Proximus accedat, qui nunc denormat agellum. Hercule:' si, quod adest, gratum juvat, hac prece te oro: 6 10 15 20 20 25 25 30 of such people.-10. Some one had found a treasure, and suddenly made himself the owner of the estate on which he had formerly toiled as a day-labourer. Hercules presided over hidden treasures. As to si quae fors, unusual for si qua fors, see Gram. § 119.-13. Gratum juvat, so pleases me that I am grateful and contented.'-14. Praeter ingenium, except my brain,' a pingue ingenium being a stupid, dull intellect.-16. In montes, his Sabine farm being among the Apennines (see Carm. iii. 4, 21.) For this reason, and also because it was a refuge from the bustle of the town, he calls it arx.-17. Satiris Musaque pedestri, ablative of the instrument, and an i, dià duoïv, = Musa pedestri satirarum. Horace considers his satires as merely versified prose, since the flow of thought is not poetical.-18. Plumbeus Auster is the scirocco (see Carm. ii. 14, 16) which makes men's limbs heavy, and, as it were, leaden.-19. Libitina was the Roman goddess of funerals. See Carm. iii. 30, 7.-20. Matutine pater seems to be a name for Janus formed by Horace himself. Horace means to describe the course of his life from the morning (mane); hence he begins with the god of the morning. Seu Jane libentius audis is = vel Jane, si (ita) libentius audis, if thou choosest rather to be called Janus.' Compare Carm. Saec. 15.-21. Unde instituunt = a quo incipiunt.-23. Janus himself addresses the poet: Eia, urge, scil. te, = propera, ne quisquam, etc. He urges him to go out early in the morning, to visit his patrons. See i. 6, 101.26. Interiore gyro trahit = contrahit in angustiorem gyrum; hence in the Ad Maecenatem memori si mente recurras!' Hoc juvat et melli est, non mentiar; at simul atras De re communi scribae magna atque nova te In numero, duntaxat ad hoc, quem tollere rheda 35 40 Hoc genus: 'Hora quota est? Threx est Gallina Syro par? Matutina parum cautos jam frigora mordent,' Et quae rimosa bene deponuntur in aure. Per totum hoc tempus subjectior in diem et horam 45 50 Luserat in Campo: 'Fortunae filius,' omnes. depth of winter, when the days are at the shortest.-31. Memori mente. The notion is, that at first Horace had intended to remain at home, but suddenly remembering that he must pay Maecenas a visit, he goes out and pushes his way through the crowd.-32. Juvat et melli est= delectat et jucundum est; namely, the visiting of Maecenas. The Esquiliae or Mons Esquilinus, on which the house of Maecenas stood, was formerly a burying-ground; hence atrae.-35. Puteal is, properly, a place round a well (puteus), enclosed by a grating; then, generally, a sacred place.-42. Ad hoc,for this object, for this.' Tollere rheda; that is, to have me as his travelling companion.-44. Hoc genus hujus generis. Gram. § 260. Threx is the name of a kind of gladiator armed with a round shield and a crooked sword.-46. Et quae; supply alia, ' and other things of that kind, which.'-47. Subjectior, scil. fui.— 48. Spectaverat, conditional si spectaverat. He calls himself noster jocularly, our friend Quintus.'-49. Omnes, scil. inquiunt.-50. Frigidus, uncomfortable.' Compare ii. 1, 62.-52. Deos. This name is here jocularly given to the great men who rule the state.-53. As to the Daci, see Carm. i. 35, 9.—54. Derisor dissimulator.-55. Quidquam, 6 = = Praedia Caesar, an est Itala tellure daturus?' Scilicet egregii mortalem altique silenti. Perditur haec inter misero lux non sine votis : O quando faba Pythagorae cognata simulque 60 65 Legibus insanis, seu quis capit acria fortis Pocula, seu modicis uvescit laetius. Ergo 70 Sermo oritur, non de villis domibusve alienis, Nec male necne Lepos saltet; sed, quod magis ad nos Pertinet et nescire malum est, agitamus, utrumne Quidve ad amicitias, usus rectumne, trahat nos; 75 Et quae sit natura boni summumque quid ejus. scil. audivi.