Obrázky na stránke
PDF
ePub
[ocr errors]

73. Arcana: for sestertia arcano deposita; committed to the care of an acquaintance privately and without witnesses.

78. Per solis radios: this was an usual oath.-Tarpeiaque fulmina: i. e. by the thunder of Jupiter Capitolinus, who had a temple, built on the Tarpeian rock.

79. Cirrhai... vatis: Apollo, who had an oracle at Delphi, near Cirrha, a city of Phocis, where he was worshipped.

80. Venatricis ... Puelle: Diana, the goddess of hunting. 81. Pater Egai: Neptune is said to have had his principal habitation in the Egean sea. By pater, here, we are not to understand a father, as some have interpreted it, by saying, that he was father of Egeus, the father of Theseus. It is a title of reverence, honor, and power, given to the gods; and sometimes even to demigods and heroes. Here it may be taken in the sense of potens.

82. Herculeos arcus: the bow, put for the arrows, which Hercules used in killing the Hydra, and which he gave to his companion Philoctetes.

84. Comedam... sinciput: alluding to the story of Thyestes, the brother of Atreus, who, having committed adultery with the wife of Atreus, was obliged to eat the child, which his brother killed in revenge and served up to him at his own table.

85. Phario... aceto: Pharos was an island of Egypt, from whence came the best vinegar.

89. Altaria tangunt: those, who prayed or swore, usually laid their hands upon the altar.

91. Ita secum: 'thus reasons with himself.'

93. Isis: an Egyptian goddess, adopted among the deities of the Romans, was supposed to be much concerned in inflicting maladies and diseases on the perjured. Sistro: the sistrum was a sort of timbrel, used by the priests of Isis, with loose rings on the edge, which, when shaken, yielded a shrill sound: at the top, it had the figure of a cat, with a human face, and below, that of Isis.

97. Ladas: the name of a famous runner.-Anticyra: an island in the Archipelago, put for hellebore (its principal produce), which was considered good to purge the head, in cases of madness. 98. Archigene: a physician, famous, probably, for curing mad

ness.

99. Pisaa... oliva: the prize, at the Olympic games, was an olive crown, which is called Pisaan from Pisa, a city of Elis, where these games were celebrated every fifth year.

110. Mimum... Catulli: alluding to a play of Catullus, called the Phasma, in which there was a character of a buffoon, who ran away from his master, after having cheated him, and then vexed and even provoked him, that he might be brought to swear himself off, cheerfully proposing thus to be perjured.

112. Stentora: Stentor was a Grecian mentioned by Homer to have had a voice as loud as the voices of fifty persons.

113. Graditus Homericus: when Mars was wounded by Diomede, he is said by Homer to have roared as loud as 10,000 men in the field of battle.

116. Carbone tuo: the coals burning on your altar.-Chartâ ... solutâ: the paper, in which the frankincense was brought, having been broken open, that it might be poured upon the coals.

Some think the sealed paper is meant, on which the vows were specified in writing.

121. Et qui ...distantia: the difference between the Stoics and Cynics was in their dress: the Stoics alone wearing a tunic under their cloak.

122. Epicurum: Epicurus was a temperate and sober philosopher of Athens, who lived chiefly on bread, water, and herbs, and placed the summum bonum in tranquillity of mind. His followers perverted his doctrine, and placed the chief good in the pleasures of the body.

129. Claudenda janua: it was customary to shut doors and windows in time of mourning, especially for the death of a relative.

132. Vestem deducere summam: 'to tear off the upper part of the garment,' i. e. ' to strip the shoulders and breast.' If we read diducere, it means, 'to tear the border of his garment,' which was a sign of great grief.

136. Si decies... eburnis: the construction is, Si tabellis lectis decies a creditore diversâ in parte, (i. e. variis locis,) (or diversâ parte, by the opposite party,) debitores dicunt chirographa supervacui ligni vana, quos ipsorum littera ('their own hand-writing'), princepsque gemma Sardonychum, quæ custoditur eburnis loculis, arguit.

