Pone domum, et servos, et quicquid frangitur illis, Aut perit: INGRATOS ANTE OMNIA PONE SODALES. prada Idæum solenne colunt, similisque triumpho Perda caballorum Prætor sedet: ac (mihi pace 195 Totam hodie Romam Circus capit; et fragor aurem Nam si deficeret, mostam attonitamque videres 200 205 191. Lay aside, &c.] Pono also signifies to put off as clothes. He desires his friend to lay aside, or put off, all his domestic uneasiness, arising from the mischief or misconduct of servants. 192. Ungrateful friends.] Which are the bitterest trials of all. 193. Meantime.] This invitation of the poet to his friend was on a holiday, or day of the public games beginning. -Spectacles.] The shows or games. -Megalesian towel.] At the Circensian and Megalesian games, they hung out towel (mappa) to shew that the sports were going to begin. Nero introduced this custom; for hearing, as he sat at dinner, how impatiently the people expected his coming, he threw out at the window the towel with which he wiped his hands, to give the people notice that he had dined, and would soon be at the circus. Ever since this, the beginning of these games was announced by hanging out a towel. The Megalesian games were in honour of Cybele, the mother of the gods. She was called μsyɑλn Mŋrng, magna Mater, and from thence these games Megalesia, or ludi Megalenses; they began on the fourth of April, and lasted six days. 194. Idaan solemnity.] Cybele was called Idæa, from Ida, a mountain of Phrygia, where she was worshipped; and hence her festival was called Idæum solenne. 195. The prætor, a destroyer, &c.] He was an officer not unlike our mayor or sheriff. Sat. i. 101, note.-He was to oversee these sports, and sat in great state, while they were acting, to the destruction of many horses, which were spoiled on the occasion. See sat. X. 1. 36-40. Many are for reading prædo, and suppose it to denote the prætor's acting sometimes unjustly, and determining the prizes wrongfully, taking them from the winning horses, and giving them to the losers, by which he might be said to rob the winners of their due. Others think the word prædo is used as a jest upon the prætor's fine trappings and gaudy dress on the occasion, as if he had robbed the horses of their finery to put upon himself. There are other conceits upon this, subject, but perda seems to give the most natural sense of the passage. I am, therefore, with Salmasius and others, for adopting it. -If with the peace, &c.] If with their good leave I may take the liberty of saying so much without offence. The poet here lashes the Roman people for their great eagerness to crowd after these shows, as if they thought nothing else worthy their attention. Sat. x. 1. 80, 1. 197. The circus.] Where those games were celebrated. -A noise strikes, &c.] I hear a great 194 Lay aside home, and servants, and whatever is broken by them, Let our contracted skin drink the vernal sun, And avoid the gown: even now to the baths, with a safe Countenance you may go, tho' a whole hour should remain 205 shout, as of victory, which makes me suppose that the race is determined on the behalf of some favourite competitor. 198. The green cloth.] The four par ties, which ran chariot races in the circus, were divided in several liveries, viz. green, russet, blue, and white. One of these factions was always favoured by the court, and, at this time, more probably, the green; which makes Juvenal fancy that he hears the shouts for joy, that their party had won the race. 199. Should fail.] If the green cloth should fail of the prize, or if the festival, which occasioned the celebration of these games, should be laid aside, and these shows fail, or cease. 200. This city.] The people of Rome would be ready to break their heartsreflecting on their immoderate fondness for these shows. -The consuls.] Paulus Æmilius and Terentius Varro. 201. Canna.] A small town, near which Hannibal obtained a great victory over the Romans. See sat. x. 1. 164, note. -Let youths behold.] i. e. Be spectators of these shows. -Whom clamour, &c.] Who may, without any indecency, make as much noise as they please in clapping and hallooing, and lay what bets they please on the side they take. 202. By a neat girl, &c.] By this we see that men and women sat promiscu ously together on these occasions. See sat. iii. 1. 65, and note. 203. Contracted skin.] Once smooth, but now through age contracted into wrinkles. -Drink the vernal sun.] Let us avoid these crowds, and bask in the reviving rays of the sun, which now is bringing on the delightful spring. This was in the beginning of April. See above, note on 1. 193, ad fin. 204. Avoid the gown.] The gown was the common habit of the Romans, insomuch that VIRG. Æn. i. 286, calls them gentem togatam. The poet, by togam, here means the people that wore it, by metonym. i. e. The Romans now crowding to the games-let us keep out of their way, that we may enjoy ourselves in quiet. 204, 5. Safe countenance, &c.] Without fear of being put out of countenance. The Romans used to follow their business till noon, that is, the sixth hour, our twelve o'clock; and then to the ninth hour, our three o'clock in the afternoon, they exercised and bathed themselves, and then went to their meals but to do these sooner than the appointed hours was allowed only on festival days, or to persons aged and infirm; otherwise, to be seen going to the baths before the usual appointed hour was reckoned scandalous. See sat. i. l. 49, and note. Ad sextam. Facere hoc non possis quinque diebus 206. You could not, &c.] i. e. Frequent feasts, and indulge in idleness; however these may be occasionally pleasant, a continuance of them for a week together would grow irksome. 207. Such a life.] Of ease and volup tuousness. 208. Rarer use, &c.] The poet concludes with a general sentiment, very applicable to all pleasures of sense, which, by continual use, pall and grow tiresome : To the sixth. You could not do this for five days For frequent use would the delight exclude, Pleasure's a toil when constantly pursued. CONGREVE. Shakespeare, 2d part of Hen. IV. act i. scene 2. has finely expressed the like sentiment: If all the year were playing holidays, for come. SATIRA XII ARGUMENT. The Poet having invited Corvinus to assist at a sacrifice, which he intended to offer up by way of thanksgiving for the safety of his friend Catullus from the danger of the seas, professes his disinterestedness on the occasion, and, from thence, takes an NATALI, Corvine, die mihi dulcior hæc lux, Line 1. This day.] On which I am going to offer sacrifices, on account of my friend Catullus, the merchant's escape from the dangers of the sea. -Corvinus.] Juvenal's friend, to whom this Satire is addressed. -Birth-day.] Which was a day of great festivity among the Romans; they celebrated it yearly, offering thanksgiving-offerings to the gods, and made feasts, to which they invited their friends, who made them presents on the occasion. See sat. xi. 1. 84, note. See HOR. Ode xi. lib. iv. 1. 1-20. VIRG. ecl. iii. 1. 76. 2. Festal turf.] The altar of green turf, which our poet had built on the occasion, thus suiting his devotion to his circumstances. Comp. Hon. lib. iii. od. viii. 1. 2——4. -The animals promised.] i. e. To be offered in sacrifice to the gods. 3. Queen.] Juno, the queen of the 5 gods. See En. i. 1. 50. The fabled wife of Jupiter, the supreme deity of the Romans. —A snowy lamb.] They offered white animals to the superior gods, black to the inferior. See HOR. lib. i. sat. viii. 1. 27; and VIRGIL, Æn. iv. 1. 61. 4. Equal fleece.] A like fleece, i. e. a white one; or fleece, here, may, by synec. be put for the whole animal offered; a like offering. -Minerva.] Lit. the fighter with the Moorish gorgon. The gorgons were sup posed to be three, who inhabited near mount Atlas, in Mauritania. Medusa is said to have been beloved by Neptune, who lay with her in the temple of Minerva, at which the goddess, being angry, changed the hair of Medusa into serpents, and so ordered it, that whoever beheld her should be turned into stone. She was killed by Perseus, the son of |