Imatges de pàgina
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Non îdem gemitus olim, neque vulnus erat par
Damnorum, Sociis florentibus, et modò victis.
Plena domus tunc omnis, et ingens stabat acervus
Nummorum, Spartana chlamys, conchylia Coa,
Et, cum Parrhasii tabulis, signisque Myronis,
Phidiacum vivebat ebur, necnon Polycleti
Multus ubique labor: raræ sine Mentore mensæ.
Inde Dolabella est, atque hinc Autonius, inde
Sacrilegus Verres referebant navibus altis
Occulta spolia, et plures de pace triumphos.

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in vain." (Comp. Sat. i. 42.)-Owen considers post omnia perdere naulum as a proverbial expression, "to throw the helve after the hatchet," and so does Mr. Gifford.-Lubinus hints, that naulum may also be understood of the farthing paid to Charen. See Sat. iii. 249.

102. Modò victis] Vel nuper victis; vel tantummodo victis, et nondum spoliatis.

104. Spartana chlamys, conchylia Coa] So Horace, Laconicas purpuras, Coa purpura. Od. ii. 18. 7. iv. 13. 13.-The murex, or shellfish which supplied the purple, was found on the coast of Sparta, (in the south of the Morea,) and of Cos, an island in the Archipe lago.

105. Parrhasii, &c.] Parrhasius was a famous painter; Myro, a statuary and sculptor; as were also Phidias and Polycletus. See Sat. iii. 199.

106. Vivebat] Vivere quasi et spirare videbatur. Sic Virg. Æn. vi. 847.

Excudent alii spirantia mollius æra,

Credo equidem: vivos ducent de marmore vultus.

107. Multus labor] Plurima opera. M.-Mentore] A famous silversmith, whose workmanship adorned almost every table, in its service of plate.

108. Inde Dolabella est] His opibus Dolabella ad expilandum incitatus est. Of the three infamous characters here mentioned, Dolabella plundered Asia Minor, C. Antonius Achaia, and Verres Sicily. They were all impeached and condemned for extortion. 109. Altis] Profundis. P. Deeply-laden. 0.

110. Occulta spolia] Not daring to expose them as was usual by honourable conquerors in their triumphs. M.-The last syllable in occulta is here rendered long by the two consonants of the next word, as in Virgil: date tela, scandite muros. Æn. ix. 37.-Plures de pace triumphos] Plures triumphos de pacatis populis ac pacis tempore, quam alii de hostibus et in bello. R.

Nunc Sociis juga pauca boum et grex parvus equarum, Et pater armenti capto eripietur agello:

Ipsi deinde Lares; si quod spectabile signum ;

Si quis in ædiculâ Deus unicus. Hæc etenim sunt
Pro summis: nam sunt hæc maxima. Despicias tu 115
Forsitan imbelles Rhodios unctamque Corinthum;
Despicias meritò. Quid resinata juventus,
Cruraque totius facient tibi lævia gentis?
Horrida vitanda est Hispania, Gallicus axis,
Illyricumque latus. Parce et messoribus illis,
Qui saturant Urbem, circo scenæque vacantem.
(Quanta autem inde feres tam diræ præmia culpæ,
Cùm tenues nuper Marius discinxerit Afros ?)

111. Nunc Sociis juga pauca boum] Eripientur, understood. 112. Pater armenti] The bull or stallion.

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114. Si quis in adiculâ Deus unicus] Thus Cicero complains of the sacrilegious Verres: "Siculos jam ne Deos quidem in suis urbibus, að quos confugerent, habere; quòd eorum simulachra sanetissima C. Verres ex delubris religiosissimis sustulisset. In Q. Cæcilium, 1.—Hæc, &c.] Ad deorum imagines referendum. F.

115. Pro summis] Pro summis viris Romanis. Spolia hæc quæ dixi summos spoliatores decent. F.-Hæc non pertinent ad tenues Provinciales, sed potius ad summos viros, et ea proinde Romani, rerum domini, auferre debent. Ironicè. P.-Nam sunt hæc maxima] Hæc sunt maxima, quæ restant pauperibus sociis, bona; (R.) maxima, quæ auferenda restant, spolia.

