, he tens us, that this was the life their glorious
ancel>ors, and th^ firft founders of their city were fo fond of.
Firum bo7rum cum laudabant , ita laudabant bonum agricolem bo-
nuf/i colonum. A nplifjime laudari exiflimabatur qui ita laudaba-
tur» fays the vcneraDie old Cato.
Book ?- The Georgics of Virgil. 283
One doats with fondnefs on the roftrum's fame, 623
To gain the prize of eloquence, his aim :
The people's and patrician's loud applaufe.
To crowded theatres, another draws ;
Some {hed a brother's blood, and trembling run
To diftant lands, beneath another fun j 625
Condemn'd in hopelefs exile far to roam
From their fweet country, and their facred home.
The happier peafant yearly ploughs the plains.
His country hence, his houfhold hence fuftains j
His milky droves, his much-deferving fleers : 630
Each feafon brings him, in the circling years.
Or blufhing apples, or increafe of kine.
Or burfts his barns with Ceres' gifts divine.
Preft are his Sicion olives in the mills.
His fwine with fat'ning maft the foreft fills, 635
In winter wild : and yellow autumn crowns
With various fruits his farms and fmiling grounds.
While every rocky mountain's funny fide
The melting grapes with livid ripenefs hide.
He feels the father's and the hufoand's blifs, 64O
His infants climb, and flruggle for a kifs ;
His modeft houfe ftri<St chaftity maintains.
Nor breach of marriage-vows his nuptials ftains ^
Fat are the kine, with milk o'er-flow the pails.
His kids in fportive battles fkim the vales : 645
The jocund mafter keeps the folemn days.
To thee, great Bacchus, due libations pays ;
Around the chearful hearth unbends his foul.
And crowns amid his friends the flowing bowl ;
Diftributes prizes to the ftrong-nerv'd fwains, 65c
Who beft can dart or wreflle on the plains.
The frugal Sabines thus their acres till'd.
Thus Remus and his brother lov'd the field ;
2^4 P- ViRGiLii Maronis Georgica. Lib. 2.
Scilicet et rerum fadla eft pulcherrima Roma,
Septemque una Tibi muro circumdedit arces. 535
Ante etiam fceptrum Didlaei regis, et ante
Inpia quam caefis gens eft epulata juvencis.
Aureus hanc vitam in terris Saturnus agebat.
Necdum etiam audierant inflari claflica, necdum
Inpofitos duris crepitare incudibus enfes. 540
Sed nos inmenfum fpatiis confecimus aequor :
Et jam tempus equiim fpumantia folvere colla.
654. Tufcans.'\ He mentions Etruria in compliment to
Maecenas, who was defcended from the ancient kings of Tuf-
cany. Tyrrhena regum progenies , i^c. HoR.
660. Vfeful bullock's gore. '\ Varro informs us, that in ancient
times it was deemed a capital crime to kill an ox; Hie foetus
hominum in rujiico cpere, et Cereris minijler. Ab hoc, antiqui
fnanus ita abjlineri 'voluerunt, ut capite fanxerit, Jl quis oeeidiJJ'et.
I could not forbear quoting this paflage for its great humanity.
661. Old Saturn led.'\ An author, vvhofe elegance and clear-
nefs and chaftity of ftyle and thought approaches nearell to that
of Virgil, of any in the Auguftan age, and who deferves to be
more univerfally read than he is at prefent, thus defcribes the
reign of Saturn : a fubjeft which all the poets of that time have
touched on.
^uam bene Saturno 'vinjebant rege, priiifquam
'Tellus in longas eji patefaila -vias.
Nondum ctxruleas pinus contempferat undas,
EJfufum 'ventis prabueratque finum.
Nee njagus ignotis repetens compendia terris
PreJJerat externa na-vita merce ratem.
Illo non njalidus fubiit jiiga tempore tauruSy
Non domito franos ore momordit equus.
}
Book 2. The Georgics of Virgil. 285
The Tufcans to thefe arts their greatnefs owe, /
'Twas hence majeftic; Rome began to grow, 655
Rome, nobleft obje6t of the things below ;
Who, while fhe fubje6l earth with wronder fills.
Hath, fingle, deck'd with towers her feven hills.
Ere Cretan Jove a fceptre fway'd, before
Man dar'd to fpill the ufeful bullock's gore, 669
Such was the peaceful life old Saturn led.
Such was the golden age, from guilt fecure and dread !
Ere the loud trumpet founded dire alarms.
Or impious fwords were forg'd, and clattering arms.
But we have pafs'd a broad and boundlefs plain, 665
'Tis time the fmoaking courfers to unrein.
Non domus ulla fores habuit, von fixus in agris^
^ui regeret certis finibiis arva, lapis.
Iffee mella dabant quercus, ultroque jerebant
Ob'via fecuris ubera laSlis onjes,
Non acies, no7i irafuit, tioii bella •, neque enfes
(. Immiti /a'Viis duxerat arte faber.
i TiBULL. Lib. I. EI, 3, V. 3?.
664. Impious /'words. '\ Upon naming the fword, the poet
feems to ftart, as if all the miferies of the civil war were brought
afrelh to his fight, and inftantly concludes. Benson.
THE END OF THE SECOND GEORGIi
C 287 3
BOOK THE THIRD.
ARGUMENT. .
The exordium of this book is particularly pompous and ele-
voted. The precepts of our poet concerning the breeding of
cattle^ thefubjeSf of this book^ are divided into four parts»
I. Of the bejl methods of breeding cows and horfes^
with rules to dijlinguijh the befi breeds of each. II. Of
Jheep and goats. III. Of dogs. IV. Of things thai are
pernicious to cattle ; particularly ferpents, vipers.^ fcabs^ the
murrain^ fevers^ and the plague ; with a moving and fub-
Ume defer ipt ion of which lajl^ this book concludes. The
defcriptions and digrejjions in the book are more frequent
than in any of the rcfl. Such is this defcription of the
dmriot-race ; of the infe^ Afilus j of the loves of the
heajls : and the Scythian winter.
[ 288 ]
P. VIRGILII MARONIS
G E O R G I C A.
LIBER TERTIUS.
TE quoque, magna Pales, et te memorande canemus
Paftor ab Amphryfo : vos filvae amnefque Lycaei.
Cetera, quae vacuas tenuiffent carmine mentes.
Omnia jam volgata. quis aut Euryfthea durum,
Aut inlaudati nefcit Bufiridis aras ? 5
Quoi non di6lus Hylas puer, et Latonia Delos ?
Hippodameque, humeroque Pelops infignis eburno
Acer equis ? tentanda via eft, qua me quoque poflim
Tollere humo, viftorque virum volitare per ora
Primus ego in patriam mecum, modo vita fuperfit, lO
Aonio rediens deducam vcrtice Mufas :
Primus Idumaeas refcram tibi, Mantua, palmas :
Ver. I. Thy praifes too, great Pales. "l This is the book which
appears to me the moil charming of all the Georgics. Mr.
Addifon's favourite is the fourth, which indeed is more fweet
and elegant, but the beauties of this are more great, more
manly, and fublime. He invokes Pales as the goddefs of
Ihepherds, and Apollo who fed the herds of king Admetus on
the banks of the river Amphryfus.
5. M^ho knows not all the fongs.^ Virgil here ftrongly ridicules
the trite and fabulous fubjeds of the Grecian poets. 'Tis in-
genioufly conjeftured by Fulvius Urfmus, that he alludes to
particular authors who had treated of the fabulous Itories he
mentions. Thus Homer has related the fable of Euryftheus
in the eighteenth Iliad. Athenaeus quotes the Bufiris of
Mnefimachus in his ninth book. Theocritus and Apollonius
finely relate the ftory of Hylas and Hercules his grief for his
lofs. Callimachus is referred to in Latonia Dciss, and the firft
Olympic
[ 289 3
THE
GEORGICS
O F
BOOK THE T H I Pv D.
*HY praifes too, great Pales, will we fing,
With thee fam'd fliepherd of Amphryfus' fpring 5
Ye too, Lycaeus' groves, and gufhing ftreams,
For vain are ancient tales, and vulgar themes ;
Who knovi^s not all the fongs that once cou'd pleafe, 5
Bufiris' fhrines, Euryftheus' dire decrees ?
Can Dian's ifle, or Hylas, longer charm ?
Or Pelops famous for his ivory arm,
Whofe fteeds vidorious in the dufty race
Won him the fair Hippodame's embrace ? JO
I too muft find a path untrcd before.
And far from groveling earth, to fame fublimely foar.
I firft of Romans to th' Hefperian plain.
Will lead th' Aonian nymphs, if life remain :
I firft will bid Idumes' palms arife, 15
Exchange their foil, and bloorn in Mantuan fl:ies.
Olympic ode of Pindar is to be underflood by the mention of
Hippodamia and Pelops. He breaks out at laft into a noble
triumph of affurance, that he fhall rival thefe Greek poets :
Tentanda 'via eji, qua me quoque pojjlm
Tollere hutno, 'viclorque 'virum ^jolitare per era.
Mr. Pope ufed to fay, that this triumph of Virgil over th«
Greek poets, was one of the vaineft things that ever was writ.
• But furely its fublimity makes amends for this imputed
vanity.
Vol. L V
200 P' ViRGILII MaRONIS GEORGICAi Lib» ^»
Et viridi In campo templum de marmore ponam
Propter aquam, tardis ingens ubi fiexibus errat
Mincius, ac tenera praetcxit arundine ripas.
19. Spreading ^Kiide hh I'mg^ ring n.vater5. 'I This defcrlption of
the Mincio is as exad as poilible ; the force of it lies chiefly in
the epithets, tardis, ingens the wide fpreading and almofl
ftagnation of the river, v/hich forms the lake of Mantua.
17. Thefe hands. '\ Mr. Hurd, in his notes on Horace's
Epiftle to Auguftusj.hath difcoLirfed fo entertainingly on the
introduftory lines of this third book, that it was thought pro-
per to infert the following extrad from that judicious work.
On the idea of the Apotheofis, which was the ufual mode of
flattery in the Augullan age, but, as having the countenance
of public authority, fometimes JnartificiaHy enough employed,
Virgil hath projeded one of the nobleft allegories in ancient
poetry, and at the fame time hath given to it all the force of
^i^y? compliment, the occafton itfelf allowed. Each of thefe ex-
cellencies was to be expedlied from his talents. For as his ge-
nius led him to ihe /ublime ; fo his exquifite judgment would
inftruft him to palliate this bold lidlion, and qualify as much as
pcflible, the fliocking adulation implied in it. So fingular a
beauty deferves to be fhewn at large.
The /'/J/W G E R c I c fets out Vv'ith an apology for the low
and fimple argument of that work, which yet the poetefleem-
ed, for its nov^elty, preferable to the fublimer, but trite, themes
of the Greek writers. Not but he intended, on fome future
occafion, to adorn a nobler fubjeft. This was the great plan
of the Aeneis, which he now prefigures and unfolds at large.
For, taking advantage of the nobleil privilege of his art, he
breaks away, in a lit oi prophetic enthufiafm, to predift his
fuccelTes in this projefted enterprize, and under the imagery of
the ancient triumph, which comprehends or fuggelb to the ima-
gination, whatever is moft augull in human affairs, to delineate
the future glories of this ambitious defign. The whole con-
ception, as we Ihall fee, is of the utmoil grandeur and mag-
nificence ; though, according to the ufual management of the
poet (which as not being apprehended by his critics, hath fur-
nifhed occafion even to the bell: of them to charge him with a
want oi x\\t/uLlimc) he hath contrived to foftcn vlw^ familiarize
its appearance to the reader ; by the artful m.anner in which,
it is introduced. It ftands thus :
Tentanda 'via ejl, qua fne quoque pojjim
'7'oUere humo, victorQJJE 'virtim 'volitare per or a.
The idea o? 'vi^Iory, thus cafually dropped, he makes the bafis
of his imagery ; which, by means of this gradual preparation,
«ffers itfelf eafily to the apprehenuon, though it thereby lofes,
5 as
Book 3. The Georgics of Virgil. 291
Thefe hands a fane of Parian flone lliall build.
Where Mincio's ftream bedews the verdant field j
And fpreading wide his ling'ring waters^ feeds
Around his winding fhores the tender reeds. 20
as the poet defigned it (hould, much of that broad glare, in
which writers of lei's judgment love to fliew their ideas, as tend-
ing to fet the common reader at a gaze. The allegory thea
proceeds :
Primus ego in patriam mecum, modo vita fuperjtt ^
Aonio rediens deducam •uertice Miifas,
The projefted conqueft was no lefs than that of all the Grecian
Mufes at once ; whom, -to carry on the decorum of the alle2;ory,
he threatens, i. to force from their high and advantageous
fituation on the fummit of the Ao;iian Mount ; and 2. to bring
capti-ve with him into Italy ; tht former circumftance intimating
to us the difliculty and danger of (he enterprize ; and the latter,
his complete execution of it.
"D^t palmy , triumphal entry, which was ufual to viclors on
their return from foreign fuccefles, follows :
Primus Idutnaeas referam tibi, Mantua, palmas.
But ancient conquerors did not hold it fufficient to reap this
tranfient fruit of their labours. They were ambitious to confe-
crate their glory to immortality, by a temple, or other public
monument, which was to be built out of the fpoils of the con-
quered cities or countries. This the reader fees is fuitable to
the idea of the great work propofed ; which was, out of the old
remains of Grecian art, to compofe a ne^jj one that fhould com-
prize the virtues of all of them : as, in faft, the Aeneid is
known to unite in itfelf whatever is m.oft excellent not in Ho-
mer only, but, univerfally, in the v/its of Greece. The ever-
lalHng monument of the marble temple is then reared ;
Et 'viridi in campo templum de M a r M R E ponam.
And becaufe ancient fuperftition ufually preferred, for thefe
purpofes, the banks of rivirs to other lituations, therefore
the poet, in beautiful allufion to the fite of fome of the moft
celebrated pagan temples, builds -i/V on the Mincius. We
fee with what a fcrupulous propriety the allufion is carried on-
Propter aquam, tardis ingens uhi flexibus err at
M I N CI u s , et tenera praetexit ar undine rip as.
Next, this temple was to be dedicated, as a monument of
the vidlor's piety, as well as glory, to fome propitious, tutelary
deity, under whofe aufpices the great adventure had been
U 2 atchievf^.
2g2 P. ViRGiLii Maronis Georgica. Lib. 3.
In medio inihi Caelar crit, tcra plum que tenebit.
atchieved. The dedication Is then made to the poet's dvvlnitj,
Auguftus :
hi medio mihi Caesar erit, templumq^ue tenebit.
Templum Tenebit. The expreffion is emphatical ; as inti-
mating to us, and preiicruring the fecret purpofe of the Aeneis,
which was, in the perfon of Aeneas, to fhadow forth and
conl'ecrate the charafter of Auguftus. His divinity was to fill
and occupy that great work. And the ample circuit and magni-
ficence of the epic plan was projefted only, as a more aweful
enclofure of that auguft prefence, which was to inhabit and
folemnize the vail round of this poetic building.
And now the wonderful addreis of the poet's artifice appears.
The mad fervility of his country had deified the emperor in
good earneft : and his brother poets made no fcruple to nuorjhip
in his temples, and to come before him with handfuls oi real
incenfe, fmoking from the altars. But the fobriety of Virgil's
adoration was of another call. He feizes this circumftance only
to embody a poetical fidlon ; which, on the fuppofition of an
aftual deification, hath all the force of compliment, which the
faa implies, and yet, as prefented through the chafte veil of
allegory, eludes the monitrous offence, which the naked \zz\x?\
inuft needs have given to decency and common fenfe. Had
the emperor's popular divinity been flatly acknowledged, and
adored, the praile, even under Virgil's management, had been
infufFerable for its extravagance ; and without fome fupport for
his poetical 7iu7nen to relt upon, the figure had been more
forced and Ibained, than the rules of juil writing allow. As
it is, the hiftorical truth of his apctheofis authorizes and fup-
ports t\itf.ftion, and the fiflion, in its turn, ferves to refine and
palliate the hiftory.
The Aeneis being, by the poet's improvement of this cir-
cumitance, thus naturally predick-d under the image of a
temple, we may expeft to find a clofe and Itudicd analogy be-
twixt them. The grent, component parts of the one, will no
doubt be m.ade, very faithfully, to reprefent and adumbrate
thofe of the other. This hath been executed with great art
and diligence.
I, The temple, we obferved, v/as eredted on the banks of a
river. This fite was not only proper for the reafon already
mentioned, but alfo, for the further convenience of inftituting^
public games, the ordinary attendants of the confeeralion ol
temples*. Thefe were generally, as in the cafe of the Olympic
and others, celebrated on the banks of rivers.
//// <vi£lor ego, et 7yrio confpe^us in oftre
Canttim quadrijugos agitabo ad fiimina currus.
CuncTd
Book 3. The Georgics of Virgil. 293
In the mid dome fhall Caefar's form divine
Superior {land the godhead of the fhrine.
CunSia mihi, Alpheuin Unquens luco/que Molorchi,
Curjibus et crudo decernct Graecio, catjiu.
To fee the propriety of the_/%«r^ in this place, the reader needs
only be reminded of the book of games in the Aer.cid, which
was purpofely introduced in honour of the emperor, and noc,
as is commonly thought, for a mere trial cf fkill between the
poet and his mailer. The emperor was paffionately fond of
thefe fports, and was even the author or reftorer o^ one of them.
It is not to be doubted, that he alludes alfo to the quinquennial
games, actually celebrated, in honour of hi^ temples, through
many parts of the empire. And this the poet undercakes in
the c'l'vil office of victor.
2, What follows is in the religions office of priest. For
it is to be noted, that, in affuming this double charadler, which
the decorum of the folemnities, here recounted, prefcribed,
the poet has an eye to the/&//VzWdeiign of the Aeneis, which
was to do honour to Caefar, in either capacity of a ci-jil and re-
ligious perfonage ; both being efientiai to the idea of the per-
feft legiflaccr, he was to adorn and recommend. The account
of his Jacerdotal fu7i3ions is delivered in thefe words :
Ipfe caput tonfae foliis crnafus cliuae
Dcna feram . jam nunc joUemnis ducere pomp as
Ad delubra jwvat, caefojque njidcre ju~uencos :
Vel fcaena lit -uerfis dijcedat frontious ; utque
Purpurea intexti tollant auluea Britantii.
The imagery in this place cannot be underfiood, without re-
fiefting on the cuftomary form and difpofKion of the pagan
temples. Deluerum, or Deluera, for either number is
ufed indifferently, denotes the fhrine, or fanftuary, whereia
the ilatue of the prcfiding God was placed. This was in the
center of the building. Exadly before the delubrum, and at
no great didance from it, was the altar. Further, the
fiirine, or delubrum, was inclofed, and fnut up on all fides by
doors of curious carved work, and duilile 'veils, embellilhed by
the rich embroidery oi fionjjers, animals, or human figures. This
being obferved, the progrefs of the imagery before us will be
this. The proceffion ad delubra, or fhrine : the iacrifice on the
altars, eredled before it: and, laftly, the painted, or rather
vjrong\il /cencry of the purple 'ueils, inclofing the imag?, v/iiich
v/ere ornamented, and feemed tc be iuftained or held up by
the figures of inivo'ven Britons. The meaning of all which
is, that the poet would proceed to the celebration of Caef-ir's
praife in all the gradual, folemn preparation of poetic pomp ;
that he would render the moft grateful cffcrijigs to his divinity
U 3 ia
2^4 P' ViRGiLii Maronis Georgica. Lib. 3.
Illi vicSlor ego, et Tyrio confpeclus in oftro
in thofe occafional eplfcdes, which he fhould confecrate to his
more immediate honour; and finally, that he would provide
the richelt texture of his fancy, fcr a covering to that admired
image of his virtues, which was to make the fovereign pride
and glory of his poem. The choice of the zn-xvo-ven Britons,
tor the fupport of his 'veil, is well accounted for by thofe, who
tell us, that Auguftus was proud to have a number of thefe to
ferve about him in quality of flaves.
The ornaments of the Doors of this delubriim, on which
thefculptor ufed to lavifli all the riches of his art, are next de-
lineated.
hi for thus pugyiam ex auro folidoque elephcmto
Gar.garidum faciam, 'uiftorijqiie artna^hiirini :
jitque hie imdantem bello, magnumque Jluentem
Nilum, ac nauali furgentis acre columnas.
Addam iirbis AJiae dojnitas, puljumque Niphaten,
Fidentemqiie fiiga Part hum -verjifque fagittis,
ht duo rapt a tnanu di-verfo ex hojie tropaea,
Bifque triumphatas utroqiie ab litore gentis.
Here the covering of the figure is too thin to hide the literal
meaning from the commoneil: reader, who fees, that the feveral
triumphs of Caefar, here recorded in /f«///«r^, are thofe, which
the poet hath talcen fo much pains to finijh, and hath occafion-
:illy inferted, as it were, in miniature, in feveral places of his
pioon. Let him only turn to the prophetic fpeech of Anchifes'
/hade in the VJth, and to ihe defcription of the Ihield in the
Vlllth book.
Hitherto we have contemplated the decorations of the y^m/c-,
i. c. fuch as bear a more dired and immediate reference to the
honour of Caefar. We are now prefented with a view of the
remote furrounding ornaments of the temple. Thefe are the
illullrious Trojan chiefs, whofe ftory was to furnilb the materi-
als, or, more properly, to form the body and cafe, as it were,
of this auguft llruclure. They are alfo connected with the idol
deity of the place by the clofeft ties of relationfhip, the Julian
family afFefcing to derive its pedigree from this proud original.
The poet then, in his arrangement of thefe additional figures,
vv-ith admirable judgment, completes and rounds the entire
fi^lion.
Stahtint l^ Par a lapidcs , /piranlia Jigna,
yiJJ'araci proles y demijfacqite ab yo^je gentis
Nomina, Troj'que parens, l^ Trcjae Cynthius au6ior.
Nothing now remains but for fame to eternize the glories of
what the great architeft had, at the expence of fo much art
and labour, completed ; which is predided, in the higheft
fublime of ancient poetry, under the idea of envy, whom
the poet pcrfonalizes, Ihuqdering at the view of fuch tran-
fcendent
Book ^. The Georgics of Virgil, 295
For him, myfelf to grace the folemn feafl,
Chief of the fports, in Tyrian purple drefc,
fcendent perfection; and tailing, beforehand, the pains of a
remedilefs vexation, ftrongly pictured in the image of the worft,
infernal tortures.
I N V I D I A infelix furias amnemque feuerum
Cccytt metuct, iortofque Ixionis orbes,
Immanemque retain, et non exfuperabile faxum.
Thus have I prefumed, but with a religious awe, to infpe^l
and declare the myfteries of this ideal temple. The attempt
after all might have been cenfured, as profane, if the great
Myjiagogue himfelf, or fomebody for him*, had not given us
the. undoubted key to it. Under this encouragement I could
not withftand the temptation of difclofing thus much of one of
the noblell fiflions of antiquity ; and the rather, as the propri-
ety of allegoric compofition, which made the diftinguillied pride
of ancient poetry, feems but little known or attended to by
modern profelTors of this fine art.
* In thefe lines,
Mox tamen ardentis acc'ingar dicere pugnas
CaeJ'aris, l^ nomen fama tot ferre per annos,
^Tithoni prima quot abeji ab origine Caefar.
V»''hich I fufped not to have been from the hand of Virgil.
And,
1. On account of fome peculiarities in the exprejjlon.
Accingar is of frequent ufe in the belt authors, to denote a
readinefs and rej'clution to do ofiy thing ; but as joined with an
infiniti've mood, accingar dicere, I do not remember to have ever
feen it. 'Tis often ufed by Virgil ; but, if the feveral places
be confulted, it will always be found with an acc:ifati-je and
prepojition, exprelTed or underltood, as magicas accingier artes,
or with an accufati-ve and dative, as accingere fe praedae, or
laftly with an ablative, exprefiing the injlrument, as accingar
ferro. La Cerda, in his notes upon the place, feemed fenfible
of the objection, and therefore wrote, Graeca locutio : the com-
mon, but paltry, Ihift of learned critics, when they determine,
at any rate, to fupport an ancient reading.
2. Ardentes pugnas, burning battles, founds well enough to a
iHodern ear ; but I much doubt if it would have pafied in the
times of Virgil. At leaft, I recollefl no fuch exprefiion in all
his works; ardens being conltantly joined to a word, denoting
2.fubjiance of apparent light, heat, ox flame, to which the allu-
fion is eafy, as ardentes gladios, ardentes oculos, campos arrms
/ublimibus ardentts, and by an eafy metaphor, ardnites hojies,
U 4 but
296 p. ViRGiLii Maronis Georgica. ' Lib. 3.
Centum quadiijugos agitabo ad ilumina curriis.
Cunchi mihi, Alpheum linquens lucofque Molorchi,
Curlibus et crudo decernet Graecia caeftu. 20
but no where, that I crai find, to fo abllraft a notion, as that
oi fight. It ieems to be to avoid this difficulty, that fome
have chofen to read ardentis, in the gemti-je, which yet Servius
Tejetfts as of no authority.
3. But the moil glaring note of illegitimacy is in the line,
1 ithoni prima quot abeji ab origine Cae/dr.
It has puzzled all the commentators from old Servius down to
Mr. Martyn, to give any tolerable account of the poet's choice
of '•r itho7ius , frcTi whom to derive the anceftry of Auguftus,
rather than Anchifes, or JJfaracus, who were not only more
famous, but in the direS line. The pretences of any or all of
them are too frivolous to make it neccll'ary to fpend a thought
about them. The inftance iiands fmgle in antiquity ; much Icfs
is there any thing like it to be found in the Auguftan poets.
n. But t]\Q phrafeokgy of thefe lines is the leaft of my ob-
jeclion. Were it ever fo accurate, there is, befides, on the
£rft view, a manifeil abfurdity in the fuhjcfi-matter of them.
For would any writer, cf but common Ikill in the art of com-
pofiiion, clofe a long and elaborate allegory, the principal
grace of which confiiis in its very myltery, with a cold, and
formal explanation of it f Or would he pay fo poor a compli-
ment to his patron, as to fuppofe his fagacity wanted the af-
fiftance of this additional triplet to lead him into the true
meaning? Nothing can be more abhorrent from the ufual ad-
drefs and artiiice cf Virgil's manner. Or,
in. Were the Juhjed-7-uaitcr itfelf pafiable, yet, hov/, in
denance of all the laws of diffofuicn, came it to be forced in
here .? Let the reader turn to the paffage, and he will foon
perceive that this could never be the place for it. The allego-
ry being concluded, the poet returns to his fubjeft, which is
prcpofcd in the fix following lines :
I lit ere a Dryc.dum Jyl'vas faltufnue fequamur
hit act OS, tun, Maecenas, kaud fnollia jujja.
Te fne nil alt urn mens inchcat. en age Jrgnis
Rufnpe nicras : 'vccat ingenti clamore Cithaeron,
Taygciique cams, dcmitrixque Epidaurus equoriim :
Et 'VOX adjc7ifu nemcrun: ingeminata rctnugit.
Would now sny one expeft, that the poet, after having con-
ducl.d the re;;der thus rerpedfully, to the very threfhoid of his
JubjiCt, fliould immediately run away again to the point,
from which he had fi-t out, and this on fo needlefs an errand,
23 the letting him into the fecret of his allegory ?
But ihii inferred t.-iplet agrees as ill with what folk^vs, as
with
Book 3. The Georgics of Virgil. 297
Will lafli an hundred cars, like chiefs of yore, 25
By four-yok'd horfes whirl'd along the founding fhore.
All Greece fhall leave her feats of ancient fame.
To try on Roman ground, th' heroic game ;
With manly arm the weighty gauntlet wield j
Or lightly Ikim with winged feet the field : 30
with what precedes it. For how abrupt is the tranfition, and
unlike the delicate connexion, fo ftudioufly contrived by the
Auguftan poets, from
Tithonl prima quot aheji ab origine Cacfar,
to
Seu quJs Olympiacae miraiiir praemia palmae, ISc.
When omic but thefe interpolated lines, and fee how gracefully,
and by how natural a fucccflion of ideas, the poet flides into
the main of his fubjccl !
Inter en Dryadum fyl~jas Jalttifqiie fcquamur
Intaiios *
Te Jine nil
Ru7Kpe fnora: : 'vccat ingenti clamor e Cithaeroiif
Taygetique canes, domtirixque Epidaurus equorum :
Et -vex adjhifu netnorian iKgcmir.ata remugit.
Seu quis Olympiacae tniraius praemia palmae,
Pafcit EQJJOS J Jeu quis fort is ad aratra juvencos.
On the whole, I have not the leall doubt, that the lines be-
fore us are the fpurious oirspring of fomc later poet % if indeed
the writer of them deferve that name ; for, whoever he was,
he is fo f;;r from partaking of the original fpirit of Virgil, that
at moft, he appears to have been but a fervile and paltry mi-
mic of Ovid ; from the opening of whofe Metamorphofis the
defign was clearly taken. The turn of the thought is evidently
the fame in both, and even the exprejjion. Mutatas dicereformas
is echoed by ar denies dicer e pucnas : dicere fert animus, is, by
an afredled improvement, accingar dicere : and T'ithoni pri?Ka ab
crigine is almoU literally the fame as primaque ab origine mundi.
For the inferlion of theie lines in this place I leave it to the cu-
rious to conjeftare of it, as they may ; but in the mean time,
muftefteem the oifice of the true critic to be fo far refembling
that of the poet himfelf, as within fome proper limitations, to
juftify the honefi liberty here taken.
Curd tabulis aniTnum cenjcris jiimet honejli ',
Audebit quaecuiique parum /plendoris habebunt
Et fine ponder e erunt, l£ honore indignaferuniur,
VekBA ivlOVHRE loco; (VUAMVIS IImVITA recedant,
]Et VE8.SENTUR. ADHUC INTR.\ PENETRALIA VeSTAE.
\z Ep. ii. 110.]
igi ' P. ViRGiLii Maronis Georgica. Lib. 3.
Ipfe caput tonfae foliis ornatus olivae
Dona feram. jam nunc follemnis ducere pompas
Ad delubra juvat, caefofque videre juvencos :
Vei fcaena ut verHs difcedat frontibus j utquc
Purpurea intexti tollant aulaea Britanni. 25
In foribus pugnam ex auro folidoque elephanto
Gangaridum faciam, victorifque arma Qiiirini :
Atque hie undantem bello, magnumque fiuentem
Nilum, ac navali furgentis aere columnar.
Addam urbis Afiae domitas, puifumque Niphaten, 3^
Fidentemque fuga Parthum vcrfifque fagittis,
Et duo rapta manu diverfo ex hofLC tropaea,
Bifque triumphatas utroquc ab litore gentis.
Stabunt et Parii lapides, fpirantia figna,
AfTaraci proles, demiffaequc ab Jove gentis 35
Nomina, Trofque parens, et Trojae Cynthius au£lor.
Invidia infelix Furias amnemoue feverum
Cocyti metuet, tortofque Ixionis orbes,
Inmanemque rotam, et non exfuperabile faxum.
Interea Dr)\idum filvas faltufque fequamur 40
Intadlos, tua, Maecenas, baud mollia jufla.
35, I/ee the turning fcene.'] The commentators feem not fuf-
fciently to have explained the expreffion of, ut 'verjls difcedat
frontibus in the original. The ancient fcenes were painted on
a triangular machine, marked in the plate, D ; which was fo
formed as to turn upon an axle or pin ; each of its three fides,
mark'd in the ground-plan of the plate, i. 2. 3. reprefentcd a
different fubjedt ; viz. i. a city. 2. a palace or magnificent
portico. 3. a wild foreft, cave, or meadow. When a comedy
was play'd, the fril of thefe three frontifpieces was turned to-
wards the fpeiStators ; when a tragedy, the fecond ; when a
fatyrical piece (fuch for inilance, as the Cyclops of Euripides)
the third was expofed to view. And thefe triangular machines
were placed under the arches of the theatre, marked in the
plate. A, B, C. See Vitruvius, B. 5. and L'Jntiqnite cx-
fliquue par D. Ber. Montfaucon, torn. 3. p. 235.
54. Envy.'] The perfons he is fpeaking of are the enemies
of the Julian family ; or the faftion, as he calls it, againft the
Caefars. Thefe, he fays, Ihould be reprefented on the temple
he
Vol.i.J'a^f gp^
A
A3 B3
,^
■Z'yii'j^ot/fti,» t/rft/^A
I
Book 3. The Georgics of Virgil. 299
While I, my brows with olive-chaplet bound,
t The meed of each victorious toil propound.
^ Ev'n now I feem the ftately pomp to lead,
: Now, now, beneath my fteel the victims bleed :
I fee the turning fcene fwift change its face, 35
The piclur'd Britons in the curtains trace.
Which feem to lift the tapeftry they grace.
High on the gates, the fell Gangarian fight
' In gold and ivory wrought, fhall ftrike the fight.
■ Here fwoln with war, majeftic Nile {hall pafs, 40
And the tall columns rife in naval brafs :
Proftrate in duft, there Afia's cities weep,
■ And huge Niphates bend his mountain fteep ;
) The Parthians there the backward arrow ply,
y And vainly ftrive to conquer as they fly : 45
\ Caefar fhall here a double triumph boaft,
'. And conquer'd nations kneel from either coaft. •
'; Around in order'd ranks an aweful band,
Rome's anceftors in breathing ftone fhall ftand :
; Thy feed, AfTaracus, the mighty line 5«
That drew from Jove its origin divine :
Next Tros, whom Troy her ancient father calls,
With him, the God who rais'd her lofty walls.
Envy, foul fiend, fhall vicv/ with baleful eyes
Cocytus' billows black around her rife ; 55
The flings of mad Ixion's fnakes fhall feel,
Qiiake at th' unconquer'd flone, and evei:-whirling wheel.
Mean time, Maecenas, we'll the woods purfue j
The tafK is arduous, but enjoin'd by you.
he would build to Auguflus, as In the tortures of Tartarus ; and
more particularly as puniihed in the fame manner as Ixion and
Sifyphus. Ixion was punifhed there for his ingratitude and im-
piety : Sifyphus as a villain and a robber. So that this is call-
ing all the party againft Auguftus, rafcals and ingrates ; and
infers the higheft compliment to that prince, at the fame time
that it is the moH cruel of invet^iives again il his enemies.
PoLYMETis, pag. 20S.
30# P. ViRGiLii Maronis Georgica. Lib. 3,
Te fine nil altum mens inchoat. en age fegnis
Rumpe moras: vccat ingenti ciamore Cithaeron,
Taygetique canes, domitrixque Epidaurus equoruni :
Et vox a4ienfu nemorum ingeminata remugit. ac
Mox tamen ardentis accingar dicere. pugnas
Caefaris, et nomen fama tot ferre per annos,
"Xithoni prima quot abeft ab originc Caefar.
Seu quis, Olympiacae miratus praemia palm_ae,
Pafcit equos, feu quis fortis ad aratra juvencos ; 50
Corpora praecipue matrum legat. c-pttima torvae
Forma bovis, cui turpe caput, cui plurima cervix,
Et crurum tenus a mcnto palearia pendent.
Turn longo nullus lateri modus : omnia magna :
Pes etiam, et camuris hirtae I'ub cornibus aures. 55
Nee mihi difpliceat maculis infignis et albo,
Aut juga detrait^ns ; interdumque afpera cornu,
Et faciem tauro propior, quaeque ardua tota,
Et gradiens ima verrit veftigia cauda.
Aetas Lucinam, juftofque pati hymenaeos 60
Definit ante decern, poft quatuor incipit annos :
Cetera nee foeturae habilis, nee fortis aratris.
Interea, fuperat gregibus dum laeta juventas.
Solve mares : mitte in venerem pecuaria primus,
Atque aliam ex alia generando fuiSce prolem. 65
75. A chimfy head.'l Varro and Columella fay that a good
co.v's head ftiould be large, latis froiuibus, her neck long and
broad, her dew-lr.ps hanging low, and in general, that her
body fliould be long and large. Ut jint bene compofitae, ut in-
tegris meinbris ahlongae, amplae — corporc amplo, bene coj}atos,
largis humeris, bonis dunihia. Virgil feems to have had his
eye on this paiTage. Varro likewife mentions the length
of th^ tail.
Book 3. The Geqrgics of Virgil. 301
Without thine aid no fancy fires my breafi: ; 60
Hafte, let us burft the bands of idle red.
