Culpante, nunc torrentia agros Contracta pisces aequora sentiunt Jactis in altum molibus: huc frequens Post equitem sedet atra Cura. Quod si dolentem nec Phrygius lapis, Vitis Achaemeniumque costum, Cur valle permutem Sabina 6 35 40 45 Aquas; that is, too much rain, which makes the vegetation rot. Arbor must be understood collectively.-33. Contracta-molibus, the fishes feel that the sea has been made narrower by the masses of stone thrown into the deep.' This refers to the buildings which the rich Romans made even into the sea. See ii. 18, 20.-34. Frequens, surrounded by many workmen and slaves.-37. Fastidiosus, who is no longer content with the land. Minae, the inward remorse which every one feels who has been guilty of shameful actions. On the other hand, Timor is the fear of external evil.-39. Aerata triremi. See ii. 16, 21.-40. Post equitem, 'behind the horseman ;' that is, when the owner of that great estate mounts on horseback.-41. Quod si, if therefore.' Phrygius lapis, marble, which was hewn near Synnada in Phrygia, and was used particularly for pillars, such as are still preserved to us in one of the noblest temples of antiquity-the Pantheon, built by M. Agrippa.42. Purpurarum usus sidere clarior, the wearing of purple garments, shining more brightly than the stars.' For, properly, we should have had clariorum, agreeing with purpurarum. 44. Costum, an Eastern aromatic plant, particularly used for ointments. It is called Achaemenium, from Achaemenes, the founder of the royal race of Persia, here used to indicate Oriental origin generally. 45. Novo ritu, 'in a way that I have not had before. The invidendae postes are marble pillars. 46. Moliar, build with labour.'-47. Valle Sabina, for my Sabine farm in the vale.' Horace's little estate lay in a beautiful valley.-48. Operosiores, which would cause me more trouble and toil.' CARMEN II. AD PUBEM ROMANAM. An ode to the Roman youth, in which he exhorts them to imitate the valour and piety of their ancestors. Written about the year 21 B. C. ANGUSTAM amice pauperiem pati, In rebus. Vitamque sub divo et trepidis agat 5 Matrona bellantis tyranni Prospiciens et adulta virgo. Suspiret, eheu, ne rudis agminum Sponsus lacessat regius asperum Per medias rapit ira caedes. Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori : Mors et fugacem persequitur virum, Nec parcit imbellis juventae Poplitibus timidoque tergo. Virtus repulsae nescia sordidae 10 15 1. Amice, contentedly, without complaints.' As to pauperies, compare i. 1, 18, note.-2. Puer, the Roman boy,' or rather youth,' for the name of puer was given even to young men who had reached the military age-seventeen.-5. Trepidis in rebus, in dangers.'-6. The author is thinking of a scene in Homer (Il. iii. 154), where the Trojan women, particularly the daughters of Priam, look down from the walls and towers of the city upon the battle, being anxious about their husbands and fathers.-9. Suspiret: suspirans metuat, for the following ne depends upon it. Rudis agminum, inexperienced in war' = rudis belli.-10. Sponsus regius is to be understood as the son of an allied king, who has been betrothed to the daughter of the king who is waging war (bellantis tyranni).-12. Ira, the wild fury of the lion thirsting for blood.-14. Fugacem, generally, one who is accustomed to flee; here simply fleeing, fugitive.'-16. Poplitibus timidoque tergo. The back and the hollow of the knees are exposed to the enemy by a fugitive, instead of the breast, which the stout fighter displays.-17. Virtus, both the valour of which the poet has just spoken, and virtue in general. Nescia sordidae repulsae, which knows no disgraceful repulse; that is, is always conscious, if ever it sustains a repulse, that Intaminatis fulget honoribus, Virtus, recludens immeritis mori Solvat phaselon: saepe Diespiter = 6 it was unmerited, and therefore not disgraceful. Hence its honores are called intaminati incontaminati, 'undefiled, pure.'-19. Secures, the axes which were stuck in the fasces of the Roman magistrates. Hence the meaning is this: the favour of the people can neither give to virtue honour, nor take it away: she has it of herself.-21. Immeritis mori; that is, immortalitate dignis, men deserving of immortality.'-22. Negata-via, by a way denied to it; that is, difficult.' Compare i. 22, 22.-23. Udam humum, the damp earth,' enveloped in unwholesome mists, and which can therefore afford no fitting seat for virtue. She flies away towards heaven, fugiente penna, on fugitive wing.' 25. Fideli silentio, to the silence of faith; that is, 'to the preservation of silence promised.' This virtue was exhibited particularly in keeping undivulged the mysteries of the gods.-26. Construe thus: vetabo (that is, prohibebo), (ne) sub iisdem sit trabibus, etc. (is) qui vulgarit. The mysteries of Ceres, which were particularly holy as exhibited at Eleusis in Attica, were also celebrated with great solemnity at Rome. -27. Sub isdem trabibus, in the same house, under the same roof.'29. Diespiter. See i. 34, 5.