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and the reddening elufter fhall Incultifque rubens pendebit fentibus uva, bang on the uncultivated thorns;

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NOTES.

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σεις ομοιως ἔχουσα τῷ καυλῷ· ἐσθίουσι δ' αυτὴν καὶ ὠμὴν, καὶ ἐφθῆν, καὶ ὀπλήν καὶ δι περὶ τὰ ἕλη, τούτῳ σίτῳ χρῶνται φύεται μὲν ουν καὶ πολὺς ἀντόματος· ἐν μὲν ἀλλὰ καταβάλλουσιν ἐν πηλῷ ἀχυρώσαντες εὖ μάλα προς το κατενεχθῆναι γε καὶ μεῖναι καὶ διαφθαρῆναι καὶ ούτω κατασκευάζουσι τους κυάμονας. . . Γίνεται δὲ ουτος καὶ ἐν Συρίᾳ καὶ κατὰ Κιλικίαν. Here it may be obferved, that Theophraftus does not give the leaft hint, that either the Egyptian Bean, or any part of the plant is called Colocala. But Pliny, as well as Diofcorides, affirms that they are the fame plant. He mentions the falk as the part that is eaten, fays the Egyptians ufed the leaves to drink out of, and adds, that in his time it was planted in Italy; " In Aegypto nobiliffima eft Colocafia, quam Cyamon aliqui vocant. « Hanc e Nilo metunt, caule cum "coctus eft araneofo in mandendo, thyrfo autem, qui inter folia emicat, fpe&tabili, foliis latifi"mis, etiam fi arboreis comparentur, ad fimilitudinem eorum quae perfonata in noftris omni- bus vocamus. Adeoque Nili "fui dotibus gaudent, ut implexis "Colocafiae foliis in variam fpeciem "vaforum, potare gratiffimum ha« beant. Seritur jam hacc in Ita"lia." We find this plant mentioned alfo by Herodotus, who does not call it either cyamos or colocafia, buty and fpeaks of it imme

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66

66

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diately after the Lotos, which he calls a lily allo. There grow in the Nile, fays he, other Lilies allo refembling Rofes. The fruit of thefe grows upon different ftalks, proceeding from the fame root, and refembles the combs of wafps. It has feveral feeds, of the bignefs of the kernels of olives, ficking together; which are eaten either green or dry; Ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἄλλα κρίνεα ρό δοῖσι ἐμφερέα, ἐν τῷ ποταμῷ γινόμενα καὶ ταῦτα· ἐξ ὧν ὁ καρπὸς ἐν άλλη κάλυκι παφυομένῃ ἐκ τῆς ρίζης, γίνεται κηρίῳ σφηκῶν ἰδέην ὁμοιότατον ἐν τούτῳ τρωκτὰ ὅσον τε πυρὴν ἐλαίης ἐγίνεται συχνὰ τρώγεται δὲ καὶ απαλὰ ταῦτα καὶ ἄνα. Profper Alpinus, in his book de Plantis Aegypti, affures us, that the Egyptian name of this plant is Culcas, which the Greek writers might eafily change to the more agreeable found of Colocafia. He fays, no plant is better known, or in more ufe among them; the root of it being eaten as commonly as turneps among us. But he feems to question, whether it is the fame with the Egyptian Bean of the Greek Authors, becaufe he could never meet with any one, that had feen either ftalk, flower, or fruit of it. However, by the figure which he has given of the leaves, it is the plant, which C. Bauhinus has called Arum maximum, Aegyptiacum, quod vulgo Colocafia. But whether this Arum is the very Egyptian Bean of Theophraftus, is

not

Et durae quercus fudabunt rofcida mella.

NOTES.

not greatly material to our prefent purpose, fince it is certain, that it is the Culcas of the modern Egyptians, and the Colocafia, which began to be planted in Italy in Virgil's time. When this Eclogue was written the Colocafia was a rarity, newly brought from Egypt; and therefore the Poet fpeaks of it's growing commonly in Italy, as one of the glories of the golden age, which was now expected to return. Acantho.] The Acanthus here meant is the Acacia, an Egyptian' tree, from which we obtain the Gum Arabic. See the note on ver. 119. of the fecond Georgick.

