Aut Fabius? Quis Cotta iterùm? Quis Lentulus alter? II. Vester porrò labor fœcundior, historiarum 96 100 III. "Sed genus ignavum, quod lecto gaudet et umbra." 105 received with pride, and whose bounty might be accepted without dishonour. G.-Pulpita] The stage, the theatre. 94. Mæcenas-Proculeius, &c.] Mæcenas was the well-known patron of Horace and Virgil. Proculeius, Fabius, Cotta, and Lentulus, were other noble and liberal patrons in the age of Augustus. 97. Pallêre] To grow pale from close study.-Toto Decembri] Even during the festive season of the Saturnalia, which were kept in this month. 98. Porrò] Autein. L.-Facundior] Ironically. Your labour, o ye historians, is, doubtless, more productive than that of poets, since it is more severe and expensive. 99. Olei plus] More study by lamp-light. 101. Multa damnosa papyro] So much paper is used, as to ruin the poor historian with the expense of it. M. 102. Rerum] Events or facts to be recorded.-Operum lex] The rules of history, which oblige the historian to be particular in his relation of facts, and, of course, diffuse. M. 103. Aperta] Aratro inversæ. L. 104. Acta legenti] This is generally understood of the Actuarius, or clerk of the court, whose business was to keep the public records, and to read extracts from them; but Ruperti applies it to that sort of slave called Anagnostes (from avayivwokw, lego), who was employed to read aloud at meals, or other times, for the amusement of the master and his friends. In this sense, the enquiry is"Who will bestow on the historian even the allowance of the slave that reads his work?" 105. Sed genus ignavum, &c.] A supposed objection, whereby the next head of the satire is ingeniously introduced :-" But historians, as well as poets, are an idle race; no wonder, therefore, they are poor."-Let us turn then, says Juvenal, to the busy lawyers. Juv. Sat. G Dic, igitur, quid causidicis civilia præstent Qui venit ad dubium grandi cum codice nomen: Consedêre Duces; surgis tu pallidus Ajax, Judice. Rumpe, miser, tensum jecur, ut tibi lasso 106. Civilia officia] Their pleading in civil causes. 110 115 107. Comites libelli] The briefs, or papers, which they carry with them. 108. Creditor] Their client, who has employed them to recover a debt. 109. Acrior illo] The debtor, who is generally sharper in disputing, than the Creditor in proving, the debt. 110. Ad dubium nomen] Ad dubium faciendum, negaudum nomen, debitum. R.-Codice] An account-book. 111. Folles] The lawyer's lungs, working like a smith's bel\ lows. V. 113. Hinc] On one side, in one scale. 114. Russati Lacerta] The charioteers who drove in the games of the Circus, were distinguished by different colours, like the modern jockeys.-Lacerta is the name of a charioteer; russati signifies one of the red faction, which seems to have been the favourite party at the time when this satire was written, as the green was when the eleventh was written. xi. 188. O. 115. Consedere Duces] The beginning of Ovid's account of the dispute between Ajax and Ulysses, for the armour of Achilles, humorously applied to the present subject. W. Consedêre duces; et, vulgi stante coronâ, Surgit ad hos dominus clypei septemplicis Ajax. Met. xiii. 1. 116. Dicturus dubiâ pro libertate] As Cicero pleaded for Archias, whose right to the freedom of the city was disputed. Or perhaps on a meaner question,-whether his client is a freeman, or a slave?-Bubulco Judice] "Before Judge Jolthead." G.-Some stupid ignorant fellow, fitter to be a cow-herd than a judge. 118. Virides palma] It was customary for the client, if he gained his cause, to adorn the door of his advocate's house with laurels, Quod vocis pretium? Siccus petasunculus, et vas Pelamidum; aut veteres, Afrorum epimenia, bulbi; 120 Aut vinum Tiberi devectum, quinque lagenæ, Si quater egisti: si contigit aureus unus, Inde cadunt partes, ex fædere, pragmaticorum. 6. 125 130 &c. in token of victory. These palms are here called scalarum gloria, with reference to the garret where the poor advocate lodged. 120. Pelamidum] A vile fish of the tunny kind, which was salted or pickled in jars.—Afrorum epimenia] Gr. emunvia, from unv, unvos, mensis. Monthly presents or exports from Africa to Rome. 121. Vinum Tiberi devectum] The wine from the countries on the Tiber, above Rome, (such as the Veientan mentioned by Horace, Sat. ii. 3. 143.) was proverbially bad. All the choice wines came from Greece or Campania, and were consequently brought up the Tiber from Ostia. 122. Aureus unus] Nummus understood. 