5. Sive fub incertas, &c.] Mopfus expreffes himself with great modefty and deference to Menalcas. He affents to his propofal of fitting under the trees, but hints an objection to the uncertainty of the fhade, as they were moved about by the wind; and expreffes a defire of going rather into a cave, the conveniences of which he beautifully defcribes.

7. Labrufca.] The Labrufca or wild vine of the Ancients probably did not differ fpecifically from that which was cultivated. Pliny informs us, that the grapes of the labrufca were gathered before the flowers were gone off, dried in the fhade, upon linnen cloths, and laid up in cafks; that the best fort came from Parapotamia,. the next from Antioch and Laodicea, and the third from the mountains of Media; that this laft was the fitteft for medical ufes; that fome preferred that which grew in Cyprus; that the African fort was ufed only in medicine, and was called maffaris; and that the white was better than the black; and that it was called oenanthe; "Eodem et Oenanthe pertinct. "Eft autem vitis labrufcae uva. "Colligitur cum flore, cum optime "olet. Siccatur in umbra, fubumbra, fub"ftrato linteo, atque in cados conditur. Praecipua ex Parapota"mia, fecunda ab Antiochia, atque Laodicea Syriae, tertia ex

"Montibus Medicis, Haec utilior "medicinae. Quidam omnibus iis "praeferunt eam, quae in Cypro

infula nafcitur. Nam quae in "Africa fit, ad medicos tantum "pertinet, vocaturque maffaris. "Omnis autem ex alba labrufca "praeftantior quam e nigra." In another place the fame author tells us, that the labrufca is called by the Greeks ampelos agria; that it has thick and whitish leaves, is jointed, has a chapt bark, and bears red berries; "Labrufca quoque oenan"then fert, fatis dictam, quae "Graecis ampelos agria appellatur, "fpiffis et candicantibus foliis, ge"niculata, rimofo "cortice; fert

66

uvas rubentes cocci modo." In another place he tells us expressly, that the labrufca is a wild vine; "Fit e labrufca, hoc eft, vite fyl"veftri, quod vocatur oenanthinum. In another place, he fays the oenanthe is the product of the wild vine, without any mention of the word labrufca;" Omphacio "cohaeret oenanthe, quam vites fyl "veftres ferunt." We have feen already, that the labrusca of the Romans is called ampelos agria, or wild vine by the Greeks, and that the clufters, gathered before the flowers go off, are called oenanthe. Diofcorides, in his fourth book, fpeaks of a wild vine, which cannot poffibly be the labrufca; for he fays it has the leaves like thofe of

garden

garden nightshade; púλna de oμola φύλλα ὅμοια lpuxo unaiw. Probably this chapter may be fpurious; and if it is genuine, it is no eafy matter to affirm what plant he there intended to defcribe. But in the fecond chapter of the fifth book, the fame title is repeated, and he there informs us, that the wild vine is of two forts, in one of which he tells us, that the grapes do not ripen, but that in it's flowering state it bears what is called oenanthe; that the other bears small, black, aftringent fruits; and that the leaves, ftalks, and tendrils have the fame virtues with the cultivated vine; "Apeños ἀγρία διπλή· ἡ μὲν γὰρ αὐτῆς οὐπερκάζει την σταφυλήν ἄχρι δ' άνθη σεως ἄγει τήν λεγομένην Οινάνθην ἡ δὲ τις τελεσφορεί μικρόῤῥαξ οὖσα· καὶ μέλαινα και ουπλική. Δύναμιν δὲ ἔχει ταύτης τα φύλλα καὶ αι ἕλικες καὶ ὁι καυλοὶ, ὁμοίως τῇ ἡμέρῳ. A little afterwards, in the chapter of Oenanthe, he says it is the fruit of the wild vine, whilft it is in flower; it is gathered upon a linnen cloth, dried in the fhade, and laid up in earthen veffels; the best comes from Syria, Cilicia, and Phoenicia: Οινάνθη καλεῖται ὁ τῆς ἀγρίας αμ πέλου καρπός· ὁπότε ανθεῖ ἀποτί θεσθαι δὲ δεῖ εἰς ἀκόνιτον ἀγγεῖον ἐσΤράκινον συλλέγοντας καὶ ξηραίνοντας ἐπὶ ὀθονίου, ἐν σκιᾷ· καλλίστη δὲ γίνεῖαι ἐν Συρίᾳ, καὶ Κιλικιά, καὶ Φοι

Α

·MEN. In our mountains Amyntas alone can contend with, you.

vízy. From these authorities we νίκη. may venture to affirm, that the labrufca is a real vine, running wild, without any culture. The propriety therefore of preferring the cave before the elms confufts in this the trees were subject to be moved about by every gentle blaft, and therefore the fhade which they aft forded was uncertain: but the cave was overfpread by a wild vine, which, for want of culture, was luxuriant in branches and leaves. This the Poet expreffes, by saying the clusters were fcattered, that is, few in number. Now the want of pruning will spoil the bearing of a vine, and at the fame time fufer it

to run to wood, as the Gardeners express it. This luxuriant vine therefore made a thick and certain made about the entrance of the

cave.

