Quot Basilus socios, quot circumscripserit Hirrus Suetus, hiat tantum, ceu pullus hirundinis, ad quem 225 230 235 Celsus, though here spoken of in no very favourable light. Perhaps Juvenal gives this name to some empiric, in derision. 221. Autumn.] The autumn was usually a sickly time at Rome. See sat. iv. 1. 56, 7, and notes. 222. Allies, &c.] When the Romans had conquered any people, they reduced them into the form of a province, which, being subject to Rome, was governed by a Roman pretor, and the inhabitants were called socii, allies, and indeed, looked upon, in all respects, as such, not daring to refuse a confederacy with their conquerors. Basilus was one of these pretors, who shamefully plundered his province. Hirrus.] Some read Irus.-Whoever this was, his character is here noted, as a cheater and circumventer of youth, committed to his care and guardianship. He that had the tuition of a ward was called tutor. The ward was called pupillus. The pupilli were orphans, who had lost their parents, and thus fell under the tuition of guardians, who frequently, instead of protecting them, plundered and cheated them out of their patrimony. 223. Maura.] See sat. vi. I. 306, note. 224. Hamillus. A school-master, famous for unnatural practices with his scholars. 226. Who clipping.] See sat. i. 25, and notes. Cinnamus was a barber at Rome, who got a knight's estate, and, growing very rich, had several villas, and lived in a sumptuous man. ner; but, at last, he broke, and fled into Sicily. See MART. vii. epigr. 64. 227. One is weak, &c.] That host of diseases, mentioned 1. 218, 19, are here represented, as making their attacks on different parts of the body. 229. Of this.] Hujus-i. e. hominis. How many 235 229. Take food, &c.] So feeble and childish, that he can't feed himself, and is forced to be fed by another. 230. He, at the sight, &c.] As soon as supper is served, he, as it were mechanically, stretches open his jaws; but, unable to feed himself, he only gapes, like a young swallow in the nest, when it zees the old one flying towards it with food in her mouth. This natural image is beautifully expressed. 233-4. Neither knows.] i. e. Recollects; his memory now failing. 234. The names of servants.] The poet here brings his old man into the last stage of superannuation, when the understanding and memory fail, which, as he says, is worse than all the rest. 236. Brought up.] Though he has not only begotten, but brought up his children, so that they must have lived much with him, yet they are forgotten: he makes a will, by which he disinherits them, and leaves all he has to some artful strumpet who has got pos. session of him. A cruel will.] Codex, or caudex, literally means the trunk, stem, or body of a tree. Hence by metonym. a table-book, made of several boards joined together, on which they used to writehence, any writing, as a deed, will, &c. See sat. vii. 110. 237. Forbids them.] He excludes them from inheriting his estate -i. e. he disinherits them, Are carried.] Are disposed of, conveyed by the will. 238. To Phiale.] See above, 1. 236, note the first. So much avails, &c.] Such an old dotard as this may be easily persuaded to any thing by an artful strumpet; so great an ascendency does she acquire over him by her artful and insinuating tongue. Quod steterat multos in carcere fornicis annos. 240 245 Felix nimirum, qui tot per sæcula mortem Distulit, atque suos jam dextrâ computat annos, Quique novum toties mustum bibit : oro, parumper 250 239. Prison of a brothel.] Fornix-lit. an arch or vault in houses; also, meton. a stew or brothel, because these were in vaults or wells under ground. AINSW. Hence, from the darkness and filthiness of their situation, as well as from the confinement of the wretched inhabitants therein, who stood ready for every comer, Juvenal represents Phiale as having stood in carcere fornicis, which is describing her as a common prostitute. HOR. lib. i. sat. ii. 1. 30. alluding to the filth of these dungeons says: Contra alius nullam nisi olenti in fornice stantem. See Juv. sat. vi. 1. 130, 1. Carcer signifies also a starting-place at the chariot races-hence, by metonym. a beginning: in this sense it may mean the entrance of a brothel, where the harlots presented themselves to the view of the passers-by. Comp. sat. iii. 1. 65, n. 1. 240. Tho' the senses, &c.] i. e. Yet allow him to retain his senses in full vigour, what grievous scenes of distress has he to go through! Children.] So VIRG. Æn. vi. 1. 308. Impositisque rogis juvenes ante ora parentum. 241. To be attended.] Ducere funera is a phrase peculiarly adapted to the ceremony of funerals, and probably it is derived from a custom of the friends of the deceased walking in procession before the corpse. Sat. i. 146.