Balantem, et Laribus cristam promittere galli Non audent. Quid enim sperare nocentibus ægris 235 Cum scelus admittunt, superest constantia: quid fas, Atque nefas, tandem incipiunt sentire, peractis Criminibus. Tamen ad mores natura recurrit Damnatos, fixa et mutari nescia. Nam quis 240 Peccandi finem posuit sibi? quando recepit Ejectum semel attritâ de fronte ruborem? Quisnam hominum est, quem tu contentum videris uno Flagitio? dabit in laqueum vestigia noster Perfidus, et nigri patietur carceris uncum, 245 Aut maris Ægæi rupem, scopulosque frequentes from engines for that purpose, huge stones to batter down the wall, and darts to annoy the besieged. Here the poet uses the words in a metaphorical sense, to denote the apprehension of the sick criminal, who thinks himself, as it were, besieged by an offended Deity, who employs the pleurisy and fever, as his artillery, to destroy the guilty wretch. It -"To engage a bleating sheep," &c.] Or lamb-pecus may signify either. was usual for persons in danger, or in sickness, to engage by vow some offering to the gods, on their deliverance, or recovery; but the guilty wretches here mentioned are supposed to be in a state of utter despair, so that they dare not so much as hope for recovery, and therefore have no courage to address any vows to the gods. 233. "Comb of a cock," &c.] So far from promising a cock to Esculapius, they have not the courage to vow even a cock's comb, as a sacrifice to their household gods. 234." Allowed the guilty," &c.] Such guilty wretches can be allowed no hope whatever their own consciences tell them as much. 235. "Is not more worthy," &c.] i. c. Does not more deserve to live than they. 236. "Fickle and changeable."] i. e. Wavering and uncertain, at first; before they commit crimes, they are irresolute, and doubting whether they shall or not, and often change their mind, which is in a fluctuating state. 237. "Remains constancy."] When they have once engaged in evil actions, they become resolute. --"What is right," &c.] After the crime is perpetrated, they begin to reflect on what they have done-they are forcibly stricken with the difference between right and wrong, insomuch that they feel, for a while, a remorse of conscience; but notwithstanding this 239. "Nature recurs," &c.] Their evil nature will return to its corrupt principles, and silence all remorse; fixed and unchangeable in this respect, be said, Naturam expellas furca tamen usque recurret. HOR. lib. i. epist. x. 1. 24. may 241." Hath laid down to himself," &c.] What wicked man ever contented himself with one crime, or could say to his propensity to wickedness, "Hitherto "shalt thou come, and no farther," when every crime he commits hardens him the more, and plunges him still deeper? See sat. ii. 1. 83, note. "When recovered," &c.] No man ever yet recovered a sense of shame, who had once lost it. signifies rubbed or worn away, as mar242. "Worn forehead," &c.] Attritus ble, or metals, where an hard and po "To the little temple, and to promise the comb of a cock to "the Lares "They dare not; for what is allowed the guilty sick "To hope for? or what victim is not more worthy of life? 235 "The nature of wicked men is, for the most part, fickle, and changeable; 66 "When they commit wickedness, there remains constancy: "what is right 66 : "And what wrong, at length they begin to perceive, their crimes Being finish'd but nature recurs to its damned "Morals, fix'd, and not knowing to be changed. For who 240 "Hath laid down to himself an end of sinning? when recover'd Modesty once cast off from his worn forehead? 66 245 "Who is there of men, whom you have seen content with one "Base action? our perfidious wretch will get his feet into "A snare, and will suffer the hook of a dark prison, "Or a rock of the Ægean sea, and the rocks frequent "To great exiles. You will rejoice in the bitter punishment "Of his hated name, and, at length, glad will confess, that no 66 one of lished surface remains; so a wicked man, by frequent and continual crimes, grows hardened against all impressions of shame, of which the forehead is often represented as the seat. See Jer. iii. 3. latter part. 243. "Who is there," &c.] Who ever contented himself with sinning but once, and stopped at the first fact? 244." Our perfidious wretch," &c.] Noster perfidus, says Juvenal, meaning the villain who had cheated Calvinus, and then perjured himself. As if the poet had said, Don't be so uneasy, Calvinus, at the loss of your money, or so anxious about revenging yourself upon the wretch who has perjured you; have a little patience, he won't stop here, he'll go on from bad to worse, till you will find him sufficiently punished, and yourself amply avenged. 