Hark, from afar Cythaeron's voice I hear,
Taygetus' opening dogs my fpirits chear ;
With neighing fteeds tall Epidaure refounds ;
From the deep groves the doubling din rebounds. 65
The time may come, when my maturer mufe
Auguftus' glowing fights her theme fhall choofe '
And thro' more ages bid his glory lafi-.
Than have from Tithon's birth to Caefar paft.
The youth, who ftudious of th' Olympic meed, 70
[ And fond of fame, would rear the ftately fteed ;
Or bend the fturdy bullock to the fhare,
Muft choofe the dam with nice fagacious care.
Firft, by thefe m.arks felect thy mother-cow,
A clumfy head, broad neck, and lowering brow '• ''^
Her double dew-laps from her chin muft rife.
In fpacious folds defcending o'er her thighs :
Be her's a difproportion'd length of fide.
Her limbs all fram'd v/ith vaft unwieldy pride :
Let tufts of hair her ample feet adorn, 8»
Rough be her ear, and wreath'd her bending horn :
Nor lefs her worth, ii' o'er her jetty fkin,
Some random fpots of fnowy white be feen ;
Or if fhe aim a blov/, or fpurn the yoke.
Or wear a flern-brow'd bull's rough threatening look, 85
Majeftic fhe muft walk with lofty m.ien.
And proudly fweep with length of tail the green.
When now four years have fteel'd her lufty frame.
Then let her prove kind Hymen's mutual flame :
At ten releafe her ; nov/ ho more to prove gt
The toils of culture, or the joys of love.
Mean time, v/hile warmth of youthful blood prevails.
To the foft blifs admit thy fprightly males :
Let their firft vigour try the fierce embrace;
So hefds ih.aU rife on herds, and race on race» Q^
902 P. ViRGiLii Maronis Georgica. Lib. ?.
Optima quaeque dies miferis mortalibus aevi
Prima fugit : fubeunt morbi, triftifque feneclus ;
Et labor, et durae rapit inclementia mortis.
Semper erunt, quarum mutari corpora malis.
Semper enim refice : ac, ne poft amiffa requiras, yo
Anteveni, et fubolem armento fortire quotannis.
Nee non et pecori eft idem dileclus equino.
Tu modo, quos in fpem ftatues fubmittcre gentis,
Praecipuum jam inde a teneris inpende laborem,
Continuo pecoris generofi pullus in arvis 75
Altius ingreditur, et mollia crura reponit.
Primus et ire viam, et fluvios tentare minaces
Audet, et ignoto {e{e conmittere ponti :
Nee vanos horret ftrepitus. (illi ardua cervix,
Argutumque caput, brevis alvus, obefaque terga : 80
Luxuriatque toris animofum peftus : honefti
Spadices, glaucique ; color deterrimus albis,
Et gilvo) turn, fi qua fonum procul arma dedere.
Stare loco nefcit : micat auribus, ac tremit artus ;
Conledumque premens volvit fub naribus ignem : S^
Denfajuba, et dextro j aetata rceumbit in armo.
At duplex agitur per lumbos fpina, cavatque
Tellurem, et folido graviter fonat ungula eornu.
Talis Amyelaei domitus Pollucis habenis
Cyllarus, et, quorum Graii meminere poetae, g&
96. Our beji of day 5?^ This tender moral refleftlon thrown
in, diverfifies and exalts the low fubjeft the poet is treating of.
108. £1;'» no^v the colt.'\ Having fpoken of the marks of
good cows, the poet proceeds to fpeak of horfes, and gives a
beautiful defcription of a colt that is fit to be chofen for a
ftallion. There is fome difHculty concerning the meaning of
fpadiccs : but after much enquiry Dr. Martyn thinks it is the
colour we call bay, chefnut, or forrel.
116. Grey.l Glaiuus, when fpoken of the colour of an horfe,
fjgnifies a dark or iron-grey; our people in Wales, ftill call a
grey horfe kephal glance. Holdsworth.
1 19. Rejllefs he pa^s.'] This is a beautiful defcription of a
niettlefome horfe ; but it is far excelled by that noble one in
^be book of Job. Particularly, ** He fwalloweth the ground
with
Book 3. The Georgics of Virgil. 303
Our bell of days advance with double fpeed,
Difeafes, pains, a ghaftly troop ! fucceed ;
With care, and labour, and complaining age.
And ruthlefs death's inexorable rage.
For frefti fupplies thy weary'd race remove j 100
Nor place on one alone the weight of love.
Still propagate thy breed with annual care,
And with new births the fleeting race repair.
Nor lefs with equal care fele^l the fteed ;
Thou who refolv'ft to rear a generous breed, 105
Nurfe from his earlieft youth the chofen fire.
And feed with careful hand his native fire.
Ev'n now the colt treads high with {lately pace.
And moves his pliant limbs with ea.fy grace ;
Outftrips the reft ; the firft that dares to brave HO
The unknown bridge, or tempt the threat'ning wave ;
No fudden founds alarm his foul with dread ;
Sublime his arched neck, and fmall his head :
Short paunch, and breadth of back his might atteft.
And prominent with brawn his fearlefs breaft. . n^
Of colours choofe the dapple or the grey.
For white and dun a daftard race betray.
Lo ! when the battle's diftant din he hears,
Reftlefs he paws ; erects his eager ears ;
With generous fury glows his quivering frame, 120
And from his noftril burfts the fierce, colledled flame.
O'er his right fhoulder his redundant mane
Waves to the zephyr as he fkims the plain.
Thro' his broad back fhoots a divided fpine.
And arms with double force his mighty chine. 125
While o'er the green as his fleet hoof is borne.
Echoes the trembling ground beneath the folid horn.
Such Cyllarus, by Spartan Pollux tam'd.
And fuch the fteeds, in Grecian ftory fam'd,
with fiercenefs and rage, neither believeth he (for joy !) that
it is the found of the trumpet," is more fpirited and Itrong than
any circumihnce in Virgil's pi(fture.
304 P« ViRGiLii Maronis Georgica. Lib. 3.
Martis equi bijuges, et magni currus Achillis.
Talis et ipfe jubam cervice eiFudit equina
Conjugis adventu pernix Saturnus, et altum
Pelion hinnitu fugiens inplevit acuto.
Hunc quoque, ubi aut morbo gravis, aut jam fegnior annis
Deficit, abde dc.no ; nee turpi ignofcc fenedlae. 96
Frigidus in venerem fenior, fruftraque laborem
Ingratum trahit : et, fi quando ad proelia ventum eft,
Ut quondam in ftipula magnus fine viribus ignis,
Incafi'um furit. ergo animos aevomque notabis loo
Praecipue : hinc alias artis, prolemque parcntum,
Et quis cuique dolor viclo, quae gloria palmae.
Nonne vides, cum praecipiti certamine campum
Corripuere, ruuntque'efFufi carcere currus.
Cum fpes arrciSlae juvenum, exfultantiaque Haurit 105
Corda pavor pulfans : illi inftant verbere torto,
£t proni dant lora : volat vi fervidus axis.
Jamque humiles, jamque clati fublime videntur
Aera per vacuum ferri, atque adfurgere in auras.
Nee mora, nee requies. at fulvae nimbus arenae 119
Toliitur: humefcunt fpumis, fiatuque fequentum.
Tantus amor laudum, tantae eft vidcoria curae.
Primus Erichthonius currus et quatuor aufus
Jungere equos, rapidufque rotis infiftere viftor.
132. Such Sat-urn.] Heyne well obferves on this paflage ;
iaiem forma-m hahebat (at quam or?iate hoc poeta extulit) Satur^
nus, cum eqtii fpeciem ajfunifffet , ut fwta Jua cum Fhilyre, un-
de Chiron natits, in Pelio opem celaret,
148. Doji thou not fee.'] No defcription was ever more fpi-
riced and lively than this of the chariot race. The poet has
crowded into a few lines all the circumftances that are molt
ftriking in the famous defcription of Homer, and it mult be
owned has here excelled the Greek poet. One may fay, as
Longinus does on almoit a fimilar occafion, that the foul of the
reader is, as it were, mounted in the chariot, and whirled
along in the race with it.
160. Erichthonius. 1 Bigas primum junxit Phrygumnatio, qua-
drigas Erichthonius, Pliny. He likewife fays, that Bellc-
rophoa
10
1
}
Book 3. The Georgics of ViRGiLt 305
That to the battle bore the god of war, 130
And whirl'd the fierce Achilles' thund'ring car :
Such Saturn too, when from the guilty bed,
Cloath'd in a flowing mane, his queen he fled, [head.
And pierc'd with neighings fhrill hoar Pelion's piny
When now his ftrength and youthful years decay, 135
With no inglorious eafe his pains repay j
But grant him, of thy gratitude, to clofe
His honour'd age at home in fafe repofe.
When genial v/armth forfakes his frozen veins.
Love is a toil, and barren are his pains j 14O
In all the rage of impotent defire.
As o'er the ftubble flies the catching fire.
His fparks are fpent, and in a flafli expire.
Be careful then to mark thy ftallion's age.
His feats, his offspring, and his native rage ; I4«j
Whether he grieve, when in the race outdone.
Or proudly triumph in the trophy wort.
Doft thou not fee the cars, rival train.
Shoot from the goal, and pour along the plain ?
By varying fits, each trembling charioteer, 150
Now flufh'd with hope, now pale with panting fear.
Plies the loud lafh, hangs headlong o'er the reins ;
Swift bounds the fervid axle o'er the plains :
Now deep in duiT: obfcur'd the chariot flie?.
Now mounts in air, and gains upon the (kies. 155
The ftrife runs high, too fierce for dull delay.
The fandy volumes darken all the way :
Bath'd in their followers' foam appear the firfl :
Such is the love of praife, and glory's thirft.
Firft Erichthonius dar'd with dauntlefs (kill 160
To yoke four fteeds, and guide the vi£lor's wheel.
TOphon invented the backing of horfes, Pelethronius bridles
id furniture, and the centaurs (
rfeback.
Vol. L X
and furniture, and the centaurs of Theffaly the fighting on
horfeback.
2o6 P. ViRGiLii Maronis Georgica. Lib. 3.
Frena Pelethronii Lapithae, gyrofque dedere 115
Inpofiti dorfo^ atque equitem docuere fub armis
Infultare folo, et grefTus glomerare fuperbos.
Aequus uterque labor : aeqiie juvenemque magiftri
Exquirunt, calidumque animis et curfibus acrem.
Quamvisfaepe fuga verfos ille egerit hoflis, 12O
Et patriam Epirum referat, fortifque Mycenas ;
Neptunique ipfa deducat origine gentem.
His animadverfis inftant fub tempus, et omnis
Inpendunt curas denfo diAendere pingui,
Quem legere ducem, et pecori dixere maritum : 125
Pubentefque fecant herbas, fluviofque miniftrant,
Farraque j ne blando nequeat fuperefle labori j
Iiivalidique patrum referant jejunia gnati :
163. Form his pliant feet."] There are feveral lines In thia
third Georgic, which fhevv that the manege was found out
mfich earlier than fome would imagine. Witnefs the foUow^-
ing pafTage :
Gyrofque dedere
Inpofiti dorfo.
And that other,
Carpere mox gyrum incipiat, Sec.
The fimile jufl after was meant to (hew_, a violently fwift, but
at the fame time a level and uniform motion. Holdsworth.
170. Without thefe <vir(ues.] I received the following ob-
fervations on this pafiage from a very ingenious gentleman.
I have always been abfolutely at a lofs to make out the con-
licdion of thefe three lines [in the original] with the foregoing.
Tranflators and commentators make quam'vis refer to fome-
thing which is certainly not exprslTed there, nor I think im-
plied, or iufinuated ; nor indeed conf;ftcnt with what is there
cxpiefTed. How can the horfe be fuppofed /aepe 'verfoy
kojiis egijfe, if he was not calidus animh ? ^am-vis implies an
oppofuion between thefe two, whereas no two things can be
more naturally connefted. You have got over the difficulty as
well as your neighbours, but I think it is infuperable, as the
text now ftands. Befides, quam'vis implies that the horfe above
defcribed was rejected, not that he v^m fought out, and chofen.
In fhort 1 am perfuaded, thefe three lines are not in their
right place. Suppofe them placed as follows :
Hunc quoque, ubi ant morbo granjii, aut jam fegjiior annis
Deficit t abde domo j nee turpi ignofee feneilae.
$uam'vifi
Book 3. The Georgics of Virgil. 307
Theflalia taught the conduit of the bit,
To 'mount the fteed, and form his pliant feet.
To paw the ground, to wheel, to turn with grace,
And tread the plain with more majeftic pace. 165
The fame the labour and the praife to breed.
Or for the bit or car, the vigorous fteed :
In each is requifite a generous rage,
A fwiftnefs in the courfe, and blooming age..
Without thefe virtues, vain all former boaft, 170
That erft he chas'd in fight a trembling hofl j
Tho' Argos, or Epirus gave him birth.
Or Neptune's trident-ftroke, that op'd the pregnant earth.
Thefe rules obferv'd, with copious grain they feed
The hufband of the herd, and father of the breed : 175
With genial herbs his amorous heat fuftain.
And give the copious ftream, and golden grain j
Left weak he faint amid the foft embrace,
T^he famifn'd father of a p ny race.
^am'vis faepe fuga verfos ille egerit hojtis,
Et palr;a?n Epirum referat, forti/que Mycenas;
Kept unique ip/a de ducat origine gentem.
Frigid us in •venerem Jemor
Hnnc qucque abde domo quam'vis Obferve that the
horfes here abovementioned are war horfes ; Pollux', Mars'
and Achilles' his horfes ; qui ijerjcs hofies egerint ; now fee how
well the other paflage goes on without the hnes in queftion,
Aequus uterqju labor : aeque jwvenemque magijiri
Exquirunt, calidumque animis et curjibus acrem.
His animadverjis — —
Nimirum , ju"jcntute , animis, psrnicitate — —
By way of precedent, there are two remarkable tranfpofitlcils
of this kind in the Aeneid, which the critics have reaified
againft all authority of manufcripts Aeneid 6. 745. Dontc
ionga dies and the two next lines, which Ihould follow, af-
ter exuritur igni.
Aeneid 10. 717. Ille autem impavidus — —and the next,
wbich fhould come after damoribus injiant.
176. JVith genial herbs.] Varto and Columella fpeak of
the necefTity of feeding the bulls amply for two months be-
fore the time. Taurcs ducbus menfibus ante admijjuram herbal
et pitiea et foeno f«,cio pkniorci et a faeminis /earn. Varro.
X2
3*8 P. ViRGILII MaRONIS C^EORGICA. Lib. 3.
Ipfa auLem macie tenuant armenta volentes.
Atque, ubi concubitus primos jam nota voluptas 130
Soliicitat, frondifque negant, et fontibus arcent :
Saepe etiam curfu quatiunt, et fole fatigant.
Cum graviter tunfis gemit area frugibus, et cum
Surgentem ad Zephyrum paleae jaclantur inanes.
Hoc faciunt, nimio ne luxu obtufior ufus 135
Sit gcnitali arvo, et fulcos oblimet inertis :
Sed rapiat fitiens venerem, interiufque recondat.
Rurfus cura patrum cadere, et fuccedere matrum
Incipit. cxa6tis gravidae cum menfibus errant,
Non illas gravibus quifquam juga ducere plaudris, 140
Non faltu fuperare viam fit paflus, et acri
Carpere prata fuga, fluviofque innare rapaccs.
Saltibus in vacuis pafcant, et plena fecundum
Flumina : mufcus ubi, et viridiflima gramine ripa,
Speluncaeque tegant, et faxea procubet umbra. 145
Eft lucos Sileri circa ilicibufque virentem
Plurimus Alburnum volitans, quoi nomen afilc?
Romanum eft, ocftron Graii vertere vocantes ;
Afper, acerba fonans : quo tota exterrita filvis
Diffligiunt armenta j furit mugitibus aether 150
ConcuiTus, fllvaeque et ficci ripa Tanagri.
182. Netv dejtres.'l Voluptas nota in the original, does not
fignify the experienced pleafure, fays Dr. Martyn, but the
defire which novj f.rft begins to be known by the young mare.
Jam notay juft now (and not before) known.
203. Apia.'] This infeft is a dreadful plague to the cows
of Italy. An Italian writer quoted by Dr. Martyn informs
us, that it refembles a wafp, has two membraneous wings,
with which it makes a moil horrible whizzing. The belly is
terminated by three long rings, one within another, from the
laft of which proceeds a formidable fling. This lling is com-
pofed of a tube, through which the egg is emitted, and two
augrcs, which make way for the tube to penetrate into the flcin
of the cattle. Thefe augres are armed with little knives,
which prick with their points, and cut with their c^gti,
caufinp- intolerable pain to the wounded animal. The men-
tion of thefe infefts put me in mind of an elegant rural com-
parifou in Speafer.
iSol
id: J
;i
Book 3. The Georgics of Virgh. 309
But to the mares deny they foftering food,
And drive them from the browze and cooling flood,
When now the new defires Invade the boiling blood :
Oft bid them glow beneath the funny ray,
And oft fatigue them thro' the dufty way :
When groan the floors beneath the trampled corn, 185
And light in air the fluttering chafF Is borne ;
Left too luxurious eafe and plenty cloy.
Blunt the keen fenfe, and choak the paths of joy :
So (hall the female feel the flowing feed.
And fuck with greedy rage the rufhing fteed. 190
Wc now forfake the fires, transfer our care,
From the ftout ftalllon, to the teeming mare.
Let her no more, along the lab'ring ground,
Draw the flow car, or leap the rifmg mound :
Nor tempt the flood, nor fkim the level mead,
But turn her lonefome in the lawns to feed,
Soft with the greencft grafs, and many a moflTy bed
Where fome full river rolls his plenteous waves.
Mid' fhades of ridgy rocks, and cooling caves.
Along the forefts dark where Selo flows, 200
And old Alburnus lifts his Ilex-crowned brows.
Of winged infet£ts fwarms a frequent flight,
Aeflron In Greece ; at Rome Afilus hight ;
Soon as their Iflliing hofts, with humming found
Approach, the cattle quit the groves aroujid j aQ5
The Ikies re-echo to the mingling roar.
The groves, and dry Tanager's fultry fhore !
As when a fwarme of gnats, at eventide.
Out of the fennes of Allan doe arife.
Their murmuring fmall trumpets founden wide.
Whiles in the air their clultering armie flies.
That as a cloud doth feeme to din the Ikies ;
Ne man nor beaft may reft, or take repaft.
For their fharpe wounds, and noyous injuries;
'Till the fierce northern wind with bluftring blaft
Do:h blowne them quite away, and in the ocean call.
Fa. QiB. 3. 1^. f. i6.
X3
310 P. ViRGiLii Maronis Georgica. Lib. 3,
Hoc quondam monftro horribilis exercuit iras
Inachiae Juno peftem meditata juvencae.
Hunc quoque, nam mediis fervoribus acrior inftat,
Arcebis gravido pecori, armentaque pafces i^c
Sole recens orto, aut no<Slem ducentibus aftris.
Poft partum cura in vitulos traducitur omnis :
Continuoque notas et nomina gentis inurunt :
Et quos aut pecori malint fubmittere habendo,
Aut aris fervare facros, aut fcindere terram, i6o
Et campum horrentem fra£Hs invertere glebis.
Cetera pafcuntur viridis armenta per herbas.
Tu quos ad ftudium atque ufum formabis agreflem,
Jam vitulos hortare, viamque infifte domandi,
Dum faciles animi juvenum, dum mobilis aetas. 1&5
Ac primum laxos tenui de vimine circles
Cervici fubnedle : dehinc, ubi libera colla
Servitio adfuerint, ipfis e torquibus aptos
Junge pares : et coge gradum conferre juvencos :
Atque illis jam faepe rotae ducantur inanes 170
Per terram, et fummo veftigia pulvere fignent.
Poft valido nitens Tub ponderc faginus axis
Inftrepat, et jun6tos temo trahat aercus orbis.
Interea pubi indomitae non gramina tantum.
Nee vefcas falicum frondes, ulvamque paluftrem, 175
Sed frumenta manu carpes fata : nee tibi foetae,
More patrum, nivea inplcbunt mul^lraria vaccae,
Sed tota in dulcis confument ubera gnatos.
Sin ad bella magis ftudium, turmafque feroces.
226. CorreSiion hear.'] Mr. Dryden talks here ot Tending
the calf to fchool, reftraining him from the bad examples of
the world, and inftruding him in moial precepts. Virgil fays
only, qd Jludium et ufum agrejlem dumfaciUs animi.
Book 3. The Georcics of Virgil. 311
This plague, the juft revenge of guilty love,
To frantic rage th' Inachian heifer drove. 209
More thick they fwarm, when glows the noon-tide heat,
Then fhift thy pregnant herd to fome fequefter'd feat ;
Or drive them forth, when dawns the purple light,
•Or Hefper gilds with glittering ftars the night.
When now the dam has felt Lucina's pains,
A farther care to rear the calf remains ; 215
On each betimes, they print the branding fire,
To note the name, the lineage, and the fire.
Let this be doom'd to propagate the breed j
This at the facred fhrine a victim bleed :
But that be deftin'd in the field to toil, 22«
Break the ftifF clods, and cleave the ftubborn foil 5
The reft unmark'd, as frolic leifure leads,
Wanton, inglorious, o'er the grafTy meads.
The fleers allotted to the fhining ihare,
Obferve to teach and tame with timely care ; 225
While now their tender years correction bear.
Bind them v/ith collars from the tender fpray.
And when their necks the fervile band obey ;
Connect two well-match'd bullocks in the trace.
And bid them learn in pairs the plain to pace j 23O
Oft let them draw the waggon's empty load,
Whofe wheels fcarce print the duft, or mark the road :
Next let them fmoke beneath th' incumbent mafs,
Join'd to the beechen axle, bound v/ith brafs.
Mean time thy unyok'd young not only feed 235
With grafs and willow-leaves, or marfhy weed ;
But crop with careful hand the nodding ears ;
Nor let the dam, as erft in ancient years.
Contribute to the pail her milky load ;
Be all her udder on her calf beftow'd. 24O
But if thy bofom burn in ranks of war
To lead the marlhall'd hoft, or urge the car,
X4
}
312 p. ViRGiLii Maronis Georgica. Lib. 3.
Aut Alphea rotis praelabi flumina Pifae, x^
Et Jovis in luco currus agitare volantis ;
Primus equi labor eft, animos atque arma videre
Bellantum, lituofque pati ; tra£luque gementeni
Ferrc rotam, et ftabulo frenos audire fonantis.
Turn magis atque raagis blandis gaudere maglftri 185
Laudibus, et plaufae fonitum cervicis amare.
Atque haec jam primo depulfus ab ubere matris
Audiat, inque vicem det mollibus ora capiftris
Invalidus, et jamque tremens, et jam infcius aevi.
At, tribus exaftis, ubi quarta acceperit aeftas, 19a
Carpere mox gyrum incipiat, gradibufque fonare
Conpofitis, fmuetque alterna volumina crurum ;
Sitque laboranti fimilis : tum curfibus auras
Provocet, ac per aperta volans, ceu liber habenis,
Aequora, vix fumma veftigia ponat arena : T95
Quails, Hyperboreis Aquilo cum denfus ab oris
Ipciibuit, Scythi.aeque hiemes atque arida difFert
Nubila : tum fegetes altae campique natantes
Lenibus horrefcunt flabris, fummaeque fonorem
Dant filvae, longique urguent ad litora fludus : 20d
Ille volat, fimul arva fuga, fimul aequora vcrrens^
Hie vel ad Elei metas et maxima campi
Sudabit fpatia, et fpumas aget ore cruentas :
Bel^ica vel molli melius feret efleda collo.
Tum demum crafTa magrtum farragine corpus 205
Crefcere jam dcmitis fmito. namque ante domandum
Ingentis tollent animos, prenfique ncgabunt
Verbera lenta pati, et duris parere lupatis.
263. Like Boreas. 1 It cannot be imagined, by the fevefeft
critics, who think fuch beauties of Ilyle in the ancients chi-
merical, that Virgil did not intend to reprefent by this fwift
line of daftyles the courfe of the wind :
Ille •volat i Jimtil ar'uafugay Jimul aequora v err ens.
270. Elean plain. '\ This alludes to the Olympic games ce-
lebrated about Olympia in the region of Eiis. Whoever
would have a juft notion of the great political ufefulnefs of
thefe celebrated games of Greece, will meet v/ith much plea-
fure
Book 3. The Georgics of Virgil. 313
Where ftrays thro' Pi fa's plain th' Alphaean flood.
Or whirl along the Thunderer's olive wood ;
To trumpets fhrillj to many a martial deed, 545
And glare of glittering arms inure the fteed :
Oft let him toil the flow car's load to bear.
The ruftling reins oft rattle in his ear :
With flattery footh him, while with confcious pride.
He feels his matter clap his founding fide. S-SO
Begin betimes ; while weak and youthful yet.
Bend his foft mouth to brook a flender bit ;
Juft wean'd and trembling from his mother's fide j
New to the curb, and in the courfe untry'd.
But when to four full fprings his years advance, 2^^
Teach him to run the ring, with pride to prance j
The plain in meafur'd fteps and time to beat.
And in alternate paces fhift his feet ;
Oft let him feem to fpring with labour'd might j
Then challenge whirlwinds in his airy flight : 260
While as he pours abroad with loofen'd reins.
His lightfome feet fcarce touch the printlefs plains.
Like Boreas in his courfe, when rufhino; forth
He calms the Scythian fkles, and clears the cloudy nortli :
Refound the tall tops of the trembling trees, 265
The heavy harvefts nod beneath the breeze :
O'er plains, o'er feas, the driving tempefl: fweeps.
And to the founding fhore purfues the boiling deeps.
A ileed like this, with conquering fteps will ftrain.
And foam with blood acrofs th' Elean plain j 270
Or with obedient neck the Belgic car fuftain.
V/hen now the colt is broke to bear command,
I Feed him with kindly care, and plenteous hand ;
' For yet untam'd, his pamper'd pride difdains
To feel the founding lafti, and galling reins. 27S
fure and inflruftion from the learned and ingenions Mr.
j V/eft's diiTertation prefixed to his tranflation of an author, to
whom he alone, of all the moderns, has done juftice, in a
: fpirited and elegant tranflation of his odes.
\
314 P* ViRCiLii Maronis Georgica. Lib. 3.
Sed non ulla magis viris induftria firmat,
Quam venerem et caeci ftimulos avertere amoris, 210
SJve bourn, five eft cui gratior ufus equorum.
Atque ideo tauros procul atque in fola relegant
Pafcua, poft montem oppofitum, et trans fiumina lata :
Aut intus claufos fatura ad praefepia fervant.
Carpit enim viris paullatim, uritque videndo 215
Femina : nee nemorum patitur meminifle, nequs herbae.
Dulcibus ilia quidem inlecebris et faepe fuperbos
Cornibus inter fe fubigit decernere amantis :
Pafcitur.in magna filva formofa juvenca :
Illi alternantes multa vi proelia mifcent 220
VoLneribus crebris : lavit ater corpora fanguis,
Verfaque in obnixos urguentur cornua vafto
Cum gemitu. reboant filvaeque et magnus Olympus.
Nee mos bellantis una ftabulare : fed alter
Viftus abit, long^que ignotis exfulat oris ; 225
Multa gemens ignominiam plagafque fuperbi
Vi(5loris ; turn, quos amifit inultus, amores j
Et ftabula afpe6lans regnis exceilit avitis.
Xrgo omni cura viris cxercet, et inter
Dura jacet pernix inftrato faxa cubili, 23O
Frondibus hirfutis et carice paftus acuta :
Et tentat (tk, atque irafci in cornua difcit
Arborls obnixus trunco : ventofque laceflit
Icftibus, et fparfa ad pugnam proludit arena.
Poft, ubi conleilum robur, virefque refedlae, 235
Signa movet, praecepfque oblitum fertur in hoftem :
Fludlus uti, medio coepit cum albefcere ponto,
X»ongius, ex altoque finum trahit j utque volutus
285. 7'Ije mighty rivals.'] The defcription of the bulls con-
tending for the female is admirable ; particularly, that fine
ch-cumftance of the vanquifh'd bull looking back on his old
accuftomed ftall and paftures when he is forced to retreat. And
ftill more fo, the circumftance of his lying down, fuUenly
difconfolate, on the flones, feeding upon rufhes and prickly
leaves, and exercifing his hofns againft the trunks of trees, to
enable himfelf to contend again with his hated rival. AH
thefc
Beok 3. The Georgics or Virgti. jt^
But nought will keep their vigour more entire.
Than from their breafts to turn the ftings of blind dcfire :
Their bulls they banifli to fome lonely fcene,
Where vaft rocks, and wide rivers intervene :
Or to the plenteous flail the beafl remove, jSd
Far from the tender fex, and lure of love.
For while the female charms his fickening fight.
No more the groves, or fpringing grafs invite.
She vers'd in wanton looks, and winning wiles.
The mighty rivals to the fight beguiles. 285
The beauteous heifer ftrays the darkfome wood ;
With mutual rage they rufh j thick ftreams the fable blood |
From their broad brows the clafhing horns rebound.
With bellowings loud the groves and fkies refound»
Nor, when the war is o'er, their rage expires j 29©
To diftant vales the vanquifli'd wretch retires ;
Weeps his difgrace, his conqu'ring rival's boaft ;
Y€t more the fair, that unreveng'd he loft :
And oft with penfive looks, as he retreats.
The parting exile views his ancient feats. 295
Then fteels his limbs to toil, improves his might, }.
And roughly refts on craggy flints the night : ^.
On prickly leaves and pointed rulhes fed, ''1
He feigns to gore a tree with butting head, :».
Bends his ftern brows and puflies at the air, . 36«'
And fpurns the fcatter'd fand, a prelude of the war.
Now when his nerves with new-felt fury glow.
Headlong he feeks his unexpefting foe :
As when a rifing billow by degrees.
Begins to boil amid the whitening feas ; 305
thefe beautiful ilrokes are concluded by the noble fimile of a
vaft wave rolling towards a rocky fhore. The paufe at /r»-
cumbit in the original
Monte minor procumbit,
is very expreffive of the thing intended.
286. Heifer. 1 This line in the original is fuppofed to be
fpurious.
316 P. ViRGiLii Maronis Georgica. Lib. 3,
Ad terras, inmane fonat per faxa, neque ipfo
Monte minor procumbit : at ima exaeftuat unda 240
Verticibus, nigramque alte fubjeftat arenam.
Omne adeo genus in terris hominumque ferarumque,
Et genus aequoreum, pecudes, piftaeque volucres.
In furias ignemque ruunt. amor omnibus idem.
Tempore non alio catulorum oblita leaena 245
Saevior erravit campis : nee funera volgo
Tarn multa informes urfi ftragemque dedere
Per filvas. tum faevus aper, tum peffima tigris,
Heu, male tum Libyae folis erratur in agris.
Nonne vides, ut tota tremor pertentet equorum 250
Corpora, fi tantum notas odor adtulit auras ?
Ac neque eos jam frena virum, neque verbera faeva,
Non fcopuli, rupefque cavae, atque obje£la retardant
Flumina correptos unda torquentia montis.
Ipfe ruit, dentifque Sabellicus exacuit fus, 255
Et pede profubigit terram, fricat arbore coftas
Atque hinc atque illinc, humerofque ad volnera durat.
Quid juvenis, magnum cui verfat in oflibus ignem
Durus amor ? nempe abruptis turbata procellis
No^le natat caeca ferus freta : quern fuper ingens 260
Porta tonat caeli, et fcopulis inlifa reclamant
Ajsquora ; ncc miferi poffunt revocare parentes.
Net moritura fuper crudeli funere virgo.
Qiiid ? lynces Bacchi variae, et genus acre luporum.
332. Hoiu fares the youthJ] The poet alludes to the cele-
brated ftory of Hero and Leander, perhaps the moft enter-
taining of all the ancient love-tales ; the Mufaeus who has
written an elegant poem on this fubjeft, was not the ancient
Mufaeus ; for feveral falfe conceits and thoughts, rather pretty
than folid, and contrary to the fimplicity of the older Grecian
writers, evidently betray the later age of the piece. See
Vol. 3. B. 6. N. ver, 928. 'Tis obfervable Virgil hints, that
the whole fpecics would encounter the fame dangers as Leander
did for the fake ef Icve.
Book 3« The Georcics OF Virgil. 317
Loud o'er the rocks then rolls with horrid roar.
And mountain-like burfts on the fubje£l fhore :
The troubled depths in circling eddies rife,
And heave the fable fand in whirlwinds to the fkies.
Thus man and beaft, the tenants of the flood, 310
The herds that graze the plain, the feathery brood,
Rufh into love, and feel the general flame ;
For love is lord of all, and is in all the fame.
'Tis with this rage the mother lion ftung.
Prowls o'er th*e plain, regardlefs of her young. 315
'Tis then the fhapelefs bear with fcenes of blood.
With murderous deeds pollutes th' affrighted wood :
Then boars in fight with double warmth engage.
And the grim tygrefs calls forth all her rage.
Ah ! wretched then the traveller who ftrays 320
Forlorn o'er Libya's unfrequented ways !
See, what thick pants the ftallion's fires declare,
Whene'er in tainted gales he fcents the mare :
Nor curbs, nor torturing whips his rage reftrain.
And mountains rife to check his flight in vain ; 325
In vain the torrent rolls, that tumbling fweeps
The maffy fragment from the craggy fteeps.
Ruihes the Sabine boar, and rends the ground.
And whets his tufks to flrike the furer wound :
Rubs his rough fides againft th' accuftom'd oak, 33O
And difciplines his brawn to bear the rival's ftroke.
How fares the youth, who feels the pleafing pain
His marrow pierce, and throb in every vein ?
In darknefs drear he fwims the ftormy main :
Above from heaven's high gate the thunder roars, 335
The dalhing waves re-echo round the fhores.
Npr weeping parents, nor the fated fair
Retards, his courfe, too foon his cruel death to fhare !
Why fliould I fing how hungry wolves engage.
How beafls of Bacchu-' car, how mallifFs rage ? 340
}
3:l8 P. ViRGiLii Maronis Georgica. Lib. p
Atque canum, quid ? quae inbelles dant praelia cervi ? 265
Scilicet ante omnis furor eft infignis equarum :
Et mentem Venus ipfa dedit, quo tempore Glauci
Potniades malis membra abfumfere quadrigae.
Illas ducit amor trans Gargara, tranfque fonantem
Afcanium : fuperant montis, et flumina tranant. 27Q
Continuoque avidis ubi fubdita flamma medullis,
Vere magis (quia vere calor redit ofiibus) illae
Ore omnes verfae in Zephyrum ftant rupibus altis,
Exceptantque levis auras : et faepe fine ullis
Conjugiis vento gravidae (mirabile diclu)" 275?
Saxa per et fcopulos et depreffas convaliis
DifFugiunt ; non, Eure, tuos, neque foils ad ortus ;
In Borean Caurumque, aut unde nigerrimus Aufter
Nafcitur, et pluvio contriftat frigore caelum.
Hie demum, hippomanes vero quod nomine dicunt 2Z9
Paftores, lentum deftillat ab inguine virus.
Hippomanes, quod faepe malae legere novercae,
Mifcueruntque herbas et non innoxia verba.
Sed fugit interea, fugit inreparabile tempus.
Singula dum capti circumvediiamur amore. 285
Hoc fatis armentis. fuperat pars altera curae,
Lanigeros agitare greges, hirtafque capellas.
Hie labor : hinc laudem fortes fperate coloni.
Nee fum animi dubius, verbis ea vincere magnum
Quam fit, et anguftis hunc addere rebus honojem. 29©
Sed me Parnafi deferta per ardua dulcis
Raptat amor, juvat ire jugis, qua nulla priorum
Caftaliam molli devcrtitur orbita clivo.
358. Hippomanes.] The hippomanes fignlfies two things,
1. A certain liquor that flows from a mare ready to take horfe.
2. An excrcfcence of flelh which the new-foaled colts have
upon their foreheads. It is black, round, and of the bignef»
of a dried fig. It is pretended that thefe two hippomanes's
have a peculiar virtue in philtres, and other fuch compofitions
deugned
c
Book 3. The Georgics of ViftciL* 31^
Ev'n timorous flags provoke the woodland warj
But far above the rell the pafEon of the mare,
Ev'n Venus here a ftronger luft infpir'd.
When to revenge the Potnian mares fhe fir'd.
Wing'd with defire they bound o'er Gargarus* height.
Nor loud Afcanius' torrents ftay their flight : 346
When now their veins the vernal mildnefs warms.
And with kind heat their lufty limbs informs j
To the tall cliffs impatient they repair,
And from the weftward fnuff the fleeting air : 350
Where, woilderous power ! without th' aflifling fteed,
Made preenant by the parent-breeze they breed.
