Page images
PDF
EPUB

Huc ades, O Galatea: quis eft nam ludus in undis? Come bisher, O Galatea, for what pleasure is there inst water?

[ocr errors]

NOTES.

any quibble in this line of Virgil: for if he had taken it in that fenfe, - he could not have faid, that Virgil made no fort of reply to the fourrilities of Anfer. Befides, at the time of writing this Eclogue, there was no rupture between Auguftus and Mark Anthony: and therefore there was no occafion for Virgil, out of refpect to Auguftus, to treat Anfer with contempt, because he had written in praife of Anthony. Laft ly, Virgil does not seem to have a genius capable of ftooping fo low as a pun: whence I conclude, that he meant no more by anfer, than a real goofe, without defigning any, reflection on the poet of that name. : 37. Id quidem ago.] That is, I am endeavouring to recollect fome verfes for you.

[ocr errors]

-39. Huc ades, &c.] Thefe five lines are an imitation of a paffage in the Kuxλw of Theocritus ;

Αλλ' ἀφίκου τὰ πολ ̓ ἄμμε, καὶ ἐξεις

· οὐδὲν ἔλασσον

Τὰν γλαυκὰν δὲ θάλασσαν ἔα ποτὶ

Χέρσον ὀρεχθεῖν.

Αδιον ἐν τώντρῳ παρ' ἑμὶν τὴν νύκτα διαξεις:

Ἐντὶ δάφναι τηνεὶ, ἐντὶ ῥαδιναὶ κυ και πάρισσοι, - Εντὶ μέλας κισσος, ἔντ ̓ ἄμπελος & γλυκύκαρπος.

EVT

α

Εντὶ ψυχρὸν ὕδωρ, τό μοι ο πολυ

δένδρεος Αίτνα

Λευκᾶς ἐκ χιόνος, ποτον αμβρόσιον και το προίητος εί

Τίς κεν τῶν δὲ θάλασσαν ἔχειν ἤ κα μαθ' ἔλοιτο.

"Come, live with me, and I fincerely vow, onorand "That your condition: fhan't be worse than now.

"Forfake the ocean, leave the an66 gry fea,

'Tis better fleeping in my cave "with me.

"There lawrels grow, and there "black ivy twines, si "And blushing clusters load, the "bended vines.ent "There are cold ftreams, which "from the melting fnow "Hot Aetna fends, a drink divine, "below. "There all things are by nature "form'd to please, "And who to this would e'errepre"fer the feas ? CREECH.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

༢༤

The Greek verfes must be allowed

[ocr errors]

to be extremely fine: but the Lat tin ones have a delicacy and propriety, peculiar to the genius of Virgil. We fee, in this invitation to Galatea to forfake the fea for the greater pleafures of the land, moft elegant defcription of the beau ties of the earth, in the most delightful feafon. The rivers are bor, dered by a great variety of flowers; a white poplar diffuses it's branches over the cave; and a luxuriant vine allifts in forming a thade. The Poet judiciously avoids the mention of the cluiters, becaule they are not pror duced in the fpring... 73 40. * Ver

[ocr errors]

Here is the purple spring, bere Hic ver purpureum, varios hic flumina circúm 4ã the ground pours forth various Fundit humus flores: hic candida populus antro flowers about the rivers: bere

"a white poplar bangs over the Imminet, et lentae texunt umbracula vites. cave, and the bending wines Huc ades: infani feriant fine littora fluctus. form a shade. Come bither,

and leave the raging wapes to Lye. Quid, quae te pura folum fub nocte canentem beat against the fear. Audieram? numeros memini, fi verba tenerem. 45 LYC. But what were thofe MOE. Daphni, quid antiquos fignorum fufpicis werfes, which I heard you

finging by yourself, one clear.

ortus?

[ocr errors]

f staden! evening ? I remember the numbers, if I could but recollett, the suprds... Mar. O Daphnis, why do you regard the ancient rifings of the figns?

NOTES.