244, 5. "Into a snare."] He'll do something or other which will send him to gaol, and load him with fetters. Or, he will walk into a snare (comp. Job xviii. 8-10.) and be entangled in his own devices. 245. "Suffer the hook," &c.] The uncus was a drag, or hook, by which the bodies of malefactors were dragged about the streets after execution. See sat. X. 1. 66. But, by this line, it should seem as if some instrument of this sort was made use of, either for torture, or closer confinement in the dungeon. 246. "Rock of the Egean sea."] Or, if he should escape the gallows, that he will be banished to some rocky, barren island in the Ægean sea, where he will lead a miserable life. Perhaps the island Seriphus is here meant. See sat. vi. 563. 246." The rocks frequent," &c.] The rocky islands of the Cyclades, (see sat. vi. 562, note,) to which members were banished, and frequently, either by the tyranny of the emperor, or through their own crimes, persons of high rank. 247. You will rejoice," &c.] You, Calvinus, will at last triumph over the villain that has wronged you, when you see the bitter sufferings, which await him, fall upon him. 248. "His hated name."] Which will not be mentioned, but with the utmost detestation and abhorrence. -"At length-confess."] However, in time past, you may have doubted of it, you will in the end joyfully own Nec surdum, nec Tiresiam quenquam esse Deorum. 248, 9." That no one of the gods," &c.] Whose province it is to punish crimes, is either deaf, so as not to hear such perjury, or blind, so as not to see every circumstance of such a transaction, and to punish it accordingly. Comp. 1. 112-19. 259." Tiresias."] A blind soothsayer "The gods is either deaf, or a Tiresias.” of Thebes, fabled to be stricken blind by the latter, who in requital gave him the SATIRA XIV. X ARGUMENT. This Satire is levelled at the bad examples which parents set their children, and shews the serious consequences of such examples, in helping to contaminate the morals of the rising generation, as we are apt, by nature, rather to receive ill impressions than good, and are, besides, more pliant in our PLURIMA sunt, Fuscine, et famâ digna sinistra, Line 1. Fuscinus.] A friend of Juvenal's, to whom this Satire is addressed. Worthy of unfavourable report.] Which deserve to be ill spoken of, to be esteemed scandalous. The word sinistra here is metaphorical, taken from the Roman superstition, with regard to any thing of the ominous kind, which appeared on the left hand; they reckoned it unlucky and unfavourable. See sat. x. 1. 129. where the word is applied, as here, in a metaphorical sense. 2. Firing a stain, &c.] A metaphor, taken from the idea of clean and neat garments being soiled or spotted, with filth thrown upon them, the marks of which are not easily got out. So these things of evil report fix a spot, or stain, on the most splendid character, rank, or fortune-all which, probably, the poet means by nitidis rebus. 5 3. Which parents, &c.] The things worthy of evil report, which are afterwards particularized, are matters which parents exhibit to their children by example, and deliver to them by precept. Comp. 1. 9. 4. If the destructive die pleases, &c.] If the father be fond of playing at dice. Wearing the bulla, &c.] His son, when a mere child, will imitate his example. For the bulla, see sat. xiii. 1. 33, note. 5. The same weapons, &c.] Arma, literally, denotes all kinds of warlike arms and armour; and, by met. all manner of tools and implements, for all arts, mysteries, occupations, and diversions. AINSW. The word is peculiarly proper to express dice, and other implements of |