He gives plenty to our fields, be Ille colit terras, illi mea carmina curae. regards my long. « With Jove, ye Mufes, let the Ταῦτ ̓ ἄρα Μοῦσαι ἄειδον, Ολύμπια σε fong begin.” δώματ ̓ ἔχουσαι Εννέα θυγατέρες μεγάλου Διὸς ἐκγές Κλειώ τ', Ευτέρπη τε, Θάλεια τε τη γαυίαις Μελπομένη τε, Τερψιχόρη τ', Ερατώ τε, Πολύμνιά τ', Οὐρανίῃ τε Καλλιόπη θ ̓ ἤ δὴ προφερεστάτη ἐστὶν And, απασέων τ Καὶ λιμένες· πάλῃ δὲ Διὸς πεπλήσ- Μνημοσύνης δ' ἐξαῦτις ἐράσσατο καλ " Jovis omnia plena.] Several of the ancient philofophers were of opinion, that one foul animated the univerfe, and that this foul was the deity. Plutarch, in his treatife on the opinions of philofophers, tells us that all, except thole who affert the do&trine of a vacuum and atoms, held the univerfe to be animated. See the note on ver. 221. of the fourth Georgick. In the fame treatife we find, that Thales, Pythago ras, Plato, Ariftotle, Dicaearchus, and Afclepiades the phyfician, fuppofed the foul to be incorporeal, felfmoving, a thinking fubftance, and the conftant action of a natural organ endued with life ; Οὗτοι πάντες οἱ προτεταγμένοι ασώματον τὴν ψυχὴν ὑποτίθενται, φύσει λέγοντες αυτοκί MEN. Et me Phoebus amat: Phoebo fua femper apud me 、, NOTES. ...MEN. And Phoebus love's me: Phoebus always finds his own offerings with me, ledged, as the Soul or Mind of the "Spiritus intus alit, totamque in- νητον καὶ ουσίαν νοητὴν, καὶ τοῦ φυσικοῦ ὀργανικοῦ ζωὴν ἔχοντος ἐντελέχειαν ; and that, according to Pythagoras and Plato, the foul is immortal, and when it leaves the body, returns to the foul of the world; Πυθαγόρας, Πλάτων ἄφθαρτον είναι τὴν ψυχὴν, ἐξιοῦσαν γὰρ εἰς τὸ τοῦ παντὸς ψυχὴν ἀναχορεῖν πρὸς τὸ ὁμο Yves Thales feems to have been the first who advanced, that the foul or mind of the world is the Deity; for thus Plutarch informs us ; Θαλής νοῦν τοῦ κόσμου θεὸν We learn from the fame author, that Socrates and Plato, who were of the fame opinion concerning the univerfe, fuppofed three principles, God, Matter, and Idea: that God is the mind of the world; Matter the firft fubject of generation and corruption; and Idea an incorporeal subtance in the conceptions and imaginations of God; Expaτns Ew-rolles, C'eft huy qui cultive les champs; Σωκράτης Σω Φρονίσκου Αθηναῖος, καὶ Πλάτων Apiolwvos 'Anvaros, ai yag aura περὶ παντὸς ἑκατέρου δόξαι, τρεῖς αρχας, τὸν θεὸν, τὴν ὕλην, τὴν ἰδέαν· 167. de ó Deos & vous, van de TO UTONEμενον πρῶτον γενέσει καὶ φθορᾷ, ἰδέα δὲ οὐσία ἀσώματος· ἐν τοῖς νοήμασι καὶ ταῖς φαντασίαις τοῦ Θεοῦ· ὁ Θεὸς νοῦς ἐστι τοῦ κόσμου. Jupiter being the fupreme of the fabulous deities, his name is frequently ufed by the Poets to exprefs the one God, whom the wifeft of the Philofophers acknow my "Mens agitat molem, et magno fe corpore mifcet." 66 61. Ille colit terras.] Servius interprets colit, amat, which he confirms by a paffage in the firft Acneid, Unam pofthabita coluifle Samo, where coluiffe means amaffe. Ruaeus renders it ille foecundat terras. Thus alfo his learned countryman Ma and W. L. He fertile makes the Illi mea carmina curae.] "Poets are under the protection of the "Gods; thus Ovid, bays, and fweat-red byacinths. Munera funt lauri, et fuave rubens hyacinthus. NOTES. "At facri vates, et Divum cura 66 vocamur. 62. Et me Phoebus amat, &c.] 62. Et me Phoebus amat, &c.] "Damoetas had begun with Jupi 36 ter, and therefore it was difficult ་ 63. Lauri.] The Laurus is not our Laurel, but Bay, as is fhewn in the note on ver. 306. of the first Georgick, Apollo was in love with Daphne, the daughter of Peneus. She being purfued by him, and almoft overtaken, befought her father to have pity on her; Peneus heard her from the violation of Apollo, chang prayer, and to preferve her chastity ed her into a Bay-tree. The God being difappointed of poffeffing the nymph, refolved that the tree fhould be his favourite, and enjoy the greateft honours, according to Ovid, in the first book of his Metamorphofes ; Cui Deus, at conjux quoniam "mea non potes effe, "Arbor eris certe, dixit, mea. coma, te citharae, te noftrae, Semper habebunt laure, pharetrae. "Tu ducibus Latiis aderis, cum laeta triumphum Servius thinks thefe words capable of a double interpretation; ei-Te ther he only equals his adverfary, that God, whom each worships, being to him fupreme: or elfe he intends to go farther, meaning by and Phoebus loves me, that not only Jupiter, but Apollo alfo loved him. Burman finds at me in some manufcripts. Phoebus.] "The fame with "Apollo and Sol, the fon of Jupi66 ter and Latona, who bore him 66 at the fame time with Diana, in "the island Delos, the inventor of