SATIRE XII. ARGUMENT. estedness on the occasion, and, from thence, takes an opportunity to lash the Haridepete, or Legacy-hunters, who flattered, and paid their court to rich men, in hopes of becoming their heirs. THIS day, Corvinus, is sweeter to me than my birth-day, In which the festal turf expects the animals promised To the gods: we kill to the queen a snowy lamb: An equal fleece shall be given to Minerva. But the petulant victim shakes his long extended rope, 5 Kept for Tarpeian Jove, and brandishes his forehead: And to be sprinkled with wine; which is now ashamed to draw las, in Mauritania. Medusa is said to have been beloved by Neptune, who lay with her in the temple of Minerva, at which the goddess, being angry, changed the hair of Medusa into serpents, and so ordered it, that whoever beheld her should be turned into stone. She was killed by Perseus, the son of Jupiter and Danae, (with the help of Minerva,) as she lay asleep, who cut off her head: this was afterwards placed in the ægis, or shield, of Minerva. Hyginus says, that Medusa was not slain by Perseus, but by Mi nerva. Britannic. in loc. Sometimes the head of Medusa was supposed to be worn in the breast-plate of Minerva. See Æn. viii. 1. 435-8. 5. Petulant victim, &c.] The wantonness and friskiness of the calf leading along in a rope, is here very naturally described. 6. Tarpeian Jove.] On the mons Capitolinus, otherwise called the Tarpeian hill, from the vestal virgin Tarpeia, who betrayed it to the Sabines, Jupiter had a temple, whence his titles-Tarpeian and Capitoline. 7. Ripe, &c.] The beasts were reckoned of a proper age and size for sacrifice, when the tail reached the hough, or joint, in the hinder leg. A 8. Sprinkled, &c.] They used to pour wine on the heads of the sacrifices, between the horns. So VIRG. Æn. iv. 1. 60, 1. Ipsa tenens dextrâ parteam pulcherrima Dido, Hence the Greek epigram on the vine and the goat. Ducere, qui vexat nascenti robora cornu. Ob reditum trepidantis adhuc, horrendaque passi it. Κ' ην με φαγης επι ρίξαν όμως ετι καρποφορήσω 10 15 20 ANTHOL. ep. i. "Though thou eatest me down to the very root, yet I shall bear fruit "Sufficient to pour on thee, O goat, when thou art sacrificed. 8. Is now ashamed, &c.] Hath left off sucking-is grown above 9. Teazes, &c.] It is usual for the young of all horned animals to butt against trees, as if practising for future fight-sometimes we see them in sport engaging one another. 10. If my fortune, &c.] The poet, throughout the above account of his sacrifices, as well as of the altar on which they were to be offered, shews his prudence and frugality, as well as his friendship for his preserved friend Catullus, He professes to shew his affection, not as he would, but as his fortune could afford it. Instead, therefore, of a white bull to Jupiter, and white cows to Juno and Mi. nerva, he offers a white ewe-lamb to Juno, the same to Minerva, and a calf to Jupiter. 11. A bull.] The usual sacrifice to Jupiter was a white bull. Fatter than Hispulla.] A fat, sensual lady, noted as infamous for keeping a player. Sat. vi. 1. 74. Drawn.] Dragged by ropes, fixed to the horns, to the altar. 11-12. With its very bulk slow.] So fat that he could hardly stir. 12. In a neighbouring pasture.] Not bred or fatted in the neigh bourhood of Rome. 13. His blood shewing, &c.] By the colour and richness, as well as quantity of it. Clitumnus.] A river dividing Tuscany and Umbria, whose water, says Pliny, makes the cows, that drink of it, bring white calves:whence the Romans, as Virgil and Claudian observe, were plentifully furnished with white sacrifices for Jupiter Capitolinus, See VIRG. Georg. lib. ii. 146-8. Its mother's dugs, and teazes the oaks with its budding horn. A bull, fatter than Hispulla, should be drawn, and with its very Bulk slow, nor nourish'd in a neighbouring pasture, But his blood shewing the glad pastures of Clitumnus, Should go, and his neck to be stricken by a great minister, 10 On account of the return of my yet trembling friend, lately having 15 Suffer'd dreadful things, and wondering that he is safe. For, beside the hazard of the sea, and the stroke of lightning Escaped, thick darkness hid the sky In one cloud, and a sudden fire struck the sail-yards ; When every one might believe himself struck with it, and presently, 20 14. A great minister.] Some interpret this, as referring to the quality of the person giving the blow, as if it were to be the chief pontiff, or sacrificer, and not one of his popæ, or inferior officers. Others think, that it refers to the size and strength of the person officiating, able to perform his office at one blow. 15. Tet trembling friend, &c.] This is a very natural circumstance, that a man, for some time after a narrow escape from an horrible danger, should shudder at the very thoughts of it, and stand amazed at his deliverance. 