53. Ille taurus fultus quoad niveum latus mol

55. Aut aliquam vac

cam

43. Hylan. Hylas was the companion of Hercules in the Argonautic expedition, and much beloved by him. Having gone on shore to obtain water, by some means or other, he was lost. The poets say he was carried off by the nymphs. Hercules and his companions were much grieved at the loss of the boy, and went along the shores, when they found he was missing, calling him by name, Hyla, Hyla. Clamassent: in the sense of vocavissent. See Ecl. iv. 35.

46. Pasiphaën: a Greek acc. the daughter of the sun, and wife of Minos, king of Crete. See Æn. vi, 24.

47. Virgo. The poet here calls Pasiphaë a virgin, though she was the mother of Phadra, Ariadne, and Androgeus. The ancients sometimes called any woman in early life a virgin.

48. Prætides: the daughters of Prætus, king of the Argives, who vied with Juno in beauty. The goddess, by way of punishment, caused them to imagine they were changed into heifers. Their lowings, mugitus, are here called false, because they were not in reality heifers. Secuta est: in the sense of quæsivit.

50.

Quamvis timuisset : although each one had feared the plough upon her neck-the yoke from which the plough was hung or suspended.

53. Fultus: supported-resting or reclining.

56. Dictœæ: an adj. from Dicte, a mountain of Crete. Silenus turns again to the story of Pasiphaë, whom he here introduces as speaking, and calling upon the nymphs to shut up the openings of the groves. Perhaps some where or other the wandering steps

56

58. Forsitan alique vaccæ perducant illum, aut captum viridi herba, 60 aut secutum armenta ad

61. Tum canit puellam, &e. Then he sings the damsel admiring the apples of the Hesperides. This was Atalanta, the daughter of Schæneus, king of the island of Scyrus, in the Egean sea. She consented to marry the man who should outrun her, but if he were beaten, he should lose his life. Several had lost their lives. At length she was beaten by Hippomenes, the grandson of Neptune or Mars. At the suggestion of Venus, Hippomenes cast three apples, taken from the garden of the Hesperides, on the ground, one at a time, when she was gaining upon him; which so captivated the virgin, that she stopped to pick them up; and by this means he obtained the beauteous prize. Hesperidum. The Hesperides were three in number, Ægle, Arethusa, and Herperethusa, the daughters of Hesperus, the brother of Atlas. They resided in Mauritania, in Africa, where it is said they had gardens, in which were trees that bore golden apples. These gardens were watched by a dragon that never slept. Hercules slew him, and stole the apples. See Æn. iv. 484.

62. Tum circumdat, &c. Then he encloses the sisters of Phaethon in the moss of bitter bark-he sings them transformed into pop

Permessi

dant hos calamos tibi;

dederant

65

70

est succinctam quoad

75

lar or alder trees. Phaethontiadas. These were the sisters of Phaethon, or Phaëton, and daughters of the sun. They were sometimes called Heliades. Their names were Phaëthusa, Lampetie, and Lampethusa. Phaëton imprudently desired of his father the management of his chariot for one day. Phœbus refused for a long time. But, at last, overcome by his importunity, he consented. He was, however, soon convinced of his rashness; for the horses, perceiving an unusual driver, became impatient of the reins; and when they had passed the meridian in their course, and began to descend, he was no longer able to restrain them, and the youth was thrown headlong from the car into the Eridanus, or Po. His sisters grieved immoderately at this misfortune of their brother; and were changed, some say, into poplar trees, others say, into alder trees. See Ovid. Met. Lib. 2.

63. Circumdat. Ruæus says, cingit. Proceras: stately.

64. Permessi. Permessus, a river of Beotia, rising at the foot of mount Helicon. Gallum. See Ecl. 10.

65. In Aonas montes: to the Beotian mountains, Helicon and Citheron, famous for being the seat of the Muses. Beotia was originally called Aonia, from Aon, the son of Neptune, who reigned in that country.

66. Omnis chorus. Here Virgil pays Gallus a very high compliment as a poet; and he does it in the most delicate manner. They rose up in his presence, to do him honor:

assurrexerit viro.

