as much as the bumble faliunca Puniceis humilis quantum faliunca rofetis: to the scarlet roses, NOTES. « Dardanidis, ipfumque trahunt in Ὅσσον παρθενική προφέρει τριγάμοιο "moenia regem: and yet even here Catrou thinks jubent means no more than they propole or defire; u La crainte excita la difcorde parmi les citoyens, et « les partagea en divers fentimens. "Les uns veulent qu'on livre les "portes aux Troyens, qu'on les "reçoive dans la ville, et qu'on traîne le Roi, malgré luy, fur les "remparts." Thus we fee that, even in the opinion of this learned Critick himself, juben does not always fignify to command as a master. Therefore his fyftem is not confirmed by this expreflion; nor is it. proved, that Amyntas, much lefs. that Mopfus was the flave of Menalcas. Thus the words in queftion probably mean no more than bid Amyntas contend with me, or let Amyntas contend with me, neither of which expreffions fignifies any power in Menalcas of commanding Amyntas. This is agreeable alío to the apology, which Menalcas immediately makes, with a ceremony not ufually obferved by mafters to their flaves. 16. Lenta falix quantum, &c.] There is a comparison like this, but much more prolix, in the Airns of Theocritus; Ὅσσον ἔας χειμῶνος, ὅσον μῆλον βρα Εύλοιο Ηδιον, ὅσσον εις σφετέρης λασιωτέρη ἀρνὶς, γυναικὸς Ὅσσον ἐλαφροτέρη μόσχου νεβρός, ὅσσον αηδών Συμπάνων λιγύφωνος αοιδοτάτη πε τεχνών. Τόσσον ἔμ ̓ ἐυφρηνας σὺ φανεὶς. "As much as fpring excels the froft " and fnow, "As much as plums are fweeter "than a floe, "As much as ewes are thicker “fleec'd than lambs, "As much as maids excel thrice "marry'd dames, "As much as colts are nimbler"than a steer, "As much as thrushes please the "lift'ning ear "More than the meaner fong ❝fters of the air; "So much thy prefence cheers." CREECH. The most remarkable property of the willow is it's flexibility, whence it is called lenta: the epithet pallenti is no lefs proper to the olive; for it's leaves are of a yellowish green colour. The fhape of the leaves of these two trees is not very different; but the ufe of the olive is greater, beyond all comparison. 17. Humilis faliunca.] The Salinea is a plant not certainly knowl at prefent. It is either the fame with the Nardus Celtica, or else entirely unknown. Some are of opinion, that they are the fame, others Judicio noftro tantum tibi cedit Amyntas. NOTES. fo much, in my judgment, is Amyntas inferior to you. tion, not fupported by the authority quoque non omittenda differentia, "odoramentorum multa nihil per"tinere ad coronomenta; ut irin Others affirm, that the Saliunca of Pliny cannot be the fame with the Nardus Celtica, because he speaks of them as different plants; and others again think, that the Saliunca of Pliny is not the fame with that mere fpoken of. Thofe, who think he Nardus Celtica and the Saliunca re the fame, ground their opinion n a paffage in the feventh chapter f the first book of Diofcorides, here we are told, that the Nardus 'eltica is called Aliungia about Ge-, a. The Nardus Celtica, fays atque faliuncam, quanquam nothis ancient author, grows on "biliffimi odoris utramque." He the mountains of Liguria, where gives us a few lines afterwards the they call it Aliungia. It grows reafon, why it is not fit for garalfo in Iftria. It is a mall, lands; it feems it is too fhort to adbufhy plant, and is made up in mit of being woven, is more probunches, with the roots. It has perly an herb than a flower, has a longifh leaves, of a yellowish bushy root, and grows in Pannonia, colour, and a yellow flower." or Hungary, and the open places of δὲ Κελτικὴ Νάρδος γεννᾶται μὲν ἐν the Norican Alps, or mountains 'ς κατὰ Λιγυρίαν ἄλπεσιν, ἐπίχων, σε Saliunca foliofa quidem eft, fed upon Germany; 5 ώνομασμένη Αλιόυγγια γεννα- « brevis, et quae nedi non poffit. δὲ ἐν τῇ Ἰστρία· ἔστι δὲ θαμνίσκος σε Radici numerofae cohaeret, herba φος, σὺν παῖς ῥίζαις εἰς δέσμας σε verius quam fos, denfa veluti λαμβανόμενος χειροπληθεῖς ἔχει “ manu prefia, breviterque cefpes φύλλα ὑπομήκη, υπόξανθα, Qúaλa vojeńxn, rógavda, av-"fui generis. Pannonia hanc gignivou. There' feems fuch a "nit, et Norici Alpiumque aprica." In the twentieth chapter, he fays it ilitude between the words ais. is good to ftop vomitings, and to ftrengthen the ftomach, which is a virtue afcribed alfo to the Nardus Celtica, by Diofcorides. «uncae radix, in vino decocta, fiftit vomitiones, corroborat ftomachum." As for what Pliny has faid about the Nardus Gallica, it is by no means fufficient to prove, ya and faliunca, that it is no which border "Sali that Mor. But forbear faying MOP. Sed tu define plura, puer: fucceffimus