137. Vana supervacua chirographa ligni: chir. lig. i. e. tabulas ligneas, cerâ illitas, wooden tablets covered with wax.-Vana : counterfeit, and of course useless.

...

138. Quê . . . ovis: i. e. how happens it that you alone are so favored by fortune, while we, the rest of mankind, are subject to its vicissitudes.-Gemma ... Sardonychum: the seal of Sardonyx, which the poet calls princeps, because this gem was principally used in seals.

[ocr errors]

141. Gallina filius albæ : this expression appears to have been proverbial in Juvenal's time: white was deemed a lucky color. 145. Sulfure: by Synecdoche, for any combustible matter, with which houses are set on fire.

146. Janua... ignis: and thus prevents the inmates from escaping.

148. Adoranda rubiginis: 'of venerable rust;' i. e. 'venerable for their antiquity.'

150. Hæc ... non sunt: i. e. if there are no such valuable relics in the temples.

152. Neptuni: of a statue of Neptune, whose beard was gold.

153. Totum conflare Tonantem: i. e. when he has stolen and melted down an entire statue of Jupiter.

154. Mercator: this word signifies one who buys, as well as one who sells; in this place, the former.

155. Deducendum: sc. parricidam; see Sat. VIII, 213, 214. 157. Gallicus: Rutilius Gallicus was appointed, under Domitian, prefect of the city, which officer had cognizance of capital offences, and sat every day on criminal cases.

160. Paucos... dies: sc. in istâ domo.-Una domus: i. e. the house of Gallicus.

...

162. Quis. Alpibus: the inhabitants about the Alps have generally great swellings around their throats, occasioned, as some suppose, by drinking snow-water.

163. Meroë: an Egyptian island in the Nile.

164. Carula... Germani lumina: the Germans are described by Tacitus, as having piercing blue eyes, and red hair. Tacit. Germ. c. 4.

165. Madido... cirro: the Germans were accustomed to anoint and curl their hair, so as to make it look like horns.

166. Nempe surely no one would wonder.

167. Ad: for adversùs.—Subitas Thracum volucres: a flight of cranes, coming unexpectedly from Strymon, a river of Thrace. 173. Cohors: sc. Pygmæorum.

174. Nulla... erit: an objection started by Calvinus.

175. Abreptum... erit: the answer of the poet.

178. Sed... ipsâ : the words of Calvinus.

180. At at is frequently synonymous with certè or saltem. 181. Nempe the answer of the poet.

184. Chrysippus: Chrysippus was a Stoic philosopher.-Thaletis: Thales was one of the seven wise men of Greece.

[ocr errors]

185. Senex Hymetto Socrates lived at Athens, in the neighborhood of which was Mount Hymettus, famous for its excellent honey.

186. Qui... dare: Socrates was accused of contemning the gods of Athens, and for this was condemned to die, by drinking the juice of hemlock.

An old scholiast has observed on this passage, as indeed some others have done, that one of his accusers, Melitus, was cast into prison with him, to whom, although at his earnest request, Socrates refused to give a portion of the poison.

191. Continuò: i. e. sine ullâ dubitatione; without any doubtwithout further reasoning.

194. Surdo: surdus not only signifies one who does not hear, but that also, which gives no sound.—Verbere surdo: the lash, the sound of which no one hears, but the mind and conscience feels. So occultum flagellum in the next verse.

197. Cadicius: a very cruel judge in the days of Vitellius; or, according to some, in the days of Nero.-Rhadamanthus: one of the judges of hell.

198. Testem: the testimony of an evil conscience.

199. Spartano... propinquis: the poet alludes to a story related by Herodotus. A Milesian had entrusted a sum of money to one Glaucus, a Spartan. After a time, the sons of the Milesian came to re-demand it. Glaucus affirmed, that he had no recollection of the circumstance and sent them away. As soon

as they were gone, he hastened to Delphi, to inquire if he should persist in denying it: he was answered that, if he foreswore the money, he might escape for a time, but, for his wicked design, he and all his family should be utterly destroyed. Upon this, Glaucus sent for the Milesians and paid them the whole sum: but what the oracle foretold came to pass, for he and all his kindred were afterwards extirpated. Herod. VI, 86.

