Some have fear'd, being taught it by the ant. A prodigal woman does not perceive a perishing income: But, as if money reviving would increase in the exhausted chest, 360 And would always be taken from a full heap, She never considers how much her pleasures cost her. There are some weak eunuchs, and their soft kisses 365 Will always delight, and the despair of a beard, Are deliver'd to the surgeons, now bearing signs of puberty. 370 Which is the barber's loss only. Afar off conspicuous, and observable by all, he enters 375 380 Sardonyxes: the chords are run over in order with the trembling quill, With which the tender Hedymeles perform'd: this she keeps, name for musical instruments.-q. d. If she be a performer herself, she observes no moderation; she does nothing else but play from morning till night. 381. The sardonyxes.] The sardonyx is a precious stone, partly the colour of a man's nail, and partly of a cornelian-colour. By this passage it seems that these ladies were so extravagant, as to ornament their musical instruments with costly stones and jewels, Ovid describes Apollo's lyre as adorned with gems and ivory.. Met. lib. ii. l. 167. The trembling quill.] They struck the strings sometimes. with the fingers, sometimes with a piece of ivory made in form of a quill, which was called pecten. So VIRG. n. vi. l. 646, 7. Obloquitur numeris septem discrimina vocum, Crispus here may, like crispans, signify quivering, trembling, from its effect upon the strings, to which it gives, and from them, in a measure, receives, a vibratory motion. 382. Hedymeles.] Some famous harper, who was called so from Gr. ndus, sweet, and hos, a song. The pecten, or quill, that he made use of, was very highly valued, no doubt, by these fantastical women. Perform'd.] Operam dedit--made use of in playing. Solatur, gratoque indulget basia plectro. Non est, (ut video,) non est, quid agatur apud vos. 385 390 395 400 383. The grateful quill.] Grato here signifies acceptable-agreeable. See sat. iii. 1. 4.-Plectro, plectrum, as well as pecten, signifies the quill, or other thing with which the strings were stricken, (from Gr. now, to strike.) The poet is setting forth the folly and absurdity of these musical ladies, who preserved as sacred relics, and consoled themselves in the possession of, and even bestowed kisses on, any instruments that had belonged to some admired and favourite performer. 384. Of the number.] i. e. Of the Lamian name or family. -Of the Lamia.] A noble family whose origin was from Lamus, the king and founder of the city of Formia, in Campania. 385. With meal and wine.] The usual offering. Romans. Janus and Vesta.] The most ancient and first deities of the 386. Pollio.] Some favourite and eminent musician. -The Capitolinian oak.] Domitian instituted sports in honour of Jupiter Capitolinus, which were celebrated every fifth year; that came off conqueror was rewarded with an oaken crown. he 387. Promise it to his instrument.] i. e. That he should so perform, as to excel all his competitors. - Instrument.] Fidibus-Fides signifies any stringed instrument-hence our word fiddle. 388. The physicians being sad.] Shaking their heads, and giving over their patient. 389. Her son.] Filiolum-her little only son. 390. To veil her head.] As suppliants did. occasions. For a harp.] i. e. An harper. Metonym. Words dictated.] Some form of prayer prescribed for such 391. When the lamb was opened.] She trembled and grew pale With this she solaces herself, and indulges kisses to the grateful quill, 385 A certain lady, of the number of the Lamiæ, and of high name, To hope, and promise it to his instrument. What could she do more If her husband were sick? what, the physicians being sad, towards 390 Her little son? she stood before the altar, nor thought it shameful To veil her head for a harp and she uttered words dictated, (As the custom is,) and grew pale when the lamb was opened. "Tell me now, I pray, tell me, O thou most ancient of gods, "Father Janus, do you answer these? the leisure of heaven is 66 great; "There is not, (as I see,) there is not any thing that is done among 66 you. "This (lady) consults you about comedians: another would re"commend "A tragedian: the soothsayer will have swelled legs." 395 But rather let her sing, than audacious she should fly over the whole 400 with anxiety for the event; for, from the appearance and state of the bowels of the sacrifices, the soothsayers foretold future things. 392. Most ancient of gods.] See note above, 1. 385. 