126. Intactior: 'more chaste.'-Omni... Sabina: alluding to the war between the Romans and Sabines, which was ended by the mediation of the Sabine females.

128. Rara... cycno: a proverbial expression, referring to the phoenix.

130. Venusinam: a country girl from Venusium.'

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135. Parce... alba: the poet proceeds to say, that fruitfulness is often a cause of arrogance in a woman, and illustrates it by reference to Niobe.-Paan: Apollo:' either from nai, to strike because he struck and slew the serpent Python with his arrows: or from nav, a physician: Apollo was the fabled god of physic. -Dea: Diana,' who slew the seven daughters of Niobe, as Apollo slew the sons.

137. Amphion: the husband of Niobe. See Class. Dict.

In this allusion to the story of Niobe and her children, the poet shows, that the pride of women is such, as not only to harass mankind, but even to be levelled at and provoke the gods themselves, so as to bring down ruin on whole families.

138. Ipsumque parentem: and Amphion himself.'

140. Scrofa... albá: than the white sow,' found by Æneas, near Lavinium, which brought thirty pigs at a litter, and which directed him where to build the city of Alba.

141. Ut se . . . imputet : i. e. that she should always be reckoning up her good qualities to you.

142. Hujus rari summique boni: i. e. gravitatis et forma.

144. Quis... horis : though he may praise her highly in some respects, yet her ill temper and pride must excite disgust and detestation for many hours of the day.

149. De Tusca Græcula: the custom of speaking the Greek language was very common at Rome, especially among the higher ranks; and the ladies, however ignorant of their own language, were very fond of mixing Greek phrases in their conversation.

150. De Sulmonensi... Cecropis: the inhabitants of Sulmo, a town of Pelignum, spoke a barbarous Latin dialect; while the Cecropians, or people of Athens, made use of the purest and most elegant Greek.

153. Quid ultrà: sc. faciant.

154. Si tibi... voluntas: the poet places this dilemma before Postumus: you are about to love your wife, or you are not; if you are not, why do you marry and incur useless expenses; if you are about to love her, you will be wretched and will be treated as a slave.-Legitimis. tabellis: by such contracts as are required by law.'

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156. Cœnam: i. e. nuptialem cœnam.-Mustacea: these were cakes, made of meal, anise-seed, cummin, and other ingredients, moistened with mustum, new wine, (whence, probably the name); they were of a carminative kind and were used at weddings.Perdas: throw away the expense.'

157. Labente officio: this means the latter end of the feast, when the company was about retiring, their duty being almost ended; (or as we should say, the company having paid their re spects;) at this period, the bride-cakes were distributed among the guests.-Crudis: 'to guests having weak stomachs.'

159. Dacicus: a gold coin, having the image of Domitian on it, so called from his pretended conquest of the Dacians.-Germanicus: this was also a gold coin, bearing the image of Domitian.

A considerable sum of both these kinds of coin was placed in a broad dish, and presented by the husband to the bride on the wedding night.-Scripto. auro: i. e. having the name, image, and title of the emperor inscribed upon them.

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162. Parcat amanti: 'would spare a lover;' i. e. will not take advantage of a man's affection to use him ill.

163. Ardeat... spoliis: i. e. though she love to distraction, she delights in plaguing and plundering the man who loves her. 164. Igitur... maritus: the better husband a man is, the more she will tyrannize over him; an honest man, therefore, who would make a good husband, will find, that of all men he has the least reason to marry, and that a wife will be of less use to him than to a man of a different character.

167. Hâc: this wife of yours.

168. Hæc... affectus : 'she will direct your affection ;'—dictate to you in what manner you are to treat your friends; whom you are to like, whom to dislike.

170. Testandi... hæres: all the Romans, even the most infamous, had the power of making their wills.

Panders, prize-fighters, and gladiators, have the liberty of making their wills, but your wife will dictate yours, and name many of her paramours, your rivals, as heirs to your estate.