214. Albani: Alban wine was very much esteemed. 216. Acri commentators render this acetoso, 'sour.'

229. Lateris...febre dolorem: meaning probably a pleuritic fever.

232. Pecudem... balantem: it was usual for persons in danger or in sickness to engage by vow some offering to the gods, on their deliverance or recovery.

233. Laribus... audent: the Lares were the private gods of individuals. A cock was sacrificed to Esculapius after recovery. Madan thus understands the sentence: "So far from promising a cock to Esculapius, they have not the courage to vow even a cock's comb," &c.

245. Uncum: a chain, the links of which were called uncı or hami.

Some understand a hook in the wall, to which the malefactor was chained.

Uncus, mentioned in Sat. X, 66, is different from that used here, inasmuch as carcere is in this place joined with it. 246. Egai rupem: see Sat. I, 65.

248. Nominis: here used for hominis.

249. Nec surdum nec Tiresiam: neither deaf nor blind.'Tiresias was a blind soothsayer of Thebes.

SATIRE XIV.

The whole of this Satire is directed to the one great end of self-improvement. By showing the facility with which children copy the vices of their parents, he points out the necessity, as well as the sacred duty, of giving them examples of domestic purity and virtue.

After briefly enumerating the several vices, gluttony, cruelty, debauchery, &c. which youth imperceptibly imbibe from their seniors; he enters more fully upon that of avarice, of which he .shows the fatal and inevitable consequences.

Having placed the absurdity, as well as the perplexity and danger of immoderate desires in every possible point of view, the piece concludes with a solemn admonition to be satisfied with those comforts and conveniences, which nature and wisdom require, and which a decent competence is easily calculated to supply.

1. Fuscine: Fuscinus was a friend of Juvenal, to whom this Satire is addressed.

3. Monstrunt: i. e. monstrant exemplis.—Tradunt: i. e. tradunt præceptis.

4. Si... fritillo: thus Dryden,

If gaming does an aged sire entice,

Then my young master swiftly learns the vice,

And shakes in hanging sleeves the little box and dice.

5. Bullatus: i. e. one who has not yet laid aside the bulla and prætexta; not yet seventeen years of age. See Sat. XIII, 33, and V, 154, 165.-Arma: 'instruments of gaming;' hence, perhaps, armigero, I, 84.

6. Melius de se: i. e. quàm de parente suo.

7. Radere tubera: 'to peel truffles.'

8. Eodem jure... ficedulas: ficedula were beccasinos or figpickers, birds much admired by gluttons of antiquity.

It was reckoned a great luxury to have these birds dressed and served up in the same sauce or pickle with funguses of various kinds.

10. Canâ... gulâ: 'the hoary glutton,' his father.

12. Barbatos... magistros: philosophers and learned teachers were called barbati, from wearing long beards, to make them look grave.

14. A magna... culinâ: 'from the profuse luxury of his father's ample kitchen.'

15. Mitem animum... Polyphemus: the construction is, An Rutilus, alter Antiphates trepidi laris, ac Polyphemus, qui gaudet acerbo strepitu plagarum, et comparat nullam Sirena flagellis, præcipit mitem animum et mores æquos modicis erroribus, atque putat animas et corpora servorum ex nostrâ materiâ paribusque elementis: anne potiùs docet sævire?

18. Rutilus: the name of some cruel master.

19. Et... comparat: i. e. who thinks the song of the sirens not so pleasant as the sound of a lash.

20. Antiphates: Antiphates was king of the Læstrygones, savages near Formiæ in Italy, who lived on human flesh.—Polyphemus: one of the Cyclops was also a cannibal.

23. Lætus: sc. pater.

24. Inscripta ergastula: 'branded slaves.' 29. Ceras: waxen tablets.'

30. Cinadis: pimps.

33. Unus et alter: joined to juvenes.

« PredošláPokračovať »