123. Inde cadunt, &c.] Ex eo deducuntur portiones pragmaticorum (attorneys) secundùm pactum. P. 124. Æmilio] Some noble and wealthy lawyer.—Et melius, &c.] Et tamen nos pauperes causidici melius causas egimus (pro agimus) quam ille. 125. Currus aheneus, alti Quadrijuges] The triumphal statue, in bronze, of some ancestor of his, (of the great Paulus Æmilius perhaps,) which represented the hero standing in his chariot. 126. Atque ipse] There was also an equestrian statue of the lawyer himself. 127. Curvatum] Quivering. 128. Statuá luscá] The statue represented him with one eye closed, as in the act of taking aim. 129. Sic] By attempting a similar display-Conturbat] Brings his affairs into disorder, ruins himself.-Pedo was some-unknown lawyer of the day.-For Matho, see on Sat. i. 32. 130. Tongilli exitus hic est] This will be the end of Tongillus, some other lawyer, who was just then in the zenith of his shortlived splendour.-Rhinocerote] A costly oil-cruse, made of the horn of a rhinoceros. Qui solet, et vexat lutulentâ balnea turbâ, 135 140 131. Lutulentá turbá] His train of attendants, bespattered with the mire of the streets. 132. Assere] By which his litter was borne. 133. Myrrhina] What these myrrhine vases were, is doubtful; whether they were of porcelain, or of agate, (as Mr. Gifford suggests,) or of some beautifully coloured spar. Pliny, in describing them, expressly mentions the "colorum varietas, ac repercussus, quales in cælesti arcu spectantur." 134. Stlataria Stlata is an Illyrican piratical ship: hence stlatarius signifies "deceitful." O.-Spondet] Gains him credit. His fine dress seems to engage for his ability to pay. 135. Vendit] Commendat plebi; efficit, ut majori conducatur pretio. R. 136. Amethystina] Vestimenta violacei coloris, qualis est in amethysto lapillo. P. 139. Ut redeant Veteres] Quamvis in vitam redeant veteres illi summique oratores. R. 140. Nummos] Sestertios. See on Sat. i. 84. 141. Qui litigat] Qui litem habet. P.-Compare Sat. iii. 122— 124. 142. Octo servi, &c.] We have here the description of a great lawyer's full retinue, when going to the Forum. First walked a train of clients, togati; then came the lawyer himself, generally on foot, but followed always by his litter, to receive him at pleasure, and to convey him home after the fatigues of the court. The litter was borne by eight slaves, (an affectation of extraordinary pomp, six being the usual number even with the wealthiest,) and attended by ten other servants. 144. Pluris] At a higher fee.-Paulus, Cossus, and Basilus, were three poor lawyers of the day; the first of whom was lucky in his 145 Quàm Basilus. Rara in tenui facundia panno. 150 affectation of wealth; while the two latter were unfortunate in not having the art or the power to conceal their poverty. 146. Flentem producere matrem] When will Basilus, or any man of mean appearance, be employed in a cause of great consequence, as Cicero for Fonteius, where a mother was produced in court, weeping and supplicating for the life of her son? M. 147. Accipiat te Gallia vel-Africa] "Go into the provinces; there perhaps you may find employment." 148. Nutricula causidicorum] It was probably the custom of the young lawyers to resort to the provinces, in order to begin practice. 149. Mercedem] Pretium. P. 150. Declamare doces] The poet now proceeds to describe the miseries of another order in the literary world, those engaged in the instruction of youth: the teachers, 1. of rhetoric, and 2. of grammar. (1. 215.) These were the two grand branches of a liberal education among the Romans. After a boy had made a sufficient progress in his grammatical studies, he proceeded to some school of eloquence.-O ferrea pectora Vecti] What an iron heart must Vectius have, to witness every day the slaughter of so many tyrants !—meaning really, what an iron heart he must have, to go patiently through the drudgery of endiess repetition!-Vectius was a celebrated rhetorician mentioned by Pliny, here put for any one of that profession. 151. Classis numerosa perimit sævos tyrannos] Sic, Consilium dedimus Sulla, Sat. i. 16. Ingens discipulorum numerus declamat, vel recitat orationes de perimendis tyrannis; quod thema Rhetor illis tractandum dederat. R. 152. Sedens legerat] Classis sc.--The class first went through the lesson at their seats, the master instructing them in the proper emphasis, &c.; and afterwards, when they had committed it to memory, they stood up and repeated it. The words eadem, eadem, and iisdem, mark the tediousness of the master's task, which is well expressed in this Greek saying: OL AVTOI, TEFI TWY avτων, τοις αυτοις, τα αυτα. |