And a great punishment is due for a violated coverlet : And the silver serpent seems to have moved its head. That Osiris will not refuse pardon, by a great goose, That is to say, and a thin cake, corrupted. 540 When he has given place, her basket and hay being left, Interpretess of the laws of Solyma, high priestess Of a tree, and a faithful messenger of high heaven. And she fills her hand, but very sparingly for a small piece of money, The Jews sell whatever dreams you may choose. But an Armenian or Commagenian soothsayer promises A tender love, or a large will of a childless rich man, 545 He searches the breasts of chickens, and the bowels of a whelp, 550 543. Laws of Solyma.] The Jewish law. The Latins called Jerusalem, Solyma-arum, its name having been Solyma at first. 543-4. High priestess of a tree.] This is spoken in contempt of the Jews, who lived in woods, forests, &c. and, therefore, the poet probably hints, in a ludicrous manner, at the priestesses of the temple in the wood of Dodona, who pretended to ask and receive answers from oak-trees. 544. A messenger.] Internuntius is properly a messenger be tween parties a go-between. 545. She fills her hand, &c.] The lady to whom she applies presents her with a small piece of money-she need not give much.See the next note. 546. Whatever dreams you may choose.] They pretended to dreams, in which they received intelligence concerning people's fortunesthese they sold to the credulous at a very cheap rate, always accommodating their pretended dreams to the fancy or wishes of the parties. See Ezek. xiii. 17-23. 547. An Armenian.] Having exposed the superstition of the women, with respect to the Jewish fortunetellers, he now attacks them on the score of consulting soothsayers, who travelled about to impose on the credulous. Armenia and Syria (of which Commagena is a part) were famous for these. 548. A large will, &c.] Tells the lady who consults him, that she will be successful in love, or that some old rich fellow, who dies without heirs, will leave her a large legacy. 549-50. Lungs of a warm dove-breasts of chickens-bowels of a whelp-] The aruspices, or soothsayers, always pretended to know future events from the inspection of the insides of animals, which they handled and examined for the purpose. VOL. I. Interdum et pueri: faciet quod deferat ipse. 555 560 Sed qui pene perît: cui vix in Cyclada mitti Ante tamen de te, Tanaquil tua; quando sororem 565 551. Sometimes of a child.] Which one of these fellows would not scruple to murder on the occasion. He will do what, &c.] He will commit a fact, which, if any body else did, he would be the first to inform against him, if he could get any thing by it. Deferre, is to accuse or inform against-hence the delatores, informers, mentioned so often by our poet as an infamous set of people. See sat. i. 33. iii. 116. iv. 48. et al. 552. Chaldeans, &c.] The Chaldeans, living about Babylon, were looked upon as great masters in the knowledge of the stars, or, what has been usually called judicial astrology. Some of these, like other itinerant impostors, travelled about, and came to Rome, where they gained great credit with silly women, such as the poet has been describing, as open to every imposture of every kind. 554. Of Hammon.] From the oracle of Jupiter Hammon, of which there were several in Lybia, and were in very high repute. Because the Delphic oracles cease.] It is said, that the oracle of Apollo, at Delphos, ceased at the birth of Christ. 555. A darkness, &c.] Men were now condemned, or consigned over, to utter ignorance of things to come, since the ceasing of the Delphic oracle, and this gave so much reputation to the oracle of Jupiter Hammon. 556. Been oftenest, &c.] The more wicked the astrologer, the greater credit he gained with these women. 557. Hired tablet.] These astrologers used to write down on parchment, or in tablets, the answers which they pretended to come from the stars; in order to obtain a sight of which, people used to give them money. -Conducenda-lit. to be hired, 558. A great citizen died, &c.] By the astrologer, mentioned in these lines, is meant Seleucus, a famous astrologer, who had been several times banished from Rome, and by whose instigation and prediction, Otho (with whom he was intimate) failing to be adopted by Galba, caused Galba to be murdered. L And sometimes of a child: he will do what he himself would betray. 555 Yet the most eminent of these, is he who has been oftenest an exile, By whose friendship, and by whose hired tablet, A great citizen died, and one fear'd by Otho: Thence confidence [is given] to his art, if with iron his right hand has clatter'd, [camps. 560 And his left if he has remained in the long confinement of No astrologer uncondemn'd will have a genius; [clades But he who has almost perished: to whom to be sent to the CyIt has scarcely happened, and at length to have been freed from little Seriphus. [jaundic'd Your Tanaquil consults him about the lingering death of her Mother; but, before this, concerning you: when her sister she may Bury, and her uncles; whether the adulterer will live 565 559. With iron, &c.] If he has been manacled with fetters on both hands-i. e. hand-cuffed. Sonuit-alludes to the clinking of the fetters. 