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. V. Interitum montefque feri fylvaeque loquuntur. Daphnis et Armenias curru fubjungere tigres

NOTES.

they were heard any where, but in their own habitations in Africa. Nor does there seem to be any occafion for that appearance of exactnefs, in placing the fcene in Sicily; fince even that ifland lies at fuch a distance from Africa, as to make it a most abfurd imagination, that the roaring of lions could be heard fo far. According to Strabo, the very shortest paffage from Lilybaeum, the nearest promontory of Sicily, to Carthage is fifteen hundred ftadia; and he speaks of it as a moft incredible story, that a very quick-fighted man is faid to have discovered from thence the fetting out of the Carthaginian fleet from their port; Ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἀπὸ Λιλυβαίου τουλαχισ Τον δίαρμα ἐπὶ Λιβύην χίλιοι καὶ πελακόσιοι περὶ Καρχηδόνα καθ' ὅ δὴ λέγεταί τις τῶν ὀξυδορκούντων ἀπὸ τίνος σκοπῆς ἀπαγγέλλειν τὸν ἀριθ. μόν τῶν ἀγομένων ἐκ Καρχηδόνος σκα Our Tois iv Anubai. The roaring of the Carthaginian lions therefore must have been heard above 170 of our measured miles. But we will be as favourable as we can to this fyftem, and take for Carthage the nearest land of Africa, which is the promontory of Mercury, the diftance of which from Lilybaeum is 700 ftadia, or 80 of our miles. Even then the lions must have roared as loud as fo many pieces of artillery, to be heard in any part of Sicily. Therefore this placing of

that even the Libyan lions lamented thy death. Daphnis taught men to yoak tigers to a chariot :

the fcene in Sicily is of no fervice to Catrou's fyftem; fince it is impoffible, either that the groans of the family could be heard in Africa, or the roaring of the lions, fo far as Sicily. Thus the fcene may as well be laid near Mantua, one impoffibility being as good as another. For my own part, I take the Poet's meaning to be, that the death of Daphnis, caufed fo univerfal a grief, that even the wild beafts in the defarts lamented him, a thought, which has been fhewn already to be taken from Theocritus.

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29. Daphnis et Armenias, &c.] "This plainly alludes to Caefar; "for it is certain, that he first of "all brought the folemnities of Li"ber pater to Rome." SERVIUS.

Ruaeus calls the authority of Servius in queftion; and afirms, that known at Rome long before. He therefore thinks, it may rather be faid, that they were afterwards celebrated with greater magnificence by Julius Caefar, because he obtained a fignal victory over the fons of Pompey at Munda, on the very day of the Liberalia, on which day Pompey is faid to have gone out to war four years before. Thefe difficulties have given room to Catrou, to triumph over thofe, who will have Julius Caefar to be intended under the name of Daphnis. "The “defire, fays he, of finding Julius "Caefar in this place, has made

the folemnities of Bacchus were

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"Servius

Daphnis taught them to tead up Inftituit: Daphnis Thiafos inducere Baccho, dances to Bacchus,

NOTES.

"Servius invent a fact which never "exifted. This Commentator pre"tends, that Caefar firft inftituted at Rome the feafts of Bacchus. He is greatly mistaken, for we "find mention of them in almoft "all the Latin authors, and particularly in Livy. Since the time "of Servius, they have contented themselves with faying, that perhaps Caefar added a luftre to thefe feafts. This is gueffing; for is it inftituting the feafts of Bacchus, "to adorn them with new ceremonies? Inflituit Daphnis thiafos inducere Baccho. But fince leave "is taken to guefs, why may not I alfo guefs, that Virgil's bro*ther was the first, who established *the feafts of Bacchus in his vil lage. We know it was a country folemnity; that the peasants celebrated it with sports, and that ་་ they compofed raftic fongs in ho"nour of this god. Certainly we may sform conjectures on the circum* ftances, when the foundation is *grounded upon proof." But Catrou does not argue very fairly, when he quotes the authority of Livy, to prove that the feasts of Bacchus were known in Rome before Caefar's time. What we find in Livy is in his thirty-ninth book, where he gives a large account of most abominable debaucheries, and horrid crimes, that were perpetrated in the Bacchanalia, which occafioned the Senate to abolish thefe folemnities, above a century before Caefar's time. This is no proof that they

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were not used in Caefar's time; perhaps he might restore them, and therefore be faid to inftitute them. We know that Mark Anthony, Caefar's great favourite, affected to imitate Bacchus, being drawn in à chariot, crowned with ivy, and holding a thyrfe. See the note on ver. 7. of the fecond Georgick. But however, if conjectures have been formed, in order to reconcile this paffage with Julius Caefar's actions; it is by no means to be inferred from thence, that we are at liberty to form what conjectures we please about Virgil's brother, Some paffages in this Eclogue, can hardly be applied to any other perfon than Julius Caefar, whence it is not unreasonable to fuppofe, that this had fome relation to him, though it cannot be abfolutely verified by any Hiftorian now extant. It seems very probable, that Caefar might perform fome ceremonies in honour of Bacchus, as it was on one of his feftivals, that he obtained the fignal victory over the fons of Pompey at Munda. This victory appeared fo confiderable, that, according to Plutarch, "When he came back "from the fight, he told his friends, "that he had often fought for

victory, but this was the first "time that he had ever fought for "life." The victory was obtained on the feaft of the Dionyfia, in Plutarch's words, T T Alovuσíwv čopтñ, which the Romans called Libéralia; for thus Hirtius fpeaks of the very fame battle; Ipfis Liberalibus

• fufi

Et foliis lentas intexere mollibus haftas.

