Page images
PDF
EPUB

exercise your rural Mufe with a Sylveftrem tenui Mufam meditaris avena fender pipe.

NOTES.

ciously received, and restored to his poffeffions. It is reasonable to think, that fome of his neighbours, if not all, obtained the fame favour: though the Commentators feem almost unanimous in representing Virgil as the only Mantuan, that met with fuch good fortune. This is the fubject of the firft Eclogue. The Poet introduces two fhepherds under the feigned names of Melibocus and Tityrus; of whom the former represents the unhappy Mantuans, and the latter those who were reftored to their eftates: or perhaps Tityrus may be intended to reprefent Mantua, and Meliboeus Cremona. Meliboeus begins the dialogue with fetting forth the miferies of himself and his neighbours.

1.Tityre.] La Cerda produces three reafons, why the name of Tityrus might be applied to an Italian fhepherd: 1. Because the Poet imitated Theocritus, who gave that name to a fhepherd in the third Idyllium. 2. Becaufe a pipe made of reeds was called Tityrinus in Italy. 3. A fhepherd might be properly fo called, as the word fignifies dancing, an exercife much in ufe among fhepherds; ἐκ τῶν τελερισμάτων, οἷς χαίρουσι Σα Tupai, fays Aelian. To thefe he adds a fourth reafon; that Tityrus fignifies a Goat in the African language, whence the name has been afcribed to thofe who feed them. He concludes with obferving, that Servius only fays that the greater he-goats are called by the

name of Tityrus among the Laconians. This laft quotation is erroneous; for the words of Servius are, "Laconum lingua Tityrus dicitur "aries (not hircus) major, qui gre

gem anteire confuevit." I believe the first reason is the true one; and that Virgil had no farther meaning, than to borrow the name of a fhepherd from Theocritus.

I have already faid, that the Commentators generally agree, that the Poet intended to defcribe himself under the feigned name of Tityrus. But to this opinion I think fome material objections may be opposed. The Poet represents his Tityrus as an old man. In ver. 29. he mentions his beard being grey. In ver. 47. Melibocus exprefsly calls Tityrus an old man, Fortunate fenex, which words are repeated in ver, 52. Now Virgil could not call himfelf an old man, being under thirty, when he wrote this Eclogue, in which he calls Auguftus juvenis, who was but feven years younger than himself: and at the end of the Georgicks he tells us exprefsly, that he wrote it in his youth:

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

If Virgil had called himself Tityrus in the firft Eclogue, he would hardly have used the fame name afterwards for a mean or contemptible perfon.

1. Fagi.] La Cerda contends, that the Fagus is not a Beech, but a fort of Oak or Efculus; and quotes feveral authorities to fupport his opinion. This mistake has arifen from an imagination that the Fagus is the fame with the Pyos of the Greek writers, which is indeed a fort of Oak. But the defcription, which Pliny gives of the Fagus, can agree with no other tree, than that which we call a Beech. "Fagi glans "nuclei fimilis, triangula cute in"cluditur. Folium tenue, ac le"viffimum, populo fimile."

2. Sylveftrem.] Quintilian, lib. 9. cap. 4. reads Agreftem. It is generally allowed to have been a flip in Quintilian's memory; this reading not being countenanced by the authority of any manufcript. La Cerda endeavours to prove, that

We leave the borders of our country, and our sweet fields,

Virgil always ufes Sylvae, when he fpeaks of Shepherds, and Agri, when he is treating of Husbandry. But this argument is not good: for in a few lines below we find,

"Ludere quae vellem calamo per"mifit agrefti."

And in the fixth Eclogue

« Agreftem tenui meditabor arundine mufam.”

[blocks in formation]

We fy our country; whilft you, Nos patriam fugimus: tu, Tityre, lentus in umbfa

Tityrus, lying at cafe in the

fbade, teach the woods to refound Formofam refonare doces Amaryllida fylvas. the beautiful Amaryllis. TIT. O Meliboee, Deus nobis haec otia fecit. TIT. O Meliboeus a God Namque erit ille mihi femper Deus: illius aram bas given me this quiet. For I

Thall always efteem bim as a God:

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

2. Avena.]" The mufical inftruments used by fhepherds were at "firft made of oat and wheat"ftraw; then of reeds, and hol

low pipes of box; afterwards of "the leg bones of cranes, horns of Hence "animals, metals, &c. "they are called avena, ftipula, ca"lamus, arundo, fiftula, buxus, "tibia, cornu, aes, &c." RUAEUS.

