of study and finish (v. 165.); sometimes to a mercenary haste (v. 175.). But even the more ambitious poets meet with poor encouragement (vv. 182-207.) from the public.

For poets who are contented to be simply read (v. 214.) there is patronage, and that as deservedly (v. 229.), as freely and judiciously bestowed (v. 245.).

But upon this they are foolish to presume (vv. 219 228.), and if they claim it without merit, they are ridiculous, and their trash, as it must be unacceptable, deserves only to be thrown away.

EPISTOLA I.

AD AUGUSTUM.

CUM tot sustineas et tanta negotia solus,
Res Italas armis tuteris, moribus ornes,
Legibus emendes, in publica commoda peccem,
Si longo sermone morer tua tempora, Cæsar.
Romulus et Liber pater et cum Castore Pollux,
Post ingentia facta deorum in templa recepti,
Dum terras hominumque colunt genus, aspera bella
Componunt, agros assignant, oppida condunt,
Ploravere suis non respondere favorem
Speratum meritis. Diram qui contudit hydram
Notaque fatali portenta labore subegit,

EP. I.

3. 5. 10. 16. With this opening eulogy, and its continuation in vv. 251-256., compare generally the Odes v. and xv. of lib. IV., adding III. iii. 9-16., where these same heroes are celebrated in a like connection or comparison with Augustus.

10

5. Cp. Ov. Am. 111. viii. 51.:
Qua licet, affectas (sc. hominum
Natura) cœlum quoque ; templa
Quirinus,

Liber et Alcides, et modo Cæsar,
habent.

7. colunt. i. e. 'improve and civilise."

10. Hydram. Carm. iv. 4. 61.

Comperit invidiam supremo fine domari.
Urit enim fulgore suo, qui prægravat artes
Infra se positas; exstinctus amabitur idem.
Præsenti tibi maturos largimur honores
Jurandasque tuum per nomen ponimus aras,
Nil oriturum alias, nil ortum tale fatentes.
Sed tuus hic populus, sapiens et justus in uno,
Te nostris ducibus, te Graiis anteferendo,
Cetera nequaquam simili ratione modoque
Estimat et, nisi quæ terris semota suisque
Temporibus defuncta videt, fastidit et odit,
Sic fautor veterum, ut tabulas peccare vetantes,
Quas bis quinque viri sanxerunt, foedera regum
Vel Gabiis vel cum rigidis æquata Sabinis,
Pontificum libros, annosa volumina vatum
Dictitet Albano Musas in monte locutas.
Si, quia Græcorum sunt antiquissima quæque
Scripta vel optima, Romani pensantur eadem
Scriptores trutina, non est quod multa loquamur:
Nil intra est oleam, nil extra est in nuce duri;

12. supremo fine. i. e. 'only by death.' The Euphemism (a rare one in Latin) is happily adopted here.

13. Urit... prægravat, dazzles and depresses.' This mixture of metaphors has caused difficulty here, as in Ars P. 441.

artes infra se. i. e. 'inferior excellence.'

artes. "Antique pro virtutes, Gr. 'Aperás."-Baxt. So Orelli int. 'arte,' Carm. III. iii. 9., as àpet?. 14. With the sentiment comp. Carm. III. xxiv. 31. ; and Ov. Am. L. XV. 39.; and Thucyd. ii. 45.: Φθόνος γὰρ τοῖς ζῶσι πρὸς τὸ ἀντί. παλον· Τὸ δὲ μὴ ἐμποδὼν ἀναντα γωνίστῳ εὐνοίᾳ τετίμηται. 15. Præsenti. While you are yet with us.' Carm. III. v. 2; contr. 'terris semota,' v. 21.

e

24. bis quinque viri. The Decemvirs.

26. volumina vatum. Livy, xxv. 12., quotes two specimens of these ancient prophecies, composed by the seer Marcius. The extracts are said to be in Saturnian metre and slightly modernised in form (paulum immutata,'-Or.) The Delphin Ed. ingeniously transmutes them into hexameters.

27. That the Latin Muses dictated them,' i. e. that they have the spirit of true poetry; cp. "Musas ipsas Latinè loqui credas."-Plin. Epis. ii. 13.

Venimus ad summum fortunæ, pingimus atque
Psallimus et luctamur Achivis doctius unctis.
Si meliora dies, ut vina, poëmata reddit,
Scire velim, chartis pretium quotus arroget annus.
Scriptor, abhinc annos centum qui decidit, inter
Perfectos veteresque referri debet, an inter
Viles atque novos? Excludat jurgia finis.

Est vetus atque probus, centum qui perficit annos.
Quid, qui deperiit minor uno mense vel anno,
Inter quos referendus erit? veteresne poëtas,

An quos et præsens et postera respuat ætas ?
Iste quidem veteres inter ponetur honeste,
Qui vel mense brevi vel toto est junior anno.
Utor permisso caudæque pilos ut equinæ
Paulatim vello et demo unum, demo et item unum,
Dum cadat elusus ratione ruentis acervi,
Qui redit in fastos et virtutem æstimat annis

35

40

45

"di

in questions whether a person
ves, pauper, clarus, obscurus sit;
multa, pauca, etc.")

Therefore, when Horace's oppo

true of the Romans, is as absurd as to say that if an olive is the hardest inside, so is the nut; if the nut has a shell, so has the olive.' (Some take it merely as a proverb expres-nent consents to lay down a finis, or sing the denial of a manifest truth.) 32. We must go on to assert that we have reached the height of perfection.'