phyfick; and the God of divi"nation, poetry and mufick. He was called Phoebus quafi Qaos Bíov, the light of life." RUAEUS, Vox canet; et longae vifent Ca "pitolia pompae. "Poftibus Augufti eadem fidiffima "cuftos "Ante fores ftabis, mediamque tuebere quercum." Suave rubens hyacinthus.] Hyacinthus, who was another favourite of Apollo, and unhappily killed by him, was changed into the flower called Hyacinth by the Poets. It is however very different from any of the forts of hyacinth, which we cultivate th DAM. Malo me Galatea petit lafciva puella; NOTES.' cultivate in our gardens. See the note on ver. 183. of the fourth Georgick. "It is certain, that the law of "the Amoebean, or refponfive "verse, is this; that the last that the laft fpeaker muft produce fomething "better, or at leaft equal; other"wife he is overcome. Damoetas "therefore, in this contention for "honour, begins moft arrogantly. "He affumes to himself Jupiter, "who fills all things, he will leave nothing to his adverfary, whom he intends to overwhelm with "the power of fo great a deity. "Add to this the great haughtinefs "of the firft verfe. Menalcas being "in thefe ftreights, lays hold on that deity, whom he knows to "be next to Jupiter. and fupreme in poetry. He adds an affection, which is wanting in the firft; for it is more to fay he loves me, than *he regards my verses. He adds a reciprocal love; he loves me and I love him, for I efteem and honour his gifts. What if you 'fhould admit the explication of *Servius? Phoebus alfo loves me; that is Jupiter loves me, and * Phoebus alfo, I have two deities, and you have one. Laftly there is no pledge between Damoetas and Jupiter; but a great one between Menalcas and Phoe"bus; he always keeps by him "bays and hyacinths. There is "no doubt of his being conqueror here. Compare this with Theocritus, al Mera Me Pinoti, φιλεῦσι, * DAM Galatra, zvanton girl, throws an apple at me, Et mea frondenti circumdat tem"pora taeda. To which Aftachus anfwers, and runs to bide berfelf among Et fugit ad falices, et fe cupit ante videri. the willows, but wishes I may fee ber firft. NOTES. 65 "Et mihi Flora comas parienti laemon, who is chofen for judge be "gramine fpargit, "Et mihi matura Pomona sub ar"bore ludit." LA CERDA. If I might venture to deliver my opinion in an affair, which feems to have been determined by the general confent of the Criticks, I fhould fay, that the law which they have enacted with regard to the Amoebean poetry is not juft. If the laft fpeaker muft neceffarily equal, if not excel, what has been faid by the first, I do not fee how it is poffible for the laft ever to come off with conqueft: at the beft he can but make a drawn battle of it: In the prefent Eclogue, the Criticks endeavour to prove, that Menalcas is equal to Damoetas in every couplet, and in fome fuperior. Surely then he excels him, and ought in equity to obtain the prize or elfe it is impoffible for the laft fpeaker ever to gain the victory. If this was the cafe, who would ever engage in fuch a contention, where the firft fpeaker cannot poffibly lofe the viċtory, and the last can never get it? This imaginary law therefore feems to be abfurd; the nature of the Amoebean poetry being rather this; that two perfons fpeak alternately an equal number of verfes; that the latter is obliged to produce fomething that has relation to what has been faid by the former; and that the victory is obtained by him, who has pronounced the beft verfes. Pa tween our two fhepherds, declares them to be equal; whence we may conclude, that Virgil intended, either that they should be equal in every couplet, or elfe that fometimes one fhould excel, and fometimes the other. With regard to the two couplets now before us, it, muft be allowed, after all that the Commentators have faid, that the first cannot be excelled. Therefore Menalcas does not attempt to emulate the first line, which is in praife of Jupiter, the fupreme deity. He only anfwers to the end of the fe cond line, illi mea carmina curae, by faying that he himself is the favourite of Apollo, the God of verfe; to which he adds as an inftance of the veneration which he has for this deity, that he takes care to be conftantly provided with fuch gifts as are agreeable to him. It is faid, that Menalcas makes choice of Apollo, as the next deity in order to Jupiter. But, according to Ho race, Jupiter is infinitely great, above all comparison: and the next to him, though at an immenfe diftance, is Pallas: nor is Apollo mentioned till not only Pallas, but even Bacchus and Diana have been celebrated; and |