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Notior Aufidio machus celebrare solebas,

(Quod taceo) atque ipsos etiam inclinare maritos.

NAV. Utile et hoc multis vitæ genus: at mihi nullum Inde operæ pretium: pingues aliquando lacernas, Munimenta toga, duri crassique coloris,

Et male percussas textoris pectine Galli,

Accipimus. Tenue argentum, venæque secundæ.
Fata regunt homines. Fatum est in partibus illis
Quas sinus abscondit: nam si tibi sidera cessant,
Nil faciet longi mensura incognita nervi :
Quamvis te nudum spumanti Virro labello
Viderit, et blandæ, assiduæ, densæque tabellæ
Sollicitent : Αὐτὸς γὰρ ἐφέλκεται ἄνδρα κιναιδος.
Quod tamen ulterius monstrum, quam mollis avarus?
Hæc tribui, deinde illa dedi, mox plura tulisti.
Computat, et cevet. Ponatur calculus, adsint
Cum tabulâ pueri : numera sestertia quinque

25. Aufidius] Some most notorious debauchee.

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It is but lately, says Juvenal, that you used to haunt all these famous abodes of lewdness and prostitution, and so to play your part, as to render yourself more noted than any body else-how comes it, Nævolus, that I perceive such a wonderful change in your looks and behaviour?

27. This kind of life, &c.] Here Navolus begins his answer to Juvenal's inquiries, and accounts for the shabby and miserable appearance which he made, by shewing what poor wages such wretches worked for, unless highly favoured by their stars.

28. Coarse, &c.] Pingues here means coarse, made of the wool as it came off the sheep's back, full of grease and filth; not washed and combed, like that of which the finer cloths were made.

Garments.] Lacernas here signifies cloaks to keep off the rain and wind in bad weather; they were (like our great coats) put over the other garments, to keep them dry; hence he calls them, in the next line, munimenta toga--defences of the gown, or upper gar

ment.

30. The slay, &c.] A weaver's slay is that part of the loom which is drawn with force against the threads of the woof, to drive them close together, and to consolidate them with the warp. The cloth here described had had very little pains taken in the making of it, and therefore was very coarse and bad. This sort of cloths was made in Gaul, and from thence carried to Rome, probably for the cheap and ordinary wear of the common people.

31. Thin money.] Light, not of due weight.

The second vein.] In mines there are finer and coarser veins of silver; the former, less mixed with other bodies: the latter, more : hence this is called silver--venæ secundæ, or of the second vein, being less pure, and, of course, less valuable than the other: of this the smaller and less valuable coins were made.

An adulterer; more known than Aufidius, you used to frequent, 25
And (which not to mention) to intrigue even with the very husbands.
NAV. And this kind of life is useful to many, but I have no
Reward of my pains from thence. Sometimes coarse garments,
Defences of the gown, of an harsh and homely colour,
And badly stricken with the stay of a Gallic weaver,
We receive. Thin money, and of the second vein.
The fates govern men. Fate attends even our
Bodily accomplishments, for, if your stars fail you,
The greatness of these is of no service :

Tho' Virro himself should view you with the utmost
Desire, and kind, assiduous, and numerous letters should
Solicit :-for such a man entices others.

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But what monster can be beyond an effeminate miser ?— "These things I bestowed, then those I gave, soon you received

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He computes, and sins on" Let a reckoning be made, let the

"slaves

"Come with the ledger :-number five sestertiums

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32. The fates, &c.] By putting this dogma of the Stoics into the mouth of Nævolus, the poet artfully insinuates, that many profes sors of stoicism, with all its austerities, practised the vice which, in this Satire, is so stigmatized. See sat. ii. 1. 8—15, and notes; also sat. ii. 1. 65, and note.

35. Virro.] We often meet with this name in sat. v. and if the same person be here meant, he was not only a very rich man, but a sensualist of the basest and most unnatural sort. I should think it most probable, that here, as in many other places, Juvenal, though he makes use of a particular name, yet means to express the whole tribe of delinquents in the same way.

Tho' Virro himself should, &c.] The poet proceeds in his ridicule of the Stoicidæ, (as he calls them, sat. ii. 1. 65.) supposing them to make their doctrine of fatalism subservient even to their enormous vices.