171. Arena: by Metonymy, 'gladiators.'

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173. Pone. servo an order given by the wife to her husband;-masters had the power of crucifying slaves, which was the usual way of putting them to death.-Meruit . . . longa est : the words of the husband remonstrating against this barbarity. 174. Audi: i. e. hear the charge which may be brought against him, and his defence.

176. O demens... voluntas: the words of the wife, who insists that her will is a sufficient reason.

178. Regna: i. e. her husband's realms, over which she had ruled, to make new conquests of other men.

179. Flammea: 'bridal veils; they were of yellow or flame color, and were thrown over the face of the bride during the marriage ceremony.

180. Spreti...lecti: she leaves her paramours, and comes back again to the man whom she first left.

183. Octo mariti: eight divorces were allowed by the Roman law, beyond that was reckoned adultery.

185. Desperanda: the profligacy of the female sex is now exhibited in another view;-a mother-in-law, disturbing the peace of a family, and promoting the infidelity of a daughter to her husband.

186. Nudi: 'deprived of all he has.'

187. Tabellis: litteris amatoriis.

189. Corpore... Archigenem: the old lady pretends sickness, and sends for a physician, (Archigenes, the name of some physician), whom her daughter's gallant is to personate.

190. Onerosa... jactat: as if in a high fever, she throws off the heavy bed clothes.'

191. Abditus... adulter: an opportunity is thus presented of secreting, in her apartment, the gallant, till the daughter comes under the pretence of visiting her sick mother.

193. Utile... turpem: since by assisting in the prostitution of her daughter, she becomes rich from the presents she receives.

195. Nulla... parata: the poet now attacks the litigiousness of females.

197. Per se: i. e. non adjurante juris perito.

198. Celso the name of an eminent lawyer.

199. Endromidas... nescit: women had the boldness to practise fencing, to anoint themselves with wrestler's oil (ceroma), and to put on rugs (endromidæ), after their exercise, to prevent taking cold; but these rugs, to shew their pride, were dyed with Tyrian purple.

200. Pali: the Palus was a stake fixed in the ground, about six feet high, at which they went through all the exercises of a fencer, by way of preparation for a real fight.

201. Quam cavat: hollow places were formed in the stake by continual thrusts of weapons at it. Swords, made of wood, were the instruments made use of, in practising the art of fencing.— Scutoque lacessit: i. e. presenting their shields to the post as to a real enemy, as if provoking and guarding against an attack.

202. Omnes numeros: 'goes through all the exercise.' 203. Florali... tubâ: the Floral games, celebrated in honor of the goddess Flora, were celebrated with vile indecency by harlots, who assembled at the sound of a trumpet.-Nisi... arena: unless she actually means to appear upon the stage as a gladiator; otherwise, one would think, she was preparing for the Floral games.

206. Vires: 'feats of strength.'

209. Balteus: 'a sword-belt,' worn by soldiers and prize-fighters.-Manica: armed gloves to defend the band.-Crista: crests, of tufts of horse-hair, or of plumes of feathers, worn on helmets. -Cruris... tegimen: the lower part of the left leg, as being most exposed to blows, from the position taken by prize-fighters, was covered with a stout buskin; the upper part was defended by the shield.

210. Diversa... prælia: such as those of the Retiarii or Mirmillones, who wore a sort of boots on their legs. 211. Puellâ : i. e. your young wife.

212. Quarum delicias: whose delicate bodies.'

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214. Monstratos. ictus: the thrusts or hits, pointed out to her by her fencing master.-Perferat: perfero signifies 'to carry or convey to a designed person or place;' perferre ictus may therefore be a technical expression for a fencer making his thrust, by which he conveys the hit or stroke to his adver

sary.

215. Quanta: 'how firmly,'-'with what an air.'

216. Quam denso . . . libro: 'with how thick a fold.'-Fascia : this was a band or roller, wound by prize-fighters round their thighs and legs.