NOTES.

"fufi fugatique non fuperfuiffent,
"nifi in eum locum confugiffent,
"ex quo erant egreffi." Now the
Dionyfia or Liberalia could not be
the fame feftival with the Baccha-
nalia, which we read of in Livy;
for the Hiftorian tells us, they were
at first celebrated three times in the
year, and afterwards five times in a
month; but we know that the Li-
beralia was an annual feftival, ob-
served on the seventeenth of March.
The country folemnity, of which
Catrou fpeaks, was in autumn, in
the time of vintage, a very diffe-
rent feason from that of the Libe-
ralia. But fince many confound
the feveral feasts of Bacchus toge-
ther, as if they were but one, I
fhall beg leave to make a few obfer-
vations, whereby it will appear, that
the battle of Munda could not have
been on any other feftival of Bac-
chus, than that which was cele-
brated in March. Dio Caffius fays
exprefsly, that Caefar was obliged
to march against Pompey's fons in
winter; Μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα αὐτός τε
αναῤῥωσθεὶς, καὶ τὰ στρατεύματα
ἐπακολουθήσαντά οἱ προσλαβών, ἠναγ-
κάσθη καὶ ἐν τῷ χειμῶνι πολεμῆσαι;
and that the news of the victory at
Munda was brought to Rome the
evening before the Parilia; and
that facrifices were therefore offered
on that feftival; Τα τε γὰρ Παρίλια
ἱπποδρόμια αθανάτων, οὔτοιγε καὶ διὰ
τὴν πόλιν, ὅτι ἐν αὐτοῖς ἔκτιστο ἀλλὰ
διὰ τὴν τοῦ Καίσαρος νίκην, ὅτι ἡ n
ἀγγελιά αὐτῆς τῆ προτεραίᾳ

προς

and to cover bending spears with tender foliage.

iσréρav aþínélo, iτinn. The Pa-
rilia or Palilia was obferved on the
twenty-firft of April. Hirtius alfo
tells us, that young Pompey's head
was brought to Caefar, on the
twelfth of April. "Ad convallem
"autem atque exefum locum`ut
"fpeluncam Pompeius fe occultare
"coepit, ut a noftris non facile in-
"veniretur, nifi captivorum indi-
"cio. Ita ibi interficitur. Quum.
"Caefar gradiebatur Hifpalim, pri-
"die Id. Aprilis caput allatum, et
"populo datum eft in confpectum."
Thus we have the concurrent testi-
monies of Hirtius and Plutarch, that
this victory was obtained on the
very day of a feftival of Bacchus
and of Hirtius and Dio, that it was
fome time before the end of April.
Now there is not any feftival of
Bacchus at that time of the year, in
the Roman Calendar, except that
of March 17; which must there-
fore be the Dionyfia of Plutarch, the
Liberalia of Hirtius, and the day of
Caefar's victory. It is therefore far
from improbable, that Caefar might
few fome particular regard to Bac-
chus, fince he had obtained one
of his moft confiderable viatories
on a day facred to that deity;
nor is it very improbable, that
when Anthony was drawn in a cha-
riot, with the thyrfe, and other infig-
mia of Bacchus, he might do it in
imitation of his great mafter Caefar.

Armenias tigres.] They used to yoke tygers, to draw the chariot of Bacchus. Julius Caefar obtained a great victory over Pharmaces, king of

Pontus,

As the vine is an ornament to Vitis ut arboribus decori eft, ut vitibus uvae, trees, as cluffers to the wines, as Ut gregibus Tauri, fegetes ut pinguibus arvis;

bulls to the herds, as corn to

the fruitful fields; fo waft thou Tu decus omne tuis: poftquam te fata tulerunt, the whole glory of thy friends: Ipfa Pales agros, atque ipfe reliquit Apollo. after the fates took thee away,

even Pales, and Apollo themselves for fook the fields."

35

NOTES.

Pontus, a country bordering on Ar- elms by which it is fupported. Thus

menia.

Curru.] For currui.

30. Thiafos.] Thiafus is a folemn finging and dancing, ufed at feftivals.

Baccho.] Pierius obferves, that the printed editions generally have Baccho, but that it is Bacchi in all the ancient manuscripts.

31. Et foliis lentas, &c.] This is what they called a thyrfe: it was a fpear twifted round with branches of Vine and Ivy; which those, who affifted at the folemnities of Bacchus, used to carry in their hands, leaping and finging at the fame time.

