In willowy bower o'erhung with flaunting vine; 50 Here cooling springs, Lycoris, meadows gay away. 'Me reckless love in iron fields detains, Where all the fury of the battle reigns: Thou tread'st-and is it true? perfidious fair, 55 Dauntless tread'st Alpine snows, and ice-bound Rhine! To pastoral pipe, I'll sylvan strains rehearse. 60 65 70 75 Ah! nor by wood-nymphs I, nor woodland strain, Solaced or soothed! Farewell, ye woods, again. Vainly to tame th' obdurate god we try: Not should our lip drain wintry Hebrus dry, 60 Gallus is said to have translated the works of Euphorion, a native of Chalcis in Eubœa, into Latin. Not though our foot 'mid storms trod Thracia's snows, Enough, ye Muses, has your bard essay'd, 80 85 90 THE following notes, of which the sole object is to facilitate the English version to the English reader, have been added, more in conformity with the desire of others than from my own original intention: they are chiefly compiled from remarks of former commentators; and are inserted in the words, and designated by the names of their respective authors. For the selection alone I hold myself responsible. But it would be unpardonable not to particularise the remarks of the Rev. W. Stawell and T. A. Knight, Esq. My estimation of the remarks of the former will be best evinced by the number and importance of the notes which I have selected from his printed illustrations and the original observations of the latter, communicated in a letter to me, will give additional proofs of the sagacity of a writer, whose philosophical investigations and successful experiments have not only contributed to the speculative knowlege of this scientific age, but have assisted the labors, and meliorated the produce, of the farmer and the horticulturist. W. S. GEORGIC I. ARGUMENT. VIRGIL begins the poem by propounding the subjects of his four books-Agriculture, Planting, the Breeding of Cattle, and the Management of Bees. After invoking every rural deity, he particularly calls on Augustus Cæsar to favor his attempt-He now opens the peculiar subject of the first book by pointing out the proper seasons for ploughing—He advises the husbandman to acquire a previous knowlege of different soils and climates, of the prevailing modes of cultivation, and of the productions suited to each country: and of these he gives several examples-He then resumes the subject, and mentions the seasons best adapted for the ploughing either of rich or of poor soils-Recommends that the ground should lie fallow, or be refreshed by change of crops or manure; that the stubble should be burnt for the melioration of the soil; and that the ground be duly prepared by frequent ploughing and harrowing-He now enters on the subject of sowing, and advises that, immediately after that process, the clods be carefully broken, and the land artificially overflowed-He then proceeds to the growth of the corn, and recommends the feeding down of its rank luxuriance-He now mentions several circumstances prejudicial to agriculture, and attributes them to the will of Jove. This remark easily leads to a digression on the golden and silver ages-He then describes the origin of agriculture, and the instruments employed in it: shows how to form a judgment of the ensuing harvest, and how to medicate and select the seeds-He then marks the connexion between agriculture and astronomy, which points out the different seasons for sowing different grains-From this connexion he likewise introduces the description of the annual |