—–60. Horace's thoughts, longing for the country. -62. Ducere haurire, to drink in."-64. Ponentur. See ii. 4, 14.-67. Libatis dapibus. He gives his favourite slaves portions of the food which he himself is eating, to taste.-69. Leges insanae are the stiff rules of etiquette observed at banquets in Rome.-72. Lepos, a dancer, of whom Octavianus was fond.-75. Usus rectumne = utrum utilitas an virtus. Rectum is a philosophical expression of the Stoic school, for absolute good.'-76. Summumque quid ejus; that is, et quid summum bonum sit. Cicero has written a treatise De finibus bonorum et malorum. -78. Ex re, as they are suggested to him by the subject of conversation.' Arelli sollicitas ignarus opes, the wealth of Arellius, wealth which (a fact that the person praising it does not know) causes him much anxiety and trouble.'-82. Asper, rough' in outward appearance; attentus quaesitis, thrifty, frugal;' literally, careful to keep what it had acquired.' Artum animum: it was commonly of a frugal 6 6 6 . 6 Sepositi ciceris nec longae invidit avenae, Praerupti nemoris patientem vivere dorso? Vis tu homines urbemque feris praeponere silvis ? Vive memor, quam sis aevi brevis." Haec ubi dicta 85 90 95 100 105 110 mind.'-84. Invidere alicujus rei, according to a Greek usage = parcere. See Zumpt, § 413.-87. Tangentis. The city mouse is fastidious, and merely nibbles.-89. Esset ederet.-91. Patientem. See Carm. i. 7, 10.— 93. Carpe viam-comes, a highly-poetical expression comitare me, is intentionally chosen, for the sake of producing a laugh. Terrestria quando-sortita; that is, quoniam terrestria (homines vel omnia quae in terra sunt) vivunt ita ut mortales animas sortila sint, since everything earthly must die.'-95. Quo, bone, circa is a tmesis for quocirca, bone. See line 51.-103. Vestis. See ii. 4, 84, note.-105. Procul exstructis in altum exstructis: they were piled one above the other.-108. Continuat dupes: = continuo affert novas dapes. Verniliter, like a slave who waits at table.'-111. Agit laetum convivam, plays the merry guest.' Currere per totum pavidi conclave, magisque Personuit canibus. Tum rusticus: "Haud mihi vita 115 Est opus hac," ait, "et valeas; me silva cavusque Tutus ab insidiis tenui solabitur ervo." -113. Currere and trepidare, historical infinitives.-114. Simul = simul atque. SATIRA VIII. HORACE makes his friend and brother poet Fundanius (see i. 10, 42) describe a feast which Nasidienus Rufus, a man who with debauchery combined a certain degree of avarice, had given to Maecenas and his train. The couches, as we see from line 20 and following, were thus arranged : (1) Fundanius; (2) Viscus; (3) Varius; (4) Servilius; (5) Maecenas ; (6) Vibidius; (7) Nomentanus; (8) Nasidienus; (9) Porcius. It is worthy of remark, that the arrangements of the table correspond with the rules which Horace lays down in the 4th satire of this book. Perhaps, therefore, in that satire Nasidienus is to be looked upon as the inventor of the precepts. 'Ur Nasidieni juvit te coena beati ? Nam mihi, convivam quaerenti, dictus here illic De medio potare die.' In vita fuerit melius.' 'Sic, ut mihi nunquam 'Dic, si grave non est, 5 Quae prima iratum ventrem placaverit esca.' 'In primis Lucanus aper; leni fuit Austro 1. Juvit = delectavit. Beati = divitis.-2. Dictus, scil. es, I was told yesterday, when I was going to invite thee to a feast, that thou hadst been there drinking since mid-day.' The dinner usually did not begin till about four o'clock; only gluttons commenced earlier.— 5. That is, what the gustatio was.-6. As to Lucanus aper, see ii. 4, 40. It had been caught leni Austro, the host told the guests, that they |