But if thy labor from the cultur'd plain Or Ariadne gleams with matin fire. 250 255 Swains, who, ere Maia sets, cast forth the seed, guides. Five zones the heav'n surround: the centre glows 260 246 Le sainfoin dure plusieurs années: le millet, au contraire, veut être semé tous les ans.-De Lille. 252 Ariadne, daughter of Minos, king of Crete. At the celebration of her nuptials with Bacchus, in the island of Naxos, where she was abandoned by Theseus, Venus presented her with a crown, which was translated to the hea vens. 253 Maia is one of the Pleiades: the poet puts a part for the whole. He speaks here against sowing too early; and we are informed by Columella that it was an old proverb amongst the farmers, that an early sowing often deceives our expectations, but seldom a late one.-Martyn. Too early sowing is apt in this country to produce much straw and little wheat.-T. A. Knight. 255 Pelusium is a town of Egypt, which gives name to one of the seven mouths of the Nile: the best lentils are said to grow in that country.-Martyn. 257 Boötes, a northern constellation, near the tail of the Great Bear. Arcturus (in this constellation) sets, according to Columella, on the 29th of October.-Martyn. Between the poles and blazing zone confined There gloomy Styx, and hell's deep shadows roll: 265 270 The Bears that dread their flaming lights to lave, 275 There night, 'tis said, and silence ever sleep, Experience hence the doubtful storm fore-learns, 280 271 Virgil says that the North Pole is elevated, because that only is visible to us; and, for the contrary reason, he calls the Southern Pole depressed. 275 Virgil no doubt had in view Homer's description of the northern constellations on the shield of Achilles. The Pleiads, Hyads, with the northern team, To which, around the axle of the sky, POPE.-Martyn. 277 Virgil here alludes to that doctrine of Epicurus, that the sun might possibly revive and perish daily; and in line 280, 'There bright Aurora beams returning day,' he proposes the contrary doctrine; that the sun lights another hemisphere when he leaves our horizon. Lucretius mentions both opinions.-Martyn. Oar the false wave, or trust with fleets the flood, 285 Or timely fell the pine that crown'd the wood. 290 295 Thus observation reads the starry sphere, And fourfold parts, as seasons change, the year. Swains shelter'd from the shower at leisure frame Works that serener skies impatient claim; Scoop troughs from trees, or mark each hoarded heap, Or head the two-horn'd forks, or brand the sheep; Point the sharp stake, or edge the blunted share, For flexile vines the willowy wreath prepare; Light baskets weave with pliant osier twined, Now parch the grain, and now with millstones grind. E'en 'mid high feasts to holy leisure giv'n, Earth claims a part, nor fears offended Heav'n : Then drain the dikes, snare birds, and fire the thorn, And lave the bleating flock, and fence the corn. Then oft the peasant balancing his loads, The sluggish mule beneath his burden goads; Brings pitch and millstones home for barter'd oil, And fruit, cheap produce of his native soil. Nor less the lunar orb with prescient ray 300 305 Marks for each varying work th' appropriate day. The Furies and nefarious brood of Earth, Cous, Iapetus, Typhoeus bold, 309 And the leagued brethren 'gainst the gods enroll'd; Thrice, thund'ring, thrice the mountain mass o'erthrew. 296 The Romans kiln-dried their corn before grinding, from its being considered more salubrious, and in conformity with an ordinance.-De Lille.-Stawell. 303 A l'égard de la poix, les Romains en faisoient grand usage pour goudronner les vases où ils gardoient le miel et le vin.-De Lille. Seventh from the tenth, the hours propitious shine, To weave, to tame the steer, and plant the vine: 316 325 The night to many a work advantage yields, Nor less the dawn that cools with dew the fields; 320 By night o'er arid meads the swathe pursue, And mow the stubble moist with clammy dew. While some keen peasant o'er his ember's light Points the sharp torch thro' winter's ling'ring night, The housewife sooths long labor by her song, And shoots her rattling reed the loom along, Seethes the sweet must, and with light foliage skims The froth that bubbles o'er the caldron's brims. But reap beneath the sun thy golden wheat, And tread the ear in noontide's sultry heat. Plough naked, naked sow, bleak winter's reign Alone suspends the labors of the swain. Then the gay hind unlocks his hoarded store, Glad social feasts exchange, and jests the goblet o'er; The genial time invites ; th' elastic mind Springs from its load, and leaves its cares behind; 330 335 321 Pliny observes that a dewy night is fittest for mowing. -Martyn. 327 Must is the new wine before fermentation. We find in Columella that it was usual to boil some of the must, till a fourth part, or a third, or even sometimes half, was evaporated; and this was put into some sorts of wine, to make them keep. Columella recommends the sweetest must for this purpose.-Martyn. 330 This was the common practice throughout the East; and that humane text of Scripture, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn,' is a plain allusion to it.Warton. 331 This precept is taken from Hesiod. According to Pliny, Cincinnatus was found ploughing naked when the dictatorship was announced to him.-Martyn. 340 As when the deep-stor'd ships their anchor cast, Why should I mark each storm, and starry sign, 345 E'en in mid-harvest, while the jocund swain In dark'ning whirlwinds round the wintry sky. 350 355 360 The dikes o'erflow, the flooded channels roar, The Thunderer, throned in clouds, with darkness crown'd, Bares his red arm, and flashes lightnings round. 365 365 This description is very sublime, but is excelled by the storm in the 18th Psalm: God is described flying on the wings of the wind: He made darkness his secret place: his position round about him with dark water; and thick clouds |