Formandae studiis. Nescit equo rudis Haerere ingenuus puer Venarique timet, ludere doctior, Seu Graeco jubeas trocho, Seu malis vetita legibus alea, 55 6 Consortem socium fallat et hospitem, Indignoque pecuniam Heredi properet. Scilicet improbae Curtae nescio quid semper abest rei. 60 particularly Greek manners.-54. Equo haerere, nearly equivalent to equo vehi, to ride;' but with a touch of humour, exactly expressed by our to stick on a horse's back.' Rudis, 'inexperienced;' namely, in riding.-57. Trocho. The trochus was an iron hoop adorned with bells, with which boys used to play.-58. Seu malis vetita legibus alea, or preferrest (malis from malo)—namely, to have him play with dice which are forbidden by the laws.' There existed among the Romans from early times laws prohibiting all games of chance, particularly with dice.-59. Perjura patris fides. Whilst the son is thus rendered effeminate by a foreign education, the father is endeavouring by every means, even by dishonesty, to make money. Hence the perjured word of the father' is equivalent to the father, who breaks his word and his oath.'-60. Consortem socium, his partner in business;' for this is the proper sense of consors, one who has, along with another, a sors, capital, for carrying on business.-62. Properet propere paret, is hurriedly acquiring. Scilicet, here naturally,' it is not to be wondered at that.'-64. Curtae rei mancae, nimis parvae rei familiari. So the father thinks at least, since, never content with what he has, he is always seeking more wealth. · CARMEN XXV. HYMNUS IN BACCHUM. ODE to Bacchus, inspired by whom the poet declares that he wishes to sing the praises of Augustus. Quo me, Bacche, rapis tui Plenum? quae nemora aut quos agor in specus 2. Quae nemora is governed by in, which is given in the following member of the clause, quos in specus. The meaning of the poetical expression is: to what wilt thou inspire me, O Bacchus ?- Thracen ac pede barbaro Lustratam Rhodopen, ut mihi devio Ripas et vacuum nemus Mirari libet. O Naiadum potens Proceras manibus vertere fraxinos, Nil mortale loquar. Dulce periculum est, Cingentem viridi tempora pampino. 5 10 15 20 3. Velox mente nova, 'winged, rendered fleet by a new mind.' Mens nova, the feeling which was not in my bosom till Bacchus put it there, enthusiasm, inspiration.-4. Construe thus: audiar meditans inserere aeternum decus Caesaris stellis, shall I be heard, as I purpose, strive, to set the fame of Augustus among the stars, thus making it undying.' He purposes, in short, to write a poem in praise of the emperor.-6. Concilio Jovis, among the council of Jupiter,' who holds just such a deliberative assembly of the other gods as the Roman senate was. An allusion to the prudent legislation of Augustus.-7. Insigne recens, a star newly risen, and consequently as yet unsung by any other (indictum adhuc ore alio.) Hercules and Romulus had been brilliant stars, and were afterwards taken up to be gods. Hence Augustus himself is here the insigne.-8. Non secus is to be connected with ut in line 12. The prose expression is non secus ac. Not otherwise does the Bacchant feel enthusiasm than I shall do.' The Bacchant is called Evias, from Erius, the surname of Bacchus. See i. 18, 9. She is called exsomnis, because she celebrates her rites in the night. The chief seat of the Bacchantes was Thrace, where the river Hebrus and the mountain-range of Rhodope were. The inhabitants were called by the Greeks, in the strict use of the word, barbarians: hence in line 11, pede barbaro.-12. Devio, wandering away from the abodes of men.' Hence the nemus is called vacuum, desolate, empty of men.'-14. Naiadum potens ; namely, Bacchus. Compare i. 3, 1: potens Cypri.-16. Vertere for evertere, to tear up, or overthrow.' The Bacchic frenzy was said to give the women such strength that they could root up trees with their hands.-18. Dulce periculum. It is dangerous for a mortal to approach the god, for the divine influence is exerted even over the bodies of the devotees. However, this danger is sweet, pleasant.-20. Bacchus is represented with his temples begirt with a garland of vine twigs and leaves. 6 CARMEN XXIX. AD MAECENATEM. THE poet invites his patron Maecenas to visit him at his Sabine farm. To this invitation are added reflections on wealth, and the true way of enjoying life. TYRRHENA regum progenies, tibi Non ante verso lene merum cado Pressa tuis balanus capillis Jamdudum apud me est. Eripe te morae, Ne semper udum Tibur et Aesulae 5 Declive contempleris arvum et Telegoni juga parricidae. Fastidiosam desere copiam et Molem propinquam nubibus arduis; 10 1. Tyrrhena regum progenies. See i. 1, 1.-2. Non ante verso cado, 'from a pitcher never before turned over;' that is, inclined so as to pour out wine. Hence the meaning is: a new amphora must be broken open in honour of Maecenas. Lene merum, mild wine,' wine which has become mild by age. See iii. 16, 35.