Thence wild o'er rocks and deep-funk vallies ftray.
Far from the northern blaft, or fource of day j
Or whence wet Aufter's gloomy damps arife 355
To hang with fable clouds the fadden'd fkies.
Hence from their wombs, what th' artlefs (hepherd calls
Hippomanes, a trickling poifon falls :
Which baleful flep-dames in the bowl infufe,
With many murmurs mix'd, and herbs of magic juice.
But time is on the wing ; too far we rove ^i
Bewilder'd v/ith an argument we love.
Enough of herds : frefh labours now fucceed.
The fhaggy goats and fleecy flocks to feed.
Hence Ihall the hufbandman new glory raife, 365
While his low cares I lift in labour'd lays :
Nor flight, to grace fo mean a theme, the toil,
And beautify with flov/'rs a barren foil.
But me the fweet defire of f.icred praife
Leads forth to trace ParnafTus' pathlefs ways, 3/0
Down to Caftalia's fpring my car to guide.
Where never poet mark'd the mountain's fide.
defigned for fafcixnations. And that the lall is of fuch a nature,
that a mare has no iboner dropped her cole, but fhe eats this
piece of flefa, without which fne would not fuckle it. A cu-
rious reader may fee a learned differtation on this fubjeft, at the
end of Mr. Bayle's D-idionary : ar. Muhor fond of treating un-
common fubjeds.
A
320 P. ViRGiLii Maronis Georoica. Lib. 3.
Nunc, veneranda Pales, magno nunc ore fonandum.
Incipiens ftabulis edico in mollibus herbatn 295
Carpere ovis, dum mox frondofa reducitur aefias :
Et multa duram ftipula filicumque maniplis
Sternere fubter humum, glacies ne frigida laedat
MoIIe pecus, fcabiemque ferat, turpifque podagras.
Poft hinc digreflus jubeo frondentia capris 30O
Arbuta fufficere, et fluvios praebere recentis ;
Et ftabula a ventis hiberno opponere foli
Ad medium converfa diem : cum frigidus dim
Jam cadit, cxtremoque inrorat Aquarius annoy^
Haec quoque non cura nobis leviore tuendae ; ' 305
Nee minor ufus erit : quamvis Mileiia magno
Vellera mutentur Tyrios incofta rubores.
Denfior hinc fuboles : hinc largi copia Ia6lis.
Quam magis exhaufto fpumaverit ubere muldlra;
Laeta magis preffis manabunt flumina mammis. 310
Nee minus interea barbas incanaque menta
Cinyphii tondent hirci, faetafque comantis,
Ufum in caftrorum, et miferis velamina nautis,
Pafcuntur vero filvas, et fumma Lycaei,
Horrentifque rubos, et amantis ardua dumos, 315
Atque ipfae memores redeunt in te£la, fuofque
Ducunt, et gravido fuperant vix ubere limen.
TErgo omni ftudio glaciem ventofque nivalis.
Quo minus eft illis eurae mortalis cgeftas,
Avertes : vi<ftumque feres, et virgea laetus 320
Pabula i nee tota claudes foenilia bruma.
372. Whtre never poet. 1 This is an imitation of Lucretius :
Nee me animus fallit , qtiamjint obfcura, fed acri
PercuJ/it thyrfo laudis /pes magna meumcor-
-jwvat integros accedere f antes
Atque haurire, jwvatque novcs deceipere jlores ^
Unde prtMS nulli velar int tempora mu/ae.
Book 3. The Georgics of Virgil. 321
Now, hallowed Pales, I rcfoutid thy reign,
O grant thine aid I in more majeftic ftrairt»
Firft, I command, beneath the foftering Ihed, 37^
Till fpring returns, thy flieep with grafs be fed ;
Strew fern beneath, left from the piercing ice
O'er their foft flcins theloathfome fcabs arife.
Nor lefs, thy goats v/ith leafy fodder fill,
And give them water recent from the rill. 380
Safe from the flormy north, their flails prepare
To catch the wintry fun, and fouthern air j
When cold Aquarius, from his cloudy fphere.
Pours his laft drops upon the parting year.
Nor lefs the toil the fliaggy gbat to raife, 385
Nor lefs the profit that the goat repays.
Let Caria boaft her Tyrian-tindur'd fleece ;
Yet thefe afford more numerous increafe ;
And, as their fv/eliing dugs you drain the more,
In fuller plenty dreams the milky ftore. 3ga
Befides, their hairy beards the fhepherds {hear.
To cover tents, or cloath the mariner.
At will they graze Lycaeus' fhrubby top.
And the rough thorn of prickly bramble crop;
Return untended with their bleating train, 395
And o'er the threfhold fcaixe their fcrutting dugs fuftain.
Since then fo little of thy care they know.
Guard them from freezing blafts, and icy fnow :
Gladly fupply them with the leafy fpray.
Nor in bleak winter's reign refufe thy hoarded hay. 400
573. Pales. 1 The third is the moft epic of all the Georgics ;
and the introduclioii 10 it, as well as feveral paflages in it, par-
ticularly this, (hew that Virgil regarded it as fucL himfelf.
HoLDcWORTH.
392. Tents. 1 \'arro, fpeaking of the urefuliiefs of goats, fays,
ihey are flioru for the ufc of faiiors and war.
V(5/.. I,
22 P. ViRGiLii Maronis Georgica. Lib. 3^.
At vero, Zephyris cum laeta vocantibus aeftas,
In faltus utrumque gregem atque in pafcua mittes.
Luciferi primo cum fidere frigida rura
Carpamus, dum mane novum, dum gramina canent, 325
Et ros in tenera pecori gratiffimus herba eft.
Inde, ubi quarta fitim caeli conlegerit hora,
Et cantu querulae rumpent arbufta cicadae ;
Ad puteos, aut alta greges ad ftagna jubeto
Cufrentem ilignis potare canalibus undani : 33«
Aeftibus at mediis umbrofam exquirere vallem,
Sicubi magna Jovis antiquo robore quercus
Ingentis tendat ramos : aut ficubi nigrum
Ilicibus crebris facra nemus adcubet umbra.
Turn tenuis dare rurfus aquas, et pafcere rurfus 335
Sol is ad occafum. cum frigidus aera vefper
Temperat, et faltus reficit jam rofcida luna,
Litoraque Alcyonen refonant, acalanthida dumi/
Quid tibi paftores Libyae, quid pafcua verfu
Prcfequar, et raris habitata mapalia te6tis ? 340
Saepe diem noclemque, et totum ex ordine menfem
Pafcitur, itque pecus longa in deferta fme ullis
Ilofpitiis : tantum campi jacet. omnia fecum
Armcntarius Afer agit, te6lumque, Laremque,
Armaque, Amyclaeumque canem, CreiTamque pharetram*
405. The frefhnefs of the morning is painted in the livelieft
colours. We muft remember that 'tis a morning in Italy : a
morning in a hot climate.
408. Shrill cicada s laj.] Several of the modern Italian poets
mention the linging of the cicada, as very loud and trouble-
fome in the great heats of fumnier. Per gli ombroji rami h
argute cicale cantando Ji affatica 'uano Jotto al gran caldo. Arca-
dia del Sannazaro, Prola 10.
413. Orivhere.'] How beautifully has the poet enlivened thefe
cry precepts concerning the time of watering cattle by this dc-
fcription of a little landfcape ! of a vail old oak Handing in a
valley, or an ilex of ever-green oak, fpreading a thick and fc-
lemn ihade 1 The defcription of the cool of the evening is de-
lightful.
413. Ikxforefit dark and deep. '\ We have not a full idea of
this image, hom our not knowing of how deep a green the ilex
is.
Book 3. The Georgics of Virgil. 323
But when the frolic Zephyrs breathe the fpring.
Both flocks abroad to verdant paftures bring.
When now the morning-flar but dimly dawnsj
Lead them to tafte the coolnefs of the lawns;
When hoar with virgin dew the grafs appears, 405
Hafte, let them drink the morning's earliefl tears.
When the fierce fun grows hot with parching ruy.
And woods refound the fhrill cicada's lay j
Then drive them to frefh fprings, their thirft to flake ;
To troughs of oak, or to the fpreading laice : 410
But at mid-noon, to green and gloomy glades j
Where fome tall oak uprears his aged fliades ;
Or where the ilex-forefl, dark and deep
Sheds holy horrors o'er the hanging fteep.
Again refrefh them, with their verdant food, 415
When finks the fun, and with the cryftal flood.
When evening airs their cooling damps difFufe,
And Cynthia bathes the groves in balmy dews ;
When thro' the brakes is heard th' acanthis' fong.
And halcyons chaunt the hollow fliores among. 420
Why ihould I fing of Libya's artlefs fwains ;
Her fcatter'd cottages, and tracklefs plains ?
By day, by night, without a deftin'd home.
For many a month their flocks all lonely roam ;
So vaft th' unbounded folitude appears* 425
While, with his flock, his all the fhepherd bears :
His arms, his houfliold gods, his homely fhed.
His Cretan darts, and dogs of Sparta bred.
Is, and what a vaft (hade it cafts in Italy, where there are grei.t
numbers of this tree. It abounds alfo in SiCily ; Mount Etna
is covered with them.
423. By day.'\ This digrelTion to the fhepherds of Africa cr.n-
not be futncieatly praifed ; one fees them
Paiiuring on from verdant ftnge to ftnge.
Tho.M:^o.>j, Cafl:. of Ind.
The vaftnefs of thofe plains are reprefented by the very flow ©f
thib line in the original,
— itvus. pecus longain defcrta fine u'l's
Ho ptiii —^'tc-ntiun c. m^ijacet.
'Y 2
324 p. ViRGiLii Maronis Georgica. Lib. J.
Non fecus ac patriis acer Romanus in armis 346
Iniufto fub fafce viam cum carpit, et hofti
Ante exfpedatum pofitis ftat in agmine caftris.
At non, qua Scythiae gentes, Maeotiaque unda,
TurbiJus ac torquens ilaventis Hifter arenas, 350
Qiiaque redit medium Rhodcpe porrefta fub axem,
lUic claufa tenent ftabulis armenta j neque ullae
Aut hcrbae campo adparent, aut arbore frondes :
Sed jacet aggerlbus niveis informis, et alto
Terra gelu late, feptemque adfurgit in ulnas. 355
Sempev hiems, Temper fpirantes frigora Cauri.
Turn fol pallentis baud umquam difcutit umbras :
Nee cum inve£lus equis altum petit aethera : nee cum
Praecipitem Oceani rubro lavit aequore currum.
Concrefcunt fubitae current! in flumine cruftae, 360
Undaque jam tergo ferratos fuftinet orbis,
Puppibus ilia prius patulis, nunc hofpita plauftris.
Acraque diffiliunt vol go, veftefque rigefctmt
Indutae, caeduntque fecuribus hurnida vina,
Et totae folidam in glaciem vertere lacunae, 365
Stiriaque inpexis induruit horrida barbis.
429. So Rome^s,'] The Roman foldkrs were wont to carry in
then campaigns, not only their fwords, helmets, and fliiclds,
but likewife provifions for a fortnight, and ftakes and utenfils.
433. Not/o.'\ I'he coatralHs very ftrong between the fcenes
of Africa and Scythia, and has a fine efreft. This variety, this
magic art of conveying the reader from one climate to another,
conftitutes one of the greatejt beauties of poecry. '
M. de Maupertuis, who, with fome other academicians, was
fent by the king of France, in 1736, to meafure a degree of
♦ the meridian, under the arftic circle, fays, that brandy was
the only liquor, which could be kept fufficicntly fluid for them
to drink : Pendani un f raid ft grand, que lalangue et les h'vresfe
geloicnt fur Is champ, contre Ic tafj'e, tffc. And a little afterwards
he tells us, that the fpirits of wine froze in their thermometers.
442. Nor the fun's rays.'] In the original this is a verfe con-
fining wholly of flow fpondees, which by their melancholy
flow reprefent the difmalnefs of the objec"l defcribed.
443. When firft he climbs.'] This winter-piece has ever been
admired as cue of the capital pr-intings ot Virgil. Thomfon
has^
Book 3. The Georgics of Virgil, 325
So Rome's brave fons, beneath th' cpprCiTive load
Of arms and baggage, trace the deftin'd road ; 43O
And while he ne'er fufpecls th' impending blow.
Sudden unfurl their ftandards on the foe.
Not fo the Scythian flicpherds tend their flieep j
V/here fad Moeotis fpreads his fable deep ;
Thick yellow fands where liter's torrents roll, 435
And Rhodopc returns to meet the pole.
Their flocks they ftall ; for o'er th' unfruitful fcene.
Nor fields, nor trees are cloath'u In lively o-recn.
One wade of fnow the joylcfs landfcape lies,
Seven ells in height the ridgy drifts arife. 44O
There ftill the bitter blafls of v/inter dwell ;
Nor the fun's rays the paly fliade difpel,
When firft he climbs his noon-tide courfe, or laves
His headlong car in ocean's purple waves.
Th' encroaching ice the loitering current feels, 44J;
And on its bofcm bears the ftudded wheels :
Where erft the {lately bark was wont to ride,
Waggons, thro' paths unknov/n, fecurely glide.
Oft from the vcffel burfts the brazen band.
Stiff round their fides their frozen garments ftand. 450
With (harpen'd fteel they cleave t^e humid wine,
And chains of folid ice whole lakes confine ;
Their matted beards, by the keen climate frore,
With hanging icicles are hard and hoar.
has given us a noble imitation of it, in Ills view cf winter
within the polar circle; and has added fome ftriking circum-
itances, not to be. found in Virgil, which modern travellers
have obferved. I cannot forbear tranfcribing his conclufion,
where he defcribes winter perfonally. The imaire is fublime.
Here Winter holds his unrejolcing court.
And thro' his airy hall the loud mifrule
Of driving tempeit is for ever heard ;
Here the grim tyrant meditates his wrath.
Here arms his winds with all-lubduing frofl ;
Moulds his fierce hail, and treai'ures up his fnows.
With w|iich he now opprefies half the globe,
Y3
326 p. ViRGiLii Maronis Georgica. Lib. 3,
Intcrea toto non fecius aere ninguit :
Intereunt pecudes, ftant circumfufa pruinis
Corpora magna bourn : confertoque agmine cervi
Torpent mole nova, et fummis vix cornibus exftant. 370
Hos non inmiflis canibus, non callibus ullis
Puniceaeve agitant pavidos formidine pinnae:
Sed fruftra oppofitum trudentes pedtore montem
Comminus obtruncant ferro, graviterque rudentes
Caedunt, et magno laeti clamore reportant. 375
Ipfi in defofTis fpecubus fecura fub alta
Otia agunt terra, congeftaque robora, totafqiie
Advolvere focis ulmos, ignique dedere.
Hie noctem ludo dacunt, et pocula laeti
Fermento atque acidis imitantur vitea forbis. 380
Talis Hyperboreo feptem fubjedla trioni
Gens efFrcna virum Rhipaeo tuladitur euro,
Et pecudum fulvis velatur corpora fetis.
Si tibi lanitium curae ; primum afpera filva,
Lappaeque tribulique abfmt : fuge pabula laeta : 385
Continuoque greges villis lege mollibus albos.
Ilium autem, quamvis aries fit candidus ipfe.
Nigra fubeft udo tantum cui lingua palato,
Rejice, ne maculis infufcet vellera pullis
Nafcentum ; plenoque alium circumfpice campo. 3(50
Muneie fic niveo lanae, fi credere dignum eft.
Pan deus Arcadiae captam te, Luna, fefellit.
In nemora alta vocans : nee tu afperna^a vocantem.
At cui la6lis amor, cytifum, lotofque frequentis
Ilk manu, fali'afque ferat pracfcpibus herbas. 395
479. Tho' 'white thy ram.] If the tongue of the ram be black
or l"].eck]ed (lays Varro) the Jambs will be of the fame colour.
See Arifiotle of animals to the fame purpofe.
Book 3. The Georgics of Virgil. 327
Mean time the fkies arc dim with falling fnows ; 455
Thick clouds of fleet th' unwieldy ox cnclofe :
In growing heaps benumb'd, the crowding deer
Scarce from beneath, their branching antlers rear :
Nor thefe with hounds the hunter-train furprize,
With nets, or feathers dipt in purple dies ; 460
But with the fword invade them, while in vain
Againft the huge relu61:ant load they ftrain.
While void of help, in piteous founds they bray ;
Then home, with fhouts of triumph bear the prey.
In caverns deep, with oak uppil'd, they raife, 465
And many a branching elm, the crackling blaze ;
From cold fecur'd, around the flaming hearth,
Wafte the long drea y night in fecial mirth :
Guiltlefs of wine, the goblet ftill goes round,
With Ceres' juice, and fparkling cyder crown'd. 47©
Such is the race of favage fwains that lie
Beneath the rigours of the polar fl<y ;
And fore aiflided by the piercing eafl:.
Their limbs with furs and brinded fkins invert.
Is wool thy care ? avoid the fhaggy ground, 475
Where thiftles and the prickly bur abound.
Nor let too fat a foil thy choice invite ;
Choofe firfl: a flock with fleeces foft and white.
Tho' white thy ram, yet if a fwarthy tongue
Appears beneath his humid palate hung, 4S0
Rejedl him, left he blacken all the breed.
And let another to the tafk fucceed.
Thus by a fnowy fleece, th' Arcadian god
Drew down pale Cynthia from her bright abode ;
Nor did'fl thou, queen of night, difdain his love, 485
Pleas'd with the cheat, thou met'ft him in the grove.
If milk thou lov'fl, with lillies from the brook,
i^oft leaves, and falted herbage feed thy flock ;
Y +
32S p. ViRGiLii Maronis Georgica. Lib. 3.
Hinc et amant fluvlos magis, ac magis ubera tendunt,
Et Talis occultum referunt in ladle faporem.
Multi jam excretos prohibent a matribus haedos,
Primaque ferratis praefigunt ora capiflris.
Qiiod furgente die mulfere horifque diurnis, 400
Not^e premunt ; quod jam tenebris et fole cadente.
Sub lucem ; exportans calathis adit oppida paftor :
Aut parco fale contingunt, hiemique reponunt.
Nee tibi cura canum fuerit poftrema : fed una
Velocis Spartac catulos acremque Moloffum 405
Pafce fero pingui : numquam cuftodibus illis
No6lurnum ftabulis furem, incurfufque luporum,
Aut inpacatos a tergo horrebis Hiberos.
Saepe etiam curfu timidos agitabis onagros,
Et canibus leporem, canibus venaberc damas, 410
Saepe volutabris pulfos filveilribus apros
Latratu turbabis agcns, montifque per altos
Ingentem clamore premes ad retia cervom.
Difce ct odoratani ftabulis accendere cedrum,
Galbaneoque agitare gravis nidore chelydros. 415
Saepe Tub inmotis praefcpibus aut mala tadtu
Vipera delituit, caelumquc exterrita fugit :
Aut te6lo adluctus coluber fuccederc et umbrae,
Peftis acerba bourn, pecorique adfpergere virus.
498- Nor he it thy lajl care.] The poet fays but Iktle concerning
the care of breeding of dogs, or of hunting. Mr. Scmerville,
in his poem entituled the Chace, one of the bell produftions of
this age, has in fonne meafiire (upplied the defect.
498. A'or ie it thy I a Jl care'.] Tibi cura, fays the original. Tibi^
to you, Mecaenas ; putting the reader in mind, that tlie poem
(as didactic pieces fhould be) is ^ddrefled to a particular per-
fon.
513. Serpent.'] This is from Nicander, Theriac. 35. 51. 53.
See Columella alfo, 7. 4.
514. The viper too.] Dr. Martyn thinks the ferpent here de-
fcribed to be that which Pliny calls hoas. This author affirms
they grew to a prodigious bignefs, and that a child was foynd
in the belly of one of them in the reign of Claudius : that they
feed
k
rills they hafte, "J
tightly trac'd, 490 >
ury tafte. J
Book 3. The Georgics op Virgil. 329
Hence ftung with thirft to the clear rills they hafte,
Hence are their fwelling du^s more
While in the milk remains the favoui
Some, when the kids their dams too deeply drain.
Their tender mouths with fteely bits reftrain.
Their morning-milk the peafants prefs at night.
Their evening bear to town, when dawns the light ; 495
Or in the mafs, with fparing hand, they pour
The tafteful fait, and keep for winter ftore.
Nor be it thy laft care thy dogs to breed ^
With fatt'ning whey the vigorous maftiiF feed.
And Sparta's race : thus fliould the thief invade, ^oo
Or wolf, thy fold, when night extends her fhade,
Or roving robber from th' Iberian rocks ;
Thefe fliall repel their rage, and guard thy flocks:
Thy hound, the wild-a.fs in the fylvan chace.
Or hare, or hart, with faithful fpeed will trace ; 505
Affail the muddy cave, with eager cries.
Where the rough boar in fullen ambufii lies ;
Prefs the tall flag v/ith clamxours echoing fhrill.
To fccret toils, along th' aerial hill.
And learn to burn within thy iheitering rooms, 519
The fpicy cedar, and Galbanean gums ;
Beneath th' unfhifted fheds, in winding cells
Oft fhut from day, the bloated ferpent dwells :
The viper too that loves a fliady feat.
That feeks beneath thy roofs a fafe retreat, 515
Of herds the bane, of fheep the pois'nous peft
Battens in fecret o'er her darkfome neft.
feed on cow's milk, whence they have their name. The line g
little below in the original.
Cape/axa maitu, cape rokora, pajior,
:aftly expreffive of hurry and eagerni
:s in it ; fo in the fourth Aeneid,
Terte citi jlamtnas ^ date tela, impellite jiammas.
is exaftly expreffive of hurry and eagernefs : there are no par-
licles in it ; fo in the fourth Aeneid,
33Q P« ViRGiLii Maronis Georgica. Li!). 3.
Fovit humum. cape faxa manu, cape robora, pallor, 420
Tollentein<iue minas et flbila colla tumentem
Dejice. jamque fuga timidum caput abdidit alte.
Cum raedii nexus, extremaeque agmina caudae
Solvontur, tardofque trahit finus ultimus orbis.'
Eft etiam ille malus Calabris in faltibus anguis, 425
Squamea convolvens fublato pedlore terga,
Atque notis longam maculofus grandibus alvom :
Qui dum amnes ulli rumpuntur fontibus, et dum
Vere madent udo terrae, ac pluvialibus auftris,
Stagna colit, ripifque habitans, hie pifcibus atram 430
Inprobus ingluviem ranifque loquacibus explet.
Poftquam exufta palus, terraeque ardore dehifcunt,
Exfilit in ficcum, et flammantia lamina torquens
Saevit agris, afperque fiti atque extorridus aeftu.
Ne mihi turn mollis fub dio carpere fomnos, 435
Neu dorfo nemoris libeat jacuifle per herbas :
Cum pofitis novus exuviis nitidufque juventa
Volvitur, aut catulos tedlis aut ova relinquens,
Arduus ad folem et Unguis micat ore trifulcis.
Morborum quoque te cauflas et figna docebo. 440
Turpis ovis tentat fcabies, ubi frigidus imber
Altius ad vivom perfedit, et horrida cano
Bruma gelu : vel cum tonus inlotus adhaefit
Sudor, et hirfuti fecuerunt corpora vepres.
Dulcibus idcirco fluviis pecus omne magiftri 44^
524. Calabria s ^wooi/s.] The poet here fpeaks of another
ferpent called cherfjdrus, from its living both in water, and on
earth.
540. Brandljhes.'] Micarf in its true and natural fignification
relates to any quick motion. So Virgil, micat auribiis ; and
Cicero, digit is mi care -, of that old ga;ne fo common in Italy of
darting out their fingers, and guefling at the number of thefe
darted out each time, fo often mentioned by others of the Ro-
man writers. HoLDSWORTH.
543. Scabs oft the fiock.'\ Columella remarks, that a Iheco as .
foon as it is fliearcd, fhould be anointed with a n.ixture of the
juice of lupines, the lees of old wine, and the dregs of oil, in
equal quantities j and be waftied four days afterwards in the
fea,
}
Book 3. The Georgics of Virgil. 331
Snatch, ftiepherd, Hones, quick fnatch the knotted oak.
And quell his ftately creft with many a ftroke j
Aflail his hifling throat, and fwelling fpires ; 52«
Lo ! by degrees his timorous head retires,
And the laft orbs of his unfolded tail
A ling'ring length of loofen'd volumes trail,
Calabria's woods too breed a baleful fnake.
With lofty breaft elate, and fcaly back, 525
And with broad fpots his winding belly black :
Who when the rivers burft their rocky bounds.
And fouthern (bowers bedew the vernal grounds,
Haunts the moift bank, and in the wat'ry bogs
Gluts his foul paunch with fifh, and croaking frogs : 53«
But when keen heat the fens of moifture drains.
He leaps on earth, and hilTes o'er the plains,
While mad with thirft, and fill'd with drear amaze
At the fierce beam, his rolling eye-balls blaze.
May ne'er foft fleep, on a green bank, furprize, 535
Faft by fonie foreft-fide, my drooping eyes.
When caft his fkin, and fleek in youthful prime,
Hecent he rides, before the fun fublime ;
Regardlefs of the neft, deferts his young.
And brandifhes abroad his triple-forked tongue. 543
I'll teach thee too the figns and caufes all,
Of dire difeafes on the folds that fall :
Scabs oft the flock, a foul contagion, feize.
When winter hangs with icicles their fleece ;
Or cold rains pierce, or unwafh'd fweats adhere 545
To their fhorn (kins, or prickly brambles tear.
Hence in frefli currents of the crvlial wave.
With careful hands their flocks the (liepherds lave :
fea, or^in rain water faked; and quotes the authority of Celfus,
who aiiirms that a fheep treated alter this manner, will be free
from the fcab a whole year, and that the wool will be the ("ofccr,
and the lono;er for it.
6
332 P. ViRGiLii Maronis Georgica. Lib. 3.
Perfundunt, udifque aries in gurglte villis
Merfatur, miflufque fecundo defluit amni :
Aut tonfum trifti contingunt corpus amurca,
Et fpumas mifcent argenti, vivaque fulfura,
Idaeafque pices, et pinguis unguine <:eras, 459
Scillamque, elleborofque gravis, nigrumque bitumen.
Non tamen ulia magis praefens fortuna laborum eft,
Quam fi quis fcrro potuit rcfcindere fummuni ^
Ulceris os. alitur vitium, vivitque tegendo :
Dum medicas adhibere manus ad volnera paftor ^5^
Abnegat, et meliora deos fedet ornina poicens,
Quin etiam ima dolor balantom labfus ad ofla
Cum furit, atque artus depafcitur arida fcbris,
Profuit incenfos aeftus avertere, et inter
Ima ferire pedis falientem fanguiue venam ; 460
Bifaltae quo more folent, acerque G.elonus,
Cum fugit in Rhodopen, atque in deferta Getarum,
Et lac concretum cum fanguine potat equino.
Quam procul aut molli fuccedere faepius umbrae
Videris, aut fumraas carpentem ignavius herbas, 465
Extremamque fequi, aut medio procumbere campo
Pafcentem, et ferae folam dccedere nodi ;
Qoijtinuo culpam ferro conpefce, prius quam
Dira per incautum ferpant contagia volgus.
Non tarn crcber agens hiemem ruit acquore turbo, 470
Quam multae pecudum peftes. nee fingula moibi
Corpora corripiunt : fed tota aefliva repente,
Spcmque gregemquefimul,cun(£lamqueaboriginegeritem.
Tum fciat, aerias Alpis, et Norica fi quis
568. And fierce Gelonian.'] Several nortliern nations at thi$
time drink mare's milk mixed with blood. Pliny fays, they
mixed millet with it. The Tartars ufe it to this day.
5S0. This truth to know.'] The fenfe is, if any one knows
what fort of places thefe were, when they were full of cattle,
he may now lee them empty, though it is a long time fince tlie
peililence. Servius.
I
Book 3. The Geor:gics OF ViRGix* 333
And firft the father of the bleating croWd,
Floats with his moiften'd fleece along the flood : 550
Or bathe their limbs in bitter lees of oil,
With bubbles that from molten filver boil ;
Live fulphur mix, with tar's black-ftreaming juice.
Or temper pitch that Ida's pines produce ;
Or mingle, fraught with fat, the waxen ftore, 555
Or fea-born fquills, with potent hellebore.
But the beft cure which fage experience knows,
Is with a lance the ulcer to difclofe.
"Still grows the fore, while yet the fhepherd flands.
Doubtful J nor dares exert his healing hands, 560
And an^nous happier figns of heav'n demands.
But when o'er th' inmoft bones the pain hath fpread.
On their parched limbs a raging fever fed»
I'o quell the bleating fufferei'^S torrid pain.
Pierce in the bottom-foot the throbbing vein : 56^
This praclife the Bifaltae, when they hafle
To Rhodope, or roam the chearlefs Dacian wafte :
And fierce Gelonian, when, for favage food.
He blends the milky ftream with horfe's blood.
If one thou feelt afFefl the cooling fhade, 57t3r
Or cropping lifllefsly the topmoil blade ;
Droop on the plain, v/ith ling'ring paces wait
Behind, and home return alone and late ;
Soon let thy fteel remove th' infected ftieep,
Left o'er th' unwary flock contagion creep. 57$
Lefs fierce and frequent on the v/intry main
Black whirly/inds rufil, than plagues that waftc the plain :
Nor fingle deaths fuiEce, at once they prey
On young and old, and fweep whole herds away.
This truth to know, th' aerial Alps behold, 580
And meads thro' which l^imav us' ftreams are roll'd ;
581. A.J mead^ thfi" -^ihichTirner.iui' .\ Timavus is a river of
CarnioJH.
334 ^* YiRGiLii Maronis Georgica. Lib. 3.
Caftella in tumulis, et lapidis arva Timavi, 475
Nunc quoque poft tanto videat defertaque regna
Paftorum et longe faltus lateque vacantis.
Hic quondam morbo caeli miferanda coorta eft
Tempeftas, totoque auilumni incanduit aeftu,
Et genus omne neci pecudum dedit, omne ferarum ; 480
Corrupitque lacus : infecit pabula tabo.
Nec via mortis erat fimplex : fed ubi ignea venis
Omnibus adla fitis miferos adduxerat artus,
Rurfus abundabat fluidus liquor ; omniaque in fe
Ofla minutatim morbo conlabfa trahebat. 485
Saepe in honore deum medio ftans hoftia ad aram,
Lanea dum nivea circumdatur infula vitta,
Inter cundlantis cecidit moribunda miniftros.
Aut fi quam ferro maftayerat ante facerdos,
Inde neque inpofitis ardent altaria fibris j 49^
Nec refponfa poteft confultus reddere vates :
Ac vix fuppofiti tinguuntur fanguine cultri,
Summaque jejuna fanie infufcatur arena.
Hinc iaetis vituli volgo moriuntur in herbis,
Et dulcis animas plena ad praefepia reddunt. 495
Hinc canibus blanJis rabies venit, et quatit aegros
Tuflis anhela fues, ac faucibus angit obefis.
Labitur infelix, ftudiorum atque inmemor herbae,
Victor equus, fontifque avertitur, et pede terrain
582. Jnd Noric cliffs.] Norlcum was a region of Germany
bordering on the Alps.
586. Herefprung of old.] We now enter upon the celebrated
defcription of tne plague. Virgil puts forth all his ftrength to
endeavour to excel Lucretius's fixth book on the plague at
Athens. Neither can 1 think he has fo far excelled his mailer
(for fuch he was) as fome critics imagine. Many hints in this
defcription are borrowed from Thucydides's accurate and cir-
cumltantial account of the plague at Athens. ^ .
608. The njidor horfe.] Infelix ftudiorum in the original is
an exprellion refembling laeta laborum, •viSius animi, fortuna-
tus laborum. Read the defcription of thefe fymptoms from this
line to fauus pranit r.fpera lingua : fee how nobly the poet ac-
•^ * quits
)od, 1
I. 590}
}
Book 3. The Georgics of Virgil. 335
And Noric cliffs with fpiry caftles crown'd ;
Lo ! wafte and v/ild the plains appear around :
Ev'n now deferted ftands the fliepherd's ftate,
And far and wide the lawns are defolate. 585
Here fprung of old by fickly gales begot,
A plague with all the fires of autumn fraught,
Which flew the beafts that range the field or woo
Defil'd the frefhnefs of the cryftal flood.
And fcorch'd with baleful breath the grafly food
Strange kind of death ! for when the parching pain
Had fhrunk the limbs, and throbb'd in every veiu,
A pois'nous humour flow'd from all the frame.
Till every bone one putrid mafs became.
Before the fhrine, in fnowy fillets dreft, 595
And holy bands, the confecrated beaft
Fell, and prevented oft the lingering priefl.
Or if he funk beneath the fatal ftroke,
Lo ! on the fhrine, his entrails fail to fmoke.
No more, mifled by many a doubtful fign, 600
The prophet can the dark event divine j
While fcarce the knife with the faint tincture reeks.
Nor the thin gore the fandy furface ftreaks.
O'er flow'ry meads, of at the plenteous ftall.
In lifelefs heaps, the calves and heifers fall. 605
The gentle dogs run mad ; the fick'ning fwine
Pant with thick coughs, with fwelling quinfies pine.
The vidlor horfe, forgetful of his food.
The palm renounces, and abhors the flood :
quits himfelf on a fubjecl, fo exceedingly difficult to be defcrib-
ed, and let us compare it with a fxngularly fine one in Lucretius
of the fame kind :
Pcrturhata animi tnins In moerore metuque ;
Trijle fupercilium, furiofus 'vultus, l^ acer^
SoUicitae parro, pUnacque fonoribus aures :
Creber fpiriius, aut ingens, raroque coortu!,
Tenuia /put a, minuta^ croci ccntincia colore t
Sal/dquc per faucis raucas -v'tx eJita tujji.
33^ P. ViRGILII MAfeONIS GlORGICA. Lib. 3,
Crebra ferit : demifTae aures : incertus ibidem 50O
Sudor J et ille quidem morituris frigidus : aret
Pellis, et ad tactum traftanti dura refiftit.
Haec ante exitium pfimis darit figna diebus*
Sin in proceflu coepit crudefcere morbus,
Xum vero ardentes oculi atque adtra6lus ab alto 565
Spiritus, interdum gemitu gravis, imaque longo
Ilia fingultu tendunt : it naribus ater
Sanguis, et obfefTas fauces premit afpera lingua.
Profuit inferto latices infundere cornu
Lenaeois : e'a vifa falus morientibus una. 516
Mox erat hbc ipfum exitio, furiifque refe£li
Ardebant, ipfique fuos, jam morte fub aegra,
(Di meliora piis, erroremque hoftibus ilium !}
Difciflbs nudis laniabant dentibus artus.
Ecce autem diiro fumans fub vomere taurus 515
Concidit, et mixtum fpumis vomit ore cruorem,
Extremcfque ciet geraitus. it triftis arator,
Maerentem abjlingens fraterna morte juvencum :
Atque opere in medio defixa relinquit aratra.
Non umbrae altorum nemorum, non mollia pofTunt 52^)
Prata movere anim.um, non qui per faxa volutus
Purior ekdlr'o campum petit amnis : at ima
Solvontur latera, atque oculos ftupor urguet inertis,
Ad terramque fiuit devexo pondere cervix.
Quid labor, aut bcnefada juvant ? quid vom.ere terras 525
629. The bullock finks. "l How exquifitely beautiful is the
paufe in this ve'rfe at the word gemitus ! it trijiis arator, by the
very melancholy flow of the words places the adtion of the
ploughman full in our fight: the next line proceeds as flow aa
poffible, confifting of all fpondecs,
Moerentem ahjungens fraterna morte juvencum.
The circumftance of the brother heifer grieving is moft ten-
derly imagined. Non umbrae altorum nemorum is an imitation
of Lucretius, where the dam is lamenting her calf that was
facrificed.
Nee terierae falices , atque herhae rare 'vigentes,
Flumijiaque iilla qucimt fujnmis lahcr.tia ripis
Obhclare an'unum fuliiamquc avert ere cur am, L. 2.
Book 3. The Georgics of Virgil. ^37
B)'- fits, he llamps the ground with eager feet, 610
While from his body burlls a doubtful fweat.
That flood in icy drops, as death appcar'd ;
His parch'd hide to the touch is rough and liardi
Thefe figns at firft his future fate prefige ;
But as the fpreading peft improv'd its rage, 615
With fanguine beams fierce glow'd his ardent eyes.