36. Numerous letters.] Dense tabellæ.-See sat. i. 120, note on densissima; and sat. ii. 50, note on tabulas.

39. "These things, &c.] Here Nævolus represents Virro as upbraiding him for demanding a recompence, and computing what Nævolus had received of him from time to time.

40. "Let a reckoning," &c.] "Let an account be stated between us, says Virro-let one of the slaves come with my account-book, tabula-i. e. accepti et expensi, my ledger-book, or journal, where my daily accounts are kept, and you'll find that you have had of me, reckoning every thing, (omnibus in rebus, comp. I. 39,) five sestertia (about 401. 7s. Id.) surely I owe you nothing!" See AINSW. Tabula, No. 5.

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Omnibus in rebus; numerentur deinde labores.
An facile et pronum est agere intra viscera penem
Legitimum, atque illic hesternæ occurrere cœnæ ?
Servus erit minus ille miser, qui foderit agrum,
Quam dominum. Sed tu sane tener, et puerum te,
Et pulchrum, et dignum cyatho cœloque putabas.
Vos humili assecla, vos indulgebitis unquam
Cultori, jam nec morbo donare parati?
En cui tu viridem umbellam, cui succina mittas
Grandia, natalis quoties redit, aut madidum ver
Incipit; et stratâ positus longâque cathedrâ
Munera fœmineis tractat secreta calendis.
Dic, passer, cui tot montes, tot prædia servas
Appula, tot milvos intra tua pascua lassos?
Te Trifolinus ager fœcundis vitibus implet,
Suspectumque jugum Cumis, et Gaurus inanis.

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42. My labours."] Labores-pains, drudgery-" now, reckon "these," says Nævolus, " on the other side of the account.'

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43. "Is it an easy," &c.] Here the poet, in language too gross for literal translation, but well suited to his purpose, exposes the unnatural and horrid filthiness of that detestable vice, which it is the business of this Satire to lash, and to condemn, in the severest and most indignant terms.

46. "Delicate," &c.] q. d. Perhaps you will represent yourself as so engaging, that I ought not to have expected any thing for ministring to your pleasures.

47. "Heaven and the cup.] Alluding to the story of Ganymede, the fabled minion of Jupiter, snatched up by Jupiter from mount Ida, and carried to heaven, where he was made cup-bearer to the gods instead of Hebe. See sat. xiii. 43, 4. All this is ironical, and contains a most bitter sarcasm on Virro, now old and infirm, and almost worn out in vice.

48. "An attendant."] A follower, an hanger-on, as the poor clients were, to rich men.-A like character is to be understood of the other word, cultori, which signifies a worshipper, one that makes court to, or waits upon another; such as cultivate, by attention and assiduity, the favour of great men. The Italians, at this day, use the phrase padron colendissimo-colendissimo padrone.

If you are so sparing of your liberality towards those who minister to your pleasures, you (vos, i. e. such as you) will hardly be gene rous to those who want your charity.

49. "On your disease."] Morbus, in a mental sense, odd humour, unreasonable passion, or vice, which may a disease of the mind. See sat. ii. L. 17. and 1. 50.

denotes any well be styled

See

50. Behold him, &c.] The sarcasm on Virro still continues. this beautiful Ganymede, to whom you are expected to make pre. sents on his birth-day, such as a green umbrella to keep off the sun from spoiling his complexion, and amber toys and gewgaws, which

" In every thing" "then let my labours be reckon'd

"Is it an easy and ready matter to engage in so much filth, "And to rake into the recesses of the most horrid abomination ?"The slave that digs the field will be less miserable.— "But truly you are delicate, and thought yourself young, "And beautiful, and worthy heaven and the cup.

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"Will ye ever be kind to an humble attendant, to one who makes "His court, who are now not ready to bestow on your disease?” Behold him to whom you must send a green umbrella, to whom great

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Pieces of amber, as often as his birth-day returns, or the moist spring
Begins placed on a chair, both strowed and long,
He handles secret gifts in the feminine calends. -

Say, sparrow, for whom so many mountains, so many Appulian
Farms you keep, so many kites tired within your pastures?

A Trifoline field fills you with fruitful vines,

And the hill seen aloft at Cuma, and empty Gaurus.