393. Do you answer these.] Such requests of such votaries. The leisure of heaven is great, &c.] The gods must surely have very little to do if they can attend to such prayers, and to such subjects as fiddlers and actors. Juvenal here, as in other passages, ridicules the Roman mythology. 396. The soothsayer.] Who is forced to stand so often, and for so long together, while they are offering their prayers. Will have swelled legs.] With standing at the altar. Varicosus signifies having large veins from the swelling of the dropsyor from standing long-the blood settling a good deal in the lower parts, and swelling the veins of the legs. 397. Audacious.] In an impudent, bold manner, like a prostitute. 398. Assemblies of men.] Suffer herself to be in their company, and join in free conversation with them. 399. In military attire.] Paludatis-having on the paludamentum, which was a general's white or purple robe, in which he marched out of Rome on an expedition-officers in their regimentals-red coats, as we should say. 400. An unembarrassed countenance.] Recta facie with her face straight and upright, not turned aside, or held down, at any thing she saw or heard. Hæc eadem novit, quid toto fiat in orbe : Quid Seres, quid Thraces agant: secreta novercæ, Et pueri: quis amet : quis decipiatur edulter. Dicet, quis viduam prægnautem fecerit, et quo Mense; quibus verbis concumbat quæque, modis quot. 405 410 Quocunque in trivio, cuicunque est obvia, narrat. Nec tamen id vitium magis intolerabile, quam quod Vicinos humiles rapere, et concidere loris Exorata solet: nam si latratibus alti Rumpuntur somni; fustes huc ocyus, inquit, 415. 420 401. Bare breasts.] Strictis-literally, drawn out-metaph. from a sword drawn for an attack. Knows what may be doing, &c.] The poet now inveighs against the sex as gossips and tale-bearers, equally dispersing about public news and private scandal. 402. The Seres.] The Seres were a people of Scythia, who, by the help of water, got a sort of down from the leaves of trees, and therewith made a kind of silk. Thracians.] Were a people of the most eastern part of Europe these were enemies to the Romans, but at length subdued by them. The secrets of a step-mother, &c.] Some scandalous story of an intrigue between a step-mother and her son-in law. 403. Who may love, &c.] i. e. Be in love. This, and the two following lines, describe the nature of female tittle-tattle, and scan- dal, very humourously. 406. Comet threatening, &c.] Instantem-standing over, as it were, and threatening, as the vulgar notion was, destruction to the Armenians and Parthians, who were enemies to the Romans. 407. She first sees.] The poet here ridicules her pretensions to wisdom and foresight. Report.] Famam-rumour-common talk-scandal. 408. At the doors.] Where she stands listening-to have it all at -first hand. She makes.] Invents out of her own head. The Niphates.] A river of Armenia. 408-9. Had gone over the people, &c.] Drowned the inhabitants, and overflowed the country, This same knows what may be doing all the world over: What the Seres and Thracians may be doing: the secrets of a step mother And her boy: who may love: what adulterer may be deceived: Month: with what language every woman intrigues, and in how many ways. The comet threatening the Armenian and Parthian kings She first sees report, and recent rumours, 405 She catches up at the doors; some she makes: that the Niphates had gone 410 Over the people, and that there all the fields were occupied To be moved by night: she rejoices to sweat with great tumult ; 410. Cities totter-lands sink.] By earthquakes. 415 4.20 411. Public street.] Trivium-signifies a place where three ways meet-a place of common resort. 412. Nor yet is that fault, &c.] The poet here shews the pride, impatience, and cruelty of these fine ladies, who, because they happen to be disturbed by the barking of a dog, send out their servants with whips and clubs, ordering them to beat their poor neighbours most barbarously, though they entreat forgiveness, and then fall on the dog. 417. Terrible to be met, &c.] Bearing the signs of anger and cruelty in her countenance and aspect. 418. By night.] At a late and unseasonable hour, sat. i. 49; and on sat. xi. 204. PERS. sat. iii. 4. See note on Her conchs.] Conchas-may signify boxes, or shells, for oint ments, which were used at the baths. See before, 1. 303. Baggage.] Things of various sorts which were used at the baths, which the poet humourously calls castra, from their variety and number-like camp equipage. Metaph. 419. To be moved.] To be carried after her. The word moveri is metaphorical, and alludes to the castra. 420. When her tired arms, &c.] They that sweated before they bathed, swung two leaden masses, or balls, to promote perspiration. |