And heav'd his ftruggling breath with groans and fighs;
Of blood black torrents from his noftrils fprung,
To the fwoln palate clove his furry tongue.
Some have at firft with fiiort fuccefs apply'd, 620
Pour'd thro' an horn, Lcnaeus' purple tidej
But foon frefii fuel to the growing fiame
It gave, and death the medicine became :
While, with bare teeth, their limbs all bath'd in gore,-
Ev'n in the bittereft dying pangs they tore. 62^
O crovv'n, ye godsj a pious people's pray'r.
And let the bad alone fo dire an error (hare I
Lo ! while he toils the o;allino; voke beneath,
to o ■> '
Foaming black blood, the bullock finks in death :
The penfive hind the brother-fieer relieves^ 630'
Who faithful for his loft companion grieves,
And the fix'd fhare amid the furrow leaves.
Nor grafiy mead, nor fliade of lofty grove.
The mournful mate's afHi6led mind can move :
Nor yet from rocks delicious ftreams that roll 6^^
As amber clear, can footh his forrowing foul :
His flanks flow loofe ; his eyes grow dim and dead j
And low to earth he bears his heavy head.
Ah ! what avails their ceafelefs ufeful toil ?
What boots it to have turn'd the ftubborn foil ? 64O
It was upon reading thefe exquifite linesj that Scaliger de-
clared, he had rather have been the author of them, than to
have been the firft favourite of Croefus or Cyrus. I wifh there
Was no fentiment in Scalieer's works more extravagant th^
this. ^
Vol, i. ^
I
33^ P. ViRGiLii MaRonis Georgica. Lib. <•
InvertiiTe gravis ? atqui non Maflica Bacchi
Munera, non illis epulae nocuere repoftae ;
Frondibus et viftu pafcuntur funplicis herbae :
. Pocula funt fontes liquid!, atque exercita curfu
Flumina, nee fomnos abrumpit cura falubres. 530
Tempore non alio dicunt regionibus illis
Quaefitas ad facra boves Junonis, et uris
Inparibus duclos alta ad donaria currus.
Ergo aegre raftris terram rimantur, et ipfis
Unguibus infodiunt fruges, montifque per altos 535
Cententa cervice trahunt ftridentia plauftra.
Non lupus infidias explorat ovilia circum.
Nee gregibus no6lurnus obambulat : acrior ilium
Cura domat : timidi damae cervique fugaees
Nunc interque canes et circum tedla vagantur. 540
Jam maris inmenfi prolem, et genus omne natantum
Litore in extremo, ceu naufraga corpora, fiu6lus
Proluit : infolitae fuglunt in flumina phocae.
Interit et curvis fruftra defenfa latebris
Vipera, et adtoniti fquamis adftantibus hydri. 545
Ipfis eft aer avibus non aequus, et illae
Praecipites alta vitam Tub nube relinquunt.
Praeterea jam nee mutari pabula refert,
Quaefitacque nocent artes : cefTere magiftri
Phillyrides Chiron Amythaoniufque Melampus. 550
§aevit et in lucem Stygiis emifTa tenebris
Pallida Tifiphone, Morbos agit ante Metumque,
653. The ivily luol/.} Obferve thefe circumftances of the
wolves prowling no more, becaufe acrior ilium cura domatf and
the deer v.'andering near the dwellings of men.
- 657. On the Jhores.'\ Virgil, 'tis obferved, e.xprefsly contra-
difts Ariftotle, who afferts, that pellilential difeafes never affedl
fifties.
661. TV aJioniJFd hydraJ] I know not a ftronger image in.
any poet whatever, than this of the ferpents dying with their
fcales ercft and ftifFened : attoniti (which is a moll expreffive
word in this place) fquamis ajlantibus hydri !
The poet brings into his lubjeft the inhabitants of tvtry
element, making as it were all nature afFefted with this dread-
ful plague.
Book 3, The Georoics of Virgil. 339
Yet ne'er choice Maffic wines dcbauch'd their tafte.
Ne'er did they riot in the rich repafl: ;
Their food is leafy browze, and nature's grafs,
Their draught frefh rills that thro' the meadows pafs,
Or torrents ruihing from the rocky fteep j 645
Nor care difturbs their falutary fleep.
Then cars were drawn, while fail'd th' accuftom'd kine.
By ill-pair'd buffaloes, to Juno's ftirine.
And men with harrows toil'd to till the plain,
Ev'n with their nails dug in the golden grain ; 650
The rattling waggon's galling yoke fuftain'd.
And up the rocky fteep laborious ftrain'd.
The wily wolf, no more by hunger bold.
With fecret ftep explores the nightly fold.
Deers herd with hounds, and leave their fylvan feat, 655
And feek with man to find a fafe retreat :
Thick on the fhorcs, like (hip-wreck'd corfes caft, *)
Appear the finny race of ocean vail: ; >
Th' affrighted Phocae to the rivers nafte. _*
His cave no more to fliield the fnake avails; 660
Th' aftonifli'd hydra dies, erefting all his fcales.
Ev'n their own fkics to birds unfaithful prove.
Headlong they fall, and leave their lives above;
Nor change of pafture could relief impart ;
Deftrudlive proves each vain attempt of art : 665
Chiron, Melampus healing herbs, no more.
Fathers of facred medicine explore :
TisiPHONE, from hell let loofe to light.
Before her drives Diseases and Affright;
666. Chiron, Melampus .^ The poet does riot mean that the
plague happened in the days of Chiron and Melampus, but
that the very bail phyficians acknowledged their Ikill ulelefs in
this cafe. Particulars are named tor generals. Lucretius fpeaks
perlonally of the art of phyfic, which has a fine eifeft.
Mujjabat tacito Me D I CI N A iimore.
668. Tiftphone from helL^ The figure of Tifiphone driving
bett/ic her ^ unin of diicaies and lear, is nobly conceived, it
'A i puu
340 P. ViRCiLii Maronis Georgica. Lib. 3.
Inque dies avidum furgens caput altius efFert.
Balatu'pecorum et crebris mugitibus amnes,
Arentefque fonant ripae, collefque fupini. 55^
Jamque catervatim dat ftragem, atque aggerat ipfis
lii ftabulis turpi dilabfa cadavera tabo :
Donee humo tegere, ac fovels abfcondere difcunt.
Nam neque erat coriis ufus : nee vifcera quifquam
Aut undis abolere poteft, aut vinccre Piamma : '560
Nee tondere quidem morbo illuvieque perefa
Vellera, nee telas pofiunt adtingere putris.
Verum etiam invifos fi quis tentarat ami6lus ;
Ardentes papulae, atque inmundus olentia fudor
Membra fequebatur. nee longo deinde moranti 565
Tempore eontadlos facer artus ignis edebat.
puts one in mind of that exalted image in Habakkuk, where
the prophet fpeaking of Jehovah in his wrath, fays, " Before
him went the peftilence." The circumftance of the fury Ti-
/iphone's growing every day larger and larger, is truly ad-
mirable, as it fo juftly alludes to die daily increafe of the
peftilence.
673. The ^withering hanks.'] What can be more pathetic than
the circumftance of the hills perpetually echoing with the
mournful bleatings of the fheep ? &c.
675. She piles.'] That is Tifiphone ; making this Fury the
agent, and continuing to perfonify her.
Book 3. The Georgics of Virgil, 341
Still day by day more huge the fiend appears, 670
Till high to heav'n her horrid head fhe rears :
While lowings loud, and many a mournful bleat.
The withering banks and hanging hills repeat:
At length whole herds to death at once She fweeps.
High in the ftalls fhe piles the loathfome heaps ; 675
Dire fpe6lacle ! till fage experience found
To bury deep the carrion in the ground.
Ufelefs their hides ; nor from the flefh the flame
Could purge the filth, nor llreams the favour tame.
Nor could their (kins fupply the woolly ftore, 680
O'ergrown with fcabs, and ftiff with many a fore :
Wove from fuch fleeces thofe who wore a veft,
Were with foul fweats, and burning fpots opprefs'd ;
Till thro' the limbs difFus'd, th' infatiate flame 684
With dire contagious touch confum'd the putrid frame.
684. TV infatiate fiameSl Some imagine that by facer ignis
an eryfipelas or St. Anthony's fire may be meant. But per-
haps facer may mean accurfed, or direful — auri facra fames —
facer efo. I cannot agree with many critics, that Virgil hath
on the whole excelled his matter Lucretius in his defcrip-
tion of the plague. There are feveral ftrokes of the ftrongefl
painting, and the deepeft pathetic in Lucretius's fixth book ;
which fixth book, by the way, feems but an odd and imperfedt
conclufion of his work.
THE END OF THE THIRD GEORGIC,
%
i
[ 343 ]
BOOK THE FOURTH.
ARGUMENT.
Having treated of many other animals together in the fore^
going book, the poet jeleSls a fmgle creature for the fubjed't
of this, and devotes a whole book to the dcfcription of
the wonderful Lee. It is divided into eight parts. \. Of
a proper fiation for bees. 11. Of their gathering honey ,
their fwarms, and their battles. III. Of two [pecics of
lees. IV. Of their wifdom, civil prudence, governrnent,
and republic. V. Of the time of taking their honey.
VI. Of the difeafes incident to bees, with the figns and
the remedies of fuch difeafes. VII. Of the method of re-
pairing the race cf bees when the whole breed is loj}.
VIII. Of Arifiaus, the author of this method of repair-
ing a flock of bees ; his adventure zvith Proteus ; the rea-
fans Proteus ajfigns to Arifiaus for his lofs, which artfully
introduce the Jlory of Orpheus and Eurydice : with whofe
unhappy fate the poet concludes his confummate work.
^Ar
r 344 ]
p. VPRGILII MARONIS
G E O R G I C A.
LIBER QJJ A R T U S.
PR O T I N U S aerii mellis coeleftia dona
Exfequar. hanc etiam, Maecenas, adfpice partem.
Admiranda tibi levium fpe6lacula rerum,
Magnanimofque duces, totiufque ordine gentis
Mores, et ftudia, et populos, et praelia dicam. 5
In tenui labor : at tenuis non gloria j fi queni
Numina laeya finunt, auditque vqcatus Apollo.
Principio fedes apibus ftatioque petenda.
Quo neque fit ventis aditus, (nam pabula venti
Ferre domum prohibent) neque oves haedique petulci 10
Floribus infultent, aut errans bucijla campq
Ver. I. Honey.'] The poet calls honey aerial and hea'venly,
according to the opinion of the old philofophers, who believed
that it was derived from the dew of heaven. This heavenly
dew they thought was received by the flowers, and thence ga^
thcred by the bees. Every reader of taftc perceives how Virgil
exalts and dignifies thefe wonderful infefts, by afcribing to
them thro' this whole book, the manners, paiiions, and adtions
of men. I have before faid, that the charadkriftic of this
book; is elegance, and of the former, fublimity. Virgil has
borrowed moll: of his obfervations upon bees from Varro, and
Arillotle's treatife of animals. Modern philofophy has cleared
up many miilakes which thefe ancients fell into, with regard
to bees and other animals.
p
..- [ 345 ]
THE
G E O R G I C S
O F
VIRGIL.
BOOK THE FOURTH.
NEXT heavenly honey, and ambrofial dews,
This too Maecenas hear ! my fong purfues j
Great wonders of an infe6l-race imparts,
Their manners, mighty leaders, arms, and arts ;
The fubjecl trivial, but not low the praife, 5
If Heav'n fhould fmile, and Phoebus aid the lays.
Firft for your bees a fhelter'd ftation find,
Impervious to the gufts of rufhing wind ;
Rude blafls permit them not, as wide they roam.
To bring their food and balmy treafures home. 10
To tread the fweets of neighb'ring flow'rs forbid
The fportful lambicin, and exulting kid j
12. Sportful lambkin. "l Which puts me in mind ofthofe fwcet
lines of Euripides, Hippol. Coron. 73.
Om^' »!A&£ ttcj ai^-/i^oq, u-KK ay-vi^uToii
An author (vvhofe meaneft praife is his critical tafle and judg-
ment) inllead of v^nov in the lait verfe, would read jj§t>oj. Mi-
hK^ffo. r/jivo^, the vernal bee.
Jonin on Ecdeliaftical Hifc. 327. •■"' '
346 p. VirgiliiMaronis Georgica. Lib. 4»
Decutiat rorem, et furgentis adterat herbas.
Abiint et pitSli fqualentia terga lacerti
Pinguibus a ftabulis, meropefque, aliaeque volucres ;
Et manibus Procne pectus fignata cruentis. i^
Omnia nam late vaftant, ipfafque volantis
Ore ferunt dulcem nidis inmitibus efcam.
At liquidi fontes et ftagna virentia mufco
Adfmt, et tenuis fugiens per gramina rivus,
Palmaque veflibulum aut ingens oleafter inumbrct. 20
Ut, cum prima novi ducent examina reges
Vera fuo, ludetque favis emifla juventus,
Vicina invitet decedere ripa calori ;
Obviaque hofpitiis teneat frondentibus arbos.
In medium, feu ftabit iners, feu profluet humor, 2$
Tranfverfas falices, et grandia conjice faxa :
Pontlbus ut crebris poffint confiftere, et alas
Pandere ad aeftivom folem ; fi forte morantis
Sparferit, aut praeceps Neptune inmerferit Eurus.
Hacc circum cafiae virides, et olentia late 3©
Serpulla, et graviter fpirantis copia thymbrae
Floreat, inriguumque bibant violaria fontem.
Ipfa autem, feu corticibus tibi futa cavatis,
Seu lento fuerint alvearia vimine texta,
Anguftos habeant aditus. nam frigore mella 35
Cooit hiems, eademque calor liquefatSla remittit.
16. The merops.] Apiajier, or Bee-eater, is fhaped like a king-
fifher. It is abuat the fize of a black-bird. Progne the daugh-
ter of Pandion was earned into a fwallow, which has the fea-
thers of its breaft ftained with red.
23. Palm.] D-. Martyn obferves that the palm-tree is of
feveral forts ; but believes the fpecies cultivated in Italy (and
confequently that meant in this place) to be the date-tree.
27, This cool retreat.] Milton has an expreffion of the hm<f
nature with hofpitiis frondentibus in Com us,
. To lodge
Under the fpreading favour of thefe pines.
30. Willo^s!\ In the original tranjnjerfas falices. Varro
would have a fraall ftreara near the apiary not above 2 or 5
fingers
i
Book 4. The Georgics of Virgil. 34.7
Nor rpringing herbs let roving heifers crufh,
Nor nibbling fheep the morning dew-drops brufh.
Nor fcaly lizards near their walls be found, 15
Nor ravenous birds, nor merops flit around.
Nor Progne, markt her breaft with hands of blood ;
Each wandering infeft they deftroy for food,
Arreft the lab'ring bees, a lufcious prey.
And to th' expedant hungry nefts convey. 20
But near, let fountains fpring, and rivulets pafs, ,
Meand'ring thro' the tufts of mofs and grafs ;
Let fpreading palm before the portal grow.
Or olive wild his fheltering branches throw ;
That when the youthful fwarms come forth to play, 25
Beneath the vernal fun's unclouded ray.
The kings may lead them to this cool retreaf.
Where flow'ry banks invite, and boughs defend from heat.
Haft thou a living rill, or ftagnant lake ?
With willows and huge ftones the waters break ; 30
On which the wanderers fafely may alight.
When rains or winds retard their deftin'd flight;
On which emerging from the waves, may land.
And their wet wings to tepid funs expand.
Let caflia green and thyme flied fweetnefs round, 35
Savoury, and ftrongly-fcented mint abound.
Herbs that the ambient air with fragi-ance fill ;
While beds of violets drink the frefliening rill.
Whether your hive you frame of woven boughs.
Or rear with pliant bark the concave houfe, 40
Strait be its entrance ; left the varying year
Congeal the golden combs with froft fevere.
fingers deep, with feveral Ihells or fmall ftones ftanding a little
above the furface of the water, that the bees may drink.
36. Savoury.^ The thymbra of the ancients is generally
thought, fays Dr. Martyn, to be fome fpecies of fatureia, or
^anjoury. Serpyllum is w/7</ thyme. Cajfia is not ro/emary, as
(ome have fuppofed. 6
24-9 P. ViRGiLii Maronis Georgica. Lib. 4*
Utraque vis apibus pariter metuenda : neque illae
Nequidquam in teflis certatim tenuia cera
Spiramenta linunt, fucoque et floribus oras
Explent, conleftumque haec ipfa ad munera gluten, 4.0
Et vifco et Phrygiae fervant pice lentius Idae.
Saepe etiam efFoffis (11 vera eft fama) latebris
Sub terras fovere larem, penitufque rcpertae
Pumicibufque cavis, exefaeque arboris antro.
Tu tamen e levi rimofa cubilia limo 45
Ungue fovens circum, et raras fuperinjice frondis.
Neu propius te£lis taxum fine, neve rubentis
Ure foco cancros, altae neu crede paludi :
Aut ubi odor coeni gravis, aut ubi concava pulfu
Saxa fonant, vocifque offenfa refultat imago. 50
Quod fupereft, ubi pulfam hiemem fol aureus egit
Sub terras, caelumque aeftiva luce reclufit j
Illae continuo faltus filvafque peragrant,
Purpureofque metunt flores, et fiumina libant
Summa leves. hinc nefcio qua dulcedine laetac 55
Progeniem nidofque fovent : hinc arte recentis
Excudunt ceras, et mella tenacia fingunt.
Hinc ubi jam emiflum cavcis ad fidera caeli
Nare per aeftatem liquidam fufpexeris agmen,
Obfcuramque trahi vento mirabere nubem*; 60
Contemplator : aquas dulcis, et frondea Temper
Tefla petunt. hue tu jufTos adfpcrge lapoes.
56. The red^nittg crahs."] This muft found very odd to mo-
dern readers. The Romans were wont to burn crabs to aflies,
and ufed them as a remedy for fcalds and burns.
61. The poet proceeds to fpeak of the fwarming of bees,
and points out the method of making them fettle.
Book 4'. The Georgics OF Virgil. 34.^
Or melt the mafs in fummer's fcorchlng beams j
Baneful alike to bees are both extremes.
For this, around the chinks, by nature led, 45
Soft wax and flow'rs and fucus thick they fpread :
For this, their ftores with potent glews enrich.
More tough than bird-lime or Idean pitch.
And oft in caverns, as tradition tells.
They fix their bower, and form their fecret cells ; c^
Oft in cleft ftones their hoarded fweets are laid,
Or mofs-green oaken trunks with age decay'd.
Thou too with mud the chinky fides o'erlay.
And thinly ihade them with the leafy fpray.
Nor by their walls let yews unwholefomc grow, cc
Nor let the red'ning crabs in embers glow.
Ne'er truft them near the fen, or ftagnate flood.
Nor rank pernicious ftench of reeking mud.
Nor where the voice from hollow rocks rebounds,
And hill to hill returns the mimic founds. 60
For what remains, when the bright fun hath driv'n
Pale winter down, and op'd the fmiiing heav'n
With cloudlefs luftre, ftrait abroad they rove.
Around each lawn, around each verdant grove.
And fip the purple flowers, and lightly fkim 65
Acrofs the dimpled brook and river's brim :
Hence inexpreflive fondnefs fills their breaft.
For their young progeny and rifing nefl j
With joy their waxen labours they renew,'
Thick'ning to honey their neftareous dew. yo
Burft from their cells if a young troop be feen.
That fails exulting through the blue ferene,
Driv'n by the winds, in clouds condens'd and dark,
Obferve them clofe, the paths they fleer remark ;
They feek frefli fountains, and thick fhady bowers, 75
'Tis then the time to fcatter fragrant flowers.
350 P. ViRGiLii Maronis (jeorgica. Lib. 4.
Trita melifphylla, et cerinthae ignobile gramen :
Tinnitufque cie, et Matris quate cymbala circum.
Ipfae confident medicatis fedibus : ipfae 5^
Intuma more fuo {&{e in cunabula condent.
Sin autem ad pugnam exierint ; (nam faepe duobus
Regibus inceffit magno difcordia motu)
Continuoque animos volgi et trepidantia bello
Corda licet longe praefcifcere : namque morantis 70
Martius ille aeris rauci canor increpat, et vox
Auditur fraftos fonitus imitata tubarum.
Turn trepidae inter fe coeunt, pennifque corufcant,
Spiculaque exacuunt roflris, aptantque lacertos,
Et circa regem atque ipfa ad praetoria denfae 75
Mifcentur, magnifque vocant clamoribus hoftem.
Ergo, ubi ver nadtae fudum campofque patentis,
Erumpunt portis ; concurritur j aethere in alto
Fit fonitus, magnum mixtae glomerantur in orbem,
Praecipitefque cadunt. non denfior aere grando, go
Nee de concufTa tantum pluit ilice glandis.
Ipfi per medias acies, infignibus alis,
Ingentis animos angufto in pe£lore verfaijt.
Ufque adeo obnixi non cedere, dum gravis aut hos,
Aut hos verfa fuga vidor dare terga fubegit. 8^5
77. Cerinth, &c.] Trita melifphylla, et cerinthae ignobile
gramen, fays the original. Dr. Martyn, who is very accurate
and full in explaining the botanical part of the Georgics, fays,
that the firll plant feems to be a contraftion of melTffhphyllon ;
and that the defcription of it agrees very well with the meliJJ'a
or baum, a common herb in the Englifh gardens. Cerinthe
(which is derived from xTjoior, a honey-comb) is the cerinthe fia'vo
Jlore afperior, or yello^w-jloivcrcd honey-ivort. The ftalks are
about the thicknefs of one's finger, round, fmooth, whiteifh,
and divided into fcveral branches. The leaves embrace the
ftalks and branches with their bafes, and diminifh gradually to
a point. They are of a biueilh colour marked with white
fpots, fet on both fides with prickles, and neatly indented.
Dr. Martyn in his quarto edition has given a beautiful print of
the cerinthe finely coloured.
Book 4. The GecSRgics of Virgil. 351;
Bruis'd baum, and vulgar cerinth fpread around.
And ring the tinkling brafs, and facred cymbals found :
They'll fettle on the medicated feats,
And hide them in the chambers' laft retreats. 8d
But if intent on war they feek the foe,
'Twixt two contending kings when difcords glow.
The peoples' troubled minds you foon prefage.
Burning for battle, fwoln with eager rage;
Hark ! a rough clangor calls the hofts to arms, Z$
A voice, like the deep trumpet's hoarfe alarms !
Furious they meet, and brandifhing their wings.
Fit all their claws, and fliarpen all their ftings ;
Around their monarch's high pavilion crowd.
And call the lagging foe with ihoutings loud. qC
Now when a day ferene and bright they gain.
From the vext city rufh both battles main ;
Dire is the conflict, loud refounds the fky,
Clofe in one clufter they contend on high.
And headlong fall, as thick as clattering hail, ^5
Or acorns ftrew, from fhaken oaks, the vale.
The kings fliine glorious 'mid the thickeft war.
And mighty fouls in narrow bofoms bear :
Stedfaft in fight, unknowing how to yield.
Till thefe or thofe forfake the deathful field. 100
78. Cymbals.'] Tinnitufque cie. Sec. This cuftom Is ftill ufed.
Ariftotle mentions it likewife, and queftions whether they hear
or not, and whether it be delight or fear that caufes the bees
to be quieted with fuch noifes. For my own part I believe it
to be of no manner of fervice in this cafe. Martvn.
85. Hoj?s to arms.] This battle is defcribed with as much
fpirit and Itrength, and the fury of the combatants is painted
in terms as bold and majellic, as if it were an engagement
between the greateft heroes. One cannot but obferve how
Virgil exalts his be's by giving them all the warlike appa-
ratus of an army. Such are the expreffions ■
.^erii rauci canor, /picula, and praetcria, magni/que 'vacant
clamoribus hojlgm, per medias acies, erumpunt portis • ■
concurritur.
352; P. ViRGiLii Maronis GeorgicA. Lib. 4*
Hi motus animorum atque haec certamina tanta
Pulveris exigui ja6lu conprefla qiiiefcunt;
Verum ubi du<9:ores acie revocaveris ambo j
Detcrior qui vifus, eum, ne prodigus obfit^
Dede neci : melior vacua fine regnet in aula* g^
Alter erit maculis auro fqualentibus ardens :
(Nam duo funt genera) hie melior, irtfignis et ore^
Et rutilis clarus fquamis : ille horridus alter
Defidia, latamque trahens inglorius alvom.
Ut binae regum facies, ita corpora plebis. ^j*
Namque aliae turpes horrent : ceu pulvere ab alto
Cum venit, et ficco terram fpuit ore viator
Aridus : elucent aliae, et fulgore corufcant
Ardentes auro, et paribus lita corpora guttis*
Haec potior fuboles. hinc caeli tempore certo loa»
Dulcia mella premes : nee tantum dulcia, quantum
Et liquida, et durum bacchi domitura faporem.
At cum incerta volant, caeloque examina ludunt,
Contemnuntque favos, et frigida teda relinquunt ;
Inftabilis animos ludo prohibebis inani. 105
Nee magnus prohibere labor, tu regibus alas
Eripe. non illis quifquam cundlantibus altum
Ire iter, aut caftris audebit vellere fignai
Invitent croceis halantes fioribus hortij
115. Spits from parch' d lips. '\ 'Tis obfervable that this is tht
only low, or droll image, that Virgil hath admitted into the'
Georgics ; fo careful was he of keeping up a dignity and ma-
jefty throughout his poem. Philips in his Cyder, has not
always followed this judicious example: witnefs the following-
paflages, bordering on burlefque.
Alloo thy furious maftiff
Blind bayard rather Add to thefe inftances,
the bag-piper, and the defcription of a fwain eating a beautiful
apple whofe infide is decayed ; whofe furprize, to heighten the
ridicule by a pompous fimile, is compared to an army marching
pv'er flowery meadows under which are caverns filled with gun-
7 powdsr.
Book 4. The Georgics of Virgin.. 25Z
Thefe fierce contentions, this pernicious fray,
A little duft flung upwards will allay.
When now both chiefs have left the doubtful ftrife.
The vanquifh'd wretch muft yield his forfeit life;
Left he confume the ftores, an ufelefs drone ; 105
While uncontroll'd the vicSior mounts the throne.
Two difF'rent kinds of re^^al bees behold !
The better bears a coat tnat glows with gold ;
More delicate proportions grace his frame,
And radiant fcales o'er all his body flame : HO
While in the other, flcdi's foul hues prevail.
Groveling he fcarce his breadth of paunch can trail.
Alike a diiFerent form the people wear,
Thefe fqualid to the fight, and rough appear :
As when the traveller, all fpent with thirfl:, 415
Spits from parch'd lips the frcth-attemper'd dufl:.
The better race refulgent hues unfold,
Bedropt with equal fpots of gliftening gold ;
At ftated feafons, thefe fhall plenteous pour
From their fwoln combs the fweet ne£lareous fhow'r i I2GI
Yet pure as fweet, and potent to difFufe
New flavours mild o'er Bacchus' harfher juicg.»^
But when the fwarms in aether idly play,
.And from their emptied hives uncertain llray;
From the vain fport their giddy minds reftrain; f^
Nor great, to check the fugitives, the pain :
Be it thy care, from thefe high reverenc'd kings.
Conductors of their flight, to clip the wings ;
The troops to march without their leaders fear.
Nor dare the ftandard from the camp to bear. I3O
Let gardens gay, with faffron flowers, invite
The fickle wanderers, and retard their flight :
Sowder. This is more like Cervantes than Virgil : aod in-
eed there is an air of burlefque poetry throughout the whole
• poem of Cyder, much refembling his SptENDio SHiniNcr
Vol. h A a
35+ P. ViRGiLii Maronis Georgica. Lib.' 4,
Et cuftos fururrt atque avium cum falce falio-na no
Hellefpontiaci fervet tutela Priapi.
Ipfe thymum pinofque ferens de montibus altis
Xe6la ferat late circum, cur talia curae:
Ipfe labore manum duro terat : ipfe feracis
Figat hoimo plantas, et amicos inriget imbris. 115
Atque equidcm, extremo ni jam ftib fine laborum
Vela traham, ac terris feftinem iidvertere proram;
Forfitan et, pinguis hortos quae cura colendi
. Ornaret, canerem, biferiqce rofaria Paefti :
Quoque modo patis gauderent intuba rivis j 120
Et virides apio ripae, torfufque per herbam
Crefceret in ventrem cucumis : nee fera comantem
Narcili'um, aut ficxi tacuifTem vimen acanthi,
Pallentifque ederas, et amantis litora myrtos»
Namqufe fub Oebaliae memini me turribus altis, 225
Qiia niger humcftat flaventia culta Galefus,
Corycium vidifle fenem ; cui pauca relifti
Jugera ruris erant : nee fertilis ilia juvencis.
Nee pecori opportuna feges, nee commoda baccho.
Hie ra'rum tamen in dumis olus, albaque circum 130
Lilia, verbenafque premens, vefcumque papaver,
145. Honjo celen'.l Thefe exquifite lines make us wifh the
poet had enlarged upon the fubjeft of gardening. We have
no poem on it but an infipid one of F. Rapin, written in pure
Latin indeed, but with no poetical fpirit, and indeed I think
not comparable to an old fragment of Columella on this fub-
jed. Confidering the many great improvements made in this
fcience, perhaps the garden is the properell and moft fruitful
fubjedl for a didadlic poem of any whatfoever. Efpecially as
this art hath been lately fo much improved by Mr. Kent, who
with great talle hath banifhed the regular, ftrait walks, Dutch
work, and unnatural uniformity formerly fo much admired.
15 I. Once.] Who that reads this, fays Dr. Trapp, defpifes
not the wealth, and pities nol the perfons of all the great ones
. upcin earth ?
lyi. Hereditary JieU.} Some interpreters fay, refid'i ruris
jncans acres of wafte, or negledled land.
158. Lillies.] The oiiginal is, albaque (ircum lilia. The'
the white lilly be the molt common fpecies of that flower,
amons
Book 4» The Gforgics OF Virgil. 355
Safe let them live beneath Priapus' eve,
Whofe hook rapacious birus and robbers fly.
And let the fwain who makes the hive his care, 135
Sweet thyme and pines from the fiecp mountains bear.
Nor fhould himfeif refute, their itraw-built houfe
Far round to lliade with thickly-woven boughs ;
Himfeif fhould plant the fpreading greens, and pour
Thick o'er the thirfting beds the friendly fhow'r. 140
And here, but that I haften to the fhore,
Prepar'd to ftrike my fails, and launch no more j
Perhaps the gardens' culture I might praife.
Teach doubly-fruitful Paeftum's rofe to raife ;
How celeri and endive love to grov/ 145
On verdant banks where gudiin^i; rivulets flow ;
How belt the creeping cucumber may fwell j
Nor daffadil's late bloom would fail to tell j
Acanthus' bending ftalks, nor ivy hoar.
Nor myrtles green, that love the breezy fliore. 150
For once beneath Oebalia's lefty tov/ers.
Where black Galefus thro' rich paf^ures pours,
An old Corycian yeoman I beheld.
Lord of a fmall hereditary field.
Too poor to nourlfh flieep, or fatning kine, 155
The golden corn, or Bacchus' joyous vine j
Yet he thin fallads 'mid the bufny ground.
And vervain planted, end v/hltc lilLcs round ;
among us, yet it was the moft celebrated, and beft knowij
among the ancients. Thus Virgil does not produce the epi-
thet niba in this place, without reafon. In other palTages our
poet has taken care to iniill on the whiter.efs of the liily ; as
in Aen. lib, 12. ,
■ Mixta ruhent ubl lilia multa
/HI- .-r.r^
And Aen. 6.
Candida circiimt
Lilia funduntur,
A a 2
35^ P. ViRGiLii Maronis Georgica, Lib. Sf,
Regum aequabat opes animis ; feraque revertens
Nodle domum dapibus menfas onerabat inemtis.
Primus vere rofam atque au6lumno carpere poma,
Et cum triftis hiems etiamnum frigore faxa 135
Rumperet, et glacie curfus frenaret aquarum^
Ille comam mollis jam turn tondebat acanthi,
Aeftatem increpitans feram Zephyrofque morantis.
Ergo apibus foetis idem atque examine multo
Primus abundare, et fpumantia cogere preffis I4»
Mella favis : illi tiliae, atque uberrima pinus :
Qiiotque in Acre novo pomis fe fertilis arbos
Induerat, totidem au£lumno matura tenebat.
Ille etiam feras in verfum diftulit ulmos,
Eduramque pirum, et fplnos jam pruna ferentis, 145,
Jamque miniftrantem platanum potantibus umbras»
Verum haec ipfe equidem fpatiis exclufus iniquis
Praetereo, atque aliis poft me memoranda relinquo»
^Nunc age, naturas apibus quas Juppiter ipfe
Addidit, expediam : pro qua mercede, canoros I-5#
Curetum fonitus crepitantiaque aera fecutae,
Didtaeo caeli regem pavere fub antro..
//Solae communis gnatos, confortia tciS:*
170. Pines."] Columella obferves that limes are hurtful t»
bees, but mentions the pine as agreeable to them.
175. Planes.'] This relates to the Corycians having the art.
of removing even large trees.
179. Wond^roiis poujjers.] There are many paflages in the
Geor^ic, where Virgil manages his prince's caufe with great
dexterity, and at the fame time fhews an equal regard for the li-
l)erty and intereft of his country; but certainly nothing can
come up to the fourth book, on this head. What wondeiful
knowledge muft that writer have had, who could ranfaclc all
nature to find out a fpecies of infefts whofe conftitution might
be fuppofed to be made up of a republic governed by a mo-
jiarch !
This was one of the principal reafons of Virgil's choofing thar
bees for his finifhing piece ; and this makes hiiu fay to Maece-
xas in his in^trgdu^ioii \s itj
}
}
Book 4. The Georgics of Virgil. ^sj
And late at eve returning home to reft,
His frugal board with unbought dainties bleft, 160
Nor wifti'd to be the richeft monarch's gueft.
When fpring with flowers, with fruits when autumn
He firft could pull the apple, crop the rofe ; [glows.
When winter drear had clove the rocks with cold.
And chain'd in ice the rivers as they roll'd, 165
Ev'n then acanthus' tender leaves he lliear'd.
Slow zephyr blam'd, and a late fummer fear'd.
He the firft fwarms could boaft and pregnant bees.
From the full combs could richeft honey fqueeze :
Tall were his pines and limes, and fruitful all his trees
Whatever buds the bending branches wore, 171
So many fruits in autumn fwell'd his ftore.
He too could high-grown elms tranfplant in rows.
Or harden'd pear-trees from their place tranfpofe.
Or plumbs with all their fruits, or lofty planes 175
That flielter'd with broad fhades the quaffing fwains.
But fince too narrow bounds my fong confine.
To future bards thefe fubjefts I refign.
Now liften while the wond'rous powers I fing.
And genius giv'n to bees by heav'n's almighty king, 180
Whom in the Cretan cave they kindly fed.
By cymbals' found, and clafhing armour led.
They, they alone a general intereft fliare.
Their young committing to the public care j
Admiranda tibi le-vium fpeSlaaua rerum.
You will foon fee to whom the wonders are applicable, whkli
I relate of thefe little creatures. How fine a compliment was
it to the Roman people, and their prince, to Ihew that the bees
had their laws (upon which all their happinefs was founded)
by inipiration from Jupiter, and their prince from the fame
fource ! Benson.
i3o. King.] The poet here infinuates, that Jupiter gave the
bees a degree of reafon, as a reward for their feeding him,
when ail infant, with honey, while he was concealed in a cave
from his father Saturn.
A a 3
35? P. ViRGiLii Maronis Grorgica. Lib. 4. '
Urbis habent, magnifque agitant fub leglbus aevom ;
Et patriam folae, et certos novere penatis : 155
Venturaeque hiemis memorcs aeftate laborem
Experiuntur, ct in medium quaefita reponunt.
Namque aliae vidlu invigilant, et foedere pa6to
Exercentur agris : pars intra iepta domorum
Narcifii lacrimam, et lentum de cortice giuten, 160
Prima favis ponunt fundamina. deinde tenacis
Sufpendunt ceras : aliae fpem gentjs adultos
Educunt foetus : aliae puriliima mclla
Stipant, et iiquido diftendunt necStare cellas.
Sunt, quibus ad portas cecidit cuflodia forti : 165
Inque vicem fpeculantur aquas, ct nubila caeli :
Aut onera accipiunt venientum, aut agmine fa6lo
Iguavom fucos pecus a praefepibus arcent.
Fervit opus, redolentque thymo fragrantia mella^
Ac veluti, ientis Cyclopes fulmina mafiis I70
Cum properant, alii taurinis follibus auras
Accipiunt redduntque, alii ftridcntia tinguunt
Aera lacu : gemit inpofitis incudibus antrum.