17. The hazard of the sea.] i. e. The danger of the waves. 17—18. Lightning escaped.] By which he might have been killed in an instant, but happily escaped the blow. 18. Thick darkness, &c.] So that they could take no observation, nor know where they were, or which way to steer. Such a circumstance is awfully related, Acts xxvii. 20. 19. A sudden fire, &c.] A flash of lightning struck the sail-yards, and set the sails on fire. 20. Might believe, &c.] Each person on board might think it levelled at him, it was so near him. 21. Astonish'd, might think, &c.] For in case of a shipwreck, some might escape on parts of the broken ship (comp. Acts xxvii. ult.); but if the ship were burnt, all must be consumed together: therefore, horrible as a shipwreck might be in the expectation, there could be no comparison, in point of horror, between this and a ship on fire. 22. All things become, &c.] The above circumstances of the dan ger from the waves, and of the greater horror of the ship's being struck with lightning, and the rigging set on fire, are ingredients in a poetical description of a tempest; even the imagination of the poet Could not invent any thing more dreadful and grievous. 24. Another kind of danger.] i. c. Which Catullus was in. Et miserere iterum, quanquam sint cætera fortis 25 30 35 40 This, as afterwards appears, was from the ship's being half full of water, (1. 30.) and he forced to lose his property to save his life. 25. The rest, &c.] Of my friend's disasters, which I shall relate, are of the same unfortunate nature. 26. Known to many.] Who have been in a like situation. 27. Many temples, &c.] Persons that escaped shipwreck used to have a painting made of the same scene which they had gone through, drawn upon a tablet, which they vowed to Neptune during their distress, and hung up in some temple near the sea-coast. This was called votiva tabella. To this Horace alludes, lib. i. ode v. ad fin, which see, and the note, Delph. edit. 28. Fed by Isis.] The Romans made so many vows to the Egyptian goddess Isis, whom the merchants and seamen looked on as their patroness, that many painters got their bread by drawing the votivæ tabulæ, which were hung up in her temples, so great was the number of them, 30. Middle hold, &c.] i. e. The hold was half full, or full up to the middle. 31. Alternate side, &c.] Heeling her from side to side, by dash❤ ing against them alternately. 32. Uncertain wood.] It being now doubtful, whether the timbers could much longer stand the force of the beating waves upon her sides, or whether she would not go to pieces. The prudence, &c.] All the skill and care of the old experienced master of the ship could afford no help. 33. He.] i. e. Catullus. Began to compound, &c.] To bargain (as it were) for his life at the expense of his goods, by throwing them overboard. See AINSW. Decido, No. 4. And again pity, tho' the rest be of the same With the winds by throwing overboard, imitating the beaver, who : Of his testicles thus medicated does he understand his groin. Willing to throw over even the most beautiful things, a garment And others, the very sheep of which the nature of The generous herbage dyed, but also a remarkable fount With hidden powers, and Bætic air helps. 25 30 35 40 34. Imitating the beaver, &c.] This notion of the beaver is very ancient, and well introduced by our poet but it is to be reckoned among those vulgar errors which have no foundation in truth. In the first place, the liquid matter, which is called in medicine castoreum, is not found in the testicles, but enclosed in bags, or purses, near the anus of the animal. In the next place, such an instance of violence upen itself was never known to be committed by the beaver. See CHAMBERS-And BROWN's Vulg. Err. book III. c. iv. 38. To throw over.] Into the sea. The most beautiful things.] His finest and most valuable merchandize. See Job ii. 4. 39. Tender Macenases.] Mæcenas, the favourite of Augustus, was a very delicate and effeminate person, from whom people of such character were denominated Mæcenates. See sat. i. l. 66, note. Such persons were very finical and expensive in their dress, and therefore poor Catullus lost a good market for his purple dress, by throwing it overboard in the storm. 40. The very sheep, &c.] In this place the poet means, that the wool, of which these other garments were made, had a native tinge of a beautiful colour, owing to the particular nature of the soil, and water, and air, where the sheep were bred, so that the garments were made up without receiving any artificial dye. 41. A remarkable fount, &c.] The water of which, as well as the pasture where the sheep fed, was supposed to contribute to the fineness and colour of their wool. 42. Batic air. The air of Batica, now Andalusia, in Spain, through which ran the river Bætis, is here assigned its share in the improvement of the wool. |