40. Ver purpureum.] The fpring is called purple, because that season produces many bright flowers.: Purple is ufed by the Ancients to exprefs any bright colour.

41. Candida populus.] The white poplar, or Abele-tree is a tall ftreight tree, covered with a white bark: the leaves are of a dark green; but they are white and woolly under -neath, When the tree is young, the leaves are round; but they become more angular, as the tree grows older, Pliny follows Theophraftus, in affirming, that the leaves of this tree turn upside down about the time of the fummer folftice but this obfervation is not confirmed by experience.

42. Texunt umbracula vites.] The Poet mentions only the fhade of the vines; because the grapes do not appear in the spring.

[ocr errors]
[merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors]

45. Numeros.] The numbers, meafure, or tune. Lycidas re members the tune; but has forgotten the words.

43. Infani feriant, &c.] Theo- ·46. Daphni, quid, &c.] “Vie critus, in the paffage juft quoted, "gil feems to have contended even calls the fea glaucous, or blueifh "with himself, in this place, for green; whereas the waves are "victory. He oppofes thefe five white, when they are dashed againft verfes to thofe which went be the shoar. Virgil, with great judg“ fore, Huc ades, O Galatea, & ment, avoids that improper epithers" in which having excelled Theo and calls the waves mad or raging. ແ critus, he now endeavours even to 44 Quid quae, &c.] Lycidas" excel himfelf. In the former, he

66

aimed

Ecce, Dionaei proceffit Caefaris aftrum : D

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

"

JANOTE S.

Behold the ftor of Dionean Cae far bas begun it's course :

331

fuperior to the originals. Not contented with this, he oppofes to each of thefe tranflations an equal number of original verfes of his own; in which he fhews himfelf capable of exceeding the most beautiful passages of that admired poet. The addrefs to Varus, ver. 27. is elegant and polite, and being related, as only a fragment of a larger poem, was well calculated to obtain the protection of that favourite of Au guftus. But, in the paffage under confideration, he applies himfelf more directly to Auguftus; for he reprefents the new ftar, which was by fome fuppofed to be the foul of Julius Caefar, as having a more benign influence, than all the old conftellations put together. Auguftus had a good tafte for poetry, and confequently could not help being touchwith fo delicate a complement. Daphni.] Daphnis feems to be intended only for a fictitious name of fome favourite fhepherd.

"aimed only at fweetness of ex
"preffion, as became one who ad-
"dreffed himself to a nymph: but
"in these he speaks with a gravity
"becoming one who addreffes him
"felf to Caefar, who was then ad-
"mitted among the gods. There
"he defcribes the delights of the
fpring; flowers, rivers, fhades;
"fuch objects only as tend to plea-
"fure: here he produces the fruits
"of fummer, corn, grapes, and
pears; all which are ufeful to
"man. In the former, were three
"articles, relating to pleafure; as
"there are, in the latter, as many
" relating to utility; the corn, the
grapes, and the pears. Laftly,
as he there begins and ends with
Galatea; fo here he begins and
"ends with Daphnis. Who can
"fay, that Virgil fpeaks to no pur-
pofe?" LA CERDA.ed
It is obfervable that, in this Ec-
logue, Virgil, with great addrefs,
recommends himself to the favour
of thofe in power, in order to pre-
ferve the lands about Mantua. Po-
etry was at that time in very high
efteem; and the Greek poets were
justly thought to excel all others,
He therefore endeavours to fhew,
that if he can meet with encourage-
ment, he fhall be able to teach the
Romans, to furpafs all other na
tions, in the arts of peace, as they
had already gained the fuperiority in
the arts of war. He begins the
contention with Theocritus, tran-
flating two favourite paffages of that
author, and making his tranflations

66

[ocr errors]

Antiquos fignorum.

. ortus.] He admonishes Daphnis, that there is no occafion for him to regard the old rules of obferving the heavens, with refpect to agriculture; becaufe the new ftar of Caefar, will be alone fufficient.

