MEL. At nos hinc alii fitientes ibimus Afros: 65 MEL. But we shall depart from hence, fame of us to sho parched Africans NOTES. ὧν τῇ Πυρήνη, The Arar, accord ing to the fame author, rifes in the Alps, paffes between the countries of the Sequani, Aedui, and Lincafii, who are inhabitants of Gaul, and receiving the Dubis, or Doux, falls into the Rhone : 'Ρει δὲ καὶ ὁ Ἄραρ ἐκ τῶν ̓Αλπεων, ὁρίζων Σηκουανούς τε καὶ Αἰδουϊοὺς, καὶ Λιγκασίους: παραλαβὼν δ ̓ ὕστερον τὸν Δοῦβιν ἐκ τῶν αὐτῶν ὀρῶν φερόμενον πλωτον, ἐπικρατής σας τῷ ὀνόματι, καὶ γενόμενος ἐξ ἀμΦοῖν Αραρ, συμμίσγει τῷ Ροδανῷ. This confux of the Soane and the Rhone is at Lyons, and without doubt in Gaul. The Sequani, a famous people of Gaul, were bounded, according to Strabo, on the caft by the Rhine, and on the welt by the Soane : "Αλλος δ' ἐστὶν, ὁμοίως ἐν ταῖς Αλπεσι τὰς πηγὰς ἔχων, Σηκουανὸς ὄνομα ῥέων. Ρεῖ δ ̓ εἰς τὸν Ὠκεανὸν, παράλληλος τῷ Ρήνῳ διὰ ἔθνους ὁμωνύμους, συνάπλου]ας τῷ Ρήνῳ τὰ πρὸς ἕως τὰ δ ̓ εἰς ταναντία τῷ Αραρι. We learn from Caefar, that the fouth border of these people was the Rhone; "Quum Sequanos a provincia noftra Rhodanus divideret." Therefore the country of the Sequani anfwers nearly to that province of France, which is now called Franchecomte. Thefe people, as Strabo tells us, were the ancient enemigs of the Romans, and affifted the Germans in their incurhons into Italy. They were enephies alfo to the Aedui, who were σε του the firft allies of the Romans int Gaul, and had frequent contentions with them about the Soane, which divided their borders: Οι δὲ Ἐδοδον καὶ συγγενεῖς Ρομαίων ὠνομάζοντο, καὶ πρώτοι τῶν ταύτη προσῆλθον πρὸς τὴν φιλίαν καὶ συμμαχίαν. Πέραν δὲ του Αραρος οἰκοῦσιν οἱ Σηκουανοί, διάφοροι καὶ τοῖς Ρωμαίοις ἐκ πολλοῦ στεγονότες καὶ τοῖς Ἐδούοις· ὅτι πρὸς Γερμανούς προσεχώρουν πολλάκις κατὰ τὰς ἐφό δους αυτῶν, τὰς ἐπὶ τὴν Ἰταλίαν . . . πρὸς δὲ τοὺς Ἐδούους, καὶ διὰ ταῦτα μεν, ἀλλ ̓ ἐπέτεινε τὴν ἔχθραν ἢ τοῦ ποταμοῦ ἔρις, τοῦ διείργοντος αὐτοὺς, ἑκατέρου ἔθνους ἴδιον ἀξιοῦντος εἶναι τὸν Αραρα, καὶ ἑαυτῷ προσήκειν τὰ διαγω γικά τέλη. Caefar tells us, that the Gauls were divided into two princi pal faétions, at the head of which were the Aedui on one fide, and the Sequani on the other. The latter, not being able to fubdue the former, called the Germans from the other fide of the Rhine to their affiftance, who feated themfelves in Gaul, grievously oppreffed the Aedui and their friends, and in Caefar's time a mounted to the number of a hun dred and twenty thousand, under the command of Arioviftus. Caefar fent an embally to this king, requiring only, that he would restore to the Aedui their hoftages, permit the Sequani to do the fame, and not bring over any more Germans into Gaul. But Arioviftus infifted on his right of poffeffion of the country, and part of us fall go to Scythia, Pars Scythiam, et rapidum Cretae veniemus Oaxem, and the rapid Oaxes of Crete, NOTES. to the hotteft, and others to the coldeft parts of the world. and claimed the Aedui as his tributaries; esteeming the country on that fide of the Rhone to be as much his province, as that on the other fide belonged to the Romans. Thus we find the Germans had extended their bounds to the weft of the Rhine, as far as to the Arar or Soane, and claimed all the country chalky earth, which makes it's wa between the two rivers as their own: fo that the Germans drank of the waters of the Arar, as they are reprefented by Virgil to have done: and though Arioviftus was beaten by Caefar, and at that time compelled to retreat to the other fide of the Rhine, yet it is highly probable that many German families femained among the Sequani, who never were cordial friends to the Romans. Befides it appears both from Caefar and Strabo, that other German nations had feated themfelves in Gaul, who had time enough during the civil wars between Caefar and Pompey to fettle themselves with greater fecurity. 65. At nos hinc alii, &c.] Meliboeus continues his difcourfe, and having praifed the felicity of Tityrus, enlarges upon the miferies of himself and his banished companions. Sitientes Afros. He calls the Africans fitientes, because of the great heat of that part of the world. 66. Scythiam.] The Ancients commonly called all the northern parts of the world Scythia. Melibocus here gives a ftrong defcription of the miferable exile of his countrymen; fome of whom are driven Rapidum Cretae veniemus Oaxem.] Servius will have Greta in this place not to mean the island of that name, but chalk. He tells us of an Oaxis in Mefopotamia, which rolling with great rapidity, carries down a ter turbid. He fays there is alfo a Scythian river called Oaxis; but he denies there being any fuch river in Crete. He then quotes a ftory from Philifthenes, of one Oaxes, the fon of Apollo and Anchiale, who founded a city in Crete, and called it by his own name; which, he fays, is alfo confirmed by Varro, in the following verses; Servius has found but very few to follow him, in the fancy of interpreting Creta to fignify chalk. That there is any fuch river as Oaxis either in Mefopotamia or Scythia, would be perhaps more difficult to prove, than that it is in