Tibicen traxitque vagus per pulpita vestem;
Sic etiam fidibus voces crevere severis,
Et tulit eloquium insolitum facundia præceps,
Utiliumque sagax rerum et divina futuri
Sortilegis non discrepuit sententia Delphis.
Carmine qui tragico vilem certavit ob hircum,
Mox etiam agrestes Satyros nudavit et asper
Incolumi gravitate jocum tentavit eo, quod
Illecebris erat et grata novitate morandus
Spectator functusque sacris et potus et exlex.
Verum ita risores, ita commendare dicaces
Conveniet Satyros, ita vertere seria ludo,

Ne quicunque deus, quicunque adhibebitur heros,
Regali conspectus in auro nuper et ostro,
Migret in obscuras humili sermone tabernas,

215

220

225

Aut, dum vitat humum, nubes et inania captet.
Effutire leves indigna Tragoedia versus,
Ut festis matrona moveri jussa diebus,

230

Intererit Satyris paulum pudibunda protervis.
Non ego inornata et dominantia nomina solum

Hurd, ingeniously and plausibly
quoting Carm. III. v. 12. ; and Mart.
v. x. 7.:

Ennius est lectus salvo tibi, Roma,
Marone.

luxuriem. Cp. "Plin. H. N. xvI. | bidding farewell to seriousness.' So xxxvi. (66.): varietas accessit, et cantus quoque luxuria.""-Orelli. 215. vestem. 'A train.' Syrma tragicum. Cp. Ep. 1. i. 207."-Or. 216. severis. Gen. of persons strict,' acting under rule; then, by an easy transition, used here of music, as in Carm. II. i. 9. of tragedy.

217. Et tulit, etc. i. e. and the language also assumed a greater flow and solemnity.'

220. hircum. 0λOV ÉTÉON 8 TPáyos. -Arundel. Marble. (See Bentley's Phalaris in the Theatre of the Greeks.) So Virg. Geor. ii. 380.; and Tibull. II. i. 51-58.

221. Satyros nudavit. i. e. 'introduced also the Satyric drama.' 222. Incolumi gravitate. i.

Others take it, without compromising their dignity,' or 'not divested of their epic and legendary character.' See art. TRAGEDIA in the Dict. of Antiqq.

jocum. i. e. 'farce.'

224. functus sacris, etc. Cp. above, v. 212., 'liber laborum.' exlex. i. e. 'with a perfect feeling of liberty.'

232. moveri. To dance,' as Ep. 11. ii. 125.

234. inornata et dominantia. i. e. pura, as in Sat. I. iv. 54.: e.bald and literal terms.'

Verbaque, Pisones, Satyrorum scriptor amabo;
Nec sic enitar tragico differre colori,
Ut nihil intersit, Davusne loquatur et audax
Pythias emuncto lucrata Simone talentum,
An custos famulusque dei Silenus alumni.
Ex noto fictum carmen sequar, ut sibi quivis
Speret idem, sudet multum frustraque laboret
Ausus idem tantum series juncturaque pollet,
Tantum de medio sumptis accedit honoris.
Silvis deducti caveant me judice Fauni,
Ne velut innati triviis ac pæne forenses

Aut nimium teneris juvenentur versibus unquam,
Aut immunda crepent ignominiosaque dicta;
Offenduntur enim, quibus est equus et pater et res,

235

240

245

ὅπως ἐρεῖτον ἀστεῖα καὶ μήτ' εἰκόνας μήθ' οἷς ἂν ἄλλος εἴποι,

Cp. "Non propria verba rerum sed | nicety or polish of tone, nor, on the pleraque translata.". Cic. de Cl. other hand, offend by coarseness.' Orat. 79. (274.); and "Verbis.... Cp. Arist. Ran. 906.: quæ propria sunt et certa, quasi vocabula rerum pane una nata cum rebus ipsis;" -(opp. to iis quæ transferuntur,' i. e. metaphors.) Cic. De Orat. iii. 37. (149.) 238. emuncto. 'Cheated.' in Terent. Phorm. IV. iv. 1.:

(i. e. no slang or vulgar terms.)

forenses. Quintilian (x. i. 55.), As characterising the style of Theocritus, opposes the forum to urbem and both to Musa rustica et pastoralis,

Emunxi argento senes. (Used differently in Sat. 1. iv. 8.) 240. ex noto fictum, etc. This is sometimes explained of the plot of a drama,' but the context refers wholly to the language: So made up of (= composed in such) familiar terms that any one may think he could write as well.'

noto is the same as de medio sumptis. Orell. quotes Cic. Orat. 49. (163.): "Non, ut poetæ, exquisita ad sonum, sed sumpta de medio."