116. Imbelles Rhodios unctamque Corinthum] Rhodes (an island on the coast of Asia Minor) and Corinth (on the isthmus of Greece) were noted for luxury and effeminacy.

117. Resinata] Effeminate. Making use of rosin (like the pumice mentioned before, 1. 19.) to smooth their limbs.

119. Gallicus axis] The Gallic region, which lay to the north of Rome. Some understand it of the Gallic war-chariot.

120. Illyricumque latus] The word latus, Ruperti observes, is well applied to the Illyrian coast, "quoniam in longum est porrectum, secundùm litus maris Adriatici dextrum."-Messoribus illis] The Africans: see on Sat. v. 118.

121. Vacantem] Intentam, impensè deditam.-Literally, void of all other employment, and minding nothing else but the public diversions of the circus and the theatre. M.-Compare Sat. iii. 205. X. 80, 81. xi. 52, 53.

123. Marius] See on Sat. i. 39.-Discinxerit] Spoliaverit quasi ad vestimenta usque; denudaverit.

Curandum in primis, ne magna injuria fiat

Fortibus et miseris. Tollas licèt omne quod usquam est 125
Auri atque argenti; scutum, gladiumque relinques,
Et jacula, et galeam: spoliatis arma supersunt.
Quod modò proposui, non est sententia: verùm
Credite me vobis folium recitare Sibyllæ.

Si tibi sancta cohors comitum ; si nemo tribunal
Vendit acersecomes; si nullum in conjuge crimen ;
Nec per conventus, nec cuncta per oppida curvis
Unguibus ire parat nummos raptura Celæno :

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124. Curandum in primis] Præcipuè cavendum est.-A sarcastic caution; intimating, that base and cowardly oppressors always take care to select for the victims of their cruelty, those from whom they fear no resistance.

128. Quod modò proposui] What I have just stated.-Non est sententia] Is not merely an opinion. W.

129. Folium Sibylla] Consider it true as a Sibyl's prophecy. (See on Sat. iii. 3.) The Cumæan Sibyl is described by Virgil as writing her prophecies on leaves:

Fata cauit, foliisque notas et nomina mandat.

Æn. iii. 444.

130. Cohors] The train or retinue of the governor. Hence is derived the word court.-Tacitus, in his description of Agricola's exemplary conduct as a governor, notes especially the strictness with which he regulated his household: A se suisque orsus, primum domum suum coercuit; quod plerisque haud minus arduum est, quam provinciam regere. Agric. 19.

131. Acersecomes] A minion, a favourite slave, a youth with flowing hair: Gr, akepσekoμns seu άKEIPEKOμNS, intonsus, Bacchi et Apollinis epitheton; ab a privativo, et Keipw tondeo, et kоμn coma.-Vendit tribunal] i. e. Influences you in your judicial decisions; having been bribed so to do, by the parties interested.

132. Conventus] Districts, into which the provinces were divided, like our counties, wherein the people were summoned by the magistrate to meet for the dispatch of judicial business. In each of these the prefect held a court, something like our judges on the circuits, to try criminal and civil causes.

M.

133. Celano] One of the Harpies described by Virgil, Æn. iii. 211. et seqq. Monsters with the face of a woman, and the body and claws of a vulture.-The rapacity and misconduct of the women who followed their husbands to their governments, was a sore evil; insomuch that a proposal was made in the senate, during the reign of Tiberius, Ne quem magistratum, cui provincia obvenisset, uxor comitaretur. Tac. Ann. iii. 33. The chapter is worth referring to, as illustrative of this passage.

Tunc licet à Pico numeres genus; altaque si te
Nomina delectant, omnem Titanida pugnam
Inter majores, ipsumque Promethea ponas:
De quocunque voles proavum tibi sumito libro.
Quòd si præcipitem rapit ambitus atque libido,
Si frangis virgas Sociorum in sanguine, si te
Delectant hebetes lasso lictore secures ;
Incipit ipsorum contra te stare parentum
Nobilitas, claramque facem præferre pudendis.

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OMNE ANIMI VITIUM TANTO CONSPECTIUS IN SE CRIMEN HABET, QUANTO MAJOR, QUI PECCAT,

HABETUR.