Crete. I do not find the mention of it in any ancient author; and could almost fufpect,. that Servius means Araxes, a river of Armenia, which is indeed very rapid. It refts upon the authority of Servius, that this river is either in Mefopotamia vor Scythia; and upon that of Virgil, the that Et penitus toto divifos orbe Britannos. NOTES. that it is in Crete. I fhould therefore make no doubt of placing it in Crete, were there no other authority than that of Virgil for fo doing. But Servius himself has acknowledged, that there was a city in Crete called Oaxes; whence it is not improbable, that there was a river alfo of the fame name. That there was anciently fuch a city in Crete, as Oaxes or Oaxus, can hardly be doubted. Herodotus fays exprefsly, that Oaxus is a city of Crete ; "Εστι τῆς Κρήτης Ὀάξος πόλις. Apollonius, in the first book of his Argonauticks, calls Crete the Oaxian land; 67 and to the Britons quite divided from the whole world. duced from Apollonius. La Cerda says, that the mention of Oaxes is very rare among the Ancients; but he thinks the authority of Virgil, fufficient to determine that there was a river known by that name in Crete; efpecially confidering many monuments of antiquity, with which Virgil was acquainted, are now loft. He then quotes feveral eminent authors, who have made no fcruple to follow Virgil. Baudrand, in his Lexicon Geographicum, affirms, that Oaxes is a very cold river of Crete, on which the town Oaxus is fituated, according to Herodotus; and adds, that it is called Oaxia by Varro and Vibius Se Δάκτυλοι Ἰδαῖοι Κρηλατες, οὕς πότε quefter "Oaxes, fluvius Cretae frigidiffimus Oaxum oppidum, "tefte Herodoto, alluens, quod op"pidum Oaxes et Oaxia apud Var"ronem appellatur, ficut apud Vi"bium Sequeftrum. Cujus nul"lum exftat in Creta indicium." Moreri fays almoft the fame with Baudrand; "Oaxes, fleuve de "Crete, extremement froid, avec 66 une ville de ce nom. Herodote "en fait mention, dans le 3 livre. "Vibius Sequefter et Varron nom(c ment la ville Oaxis et Oaxia," I cannot imagine whence these Lexicographers difcovered the coldness of the Oaxes. They both quote Herodotus amifs; for he does not fay a word of it in his third book; and only juft mentions, in his fourth, that a city of that name is faid to be in Crete: "El Tas Kρúτns 'Oagos πόλις. And Ἦν γὰρ ὁ Θεμίσων ἀνὴρ Θηραῖος Shall I ever after a long time En unquam patrios longo poft tempore fines, 68 wondering behold the borders of my country, NOTES. Onpatos Europos EU TO: but does not fay a word of the river. To conclude; fince it appears evidently, from the authors above quoted, that there was a city in Crete called Oaxus; and as there was probably a river of the fame name; we may conclude, that Virgil did not with out good reafon place this river in Crete. I muft not however omit an objection of Eobanus, who thinks the quotation from Apollonius, inftead of ftrengthening the argument in fupport of which it is produced, entirely fubverts it. He obferves, that the first fyllable of Oaxes, in Virgil, is fhort, whereas it is long in Apollonius; whence he infers that they are not the fame. If any one fhall think this merits any attention I would defire him to confider, that in the very next verfe, the first fyllable of Britannos is fhort, whereas it is long in Lucretius; "Nam quid Britannum caelum "differre putamus." 67. Et penitus toto divifos orbe Britannos.] Servius interprets penitus, omnino; and tells us that the Britons are here faid to be divifos, because Britain was formerly joined to the continent, and is defcribed by the Poets as another world. Whether Britain was formerly joined to the continent or not, has been a fubject of great difpute amongst the learned, and is likely fo to remain; fince the feparation was more anci ent, than any hiftory now extant. Thofe who affirm that Britain was once a peninfula, look upon the verse now before us, as an argument in their favour, thinking that Virgil would not have called the Britons divifos toto orbe, if he had not known from good authority, that their country was originally joined to it. To this may be anfwered, that, if it had been known to the Romans, it could not have been unknown to Julius Caefar, who was no less verfed in literature than in arms; nor would he have omitted the mention of fo remarkable a piece of hiftory, in the account which he gives of our ifland. Befides, divifos does not neceffarily imply, that Britain was once joined to the continent. We may fay, that France is divided from Italy by the Alps; but then we do not intend to express, that France and Italy were ever joined together, without the intervention of thofe mountains. Thus we find in the fecond Georgick, Divifae arboribus patriae, by which words it cannot poffibly be imagined, that the Poet intended to fignify, that countries, which were formerly joined together, are now separated by trees. Therefore, in the paffage before us, we cannot understand Virgil to mean any more, than that Britain is a country fo diftinguished from all the then known parts of the earth, as to feem another world; juft as America has in later ages been called a new world; |