-30. Incesto addidit integrum, has added the good man to the bad;' that is, has destroyed the righteous man with the wicked; has, in his wrath against the wicked, destroyed at the same time the good.'-31. The sense is this: it is rare that a criminal escapes punishment, although she (Punishment) with her limping gait may come but slowly after him. ་ CARMEN III. AD CAESAREM AUGUSTUM. An ode to Augustus, in which he is praised in a beautiful and polished manner, but truthfully. Horace extols in him the genuinely Roman virtue of perseverance and firmness (constantia), and shews that by it all the great heroes who, according to the belief of the ancients, had been raised to the position of gods had obtained their fame. He considers Augustus as belonging to this class, and in fact there was nothing in the emperor so well worthy of praise as the determination and steadiness by which, when a young man, he overcame the greatest obstacles, and reached his aim. The poet spends a considerable time in describing how Romulus was assumed into the number of the gods, no doubt with the view that Augustus should be pointed to as a second Romulus. The ode was written about the year 21 B. C. JUSTUM et tenacem propositi virum Dux inquieti turbidus Hadriae, Nec fulminantis magna manus Jovis : Hac arte Pollux et vagus Hercules 5 10 1. Tenacem propositi, firm to his purpose, steady-minded': =constantem.-2. Ardor, 'the passion.'-3. Instantis, threatening,'-4. Mente quatit solida, drives from a purpose formed for good reasons,' for this is what is here called mens solida.-5. Dux Hadriae. Compare i. 3, 15. -6. Magna manus, the great (that is, mighty, powerful) hand.'-7. Orbis, the vault of heaven, the sky.'-9. Hac arte hac virtute; namely, constantia. These heroes kept firm in the pursuit of their objects. Pollux did not reach heaven alone, but in company with his brother Castor; the two being the Dioscuri. Frequently, however, the name of the one is used to indicate both. Vagus, the far-wandered;' for Hercules is said to have travelled to Spain (even to the western ocean), to Africa, and to Asia, everywhere delivering mankind from monsters.-10. Enisus-igneas. Eniti is to raise one's self by Quos inter Augustus recumbens Purpureo bibit ore nectar. Hac te merentem, Bacche pater, tuae Collo trahentes; hac Quirinus Junone divis: 'Ilion, Ilion Et mulier peregrina vertit In pulverem, ex quo destituit deos Cum populo et duce fraudulento. 15 20 20 labour from a lower to a higher position, to struggle forward.' Arces igneae, the sky, because it is lofty (arx), and studded with stars (ignes.) -12. Purpureo ore, 'with rosy lips,' to indicate the eternal youth which he enjoys as a god.-13. Hac-trahentes. An allusion to the triumphal march of Bacchus as he returned from India, after spreading over the whole world his precepts of civilisation.-14. Indocilicollo, with their necks, ill to teach (namely, to bear the yoke.)-15. Hac Quirinus. The tradition was, that Romulus had been taken up to heaven by his father Mars in his chariot, and that the Romans had named him, as a god, Quirinus.-17. The scene which Horace describes is this: A council of the gods is held, to determine whether Romulus shall be taken into their number, and in it Juno delivers the speech which we have following. In this speech she speaks strongly against the restoration of Ilium. Why, we naturally ask, does Horace (through the goddess) so much condemn the restoration of Troy, even going so far as to say, that Rome can endure only if Troy remains in ruins? For we know that Augustus really did rebuild Troy; and by granting it privileges, and settling many colonists in it, made it an important town. But he had it in his mind to do more: there was a report that he intended to make Troy the seat of government, and leave Rome. This is what. Horace opposes. Connect gratum consiliantibus divis, a thing agreeable to the deliberating gods.'-19. Judex; namely, Paris, son of king Priam, who gave judgment in the dispute between Juno, Minerva, and Venus, regarding their beauty. Fatalis, appointed by fate,' which had doomed the fall of Troy.-20. Mulier peregrina, Helen, whom Paris carried off from Sparta. Compare i. 15, 5.-21. Connect ex quo with damnatum, &c. in line 23. Damnatum belongs to Ilion: condemned by me and Minerva, ever since the time when Laomedon cheated the gods.' Destituit = fraudavit, privavit, and on this account construed with the ablative, mercede pacta. Laomedon, father of Priam, had bargained with Apollo and Neptune to build the walls of Troy for a team of horses; but when the walls were finished, he refused to fulfil his engagement.-24. Duce fraudulento; namely, Laomedon. It is true, the punishment fell upon the innocent Priam, · |