8. Montibus in noftris, &c.] Menalcas afents to the propofal of retiring to the cave; and the two thepherds difcourfe as they go along. Menalcas tells Mopfus, that, in all their neighbourhood, none can contend with him but Amyntas; and Mopfus is offended at the comparifon.

Tibi certet.] It is a Grecifm, for tecum certet.

Amyntas.] Catrou will have it again, that Cebes, the other ima ginary fave and fcholar of Virgil, and rival of Alexander is here meant.

9. Phoebum

finging?

ignes,

Codrus.

9 Phoebum fuperare.] Catrou imagines, that Virgil himself is here meant under the name of Phoebus, an arrogance very inconfiftent with the modeft character of our Poet. He obferves, that "the character of Amyntas was drawn in the "fecond Eclogue. He infolently "pretended to equal his master. "He was envious of the flute, which was bequeathed to him, invidit ftultus Amyntas. Here he carries his confidence to fuch a "length as to defy Phoebus him"felf, that is, Virgil." The Poet might mean the fame person under the name of Amyntas, in both Eclogues; but it does not thence appear, that he meant Cebes, or indeed, that such a perfon exifted..

10. Incipe, Mapfe, prior, &c.] Menalcas, perceiving that he had offended Mopfus, by comparing him with Amyntas, drops the difcourfe, and defires him to fing firft, propofing at the fame time fome fubjects for his poetry. Mopfus choofes rather to fing fome verfes, which he had lately made, and tells Menalcas, that when he heard them, he might judge, whether there was any comparison between him and Amyntas. Menalcas endeavours to pacify his anger, and declares, that in his opinion Amyntas is far infe rior to him.

10

Catrou understands this fpeech of Menalcas to fignify, that he would have Mopfus begin, that he may be able to judge between him and Amyntas; and paraphrafes Incipe Mopfe prior thus; "A fin "A fin que je "puiffe juger de vous et de lui, "chantez-moy de vos vers, et com

mencez le premier." But this cannot be the fenfe, because when Mopfus, in the next fentence, repeats his difpleasure at being compared with Amyntas, Menalcas immediately replies, that, in his judgment, Amyntas is far inferior to Mopfus.

Phyllidis ignes.] Phyllis was the daughter of Lycurgus, king of Thrace, and fell in love with Demophoon, the son of Thefeus, by Phaedra, having given him entertainment, as he was returning from the Trojan war. Demophoon being obliged to go to Athens, to fettle his affairs there, promised to return foon and marry her. when he was unexpectedly detained beyond the appointed time, Phyllis in defpair hanged herself. See the Epiftle of Phyllis to Demophoon in Ovid.

τε

But

11. Alconis laudes.] He was "a Cretan archer, and one of the companions of Hercules he was fo fkillful, as never to mifs his aim. He could fhoot through "a ring placed on a man's head; 66 fplit

fplit a hair with the point of his "dart; and ftick an arrow with"out a head on the point of a fword "or fpear. When his fon was af"faulted by a dragon, he fhot an ে arrow at him fo dextroufly, as "to wound the ferpent, without hurting his fon." SERVIUS. Jurgia Codri.] Codrus, the fon of Melanthus, was the laft king of the Athenians. When his country was invaded by a powerful army, and the Oracle at Delphi had foretold, that the victory fhould fall, to that people, whofe king fhould be flain; the enemy gave ftrict command to their whole army, that every one should abstain from hurting Codrus. But this generous prince, difguifing himfelf in the habit of a fhepherd, took occafion to quarrel with fome of the enemies foragers, by which means he loft

his life, ar and preferved his country. Thus I collect the ftory from Velleius Paterculus and Valerius Maximus, who differ very little in their relation of it. Paterculus fays these enemies were the Lacedaemonians, Valerius Maximus does not namethem, and Juftin fays they were the Dorians. Paterculus exprefsly mentions the quarrel; "Depofita vefte 36 regia, paftoralem cultum induit, "immixtufque caftris hoftium de "induftria, imprudenter, rixam "ciens, interemptus eft.". Valerius Maximus fays he wounded one of the foragers, and thereby provoked him to kill him; "Depofitis in

fignibus imperii, familiarem cul

Begin, and Tityrus fhall tend the feeding kids.

"tum induit, ac pabulantium hof "tium globo fefe objecit, unum

que ex illis falce percuffum, in "caedem fuam compulit." Thus, though this author does not mention the word quarrel, yet it is plain from his account, that Codrus fought to pick a quarrel with the foragers, by wounding one of them, and thereby loft his own life... Ci cero, about the latter end of his first book of Tufculan Questions, mentions his throwing himself into the middle of his enemies in difguise, and the prediction of the Oracle, that the death of the king would be the prefervation of the country; "Codrum, qui fe in medios im"mifit hoftes, famulari vefte, ne