Alter erit tum Tiphys, et altera quae vehat Argo There fall then be another Ti phys, and another Argo, Mollibus extulit undis ;' and wine alfo in the first Georgick; "Tunc agni pingues, et tunc mol"liffima vina; "Tunc fomni dulces." It is an epithet frequently given to flowers, not to exprefs their ripenefs, but their delicacy; as in the fecond Eclogue; Oscilla ex alta fufpendunt mollia" "pinu." Mollia luteola pingit vaccinia "caltha :" In the third Georgick it is used for and in the fifth ; 66 Det mollibus ora capiftris?" and for the foftness of a sheep-cote, covered with ftraw દ ; Stabulis edico in mollibus " herbam "Pro molli viola, pro purpureo Nar"ciffo " Carduus, et fpinis furgit pali66 urus acutis ;" where it is plainly oppofed to the fharpness of thorns: and in the fixth; "Ille latus niveum molli fultus hya"cintho :" "Mollibus a ftratis opera ad fa- alfo in the firft Aeneid, "brilia furgit :". MARONIS which fhall carry chofen beroes: Delectos heroas: erunt etiam altera bella, there fhall also be other wars, "Molles and NOTES. Molles tibi fumere thyrfos;" It is alfo ufed to exprefs the foftness, and ease of fleep; as in the fecond Georgick; In molli confedimus herba," and of a fine, mild feafon; as in And in the feventh; the first Georgick; Breviorque dies et mollior "aeftas." And of meadows; as in the tenth Hence it is applied to effeminate per fons, as in the first Georgick;) Atque iterum ad Trojam magnus mittetur Achilles, and a great Achilles ball again be fent to Troy. NOTES. of which fort are mollia juffa, in the third Georgick, and ninth Aeneid; and mollia fatu, in the twelfth. In the eleventh, we find the ftings, and irritations of the mind twice expreffed by ftimulis haud mollibus. Mollis is alfo frequently applied to any thing, that is bending and pliable, as Molle filer in the fecond Georgick; alfo for any fort of bafket-work; as in the third Eclogue; * Viminibus mollique paras detexere "junco ;" nd in the eleventh Aeneid; Crates, et molle feretrum Arbuteis texunt virgis, et vimine querno." 66 " Hence it is transferred to fignify bowed, or bent to obedience; as in the third Georgick; "Belgica vel melius molli feret effe- Thus the acanthus is called mollis in Ille comam mollis jam tum ton"debat acanthi ;" Latini "Clamorem tollunt, et mollia colla "reflectunt.” Thus alfo in the eighth Aeneid it is then he had faid but a few lines applied figuratively to the waters of efore, Flexi tacuiffem vimen a"canthi." In the fame fenfe it is ufed to ex a river, to exprefs the fubjection of the nations, that dwell on it's banks; refs the flexibility or ductility of Laftly it is used for the eafy defcent gold, when drawn into wire or hread; as in the tenth Aeneid; of a hill, in the ninth Eclogue; Mollique jugum demittere But when full-age fball bave Hinc, ubi jam firmata virum te fecerit aetas, made thee a man, And in the third Georgick; NOTES. Molli devertitur orbita "clivo." These, I think, are all the places, where Virgil has used the adjective mollis, and there does not feem to be one, where it can be interpreted either ripe or fertile. We must therefore seek for fome other interpretation of molli arifta. It has been obferved, in the note on ver. 219. of the first Georgick, that the triticum or wheat of the Ancients was bearded, and a paffage from Cicero was there produced, wherein the beard of wheat is defcribed as a prickly fence, to defend the ear from the injuries of birds. Thereföre we may understand the meaning of the paffage under confideration to be, that the corn fhall no longer ftand in need of this fortification, this pallifade, this vallum ariftarum, as Cicero calls it, to defend it from injuries; but fhall fpring up fpontaneoufly, and grow ripe with foft, and tender beards........ 