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women are so fond of.-It was usual, among the Romans, to make presents on birth-days.

51. Moist spring.] The birth of Venus was celebrated on the calends of March, (our March 1.) They then celebrated the Matronalia, when the Roman ladies, dressed up, sat in chairs, or reclined on couches, and received presents from their admirers. This was imitated by the effeminate Virro.

52. Placed.] Seated, or reclined, like the women.

Strowed and long.] Longa cathedra, from its form, seems to denote a couch, on which a person can recline at length-these, among the fine ladies, were usually strowed, or spread, with carpets and other ornaments, such as fine-wrought and easy pillows, &c.

53. Handles.] Fingers them, as we say. I read tractat-not tractas-which last seems not to answer the cui, l. 50, or, indeed, to make sense. See BRITAN. in loc.

54. Sparrow.] It is said that sparrows are the most salacious of all birds-hence he gives this name to Virro.—A bitter sarcasm. 54-5. Appulian farms.] Appulia was reckoned the most fertile part of Italy; though mountainous and barren near the sea coast. See sat. iv. 26, 7.

55. So many kites, &c.] He represents Virro's estate to be so large as to tire the kites in flying over it. See PERSIUS, sat. iv. 1. 26. 56. Trifoline field.] A part of Campania, famous for producing vast quantities of grass called trefoil, and some of the finest vines.

wine.

Fills you. Implet.-This well expresses the vast supply of

57. Seen aloft, &c.] Mount Misenus, so called from Misenus, the companion and trumpeter of Æneas-(see En. vi. 234-6.)

Nam quis plura linit victuro dolia musto?
Quantum erat exhausti lumbos donare clientis
Jugeribus paucis? meliusne hic rusticus infans
Cum matre, et casulis, et cum lusore catello,
Cymbala pulsantis legatum fiet amici ?
Improbus es, cum poscis, ait; sed pensio clamat,
Posce sed appellat puer unicus, ut Polyphemi
Lata acies, per quam solers evasit Ulysses:
Alter emendus erit; namque hic non sufficit; ambo
Pascendi. Quid agam brumâ spirante? quid, oro,
Quid dicam scapulis puerorum mense Decembri,
Et pedibus? durate, atque expectate cicadas ?
Verum ut dissimules, ut mittas cætera, quanto

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now Capo Miseno; it hangs, as it were, over the city of Cuma, as if it threatened to fall upon it. It was famous for good vines,

57. Empty Gaurus.] A mountain of Campania, near Puteoli.Some think that the poet gives it the epithet inanis-void or empty -on account of the void parts of it, which were occasioned by numerous caverns or hollows. Hence Holyday rendered inanis Gaurus -hollow Gaurus. This also was famous for its wine.

58. Stops up, &c.] Lino signifies, literally, to besmear, or daub, and is applied to the manner of stopping up the bungs or mouths of their wine vessels with pitch or plaister, in order to keep the air from the liquor. See HoR. od. xx. lib. i. 1. 1—3.

Likely to live.] i. e. To be very sparingly bestowed, and so to endure to a great age. Mustum signifies new wine, as it comes from the press to the cask.

59. How much, &c.] After mentioning the large estate of Virro, Nevolus represents it as no great matter for him to bestow a few acres on an old slave, worn out in his service.

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The loins.] This insinuates the horrid services which Nævolus had performed.

60. Is it better, &c.] The little sketch of rustic simplicity, in these two lines, is very pretty.

62. A friend beating the cymbals.] By this periphrasis is meant one of the Galli, or priests of Cybele. See sat, vi. 1. 510—15. sat. viii. 1. 176. and PERSIUS, sat. v. 1. 186. They were eunuchs, and most impure in their practices. Nævolus uses the word amici here, in order to denote the infamous and intimate connexion which Virro had with one of these. Would it be better, says he, to leave a small farm, and its little appurtenances, to one of those lewḍ priests, that are living in sloth and plenty, than to me, your poor drudge, who have been worn out in your service?

63." You are impudent," c.] In vain does Nævolus plead his services, in vain does he argue the case, that he may get some reward for them. Instead of this, Virro abuses him, and calls him an impudent fellow, for asking any thing more than he has already had,

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