218. Lepidi: Æmilius Lepidus.

219. Gurgitis aut Fabii: 'or of Fabius Gurges.' See Class. Dict.

220. Asyli: Asylus was a famous gladiator.

When did an actress ever dress like these matrons ? or when did the wife of a gladiator ever behave as these ladies, fencing at a post, dressed as men, and pushing at the mark with the same noise, that men make?

223. Tunc i. e. quum in lecto jacet.

227. Sud: this line may be thus divided:

in stăti- |ōně su- | ă ât- | qu' exspēc- | tantibus | illām. The a in suâ preserved from elision.

230. Qua...mache: what a discovery of love-letters would be made, if the cabinet of the adulteress was opened, who all this while is endeavoring to persuade you, that she is jealous of you, and that she grieves, as an innocent and injured woman. 233. Aliquem... colorem: 'some color of an excuse' for such behavior.

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ipsa:

234. Hæremus 'we (Quintilian, the orator, and I, the poet,) are at a loss,'-we can render no excuse- -therefore, 'speak thou,' (addressed to the wife).-Inquit: 'says the wife.'

237. Homo sum: 'I am a human being;' homo is a name common to us both, and so are the frailties of human nature; and since we mutually agreed to do as we liked, you have no just cause of complaint.

238. Iram anger, to resent reproofs.—Animos: courage, to defend what they have done.

239. Unde... requiris: the poet is now about to trace the profligacy of the Roman women to the true sources,-to the banishment of poverty, labor, and industry, and to the introduction of riches, idleness, and luxury.

242. Vellere Tusco: the Tuscan wool was manufactured at Rome by women.

243. Proximus ... Hannibal: Hannibal, after having defeated the Romans at Cannæ, marched towards Rome and encamped

within three miles of the city; this obliged the Romans to keep constant guard.

244. Colliná: turre: one of the gates of Rome was on a hill and called Porta Collina: on this there was probably some tower, garrisoned by the people.

248. Istos... colles: the seven hills, on which Rome was built; here used for the city or the inhabitants of the city.

249. Sybaris... Rhodos... Miletos... Tarentum: cities, infamous for their effeminacy, lewdness, and debauchery.

250. Coronatum, petulans, madidum: the allusion by coronatum is to banquets, at which the guests were crowned with garlands:-by petulans, to the jests or saucy speeches of revellers: -by madidum, to general habits of drunkenness.

253. Venus... ebria: i. e. a woman adding drunkenness to lewdness.

254. Ut spectet... constent: another fault in women is noticed, their extravagance and desire of appearing rich and noble.

255. Sellam: this may mean a seat at the theatre, as well as a chair to be carried thither.- Cervical: a cushion or pillow to lean on.-Amicas: female friends, who may appear as her clients and dependants.

256. Flavam ... puellam: shining yellow hair was reckoned a great beauty, insomuch that flava puella was equivalent to pulchra puella.

258. Levibus athletis: 'to smooth-faced wrestlers.'

265. Exhaustâ. . . nummus: alluding to a notion very generally received among the ancients, that mines, after being exhausted, sometimes reproduced their ores. Or it is a metaphor, taken from the falling of seeds (a cadendo-recidivus), which, though they may be thrown into the earth, and seem to have perished, yet spring up and produce fruit.

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268. Nullius • prætoribus: no public performer can keep himself safe.'

269. Organa: organum is a general name for all musical instruments.

If the lady be a musician herself, she observes no moderation; she does nothing else, but play from morning to night.

270. Densi... sardonyches: sardonyxes,' (used here for all kinds of precious stones) thick set, sparkle over the whole lute.'

271. Crispo... pectine: with the quivering quill.'-They struck the strings sometimes with their fingers, sometimes with a piece of ivory (pecten) made in the form of a quill.

272. Hedymeles: some fashionable musician.-Operas dedit: 'performed;'-'made use of in playing.'

273. Plectro: plectrum, from now, to strike, as well as pecten, was the quill or instrument with which the strings were struck.