O Pollio.

because it is now manifest that his predictions are true. Apollo was the god, under whose influence the Sibyls were, when they prophesied, or gave out their oracles.

Apollo was the son of Jupiter and Latona, and brother of Diana. Juno, in order to vent her rage against Latona, sent the serpent Python, to vex and torment her. She was unable to find a place where she could be delivered of her children in peace, till Neptune, taking pity on her, raised the island Delos, where she was safely delivered of Apollo and Diana at a birth. As soon as he was born, Apollo slew the serpent Python, from which circumstance he is sometimes called Pythius. He was accounted the god of medicine, music, poetry, and eloquence, all of which, it is said, he invented. His son Esculapius being killed by Jupiter for raising the dead, he in turn slew the Cyclops, who had made the thunderbolt that slew him. Jupiter being much enraged at this piece of conduct, banished him from heaven, and deprived him of his dignity. He came to Admetus, king of Thessaly, and hired himself as a shepherd, in which employment he served nine years. Hence he is sometimes called the god of shepherds. Apollo was amorous, and had many children. His worship was very general. At Delphi, Delos, Claros, Tenedos, Patara, &c. he had celebrated oracles. He had several names: Pythius, already mentioned; Delius, from the island Delos, where he was born; Cynthius, from Cynthus, the name of a mountain on the same island; Paan, from a Greek word which signifies to strike, or wound, in allusion to his killing the Python; Delphicus, from Delphi, in Phocis, where he had his most famous temple and oracle; Clarus, &c. He was called Phœbus, or Sol, in heaven. There were several among the ancients, who went under the name of Apollo. Cicero mentions three, besides the son of Jupiter and Latona.

11. Hoc decus avi: this glory of the age, i. e. this glorious age, shall commence in your consulship.

12. Magni menses. Servius and Pomponius think we are to understand the months of July and August, because they bore the names of Julius and Augustus. But we are undoubtedly to understand the magni menses here, in the same manner and sense,

15

as magnus ordo sæclorum, verse 5, supra. Pollio. A very distinguished Roman. He arrived to the highest honors that the people could bestow. He was appointed Profectus of Hispania Ulterior by Julius Cæsar. On some occasion or other, being in Cis-alpine Gaul, he became acquainted with Virgil, for whom he conceived a very high regard, and recommended him to Maecenas, who was then at Rome. A way was thus opened to our poet for the recovery of his lands. In the year of Rome, 714, Pollio was appointed consul, and in the following year he triumphed over the Partheni, a people of Illyricum, who adhered to the party of Brutus and Cassius. He wrote the history of the civil wars, and was both a poet and orator. He died in the eightieth year of his age, and in the year of Rome, 757.

13. Siqua vestigia, &c. The poet here alludes, most probably, to the perjury of Laomedon, king of Troy; to which the Trojans attributed their misfortunes and calamities. See Geor. I. 502; or to the civil wars which were carried on between Cæsar and Pompey. Or lastly, to the death of Julius Caesar, who was slain by Brutus in the senate house; which was the cause of a second civil war, between Brutus and Cassius on the one part, and Octavius and Anthony on the other. It terminated in the ruin of the Republic, and in the establishment of the Empire.

14. Irrita: being effaced, or done away, will free the earth, &c. Irrita, of in negativum, and ratus; agreeing with vestigia.

15. Ille accipiet vitam: he shall partake the life of the gods, &c. Here is an allusion to the Golden Age, when, the poets say, the gods had familiar intercourse with men, and dwelt on the earth. That happy period was again about to return.

17. Reget, &c. He shall rule the peaceful world by his father's virtues. Meaning that the child should arrive at the highest honors of the state, that is, should be a consul. Or, he shall rule the world, reduced to peace by his father's virtues. Pollio and Mæcenas effected a reconciliation between Octavius and Anthony, which gave hope of a lasting peace. Orbem here means the Roman Empire; which, in the height of its greatness, comprehended the greater part of the world that was then known.

19. Baccare. Baccar, a sweet herb called by some ladies-glove; by others, clown-spikenard. Colocasia: Egyptian beans. Acantho: the herb called bear's-fool. It has a long and broad leaf.

23. Cunabula ipsa: the cradle itself the very cradle. Blandos: in the sense of jucundos.

24. Serpens occidet: the serpent shall die. This is a very remarkable passage. The Messiah was promised to bruise the head of the serpent, Gen. Ch. iii. 15th verse. Fallax herba veneni: the deceiving herb of poison shall die-every herb whose poisonous quality is not known. For if it were known, no person would meddle with it, and consequently none would be deceived. Amoтит. Sec Ecl. iii. 89.

28. Molli: ripe. For the fields do not grow yellow till the approach of harvest. Arista: corn-an ear of corn.

29. Sentibus: thorn-bushes.

31. Tamen pauca, &c. We may here observe the several gradations of the Golden Age. With the birth of the child it commenced: Cunabula fundent flores. During the years of his youth, the earth is to bring forth abundantly. There is to be no want of any thing: Campus flavescet, &c. All vestiges of former crimes, however, were not done away. Some traces of the Iron Age were to be visible in the conduct and actions of men: Quæ jubeant, &c. But when he has arrived to years of full maturity, then the earth is to produce all things spontaneously: Omnis tellus feret omnia; and the Golden Age is to appear

in all its felicity and glory. Fraudıs in the sense of sceleris.