198. Intent, and ivatchfid.'\ Vaniere, in his book on the
management of .bees, relates the following extraordinary cir-
cumi'tance, which he fays he takes from M. Maraidi, Hijioire
de V Academie Koyah de Sciences, 16 No'v. i"] iZ. fur les abeilr
les, p. 299.
Exciihias 'uigilum fallens , impune penates
Cum fejnel introjjet limax cornutus, cofque
*Turparet fluid ae crajfo Icntore Jali-vae ;
Ohjiupuere domi gerulutn, ftiniulifque frcquentes,
Itivajerc fcro rctrahentem corpus ab iclu,
Seque fuae --vallo tejlae, Jputnijque tegentcm ;
Irrito-jatn cum tela forent ; apis ad-uocat artes
Ingeniofa fuas ; et cerae prodiga ictam
Incrujlat cochleam ; monjlrum fatale recondens
Hoc 'veluti tumulo, ne tetru?n affiaret cdorcm.
Praedii RulHci, lib. 14. p. 257.
This Js an inftance, if it be true, of more aflonilhing fagacity
than any mentioned by Virgil.
205. Cyclops.'] Pope obferves with fre tafte on thispaflage:
** That the ufe of the grand ftyle en little lubjcds, is hot
only
Book 4. The Georgics of Virgil. ^59
And all concurring to the conjmon caufe, 185
Live in fixt cities under fettled laws :
Of winter mindful and inclement fkies.
In fummer hoard, for all the ftate, fupplies :
Alternate fome provide the nation's food,
And fearch it o'er each foreft, field, and flood : 100
Some for the comb's foundations gather glew.
And temper gums witli dafFadil's rich dew;
Then with nice art the waxen arches bend.
Or with neilareous fweets the fret-work celjs diftend.
Commifilion'd fome, th' important office bear, 105
To form the youth, the nation's hope, with care j
Some, by joint compact, at the city's gate
Intent, and watchful of heav'n's changes, wait,
Examine ev'ry motion of the fkies,
What xliow'rs approach, what ftorms or winds arife ;
Or eafe the burden'd lab'rers limbs, or drive 201
The drones, a race of fluggards, from the hive j
The crowded dome with toil intenfely glows,
And from the breathing fweets a blended fragrance flows.
As when Jove's bolts to frame, the Cyclops fweat, 205 1
The rough and ftubborn ore fubdue with heat, >
While chiming hammers in juft order beat ; j
only ludicrous, but a fort of tranfgreffion agalnft the rules of
proportion and mechanics : I believe, now I am upon this
head, it will be found a juft obfervation, that the iow actions
of life cannot be put into a figurative llyle without being ridicu-*
lous, but things natural can. Metaphors raife the iac^r-r into
dignity, as we fee in the Georgics ; but throw the fonwir into
ridicule, as in the Lutrin. I think this may be very wr-il ac-'
counted for; laughter implies cenfure ; inanimate and ir-
rational beings are not objefts of cenfure ; therefore thefe may
be elevated as much as you pleafe, and no ridicule toliows : but
when rational beings are reprefented above their real character,
it becomes ridiculous in art, becaufe it is vicious in n-iorality.
The bees in Virgil, were they rational beings, would i»e ridi-
culous, by having their aftions reprefented on a, lev^i with
creatures fo fuperior as men ; fince it would imply foliy or
pride, which are the proper objefls of ridicule."
Pope, Poltfcript to the OdyiTey,
A a 4
/
360 p. ViRGiXii Maronis Georgica. Lib. 4.
Illi inter kfe magna vi brachia tollunt
In numerum, verfantque tenaci forcipe ferrum. 175
Non aliter, fi parva licet conponere magnis,
Cecropias innatus apes amor urguet habendi,
Munere quamque fuo. grandaevis oppida curae,
Et munire favos, et daedala fingere tetSta.
At fefTae multa referunt fe noite minores, 18*
Crura thymo plenae ; pafcuntur et arbuta pafllm,
Et glaucas falices, cafiamque, -crocumque rubentem
,Et pinguem tiliam, et ferrugineos hyacinthos.
Omnibus una quies operum, labor omnibus unus.
Mane niunt portis ; nufquam mora, rurfus eafdejn 185
Vefper ubi e paftu tandem decedere campis
Admonuit, turn te<Sa petunt, turn corpora curant.
Fit fonitus, mufiantque oras et limina circum.
Poft, ubi jam thalamis fe conpofuere, filetur
In no6lem, fefTofque fopor fuus occupat artuy 1^9
Nee vero a flabulis pluvia inpendcnte recedunt
Longius, aut credunt caelo adventantibus euris .
Sed circum tutae fub moenibus urbis aquantur,
Excurfufque brevis tentant, et faepe lapillos,
Ut cymbae inftabiles flu6lu jaftante faburram, 195
Tollunt : bis kfe per inania nubila librant.
Ilium adeo placuifle apibus mirabcre morem,
Quod ncque concubitu indulgent, ncc corpora fegnes
In venerein folvont, aut foetus nixibus edunt :
Vcrum ipfae e foliis gnatos et fuavibus herbis 200
256. EnfeebUKg joys of lo^ie-l Vaniere, who received new
lights on- this fubject fiom the obrcrvations of modern philo-
iophers, defcribes the queen laying her eggs in the following
hianner :
Explorans paritura toros regina paratos ',
Injerit clcelis caput, ut quae nixibus edet,
Vnis onj a parens reponat f,ngula nidis.
CirarnJIat Jlipaia cohors, uteroque dolentem
F-egir.am mulcet pennis ; et miirmure blando
lioriaiur duros partus tolerare labores.
Jlla r;tro gradic7is, aver/o ccrpore nidos.,
IngreJitur j par lent em abdtt fexangula cera\
9 Turld
Book 4» The Georgics OF Virgil. 361
Some turn the weighty mafs with griping tongs,
While others heave the puffing bellows' lungs.
Or the red bars in hiffing water lave, 2iO
Deep Aetna groans below, thro' many an echoing cave^;
No lefs (fmall things with greater to compare)
Toil the Cecropian bees with ceafelefs care ;
£ach knows his tafk : the old their towns attend.
Shape their nice cells, their daedal works defend j 2x5
But late at evening thofe of youthful prime
Return fatigu'd, their thighs furcharg'd with thyme 5
They prey on arbutes, willow buds devour,
Sweet caflia, and the fafFron's glowing flower;
From fruitful limes fip rich mellifluous dew, 220
And fuck foft hyacinths of purple hue.
^11 reft together, all together toil :
At morn they rufh abroad, the flow'rs to fpoil ;
When twilio-ht evenine; warms them to their hoa
With weary wings and heavy thighs they come,
And crowd about the gate, and mix a drowfy hum.
At laft, into their inmoft chambers creep.
And filent lie diflblv'd in balmy fleep.
When Eurus blows, or gathering winds impend.
The fkies they truft not, nor their flights extend ; 23a
But drink of ftreams that flow their city nigh,
Work near the walls, and fbort excurfions try ;
Poize their light bodies like a ballanc'd boat.
With fands, as through tempeftuous air they float.
But chief, this circumftance may wonder move, 235
That none indulge th' enfeebling joys of love.
None pangs of child-birth feel, but leaves among.
And fragrant flow'rs, they gather all their young i
^urba minijira, tamen fennas limina ten/as
Explicate obducens faetae quaji 'vela parenti,
Virginibm tantum pudor atqiie modejiia cordi eji.
Praedii Rullici, lib. 14. pag. 260.
237. FeeLI The modem philofophers are much better ac-
quainted with the nature of infers, than were Arillotle or
Theophraftus,
)me, 1
?, 225 >
lum. J
362 p. ViRGiLii Maronis Georgj*ca. Lib. 4/
Ore legunt : ipfae regem parvofque Quirites
Sul?iciunt, aulafque, et cerea regna refingunt.
Theophraftus, from whom Virgil borrowed largely in his ac--
count of bees. They affert and prove that no animal (nay no
plant) iS produced without a concurrence of the two iVxeSjand
that confequently equivocal generation is an idle and moft
groundlefs opinion. See Rcdi de in/e£Iis, and the works of
Linnasus. With regard to the generation of bees, I Ih.TlI pre-
fent the reader with a large but entertaining extrafi from a
French author lately publifhed. The matter of tne treatife is
taken from the works of the learned Mr. Maraldi, and Mr.
de Reaumur, and is flung into a fprightly dialogue.
It begins with a general view of the hive. The glafs hive
reprefents a city of fixteen or eighteen thoufand inhabitants.
This city is a monarchy, conlifling of a queen, of g'- mdees,
foldiers, artizans, porters, houfes, ftreets, gates, magazines,
and a mofl ftrift civil policy. The queen dwells in a palace in
the inner part of the city ; fome of the ceils (which run per-
pendicular from the top of the hive) are larger than the reft,
and belong to thofe, who after the queen, hold the iirll rank
in the commonwealth ; the others are inhabited by the com-
mon people. The cells are all publick buildings, which be-,
long to the fociety in common ; for among this people there is
no meum nor tuum. Some cells are clofe magazines for a itore
of honey ; others for the daily nourilhment of the labouring
bees ; others are deftin'd to receive eggs, and to lodge the
worm from which the young bee fprings.
In the hive there is ufually but one queen, fix or eight hun-f
dred, or even a thoufand males called drones, and from fif-
teen to fixteen thoufand, or upwards, of bees without fex, who
carry on the whole policy and manufadure of the hive. The
mother-bee, or the queen-mother, is the foul of the commu-
nity, and but for her, every thing would languifh ; when fhe
is fccreted from the hive, the other bees lofe all care of pof-
terity, and make neither honey nor wax, fo that the city foon
becomes defolate and empty. The reft of the bees pay her
the moft dutiful refpeft, and follow her wherever ftie goes, or
is carried from home. Her fubjefts perform their feveral func-
tions without any inftruftions, and without giving her the leaft
trouble. Her only bufmefs is to people the hive ; and this fhe
fulfils fo perfedlly, as well to deferve the moft honourable of
all political titles, that of Parent cf her country. To merit the
love of her fubjefts, 'tis neceffary fhe fbould produce from ten
to twelve thoufand children in the fpace of feven weeks, and
one year with another, frcfm thirty to forty thoufand. She is
eafily diftinguifh'd from the other bees, by the form of her
body, which is longer and llenderer. Her wings are fliorter,
in
. .• • ' ^
Book 4« The Georgics OF Virgil. . 363.
Hence their great king and citizens create,
And build their waxen realms, and courts of ftate. 240
in proportion to her length : in the other bees, they cover the
whole body ; in her they terminate about half wav, at the
third ring of her trunk. She has, like the reii, a iling and
bladder of poifon ; but is with much more difficulty provoked
to ufe them ; though when Ihe does, the wound is larger and
much more painful.
The drones, or the thoufand hufbands of this lingle queen,
are found in the hive only from the beginning cf May to the
end of July. Their number increafes every day during that
fpace of time, and is greacell when the queen is breeding ;
in a few days after which period they die a violent death.
Their way of living is very different from the reft : for except-
ing the iingle moment when they pay their duty to the queen,
they are quite idle, and enjoy a moft luxurious fare ; beino-
fed caly with the fineft honey, whereas the common bees live
in a grer.t meafure upon wax. Thefe go out early in the
morning, and don't return till they are loaded with honey and
wax, for the good of the fociety. The drones, on the con-
trary, don't go abroad till about eleven o'clock to take the
air, and return pundually about fix at nieht. They have no
iHngs, nor thofe long elallic teeth wih which the other bees
work up the honey ; nor ihofe kind 01 hollows, which ferve
them for bafkets to bring it home to the hive. The other
bees, or the mo.mifaSlureri (as we may call them) have an infi-
nite number of irrange parcicularicies about them, of which
we can only impart a few to the reader.
Their head feems triangular, and the point of the triangle
is formed by the meeting of two long elaftic teeth, which are
concave on the innde. In the fecond and third pair of their
legs, is a part called the brufh, of a fquare figure, v/ith its
outward farface polifh'd and fleek, and its inward hairy, like
a common brufh. With t'aefe two inuruments they prepare
their wax and honey. The materials of their wax lie in the
form of dull, upon the lamina of nowers. When the bee
would gather this dull, (he enters into the flower, and takes it
up by means of her brulh, to which it eafily adheres. She
comes out all covered with it, fometimes yello.v, fbmetlmes
red, or according to the native colour of the duft. If this dull
be inclofed in the Capjulae of a flower, fhe pierces the Ca^/u/ae,
with her long moveable teeth, and then liie gathers it. When
it is quite loaded v/ith dult, fhe rubs herfelf to cclleft it, and
rolls it up in a little mafs. Sometimes ihe performs this part
of her bufinefs by the way ; fometimes fhe ftays till fhe comes
to the hive. As foon as it is formed into a ball about the fize
of a grain of pepper, fhe lodges it in her bafket, and returns
home with a joy proportionable to the quantity fhe brings. Ths
honey of the bees is found in the fame place with the wax. It
is lodged in little refervoirs, placed at the bottom of theiiovvcr.
5
564 P' ViRGlLII MaRONIS GEORGrCA, Lib. 4,
Saepe etiam duris errando in cotibus alas
Adtrivere, ultroque animam fub fafce dedere.
Tantus amor florum, et generandi gloria mellis. 205
Ergo ipfas quamvis angufti terminus aevi
Excipiat : (neque enim plus feptima ducitur aeftas)
At genus inmortale manet, multofque per annos
Stat Fcrtuna domus, et avi numerantur avorum.
Praeterea regem non fic Aegyptos, et ingens aiiS»'
Lydia, nee populi Parthorum, aut Medus Hydafpes
Obfervant. /rege incolumi mens omnibus una eft :
Amiflb rupere fidem j conftrudtaque mella
Dirlpuere ipfae, et crates folvere favorum.
Ille operum cuftos : ilium admirantur, et omnes 215
Circumftant fremitu denfo, ftipantque frequcntes ;
Et faepe adtoUunt humeris, et corpora bello
Objc£tant, pulchramque petunt per volnera mortem.
His quidam fignis atque haec exempla fecuti,
Effe apibus partem divinae mentis, et hauftus 22«
Aetherios dixere. deum namque ire per omnis
Terrafque, tra6lufque maris, caelumque profundum.
Jiinc pecudes, armenta, viros, genus omne ferarum,
.Q^iemque fibi tenuis nafcentem arceffere vitas.
Scilicet hue reddi deinde ac refoluta referri 325
Omnia : nee morti effe locum, fed viva volarc
Sideris in numerum, atque alto fuccedcre caclaf
Si quando fedem auguftam fcrvataque melia
Tiiefauris reiines ; prius hauftu iparfus aquarum
Ora fove, fumofque manu praetende fequacis. 230
Bis gravidos cogunt foetus, duo tempora mcfTis,
Taygete fimul os ttrris oftendit honedum
Plias, et Oceani fprctos pcde repulit^an^nis :
241. Rugged rocks. "[ Thefe lines in the original arc certainly
ttiifplaced ; they feein to come in more properly, fays Martyn^
■after ver. 196 of che original. 1 am indebted for this obfer-
vation to the learned Sir Daniel Moiyneux, Bart. F. R. S.
272. Taygete.'] Virgil in fpeaking of the riling of
Pleiades, fpeaks of them in the finguiar number, and th?
Jbnally.
Taygete Jtmul os l err is ojlsndtt honejlam
Pfeias
/
I
Book 4. The Georgics of Virgil. 36J
On rugged rocks, oft as abroad they f.y
They tear their wings, fink with their loads and die j
Such love of fiovv'rs inflames their little hearts,
5So great their glorv in thefe matchlefs arts;
Tho' feven fhort years are to one race decreed, 245
Still they continue an exhauftlefs breed,
From age to age increafe, and lires to fires fucceed.
Lydians, nor Medes, fo much their king adore.
Nor thofe on Nilus' or Hydafpes' fliore :
The ftate united ftands, while he remains, 2^9
But fhould he fall, what dire confufion reigns !
Their waxen combs, and honey late their joy.
With grief and rage diftrafled, they deftroy :
He guards the works, with awe they him furround.
And crowd about him with triumphant found ; 255
Him frequent on their duteous fhoulders bear.
Bleed, fall, and die for him in glorious war.
Led by fuch wonders, fages have opin'd.
That bees have portions of an heavenly mind :
That God pervades, and like one common foul, 26«.
Fills, feeds, and animates the v/orld's great whole ;
That flocks, herds, beafts, and men from him receive
Their vital breath, in him all move and live ;
That fouls difcerpt from him fhall never die.
But back refolv'd to God and heaven fliall fly, 265
And live for ever in the ftarry Iky.
When of its fweets the dome thou would'ft deprive,
Diffufe v/arm-fpirted water thro' the hive.
Or noxious fmoke thro' all their dwellino-s drive.
Twice the fv/eet artifts plenteous honey make, 27a
Thou twice each year th' ambrofial treafures take j
Firft when Taygete fliews her beauteous head,
Difdaining Ocean's melancholy bed ;
'Tis probable, that on the ancient globes this was a diftinft
conftellation from Taurus, and reprefented by one of the
fillers only, that named by Virgil. Aratus and Eratofthenes
both fpeak of it as diHinct from Taurus j and the latcer calls it
f:;»,*,,, and not W^tiahi. Spence.
I
}
366 p. ViRGiLii Maronis Georgica. Lib. 4.
Aut eadem fidus fugiens ubi Fife is aquofi
Triftior hibernas caelo defcendit in undas. . 235
Illis ira modum fupra eft, laefaeque venenum
Morfibus infpirant, et fpicula caeca relinquuiit
Adflxae venis, animafque in volnera ponunt.
Sin duram metues hiemem, parcefque future,
Contufofque animos, et res miferabere fradlas j 240
At fufEre thymo, cerafque recidere inanis
Quis dubitet ? nam faepe favos ignotus adedit
Stellio, lucifugis congefta cubilia blattis :
Inmunifque fedens aliena ad pabula fucus,
Aut afper crabro inparibus fe inmifcuit armis ; 245
Aut dirum tineae genus, aut invifa Minervae
Laxos in foribus fufpendit aranea cafles.
Quo magis exhauftae fuerint, hoc acrius omnes
Incumbent generis lapfi farcire ruinas,
Conplebuntque fores, et floribus horrea texent. 250
Si vero (quoniam cafus apibus quoque noftros
Vita tulit) trifti languebunt corpora morbo.
Quod jam non dubiis poteris cognofcere fignis ;
Continuo eft aegris alius color : horrida voltum
Deformat macies : turn corpora luce carentum 255
Exportant tedlis, ac triftia funera ducunt :
Aut illae pedibus connexae ad limina pendent,
Aut intus claufis cun6lantur in aedibus omnes,
Ignavaeque fame et contrafto frigore pigrae.
Turn fonus auditur gravior, traftimque fufurrant . 260
Frigidus ut quondam filvis inmurmurat aufter :
Ut mare^tfollicitum ftridit refluentibus undis j
Aeftuat ut claufis rapidus fornacibus ignis.
279. Die upon.] It is faid to be a vulgar error, that bees
lofe their lives with their flings.
■ 280. Whiter.l He now proceeds regularly to tell us, how to
manage chofe hives in which the honey is left for fupporting
the bees chrough the winter, and likewife enumerates the par-
ticular vermin, and plagues that infell them.
Book 4. The Geokcics of Virgil. 367
And when with fudden flight the ftfti fhe leaves,
Defcending penfive to the wintry waves. 275
Fierce rage and choler in their bofoms glow.
With venoni'd flings they dart upon their foe.
Their fubtle poifon creeps the veins around.
In fweet revenge they die upon the wound.
iBut if in winter bleak, their broken ftate, 280
And drooping fpirits you commilerate,
Who doubts, regardful of the pinching time.
To fumigate their hives with fragrant thyme.
And pare their empty wax ? The lizard lurks.
Or flow-pac'd beetle in their inmoft works, 285
Or oft their golden hoards ttie fat drones. fpoil,
A race that riots on another's toil ;
Or the fierce hornet, founding dire alarms.
Provokes the lab'rers to unequal arms ;
Or baneful moths, or fhe whom Pallas hates, 29O
Sufpends her lilmy nets before their gates.
The more they lofe, the more with ceafelefs care.
They flrive the flate's deftru6lion to repair j
Their plundered wealth and wafled combs renew.
And fwell their granaries with thicken'd dew. 295
But when, as human ills defcend to bees.
The pining nation labours with difeafe ;
Chang'd is their glittering hue to ghaftly pale,
Roughnefs and leannefs o'er their limbs prevail j
Forth the dead citizens with grief are borne, 3OO
In folemn ftate the fad attendants mourn.
Clung by the feet they hang the live-long day
Around the door, or in their chambers flay.
Hunger and cold and grief their toils delay,
'Tis then in hoarfer tones their hums refound, 305
Like hollov/ winds the ruftling foreft round.
Or billows breaking on a diftant fhore j
Or flames in furnaces that inly roar.
I
358 P. ViRGiLii Maronis Georgica. Lib. 4,
Hie jam galbanecs fuadebo incendere odores,
Mellaque arundineis inferre canalibus, ultro 26<
Hortantem, et feflas ad pabula nota vocantem.
Proderit et tunfum gallat admifcere faporem,
Arentifque rofas, aut iL,ni pinguia multo
Defruta, vel Pfythia pafTos de vite racemos,
Cecropiumque thynium, et grave olentia centaurea. 27(1
Eft etiam flos in pratis, cui nomen amello
Fecere agricolae, facilis quaerentibus herba,
Namque uno ingentem toUit de cefpite filvam.
Aureus ipfe : fed in foliis, quae plurima circura
y'unduntur, violae fublucct purpura nigrae» 27^
Saepe deum nexis ornatae torquibus arae.
Afper in ore fapor. tonfis in vallibus ilium
Paftores, et curva legunt prope flumina Mellae.
Hujus odorato radices incoque baccho,
Pabulaque in foribus plenis adpone caniftris. 280
Sed fi quem proles fubito defecerit omnis,
JMec, genus unde novae ftirpis revocetur, habebit 5
Tempus et Arcadii memoranda inventa magiftri
.Pandere, quoque modo caefis jam faepe juvencis
Infincerus apes tulerit cruor. altius omnem 28^
Expediam prima repetens ab origine famam.
Nam qua Pellaei gens fortunata Canopi
Adcolit efFufo ftagnantem flumine Nilum,
Et circum pidtis vehitur fua rura fafelis ;
Quaque pharetratae vicinia Perfidis urget, 2g9
Et viridem Aegyptum nigra fecundat arena,
Et diverfa fuens feptem difcurrit in ora
Ufque coloratis amnis devexus ab Indis :
326. Butjhsuld.'] The poet having already fpoken of the
ways of driving noxious animals from the bees, and of the
method of curing their difeafes ; now proceeds to defcribe the
manner after which the total lofs of them may be repaired ;
which, he tells us, was praftifed by the Egyptian?. Martyn.
333. CaT2opus.] The commentators are divided about the
meaning of thefe four verfes. Dr. Martyn takes Virgil to
mean only a defcription of the Delta or lower Egypt. Canopu»
is the well angle of chat triangular region ; Pelufium is the eaft
angle, being neareil to Perfia ; and the fouth angle is the point
^ where
;i5|
fiook 4. The Georgics of Virgil. 369
Galbanean odours here I fhall advife ;
And thro' a reed to pour the fweet fupplies 310
Of golden honey, to invite the tafte
Of the fick nation, to their known repaft :
Bruis'd galls, dry'd rofes, thyme and centuary join.
And raifins ripen'd on the Pfithian vine.
Befides, in meads the plant Amellus grows.
And from one root thick ftalks profufely throws.
Which ealily the wand'ring fimpler knows :
Its top a flow'r of golden hue difplays.
Its leaves are edg'd with violet-tinilur'd rays j
Rough is the tafte ; round many an holy fhrine o^^
The facred priefts its beauteous foliage twine :
This, where meand'ring Mella laves the plains.
Or in the new-fhorn valley, feek the fwains j
Its roots infufe in wine, and at their door
In bafkets hang the medicated ftore. 32J
But fhould your ftock decay thro* dire difeaftf.
Nor hope remain new families to raife,
Hear the ftrange fecret I fhall now impart,
The great Arcadian mafter's matchlefs art ;
An art to reproduce th' exhaufted ftore
From a flain bullock's putrifying gore J
I'll to its diftant fource the wond'rous tale explore.
Where happy the Canopian nation dwells.
Where Nile with genial inundation fwells.
Where fwains, the meadows while he largely floats, 335
Around his paftures glide in painted boats,
From tawny India while he rolls his tides.
And into feven huge mouths his ftream divides.
And preffing clofe on quiver'd Perfia's clime
Green Egypt fattens with prolific flime : 34O
where the Nile is divided to form the Delta, A. The circum-
fiance,
Circum pi^is njehitur fua rura phafelis,
is a very agreeable pifture of that country, which during the
inundation of the Nile refembles a vaft level lake.
340. Green Egypt.] The Nile is the great^ft wonder of Egypt.
Vqi.. I. Bb A9
330")
/-
370 P. ViRGiLii Maronis Georgica. Lib. J^i
Omnis in hac certam regio jacit arte falutem.
Exiguus primum, atque ipfos contraftus ad ufus 295
Eligitur locus, hunc anguftique imbrice te6ti
Parietibufque premunt aitis, et quatuor addunt,
Qiiatuor a ventis obliqua luce feneftras.
Turn vitulus, bima curvans jam cornua fronte,
Quaeritur : hulc geminae nares, et fpiritus oris 3OO
Malta relu6tanti obftruitur, plagifque peremto
Tunfa per integram folvuntur vifcera pellem.
Sic pofitum in claufo linquunt, et ramea coftis
Subjiciunt fragmenta, thymum, cafiafque recentis.
Hoc geritur, zephyris primum inpellentibus undas, 305
Ante novis rubeant quam prata coloribus, ante
Garrula quam ti^nis nidum fufpendat hirundo.
As it feldom rains there, this river, which waters the whole
country by its regular inundations, fupplies that defeft, by
bringing, as a yearly tribute, the rains of the other countries ;
which made a poet fay ingenioufly, the Egyptian paltures, how
great foever the drought may be, never implore Jupiter for
rain.
T'e propter nullos telliis tua pojlulat imbres,
Arida ne( plwvio fupplicat her ha Jovi.
Tibull. B. I. 7. 25.
To multiply fo beneficent a river, Egypt was cut into num-
berlefs canals, of a length and breadth proportioned to the
different fituation and wants of the lands : the Nile brought
fertilicy every where v/ith its falutary ftreams ; united cities one
with another, and the Mediterranean with the Red Sea ; main-
tained trade at home and abroad, and fortified the kingdom
ao-ainft the enemy ; fo that it was at once the nourifher and
proteftor of Egypt, The fields were delivered up to it ; but
the cities that were raifed with immenfe labour, and flood like
iflands in the midft of the waters, look down with joy on the
plains which were overflowed, and at the fame time enriched
by the Nile.
This is a general idea of the nature and effei^s of this river,
{b famous among the ancients.
There cannot be a finer fight than it affords at two feafons of
the year. For if a man afcends fome mountain, or one of the
largelt pyramids of Grand Cairo, in the months of July and
Auguft, he beholds a vaft fea, in which numberlefs towns and
villages appear, with feverai caufeys leading from place to
place^
jfeodk 4* The Georgics of Virgil. 371'
Thefe fwalns, when grows extln6l their honied race.
Sure hope and refuge in this pra<Sice place.
Firfl for the work they choofe a narrow ground.
With ftreigthen'd walls and roof embrac'd around :
Fronting the winds four windows addj to ftrike 34^
Athwart the twilight fpace their beams oblique :
Then feek in prime of youth a lufty fleer,
Whofe forehead crooked horns begins to wear ;
His mouth and noftrils ftop, the gates of breath.
And buffet the indignant beafl to death j 350
Till the bruis'd bowels burft with many a flroke.
But flill th' external fkin remains unbroke ;
Then leave him dead ; his putrid limbs below.
Green twigs and thyme, and recent caffia ftrew*
Be this perform'd when zephyr's balmy breeze ^SS
Firft curls the furface of the fmiling feas.
Ere bloom the meads in crimfon veflure drefl^
Ere fwallows twitter o'er the new-built neft*
place, the whole interfperfed with groves and fruit-trees, whofe
tops are only vifible, all which forms a delightful profpeft.
This view is bounded by mountains and woods, which termi-
nate, at the utmoft diftance the eye can difcover, the molt
beautiful horizon that can be imagined. On the contrary, in
winter, that is to fay, in the months of January and February,
the whole country is like one continued fcene of beautiful
meadows, whofe verdure enamelled with flowers charms the eye.
The fpeftator beholds, on every fide, flocks and herds dif-
perfed over all the plains, with infinite numbers of hulband-
men and gardeners. The air is then perfumed by the great
quantity of bloffoms on the orange, lemon, and other trees ;
and is fo pure, that a wholfomer and more agreeable is not
found in the world : fo that nature, being then dead, as ic
were, in all other climates, feems to be alive only for Co de-
lightful an abode.
Rollin's Ancient Hiftory, page 13, 8vo, 17490
355. Zephyrls prirmim in the original.] This little defcription
of the fpring diverfifies the fubjeft, and enlivens the drynefs of
the preceding paragraph.
B b 2
37^ P* ViRGiLii Maronis Georgi'ca. Lib. 4.
Interea teneris tepefaftus in oflibus humor
Aeiluat, et vifenda modis animalia miris,
Trunca pedum primo» mox et ftridentia pennis 310
Mifcentur, tenuem magis ac magis aera carpunt :
Donee, ut aeftivis effufus nubibus imber,
Erupere ; aut ut, nervo pulfante fagittae.
Prima leves ineunt fi quando proelia Parthi.
Quis deus banc, Mufae, quis nobis extudit artera ? 315
Unde nova ingrefi'us hominum experientia cepit ?
Pallor Arifcaeus fugiens Penei'a Tempe,
Amiffis (ut fama) apibus morboque fameque,
Triftis ad extrerrii facrum caput adftitit amnis,
Multa querens, atque hac adfatus voce parentem : 320
Mater Cyrene, mater, quae gurgitis hujus
Ima tenes, quid me praeclara ftirpe deorum,
(Si mode, quein perhibes, pater eft Thymbraeus Apollo)
Invifuni fatis genuifti ? quo tibi noftri
Pulfus amor? quid me caelum fperare jubebas ? 325
En edam hunc ipfum vitae mortalis honorem.
Quern mihi vix frugum et pecudum cuftodia Toilers
Omnia tentanti extuderat, te matre, relinquo.
Quin age, et ipfa manu felices erue filvas :
Fer ftabulis inimicum ignem, atque interfice meflis : 33O
Ure fata, et validam in vitis molire bipennem ;
Tanta meae ft te ceperunt taedia laudis.
At mater fonitum thalamo fub fluminis alti
360. Begin to boil.'] Nothing can be exprelTed in a- livelier
manner, than this generation of the bees-;
Interea teneris tefefaSlus in ejjthus humsr.
Such lines as thefe on a low and indeed a grofs fubjeft, fhew
Virgil's command of language-; the two fimiles at the end add
an ornament and an elegance likewife to the paflage. It muft
be obfcrved, that infefts cannot be generated by putrefadion ;
carcafes are only a proper nidus and receptacle for their young:
and therefore the female parent choofes there to lay her eggs,
that the warmth of the fermenting juices may help to hatch;
them. See Rsui de Infedis..
Book 4- The Georcics OF Virgil. 373
The tainted juices, in this prifon pent.
Begin to boil, and thro' the bones ferment ; 360
A wond'rous fwarm ftrait from the carcafe crawls.
Of feetlefs and unfinifti'd animals ;
Anon their infant buzzing wings they try.
And more and more attempt the boundlefs Iky :
At laft embody'd from their birth-place pour, 365
Thick as from copious clouds a fummer-fhow'r.
Or flight of arrows, when with twanging bows.
The Parthians in fierce onfet gall their foes.
What God, ye nine, this art difclos'd to man,
Say whence this great experiment began ? 370
Sad Ariftaeus from fweet Tempe fled.
His bees with famine and difeafes dead,
And at the fpring of facred Peneus' flood.
Thus plaining to his fea-green parent flood.
Mother, Cyrene ! mother, you who keep 375
Your wat'ry court beneath this cryftal deep.
Why did you bear me of a race divine.
Yet ftain with forrows my celeftial line ?
If Phoebus be my fire, as you relate.
Why am I doom'd the fport of angry Fate ? 380
How have I loft, O hov/ ! your former love ?
Why did you bid me hope to rife to heav'n above ?
Lo ! all I gain'd, by cattle, fields and corn,
(Thofe works which heft this mortal ftate adorn)
The fruits of toil and thought intenfe are loft, 385
Tho' for my mother I a goddefs boaft !
Come then, with your own hand uproot my groves.
My ftalls and ftables burn, infecl my droves.
My harvefts murder, cut each blooming vine.
Since at my rifmg honours you repine. 390
His wondering mother heard the mournful found,
Liow in the chambers of the v/aves profound,
Bb ^
374- P* ViRGiLii Maronis Georgica. Lib. 4.
Senfit. earn circum Milefia vellera Nymphae
Carpebant, hyali faturo fucata colore : 33^
Drymoque, Xanthoque, Ligeaque, Phyllidoceque,
Caefariem effufae nitidam per Candida colla :
Nefaee, Spioque, Thaliaque, Cymodoceque,
Cydippeque, et flava Lycorias ; altera virgo,
Altera turn primos Lucinae experta labores j 349
Clioque et Beroe foror, Oceanitides ambae,
Ambae auro, piiStis incin^lae pellibus ambae j
Aique Ephyrc, atque Opis, et Afia Dciopea j
Et tandem nofitis velcx Arethufa fao-ittis.
Quas inter curas Clymene narrabat inanes 345
Volcani, Martifque dolos, et dulcia furta :
Aquc Chao dcnfos divom enumerabat amores.
Carmine quo captae, fufis dum moilia pcnfa
Devolvont, iterum maternas inpulit auris
Lu61:us Ariftaei, vitrejfque fedilibus omnes 350
Obilupuere : fed ante alias Arethufa forores
Profpiciens, fumma flavom caput extulit unda.
Et procul : O gemitu non fruftra exterrita tanto,
Cyrene foror ; ipfe tibi tua maxima cura
Tfiflis Ariflaeus Penei genitoris ad undam oec
Stat lacrim-ans, et te crudelem nomine dicit,
Kuic percufla nova mentem formidine mater,
Due age, due ad nos ; fas ilii limina divom
Tangere, ait: fimul alta jubet difcedere late
395. Ligea, Xantho.'\ There are but eighteen nymphs men-.
tioned by Virgil in this account of Gyrene's grotro; including
Clymene and Cyrene herfelf ; of which paifage Mr. Dryden
fays. The poet here records the names of fifty river nymphs,
and for once I have tranfiated them all.
PoT,YMHi iSj page 316. note 46,
406. Vul:an''s fruiilefs cares."] Some of the graver critics make
an bbfervation, which the ladies muft needs think unjull; and
fatyrical. When Dido gives a feaft to Aeneas, her phyfician
lopas entertains the company, which were chiefly compofed of
men and ftrangers, with a fong on a philofophical fubjedl. But,
fay they, whue Virgil introduces a nyirph finging to her
jiiillrefs Cyrene, and to her fellow virgins, flie defcribes to
ihen^
}
Book 4. The Georgics of Virgil. 375
The nymphs around her plac'd, their fpindles ply'd.
And fpun Milefian wool, in verdure deeply dy'd.
Ligea, Xantho, Drymo, Spio, fair ; 395
Thalia, and Phyllodoce, whofe hair
Wav'd o'er their fnowy (houlders in the air ;
Nefaea, Ephyre, with Opis, thee !
And, her that calms the waves, Cymmodoce ;
The yellow maid, Lycorias, and the bride aqq
Cydippe, who Lucina's pangs had try'd ;
Clio, and Beroe, fea-born both, behold.
Both clad in fpotted (kins and radiant gold ;
Deiope, and Arethufe, the chafte.
No more intent to pierce the flying beaft. 405
There Clymene fung Vulcan's fruitlefs cares.
The lufcious thefts, and foft deceits of Mars j
And how from Chaos 'old, all-mighty Love
Had fill'd the bofom of each god above.