antro. any more, my lad, we are come Extinctum Nymphae crudeli funere Daphnim 20 The Nymphs bewailed Daphnis, who fell by a cruel death. to the cave. NOTES. that it was a different plant from that which he calls Saliunca. The Celtic Nard, or French Spikenard is a fpecies of Valerian. It is now found in great plenty on the moun tains that divide Italy from Germany, and on the mountains about Genoa, near Savona. It is a very low plant, and has a very fragrant fmell: hence as the Poet had oppofed the willow to the Olive, which it fomething resembles, though it is far inferior to it, fo he opposes the Saliunca or French Spikenard, a low plant, of a sweet smell, to the Rofe, a flower not only excelling in odour, but also in beauty. We are told. by fome authors, that the inhabitants of the Tirol Alps call the Nardus Celtica in their own language Seliunck. If this may be depended on, we need not wonder, how the fame plant came to be, called faliunca, by Virgil and Pliny, and ya by Diofcorides. Succeffimus.] In fome copies it is fuccedimus. 20. Daphnim.] Many are of opinion, that one Daphnis a "fhepherd is here lamented. He was the fon of Mercury, and expofed by his mother; but he was found by the fhepherds among fome bay-trees, whence they gave him the 18. Judicio noftro, &c.] Me nalcas, to pacify Mopfus, affures" name of him, that he was fo far from think "Daphnis. He became fo exceling Amyntas equal to him; that," lent, both in hunting and mu in his judgment, he is as far infe-fick, that a Nymph fell in love rior to him, as the willow, which with him, and bound him by an is valued only for it's flexibility, is "bath to keep faithful to her. As to the olive, as a plant of the greatest he was following his cows, he ufe; or the French fpikenard, a "happened to come near the pa little, fragrant herb, that grows on "lace, where the king's daughter, the barren mountains, is to the admiring his beauty, lay with rofe, a plant admired by all, on ac- "him. When the Nymph came count of it's beauty and fragrance." to know this, the deprived him 19. Sed ta define, &c.] Mop" of his fight; but his father Mer 6 cury, Flebant: vos coryli teftes et flumina nymphis : NOTES. "cury, whofe aid he implored, "took him up to heaven, and "caufed a fpring to rife up in the "place, which is called Daphnis ; "and the Sicilians offer an annual "facrifice near it. Others will "have Julius Caefar, who was ແ flain in the fenate, with twenty"three wounds, to be reprefented "allegorically under the name of "Daphnis. This they confirm by "the words crudeli funere. Thofe, "who think Julius Caefar is meant, "will have us to understand, by "the mother, Venus; by the lions and tygers, the people whom he fubdued; by the thiaft, the fa'crifices which he made, as Pontifex maximus; by the beautiful flock, the Roman people; but crudeli funere may be applied to any one. Others understand Quintilius Varus, a kinfman of Virgil, of whom alfo Horace fpeaks; Ergo Quintilium perpetuus fopor urget. Some will have it, that Virgil here laments the death of his own brother FlacCus." SER VIUS, "Some will have it, that Virgil here laments the death of Saloninus; others, of his brother Flaccus. Daphnis, the fon of Mercury, is faid to have been a fhepherd of exquifite beauty. Being beloved by the Nymph Lyca, he promised her, that he would not have to do with any other woman; but he deceived her. Being for this crime deprived of his fight, though he وو Ye bazles, ye rivers, bear witnefs to the nymphs, "comforted himfelf with poetry "and mufick, yet he did not live long." PHILARGYRIUS. "The death of Daphnis, which was caused by love, is defcribed at large by Theocritus, in his Thyrfis. But, that Quintilius " is here understood under the 66 66 66 66 name of Daphnis, feems to ap"pear from that expreffion of Horace, Nulli flebilior quam tibi Virgili.. This was Quintilius "of Cremona, who is mentioned "by Eufebius, in his Chronicle; "Quintilius Cremonenfis, Virgilii "et Horatii familiaris moritur." PIERIUS. Ludovicus Vives, with more piety than judgment, as Ruaeus juftly obferves, thinks, that as in the preceding Eclogue, the Poet celebrated the birth of Jefus Chrift, from the Sibylline Oracles; fo in this Eclogue, he speaks of our Lord's death and afcenfion, from other verfes of the Sibyls, which he afcribes to Julius Caefar, under the name of Daphnis. La Cerda feems to think, that nothing farther is meant, than a poetical lamentation of the fhepherd Daphnis. Julius Scaliger will have it to be Flaccus, the brother of Virgil, and endeavours to confirm this opinion by an old diftich of an uncertain Poet; |