Lac mihi non aeftate novum, non frigore defit. 53 I never NOTES. 20. Quam dives pecoris nivei, quam.] The Editors do not agree about the pointing of this line; fome placing the comma after pecoris, and others after nivei. The controverfy therefore is, whether nivei agrees with pecoris or with lactis. Heinfius, as he is quoted by Burman, contends for the latter; to maintain which opinion, he produces the following authorities, from Ovid; "Lac niveum potes, purpureamque "fapam; And "Lac mihi femper adeft niveum." From Homer • Χορταζόμενος γάλα λευκον. Tom Tibullus, fail of having new milk, either in fummer or winter Pafiphaë nivei folatur amore ju "venci." Nivei lactis pocula mixta And in the firft Georgick, "mero;" I play fuch tunes as Dircacah Canto, quae folitus, fi quando armenta vocabat, Amphion used. And in the fourth Aeneld, NOTES. "Velleribus niveis et fefto fronde "revinctum;" and in the fixth, lor albus, cum fit optimus, tum "etiam eft utiliffimus." 21. Mille meae Siculis, &c.] He mentions Sicily in this place, because that inland was famous for fheep; perhaps alfo, becaufe Theocritus, the father of paftoral poetry, was of "Omnibus his nivea cinguntur tem- that country. This, and the fol 66 pora vitta:" Therefore, in this place, it feems beft to join nivei to pecoris, rather than to lactis, because it is more particularly exprefive of the beauty of the former, and has not once been added to the latter by Virgil, Befides our Poet himfelf, in the third Georgick, gives particular direction, to choofe white fheep for the flock; and is fo nice in this point, that he will not fuffer the ram to have a black tongue, for fear he should occafion dusky spots in his offspring; 1 "Continuoque gregis villis lege cumfpice campo." 22. Lac mihi non aeftate novum, non frigore defit.] Servius obferves, that Virgil excels Theocritus in this place, who does not speak of milk, but of cheese. For there is nothing extraordinary in having cheese all the year round: but to be always fupplied with new milk, or coloftrum, in winter as well as fummer, is a great excellence. Some "Munera fic ni- other Commentators agree with Servius, in taking lac novum in this place for colostrum or coloftra, which This, he fays, was the very art, which Pan used, to obtain fleeces as white as fnow veo, &c," as above. Columella alfo extols the white sheep; "Co Amphion Dircaeus in Acteo Aracyatho. " ་ NOTES: is the beeftings, or firft milk that comes after the animal has brought forth. Thus Columella; "Sed ་ prius quam hoc fiat, exiguum emulgendum eft, quod paftores coloftram vocant:" and Pliny; "Sicuti de lactis ufu. Utiliffimum 、 cuique maternum. Concipere "nutrices exitiofum eft: hi funt "enim infantes qui coloftrati appellantur, denfato lacte in cafei fpe"ciem. Eft autem coloftra prima a partu fpongiofa denfitas lactis." It is much efteemed in the country, by many people; and that it was fo by the ancient Romans, we may gather from the following paffage in the Poenolus of Plautus; And from the thirty-eighth Epi- Surripuit paftor quae nondum when be called bis berds, on the rosky fhear of Aracymbushenk Both thefe facrifices were in the fpring, or beginning of fummer, when beetings were not to be had, the time for the sheep to bring forth being in November and December. Varro tells us, that the best time to admit the ram is from the fetting of Ar&turus to the setting of the Eagle, La Cerda thinks, with better rea- that a fheep goes 150 days, and fo fon, that the fenfe of the paffage the lamb is yeaned about the end of is, that Corydon has fo large a Autumn n; Tempus optimum ád flock, that there never paffes a day" adaittendum ab Arcturi occafu Without a fupply of milk just taken" ad aquilae occafum, quod quae "damus." 66 "poftea |