32. Thetim. Thetis, goddess of the sea, the daughter of Nereus and Doris. Jupiter fell in love with her, and determined to marry her; but being informed by Prometheus of a decree of the fates, that she should bear a son who should be greater than his father, he desisted from his purpose. Whereupon Peleus, king of Thessaly, took her to wife, and of her begat Achilles. Thetis, by meton.is put for the sea in this place.

34. Tiphys. The name of the pilot of the ship Argo. It was so called, either from Argus, the architect; or from Argivi, Greeks, whom it carried. It was built at Pegasa, a promontory and town of Thessaly. Hence sometimes called navis Pegasæa.

35. Delectos heroas: chosen heroes.These were noble Greeks, chiefly of Thessaly. They were about fifty in number, and went to Colchis in the ship Argo, to bring away the golden fleece, which was guarded by a dragon, and bulls breathing fire.

Jason commanded the expedition. Castor, Pollux, Hercules, Theseus, Orpheus, Zetes, and Calais, accompanied him. The crew collectively was called Argonaute. Sce nom. prop. under Jason.

36. Achilles-Trojam-Argo-Tiphys. These are here put for any hero, any city, any ship, any pilot.

38. Nec nautica pinus, &c. Nor shai, ine naval pine exchange commodities-carry on traffic. Pinus is here put for a ship made of that tree, by meton. Vector: the mariner. Cedet: shall leave, or abandon.

40

jam suave rubenti mu

rice, jam

magnum incrementum

nos honores

45

50

55

42 Lana discet, &c. Nor shall the wool learn to counterfeit various colors.

44. Murice. Murex, a sea-fish of the shell kind. It is said to have been of great use among the ancients for dying purple. Hence, by meton. put for the purple color itself. Croceo: an adj. from crocum, or crocus, saffron. Luto: the Lutum was an herb used in dying yellow. Hence the color itself, by meton. Modern botanists describe it under the name of luteola, wild-woad, and dyer's weed. It is used in coloring both wool and silk. Mutabit: shall tinge, or dye.

45. Sandyx: the scarlet color-vermilion. 46. Fusis: to their spindles.

47. Parca. They were the daughters of Erebus and Nox, and said to be three in number: Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos. They were supposed to preside over the birth, life, and death of mankind. The first was represented as presiding over the moment of birth, and holding a distaff in her hand; the second, as spinning out the events and actions of human life; the last as cutting the thread of it with a pair of scissors. They were considered powerful goddesses, and were worshipped with great solemnity. Stabili numine: in the fixed purpose or decree. Clara. Some copies have cara.Magnum incrementum : great son of Jove. 48. Aggredere. Ruæus says accede.

50. Aspice mundum: see the world with its globous mass or load, nodding (reeling to and fro) both the land, &c. Dr. Trapp takes convexo pondere in the sense of converi

60

ponderis, and connects it with mundum, and not with nutantem, as is commonly done. For he observes, that it is impossible for the earth to reel to and fro or nod, with its own weight or load. He chooses, therefore, to understand it of the load of its guilt and misery: mole malorum, vitiorumque; but rejoicing at the happy change about to be introduced, which is expressed in the next line: omnia lætentur sæclo futuro. Some explain the words, aspice mundum, &c., look with compassion upon a world, nutantem mole malorum vitiorumque: laboring and oppressed with a load of guilt and misery. Ut: in the sense of quomodo.

55. Non vincet. Non appears to be used in the sense of nullus. No one shall excel me in singing, neither Thracian, &c.

56. Linus. He was the son of Apollo and Terpsichore, one of the muses. He was an excellent musician, and the preceptor of Orpheus and Hercules. He is said to have been killed by the latter, by a stroke of his lyre, because he laughed at his singing. Quamvis mater Calliopea adsit, &c. Although the mother Calliopca should assist this Orpheus; and fair Apollo, the father, should assist this Linus. Orphei: a Greek dat. of Orpheus.

59. Arcadia judice: Arcadia being judge. Arcadia was an inland country of the Peloponnesus, famous for its excellent pastures. The whole of it was sacred to Pan. See Ecl. ii. 31.

60. Risu cognoscere, &c. Begin, sweet boy, to know thy mother by her smiles

€3. Nec Deus dignatus est hunc mensâ

kind to the child. But upon the nature or extent of the threat, commentators are not agreed. It is generally thought that reference is here made to verse 15, where the babe was promised divine honors: ille ac cipiet vitum Deorum; and lest he should fail of it, the poet urges him to smile upon his parents, that in turn they might smile upon him. For, on whom his parents have not smiled, him hath a god neither honoured with his table, nor a goddess with her bed. Thus Dr. Trapp.

What is the subject of this pastoral? In what light has it been considered by some?

Are there any passages in it which have a resemblance to the prophecies of our Saviour, as contained in the scriptures?

Was the poet divinely inspired? About this time was there a general exnectation of the Messiah's appearance? How was this occasioned?

At what age did the son of Pollio die? How many years before the birth of Christ?

Do some suppose the poet celebrates the birth of Marcellus?

Who was this Marcellus? To what age did he live?

Who were the Sibyls? How many docs Varro mention? Of these, which was the most distinguished?

Where did she reside'

What does Justin Martyr say of her residence?

Who was Saturn? What is said of him? Whence did Latium derive its name? How did Saturn employ his time after his banishment to Italy?

How many ages do the poets mention before the deluge in the reign of Deucalion? Describe those ages?

Who was Apollo? What is said of him? For what was he banished from heaven? What did he then do?

Where were his most celebrated oracles? What were his names?

Who was Pollio? To what honors did he arrive?

Was it through his means that Virgil recovered his land? In what way? To what age did he live?

Who were the Parce? How many in number? What was their supposed office?