Who was translated suddenly to the Marsi, and to the Sabellan table, And there was content with a Venetian and coarse hood. 170 175 The rustic infant in its mother's bosom dreads: The orchestra and people: the clothing of bright honour, dressed in the tunica, or jacket, never wearing the toga, the ordinary habit of the men at Rome, all their life time. Umbritius means to prove what he had before asserted, (l. 165-7.) that one might live in other places at much less expense than at Rome. Here he is instancing in the article of dress. 172. The solemnity, &c.] The dies festi-were holidays, or festivals, observed on some joyful occasions; when people dressed in their best apparel, and assembled at plays and shows. 173-4. A grassy theatre.] He here gives an idea of the ancient simplicity which was still observed in many parts of Italy, where, on these occasions, they were not at the expense of theatres built with wood or stone, but with turves dug from the soil, and heaped one upon another, by way of seats for the spectators. See VIRG. En. v. 286-90. 174. A known farce.] Exodium (from Gr. odos, exitus) was a farce, or interlude, at the end of a tragedy, exhibited to make the people laugh. Notum exodium signifies some well known, favourite piece of this sort, which had been often represented. Stage.] So pulpitum signifies, i. e. that part of the theatre where the actors recited their parts. 175. The gaping of the pale-looking mask.] Persona-a false face, yizard, or mask, which the actors wore over the face ;-they were painted over with a pale flesh-colour, and the mouth was very wide open, that the performer might speak through it the more easily. Their appearance must have been very hideous, and may well be supposed to affright little children. A figure with one of these masks on may be seen in Holyday, p. 55. col. 2. Also in the copperplate, facing the title of the ingenious Mr. Colman's translation of Terence. See also Juy. edit. Casaubon, p. 73. 177. Habits are equal there.] All dress alike there; no finical distinctions of dress are to be found among such simple people. 178. The orchestra, &c.] Among the Greeks this was in the middle of the theatre, where the Chorus danced. But, among the Romans, it was the space between the stage and the common seats, where the nobles and senators sat. No distinction of this sort was made, at those rustic theatres, between the gentry and the common people. 178. The clothing of bright honour.] The chief magistrates of Sufficiunt tunicæ summis Adilibus albæ Omnia Romæ Cum pretio. Quid das, ut Cossum aliquando salutes? Ille metit barbam, crinem hic deponit amati : 180 185 these country places did not wear, as at Rome, fine robes decked with purple; but were content to appear in tunics, or jackets, white and plain, even when they gave or presided at these assemblies. See AINSW. Tunica, No 1, letter b, under which this pas sage is quoted. 179. Ediles.] See before, I. 162, and note. 180. Here, &c.] Here at Rome people dress beyond what they can afford. 180-1. Something more than enough.] More than is sufficient for the purpose of any man's station, be it what it may-in short, people seem to aim at nothing but useless gawdy show. 181. Sometimes it is taken, &c.] This superfluity in dress is sometimes at other people's expense: either these fine people borrow money to pay for their extravagant dress, which they never repay; or they never pay for them at all-which, by the way, is a vice very common among such people. 182-3. Ambitious poverty.] Our poverty, though very great, is not lowly and humble, content with husbanding, and being frugal of the little we have, and with appearing what we really are-but it makes us ambitious of appearing what we are not, of living like men of fortune, and thus disguising our real situation from the world. This is at the root of that dishonesty before mentioned, so common now-a-days, of borrowing money, or contracting debts, which we never mean to pay. See l. 181. 183. Why do I detain you?] Quid te moror? So Hor. sat. i. lib. i. l. 14, 15. Ne te morer audi Quo rem deducam→→→ This is a sort of phrase like our-" In short-not to keep you too "long." 184. With a price.] Every thing is dear at Rome; nothing is to be had without paying for it-viz. extravagantly. See l. 166, 7. What give you, &c.] What does it cost you to bribe the servants of Cossus, that you may get admittance? Cossus was some wealthy person, much courted for his riches. Here it seems to mean any such great and opulent person. 185. Veiento.] Some other proud nobleman, hard of access, who, though suitors were sometimes with difficulty admitted to him, seldom condescended to speak to them.-Hence Umbritius describes him-clauso labello. Yet even to get at the favour of a look only, it cost money in bribes to the servants for admittance. White tunics, suffice for the chief diles. [180 Here is a finery of dress beyond ability : here is something more Are with a price. What give you that sometimes you may salute Cossus? That Veiento may look on you with shut lip? 185 One shaves the beard, another deposits the hair of a favourite : The house is full of venal cakes: take, and that man. 186. One shaves the beard.] On the day when they first shaved their beard, they were reckoned no longer youths, but men. A festival was observed on the occasion among the richer sort, on which presents were made: and the misery was, that the poor were expected to send some present, on pain of forfeiting the favour of the great But the poet has a meaning here, which may be gathered from the next note, and from the word amati at the end of this line. Another deposits the hair.] It was usual for great men to cut off the hair of their minions, deposit it in a box, and consecrate it to some deity. On this occasion, too, presents were made. It was, indeed, customary for all the Romans to poll their heads at the age of puberty. See sat. ii. l. 15, and note. Umbritius still is carrying on his design of lashing the vices of the great, and of setting forth the wretchedness of the poor-q. d. “A 66 great man can't shave his minion for the first time, or poll his "head, but presents are expected on the occasion from his poor "clients, ill as they can afford them, and presently there's a house"ful of cakes sent in, as offerings to the favourite." 