21. Ipfae.] The Commentators' obferve, that ipfae, in this place, is very expreffive, and anfwers to duros in Greek; fo that ipfae capellae fignifies as much as αυτόματοι, and xaSavras, that is, of their own accord.

Diftenta.] This epithet expreffes the fullness of the dug, which makes it ftrut. Thus Lucretius,

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leones.] This is plainly taken from Ifaiah, as are alfo fome verfes of the Sibyl to the fame purpose, quoted" by Lactantius..

23. Ipfa tibi blandos, &c.] Some of the Commentators will have it," that the Poet here alludes to a story, which is told concerning his own nativity; that a twig of poplar being 'planted when he was born, foon grew up to be a tall tree. But a poplar does not bear any beautifulflowers: fo that, allowing the story to be true, this paffage does not feem to allude to it. "The

24. Occidet et ferpens.] "Sibyl had ufed this expreffion, in

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Apiaftrum is what we call Baum,

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22. Nec magnos metuent armenta See the note on ver. 63.

of the

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But there will fill remain fome Pauca tamen fuberunt prifcae veftigia fraudis, footsteps of the ancient fraud,

fourth Georgick.

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mum.]

NOTES.

"not thy God, in whom thou "trufteft, deceive thee; faying,

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Jerufalem fhall not be delivered "into the hand of the king of Affyria. Behold thou hast heard what the kings of Affyria have "done to all lands, by deftroying "them utterly; and fhalt thou be

"nations delivered them which my "fathers have deftroyed, as Go"zan, and Haran, and Rezeph,

Pliny fays this herb is poisonous in Sardinia; " A"piaftrum Hyginus quidem meliffophyllon appellat. Sed in con"feffa damnatione eft venenatum "in Sardinia." If the Poet did mean any particular herb, I fhould. understand him of the aconite, which seems to be confirmed by the verfe," delivered? Have the gods of the that Servius bas quoted. Ruacus is of opinion, that he means all venemous herbs in general. 25. Affyrium vulgo nafcetur Amo" and the children of Eden which In the Lombard manu- "were in Thelafar? Where is the fcript, it is Affyrium et vulgo. "king of Hamath, and the king "But the fentence is neat and ele- "of Arpad, and the king of the << gant, without the copulative "city of Sepharvaim, of Henah "particle." PIERIUS. "and Ivah?" Gozan is fituated on the Cafpian fea, Haran was one of the royal feats of the kings of Mefopotamia, Rezeph was a city of Sy ria, Thelafar was a city of Babylonia, Hamath and Arpad were cities of Syria, Sepharvaim was a ch city on the river Euphrates, between Babylon and Nineveh. Ifaiah allo puts thefe words into the mouth of the king of Affyria; "Is not Cal

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Servius fays the Amomum is a fweetfmelling plant, which grows only in Affyria. But fo far is it from growing only in Affyria, that it is not faid by any of the ancient writers of Natural History, to grow in Affyria at all. See the note on ver. 89 of the third Eclogue. It is well known to be customary with Poets, and particularly Virgil, to extend the names of countries as far as poffible. We have feen, in the notes on the first Eclogue, that the empire of the Parthians is extended to the utmoft bound, that it ever reached. In the fame manner we must understand Affyria in this place, the greatest extent of which empire, it may not be amifs to defcribe on this occafion. We read, in the fecond book of Kings, that Sennacherib, king of Affyria, fent this meffage to Hezekiah's Let

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no as Carchemifh? is not Ha"math as Arpad ? is not Samaria as Damafcus ?" Calno was a city, where Bagdad now ftands, and gave name to a large region called Chalonitis. In th fecond book of Kings, ch. xvi. we find that Tiglath-pilefer took Damafcus, and carried the people to Kir, which was a city and large region of Media, and muft: therefore have been conquered before that time by the Affyrians. Inch. xvii. we find that Shalmanefer

Quae tentare Thetim ratibus, quae cingere muris

NOTES.