-4. Tuis capillis, for thy hair.' Balanus, an Arabian aromatic fruit, which, as we see here, came to Rome just as it grew, and was pressed (pressa) for its oil there.-5. Jamdudum apud me, already for a long time beside me, in my house.' In jamdudum we see Horace's longing for a visit from his patron and friend.-6. Maecenas had his palace at Rome on the Esquiline, the highest hill in the city (whence, in line 10, the house is called moles propinqua nubibus arduis), which was famed for its salubrious air, and for the view that a person could obtain from it over the whole of Rome. Maecenas, in his will, bequeathed his house to Augustus, and thus it came into the possession of the Roman emperors. Nero is said to have looked from it upon the burning city. Here the poet is to be understood quite literally, when he speaks of Maecenas surveying the so-called Campagna di Roma, as the Esquiline Hill commanded this view. Three towns were particularly prominent in the view-namely, Tibur (now Tivoli), as to which, compare i. 7, 12; the ancient town of Aesula, on the slope of the Alban hills (hence declive arvum); and Tusculum, which was situated on the ridge of the Alban hills, and was celebrated as a place of great strength, but in modern times, since its destruction in the middle ages, may be consi Omitte mirari beatae Fumum et opes strepitumque Romae. Sollicitam explicuere frontem. Jam clarus occultum Andromedae pater Ostendit ignem, jam Procyon furit Et stella vesani Leonis, Sole dies referente siccos; Jam pastor umbras cum grege languido Tu civitatem quis deceat status, Curas et urbi sollicitus times, Bactra parent Tanaisque discors. dered as represented by the town of Frascati, at the foot of the range. The local tradition in regard to the origin of Tusculum was, that it had been founded by Telegonus, a son of Ulysses, who undesignedly killed his father.-11. Beatae Romae, of wealthy Rome,' for this is generally the sense of beatus.-13. Vices, 'change.-14. Sub lare = sub tecto, the god for that which he protects.-16. Sollicitam explicuere frontem, unwrinkle, smooth the anxious brow;' that is, generally, drive away care and trouble. The perfect is here used in an aorist sense, of that which commonly happens.-17. The sense is this: summer is already come, the season when residence in the country is delightful. In the beginning of July the star named after Cepheus, the father of Andromeda, rises; then the Procyon (Latin Antecanis), one of the stars in the constellation of Orion; soon after it the dogstar (Canicula) itself; and finally, the star of the Lion makes its appearance, which is called here vesanus, because it brings the greatest heat.-20. Referente, bringing back every year.-21. Pastor-quaerit is to be understood generally of all shepherds, but more particularly of those who tended the extensive flocks which, during the winter, fed in the plains of Apulia and Calabria, but in the summer were taken up to the hills of Lucania.-22. Horridi, rough, shaggy,' for he is represented with the hairy feet of a goat.-25. It does not appear that Horace alludes here to the praefectura urbis, which Maecenas held in the year 30 B. C., during the absence of Augustus from the city. He would have indicated it more distinctly. We have here simply a general description of political employments.-27. Regnata Cyro, once reigned over by Cyrus,' which once belonged to the great Persian empire. As to the construction of regnare, see ii. 6, 12, note.-28. Tanais is used here for the Scythians on its banks, and their neighbours the Parthians. = 30 35 40 45 50 29. Prudens, not without purpose.'-31. Ultra fas, "beyond what he is permitted to know, beyond what the gods have allowed him,' for this is fas. Trepidat curat, timet.-32. Quod adest, the present, and that which immediately follows it; the things of to-day and to-morrow. -33. Aequus, with equity, justice;' the adjective for the adverb, which would have been used in prose. Fluminis; namely, the Tiber, from which the whole of the following comparison is taken.--35. Cum pace = placide, quiete, 'peacefully, calmly.' -40. Diluvies, a flood.' When the melting of the snow on the mountains has swelled the tributaries of the Tiber, Anio, Nar, and Clanis, which commonly flow peacefully along, then the Tiber also becomes an impetuous torrent. 41. Potens sui, master of himself,' so that he keeps his passions under subjection.-42. In diem, for every day.'-44. Polum, as frequently, the sky' generally.-47. Diffinget, change the form of, alter.' -49. Laeta saevo negotio, who rejoices in her cruel employment;" namely, impoverishing the wealthy and humbling the proud.-50. Ludere, depending, according to a Greek construction, on pertinax, 'obstinate to play; that is, in playing.'-53. Celeres pennas. Compare i. 34, 15.-54. Resigno, a term taken from the Roman money-dealings, |