Haedorumque gregem viridi compellere hibifco! 30 and to drive a flock of goats with a green switch. NOTES. many places have changed their names, even before the time of any hiftory now extant. If authors have differed concerning the fituation of Aracynthus, it will be imagined that there has not been much lefs variety of opinions, with regard to the epithet Ataeus. Strabo fays, that Attica was called anciently Acte and Attica because it lies under mountains, and extends along the fea fhoar: Aia on TOUTO καὶ ̓Ακτήν φασι λεχθῆναι τὸ παρ αιὸν, καὶ ̓Ακτικὴν παρωνομασθεῖσαν, ὅτι τοῖς ὅρεσιν ὑποπέπτωκε το πλείστον μέρος αυτῆς ἁλιτενὲς καὶ στενον, μήκει δ' αξιολόγῳ κεχρημένον, προπεπτωκός HXP TO EQUviou. Pliny alfo affirms, μέχρι το that Attica was anciently called Alte; "Attica antiquitus Acte "vocata." This feems to ftrengthen the authority of Vibius, who places Aracynthus in Attica. But But Strabo mentions another opinion afterwards; that this country was faid to be called Actica from Actaeon, Atthis and Attica from Atthis the daughter of Cranaus, Mopfopia from Mopfopus, Ionia from Jon the fon of Xuthus, and Pofidonia and Athens from Neptune and Minerva : 'Ακτικὴν μὲν γὰρ ἀπὸ Ακταίωνος Φασίν. Ατθίδα δὲ καὶ Αττικὴν, ἀπὸ ̓Ατθίδος τῆς Κραναοῦ, ἀφ ̓ ὧν καὶ Κραναοὶ ἅι ἔνοικοι. Μοψος πίαν δὲ ἀπὸ Μοψόπου, Ἰωνίαν δε ἀπὸ Ἴωνος τοῦ Ξούθου· Ποσειδωνίαν δὲ καὶ Αθήνας ἀπὸ τῶν ἐπωνύμων θεῶν. Hence Marolles feems to have de rived his authority for placing Aracynthus in Boeotia near Attica ;' "C'est une montagne de Beotie "aupres de l'Attique, qui a peut"eftre emprunté fon nom de cét "Actean fi fameux, qui fut de"voré par fes chiens." Servius interprets it littorali, in which fense it is ufed in the fifth Aeneid; and adds that fome take it to mean Atheni enfi, not that Aracynthus is near Athens, which indeed was at first called Acte, but to exprefs a paftoral fimplicity, which is frequent with Theocritus. The fame, fays he, may be understood of Oaxes, which is called a river of Crete, whereas it is a mountain of Scy thia. Guellius, to whofe opinion La Cerda feems alfo to incline, interprets it ftony and rocky; affirming that the Greeks called not only the fea fhore, but craggy mountains alío axln; tains alío axln;" Proper. 3. With me you fall imitate Pan Mecum una in fylvis imitabere Pana canendo, himself in playing on a pipe in the woods. 66 NOTES. quam, ut ipfis affentiri hac in parte non poffim, quin malim "Aracynthum, actaeum, ut Proper. faxofum et petricofum, ni2 "mirum ut rupem et fcopulum, ut' "Graeci dnra vocant non folum littoralem oram et regionem, σε wapa Faration, fed et Tómo πετρώδη, ἀπὸ τοῦ περὶ αυτόν αγεσ « Jai, o coli provoda và xúμala: "unde apud Hom. @pwrn dт "Dánns à Pinnas: et axrn wp ἰθάκης αφίκηαι 14 This he thinks is fully confirmed by the above quotation from Propertius, who explains Virgil, by put ting rupe where he has used actacus. To this I would add, that Propertius plainly mentions Aracynthus from. Thebes: perhaps it was the in this place as a mountain not far it fame with Cithaeron, of which he had fpoken a few lines before. Ruaeus is of opinion, that Aracynthus is a Theban mountain extending to the fea, and agrees with Servius in interpreting actaco, littorali. The Earl of Lauderdale has tranflated it, "My notes are sweet, as were Am, phion's lays, "When he near Thebes tended his Pan primus calamos cera conjungere plures. NOTES. Catrou tranflates actaeo Aracyntho the mountains of Boeotia, "Nou"vel Amphion, je chante les "mêmes airs que ce fçavant Berger, lorfqu'il conduifoit fes trou"peaux fur les montagnes de Bé"ocie." In his note on this paffage, he relies on the authority of Stephanus, for placing Aracynthus in Boeotia, and agrees with Guellius in the fignification of a&taeus, rendering it l'Aracynthe efcarpé. But after all that has been faid, I believe we may venture to affirm, that aur is not used for any rocky places, unless they border upon the fea; but frequently fignifies the fea fhoar. Thus we read in the eighteenth Iliad, -Ακτὴν ἐισανέβαιναν in the twelfth, Καὶ τ' εφ ̓ ἅλος πολιῆς κέχυται λιμέ σιν τε καὶ ἀκλαῖς. And in the fifteenth Odyssey; Ανὰρ ἐπὴν πρώτην άκτην Ἰθάκης ἀφίκηαι. Thus alfo our Poet himself uses acta for the fhoar in the fifth Aeneid; Pan firft taught to join feveral reeds together with wax: tion against Verres; "Ipfe tamen, "cum vir effet Syracufis, uxorem ejus parum poterat animo foluto' 66 ac libero tot in acta dies fecum "habere." We therefore may conclude, that by the epithet actaeo is meant, that the mountain Aracynthus extended to the fea; and therefore that Aracynthus actaeus is to be interpreted the rocky fhoar, or cliffs of Aracynthus; as we fay the cliffs of Dover. 