6

Depunge ubi sistam Inventus, Chrysippe, tui finitor acervi.

Here the arguer "venit ad soritas (Cic. Acad. ii. 28.), lubricum sane et periculosum locum" (i. e. the mode of argument called sorites, a slippery treacherous ground for an arguer to take).

For (Ib. cap. xxix.) "rerum natura nullam nobis dedit cognitionem finium, ut ullâ in re statuere possimus quatenus." (i. e. reasonings upon things in their nature relative admit of no determinate standard, as

fixed absolute standard, Cadit ratione acervi' (v. 47.), his reasoning fails, baffled by the soritic process; or, falls to pieces like the heap from which successive grains are withdrawn.

(The sorites is thus defined, cap. xvi.: "Cum aliquid minutatim et gradatim additur aut demitur, soritas hoc vocant.")

45. cauda equinæ. There is thought to be an allusion here to the story of Sertorius in Plutarch's Life, xvi.

46. et item unum. This is Orelli's reading, after Bentley: he says, Videtur sermonis quotidiani esse.' etiam unum (a phrase found in Terence, and Pers. Sat. vi. 58), he supposes to be ex glossemate corruptela.'

Miraturque nihil, nisi quod Libitina sacravit.
Ennius et sapiens et fortis et alter Homerus,
Ut critici dicunt, leviter curare videtur,

50

Quo promissa cadant et somnia Pythagorea.
Nævius in manibus non est et mentibus hæret

Pæne recens? Adeo sanctum est vetus omne poëma.
Ambigitur quoties uter utro sit prior, aufert

55

Pacuvius docti famam senis, Accius alti,
Dicitur Afrani toga convenisse Menandro,
Plautus ad exemplar Siculi properare Epicharmi,
Vincere Cæcilius gravitate, Terentius arte.
Hos ediscit et hos arto stipata theatro

Spectat Roma potens; habet hos numeratque poëtas
Ad nostrum tempus Livi scriptoris ab ævo.
Interdum vulgus rectum videt, est ubi peccat.
Si veteres ita miratur laudatque poëtas,
Ut nihil anteferat, nihil illis comparet; errat :
Si quædam nimis antique, si pleraque dure
Dicere credit eos, ignave multa fatetur,

51. leviter curare videtur, 'praised as he is, he cares little whether his works sustain his character;' i.e. he is a careless composer. 52. promissa. Cp. promissor, Ars P. 138.

somnia Pyth. Ennius dreamed that the soul of Homer had (according to the Pythagorean doctrine of transmigration) passed into him. So Pers. vi. 10.:

Cor jubet hoc Enni postquam des-
tertuit esse

(i. e. 'left off dreaming that he was,
etc.')
Mæonides, Quintus pavone ex Py-
thagoreo.

62. Livi... ab ævo. (Tusc. Qu. i. 1.) says, 'Serius poeticam nos accepimus. Annis enim DX. A.U.C. Livius fabulam dedit ... anno a nte natu m Ennium.' 66. dure. So 'durus' (of Lucilius), Sat. 1. iv. 8.

Et sapit et mecum facit et Jove judicat æquo.
Non equidem insector delendaque carmina Livi
Esse reor, memini quæ plagosum mihi parvo
Orbilium dictare; sed emendata videri
Pulchraque et exactis minimum distantia miror;
Inter quæ verbum emicuit si forte decorum et,
Si versus paulo concinnior unus et alter,
Injuste totum ducit venditque poëma.
Indignor quidquam reprehendi, non quia crasse
Compositum illepideve putetur, sed quia nuper;
Nec veniam antiquis, sed honorem et præmia posci.
Recte necne crocum floresque perambulet Attæ
Fabula si dubitem, clament periisse pudorem
Cuncti pæne patres, ea cum reprehendere coner,
Quæ gravis Esopus, quæ doctus Roscius egit:
Vel quia nil rectum, nisi quod placuit sibi, ducunt,
Vel quia turpe putant parere minoribus et, quæ
Imberbes didicere, senes perdenda fateri.
Jam Saliare Numæ carmen qui laudat et illud,
Quod mecum ignorat, solus vult scire videri,
Ingeniis non ille favet plauditque sepultis,
Nostra sed impugnat, nos nostraque lividus odit.

68. mecum facit. Ep. 11. ii. 23.

Jove æquo. i. e. with sound judgment.' "Jove irato fit ut errent homines."-Schol.

71. dictare. Ep. 1. xviii.

Sat. I. X. 75.

13.;

173. decorum, appropriate.' Cp. decor, Ars P. 157.

crocum. Lucret. ii. 416.; Ov. Art. Am. i. 104.

80. clament periisse. Pers. v. 103.:

exclamet Melicerta perisse Frontem de rebus ....

82. gravis, i. e. 'the tragic actor.' doctus. Cp. Cicero's eulogy of

75. ducit venditque. 'Makes Roscius. De Orat. i. 28. (130.),

way and sale for.'

For vendit, comp. Juv. vii. 156.: purpura vendit

Causidicum, vendunt amethystina.

(i. e. a showy appearance makes him
go off:
recommends him.)

and pro Archiâ, 8. (17).

86. Jam, again.'

Saliare carmen. "Saliorum carmina vix sacerdotibus suis satis intellecta."-Quintil. I. vi. 40.

For the Salii, see Carm. I. xxxvi. 12. Their institution by Numa is

79. i. e. whether it deserves to be related in Livy, i. 20. brought on the stage.'

89. nos nostraque. Ars P. 63.