67. Linus. See Ecl. iv. 56. Carmine: in the sense of versibus.

70. Ascræo seni: to the Ascrean sage Hesiod; who was a native of Ascra, a town of Beotia not far from Helicon. He was a celebrated poet.

71. Quibus ille, &c. It is said of Orpheus, that the lofty oaks bowed their heads, and listened to the charms of his music. The ame effects are ascribed here to the music of

Hesiod. It is the highest compliment that possibly could be paid him.

72. Grynai: an adj. from Grynium, a city of Æolis, where Apollo had a temple, built of white marble, and a grove. Here was a famous oracle.

74. Scyllam. There were two by the name of Scylla: one the daughter of Nisus, king of the Megarenses, who, falling in love with Minos, king of Crete, as he lay siege to Megara, betrayed her father to his enemy. For which deed, it is said, she was changed into a lark; while he was changed into a hawk. See nom. prop. under Nisus.

The other was the daughter of Phorcus. Some there are, who think Virgil here confounds the two, attributing to the former what properly belongs to the latter. But there will be no need of this, if we only supply the word eam, or illam.

The story of Scylla, the daughter of Phorcus, is briefly this: Glaucus, the sea god, fell in love with her, but she refused his addresses. In order to render her more favorable to him, he applied to the sorceress Circe; who, as soon as she saw him, became enamoured with him herself; and instead of affording him any assistance, endeavored to divert his affections from Scylla, and fix them on herself, but without any effect. For the sake of revenge, Circe poured the juice of some noxious herbs into a fountain, where Scylla used to bathe herself. And as soon as she entered it, to her great surprise, she found the parts below her waist changed into frightful monsters, like dogs, that were continually barking or making a growling noise. The rest of her body assumed an equally hideous form. This sudden and unexpected metamorphosis, filled her with such horror, that she threw herself into that part of the sea, which divides Sicily from Italy, where she became a rock, or rather a ledge of rocks. See En iii. 420. Secuta est: reported. Loquar: in the sense of dicam.

76. Dulichias: an adj. from Dulichium, an island in the Ionian sea, forming a part of the kingdom of Ulysses. Dulichias rates : the ships of Ulysses.

78. Terei: gen. of Tereus, a king of Thrace, who married Procne, or Progne, daughter of Pandion, king of Athens. She had a sister by the name of Philomela, whom she tenderly loved. Finding herself unhappy in being separated from her, she desired her husband to go and bring her to Thrace. Accordingly he went to Athens; but as soon as he saw her, he was enamoured

with her, and resolved to gratify his passion. This he did, and afterwards cut out

her tongue, to prevent her from disclosing

the barbarous deed. He left her in con

finement; and having taken every precaution to prevent its coming to light, he returned to his wife, and informed her that Philomela had died on the way. Not long after, however, she found otherwise. Philomela, during her captivity, described on a piece of tapestry her misfortunes and sufferings, and privately conveyed it to her sister, who hastened to her release. Here they concerted measures how to be revenged on Tereus. It was agreed that Progne should kill her son Itys, and serve him up for his father. In the midst of his meal, he called for his son, when his wife told him that he was then feasting on his flesh. At this moment, Philomela appeared, and threw the head of Itys on the table before him. At this moment he drew his sword, and was going to punish them both, when he was changed into a upupa, a bird called by some the hoopoë, by others, the lapwing; Philomela, into the nightingale; Progne, into the swallow; and Itys, into the pheasant. See Ovid. Met. Lib. 6.

80. Cursu: in the sense of celeritate. Deserta: the deserts: loca, is to be understood: desert places.

81. Tecta sua antè: his palace his own before his transformation-but his own no longer. Tectum, is any covered place that is inhabited; from the verb tego.

82. Phœbo quondam meditante: Apollo, formerly singing. The poet here alludes to

the fable of Apollo's being in love with the beautiful youth Hyacinthus, the son of Lacon; and in that state wandering along the banks of the Eurotas, singing upon his harp.

83. Eurotas. A very celebrated river of

the Peloponnesus: its banks abounded in the laurel. In its course, it forms nearly a semicircle, passing by the ancient city Lace

What probably was the design of this

pastoral?

Who is intended under the character of Silenus? Who was Syro?

Whom are we to understand by the swains Chromis and Mnasilus?