While thus they toil'd, enchanted* with the ftrajn, 4 10
His voice alarm'd his niother's ears again j
The liftening fifters heard unufual groans
Amaz'd, and ftarted from their cryftal thrones :
But Arethufe firft heav'd her beauteous head
Above the waves ; and, O Cyrene, faid, 415
Well might'ft thou fear thefe echoing founds of woe,
Thefe forrows from thy Ariftaeus flow ;
Thy darling care mourns by thy father's flood.
And calls thee cruel, and complains aloud.
Pitying the youth, the fear-ftruck mother faid, 420
My fon, O quickly, quickly hither lead.
To him 'tis given the courts of Gods to tread.
them the loves of Mars and Venus ; the duidufurta were the
fubjedl that Iweetened their labours at the loom. The poet
hints at the topics which employ the converfation of the ladies
when they are alone by thcmlelves. The commentators, who
jjiake fuch unfair refledions, mull doubtlels be a let of ili-bred,
abufive fellows, that know very little of the world, and lefs of
the ladies.
Bb 4
376 P' ViRGiLii Maronis Georgica. Lib. 4,
Flumina, qua juvenis grelTus inferret. at ilium 36«
Curvata in mentis faciem circumftetit unda,
Accepitque finu vafto, mifitque fub amnem.
Jamque domum mirans genetricis, et humida regna,
Speluncifque lacus claufos, lucofque fonantisj
Ibat, et ingenti motu ftupefa6lus aquarqm, 365
Omnia fub magna labentia flumina terra
SpesSlabat diyerfa locis, Phafinque, Lycumque,
Et caput, unde altus primum fe erumpit Enipeus,
Unde pater Tiberinus, et unde Avwns. fluenta,
Saxofufque fonans Hypanis, Mviurque Caicus, 37»
Et gemina auratus taurine cornua voltu
Eridanus : quo non alius per pinguia culta
423. Ri'vers.] The defcent of Ariftaeus into the earth, is
founded on an ancient fuperltition of the Egyptians. Servius
tt^Jls us, that on certain days facred to he Nile, boys born of
holy parents, were delivered to the rymphs by the priefts ;
who, when they were grown up, and returiicd back, reported,
that there were groves under the earth, and an immenfe water
containing all things, and from whence every thing is pro-
created.
452. Deep.] This is one of the moft fublime pafTages in Vir-
gil. Nothing can llrike the imagination more ftrongly, than
to conceive a perfon entering the bowels of the earth, and at
once hearing and feeing the mcft celebrated rivers in the world
burfting forth from their fevera] fources. The rough and hor-
rible fcer.es of rocks, caves, and waters which Ariflaeus pafles
through, are at lafi finely foftened by the kind reception he
meets with from his mother, and the graceful appearance of
the nymphs fpinning and finging the loves of the Gods. Fra-
caftorius has a defcent into the earth in fearch of metals, where,
no doubt, he had Virgil in his eye-; and in which he has been
followed by Dr. Garth, in the Difpenfary.
43 8. Eridanus — the Po,'\ This paflage cannot be better ex-
plained than by quoting the following words from Mr. Spence,
in liis Polymetis ;
" But there is another thing in it, with which I am not yet
fatiiiied: and that is, Virgil's calling t!ie Po here, the moft
violent of all rivers. I know one of the ivioft celv'brati.d and
moft ingenious writers of our age has tn'ieavoured to foften
this, by underftanding it only of the rivers in Icaiy. But (not
to enquire at all whether the Po be really the moil \ioient of
all the rivers in Italy) how can Virgil be underflood of the
rivers
Book 4- The Georgigs OF Virgil. 377
At once {he bids the fwelling rivers cleave,
Th' obedient floods an ample entrance leave ;
Down thro' the deeps he goes, on either hand 425
The congregated waves like mountains ftand.
Now wondering at the wat'ry realms he went.
At dafhing lakes in hollow caverns pent.
His mother's palace, and the founding woods.
And deaPning roar of fubterraneous floods. 430
Amaz'd he faw, this fpacious globe below.
Deep in its bed each mighty river flow,
Phafis, and Lycus, and the fruitful head, [fpread;
Whence burft Enipeus' ftreams, whence father Tiber's
Whence Hypanis, that fwiftly-pouring roars 435
With thundering billows on his rocky fliores ;
Whence Anio's and Caicus' copious urns.
Whence bull-fac'd Po adorn'd with gilded horns,
rivers of one country only, where he is exprefsly fpeaking of
all the rivers of the world t and of one common point, from
whence all their fources were anciently fuppofed to be de-
rived ?
" I am not quite clear as to that exprefilon, replied Polymetis:
but to anfwer you as far as I can, I muft give you the opinion
of a man whom you both know ; and whofe name I need not
mention to you, when I have told you it is the perfon who un-
jierftands Virgil in a more mafterly manner, than perhaps any
one in this age. It is his opinion, (with all that modefty, with
which he generally oiFers his opinions) that the difficulty you
mention may poffibly be got over, by the expreffion joined with
it ; per pinguia culta. The molt violent rivers in the world are
fuch as run, or fall, through a chain of mountains ; and (not
to fpeak of any of the Apennine rivers, or rather torrents, in
Italy itfelf ) the Ifar which we crofs fo often in the two or three
laft days journey before vv^e enter Italy, is (in all that part of
its courfe) much more violent and more dillurbed than the
Po : but the Po, you know, very foon after its fource, flows on
thro' the vale of Piedmont, and afterwards traverfes all the
rich vale of Lombardy, Thefe are the pinguia adta whicji
Virgil fpeaks of: almoft the whole courfe of the Po is through
fuch rich low ground : and perhaps there may not be any river
in the world, which has almoft ail its courfe through fo fat and
rich a foil, which is fo violent as the Po is.'-'
Polymetis, Dial, 14. p. 232,
378 p. ViROim Maronis Georgica. Lib. 4.
In mare purpureum violentior effluit amnis. •
Poftquam eft in thalami pendentia pumice tefta
Perventum, et gnati fletus cognovit inanis 375
Cyrene j manibus liquidos dant ordine fontis
Germanae, tonfifque ferunt mantelia villis.
Pars epulis onerant menfas, et plena reponunt
Pocula. Panchaeis adolefcunt ignibus arae.
Et mater. Cape Maeonii carchefia bacchi : 383
Oceano libemus, ^it. fimul ipfa precatur
Oceanumque patrem rerum Nymphafque forores.
Centum quae filvas, centum quae flumina fervant,
Ter liquido ardentem perfudit neftare Veftam ;
Ter flamma ad fummum tefti fubjedta reluxit. - 385
Omine quo firmans animum, fie incipit ipfa :
Eft in Carpathio Neptuni gurgite vates
Caeruleus Proteus, magnum qui pifcibus aequor
Et jundlo bipedum curru metitur equorum.
Hie nunc Emathiae portus patriamque revifit 3^©
Pallenen. hunc et Nymphae veneramur, et ipfe
Grandaevus Nereus. novit namque omnia vates,
. Quae fint, quae fuerint, quae mox ventura trahantur.
Quippe ita Neptuno vifum eft : inmania cujus
Armenta, et turpis pafcit fub gurgite phocas. 395
Hie tibi, gnate, prius vinclis capiundus, ut omnem
Expediat morbi caufTam, eventufque fecundet.
Nam fine vi non ulla dabit praecepta, neque ilium
Orando vinces : vim duram et vincula capto
Tende. dgli circum haec demum frangentur inanes. 400
454. An hundred gro'ves,'] I follow the fenfe given to this
pallage in the Arcadia del Sannazaro, Pro/a 10.
459. Proteus. '[ This fable of Froteus is imitated by Virgil,
from the fourth book of the OdyfTey ; where Menelaus is ient
to confult the fame deity, by the advice and affillance of his
own daughter Eidochea.
Book 4« The Georgics OF Virgil. 379
Than whom no river, thro' fuch level meads
Down to the fea with fwifter torrents fpeeds. 440
Now to the vaulted chamber was he come.
Where hanging pumice form'd an aweful dome;
When fond Cyrene afk'd him of his woe.
And whence thofe bitter tears began to flow.
The fiflers, water from the pureft fpring, 445
And towels foft, with hafte officious bring j
Prepare full bowls, and heap up choiceft meats ;
The altars blaze with rich Arabian fweets.
Of Lydian wine, flie cry'd, thefe goblets take.
To Ocean let us due libations make ; 450
At once to Ocean old, in ritual lays.
Parent of all things, fhe devoutly prays ;
And to the fifter nymphs, whofe gentle fway
An hundred groves, an hundred ftreams obey j
Thrice o'er the fire the liquid necSlar throws, 455
Thrice to the fhining roof the flames arofe.
She thus, with that aufpicious omen fir'd;
In the Carpathian gulf there dwells retir'd
The prophet Proteus ; o'er the wat'ry way,
Whofe car the finny, two-legg'd fteeds convey : 460
Now to his diftant country he reforts,
Emathia feeking, and Paliene's ports ;
The fea-nymphs this caerulean feer adore.
And him reveres ev'n hallow'd Nereus hoar ;
All things he knows, tho' hid in time's dark womb, 465
What is, what long is paft, and what fhall come;
So Neptune will'd j whofe monftrous herds he keeps.
Of fqualid calves, beneath the rolling deeps.
Him muft thou chain, and force him to difclofe
The caufe and cure of thy diftradting woes. 470
Nought he'll unfold, except the god thou bind.
Nor prayers, nor tears can move his ftedfaft mind,
With force and chains, my fon, his limbs furround,
Thefc can alone his treach'rous wileg confound.
3^6 P. ViRGlLII MaRONIS GEORGiCA. Lib. 4>
Ipfa ego te, medios cum fol accenderit aeftus.
Cum fitiunt herbae, et pecori jam gratior umbra eft.
In fecreta fenis ducam, quo feflus ab undis
Se recipit; facile ut fomno adgrediare jacentem,
Verum ubi conreptum manibus vinclifqufi tenebis j 405
Turn variae eludent fpecies atque ora ferarum.
Fiet enim fubito fus horridus, atraque tigris,
Squamofufque draco, et fulva cervice leaena :
Aut acrem flammae fonitum dabit, atque ita vinclis
Excidet, aut in aquas tenues dilabfus abibit. 410
Sed quanto ille magis formas fe vertet in omnis,
Tanto, gnate, magis contende tenacia vincla :
Donee talis erit mutato corpore, qualera
Videris, incepto tegeret cum lumina fomno.
Haec ait, et liquidum ambrofiae difFundit odorem : 415
Quo totum gnati corpus perduxit. at illi
Dulcis conpofitis fpiravit crinibus aura,
Atque habilis membris venit vigor, eft fpecus ingens
Exell latere in mentis, quo plurima vento
Cogitur, inque finus fcindit fefe unda redu<5los } 42O
Deprenfis olim ftatio tutiflima nautis.
Intus fe vafti Proteus tegit objice faxi.
Hie juvenera jn latebris averfura a lumine Nympha
Conlocat : ipfa procul nebulis obfcura refiftit.
Jam rapidus, torrens fitientis, Sirius, Indos 42?
Ardebat ; caelo et medium fol igneus orbem
Hauferat. arebant herbae, et cava flumina ficcis
Faucibus ad limum radii tepefacta coquebant :
Cum Proteus confueta petens e fludlibus antra
494. Deep in the mountain."] The reader may compare this
defcription of the cave of Proteus, with the following one ia
Spenfer.
His bovvre is in the bottcme of the maine.
Under a mighty rock, gainft which do rave
The roring billows in their proud difdaine ;
That, with the angry working of the wave.
Therein
3
Book 4. The Georcics of ViRoitv 3^1
When the parch'd herbage fades with mid-day heat, 475
And fainting cattle to cool fhades retreat,
Myfelf will lead thee to the clofe abode.
Where flretcht in flumber, thou may'ft feize the god,
Inftant he'll try, elufive of the rape.
The varied force of every favage fhapej 480
Become a briftly boar, or tyger fell.
Or like a fcaly bloated dragon fwell ;
Like a gaunt lion fhake a tawny mane.
Or in loud crackling fire efcape thy chain ;
Or while thou clofely grafp'ft thy fraudful prey, 485
Chang'd to a flowing ftream glide fwift away.
Yet ftill retentive with redoubled might.
Thro' each vain fleeting form confl:rain his flight ;
Till the fame fhape, all changes pafl:, appear.
That ere the fenlor flept, thou faw'fl him wear. 490
She fpoke, and o'er him rich ambrofia fhed.
With liquid odours bath'd his breathing head.
And thro' his glowing limbs celeftial vigour fpread.
Deep in the mountain lies a fpacious cave.
Worn by the workings of the refl:lefs wave, 405
Whither vaft waters drive before the wind.
And Ihatter'd fhips commodious flielter find.
There, far within a grot, old Proteus dwells.
And draws a vafl: rock o'er his fecret cells.
She plac'd her fon beneath the darkfome roof, 500
Herfelf, involv'd in clouds, retires aloof.
Now rabid Sirius fcorcht the gafping plains.
And burnt intenfe the panting Indian fwains ;
In his 'mid courfe the fun all fiery flood,
Parcht was the grafs ; the rivers bak'd to mud ; 505
When Proteus, weary of the waters, fought
The cool retirement of his 'cuftomM grott j
Therein is eaten out an hollow cave.
That feemes rough mafons hand with engines keene
Had long while laboured it to engrave.
F. 0^3. C. 8. S. 37-
}
382 p. ViRGiLii Maronis Georgica. Lib. 4*
Ifeat. eum vafti circum gens humida ponti A?a
Exfultans rorem late difperglt amarum.
Sternunt fe fomno diverfae in litore phoeae.-
Ipfe, velut ftabuli cuftos in montibus olim,
Vefper ubi e paftu vitulos ad tecSta reducit,
Auditifque lupos acuunt balatibus agni, 43^
Confidit fcopulo medius, numerumque recenfet :
Cujus Ariftaeo quoniam eft oblata facultas j
Vix defefla fenem paflus conponere mrembray
Cum clamore ruit magno, ipanicifque jaeenteni
Occupat. ille fuae contra non inmemor artis, 440
Omnia transformat fefe in miracula rerum,
Ignemque, horribilemque feram, fluviumque liquentemr
Verum, ubi nulla fugam reperit pellacia, villus
In fefe redit, atque hominis tandem ore locutus :
I^am quis te, juvenum confidentiffime, noftras 44«
JufTit adire domos ? quidve hinc petis ? inquit. at ille ;
Scis, Proteu, fcis ipfe : neque eft te fallere cuiquam.
Sed tu define velle. deum praecepta fecuti
Venimus hinc labfis quaefitum oracula rebus.
'Pantum effatus, ad haec vates vi denique multa 450
Ardentis oculos intorfit lumine glauco,
Et graviter frendens, fie fatis ora refolvit :
Non te nullius exercent numinis irae.
Magna luis conmifl^a : tibi has miferabilis Orpheus
Haudquaqu^n ob meritum poenas, ni fata refiftant, 455,
Sufcitat J et rapta graviter pro conjuge faevit.
509. Spray.] The circumftance of thefe monfters fcattering
the fpray of the fea- about them, greatly enlivens this beautiful
fea-piece.
512. Like a pea/ant.] Virgil has imitated Homer fo nicely in
his adventure with Proteus, that he has not forgot this fimile
of the fhephefd, in his copy. Lujxfs acuunt is wonderfully ex*
preffive, and Ihort.
Book 4. The Georoics of Virgil* ;jf J
The finny race exulting round him play.
And in wild gambols dafli the bitter fpray ;
The fcaly phocae, funk in fleep profound, <JI0
Along the fhore their guardian god furround ;
He (like a peafant fkill'd the herds to keep,
When evening homeward warns the calves and (heep.
When hungry wolves, with pleafure liftening, hear.
And mark for prey, the lambs that bleat from far) 515
With watchful eyes, high-feated on a rock.
Reviews and counts the numbers of his flock.
The lucky youth with this occafion bleft,
Juft as the feer compos'd his limbs to reft,
Rufli'd on him with a mighty threatening found, 520
And faft, the weary, flumbering fenior bound.
He, every various art diflembling tries.
And many a monfter's direful fliape belies ;
Roars horrid like a prowling favage, glows
Like crackling fire, or like a river flows ; 52C
But when no fraud could further his efcape.
He fpoke, return'd to human voice and fhape :
Rafh youth ! who bade thee to my court repair
With impious boldnefs ? what thou feek'ft, declare !
O Proteus ! well thou know'ft the caufe, he cry'd, 530
Nought from thy piercing eyes, can mortals hide i
Obedient to the Gods, I feek to know
What fate decrees, and how to heal my woe.
The prophet, while his bofom boil'd with ire.
And while his green eyes (hot indignant fire, 535
Gnaftiing his teeth, with fury in his look,
Compell'd, at length, the fates difclofing, fpoke j
Thou fufFer'ft for atrocious crimes j on thee
Falls the juft vengeance of a deity j
Unhappy Orpheus on thy guilt hath fent, 54*
And more doft thou deferve, this puniftiment ;
And more (halt feel, unlefs by fate deny'd.
For ftill he rages for his murder'd bride.
j§4 P. ViRGiLii Marowis Georcica. Lib. 4,
Ilia quidem, dum ce fugeret per Humina praeceps,
Inraanem ante pedes hydrum moritura puelia
Sefvantem ripas alta non vidit in herba.
At chorus aequalis Dryadum clamore fupremos 460
Inplerunt montis. flerunt Rhodopeiae arces,
Altaque Pangaea, et Rhefi Mavortia tellus,
Acque Getae, atque Hebrus, ct Adlias Orithyia.
Ipfe cava folans aegrum teiludine amorem,
Te, dulcis conjux, tc foio in litore fecum, 465
Te veniente die, te decedente canebat.
Taenarias etiam fauces, alta oftia Ditis,
Et caligantem nigra formidine lucunx
IngrefluSj Manifque adiit, regemque tremendum,
Nefciaque humanis precibus manfuefcere corda. 470
At cantu conmotae Erebi dc fcdibus imis
Umbrae ibant tenues, fimulacraque luce carentum :
548. But ivith loudjkricks.'] Virgil does not at length de-
fcribe the ferpents iHnging and killing Eurydice. This from
the pen of a lower genius, would have taken up twenty lines.
He contents himfelf with faying — alta non 'vidit herba ; and
adds immediately.
At chorus aequalis Dryadum.
554. To thee.] There are few things In the ancient poetry
more moving than the ftory of Orpheus and Eurydice. It hath
acquired new beauties by falling into the hands of the tender
and paflionale Virgil ; and is told by him in fo melting a llrain,
that fome of the touches he hath given it can hardly be read
witliout tears. When we are wrought up to fuch a temper,
it naturally leads us to compaffionate the hard fate of the un-
happy lovers ; and we begin to feel fome indignation at the
captious condition, upon which he was to poffefs his beauty,
or lofe her for ever : not to look at his loved Eurydice. Ar-
bitrary and capricious ! unbefitting the juil brother of Jove,
and unlike the bounties of a divine, unenvious nature : unlefs
indeed there be fomething elfe underftood than appears : fome
truth in life or morals that lies latent under this circumllance of
the tale.
The great and unhappy Lord Verulam, who was fenfible of
the incongruity, has^given an explication of the fable; but
feems not to have hit upon the real meaning. yV'hat he fays is
entertaining
Book 4. The Georgics of ViRcit. 385 ^
She from thy arms, by headlong fear mifled.
Swift o'er the river's verdant margin fled j 545
Nor at her feet the fated maid defcry'd
The dreadful fnalce that kept its graHy fide.
But with loud fhrieks her fifter-dryads moan'd^
And high Pangaea's utmoft mountains groan'd j
Their cries to Rhodope and Thrace were borne, 550
The Getae, Hebrus, Orithyia mourn.
He on the defart (hore all lonely griev'd,
And with his concave ftiell his love-fick heart reliev'd ;
To thee, fweet wife, ftill pour'd the piteous lay,
Thee, fung at dawning, thee at clofing day ! ^cs
Ev'n hell's wide jaws he ventur'd to explore,
Deep gates of Dis, and Death's tremendous fhore;
Down to the Manes went, and chearlefs plains, [reigns >
The grove where horror frowns, and hell's dread monarch
Obdurate hearts ! to whom unmov'd by woes 560
Pray'rs plead in vain, and forrow ufelefs flows.
Struck with his fong, from Erebus profound.
Light flitting ghofts, and fpirits flock'd around ;
entertaining and beautiful : for he was a fpirit of that high
order that go ingenioufly wrong, and who cannot err withouc
inftruftion. But I incline to think that the moral of the fidtion
is rather to be learned at an ordinary mufic-meeting, or an un-
meaning opera, than, where his lordfhip diredils us, in the re-
cefies of an abftrufe philofophy.
Orpheus's miftrefs was mufic. The powers of it are en-
chanting. It lulls the reafon, and raifes the fancy in fo agree-
able a manner, that we forget ourfelves while it lafts. The
mind turns diflblute and gay, and hugs itfelf in all the deluding
profpedls and fond wilhes of a golden dream. Whilft every
accent is warbled over by a charming voice, a filly fong ap-
pears found morality, and the very words of the opera pals for
fenfe, in prefence of their accompagnement. But no foonep
does the mulic ceafe, than the charm is undone, and the fan-
cies difappear. The firft fober look we take of it breaks the
fpell ; and we are hurried back with feme regret to the com-
mon dull road of life, when the florid illufion is vanilh'd.
Blackwell's enquiry concerning the life and writings of
Homer, Seft. 11,
Vol. I. C c
386 p. ViRGiLii Maronis Georgica. Lib. 4^i
Quam multa in foliis avium fe millia condunt,
Vefper ubi, aut hibernus agit de montibus imber :
Matres, atque viri, defun£taque corpora vita 475
Magnrnimum heroum, pueri, innuptaeque puellae,
Inpofitique regis juvenes ante era parentum,
Quos circum limus niger, et deformis arundo
Cocyti, tardaque palus inamabilis unda
Adligat, et novies Styx interfufa coercet. 480
Quin ipfae {lupuere domus, atque intuma LethI
T-artara, caeruleofque inplexae crinibus anguis
Eumenides, tenuitque iiihians tria Cerberus ora,
Atque Ixionii vento rota conftitit orbis.
Jainque pedcm rcferens cafus evaferat omnis, 485
Redditaque Eurydice fuperas veniebat ad auras.
Pone feiquens ; namque banc dederat Proferpina legem :
Cum fubita incautum dementia cepit aniantem,
lo-nofcenda quidem, fcirent fi ignofcere Manes.
Reftitit, Eurydicenque fuam jam luce fub ipfa 490
Inmemor, heu, vittufque aninii refpexit. ibi omnis
EfFufus labor, atque inmitis rupta tyranni
Foedera, terque fragor ftagnis auditus Avernis.
Ilia, Quis et me, inquit, mileram, et te pcrdidit, Orpheu ?
Quis tantus furor r en iterum crudelia retro 495
Fata vocant, conditquc natantia lumina fomnus.
1^85. Hejiopt—ancicajl.'] The philofophic goddefs of Boethius
having related the llory of Orpheus, v/ho, when he had reco-
vered his wife from the dominions of death, loft her again by
lookinp- back upon her in the conhnes of light, concludes with
a very elegant and forcible application ; Whoever you are that
endeavour to elevate your mind to the illuminations of Hea-
ven, confider yourfelves as reprefented in this fable ; for he
that is once fo f;ir overcome, as to turn back his eye towards
the infernal caverns, lofes, at the iirft fight, ail that influence
that attracted him on high.
P''os haec fabula refpicit,
^^ticunque in juperum diem,
Me7iteiH duccre quaerilis.
Narn qui turtareum infpecus,
^ nauf
}
■Book 4. The Georgics of ViRoit^ jS'^
Thick as the birds to leafy groves defcend^
When evening clouds, or wintry ftorms impend ; 565
Mothers and huftands, heroes' av/eful fliades,
Sweet infant boys, and pure unmarried maids.
Youths -whofe fond parents faw their bloom expire.
And forrowing plac'd them on the funeral pyre j
Whom black Cocytus' fallen waters bound, 570
Foul fhores of mud with reeds unfightly crown'd,
And the nine ftreams of winding Styx furround ;
Ev'n thefe dread manfions liften'd with amaze ;
With awe, death's deepeft dungeons heard his lays;
Struck were the fnak;;- crown'd Furies ; Cerberus {hews
His jaws wide-gaping, yet in ail to clofe j 576
A pc.ufe of reft the fad Ixion found.
His wheel ftopt fudden at the powerful found.
And now at length no farther toil remain'd,
The upper air Eurydice regain'd, 5^*^
Behind fhe came, fo Proferpine ordain'd :
When ftrait a frenzy the fond lover caught,
(Could' Hell forgive, 'twas fure a venial fault)
Ev'n on life's confines, impotent of mind.
He ftopt, alas ! and caft one look behind. 585
Fell Pluto's terms he broke ! his hopes were loft !
A groan thrice echoed o'er Avernus' coaft.
Ah ! who deftroys us both, ftie fadly cry'd.
What madnefs, Orpheus, tears thee from thy bride ?
The cruel fates force me again away ! 59O
My fwimming eyes no more difcern the day j
ViBus lumina fiexerlt ,
^dcquid praecipuum trahit,
Ferdtt, dum -videt inferos. The Rambler, No. 178.
587. Thnce echoed. 1 .T er pie fr agar fiagnis auditus
A-vernis, fays the original very finely. A certain difmal and
liollow found was heard through the vaults of hell, borne
imagine, biit I think groundlelsly, that it was the Ihout of
gholts rejoicing for Eurydice's return. Surely the other lenie
is far the more poetical and more forcibly imagined,
C C 2
1
388 p. ViRGiLii Maronis Georgica. Lib. 4,
Jamque vale, feror ingenti circumdata nocle,
Invalidafque tibi tendens, heu non tua, palmas.
Dixit, et ex oculis fubito, ceu fumus in auras
Conmixtus tenuis, fugit diverfa : neque ilium, 500
Prenfantem nequidquam umbras, et multa volentem
Dicere praeterea, vidit : nee portitor Orel
Amplius obje^tam paflus tranfire paludem.
Quid faceret ? quo fe rapta bis conjuge ferret ?
Quo fletu Manis, qua numina voce moveret? 50c
Ilia quidem Stygia nabat jam frigida cymba.
Septem ilium totos perhibent ex ordine menfis
Rupe fub aeria deferti ad Strymonis undam
Fleffe fibi, et gelidis haec evolvifle fub aftris,
Mulcentem tigris, et agentem carmine quercus. 510
Qualis populea maerens philomela fub umbra
Amiflbs queritur foetus ; quos durus arator
Obfervans nido inplumis detraxit : at ilia
Flet no(Stem, ramoque fedens miferabile carmen
Integrat, et maeftis late loca queflibus inplet. 515.
Nulla Venus, nullique animum nexere hymenaei.
Solus Hyperboreas giacies, Tanai'nque nivalem,
Arvaque Rhipaeis numquam viduata pruinis
Luftrabat, rapram Eurydicen atque inrita Ditis
Dona querens. fpretae Ciconum quo muncre matres, 520
Inter facra deum, nocSturnique orgia Bacchi,
Difcerptum latos juvenem fparfere per agros.
Turn quoque marmorea caput a cervice revolfum,
Gurgitc cum medio portans Oeagrius Hcbrus
610. As Philomel.'\ Is not Proteus too great a poet in this
flmile i Buc the lines are fome of the molt exquifice in Virgil.
To heighten the pathetic, the birds are not only inplumis, but
taken from the neft. Nor are they fingly taken, but dragged
out of the nelt ; to which they clung back : which is Itrongly
implied by the word detraxit. The \tr{Q. cannot be read with-
out laying a particular emphafis on this word, as well as on
durus.
Book 4. The Georgics of Virgil. 389
Adieu ! no longer muft thou blefs my fight
I go ! I fink ! involv'd in thickcft night !
In vain I ftretch my feeble arms to join
Thy fond embrace ; ah ! now no longer thine ! 595
Swift from his ardent gaze, while thus {he fpoke.
She vanifh'd into air, like fubtile fmoke,
And left him catching at her empty ghoft,
Defiring much to fay, in fpeechlefs forrow loft :
The rigid ferryman of hell no more 600
Would deign to waft him to the gloomy fhore :
What fliould he do ? where turn ? how feek relief ?
Twice loft his confort, how appeafe his grief ?
How move the Manes, with what doleful note ?
She fail'd, already cold, in Charon's boat. 605
For feven long months, by defart Strymon's fide.
Beneath a lofty rock, he mourn'd his bride.
And ftretcht in gelid caverns, with his fong
Made tygers tame, and drew hard oaks along.
As Philomel in poplar fliades, alone, 610
For her loft ofFspring pours a mother's moan.
Which fome rough ploughman marking for his prey.
From the warm neft, unfledg'd, hath dragg'd away ;
Percht on a bough, ftie all night long complains,
And fills the grove with fad repeated ftrains. $15
No fecond fair, no nuptial rites could move,
Nought foften his diftraited mind to love :
The Hyperborean ice he wander'd o'er.
And folitary roam'd round Tanais' Ihore,
And Scythia's defarts of eternal froft, 62O
Lamenting his loft bride, and Pluto's favours loft.
The Thracian dames enrag'd to be defpis'd,
At Bacchus' midnight feafts they folemniz'd,
Infpir'd with frantic fury feiz'd the fwain.
And ftrew'd his mangled carcafe o'er the plain : 625
His pale head from his ivory fhoulders torn,
Adown Oeagrian Hebrus' tide was borne 3
C c 3
39® P- ViRGiLii Maronis Georcica. Lib. 4»^
Volveret, Eurydiccn vox ipfa et frigida lingua, 525,
Ah miferam Lurydicen anima fugiente vocabat :
Eurydicen toto referebant fiumine ripae,
Haec Proteus, et fe jactu dedit aequor in altum.
Quaque dedit, fpumantem undam fub vertice torfit..
At non Cyrene : namque ultro adfata timentem : 53d
Nate, licet triftis animo deponere curas.
Haec omnis morbi cauffa : hinc miferabile Nymphae,
Cum quibus ilia choros lucis agitabat in altis,
Exitium mifcre apibus. tu munera fupplex
Tende petens pacem, et faciles venerare Napaeas. 535
Namque dabunt veniam votis, irafque remittent,
3ed, modus orandi qui fit, prius cjdine dicam,
Quatuor eximios praeftanti corpore tauros.
Qui tibi nunc viridis depafcunt fumma Lycaei,
Delige, et intadla totidem ceryice juvencas. 540'
Quatuor his aras alta ad delubra dearum
Conftitue, ct facrum jugulis dcmitte cruorem :
Corporaque ipfa bourn frondofo defere luco.
Poft, ubi nona fuos Aurora oftenderit ortus,
Inferias Orphi Lethaea papavera mittes, 545
Placatam Eurydicen vitula venerabere caefa,
Et nigram ma6tabis oyem, lucumque revifes.
Haud mora : continuo matris praecepta faceffit :
Ad delubra venit ; mionftratas excitat aras ;
Quatuor eximios praeftanti corpore tauros 550
Ducit, ct intada totidem ceryice juvencas.
633. He /poke. 1 Though the epifode of Orpheus and Eu-
rydice be fb admirable in itfelf, tliat we thank the poet for
having introduced it at any rate ; yet, after all, is it not iHtch'd
in a iitde inartificially ? Is it to be conceived that. Proteus,
yvho, being made a prifoner, and fppaking by conftraint, is
in no very good humour, fliould tell this long ftory (which is
not very mi.cerial to the point neither) to entertain Ariftaeus,
y/ho' h'ls oifercd that violence to him ? Was it net enough to
inform him, that his misfortune was occafioned by Eurydice's
death, without telling all thcfc clrcurnrianccs confcquenc of
it ? Perhaps it may be reply 'd, that it is more ipaterial to the-
point
}
Book 4. The Georgics of Virgil. 391
As in the rapid waves it roll'd along,
Ev'n then with faultering voice and feeble tongue.
To name his poor Eurydice he try'd, 630
Eurydice, with parting breath he cry'd,
Eurydice ! the rocks and echoing fliores reply'd.
He fpoke ; and 'mid the waves his body hurl'd.
About his head the foaming waters curl'd.
Not fo Cyrene ; to aflvvage his fears, 635
My fon, fhe cries, allay thy reftlefs cares ;
Behold the caufe of all this dire difeafe ;
The nymphs have fent dcftruilion on thy bee's.
With whom Eurydice waswont t' advance.
And lead in lofty groves the facred dance. 640
Thou fuppliant ofFer gifts, and fue for peace.
The mild Napaeans will their anger cealej
But hear me firft in order due declare,
The means to footh their rage, and frame thy pray'r :
Select four large and beauteous bulls that crop 645
Thy verdant paftures on Lycaeus' top,
Four heifers too, that ne'er have plough'd the field.
Four altars in the Dryads' temples build ;
From the flain victims pour the facred blood,
And leave their bodies in the fhady wood ; 650
When the ninth morn o'er dewy hills fliall fpring.
To Orpheus' ghoft Lethean poppies bring;
With a black ewe Eurydice adore,
And fhed for her a victim-heifer's gore :
Revifit then the grove. Without delay 655
He fpeeds his mother's precepts to obey ;
Haftes to the temple, there his altars builds, [fields :
Four bulls, four heifers leads, that ne'er had plough'd the
point than is commonly imagined. Thefe confequences greatly
aggravate the guilt of Ariftaeiis j and fo it was proper enough,
if not abfolutely necefiary, to recite them. Whether this
anfvver be fufncient, or not;, I neither know, nor much care.
Be it as it will, I would not lofe this epiiode, to be the author
of all the beft criticifms that ever were, or ihall be, written
iipon the claffics, Trap p.
C c 4
392 P. ViRGiLii Maronis Georgica. Lib. 4.
Poft, ubi nona fuos Aurora induxerat ortus,
Inferias Orphi mittit, lucumque reviuL.
Hie vero fubitum ac di<5lu mirabile monftrum
ATpiciunt, Hquefacla bourn per vifcera toto 555
Stridere apes utero, et ruptis effervere coftis ;
Inmenfafque trahi nubes : jamque arbore fumma
Confluercj et lentis uvam demittere ramis.
Haec fuper arvorum cultu pecorumque canebam,
Et fuper arboribus : Caefar dum magnus ad altum 560
Fulminat Euphraten bello, vi<Sorque volentis
Per populos cat jura, viamque adfediat Olympo.
Illo Virgilium me tempore dulcis alebat
Parthenope, ftudiis florentem ignobilis oti :
Carmina qui lufi paftorum, audaxque juventa, 565
Tityre, te patulae cecini fub tegmine fagi.
663. Putrid ho'-iveIs.'\ Obferve how the poet has varied his
expreffions on a fubjefl To difficult to be ornamentally expreffed
as this birth of the bees, for
■— — llquefa5la bourn per njifcera totO'
r— -! — et ruptis eff'er-vere cojiis—^ —
is quite newly cxpreiled iiom what it wr.s before in the paffage
above, Intercci teneris tepefadus in offibus humcr.
673. Parthenope, "] There may be a propriety in this that is
not generally remarked. Naples was a town of indolence and
plcafure, aud was therefore, as fome fuppofe, faid to have
been fcar.dcd by Parthenope one of the Sirens, who were god^
delTes of inJoIenc^; and pleufure ;
Improba Jiren
D cjidia
Qtio/a Neapoiis. Hor.
This idea too makes the contrail between Auguflus and Virgil
piuch the llronger. Sfencg.
Book 4. The Georgics of VirgiH. 393
At the ninth morning's dawn to Orpheus bears
Th' appointed gifts, rind to the grove repairs : 660
When lo ! a wond'rous prodigy they found.
An hoft of oees rufh'd forth with humming found.
By the flain bullocks' putrid bowels form'd,
From whofe burft fides, in clouds immenfe they fwarm'd ;
Then from a tree's high top, conglob'd depend, 665
Whofe branches with the bellying clufter bend.
Thus have I fung the labours of the fwain.
Of trees, of flocks, of cattle, and of grain;
While mighty Caefar to Euphrates bears
His conquering arms, the thunder of his wars ; 67«
To all the willing world new laws decrees ;
And ardent prefles on, th' Olympian heights to feize.
Then me, Parthenope's calm pleafures bleft.
And ftudious leifurc and ignoble reft ;
Who bold in youth, once fung the fhepherds loves, 675
Sung thee, O Tityrus, ftretcht beneath the beechen groves.