242. junctura. Above, v. 48. Cp. Pers. v. 14. (see Gifford's edit.): Verba toga sequeris, juncturâ callidus acri. 245-247. The general sense is

66

quæ non forum modo verum ipsam etiam urbem reformidat." innati triviis will therefore be civilised, forenses — highly educated and refined.

juvenari. To play a youthful, sportive, or fanciful part, Gr. μeipaκιεύεσθαι, σε cum nescio quâ leporis perpetui (vel. ut Mitsch., concinnitatis) affectatione colloqui."-Orelli. Cp. the usage of TоKopieσlαι. (The tripping gait and skip of the Satyrs is expr. by σαυλούμενοι, in Eur. Cyclop. 40.)

teneris versibus='mincing poetry,' (a Shakspearian phrase). 248. quibus est equus et pater equites et ingenui.

Nec, si quid fricti ciceris probat et nucis emptor,
Equis accipiunt animis donantve corona.
Syllaba longa brevi subjecta vocatur iambus,
Pes citus ; unde etiam trimetris accrescere jussit
Nomen iambeis, cum senos redderet ictus

Primus ad extremum similis sibi. Non ita pridem,
Tardior ut paulo graviorque veniret ad aures,
Spondeos stabiles in jura paterna recepit
Commodus et patiens, non ut de sede secunda
Cederet aut quarta socialiter. Hic et in Acci
Nobilibus trimetris apparet rarus et Enni
In scenam missos cum magno pondere versus
Aut
operæ celeris nimium curaque carentis
Aut ignoratæ premit artis crimine turpi.
Non quivis videt immodulata poëmata judex,
Et data Romanis venia est indigna poëtis.
Idcircone vager scribamque licenter? an omnes
Visuros peccata putem mea, tutus et intra
Spem veniæ cautus? Vitavi denique culpam,
Non laudem merui. Vos exemplaria Græca
Nocturna versate manu, versate diurna.
At vestri proavi Plautinos et numeros et

250

255

260

265

270

249. ciceris. Sat. I. vi. 115.; II. | Gesner, Orelli, as in Sat. I. x. 49.,

iii. 182.

transposed by other Edd.

251. iambus. See note on Carm. 265. an omnes... Al. ut, a

1. xvi. 3.

253. iambeis, Gr. iaubeîa. cum, although,'

Cp. below, v.

redderet ictus. 274. digitis callemus. Trimeter (Lat. trimetrus) was the name given to the verse, though it was (senarius) of six feet. Cp. Sat. 1. x. 43.

258. Hic, i. e. the pure iambic foot.

259, Nobilibus.

much admired.'

needless conjecture.

Idcircone vager answers to v. 263., non quivis videt.

an omnes... veniæ cautus to v. 264. Shall I write carelessly because readers have no ear, or because they are indifferent and will excuse it?'

270. At. But (it is objected) your ancestors were as indifferent to defects.' Yes, nimium patienter. 6 Ironice, the The Greek models must be the standard.'

260. cum magno. So Bentley,

vestri proavi. Al. nostri, with

Laudavere sales: nimium patienter utrumque,
Ne dicam stulte, mirati, si modo ego et vos
Scimus inurbanum lepido seponere dicto
Legitimumque sonum digitis callemus et aure.
Ignotum tragicæ genus invenisse Camenæ
Dicitur et plaustris vexisse poëmata Thespis,
Quæ canerent agerentque peruncti fæcibus ora.
Post hunc personæ pallæque repertor honestæ
Eschylus et modicis instravit pulpita tignis
Et docuit magnumque loqui nitique cothurno.
Successit vetus his comœdia, non sine multa
Laude; sed in vitium libertas excidit et vim
Dignam lege regi; lex est accepta chorusque
Turpiter obticuit sublato jure nocendi.
Nil intentatum nostri liquere poetæ,