32. Vitis ut arboribus, &c.] This beautiful paffage is truly paftoral, and far exceeds one of the fame kind in the eighth Idyllium of Theocritus;

Τῷ δρυῒ ταὶ βάλανοι κόσμος, τα μα λίδι μᾶλα·

Τα βοὶ δ' ο μόσχος, τῷ βωκόλῳ αἱ βόες αὐταί.

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Philips;

"As corn the vales, and trees the "hills adorn,

"So thou to thine an ornament was "born.

"Since thou, delicious youth, didft

"quit the plains,

"Th' ungrateful ground we till "with fruitless pains; "In labour'd furrows fow the "choice of wheat,

"And over empty fheaves in har "veft sweat:

"A thin increase our woolly fub"stance yield,

"And thorns and thistles overspread "the field."

35. Ipfa Pales, &c.] Thefe two deities are mentioned together also at the beginning of the third Georgick;

"Te quoque, magna Pales, et te, "memorande, canemus "Paftor ab Amphryfo.”

See the note on that paffage.

This defertion of the fields by the goddess of fhepherds and the god of mufick and poetry is a figurative expreffion of the grief of the fhepherds for the lofs of Daphnis. They were fo afflicted, that they neglected the care of their fheep, and had

not

Grandia faepe quibus mandavimus hordea fulcis,
Infelix lolium, et fteriles dominantur avenae.
Pro molli viola, pro purpureo Narciffo,
Carduus et fpinis furgit paliurus acutis.

NOTES.

not fpirits to fing, in which their chief diverfion confifted.

36. Quibus.] Pierius found quidem in fome ancient manufcripts. 37. Infelix lolium, &c.] This line occurs again in the firh Geor gick, ver. 154. See the note. But Pierius obferves, that dominantur is to be found only in the printed copies of this Eclogue, it being nafcuntur in all the ancient manufcripts that he had seen. He obferves, that it is dominantur indeed in the Georgicks, where the verses are more numerous, than in the Bucolicks.

38. Pro molli viola.] The foftneis and delicacy of this fweet fower is oppofed to the Sharpnefs of the prickly plants mentioned prefently

after.

Pro purpureo narcifo.] There is a fpecies of white daffodil, with a purple cup. See the note on ver. 122. of the fourth Georgick. Purpureus is alfo frequently ufed for any bright or beautiful colour ; though very different from what we now

call purple.

39. Spinis furgit paliurus acutis.] There has been fome controverfy among the modern writers, concerning the paliurus of the Ancients. Theophraftus, lib. 1. c. 5. tells us it is a frub ; Φρύγανον (it ought to be θάμνος) δὲ τὸ ἀπὸ ῥίζης καὶ πολυστέλεχες, καὶ πολύκλαδον, οἷον βάτος, Παλίουρος. In cap. 8. he fays it is

Often in thofe furrows, in which we have forun plump barley, the unhappy darnel and the wild oats prevail. For the foft violet, for the purple daffodil, the thiftle arifes, and the paliurus with pointed thorns..

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prickly, and joins it with the bramble; ὁ δὲ βάτος καὶ ὁ Παλίουρος α κανθώδη. In lib. 3. c. 4. he fays it grows in the plains ; τὰ δὲ καὶ ἐν τοῖς πεδίοις, μυρίκη, πτελέα, λεύκη, ιτέα, αἴγειρος, κρανεία, θηλυκρανεία, κλήθρα, δρυς, λακάθη, αχράς, μη λέα, ὀστρύα, κύλαστρον, μελία, Πα λίουρος, οξυάκανθα, ἄκανθος. In c. 17. he tells us it bears three or four feeds in a fort of pod, that the feed has an oilinefs like that of flax, that it grows in the fame places with the bramble, and that the leaves fall of every year; Ὁ τε Παλίουρος ἔχει διαφοράς, ἅπαντα δὲ ταῦτα καρποφόρα· καὶ ὅγε Παλίουρος ἐν λοβῷ τίνι τὸν καρπὸν ἔχει, καὶ ὑπερ τῶν φύλλων, ἐν ᾧ τρία ἤ τέτταρα για νεται χρῶνται δὲ αὐτοῖς πρὸς τοὺς βῆ χας οἱ ἰατροὶ κόπλοντες· ἔχει γὰρ τίνα γλισκρότητα και λίπος, ὥσπερ τὸ τοῦ λίνου σπέρμα· φύλαι δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς ἐφύδροις, καὶ ἐν τοῖς ξηροῖς, ὥστ περ ὁ βάτος, οὐχ ̓ ἧττον δὲ ἔστι τὸ δέντ δρον πάρυδρον φυλλοβόλον δὲ καὶ οὐχ ὥσπερ ἡ ράμνος αείφυλλον. Diofco rides and Pliny fay little more of the Paliurus, than that it is a well known, prickly fhrub. Columella, : when he gives directions about making a quick hedge, recommends the frongeft thorns, fuch as the bramble, Paliurus, and white thorn; Ea fint vaftimarum fpi

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