560. Long confinement, &c.] These predicters, who foretold things in time of war, were carried as prisoners with the army, and confined in the camp, in expectation of the event; in which condition they had a soldier to guard them, and, for more safety, were tied together with a chain of some length (which, by the way, may be intimated by the longo carcere) for conveniency, the one end whereof was fastened to the soldier's left arm, the other to the prisoner's right. Carcer signifies any place of confinement. 561. Uncondemned, &c.] In short, no astrologer is supposed to have a true genius for his art, who has not been within an ace of hanging. 563. Scarcely happened, &c.] With the greatest difficulty ob tained the favour of banishment to the Cyclades, which were islands in the Archipelago: they were accounted fifty-three in all; to some of these criminals were banished. 564. Your Tanaquit.] i. e. Your wife, whom he calls so after the name of the wife of Tarquinius Priscus, a woman skilled in di-' vination, who foretold her husband should be king. Consults him, &c.] He lashes the wickedness of the women of his time, who not only consulted astrologers about the death of their husbands, but of their parents and nearest relations. 566. Whether the adulterer, &c.] Her paramour, whose life she' not only prefers to that of her husband and relations, but even to her own, as if no greater blessing could be vouchsafed her, than that he should outlive her. Post ipsam quid enim majus dare numina possunt? Saturni; quo Qui mensis damno, quæ dentur tempora lucro. 570 In cujus manibus, ceu pinguia succina, tritas 575 Ad primum lapidem vectari cum placet, hora 580 568. She is ignorant of, &c.] She is so earnest about the fate of others, that she is content to be ignorant about her own. 569. Saturn.] Was reckoned an unlucky planet; and if he arose when a person was born, was supposed to portend misfortunes. Persius calls Saturn-gravem. HOR. impium. Propitious Venus.] Reckoned fortunate if she arose in conjunction with certain others. 570. What month, &c.] The Romans were very superstitious about lucky and unlucky times. t 571. Remember also, &c.] The poet continues his raillery on the superstition of women; and now comes to those who calculate their fortunes out of books, which they carry about with them, and consult on all occasions. 572-3. Like fat amber-worn diaries.] Ephemeridas-signifies, in this place, a sort of almanacks, in which were noted down the daily rising and setting of the several constellations; by the consulting of which, these women pretended to know their own fortunes, and to tell those of other people. The poet represents these as thumbed very often over, so as to be spoiled, and to bear the colour and appearance of amber that had been chafed by rubbing. 574. The camp, and his country, &c.] Whether being at home he is going to the war, or being in the camp wants to return home, she refuses to go with him, if her favourite astrologer says the contrary. 575. The numbers of Thrasyllus.] Numeros may here either mean numbers, or figures, in which some mystery was set down or delivered- or some mystical verses, which it was very usual for that sort of people to make use of. Thrasyllus was a Platonist, a great mathematician, once in high favour with Tiberius; afterwards, by his command, thrown into the sea at Rhodes. 576. To the first stone.] i. e. The first mile-stone from Rome; After her for what greater thing can the gods bestow? These things, however, she is ignorant of what the baleful star Of Saturn may threaten, with what star propitious Venus may shew herself, What month for loss, what times are given for gain. In whose hands, like fat amber, you see worn 570 Consulted: who, her husband going to the camp, and his country, Will not go with him, called back by the numbers of Thrasyllus. 575 When she pleases to be carried to the first stone, the hour for there were mile-stones on the roads, as now on ours. can't stir a single mile without consulting her book. 580 -q. d. She 577. Of her eye, &c.] The poet puts these ridiculous instances, to shew, in the strongest light, the absurdity of these people, who would not do the most errant trifles without consulting the ephemeris, to find what star presided at their nativity, that from thence they might gather a good or ill omen. 580. Petosiris.] A famous Ægyptian astrologer, from whose writings and calculations a great part of her ephemeris, probably, was collected. 581. She will survey, &c.] The woman in mean circumstances runs to the Circus, and looks from one end to the other, till she can find some of those itinerant astrologers, who made that place their haunt. 582. Draw lots.] For her fortune.-This was one instance of their superstition. Her forehead and hand.] That by the lines in these she might have her fortune told. 583. To a prophet.] A fortuneteller. A frequent stroking.] viz. Her hand. Poppysma signifies, here, a stroking with the hand, which the fortuneteller made use of, drawing his hand over the lines of her forehead and hand, as taking great pains to inform himself aright. Or perhaps we may understand that he did it wantonly. Poppysma signifies, also, a popping or smacking with the lips, and at the same time feeling, and handling, or patting the neck of an horse, to make him gentle: this word may therefore be used here metaphorically, to express the manner in which these chiromants felt and handled the hands of the women who consulted them, perhaps smacking them with their lips, |