187. Venal cakes.] These were made of honey, meal, and oil, and sent, as presents or offerings, from the poorer to the richer sort of people, on their birth-days, (hence some read here libis genialibus,) and on other festal occasions. They came in such numbers as to be an object of profit, insomuch that the new trimmed favourite slave, to whom they were presented, sold them for some considerable Hence the text says-libis venalibus. sum. Take, &c.] The language here is metaphorical; cakes have just been mentioned, which were leavened, or fermented, in order to make them light. Umbritius is supposed, from this, to use the word fermentum, as applicable to the ideas of anger and indignation, which ferment, or raise the mind into a state of fermentation. Accipe" there," says Umbritius, "take this matter of indigna❝tion, let it work within your mind as it does in mine, that the poor "clients of great men are obliged, even on the most trivial, and "most infamous occasions, to pay a tribute towards the emolument "of their servants, on pain and peril, if they do it not, of incur"ring their displeasure, and being shut out of their doors." By cultis servis the poet means to mark those particular slaves of great men, whose spruce and gay apparel bespake their situation as Fermentum tibi habe: præstare tributa clientes Quis timet, aut timuit gelidâ Præneste ruinam ; Nocte metus: jam poscit aquam, jam frivola transfert 190 195 200 favourites-and, indeed, the word cultis may very principally allude to this last circumstance-for the verb colo not only signifies to trim, deck, or adorn, but also to love, to favour, to be attached to. See AINSW. Peculia seems here to imply what we call-vails. 190. Cold Præneste.] A town in Italy, about twenty miles from Rome. It stood on a hill, and the waters near it were remarkably cold; from which circumstance, as well as its high situation, it was called gelida Præneste. VIRG. Æn. vii. 682. 191. Volsinium.] A town in Tuscany, the situation of which was pleasant and retired. 192. Simple Gabi.] A town of the Volscians, about ten miles from Rome; it was called simple, because deceived into a surrender to Tarquin the proud, when he could not take it by force; or perhaps from the simple and unornamented appearance of the houses. The tower of prone Tibur.] A pleasant city of Italy, situate about sixteen miles from Rome, on the river Anio: it stood on a precipice, and had the appearance of hanging over it. Arx signifies the top, summit, peak, or ridge of any thing, as of a rock, hill, &c. also a tower, or the like, built upon it. 193. We.] Who live at Rome. Supported, &c.] In many parts of it very ruinous, many of the houses only kept from falling, by shores or props set against them, to prevent their tumbling down. 194. The steward.] Villicus-here seems to mean some officer, like a steward or bailiff, whose business it was to overlook these matters; a sort of city surveyor, (see sat. iv. 77.) who, instead of a thorough repair, only propped the houses, and plastered up the cracks in their walls, which had been opened by their giving way— so that, though they might to appearance be repaired and strong, yet they were still in the utmost danger of falling. Villicus may perhaps mean the steward, or bailiff, of the great man who was landlord of these houses: it was the steward's duty to see that repairs were timely and properly done. 196. He bids us to sleep, &c.] If we express any apprehension of Leaven have to thyself: we clients to pay tributes Are compelled, and to augment the wealth of spruce servants. Who fears, or hath feared the fall of a house in cold Præneste, 190 Or at Volsinium placed among shady hills, or at In a great part of itself; for thus the steward hinders [195 What is falling, and has covered the gaping of an old chink: He bids us to sleep secure, ruin impending. There one should live, where there are no burnings, no fears In the night.—Already Ucalegon asks for water, already Thou know'st it not: for if they are alarmed from the lowest steps, 200 danger, or appear uneasy at our situation, he bids us dismiss our fears, and tells us, that we may sleep in safety, though at the same time the houses are almost tumbling about our ears. Umbritius urges the multitude of ruinous houses, which threaten the lives of the poor inhabitants, as another reason why he thinks it. safest and best to retire from Rome. 197. There one should live, &c.] As a fresh motive for the removal of Umbritius from Rome, he mentions the continual danger of fire, especially to the poor, who being obliged to lodge in the uppermost parts of the houses in which they are inmates, run the risk of being burnt in their beds-for which reason he thought it best to live where there was no danger of house-burning, and nightly. alarms arising from such a calamity. 198. Already Ucalegon.] He seems here to allude to Virg. Æn. ii. 310-12. where he is giving a description of the burning of the city* of Troy : -Jam Deiphobi dedi ampla ruinam, Some unhappy Ucalegon, says Umbritius, who sees the ruin of his neighbour's house, and his own on fire, is calling out for water, is removing his wretched furniture (frivola-trifling, frivolous, of little value) to save it from the flames. 199. Thy third floors.] Tabulatum-from tabula, a plank, signifies any thing on which planks are laid-so the floors of a house. 200. Thou know'st it not.] You a poor inmate, lodged up in the garret, are, perhaps, fast asleep, and know nothing of the matter: but you are not in the less danger, for if the fire begins below, it will certainly reach upwards to the top of the house. If they are alarmed.] Trepidatur-impers. (like concurritur, HOR. Sat. i. 1. 7.) if they tremble—are in an uproar~(AINSW.) -from the alarm of fire. From the lowest steps.] Gradus is a step or stair of a house |