673. T^en me.'^ I cannot forbear being of opinion that the
four concluding lines of the Georgics, il/o Virgiliunty Sec. &c.
are of the fame ftamp and charafter with the four juftly-ex-
ploded ones, which are prefixed to the Aeneid. Auda^ue
jwventa is, I think, an expreffion entirely unworthy of Virgil,
and a mere botch. Befides nothing can be a more complete
and fublime conclufion than that compliment to Auguftus
—Viamque affeflat Olympo,
6j6. Gro'ves.'^ Each book of Virgil's Georgics is in a diffe-
rent ftile (or has a different colouring) from all the reft. That
of the firft is plain ; of the fecond 'various ; of the third, grand i
and of the foanh pUaJing. Holds worth.
THE END OF THE FOURTH GEORGIC.
t 295 I
REFLECTIONS
O N
DIDACTIC POETRY.
TH E ancients have left us- no rules or obreryatlonS
concerning this fpecies of poetry. Ariftotle, chiefly
intent on giving laws to dramatic writers, advifes the
true poet to difappear as much as poffible, to write only
in dialogue, and never to fpeak in his own perfon ; be-
caufe, fays he, it may be laid down as a general rule in
this art, that when the poet fpeaks in his own perfon, he
is no longer an imitator. In conformity to this opinion,
Caftelvetro, the learned Italian commentator on Ariftotle's
Poetics, has declared, that if Virgil had written nothing
but the Georgics, he ought not to have been enrolled
among the number of the poets. For, fays he, p. 29.
not very much to the honour of the art he is teaching,
phyfiology can never be the fubjeft of poetry, which .
was invented not to inftrucl, but barely to amufe and
entertain the minds of the multitude. And what was
the general opinion of the ancients on this fubjedt, may
be eafily known from that llory of Socrates related in
the Phaedon of Plato : who bein^: admonifhed in a dream
to apply himfelf to mufic, began to compofe an hymn
to Apollo, whofc feaft was then celebrating. But upon
afterwards
396 REFLECTIONS ON
afterwards reflefting, that a perfon who wouM be a true
poet, niuft make fables (muft create) and not write mere
difcourfes in metre ; he at once took a common fable from
Aefop, not having any inventive faculty himfelf. And
'tis obfervable, that Plutarch, after quoting this ftory of
Socrates, excludes Empedocles, Parmenides, Nicander,
and Theognis, out of the number of legitimate poets ;
becaufe, adds he, we know there may be facrifices with-
out mufic and dancing, but there can be no true poetry
or imitation, without fidion and fables. This fevere re-
mark, which feems not to be founded on nature and
truth, would efFeftually exclude all. dida6Hc and de-
fcriptive poetry. Surely the poet is an imitator, when
he paints any objeit of univerfal nature, animate or in-
animate, whether he fpeaks in his own perfon or intro-
duces fpeakers j tho' indeed iniitations of the latter fpe-
cies have not the fame dignity or utility with thofe of
human manners, paflions, and charafters.
To render inftruftion amiable, to foften the feverity
of fcience, and to give virtue and knowledge a captivat-
ing and engaging air, is the great privilege of the didadic
mufe i 'tis fhe, who
■ ' ■ praefpergens ante Via'i
CunSfa (oloribus egregiis, et odoribus applet.
Lucretius.
Profefs'd teaching is highly difagreeable to the natural
pride of man, as it implies a fuperiority of underftanding
over the perfon inftru6led. That precepts may gain an
cafy admiflion into the heart, it is necelTary to deliver
them in a concealed indirect manner, divefted of all pre-
tenfions to a larger fhare of rcafon, and of all dogmati-
cal flifFnefs. A man who perufes any fyftem, written in
this modeft unafluming method, and adorned moreover
with ftriking images and harmonious numbers,
• dlfcit citius, memtnitque libentius, HoR.
As
DIDACTIC POETRY. 397
As material objefts are moft fufceptible of poetical or-
naments, fo perhaps, the various employments, bufmefles,
and amufements of life, together with the elegant arts
and fciences, are more proper fubjedls for didadlic poe-
try, than fuch as are purely fpeculative and metaphyfical,
Abftradl ideas admit but of few embellifhments. All
parts of natural philofophy in particular, as being con-
verfant about fenfible images, feem the beft calculated to
ihine in this way of writing ;
— — Coelique vias et fidera monjlrent^
DefeSius foils varies, lunaeque lahores :
* Unde tremor terris, qua vi maria alta tumefcant
Objicibus ruptis, rurfufque in feipfa refident^
^uid tantum oceano properent fe tingere foles
Hyberni, vel quae tardis mora noifibus objiet.
We have fome elegant but Ihort fpecimens of this fort in
the Mufae Anglicanae : fuch are the poems on a barome-
ter, on the circulation of the blood, on the telefcope,
and on Dr. Hales's vegetable ftatics.
In making choice of a proper fubjeft, regard fhould be
had, to fix, if poffible, upon one of an important and
univerfal nature j and which may deeply intereft all
mankind. Such is Dr. Armftrong's poem on the art of
preferving health. And after this interefting fubjecSl is
chofen, only fuch rules relating to it fhould be feledled,
as will bear to be delivered gracefully ; and to be en-
livened with poetical imagery. It is not required or ex-
peeled of a poet, to enter into a minute detail of dry
precepts, but to fmgle out thofe precepts, that will en-
tertain as well as inftru<3: his reader.
— — et quae
Defperat tra£fata nitefcere pojfe, relinquit. HoR.
Mr. Addifon obferves, that there are feveral ways of con-
veying the fame truth to the mind of man ; and to choofe
the pleafanteft of thefc ways, is that which chiefly dif-
tinguiflies
398 REFLECTIONS O >l
tinguifhes poetry from profe, and makes Virgil's rulcf
of hufbandry pleafanter to read than Varro's, Where
the profe writer tells lis plainly what ought to be done,
the poet often conceals the precept in the defcription,
and reprefents his countryman performing the action in
which he would inftruiSt his reader. Where the one fets
©ut as fully and diftin<5lly as he can, all the parts of the
truth which he would communicate to us, the other fmgles
out the moft pleafing circumftance of this truth, and fa
conveys the whole in a more diverting manner to the
underftanding.
The delicate addrefs of Virgil in this particular Ts
worth our attention ; of which the following inflances
may be given. Inftead of telling his hufbandman plain-
ly, that his crops will fail by bad management; he fays,
Heu magnum alterius frujlra fpeSiabis acervum^
ConcuJJaque famem in fyhis folabere quercu.
Inftead of faying, that elms by engrafting have borne
acorns, he fpeaks of that operation in this lively manner :"
Glandemque flies fregere fuh ulmis.
Inftead of informing us that the farmers often root up an
old foreft, he adorns this proceeding with the following
piilurefque circumftances :
Antlquafqiie do?nos avium cumjiirpibus imis
Emit \ illae ahum niclis petiere reli^iis.
•He does not call the plane a large tree, but fays,
'JamqUe minijlraniem platanum potaniibus umbram.
And inftead of ordering the farmer to water his grounds-^
what a landfcape does he prefent us with I
Ecce, fupercilio clivofi tramitis imda7n
Elicit : ilia cadens raucu7n per laevia murmur
Saxa ciety fcatebrifque arentia temperat arva !
After this manner (hould the didactic poet raife an(J
enliven every precept he gives j he fiiould turn rules into
3 images 5
DIDACTIC POETRY. 395
Images ; he ihould defcribe things by their efFecls ; and
fpeak of them as already done, inftead of regularly or-
dering the manner in which they fhould be done ; and
throw in circumftanccs and adjunds, that may forcibly
ftrike the imagination, and embellifli and conceal the dry-
nefs of the fubjeft.
But altho' the poet delivers his precepts in the moft
artful manner imaginable, and renders them as palatable
as pofTible, yet the reader will foon be difgufted with a
continued feries of inflrudlion, if his mind be not re-
lieved at proper intervals by pleafmg digreffions of variou?
kinds, naturally ariilng from the main fubjedl, and clofely
conneded with it. If Virgil had confined himfelf merely
to agriculture, and had never inferted in his poem the
prodigies that attended the death of Julius Caefar, the
praifes of Italy ; the chariot-race, the Scythian winter-
piece, the happinefs of a country-life, the loves of the
beafl:<?, and the pathetic defcription of the plague among
the cattle ; his Georgics, tho' abounding in moft ufeful
rules, delivered v/ith dignity and grace united, would
never have been the delight and admiration of his own,
and all fucceedins ao-es. His art is no where more re-
markable than in thofe paflages, where, after feeming to
have left his fubjeft and his hufbandmen, he fuddenly
returns to them, and connedls all he has been faying,
though he appears to have wandered far from his pur-
pofe, by adding feme rural circumftance ; thus having
fpoken of the battle of Pharfalia, he fubjoins immediately
with great addrefs.
Scilicet ^ temp us veniet cum finibus illis
Agricolae^ incurvo terram molitus aratro
Exefa invenict fcabra rubigine pila ;
Aut gravibus rajlris galeas pidfabit inaneSy
Grandiaqiie sffojjis mirabitur ojja fepulchris.
And again, after faying the world was diftra£led with
many wars, he inftantiy adds.
400 REFLECTIONS ON
— — Non ullus aratra ' '"
Dignus honos
Thus Maro's mufe.
Thrice facred mufe ! commodious precepts gives,
Inftruilive to the fwains j not only bent
On what is gainful, fomctimes (he diverts
From folid counfels, fhews the force of love
In favage beafts; how virgin face divine
Attradls the haplefs youth thro' ftorms and waves.
Alone in deep of night ; then fhe defcribes
The Scythian v/inter, nor difJains to fmg
How under ground the rude Riphaean race.
Mimic brifk cyder with the brake's produdl wild.
Sloes pounded, hips, and fervis' harfheft juice.
Philips's Cyder, B. i.
This lafl mentioned author, among other claflical
beauties, hath clofely copied Virgil in throwing many
artful digreflions into his poem. He opens his fecond book
with an addrcfs to Lord Harcourt's fon, then abroad upon
his travels in Italy, and afterwards returns to his fubjedt
with great dexterity in the following lines :
Mean while (altho' the Maffic grape delights.
Pregnant of racy juice, and Formian hills
Temper thy cups, yet) wilt thou not reje61:
Thy native liquors ; lo ! for thee my mill
Now grinds choice apples, and the Britifli vats
O'erftow with generous cyder. Book 2.
This poet, fpeaking afterwards of the pernicious efFedls
of drunkennefs, and of the difcords and quarrels arifmg
from this vice. Aides with great art and addrefs into a de-
fcription of the civil wars and diffenfions that have fre-
quently troubled the repofe of this kingdom. And when
he comes to mention the laft great rebellion, very dex-
teroufly flings in the following line :
Yet was the cyder land unftain'd with guilt.
This
DIDACtlC POETRY. 401
This at once recall's the mind of the reader to the fub-
je(5l, which the author feemed to have forfaken, during
fo long a digreflion. Of the fame kind are his defcriptions
of tlie deftru^tion of old Ariconium, the praifes of
Herefordfliire ; the moral charafters of the moft cele-
brated poets, at the concluflon of the finl, and the ef-
fects of the Union at the end of the fecond book : where,
after faying, that
Where'er the Britifli fpread
Triumphant banners, or their fame has reach'd
DifFufive to the utmofl: bounds of this
Wide univerfe, — —
he concludes fully and appofitely to his fubjectj
— — — Silurian cyder borne.
Shall pleafe all taftes, and triumph o'er the vine.
But of all the various kinds of digreffions, thofe of a
pathetic nature, if they can be introduced with pro-
priety, will have the beft effecl. A moving tale, fuch
as the hiftory of Orpheus and Eurydice in the fourth
book of the Georgics, is moft likely to render a didadlie
poem interefting. A ftroke of paflion is wortha hundred
of the moft lively and glowing defcriptions. Men love
to be moved, much better than to be inftrlidled. Sup-
pofmg (fays the Abbe du Bos) that the fubjsdl: of a di-
daclic poem is fo exceedingly curious, as to induce you
to read it once over with great pleafurej yet you will
never perufe it a fecoad time with the fame fatisfadticn
you tafte even from an eclogue. The underftanding feels
no pleafure in being inftruiSled twice in the fame thing ;
but the heart is capable of feeling the fame emotion
twice, with great pleafure. This amiable and ingenious
Writer, who hath ftruck out many new obfervations upon
poetry, illuftrates his opinion, that a poem abounding in
the beft-written defcriptions will never deeply afteft a
Vol. I. D d reader.
402 REFLECTIONS ON
reader, except fomcthing of the pathetic be added, by"
the following remarks on a fifter art.
*' The fineft landfcape of Titian or Carrache, does not
intereft the beholder more than would the real profpe<St of
a village in a difagreeable or pleafant country. There is
nothing in fuch a pidlure that fpeaks to one, if I may
be allowed the expreffion. And as it does not touch the
heart, it cannot gain the attention. The beft painters
were fo well convinced of this truth, that they have very
fcldom given us landfcapes wholly defert, and without
human figures *. They have peopled their pidures ;
they have introduced into them perfons employed in fome
a£lion capable of moving us, and by confequence of en-
2a<yino- our attention. This is the conftant pradlice of
Pouffin, Rubens, and the other great mafters, who do
not think it fufficicnt to place in their landfcapes a man
paffing on the road, or perhaps a countrywoman carrying
her fruits to market. They introduce men agitated with
paffions, in order to excite ours, and by fuch an emotion
to intereft us and engage our attention. In effect, the
figures introduced in thefe pi£lures, are more frequently
mentioned and talked of, than their trees or terrafles.
* This obfervation may be illullrated by that fine fimile of
Milton.
As one who long in populous city pent,
' "Where houfes thick and fewers annoy the air.
Forth ifi'uing on a fummer's morn to breathe
Among the pleafant villages and farms
Adjoin'd, from each thing met conceives delight.
The fmell of grain, or tedded grafs, or kine.
Or dairy, each rural fight, each rural found ;
If chance with nymphlike ftep fair virgin pafs.
What pleafing feem'd, for Her now pleafes more;
She moft, and in her look fums all delight.
Paradife Loil, B. 9. v. 44c.
The beholder's delight is doubled, at the appearance of this
living beauty.
Th«
DIDACTIC POETRY. 403
The landfcape which Pjuflxn painted feveral times over,
and which is commonly called his Arcadia, would never
have been fo celebrated, if it had contained no human
figures.
Who has not heard, of that famous country, which is
faid to have been inhabited by the hrppieft men that ever
exifted on earth ? Men employed only on their pleafures,
and who knew no other difquietudes, than thofe v/hich
befel the imaginary fhepherds in romances, whofe con-
dition is fo much to be envied. The pidture of which I
am fpeaking, reprefents a landfcape in this delightful
country. In the midfl we fee the monument of a young
virgin, dead in the flower of her age : this we know by
means of her ftatue laid at length on her tomb after the
manner of the ancients. The fepulchral infcription is
but four Latin words : and yet I lived in Arcadia, Et in
Arcadia ego. But this infcription, fhort as it is, gives
occafion for very ferious reflections, to two young men
and two young maidens^ crcwned with chaplets of flowers,
who feem to have met accidentally with this mournful
monument, in a place where they might well imagine no
melancholy objeiSl was to be found. One of their com-
pany makes the reft take notice of this infcription, by
pointing to it with his finger. And one may perceive, in
the midft of the affliclion and pity that begin to fpread
themfelvcs over their features, fomething of the remains
of an expiring joy. We imagine we hear the reflections
of thefe young perfons on the power of death, who
fpares neither age, nor beauty ; and againft whom the
happieft climates can afford no protection. We figure to
ourfelves what touching things they would fay to on
another, when they recovered from their firft furprize,
and v/e apply thefe things to ourfelves, and to thofe for
whom we are concerned. It is in poetry as in painting ;
and the imitations which poetry makes of nature, touch
and affe*5t us, only in proportion to the imprefiion, which
D d 2 the
404 REFLECTIONS ON
the thing Imitated would make on our hearts, if we faw it
in reality.* "
Thefe obfervations, drawn from the art of painting,
are as full of good tafte, as of folid refle£lion, and feem
to be founded on a knowledge of the human heart ; on
which knowledge all true criticifm muft be founded.
They fufficiently evince that without fomething of the
pathetic, fomething that comes home to our bufinefs and
bofoms, no did::6lic poem can poflibly be intereftlng.
As to the ftyle of a didaftic poem, which comes next
to he confidered, it ought certainly to abound in the
molt bold and forcible metaphors, the moft glowing and
pi6turefque epithets; it ought to be elevated and enliven-
ed by pomp of numbers, and majefty of words, and by
every figure that can lift a language above the vulgar
and current exprelTions. One may add, that in no kind
of poetry (nay not even in the fublime ode) is a beauty
of exprefflon fo much to be regarded as in this. For the
epic writer fhould be very cautious of indulging himfelf
in too florid a manner of expreilion ; efpecially in the
dramatic parts of his fable, where he introduces dialogue.
And the writer of tragedy cannot fall into fo naufeousand
unnatural an afieitation f, as to put laboured defcriptions,
pompous
* Refiexions criiiques fur le poejie l^ fur la peinture, Tom. i.
P- 55-
f It may not be improper to produce the following glaring
infcance ol the abfurdity of introducing long and minute de-
fcriptions into tragedy. When Romeo receives the dreadful
and unexpedled news of Juliet's death, this fond hufband, in
an agony of grief, immediately refolves to poifon himfelf.
But his forrow is interrupted, while he gives us an exaft pic-
ture of the apothecary's Ihop, from whom he intended to pur-
chale the poiion.
I do remember an apothecary.
And hereabout he dwells, whom late I noted,
Jn tatter'd weeds, with overwhelming brows.
Culling of fimples : meager were his looks.
Sharp mifery had worn him to the bones ;
And
DIDACTIC POETRY. 405
pompous epithets, ftudied phrafes, and high-flown meta-
phors, into the mouths of his charaflers. But as the didac-
tic poet fpeaks in his own perfon, it is ncceflary and proper
for him to ufe a more lufcious colouring of ftyle, and to
be more ftudious of ornament. And this is agreeable to
an admirable precept of Ariftotle, which no writer in any
kind of compofition, be it profe or poetry, fhould ever
forget, that di£lion ought moft to be laboured in the
una6live, that is, the defcriptive parts of the poem, in
which the opinions, manners and paflions of men are not
reprefented j for too glaring an expreflion obfcures the
manners and the fentiments. T/jv ^e >.i^ni on^ixTromf iv rotj
1) \iuy >.ayx7rg« ^eIk Ta r,6ri, xai nrccq ^laioi*?. PoeticS, chap. 24«
Accordingly Virgil hath ufed every poflible method of
exalting his ftyle into dignity and grace, by bold meta-
phors, grecifms, ftriking epithets, and poetical circum-
locutions.
Hence it is that he will not fay quo tempore, hxxtfyderey
in the very firft line of his poem. Hence he fays, fcin-
dimus esquor for ploughing, and Satiirni dcntc tor the
pruning hook. Hence is it that he afcribes human pro-
perties and pailions to plants and animals.
And in his needy fliop a tortoife hung.
An alligator ftuft, and other fkins
Of ill-ftiap'd lifhes j and about his (helves
A beggarly account of empty boxes ;
Green earthen-pots, bladders and mufty feeds.
Remnants of packthread, and old cakes of rofes.
Were thinly fcatter'd to make up a fhew.
A61 5. Scene 3.
I appeal to thofe who know any thing of the human heart,
whether Romeo in this diftrefsful fituation, could have leifure
to think of the alligator, empty boxes, and bladders, and other
furniture of this beggarly fhop, and to point them out fo dif-
tinftly to the audience. The defcription is indeed very lively
and natural, but very improperly put into the mouth of a per-
fcfn agitated with fuch paifion as Romeo is reprefented to be.
D d 3 Exuerini
4o6 REFLECTIONS ON
Exuerlnt fylvejlrem animam, cultuque frequently
In quafcunque voces artes, baud tarda fequentur.
Georg. ii. v. 51,
Moereniem abjungens, frat^rnd morte juvencum.
Georg. iii. 518.
J^iraturque novas frondes et non fua poma.
Geprg. ii. 82.
f^t quis cuique dolor v'lSlo, quae gloria pabnae.
Georg. iii. IC2.
^Tardaque Eleujinee matrls vohentla plaujlra.
Georgf i, V. 163.
*Tis after this manner Virgil judicio.ufly conceals the
nakednefs and barrennefs of his fubje£l, by the luftre of
his language, and gives to Ceres the ceftus of Venus.
'Tis thus (to ufe Addifon's words) that he breaks the
clods, and tcfies the dung about with an air of graceful-
nsfs. Or, as Boileau fpeaks of another, it is thus that
he turneth every thing he touches into gold.
I fhall now endeavour to point the merit or imperfe<5lion
of the moft celebrated dida£lic poets, ancient and mo-
dern, by giving a ftiort and I hope impartial account of
each. I fhall begin with Hefiod, whofe character has
been drawn by Mr. Addifon in the following words.
" If we may guefs, fays he, at Hefiod's charadter from
his writings, he had much more of the hufbandman than
the poet in his temper : he was wonderfully grave, dif-
creet and frugal ; he lived altogether in the country, and
was probably, for his great prudence, the oracle of the
whole neighbourhood. Thefe principles of good hufban-
dry rap thro' his works, and diredled him to the choice
of tillage and merchandize, for the fubjeft of that which
is the moft celebrated of them. He is every where bent
on inflruction, avoids all manner of digrcflions, and does
not flir out of the field once in the whole Gcorgic. His
method in dcfcribing month after month with its proper
feafons
DIDACTIC POETRY. 407
fcafons and employments, is too grave and fimple ; it
takes off from the furprize and variety of the poem, and
makes the whole look but like a modern almanack in
verfe. The reader is carried through a courfe of weather,
and may beforehand guefs, whether he is to meet with
Inow or rain, clouds or fun-fhinc, in the next defcrip-
tion. The defcriptions indeed have abundance of nature
in them ; but then it is nature in her fimplicity and un-
drefs. Nor has he fhewn more of art or judgment In
the precepts he has given us, which are fown fo very
thick, that they clog the poem too much, and are often
(o minute and full of circumftances, that they weaken and
unnerve his verfe. But after all, we are beholden to him
for the firft rough {ketch of a Georgic, where we may
ftill difcover fomething venerable in the antiquenefs 01 the
work ; but if one would fee the defign enlarged, the
figures reformed, and the colouring laid on, and the
whole piece finifhed, we mull expedl it from a greater
mafter's hand."
I cannot help thinking, but that Mr. Addifcn hath
placed the merit of this venerable father of didailic poetry
rather too low. There is a great beauty in his natural
and artlefs way of writing j and fuch primaeval fimpli-
city, tho' it does not ftrike us at firft fight fo forcibly, as
a more laboured and artificial ftyle, yet is infinitely pleaf-
ing to one of a juft tafte, and to any real lover of nature.
However Hefiod fometimes rifes into great dignity of ex-
preflion, and has given many inftances of true poetry.
Of this kind is his account of the iron age, where the
goodnefs of his heart appears in every line j and which
concludes with the following admirable verfes, defcribin-j-
with a lofty profopopoeia, Envy, like a conftant com-
panion following all the fons of men, and Modesty and
Nemesis, retreating from the earth.
P 4 4 7.r,Xai
4o8 REFLECTIONSON
Koa TOTE ^r) i^j^oi; oXvfj.Trov u.ira p^Sovoj Iti^vo^EJiij,
Aitxoto'H' (papit<j(ji y.ctKv\a.^Viu woa v.xKoVy
Adctvarcov y.itx (P'jKov ityiv, -zcgoXtTroi/T* «vS^wttb?,
A^ou,? s^ai Ne/x£C"i?* Ta os ^aj-vJ/ETa» a^.yea Avyga
E^y. >^ Hfjt.s^» a. 1 94»
The four laft of thefe lines, in which the goddefies Mo-
(delly and Nemefis are defcribed as beautiful perfonages,
arrayed in white robes, are I think more poetical than
even Virgil's imitation of them,
" extrema per illos
Jujiit'ia excedens terris vejiigia fecit» Georg. ii,
Neither hath Mr. Addifon juftly reprefented our au-
thor's defcription of the trold in the month of January.
*' The v/ild beafls, fays he, run fhivering through the
woods with their heads ftooping to the ground, and their
tails clapt between their legs j the goats and oxen are
almoft flayed with cold." In this tranflation of Mr. Ad-
difon the following fine defcription of Boreas rufhing
from the kingdom of Thrace, throwing down the tailed
oaks, and fpreading the valleys with uprooted beeches, is
totally and unfairly omitted.
rioAAaj 0= ^pv; v-^iy.auy^f t'Kcx.Ttx.q te TTa-v^Eiaj,
E^criTrlfj, y.cn 'jtxax $gx Tort njfiToj tiKri,
As to the pafTage which Mr. Addifon tranflates, " The
old men tco arc bitterly pincht with the weatqer ;" I beg
leave to think that the words in the original have great
dignity, and that it is a ftrokc of nature, very artfully
introduced into the defcription.
' ■ Tgop^<x7>ov
I
DIDACTIC POETRY. 409
2fy. y; H^Eg. /3. 1 35.
Our old poet's pit^ure of the fpring, and the pleafures to
be enjoyed at that delicious feafon, is indeed not fo high-
ly finifhed as Virgil's (Georg. ii. 323.) yet is very pleaf-
ing to the mind, as it gives one fo lively an idea of the
fimple and natural manners of thofe early ages.
AXXa tot' »jo>j
Ei>j «TST^an} T£ <rx*», y.ctt ^ibXico? o»»9f,
Ma^a t' uiJLohya.ir>y yxXx r cttyu) a^ivvvfA.e»xuVf
Ka» /3oo; vM(pa.yoio y.^ica; f^-ffTroi Ttroxt^n)?,
AKTtOli IVKfCtlOq OfJi^a T^e^/UI/TX <m^O(T<i37rOVf
Kor,yrii; t' aveaa y.an ctTro^^vTHf ij T a^ohuroq.
E§7. >*; H/xs^. /3»S. /3. 206.
I ftiail conclude thefe remarks on Hefiod with his cha-
ratSler, as drawn by Paterculus, lib. i. c. 7. Vir perele-
ganiis i;:geniiy et mollijfima dulcedine carm'inum memorabilisy
fit:: quletifque cupidijjimus, tit tempore tanto viro [^Homers-
fcil. ] ita operis auSforitate proximus.
Empedocles ilourifhed about the 80th olympiad : he
was a native of Sicily, and wrote a poem on the nature
of things, and the four elements ; the lofs of which, if
we m,ay judge from fome few noble fragments that remain,
we have great reafon to regret. Even the fevere Ariftotle
fpeaks of him with great refpe£t, and fays, * that he was
very Homerical in his manner j that his ftyle was forcible,
well laboured, and full of metaphors ; and that he made
ufe of all the proper methods that could conduce to the
beauty of his poetry. One of his fragments is well
Te fc'>, v-cci, Toi; ciAKoi^ Toi; tnci TToijjTixrji» lirinvy^as'ii x^uuiiioit AriHot.
ti rui VB:t irair.ny.uv. Dice, LlCr.
worthy
4IO REFLECTIONS ON
worthy our attention, as it contains fome of the moft ex-
alted and fpiritualized notions of the Deity that are any
where to be found in the poetry of the ancient Greeks.
He feems to have been ridiculing the abfurd notions that
prevailed of corporeal gods ; and exprefsly affirms, that
it is impoffible God can have any parts or members, or
any thing refembling the human fhape. I hope it will
not be deemed pedantry to fet down at length fo extra-
ordinary a fragment.
OvT»^ yct^ ay^^ofJLt^ xe^«^l^ xara yvix «.ixxrut,
Ov uiv wjrcct vuTuiv ye ovu xT^aoot aicr«ra<J»i'»
<ppoinrKJ't xocr^oy uttxvto. x«T«.i(r(rBcra .7o>jcr».
But what may juftly give us the higheft idea of this
poet, and of the lofs the learned world has fuftained by
the want of his work, is the noble and afFeclionate cha-
racter given of him by Lucretius, in a paflage, in which
the poetry and the panegyric are equally great. Where
after fpeaking of the wonders of Sicily in very fublime
terms, he adds, that nothing which that country had
produced was fo worthy of attention and admiration, or
fo truly valuable and illuftrious as this incomparable
man j
^orum Acragantinus cum primis Empedocles ejiy
Infula quern Trlquetris terrarum gejftt hi oris,
^am fluitans circum magnis amfraSilbus aequor.
Ionium glaucis cfpergit virus ah undis j
Angujloqm fretu rapidum mare dividit undis
Aeoliac terrarum or as a finibus ejus.
Hie efl vajla Charybdis, et hie Actnea tninantur
Murmura flarnmarum rurfiwi fe colligere in iras
Faucibus eruptos iterum ut vis cvomat igncs ;
Ad coelumque ferat flamma'i fulgttra rurfum ;
j^x/<7, quern magna modis multis miranda videtur
Getitibus
DIDACTIC POETRY. 411
Gentihus humants reg'io, vifendaque fertur^
Rebus opima bonis, multd munita virum vi ;
Nil tamen hoc habuijfe viro praeclarius in fe.
Nee fanSlum magis, et mirum, carumque videtur,
Carmina quin etiam divini peSforis ejus
Vociferantur, et exponunt praeclara reperia j
Ut vix humand videatur Jiirpe creatus.
Lucretius, 1. i. 717,
Aratus, who flourifhed in the reign of Ptolomy
Philadelphus, was the cotemporary and friend of Theo-
critus*: he compofed an aftronomical poem on the na-
ture and motion of the ftars. Cicero (not probably the
moft able judge of poetry, and who tranflated this work
into Latin) fays, he 'writes ornatijjimos atque optimos verfus^
but he certainly wants fpirit and elevation. Virgil has
manifeftly borrowed many of his prognoftics in the firft
book, from this writer's phaenomena ; and it may be no
unpleafmg amufement to fee how the Roman has improved
and heightened the images he took from the Greek.
The loud refounding of the fea-coafts, and the noife
am.ong the mountains, are mentioned as prognoftics of
win4 by Aratus in the following lines j
ILrfj,» 61 TO» uHfAoto, K»i diSaciHaot ^xXaaaa
TiyiOiTui, ao^xitpcti te ^ow/ae»»» y^eoj ecuqau.
Which circumftances Virgil hath plainly borrowed ;
Continua
• Who addrefles his fixth Idyllium to him ;
Aai^ora? na» Aaipwj o Baiv-o^oj £»; hot X'^''^*
T»v a.yi'Ka.v vok A^ctn ; —
and is imagined to fpeak of his loves in the feventh. This it
the poet whom the polite apoltle St. Paul quotes to the Athe-
nians, Ads xvii. 28t Ta yx^ y.a.i yitoj ecr^i», fFe are alj'o bis
pppring.
412 REFLECTIONS ON
Continuo ventis furgentibus.) autfreta ponti
Jncipiunt agitata turnefcere, et aridus alte
Montibus audiri fragor : aut refonantia longe
Littora mifceri, et nemorum increbefcere murmur.
It is obvious that the Roman poet hath added many
beauties to his original : fuch is, the heaving and fwell-
ing of the fea, fo ftrongly exprefled in words that rife
one above another like the waves j
- ■■ Freta ponti
Incipiunt agitata tumefcere • •
Such is the aridus fragor, not to be found in the Greek ;.
and the ruftling murmur of the woods, reprefented by nemo-^
rum increbefcere murmur. Again, Aratus mentions the prog-
noftic of the water-fowl ducking themfelves before rain :
ATT^jjrof nXv^arocl £y»E/*£faj i-^arsira-n/.
But fee what lively and piilurefque circumftances Virgil
bath added of his own !
Certatim largos humeris infundere rores ;
Nunc caput obje^arefretis, nunc currere in undas,
Etjiudio incaffum videos gejlire lavandi.
Avrap or t^ fvgojo «at ex vore «r^aTrlflcrw
AWvoTt y tK ^Eipygojo, xon aXXoTE -cra^' /oo^tao,
A)5 TOTt Ti? luihayu eh ohoh vccvjiXoq «m^.
Aratus.
At Boreae de parte trucis cum fulminate et cum
Eurique Zephyrique tonat domus, omnia plenis
Rura natant fojfts, at que orrinis navita ponto
Humida vela legit.
The expreflions of trucis, of Zephyr i domus, and plenis
rura natant foffts, are poetical additions. Even the cele-
brated dcfcription of the croAVS is. taken from Aratus.
Turn
DIDACTIC POETRY. 41^
Turn Uquldas co7'vi prejjo ter gutture voces
Aut quater ingemtnant ; et faepe ciibilibus alt Is,
Nefcio qua praeter folitum dulcedine laet't
Inter fefoUtsJlrepitant ; jtivat imbribus aais
Progeniem parva?nj didcefque revifere nidos.
And it muft be granted that the Greek verfes are extremely
good, and indeed little inferior to Virgil's :
nXstoTEpo* (5"' uyiXr^ov evriv xoiTOio i/.t^uvTCCi,
dec. T» fAii'» ^oouci, Aty«(>oj[x,Evo((7H' o|xo»«.
rioPiXa ^£ ^EvogEioto OTEgi ^^oc/v aXKoT ett avrat»
But what Virgil adds is purely his own : when he ac-
counts for this unufual joy, by the various efFeds which
the alteration of the air will have on their bodies, in the
moft perfpicuous and beautiful terms :
Hand equidem credo quia fit divinlius illis
Ingeniuniy aut rerum fata prudentia major \
Verum, ubi tempeflas et coeli mobilis humor,
Mutavere vias, et Jupiter humidus auftris
Denfaty erant quae rara modo, et quae denfa relaxai :
Vertuntur fpecies animorum, et peSlora motus
Nunc alios, alios, dum nubila ventus agebat,
Concipiunt.
To exprefs fuch abftrufe notions with fo much clearnefs
and grace, is a great inftance of Virgil's fupreme maf-
tery of language.
On the whole, Aratus appears to have a great deal of
nature, but not much dignity and vivacity in his manner.
His charafter is fo finely and fo juftly drawn by Quin-
tilian, and is applicable to fo many didadlic poets, that I
fhall give it to the reader without apology for fo many
3 quotations :
:^f4 REFLECTIONS ON
quotations : Arati materia ynotu caret, ut In qua nulla va^
rietas, nullus affeSlus, nulla ■perfona, nulla cujufquam fit
firatio; fuffich tamen operi cui fe parem credidlt. Inftit.
Orat. L. 10.
I believe it is fcarce poflible for a paflage of equal
length to contain more tafte and judgment in it than
this : infomuch that thei'e is hardly a fault, which a di-
dadlic poet can commit, that is not here hinted at.
Oppian lived in the beginning of Commodus's
reign, and was afterwards greatly patronized by Severus.
He wrote two didaftic poems, one upon fiftiingy called
Halieutica ; the other on hunting, entituled Cynegetica.
The former is the moft celebrated of the two. Rapin
tells us, he is a dry profaic writer. But it is obfervable,
that this critic feldom fpeaks favourably of the Greek
authors : the reafon of which may probably be, that like
many a modern critic he did not underftand that lan-
guage ; and M. Menage aflures us he did not. Scaliger,
a much abler * judge, fays of Oppian, that he is an ex-
cellent poet ; eafy, eloquent, fublime and harmonious ;
that he not only far furpafles Gratius and Nemefianus,
who have written on the fame fubjeft, but that be feems'
to have the very air of Virgil, whom he endeavoured par-
ticularly to imitate ; and that he has given us the trueft-
and livelieft image of that divine poet. Though the
cenfures and praifes of Scaliger are generally extravagant;
and though in the prefent cafe, he feems to have bellowed
his encomiums on Oppian a little too lavifhly, yet I be-
lieve this writer is well worthy the learned reader's per-
ufal, for many of his defcriptions (for inftance one of a
horfe and a battle of furious bulls) are well worked up
and extremely natural and lively.
Thus
• The Jefuit FavaJ/hr, in his famous treatife dc luditra
iiHiont, greatly commends Oppian,
DIDACTIC POETRY. 415
Thus much may fuffice for the Greek didadic poets : as
Nicander, who flourifhed in the 158th olympiad, is but a
flat and profaic writer, in his Theriaca, though copied
by Virgil.
.. Major rerum mihi nafdtur or do.
For I am next to fpeak of Lucretius, whofe merit as
a poet has never yet been fufficiently difplayed, and v/ho
feems to have had more fire, fpirit, and energy, more of
the vhida vis animi^ than any of the Roman poets, not
excepting Virgil himfelf. Whoever imagines, with
Tully, that Lucretius had not a great genius, is defired
to caft his eye on two pictures he has given us at the
beginning of his poem ; the firft of Venus with her
lover * Mars, beautiful to the laft degree, and more
glowing than any figure painted by Titian j the f fecond
of the terrible and gigantic figure, the daemon of Super-
ftition, worthy the energetic pencil of Michael Angelo.