"

47. Dionaei.] Dione was a fea nymph, the daughter of Oceanus and Tethys, and mother of Vehus, by Jupiter: Venus was the mother of Aeneas, who was the father of Afcanius, or lulus; from whom the Julian family derived their defcent Julius Caefar therefore, *beZ 4

3

ing

the star, by ubich the fields Aftium, quo fegetes gauderent frugibus, et quo fball abeund with corn,

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

Caefaris aftrum.] A remarkable ftar or comet appeared for feven days together, after the death of Julius Caefar, which was thought to be a fign, that his foul was received into beaven. Hence Auguftus caufed his ftatue in the Forum to be adorned with the addition of a flar. See the note on ver. 488. of the firft Geor gick.

Aftrum properly fignifies a conftellation, or number of ftars placed in a certain order: the Poet ufes it in this place for a fingle ftar, thereby giving a greater dignity to the tar of Caefar. Thus Horace, calls the fame ftar fidus.

[merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small]
[ocr errors]

fo called in honour of Julius Cae far: the grapes and corn being ripe in that month. But this obfervation is not right; because tho' the harvest is ufually made in July; yet the yintage is not begun, till September or October, even in the warmer countries. Palladius places the barley harveft in June; "Nunc primo

[blocks in formation]
[ocr errors]

tur. Nunc locis temperatis tri"tici meffis expletur." But he does not mention the beginning of the vintage, even in the hottest countries, before September; "Hoc "menfe locis tepidis, maritimifque "celebranda vindemia eft, frigidis "apparanda." But the ufual fezfon for the vintage is October; for in that month he fays, Nunc opportung vindemia eft. Virgil therefore could have no intention of alluding to any one month: his meaning is, that the new ftar would have a benign influence over all parts of hu bandry,

ઃઃ

"Segetes and fruges are com"monly confounded together. But fruges have a larger fignification; for whatfoever relates to fruit may be comprehended in this word. Therefore fruges may be applied "to pot-herbs, pulfe, vines, apples, or corn. Therefore fegetes gau"dent frugibus means, the corn, which is fown in the fields, and not yet reaped, enjoys it's fruit. Others, by fegetes in this place, understand

tr

Duceret apricis in collibus uva colorem,

Infere, Daphni, pyros, carpent tua poma nepotes 50 Omnia fert aetas, animum quoque: faepe ego. longos

Cantando puerum memini me condere foles.

[merged small][ocr errors]

acquire it's colour on the open wills. Plant pear-trees, : Daphnis; your grand children fball gather the fruit.

Time confumes all things, even the memory itself: I re

member the time, when in my youth, I could have spent the long days in finging.

T

NOTES.

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors]

Dr Trapp however differs from Ruaeus, and tranflates thefe words

Daphnis inoculate thy pear-trees

He fays,

now.

[ocr errors]

"the word infere may fig

"gives no reafon for it; nor do I "know of any." Dr TRAPP.

But though Ruaeus did not give any reafon for his interpretation; yet it appears to me very obvious. A tree, when ingrafted, produces the fruit very foon: "but Moeris here tells Daphnis, that he may venture to plant trees, because his pofterity may enjoy the fruit. He therefore fpeaks of a flow production: as he does of raifing trees from feeds, in the fecond Georgick;

"Jam quae feminibus jactis fe fuftulit arbos

"Tarda venit, feris factura nepo "tibus umbram,"

That infero is ufed by our Poet for planting, is plain from another paffage in the fecond Georgick;

Neve oleae fylveftris inferç

truncos.

: Poma.] Pomum is ufed by the Ancients for any efculent fruft; as has been obferved, in, a note on ver. 274. of the firft Georgick.1

51. Omnia fert aetas, &c.] Moe ris feems to break off here, as if he was not able to recollect the rest of

the poem.

Animum.] The Commentators feem to agree, that by animum is

nify planting, grafting, or in meant memoriam in this place,

f oculating. According to Ruaeus it here means the firit, But he

52. Condere. "occafum ducere.

[ocr errors]

Finire,ufque ad SERVIUS

Ruaeus

« PreviousContinue »