III. Præter majorum cineres atque ossa, volucri 145 Carpento rapitur pinguis Damasippus ; et ipse,

134. Tunc licet à Pico numeres genus] i. e. Si tu, cum tuis omnibus, sanctus et integer es, tunc tibi licet ut te nobilissimum esse existimes, ut numeres genus tuum vel a Pico Saturni filio, antiquissimo Italorum rege; de quo Virgilius, Æn. vii. 48. et 189.

135. Titanida pugnum] The whole army of the Titans, the fabled sons of Cœlus and Terra who warred against the gods.

136. Promethea] Whom the poets feign to have been the first former of men out of clay, and then to have animated them by fire stolen from heaven. M.

137. De quocunque, &c.] i. e. Claim for your forefather any hero of history or of romance that may best suit your fancy.

138. Ambitus] Ambitio; which is the reading of many editions. 139. 140. Si frangis virgas, &c.] If you delight in scourging and putting to death the unfortunate Provincials, till your lictor himself be tired out, and his very axe blunt with incessant executions. 142. Pudendis] Pudendis ac turpibus factis tuis. L.-Præclarè Sallustius: Majorum gloria posteris lumen est, neque bona neque mala eorum in occulto patitur. Bell. Jugurth.

145. Præter majorum cineres atque ossa] "Quorum Flaminiá tegitur cinis."-See the notes on Sat. i. 53. and 162.

146. Damasippus] Aquaσiños, equorum domitor, a daμaw et inños. -This name may be feigned for the occasion: but by the allusion to the bulk of his person, to his high birth, and his office, the poet had probably in view some well-known individual.-Driving was held unbecoming in persons of such elevated rank, though countenanced by Nero's example. V.-How many of our modern youths (from whose birth and station better things might justly be expected) show the same depraved ambition with Damasip

Ipse rotam stringit multo sufflamine Consul!
Nocte quidem; sed luna videt; sed sidera testes
Intendunt oculos. Finitum tempus honoris
Cùm fuerit, clarâ Damasippus luce flagellum
Sumet, et occursum nusquanı trepidabit amici
Jam senis, ac virgâ prior innuet, atque manîplos
Solvet, et infundet jumentis hordea lassis.
Intereà, dum lanatas torvumque juvencum,
More Numæ, credit Jovis ante altaria, jurat
Hipponam, et facies olida ad præsepia pictas.
Sed, cùm pervigiles placet instaurare popinas,

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pus, to sink themselves into grooms and coachmen !-Compare Sat. i. 50-54.

147. Ipse, Ipse-Consul] Even during the year in which he happens to be Consul, Damasippus cannot refrain from his darling amusement, and delights with his own hand to perform the most menial offices connected with it; such as getting down at the top of the hills to put on the drag-chain, sufflamen.

148. Nocte quidem] He has indeed the decency to confine his charioteering to the night, when he may indulge in it more privately; but the very moon and stars are poetically represented as gazing with astonishment on the Consul-coachman.

149. Tempus honoris] Annus consulatus. L.

151. Occursum trepidabit] An intransitive verb with an accus. according to a Greek idiom. P.

152. Virga innuet] Will give him that peculiar salute with the whip, so well known among the heroes of the coach-box.-Maniplos Solvet] He will unbind the trusses of straw and shake up the litter, &c. thus officiating as groom.

Unyokes his weary steeds, and, to requite

Their service, feeds and litters them at night. G.

154, Lanatus] Oves.

155. More Numa] According to the rites established by Numa. M.-Or, as Ruperti understands it, under an assumed air of religious solemnity, like Numa himself.

156. Hipponam, et fucies, &c.] By associating with stable company, Damasippus has learnt the graces of their language and their oaths. He swears "by Hippona," the goddess of horses, (from irros,) whose figure, with those of other minor deities of the stable, was painted over the stinking stalls. These are the gods that Damasippus inwardly adores, even while assisting, as Consul, at the solemn sacrifices of Jupiter.

157. Pervigiles] Quæ per totam noctem patent. re] Revisere.

Juv. Sat.

R.-Instaura

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