5. Amaryllida. Those who underftand this Eclogue in an allegórical fenfe, will have Amaryllis to mean Rome. See the note on ver. 31.

[ocr errors]

6. O Melibaee, &c.] Tityrus in forms his neighbour, that his felicity is derived from a God, complimenting Auguftus with that

name.

Deus. The Poet Aatters Auguftus, by calling him a God, fome years before divine honours were publickly allowed him.

Otia. Servius interprets it fecu"rity of felicity. La Cerda will have it to mean liberty. Ruaeus renders quies. Lord Lauderdale tranflates it, This foft retirement; Dryden, Thefe bleffings; and Dr Trapp, This freedom. In the fifth Eclogue our Poet ufes otia for peace or cafe

5

"Ulla dolum meditantur: amat bonus otia Daphnis

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

stoltellad food. It is plainly ufed alfo in the fame fenfe in the fixth Aeneid. rodn

[ocr errors]

66

Cui deinde fubibit, "Otia qui rumpet patriae, refidefque movebit Tullus in arma viros.", aga mug

7. Namque erit ille mihi femper Deus. Servius, fays, that this re-petition excludes all appearance of flattery which I must confefs myfelf unable to understand. As 'to what he mentions of Auguftus: being really deified in his life-time, it can have no place here: fince it is certain, that. thefe honours were not given him, till feveral years af

Nec lupus infidias pecori, nec re-ter this Eclogue is faid to have been campofed. It was a common opi

❝tia cervís

Saepe tener noftris ab ovilibus imbuet agnus.
Ille meas errare boves, ut cernis, et ipfum
Ludere, quae vellem, calamo permifit agrefti.
MEL. Non equidem invideo, miror magis:
dique totis

Ufque adeo turbatur agris. En ipfe capellas

tender lamb from my folds. fball often flain bis altar. He bas permitted my kine to feed at 10 large, as you fee, and myself to un-play what I have a mind on my

tural pipe.

MEL. I do not envy you indeed, but rather wonder; fee ing there is fo great a disturbance all over the country.. NOTES.

nion among the Ancients, that doing good elevated men to divinity. Tityrus therefore, having received fo great a benefit from Auguftus, declares, that he fhall always efteem him as a God. If divine honours had then been afcribed to Auguftus, the Poet would not have mentioned him as a Deity peculiar to himself; erit ille mihi femper deus. But it is no great wonder, that the Poet fhould flatter Auguftus with the title of a God; fince Julius Caefar, whofe adopted fon he was, had already received divine honours, a chapel being dedicated to him in the Forum, about ten months before the decifive battle at Philippi.

[ocr errors]

7. Alius aram, &c.] Pope has imitated this, in his fourth Pastoral; "To thee, bright. Goddefs, oft a "lamb fhall bleed,

"If teeming ewes increafe my "fleecy breed."

[ocr errors]

9. Errare.] Id eft, pafci, fays Servius,, It is certain, that by errare the Poet cannot mean to want der or tray, in one fenfe of the word, which fignifies to go aftray, or be loft. Therefore, to avoid ambiguity, I have tranflated it to feed at large, which is the true meaning of the word. Our Poets frequently ufe tray in the fame fenfe: thus Miltons

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

Lo! I drive my goats being Protinus aeger ago: hanc etiam vix, Tityre, duco. quite fick myfelf; and am bard

ly able, my Tityrus, to drag this along.

NOTES.

13. Protinus.] Servius reads protenus, and interprets it porro tenus, id eft, longe a finibus. Pierius obferves that moft manufcripts have protinus; but that it is protenus in the Oblong and Medicean manufcripts. He obferves, that Caper makes a difference between them, making protenus an adverb of place, and protinus an adverb of time, Nonius Marcellus interprets protinus, valde. In the Medicean manufcript, according to the edition printed at Florence in 1741, it is protinus. The fame reading is in the Paris edition of 1541. But in that of 1540, under the care of Suffannaeus, it is protenus. In the Venice edition by Aldus, in 1576, it is protiRob. Stephens reads protenus. In the old edition, printed by Pynfon, it is protinus, as alfo in the Milan edition of 1539, and in the Antwerp edition of 1543. But in that of 1540, it is protenus. La Cerda reads protinus; but Heinfius, and after him moft of the editors have protenus. Dr Trapp contends for protenus, in the fenfe which Servius gives it; and accordingly tranflates this paffage,

nus.

Lo! I far hence my goats, juft "fainting drive."

Burman alfo is pofitive in the fame interpretation.

In this diverfity of opinions, our fureft way will be to confider the different fenfes in which Virgil him

[blocks in formation]
« PreviousContinue »