Shalmanefer" took Samaria, and "carried Ifrael away into Affyria, " and placed them in Halah and in "Habor, by the river of Gozan, "and in the cities of the Medes ;" and that "the king of Affyria "brought men from Babylon, and "from Cuthah, and from Ava, "and from Hamath, and from "Sepharvaim, and placed them in "the cities of Samaria, inftead of "the children of Ifrael." Halah and Habor are by fome thought to be Colchis and Iberia, and by others to be a region between Affyria and Media, Cuthah is Sufiana. Ezra mentions the Dinaites, Apharfathchites, Tarpelites, Apharfites, Archevites, Babylonians, Sufanchites, Dehavites, and Elamites, as the nations that had been tranfplanted to the cities of Samaria. The Apharfathchites were a people, that inhabited the bottom of the mountains next to Affyria; the Archevites were on the east of Pafitigris, between Apamia and the Perfian gulph: the Sufanchites were the people of Cuthah, or Sufiana; and the Elamites were the Perfians. We read alfo in the twentieth chapter of Isaiah, that the king of Affyria conquered Egypt and Ethiopia. Thus the Affyrian empire contained not only Affyria properly fo called; but allo Armenia, Media, Sufiana, part of Perfia, Chaldea, Mefopotamia, Cilicia, Syria, Paleftine, Egypt and Ethiopia. Therefore the Amomum being confeffedly a plant of Arme

which shall caufe men to go down to the fea in fhips, to encompass towns with walls,

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nia and Media, which were formerly fubject to the Affyrian em pire, is faid by the Poet to be an Affyrian plant. It was in high efteem, as a rich perfume; and therefore it is one of the glories of this age, that fo rare a plant would be made common.

26. At fimul heroum, &c.] The Poet having declared the bleffings" that fhall attend the birth of this expected child, defcribes thofe, which fhall accompany his youth. Other' figns of the Golden Age fhall appear; but it fhall not yet be perfectly reftored. Navigation, Agriculture, and War fhall not yet entirely ceafe.

Heroum laudes, &c.] Servius interprets the praifes of heroes to mean Poetry, the actions of his father Hiftory, and the knowledge of virtue Philofophy; and obferves, that these sciences are placed in the proper order, in which a youth ought to ftudy them.

Falta parentis.] If Marcellus was the fubject of this Eclogue, as feems most probable; by his father must be meant Auguftus, who seems to have adopted him, even before his birth: unless any one will suppose, that the Poet means Anthony, who was an intimate friend of Pollio, and had really performed many great actions. But I believe the Poet rather means Auguftus.

1.

Parentis.] Picrius found parentum in the Roman manuscript.

28. Molli

Malli

and to imprint farrosus on the Oppida, quae jubeant telluri infundere fulcos."

earth.

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"So molli, fays he, is interpreted by the Commentators; and "though it may seem ftrange, fince 66 corn is harden'd not foften'd by

being ripe; yet it must be con"fider'd that the word flavefcit is "in the fame verfe, and that corn "is not yellow till it is ripe. I "think molli therefore must relate

"to the taste; which is fofter and "mellower, as any fruit is riper." But, on the most careful examination of all the numerous places, where this adjective has been ufed by Virgil, we fhall not find a single paffage, in which it is ufed to fignify ripeness, The only inftance that can be pretended, is caftaneae; molles in the firft Eclogue, ver. 82. But the word has been fhewn to have another fenfe, in the note on that verfe. It is applied to the foft-nefs of wool, in the eighth Eclogue;

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Mollique fluentem "Fronde preinit crinem."

In the eighth Aeneid, it fignifies the foftness of an embrace;

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Niveis

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