Nec minimum meruere decus, vestigia Græca
Ausi deserere et celebrare domestica facta,
Vel qui prætextas vel qui docuere togatas.
Nec virtute foret clarisve potentius armis
Quam lingua Latium, si non offenderet unum
Quemque poëtarum limæ labor et mora. Vos, O
Pompilius sanguis, carmen reprehendite, quod non
Multa dies et multa litura coercuit atque

275

280

285

290

togatas. Plays represented in Latin costume, and with Latin sub

some authority, "Vestri magis modestiæ Horatii convenit, qui se libertini filium probe meminisse solet."-jects and scenery: as contrasted with Gesn.

fabulæ palliatæ, which were exhibited in Greek costume. (See the art. COMEDIA in Dict. of Antiqq.) docuere, exhibited ;' as the Gr.

276. Cp. Epist. II. i. 160. sqq. 277. peruncti fæcibus. See Tibullus, as referred to on v. 220. "Verum hæc potius ad primas co-edídαokov. mœdiæ origines pertinent, nisi omnia ficta sunt ex voce тpʊyydla.' Orell.

288. prætextas. Sc. fabulas tragedies or tragicomedies, representing the deeds of Roman kings and generals: historical, like Shakspeare's

;

291. limæ. See note on Sat. 1. x. 65.

292. Pompilius sanguis. The Gens Calpurnia, to which the Pisones belonged, traced its name and descent from Calpus, the third son of Numa Pompilius.

Perfectum decies non castigavit ad unguem.
Ingenium misera quia fortunatius arte
Credit et excludit sanos Helicone poetas
Democritus, bona pars non ungues ponere curat,
Non barbam, secreta petit loca, balnea vitat.
Nanciscetur enim pretium nomenque poetæ,
Si tribus Anticyris caput insanabile nunquam
Tonsori Licino commiserit. O ego lævus,
Qui purgor bilem sub verni temporis horam!
Non alius faceret meliora poëmata: verum
Nil tanti est. Ergo fungar vice cotis, acutum
Reddere quæ ferrum valet, exsors ipsa secandi
Munus et officium nil scribens ipse docebo,
Unde parentur opes, quid alat formetque poëtam;
Quid deceat, quid non; quo virtus, quo ferat error.
Scribendi recte sapere est et principium et fons :
Rem tibi Socraticæ poterunt ostendere chartæ,

li;

295

300

305

310

294. perfectum. Ita ut perfec-| sine furore Democritus quenquam tum sit.'-Or.

Præsectum is the reading of some good MSS., and adopted by Bentley, Gesner, Doering. It would agree with unguem.

ad unguem, as the Gr. εἰς ὄνυχα, to a nicety ;' or as our metaph. to a hair.' So, in unguem Arboribus positis secto via limite quadret.

Virg. Geo. ii. 278. (i. e. let the planting be in an exact row.) Cp. Pers. i. 63.:

Quis populi sermo est? Quis enim, nisi carmina molli Nunc demum numero fluere, ut per leve severos Effundat junctura ungues? The origin of the phrase is the testing the smoothness of a model by passing the nail along it.

295. The truth of this aphorism is touched on below, v. 408.

296. excludit sanos. "Negat

poetam magnum esse posse."— Cic. de Divin. i. 37. (80.) (So again De Orat. ii. 46. (194.) Comp. Plato, Phædr. p. 245.: ds av avev pavías Μουσῶν ἐπὶ ποιητικὰς θύρας ἀφίκηται πεισθεὶς ὡς ἄρα ἐκ τέχνης ἱκανῶς ποιητὴς ἐσόμενος, ἀτελὴς . ἠφανίσθη. And the opening of Shaksp. Mids. Night's Dream, act V. (Both passages are quoted in Keble, Prælect. iv. p. 43.)

300. Anticyris. Sat. 11. iii. 83, 166.

307. opes. Sc. poetæ, and the source unde parantur' is (v. 309.) sapere.'

309. sapere. Knowledge,' esp. of men and manners (as explained in vv. 312-315).

rem, the subject matter.' The general sense is, that there can be no true poetry without philosophy.

310. Socraticæ. Carm. 1. xxix. 14.; III. xxi. 9. Cp. Sat. 11. iii. 11.