25. Nec fum adeo informis.] It is non instead of nec, in fome copies. "This is a modeft expreffion of "his own beauty. Thus Cicero "in his oration for Coelius; ut eum poeniteat non deformem effe natum, "where he means very handfome." And Polyphemus alfo in the Bucoliaftae, At procul in fola fecretae Troades Καὶ γὰρ τὴν ὄυδ ̓ ἔιδος ἔχω κακὸν ὡς "acta "Amiffum Anchifen flebant." Thus alfo Cicero, in his fifth Ora ως με λέγοντι : δὲ γαλάνα. D 4 "For Pan takes care of the beep, and Inftituit: Pan curat oves, oviumque magiftros. of the mofters of the sheep.. NOTES. "For I'm not ugly, for laft night "I ftood "And view'd my figure in a quiet flood." CREECH. It is plain, that Virgil imitates thefe two lines of Theocritus, in the paffage before us. Nuper me in littore vidi.] Servius feems to think it impoffible for a man to fee his image in the fea; and thinks the Poet expreffed himfelf negligently in imitation of Theocritus, who might more excufably put fuch words in the mouth of a Cyclops, either because he had an eye of valt bigners, or becaufe he was the fon of Neptune. But the learned and judicious La Cerda has amply juftified Virgil in this particular, "Some, fays he, tell us, "that the Poet afcribed to the fea a faculty of reflecting an image, "not fo much from the nature of 66 things, as in imitation of The"ocritus: for they deny the poffi"bility of an image being reflected by the waves of the fea, which "has always fomething oily and fat fwimming on it's furface, any "more than by clouded lookingglafs, or water in which flefh has "been boiled. But experience is "against these arguments; for the fea, when calm, does really re"flect an image; as thefe cavillers Ovid, Statius, and others, who speak of the fea as of a mirrour. 27. Fallat.] Some read Fallit, and others Fallet; but most of the ancient manufcripts have Fallat, which is approved alfo by Heinfius, Ruaeus, and other good editors. 28. O tantum libeat, &c.] In this paragraph Corydon invites Alexis to live with him in the country, and partake of his rural labours; and promises him in recompence to teach him to play on the fhepherd's pipe like Pan himself. Thus the Cyclops, in Theocritus; Ποιμαίνειν δ ̓ ἐθέλοις σὺν ἐμὶν ἅμα, κα γάλ' ἀμέλγειν, Καὶ τυρὸν πάξαι. "But feed the flocks with me, or "milk the fheep, "Or run the cheese, and never "mind the deep." CREECH Sordida rura.] Servius obferves, that tibi in this verfe is to be understood as if it was twice repeated; Utinam libeat tibi habitare mecum rura tibi fordida; and interprets it tibi fordida, id eft, quae tu putas fordida. t 29. Figere cervos.] Some underftand thefe words to mean the fixing of the forked poles, called furcae or cervi, to fupport the cottages. "Cervi, fays Varro, ha "bent figuram literae V, a fimili"tudine cornuum cervi." They were used also in war, to obstruct the approach of an enemy. Thus Caefar; Nec te poeniteat calamo triviffe labellum. NOTES. Caefar; "Hoc intermiffo fpatio, "duas foffas, quindecim pedes la"C tas, eadem altitudine perduxit: quarum interiorem campeftribus, "ac demiffis locis, aqua ex flumine "derivata, complevit.. Poft eas aggerem, et vallum duodecim "pedum exftruxit. Huic loricam, "pinnafque adjecit grandibus cervis "eminentibus ad commiffuras plu"teorum atque aggeris, qui afcen"fum hoftium tardarent.". They are mentioned alfo by Livy ; "Ro"manus ad Clitas, quas vocant, "munimenta cervis etiam objectis "ut viam intercluderet, a Mace"donico ad Toronaicum mare per"ducit," Thus alfo Catullus; Thefe quotations fhew fufficiently the nature and ufe of the cervi: and that from Catullus has almost the very fame words with thofe under confideration. Nor does it seem amifs, that Corydon, having juft mentioned the cottages or hutts of the fhepherds, fhould immediately add, the props which fupport them. He is not inviting Alexis to partake of pleasures, but to engage with him in rural labour, to content himfelf with living in a poor hutt, fixing poles, and driving goats; as a reward for which labour, he pro Do not think much to rub your lip with a reed. mifes to teach him to excel in mufick. This fenfe is not wholly to be rejected. But the general opinion is that the Poet means hunting in this place, which is confirmed by a fimilar paffage in the firft Georgick; "Tum gruibus pedicas, et retia 66 ponere cervis, "Auritofque fequi lepores: tum "figere damas "Stupea torquentem Balearis ver"bera fundae;" where figere damas, without queftion, means to pierce the does; in which fenfe of piercing or wounding, figo is frequently ufed. Thus in the firft Aeneid; "Pars in frufta fecant, verubufque "trementia figunt:" and in the fifth ; "Plaudentem nigra figit fub nube "columbam :' and in the ninth; "Figite me, fi qua eft pietas: 66 me omnia tela Conjicite." And in the tenth; "Tum Numitor jaculo fratris de corpore rapto, "Aeneam petiit: fed non et figere |