Neither do I think that the defcription that immediately
follows of the facrifice of Iphigenia, was excelled by the
famous pidlure of Tim.anthes on the fame fubjecl, of
which Pliny fpeaks fo highly in the 35th book of his
Natural Hiftory : efpecially the minute and moving cir-
cumftances of her perceiving the grief of her father Aga-
memnon, and of the prieft's concealing his facrificing
knife.
in gremium qui faepe tuum/e
Rejicit; aeterno de'vinHus njolnere amoris ;
At que ita j'ujpiciens ter^t: cewice repojid
Pafcit amcre woidos znhians in te, dea, njifus j
Eqiie iuo peizdet re/upini /piriiui oris, L. i. 33.
^ Humana ants cculos foede cum 'vitajaeeret,
Jn terris opprejfa grwvi fub Relligione,
^uae caput e coeii regionibus ojiendebat
Horrihili fuper afpeltu mortalibiis injians ;
Primum Graius homo mortaies tiligre antra
fji oculos aufus ■ — .
4i6 -REFLtCflONS 0^f
knife, and of the fpeclators burfting into tears, and hef
falling on her knees^
Cut fetnel infula virgineos c'trcumdata eomptus
Ex utraque pari malarum parte profufa £/?,
Et moejium ftmul ante aras ajlare parentem^
Senjit, et hunc propter fer rum celare minijlros^
AfpeSfuque fuo lacrymas effundere cives\
Miita metu t err am genlbus fummijfa petebat.
Lib. i. 88.'
Few paflages even in Virgil himfelf are fo highly finifh-
ed, contain fuch lively defcriptions, or are fo harmonious
in their verification, as where our poet fpeaks of the
fruitfulnefs occafioned throughout all nature by vernal
fhowers, lib. i. 251 to ver. 293; of the ravages com^
mitted by tempeftuous winds, lib. i. 272 to ver. 295 ; of
the difficulty of his undertaking, and of his affection
to his patron Memmius, lib. i. 920 to ver. 950 •, where
after mentioning the great obfcurity of his fubjed:^ he
breaks out into that enthufiaftic rapture ;
— — Sed acri
Percujfit thyrfo lattdts /pes magna meum cor,
Etfvnul hicujftt fuavem mi in peSfus amor em
Mujarum^ quo nunc inJlinSlus mente vigcnti
Avia Pieridum peragro loca^ nullius ante
Tr it a fob ; juvat integros accedere fontes^ &c.
The fecond book opens with a fublime defcription of a
true philofopher, ftanding on the top of the temple of
Wifdom, and looking down with pity and contempt on
the bufy hum of men. This is followed by a forcible ex-
hortation to temperance of each kind, and by that ac-
count of the pleafures of a country life (ver. 24 to ver,
36.) which Virgil hath exadly copied at the end of his
ftcond book of the Georgics. The fears and the cares
that
DID ARCTIC POETRY, 417
that infeft human life are afterwards perfonified in the
following manner.
Re veraque Metus horninum, CuR aeqv E fequaces
Nee metuunt fonitus armorum, nee f era tela ;
jiudaSterque inter regesy rerumque potentes
Verfantury neque fulgorem reverentur ab auro.
Thefe images are furely far fuperlor to thofe admired ones
of Horacfe,
Nee Cur AS laqueata circutn
TeSfa volantes-—
Scandit aeraias %/itioJa naves
CuRA
I know not how to refift the temptation of giving the
reader the following landscape of a diftant mountain with
flocks feeding on the fide of it.
Nam faepe in colli tondentes pabula laeta
Lanigerae reptant pecudes, quo quamque vocantes
Invitant herbae, gemmantes rare recenti;
Et fatiati agni ludunt^ bland} que conifcant^
Omnia quae nobis long} confufa videntur,
Et veluti in viridi candor conjijlere colli.
L. ii. 317.
And I could wifh to have room to (Qt down the de*^
fcription that immediately follows, lib. ii. 324 to 330,
of a field of battle, or the fubfequent one of a cow's
lamenting her calf that was facrificed. There is fome-
thingfo truly pathetic, that I muft trefpafs on the reader's
patience, and give it him.
At mater virides /alius orbata peragrans
Linquit humi pedibus vejiigia prejfa bifulcis^
Omnia convifens ociilis loca, fi queat ufquam
Confpicere amiJJ'um foetum^ co7npletque querelis ■
Frondiferum nemus adjijiens ; et crebra revijit
Ad Jlabulum., dejiderio perjixa juvenci.
h. ii. 355.
Vol. I. E e' ' Ijn
4i8 REFLECTIONS ON
In the beginning of the third book, which opens with
Che praifes of Epicurus, is a paflage that of itfelfj with-
out alledging other inftances, is fufficient to fliew the
ilrength and fublimity of our author's imagination. At
the found of thy voice (fays he, addreifing himfelf to
the father of his philofophy) the Terrors of the mind
(here perfonified) fly av/ay with fear and aftonilhment»
Namfimulac f Ratio tua coepit vociferari
Naturam rerum baud divina mente coortam
Diffugiunt animt \ Terrores.
The walls of the world fuddenly part afunder f I look
down into the immenfe void ! and diftindly fee all it
contains !
— •— — Moenia mundi
Dlfceduni, totum video per inane geri res»
This image always puts me m mind of that exalted onfr
in Milton, which is fo ftrongly conceived.
On heavenly ground they flood, and from the fhorer
They view'd the vaft immeafurable abyfs
Outrageous as a fea, dark, wafteful, wild.
Up from the bottom turn'd by furious winds
And furging waves, as mountains to aflault
Heav'n's height, and with the center mix the pole»
Par. Loft, B. viic 210.
Our poet adds, in liiies as finifhed and as fmooth a»
Virgil's, that he there faw the happy and undifturbed ftat«
©f the gods.
jipparet dlvum numen^ fedefque quietae^
^uas neque concutiunt venti, neque nubila nimhis
Afpergunt^ neque nix acri concreta pruina
Cana cadens violat ; femperque infiubilus aether
Jntegity et large diff'ufo lumine ridet :
M contra nufquam apparent Acherufia ternpla,
L. iii. 25.
* - - - ■ .
t PerfoM.
o»
DIDACTIC POETRY. 419
On the perufal of this paflage, can one forbear crying
out with the author ?
His till me rebus, quaedam divina voluptas
Perctpit atque horror /
The defcriptions of a perfon in a deep lethargy, lib. iii.
ver. 465 ; of the effeds of drunkennefs, ver. 475 ; of
the falling ficknefs, ver. 486 ; and the noble profopopoeia,
ver. 944, where Nature is introduced chiding her un-
grateful fons for their folly and difcontent?, are equal to
any thing in the Roman poefy ; as is likewife the con-
clufion of this book, where the poet allegorizes all the
punifhments of hell, from ver. 991 to 1036. 'Tis hard
to determine whether the poetry or impiety of this third
book (where many v/eak arguments are brought againft
the immortality of the foul) be greateft.
In the fourth book our author hath painted the evils
and inconveniences attending the paffion of love in the
livelieft terms. No poet feems to have felt more ftrongly
than Lucretius. For this fee the following defcription
of jealoufy, and obferve the minute circumftances it
«numerates.
j^iit quod in ambiguo verbum jaculata reliquit,
^od cupido adjixunr cordi vivefcit ut ignis j
Aut nimium jaSfare oculos, aliumve tueri
^od putat, in vultuque videt vejiigia rifus.
L. iv. 1131.
I know not what apology to make to the reader for
fuch a number of quotations : but I have always thought
that general criticifm, without producing particular paf-
fages, was both ufelefs and unentertaining. Befides, I
look upon the giving him thefe defcriptions, to be like
leading him through a gallery adorned with the moft ex-
quifite paintings. I am fure there is no piece by the
hand of Guido or Carrache, that exceeds the following
groupe of allegorical perfonages.
E e 2 It
420 REFLECTIONS ON
It Ver, et Venus, et Veneris praenuntius ante
Pinnatus graditur Zephyrus, vejligia propter.
Flora quibus ynater^ pracfpergens ante v'lai
Cun£ia coloribus egregi'is^ ct odor'ibus applet»
hide loci fequitur Calor aridus, et Comes una
Pulverulenta Ceres, et Etefia Flabra Aquilonum.
hide Autumnus adit, graditur fimul Evius Evan :
Inde aliae Teynpejlates, Ventique fequiintur,
Altitonans^ Volturnus, et Aujier fulmine pollens :
Tandem Bruma nives adfert, pigrumque rigorem
Reddit, Hycms fequitur, crepitans ac den ti bus Algus.
L. V. 736.
This fifth book concludes with a defcription of the un-
civilized ftate of man, together with the origin and pro-
gpefs of government, arts, and fciences. The poetical
beauties it contains are fo many and fo various, that
they will merit a particular difcuffion ; but intending to
publifh a tranflation of this part of Lucretius with cri-
tical obfervations, I wave ail farther mention of it at
prefent.
The fixth book is the Icafi: obfcurS and abftrufe of any,
being wholly taken up with defcribing the appearances
of nature, and accounting for fome feeming prodigies.
The plague with which the whole poem concludes being
more known and perhaps more read than any other part of
it^ I fhall not point out any particular paflages.
I could not forbear faying thus much of an author,
whofe fertile and ftrong imagination, whofe nervous and
forcible expreiTion feem not fufEcicntly regarded. The
ar^-uments of impiety which the poem contains, are in-
deed fo fophiftical and weak, and have been fo many
times folidly confuted, that I do not fee the danger fome
are apprehenfive of from a diligent perufal of this noble
work.
It were much to be wilhed that the cardinal dePoLiGNAC
had
DIDACTIC POETRY. 421
tad any of the force and fire of Lucretius, whom he has
endeavoured to anfwer : his arguments are indeed ftrono-,
but he has not a fpark of poetry : his verfification is
fmooth, but not enough varied with different paufes ;
and he is generally too verbofe and diffufe. One merit
muft be allowed him, that of perfpicuity in exprefUng
and explaining the moft difficult fubjeds: for perhaps
there are few accounts of the nature of free-will fo clear
and convincing, as what he has given us in the fifth book
of his Anti-Lucretius, ver. 1164 et feq. 'Tis great pity
he did not follow the found philofophy of Newton, in-
ftead of that of his whimfical countryman. Why, fays
Voltaire, fhould we ftill continue to fubftitute the re-
veries of Defcartes, in the place of the reveries of Lu-
cretius ? Oeuvres de Voltaire^ torn. 10. 304.
So much hath already been faid of Virgil (who fliould
next be mentioned) both in tbefe reflections, in the fore-
going notes, and particularly in the prefatory dedica-
tion, that any farther obfervations op him in this place
are fuperfluous,
Horace's Epiftle to the Pifo's, commonly called his
Art of Poetry, feems never to have been fo fully under-
Itood, and fo judicioufly explained, as lately by the au-
thor of Notes and a Commentary upon it. He hath en-
deavoured to prove, that there is an artful concealed me-
thod obferved throughout the whole ; and that it is not a
general fyftem of poetry, as hath ufually been imagined,
but is confined merely to the ftate and defe6ls of the
«drama in the age of Auguftus. The Romans feem to
have ftood In need of fuch an Inflrudlor, for they had no
extraordinary talents or tafte for the ftage. hi comoedid
tnaxime claudicamus, fays the impartial Quintilian : not-
withftandlng Varro's opinion, that if the Mufes were to
fpeak Latin, they would fpeak In Plautus's language ;
notwithftanding our forefathers talk fo highly of Cae-r
E e 3 cilius j
422 REFLECTIONS .QN
cilius } and notwithftanding Terence's writings were at-
tributed to Scipio Africanus. He adds the reafon with
his ufual elegance ; Fix levem confequimur urnbram^ adeci
ut mihifermo ipfe ^Ro?nanus non recipere videatur^ illam foils
concejjam Attich Venerem, quando earn ne Graeci quidem in
alio genere linguae ohtinuerhit. Inftit.Orat.lib.il. And
as to tragedy the Romans have made no confiderable fi-
gure in it; but Quintilian afiures us (and in this one in-
ftance I can with difficulty give credit to him) that the
Thyeftes of Varius was comparable to any tragedy of
the Greeks ; and that the Medaea of Ovid evidently
fliewed, how much he could have excelled, if he had
chofen to reftrain, rather than give a loofe to his genius.
Inft. Orat. 1. ii. The unnatural and affedted Seneca
cannot be mentioned without diftafte. It is needlefs to
add what almoft every fchool-boy is acquainted with,
that the precepts of Horace are chiefly drawn from Arif-
totle's Poetics, are indeed the moft ufeful commentary on
that ineftimable treatife, and will beft enable us to judge
of the ancient ftage : but he hath likewife inferted many
precepts, peculiarly adapted to the ufe of his country-
men J and hath delivered the whole with that graceful
negligence that ought to be the predominant quality of
cpiftolary writings both in verfe and profe j while they
fiiould
— familiarly convey
The trueft notions in the eafieft way.
He who fupreme in judgment as in wit,
Might boldly cenfure, as he boldly writ.
Yet judg'd with coolnefs, tho' he fung with fire :
JJis precepts teach but what his works infpire.
Pope's EJfay on Criticifm, ver. 656.
Under this head (in which I (hall include all the
writers on this fubje(5t) it will be unpardonable to omit
Marcus Hieronymus Vida, one of the firft reftorers
of
DIDACTIC POETRY. 42^
•f polite literature and juft criticifm. His Poetics have
been always defervedly read and admired as a fine didaftic
poem, and confidering the time in which he wrote, were
of great ufe in diffufing a good tafte among his country-
men J and from thence over all Europe. The hio-heft
panegyric he ever received was from Mr. Pope in the
following paffage, which gave occafion to the readino-
and publifhing him in England, where formerly he was
but little known :
But fee ! each Mufe in Leo's golden days.
Starts from her trance, and trims her wither'd bays ;
Rome's ancient Genius, o'er its ruins fpread,
Shakes ofF the dull: and rears his reverend head 5
Then Sculpture and her fitter arts revive.
Stones leap'd to form, and rocks began to live ;
With fweetefl: notes each rifing temple rung,
A Raphael painted, and a Vida fung.
Immortal Vida ! on whofe honour'd brow.
The poet's bays and critic's ivy grow :
Cremona now fhall ever boaft thy name.
As next in place to Mantua, next in fame !
The chara6lerifl;ics of Vida feem to be elegance, per-
fpicuity, and purity ; b'ut he frequently wants majefty
and force. He rifes however into poetry at the end of
his firft book, and in the middle of his fecond, where
be defcribes the poet under the influence of infpiration
returning upon him powerfully after a languid interval,
lind an abfence of the poetic inclination :
■ Unde haec tarn clara repente
Tempejias ? Deus^ ecce Deus ! jam cor da fat'igaty
^Itius injinuat venis, penltufque per artus
Diditur, atque faces faevas fub peiiore verfat.
J^ec fe ja7n capit acer agens color, igneaque intus
Fis faevit, totoque agitat fe corpore numen.
Ilk autem exultans jaSiat jam nonfua verba,
E e 4 Oblitufqui
4?4 REFLECTIONS ON
Ohlttufque hominem m'lrum fonat : baud poils tgnem.
£xcutere, invitum miratur Je ire, rapique
Praecipitem, te Phoebe vocans, te Phoebe frementem
Vociferans, plenufque Deo, Jilmulifque fuba^us
Hand placidls ; non ille dapum, non ille quietis,
Aut fo7nni memor hanc potis efl deponere cur am»
Whence fhot this fudden flafh that gilds the pole ?
The god, the god comes rufhing on his fouls
Fires with aethereal vigor every part, "1
Thro' ev'ry trembling limb he feems to dart, \
Works in each vein, and fwells his rifing heart. \,
Deep in his breaft the heav'nly tumult plays.
And fets his mounting fpirits on a blaze.
Nor can the raging flames themfelves contain.
For the whole god defcends into the man.
He quits mortality, and knows no bounds.
But fings infpir'd with more than human founds.
Nor from his breaft can Ihake th' imm.ortal load^^
But pants and raves impatient of the god ;
And, rapt beyond himfelf, admires the force
That drives him on reludlant to the courfe.
He calls on Phoebus, by the god oppreft.
Who breathes exceffive fplrit^in his breaft ;
No force of thirft or hunger can controul
The fierce, the ruling tranfport of his foul.
Pitt's Tranjlation of Vida, p. 45,.
2d Edit.
The precepts of Vida principally refpeft the Epopocia,
\>nt are moft of them applicable to every other fpecies of
poetry. In his third and laft book he hath treated of po-
etical ftyle in general ; hath examined the force and pro-
priety of every figure of fpeech with great accuracy and
true tafte j hath laid down fome judicious rules, on that
diflicult and delicate tafk, correction ; and concludes;
Vy^ith a panegyric on the poems of Virgil. It ought to
be
DIDACTIC POETRY. 425
he obferved, that all fucceeding writers on this fubjeft
are more indebted to Vida, than he was to his predecef-
fors in the fame way.
BoiLEAu's Art of Poetry has a brevity in its precepts,
a perfpicacity in its obfervations, and an energy in its
ftyle, feldom to be found in the diffufive writings of his
countrymen. He hath delivered rules for every fpecies
of poetry in its regular gradations from the paftoral to
the epic : only 'tis obfervable that he fpeaks not a fylla-
ble of the didadic. We have in this highly-finifh'd
work*, which however confifts but of four fhort canto's,
all that could be expedled from a man of ftrong fenfe and
keen obfervation (tho' perhaps of no warm poetical ge-
nius) who had fpent his life in ftudying and defending
the ancients, had formed his tafte upon the Greek and
Roman models alone, and therefore always pradlifed and
recommended a manly fimplicity of ftyle and fentiment.
I choofe to fpeak of Mr. Pope's ElTay on Criticifm in
the words of his friend and commentator. " When the
reader confiders the regularity of the plan, the mafterly
condud of each part, the penetration into nature, and
the compafs of learning fo confpicuous throughout, he
ijipuld at the fame time know it was the work of an au-
thor who had not attained to the twentieth year of his
Age."
Altho* there are fome fenfible obfervations, and per-
liaps a few fparks of poetry in the Duke of Bucking-
ham's EiTay on Poetry, and in that of Lord Roscom-
mon on tranflated verfe, yet I muft prefume to think,
^hat the reputation they have gained, is in a great mea-
* Ou Cortieille eut trou-ve beamup a apprendre, fays M. de
yoltaire, - Louis xiv. T. 2. 187.
(ur^
426 REFLECTIONS ON
fure owing to the rank of their authors, and to the age
in which they were written; when criticifm had not
fpread (o widely, nor was fo well underftood, as appa-
rently it hath been fince their times.
I am doubtful whether I ought to mention Ovid's
Art of Love in this lift of didactic poems, from the li-
bertine nature of its fubjeft. With refpeit both to his
ftyle and matter, one may apply to him what Quintilian
fays of another, abundat dulcihus viiiis.
There is great difpute among the critics, whether
Manilius wrote his aftronomical poem in the age of Au-
guftus, as he himfelf affirms he did. Many inftances of
fuch language, and fuch verfification as cannot be met
with in any other poet of that time, may be found in his
work: for which the curious reader may fee the third
dialogue of Mr. Spence's Polymetis, page 25. What- |
ever ufe his poem may be of to aftronomers, who are in- I
clined to confider the fyftems of the ancients, 'tis certain "
that there is not a grain of genius or poetical fpirit to be
difcovered throughout the whole, tho' on a fubjed fo
fufceptible of poetry. And indeed, what could one ex-
peft from a writer who made the following cold declara-
tion at the very beginning of his work, and which h,^
ftridly verifies in the courfe of it ;
Ornari res ipfa negat, conienta docsvL
At the reftoratlon of literature under the glorious pon»
tificate of Leo X. feveral true geniufes arofe. Among
the reft Fracastorius, who wrote the Syphilis. He
was unfortunate in the choice of a fubjeft, very diflicule
to be treated in an ornamental manner; yet 'tis furprizing
to fee how he has enlivened fo unpromifing a theme by
the beauty and dignity of his language. See how he
hath defcribed a blooming and beautiful youth, labouring
vnder this dreadful diftemper ;
Paulaiifn
DIDACTIC POETRY. 427
Paulatim ver id nitidum, jios ilk juventae
Vifperiit, vis ilia animi y turn fqualida tabes
\Artus (horrendum!) miferos obduxit, et alie
Grand! :^ iurgebant faedis abfcejfibus ojfa.
Ulcer a (prole divum pietatem! ) informia pul^hrts
Pafcehant oados^ et diae lucis amorem,
Pafcebantque acri cprrofas vulnere nares.
Ilium Jlpes vidnae, ilium vaga Jlumina Jlerunt ^
Ilium omnes Ollique Deae, Eridanique puellae
Fleverunt^ nemorumque Deae rurifque puellae ;
Sebinufque alto gemitum lacus edidit amne.
Syphilis, L. r.
The ftyle of Fracaftorius * is not made up of fhreds
and patches, and ends of lines collefted from Virgil and
Horace; (as are feveral copies of verfes in our Mufae An-
glicanae) \ but it is one continued thread equally woven,
thro' the whole piece. There is a good deal of imagina-
tion in the third book, where he defcribes the manner of
finding the Hyacus in America. In a word, the Syphilis
is perhaps the beft conduced and moft finifhed of modern
didactic poems in Latin verfe. It doubtlefs eminently
exceeds the Silk-worms of his countryman and cotempo-
rary Vidaf, (who hath too clofely and fervilely copied
the Bees of Virgil) and the Gardens of Rapin, of whom
* See his beautiful epLftle to Baptifta Turianus of Verona,
(Concerning his way of life and method of paffing his time with
his family ; together with that to J.Turrianus on the death of his
fens. The two books of his Joseph are not equal to the Syphilis.
f However the following lines are elegant and pretty, oa
the worms being turned into butterflies.
Haerent attonitae rerum nonjitate, nee audent
Remigio alarum fe aperto credere coelo,
DiJJimilefque fui tacit} no'va corpora fecum
Mirari, forma nee fefe agnofcere in ilia ;
Cornua mirantur fronti, mirantur et alas,
Et I'ires nil fupra audent tentart priorei
Piffifit memorefque fui, » ■
3 ^^^
4.2» REFLECTIONS ON
the French after their manner boaft fo highly ; who is a
feeble and flegmatic poet, and hath filled his work, under
the notion of digreffions, with many puerile and extra-
vagant fables, the Caricatura s of Ovid ; whofe idle
turns and witticifms he hath likewife frequently imitated.
" There is more pleafure, fays Addifon, in the little plat-
form of a garden which Virgil gives us about the middle
of the fourth Georgic, than in all the fpacious walks and
water-works of Rapin."
The art of painting feems to be the firtefi: and fruit-
fuUeft fubje<Si: for a didadlic poem. What Fresnoy has
xyritten on that fubje£l is exceedingly dry, profaic, and
unentertaining ; for he has only given the mechanic
rules of a painter ; it is to be wifhed that fome true ge-
nius would undertake to treat it as a poet.
The Praedlum Rujiicum of the Jefuit Vaniere, is a
long and languid produdion ; but from the labour of the
writer, who has collefted fome curious particulars re-.-
lating to the management of the farmers of his country,
it may perhaps anfwer one perufal.
The Italians boaft much of a poem on Agriculture, La
Coltivazione di Luigi Alamanni. He wrote it in Franca
under the proteftion of Francis I. It is in fix books,
and in blank verfe j and is efteemed pure Italian. But
the fubjed is very little diverfifi^d with digreffions, and
not very poetically treated.
They have likewife a didaftic poem on the manage-r
ment of bees, but it is little more than a tranflation of
Virgil's fourth book, omitting the ftory of Ariftacus,
with a few additional precepts of the author. It was
written by Giovanni Ruccellai, and ends with an
addrefs to his intimate friend Trifllno, the author of that
cool and infipid epic poem, Italja Liberata ; but whofe
memory ought to be reverenced for having given us the
firft
DIDACTIC POETRY. 429
firfi: regular modern tragedy, in blank verfe, his Sophonif-^
ha; as Ruccellai himfelf produced the fecond that was feen
in Italy, entituled, Rofmunda.
Before I conclude thefe reflexions, it will, I prefume,
be expedled that I fpeak. a few words on the didadic poets
of our own nation.
Philips's Cyder is a very clofe and happy imitation of
the Georgic, and conveys to us the fulleft idea of
Virgil's manner: whom he hath exa6tly followed in a
pregnant brevity of ftyle, in throwing in frequent moral
reflections, in varying the method of giving his precepts,
in his digreflions, and in his happy addrefs in returning
again to his fubjedl: ; in his knowledge and love of philo-
fophy, medicine, agriculture and antiquity, and in a cer-
tain primaeval fimplicity of manners, which is fo con-
fpicuous in both.
If there be any fault m Philips, it is, perhaps, his in-
fertion of many images that excite laughter, and are con-
trary to the majefty of the didadlic Mufe j and his having
ufed too many elifions, exotique and antique expreflions, and.
tranfpofitions, under the notion of ftrengthening his verfe,
and of refembling Milton; who, by the way, is not fo
uniformly obfolete and difficult in his diction, as is fome-
times imagined j but makes ufe of thefe uncommon and
unfamiliar phrafes chiefly when he is defcribing things
that lie out of the compafs of nature, and that are mar-
vellous and ftrange, fuch as hell, chaos, and heaven.
SoMERViLLE in his Chace, writes with all the fpirit
and fire of an eager fportfman.
Farewell, Cleora ! here deep funk in down
Slumber fecure with happy dreams amus'd — —
Me other joys invite.
The horn fonorous calls, the pack awak'd
Their mattins chant, nor brook my long delay.
My courfer hears their voice j fee there with ear»
And
43© REFLECTIONS ON
And tail ere<ft, neighing he paws the ground ;
Fierce rapture kindles in hJs red'ning eyes.
And boils in every vein. — — B. ii. S4*
The defcriptions of hunting the hare, the fox, and thtf
flag, are extremely fpirited, and place the very objedts
before our eyes ; of fuch confequence is it for a man ta
write on 'that which he hath frequently felt with plea-
fure. He neglefts his verfification fometimes, and there
are doubtlefs great inequalities, both with refpeft to har^
mony and expreflion, in the poem. He hath failed in de-
fcribino- the madnefs that fometimes rages among hounds,-
and particularly in his account of the effects of the bit»
of a mad dog on a man.
To defcribe fo difficult a things gracefully and poeti-
cally, as the efFefts of a diftemper on the human body,
was referved for Dr. Armstrong j who accordingly
. hath nobly executed it, at the end of the third book of
his Art of preferving health, where he hath given us that
pathetic account of the fweating-ficknefs. There is a
claflical correftnefs and clofenefs of ftyle in this poem,
that are truly admirable, and the fubjeft is raifed and
adorned by numberlefs poetical images. What can her
more pleafmg than his defcription of a healthy fituation
for a houfe ?
See ! where enthron'd In adamantine ftate.
Proud of her bards imperial Windfor fits ;
There choofe thy feat, in fome afpiring grove
Faft by the flowly-winding Thames ; or where
Broader fhe laves fair Richmond's green retreats ;
(Richmond that fees an hundred villas rife
Rural or gay). O from the fummer's rage
O wrap me in thf friendly gloom that hides
Umbrageous Ham.
This ends with a well-conducled profopopoeia,
Greeft
DIDACTIC POETRY. 431
Green rife the Kentifh hills in chearful air ;
But on the marfhy plains that EfTex fpreads •
Build not, nor reft too long thy wand'ring feet.
For on a ruftic throne of dewy turf.
With baneful fogs her aching temples bound,
Quartana there prefides } a meagre fiend
Begot by Eurus, when his brutal force
Comprefs'd the flothful Naiads of the fens.
B. i. 10?.
In how lofty a manner hath he introduced his precepts
concerning drinking water !
Now come, ye Naiads, to the fountains lead !
Now let me wander through your gelid reign ;
[ I turn to view th' enthufiaftic wilds
By mortal elf untrod. I hear the din
Of waters thundering o'er the ruin'd clifFs,
With holy reverence I approach the rocks
Whence glide the ftreams renown'd in ancient fong.
Hence from the defart down the rumbling fteep
Firft fprings the Nile ; here burfts the founding Po
In angry waves ; Euphrates hence devolves
A mighty flood to water half the Eaft j
And there in Gothic folitude reclin'd
The chearlefs Tanais pours his hoary urn.
What folemn twilight ! what ftupendous fhades
Enwrap thefe infant floods ! Thro' every nerve
A facred horror thrills j a pleafing fear
Glides o'er my frame ! B. ii. 352, &c.
In fhort, this author hath evidently Ihewn, that there
is no fubjeft but what is capable of being exalted into
poetry by a genius.
There is a fublimity of fentiment *, an energy of
diclion,
* See particularly Ep. i. ver. 267 to the end. If there be
Any fault in this poem, it is perhaps ;he mixing droll and
burlcfquc
432 REFLECTIONS ON
diiftion, a fpirit unextinguifhed by corre6lnefs and rhyhi^i
to be found in Mr. Pope's Eflay on Man, that will ever
render it the honour of our nation and language. And
it is not my province at prefent to determine, what fomc
ire apt to difpute, Whether or no this poem (in the
words of Dr. Warburton) " hath a precifion, force, anc^
*' clofenefs of connexion, rarely to be met with evert
" in the moft formal treatifes of philofophy ?"
The Pleasures of Imagination are, in their very
nature, a moft proper and pregnant fubjed for a didadlic
poem. The amiable author who happily fixt on thefc
as his fubje£l, it muft be allowed by the fevereft critic,
hath done them ample juftice ; whether we confider his
glowing and animated ftyle, his lively arid piiSlurefque
images f ; the graceful and harmonious flow of his
numbers ; or the noble fpirit of poetical enthufiafm,
which breathes through his whole work. But that I
may not lofe myfelf in a wide field of panegyric, I will
produce the fpllowing three paffages, in which images
of Greatnefs, Wonderfulnefs, and Beauty (from the
perception of which all the pleafures of poetry and the
imagination principally flow) are thus nobly exemplify'd.
1. GREATNESS.
The high-born foul
Difdains to reft his heav'n afpiring wing
Beneath its native quarry. Tir'd of earth
And this diurnal fcene, Ihe fprings aloft
Through fields of air j purfues the flying ftorm j
burlefque images with ferious doftrlnes : fuch is that line
(taken fioni Charron, Book i. on Wifdom)
" See man for mine, replies a pamper'd goofe."
-}- See particularly the defcription of Pleasure, Virtue,
and Pain, Book ii. 409, Sec. of a folemn wood, and partica-
larly ver. 290. B. iii. and of a poet at the time of his firft con-
ceiving feme great deAgn, B. iii. ver. 373.
DIDACTIC POETRY. 433
Rides on the volley'd lightning thro' the heav'ns ;
Or yok'd with whirlwinds and the northern blaft.
Sweeps the long tra6l of day. Then high flie foars
The blue profound, and hov'ring o'er the fun
Beholds him pouring the redundant ftreum
Of light J beholds his unrelenting fway
Bend the relutStant planets and abfolve
The fated rounds of time. Thence far efFus'd
She darts her fwiftnefs up the long career
Of devious comets ; through its burning figns
Exulting circles the perennial wheel
Of nature, and looks back on all the ftars,
Whofe blended light, as with a milky zone.
Inverts the orient. Now amaz'd ihe views
Th' empyreal wade, where happy fpirits hold.
Beyond this concave heav'n, their calm abode j
And fields of radiance, whofe unfading light
Has travell'd the profound fix thoufand years.
Nor yet arrives in fight of mortal things ;
Ev'n on the barriers of the world untir'd
She meditates th' eternal depth below ;
Till, half recoiling, down the headlong fteep
She plunges ; foon o'erwhelm'd and fwallow'd up
In that immenfe of being. There her hopes
Reft at the fated goal.
2. WONDERFULNESS.
— — — What need words
To paint Its power ? For this, the daring youth
Breaks from his weeping mother's anxious arms.
In foreign climes to rove : the penfive fage
Heedlefs of fleep, or midnight's harmful damp.
Hangs o'er the fickly taper ; and untir'd
The virgin follows, with inchanted ftep.
The mazes of fome v.'ild and wond'rous tals
Vol. I. F f From
434 REFLECTIONS ON
From morn to eve ; unmindful of her form.
Unmindful of the happy drefs that ftole
The wiflies of the youth, when every maid
With envy pin'd. Hence finally, by night
The village-matron, round the bla:^ing hearth,
Sufpends the infant-audience with her tales.
Breathing aftonifhment ! of witching rhymes.
And evil fpirits of the death-bed call
To him who robb'd the widow and devonr'd
The orphan's portion ; of unquiet fouls
Ris'n from the grave to eafe the heavy guilt
Of deeds in life conceal'd j of fliapes that walk
At dead of night, and clank their chains, and wave
The torch of hell about the murd'rer's bed.
At ev'ry folemn paufe the croud recoil
Gazing each other fpeechlcfs, and congeal'd
With fhiv'ring fighs : till eager for th' event,
Around the beldame all ereil they hang.
Each trembling heart with grateful terrors quell'd.
3. BEAUTY.
■ Brighteft progeny of hcav'n !
How fiiall I trace thy features ? v/here felecl
The rofeate hues to emulate thy bloom ?
Hafte then, my fong, thro' nature's wide expanfe,
Hafte then and gather all her comelieft wealth,
Whate'er bright fpoils the florid earth contain?,
Whate'er the waters, or the liquid air.
To deck thy lovely labour. Wilt thou fly
With laughing Autunm to th' Atlantic iflcs
And range with him th' Hcfperian field and fca.
Where'er his fingers touch the fruitful grove.
The branches Ihoot with gold ; where'er his ibep
Marks the glad foil, the tender clufters glow
With purple ripencfs, and inveft each hill
A^
DIDACTIC POETRY. 435
As with the blufhes of an evening (ky ?
Or wilt thou rather (loop thy vagrant plume.
Where, gliding thro' his daughter's honour'd Ihade,
The fmooth Pencus from his glafly flood
Reflects purpureal Tempe's pleafant fcenc ?
Fair Tempe ! haunt belov'd of fylvan pow'rs.
Of nymphs and fauns j where in the golden age
They play'd in fecret on the fliady brink
With ancient Pan, while round their choral ftep?
Young hours and genial gales with conftant hand
Shower'd bloflx)ms, odours, Ihower'd ambrofial dews.
And Spring's Elyfian bloom.
I muft beg the reader's leave to lay before him one
pafl^age more, with which 1 fhall conclude, both becaufe
it is a proper inftance of our author's genius, and becaufe
it contains a ftrong and feafonable exhortation to the
ft-::.'y of the Grecian literature, which is at prefent Co
ftrangely negle<5led among us, that perfons are not want-
ing who fet up for fcholars and critics, without even
pretending ever to have perufed the Greek clafHcs.
Genius of ancient Greece ! whofe faithful Heps
Well-pleas'd I follow thro' the facred paths
Of nature and of fcience ; nurfe divine
Of all heroic deeds and fair defires !
! let the breath of thy extended praife
Infpire my kindling bofom to the height
Of this unf-'^mpted theme. Nor be my thoughts
Prefumptuous counted, if, amid the calm
That foothes this vernal evening into fmilcs,
1 ileal impatient from the fordid haunts
Of ftrife and low ambition to attend
Thy facred prcfenc3 in the fylvan fhade,
By their malignant footfleps ne'er prcfan'd.
Defcend, propitious! to my favour' J eye;
Such in thy mien, thy warm., exalted^air,
M
436 REFLECTION S, &c.
As when the Perfiah tyrant, foil'd and ftung
"With fhame and defperation, gnafli'd his teeth
To fee thee rend the pageants of his throne ;
And at the lightning of thy lifted fpear
Crouch'd like a flave. Bring all thy martial fpoils.
Thy palms, thy laurels, thy triumphant fongs.
Thy fmiling band of arts, thy godlike fires
Of civil wifdom, thy heroic youth
Warm from the fchools of glory. Guide my way
Thro' fair Lyceum's walk, the green retreats
Of Academus, and the thymy vale.
Where oft enchanted with Socratic founds,
IliiTus pure devolv'd his tuneful ftream
Tn gentler murmurs. From the blooming ftore
Of thefc aufpicious fields, may I unblam'd
Tranfplant fome living bloflbms, to adorn
My native clime : while far above the flight
Of fancy's plume afpiring, I unlock
The fprings of ancient wifdom ; while I join
Thy name, thrice honour'd ! with th' immortal praife
Of nature ; while to my compatriot youth
I point the high example of thy fons,
And tune to Attic themes the Britifh lyre.
Book i. ver. 567.
THE END OF THE FIRST VOLUME.
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