Hic fiunt homines: nam fi mora longior urbem 170 fects of bad intercourfe. The poet feems to mean what St. Paul expreffes, 1 Cor. xv. 33. " Evil communications corrupt "good manners." 166. He had come an hostage.] Obfes-quia quafi pignus obfidetur, i. e. because kept, guarded, as a pledge. An hoftage was given as a fecurity, or pledge, for the performance of fomething by one people to another, either in war or peace, and was peculiarly under the protection and care of those who received him. This youth had been sent to Rome from Artaxata, the capital of Armenia, a country of Afia, and was debauched by the tribune who had the cuftody of him. This breach of truft aggravates the crime. 167. Here they become men.] Here, at Rome, they foon lofe their fimplicity and innocence of manners, and though young in years, are foon old in wickedness, from the corruptions which they meet with. The word homo is of the common gender, and fignifies both man and woman; and it is not improbable, but that Juvenal ufes the word homines here, as intimating, that these youths were foon to be regarded as of either fex. If a longer fay, &c.] If they are permitted to ftay a longer time at Rome, after their release as hoftages, and are at large in the city, they will never want occafions of temptation to the worst of vices: at every turn, they will meet with those who will spare no pains to corrupt them. 169. Trowfers. Braccæ-a fort of trowfers, or breeches, worne by the Armenians, Gauls, Perfians, Medes, and others. Here by fynec. put for the whole'drefs of the country from which they came. Knives.] Cultelli-little knives-dim. from culter. This fhould feem to mean fome adjunct to the Armenian dress ; not improbably the fmall daggers, or poignards, which the Eafterns wore tucked into their girdles, or fafhes, of their under veftments: fuch are seen in the Eaft to this day. Bridles and whip ] With which they managed, and drove on their horfes, in their warlike exercifes, and in the chace. Will be laid afide.] The meaning of thefe lines is, that the dress of their country, and every trace of their fimplicity, manliness, activity, and courage, will all be laid asidethey will adopt the drefs and manners, the effeminacy and debauchery of the Roman nobility, which they will carry home Here they become men: for if a longer stay indulges Thus they carry back prætextate manners to Artaxata. 170 with them when they return to their own capital. See 1. 166, note. 170. Prætextate manners.] See Sat. i. 78, note. Rome's noble crimes. Holyday. As we fhould exprefs it--the fashionable vices of the great. The perfons who wore the prætexta, were magiftrates, priefts, and noblemen's children till the age of feventeen. Artaxata.] The chief city of Armenia the Greater (fituate on the river Araxes) built by Artaxias, whom the Armenians made their king. It was taken by Pompey, who spared both the city and the inhabitants: but, in Nero's reign, Corbulo, the commander in chief of the Roman forces in the East, having forced Tiridates, king of Armenia, to yield up Artaxata, levelled it with the ground. See Ant. Univ. Hift. vol. ix. 484. This city is called Artaxata-orum, plur. or Artaxata-æ, fing. See AINSW. It is probable that the poet mentions Artaxata, on account of the fact which is recorded, l. 164—5; but he may be understood, by this inftance, to mean, that every country and people would become corrupt, as they had lefs or more to do with Rome. END OF THE SECOND SATIRE. G SATIRA 82 Juvenal introduces Umbritius, an old friend of his, taking his departure from Rome, and going to fettle in a country retirement at Cuma. He accompanies Umbritius out of town and, before they take leave of each other, Umbritius tells his Q UAMVIS digreffu veteris confufus amici, Laudo tamen vacuis quod fedem figere Cumis Deftinet, atque unum civem donare Sibyllæ. - Janua Baiarum eft, & gratum littus amœni Seceffùs. ego vel Prochytam præpono Suburræ. 5 Line 2. Cuma.] An antient city of Campania near the fea. Some think it had its name from upala, waves: the waves, in rough weather, dafhing against the walls of it. Others think it was fo called from its being built by the Cumæi of Afia. Plin. iii. 4. Juvenal calls it empty in comparison with the populoufnefs of Rome: it was now, probably, much decayed, and but thinly inhabited: on this account it might be looked upon as a place of leifure, quiet, and retirement; all which may be understood by the word vacuis. 