29. Rubens.] This epithet is used to exprefs the ripening of the grapes, as flavefcens was for that of the corn. Pendebit.] La Cerda obferves, that this word properly defcribes the vineyards in Italy, where the vines run up on high trees, and fo the clufters hang down. Sentibus. I take fentes not to mean any particular species of plant ; thorny plants. Thus Ifaiah, chap. Iv. 13. Inftead of the thorn fhall " come up the fir-tree; and instead "of the brier fhall come up the "myrtle-tree." Uva.] It has been obferved, in the note on ver. 60. of the fecond Georgick, that uva does not fignify a fingle grape, but the whole clufter: 30. Et durae quercus, &c.] Ho ney is faid to have dropped from trees, in the golden age. See the note on ver. 131. of the firft Geor gick. 31. Pauca tamen fuberunt, & The restoration of the golden age not to be perfect, till this child i grown to full manhood. It has bee faid already, at the latter end of the note on ver. 13. that this Eclogu was written at the time of the re conciliation between Auguftus and Anthony, and that it is to this conciliation that the Poet afcribes a the bleffings of peace, which wen expected at that time. But the fo of the great Pompey was filli fome measure mafter of the fea, anda enemy to both the Triumvirs. There fore the great work of peace wa not wholly perfected; though th Poet hoped to fee it foon eftablished by the authority and wifdom of th Conful; as he faid a few line above; "Te duce fi qua manent fceleris but to be a general word for all wild, jy is. M g Prifcas Cedet et ipfe mari vector: nec nautica pinus NOTES. Prifcae fraudis.] I take these words to mean the fame with fceleris noftri, in one of the verfes juft quoted. 32. Tentare Thetin ratibus.] Thetis was faid to be the daughter of Nereus and Doris. She was married to Peleus, the fon of Aeacus, by whom he had Achilles. Thetis is certainly used here for the fea itfelf. I have taken the liberty to * make use of a scripture expreffion, in tranflating these words, which I thought might be warranted in a Poem, allowed to contain fo many allufions to facred prophecies. 33. Telluri infindere fulcos.] "In the Roman manufcript, it is tellurem infindere fulco: in the Oblong Vatican, fulcis. The Lom"bard, Medicean, and fome others follow the common reading." PIERIUS. 34. Alter erit tum Tiphys.] "When Pelias had received an anfwer from Apollo, that he fhould "be deprived of his kingdom and life, by one who came to facri"fice with one foot naked; it happened foon after, that as Jafon was coming to facrifice, he met Juno, in the form of an old woman, who pretended not to be "able to get over the ford of a river, upon which he carried her, "and loft one of his fhoes in the "mud. Pelias therefore appre"hending him to be the dangerous perfon, fent him to Colchis, "to fetch the golden fleece of the ¢ ་་ ram, that had transported Phrixus the mariner bimfelf fhall with draw from the fea: nor shall· the naval pine "and Helle. Jafon, in obedience to this command, built the fhip "Argo, affembled the youth of "Greece, to accompany him in his expedition, and had Tiphys. "for his pilot." SERVIUS. Argo.] The Argo was the firft long fhip, with fails, built by the Greeks. Before that time they had ufed only round veffels of burden, and always kept within fight of the fhore; but now they were to launch farther, and to guide their fhips by the ftars. The etymologists are greatly divided about the derivation of the name of this ship. The more general opinion, and perhaps the beft, is that it was fo called from the mafter-builder of it, Argus the fon of Danaus. This Danaus was the brother of Aegyptus, who was probably the fame with Sefac or Sefoftris, king of Egypt, and fled from that country, in a long fhip, after the pattern of which the Argo was built. Others, among whom Cicero feems to have been, think it was fo called, because the Argives failed in it. A third opinion is, that it's name is derived from 'après swift'; but that word fignifies alfo, and perhaps more properly, flow; whence that joke of Martial on flow failors; "At vos tam placidas vagi per un66 das, "Tuta luditis otium carina, "Non nautas puto vos, fed Argo "nautas. |