-See GRANG. in loc. "Ducereverbum sepulturæ. Albinov. ad Liviam. Funera ducuntur Ro"mana per oppida Drusi.” to ashes. The Pile.] The funeral pile, on which the body was reduced 242. Urns fill'd, &c.] . e. With their bones and ashes, which it was customary to preserve in pots (after being gathered from the funeral pile) called urns. 243. This pain, &c.] This is the sad lot of long-lived people, as it must be their fate to out-live many of their friends. Which has stood for many years in the prison of a brothel. Tho' the senses of the mind may be strong, yet funerals of children 240 Are to be attended, the pile to be seen of a beloved Wife, and of a brother, and urns fill'd with sisters. This pain is given to long-livers, so that, the slaughter Of the family being continually renewed, in many sorrows, and in 245 250 243-4. Slaughter of the family, &c.] Some part or other of which is continually dropping off. 244. Many sorrows.] i. e. Bewailings of the death of friends. 245. Black habit.] By this we find, that the wearing of mourning for the loss of relations is very ancient; and that black was the colour which the ancients used on such occasions. See sat. iii. 1. 213. 246. Pylian king.] Nestor, the king of Pylos, in Peloponnesus, who, according to Homer, is said to have lived three hundred years. 247. Second from a crow.] Cornix signifies a crow, or rook. This species of bird is fabled to live nine times the age of a man. Nestor (says the poet) stands second to this long-lived bird. 249. With the right.] The ancients used to count their numbers with their fingers; all under one hundred was counted on the left hand, all above on the right. 250. So often drank, &c.] Mustum signifies new wine. The vintage, when this was made, was in the autumn; so that the poet here means to observe that Nestor lived for many returns of this season. Attend.] The poet calls for attention to what he is going to prove, by various examples, namely, that happiness does not consist in long life. 251-2. Laws of the fates.] The ancients believed all things, even the gods themselves to be governed by the fates. Old men, who were from various causes afflicted, might be apt to complain of their destiny, and Nestor among the rest. 252. Of too much thread.] The fates were supposed to be three sisters, who had all some peculiar business assigned them by the poets, in relation to the lives of men. One held the distaff, another spun the thread, and the third cut it. q. d. How might he complain that the thread of his life was too long. 253. Antilochus.] The son of Nestor, slain, according to Homer, Quisquis adest, sócio, cur hæc in tempora duret; 255 260 by Memnon, at the siege of Troy; according to Ovid, by Hector. His beard burning-i. e. on the funeral pile. This mention of the beard implies, that he was now grown to man's estate. 253. He demands, &c.] The poet here very naturally describes the workings and effects of grief, in the afflicted old man, who is now tempted to think, that his great age was granted him as a pu. nishment for some greater crime than he could recollect to have committed, as he was permitted to live to see so sad an event as the death of his brave and beloved son. He is therefore represented as in quiring of his friends what could be the cause of his being reserved for such an affliction. 256. Peleus.] The father of Achilles, slain by Paris, who shot him in the heel in the temple of Apollo, the only part where he was vulnerable. His father Peleus had to lament his untimely death. 257. Another.] Laertes, a prince of Ithaca, father of Ulysses. He, during his son's absence, and wanderings over the seas, wearied himself with daily labour in husbandry, having no other attendant than an old maid-servant, who brought him food: during this period his constant petition to Jupiter was, that he might die. Swimming Ithacus.] Ulysses was called Ithacus, from Ithaca, a country of Ionia were he reigned. After the destruction of Troy, he suffered many toils and hardships, for ten years together, before his return home. The word natantem perhaps alludes to his shipwreck near the island of Calypso, where he was forced to swim to save his life; or perhaps it may allude, in general, to the length of time he passed in sailing on the sea. 258. Troy being safe.] i. e. Had Troy stood, and remained in safety. Priam.] The last king of Troy, who lived to see the city besieged by the Greeks for ten years together, and at length taken. 258-9. Shades of Assaracus, &c.] Had joined his ancestors' ghosts, or shades, in the infernal regions; i. e. had died in peace, and had been buried with the splendid funeral rites belonging to his rank. See VIRG. En. i. 288; and AINSW. Assaracus. 259. Hector carrying, &c.] Among the ancients, the corpse of the parent was carried forth to the funeral pile by the sons of the deceased. If Troy had remained in quiet, Priam's son Hector had |