3. The Sibyl.] Quafi ce Buλn, Dei confilium. AINSW. The Sibyls were women, fuppofed to be inspired with a spirit of prophecy. Authors are not agreed as to the number of them; but the most famous was the Cumæan, fo called from having her refidence at Cuma. Umbritius was now going to bestow, donare, one citizen on this abode of the Sibyl, by taking up his refidence there. See Virg. Æn. vi. 1. 10. & feq. 4. The gate of Baia.] Paffengers from Rome to Baie were to pass through Cume; they went in on one fide, and came out on the other, as through a gate. Baie. A delightful city of Campania, of which Hor. Lib. i. Epift. i. 1. 83. Nullus in orbe finus Baiis prælucet amænis. Here SATIR E III. ARGUMENT. friend Juvenal the reafons which had induced him to retire from Rome: each of which is replete with the keeneft fatire on its vicious inhabitants.-Thus the Poet carries on his defign, of inveighing against the vices and diforders which reigned in that city. HO' troubled at the departure of an old friend, TH yet approve that to fix his abode at empty Cumæ He purposes, and to give one citizen to the Sibyl. It is the gate of Baiæ, and a grateful shore of pleasant Retirement. I prefer even Prochyta to Suburra : For what so wretched, so solitary do we see, that you Would not think it worse to dread fires, the continual 5 Here were fine warm fprings and baths, both pleasant and healthful: I on which account it was much reforted to by the nobility and gentry of Rome, many of whom had villas there for their fummer refidence. It forms part of the bay of Naples. A grateful fore.] Gratum-grateful, here, muft be understood in the fenfe of agreeable, pleasant. The whole fhore, from Cuma to Baiæ, was delightfully pleasant, and calculated for the most agreeable retirement. See the latter part of the laft note. 5. Prochyta.] A small rugged island in the Tyrrhenian Sea, defert and barren. Suburra.] A ftreet in Rome, much frequented, but chiefly by the vulgar, and by women of ill faine. Hence Mart. vi. 66. Famæ non nimiùm bonæ puella, 6. For what fo wretched, &c.] Solitary and miserable as any place may be, yet it is better to be there than at Rome, where you have so many dangers and inconveniences to appre hend. 7. Fires.] House-burnings-to which populous cities, from many various caufes, are continually liable. G 2 8. Falling Tectorum affiduos, ac mille pericula fævæ ΙΟ 8. Falling of boufes.] Owing to the little care taken of old and ruinous buildings. Propertius fpeaks of the two foregoing dangers Præterea domibus flammam, domibufque ruinam. 8-9. The fell city.] That habitation of daily cruelty and mifchief. 9. The poets reciting.] Juvenal very humourously introduces this circumftance among the calamities and inconveniences of living at Rome, that even in the month of August, the hottest season of the year, when moft people had retired into the country, fo that one might hope to enjoy fome little quiet, even then you were to be teazed to death, by the conftant din of the fcribbling poets reciting their wretched compofitions, and forcing you to hear them. Comp. Sat. i. 1. 1-14. where our poet expreffes his peculiar averfion to this. 10. His whole houfe, &c.] While all his household furniture and goods were packing up together in one waggon (as rhedâ may here fignify). Umbritius was moving all his bag and baggage (as we fay) and, by its taking up no more room, it should feem to have been very moderate in quantity. II. He flood fill.] He may be fupposed to have walked on out of the city, attended by his friend Juvenal, expecting the vehicle with the goods to overtake him, when loaded: he now ftood ftill to wait for its coming up; and in this fituation he was, when he began to tell his friend his various reasons for leaving Rome, which are juft fo many ftrokes of the keenest fatire upon the vices and follies of its inhabitants. At the old arches.] The antient triumphal arches of Romulus, and of the Horatii, which were in that part. Or per haps the old arches of the aqueducts might here be meant. Wet Capena.] One of the gates of Rome, which led towards Capua: it was fometimes called Triumphalis, because those who rode in triumph passed through it-it was also called Fontinalis, from the great number of fprings that were near it, which occafioned building the aqueducts, by which the water was carried by pipes into the city: hence Juvenal calls it Ma |