Non ante verso lene merum cado, Jam dudum apud me est. Eripe te moræ : Ut semper-udum Tibur, et Æsulæ Fastidiosam desere copiam et 5 The bard invites his patron to spend a few days beneath his humble roof, far from splendour and affluence, and from the noise and confusion of a crowded capital. He bids him dismiss, for a season, that anxiety for the public welfare, in which he was but too prone to indulge, and tells him to enjoy the blessings of the present hour, and leave the events of the future to the wisdom of the gods. That man, according to the poet, is alone truly happy, who can say, as each evening closes around him, that he has enjoyed in a becoming manner, the good things which the day has bestowed; nor can even Jove himself deprive him of this satisfaction. The surest aid against the mutability of Fortune is conscious integrity, and he who possesses this, need not tremble at the tempest that dissipates the wealth of the trader. Addressed to Mæcenas on whom Augustus had conferred the prefecture of the city. A. u. c. 733. 1--19. 1. Tyrrhena regum progenies, "Descendant of Etrurian rulers.' Mæcenas was descended from Elbius Volteranus, one of the Lucumones o Etruria, who fell in the battle at the lake Vadimona (A. U. c. 445). According to a popular tradition among the Romans, and the accounts of several ancient writers, Etruria received the germs of civilization from a Lydian colony. This emigration was probably a Pelasgic one. Tibi, "In reserve for thee." 2. Non ante verso, "Never as yet turned to be emptied of any part of its contents," i. e. as yet unbroached. The allusion is to the simplest mode practised among the Romans for drawing off the contents of a wine-vessel, by inclining it to one side and thus pouring out the liquor. Comp. Sat. II. 8, 39: Invertunt Alifanis vinaria tota. Lene, i. e. "Mild by age." "Flore rosarum. Comp. Simon. fr. 195 : ῥόδων ἀώτοις σκιάζειν λιπαρὰν ἔθειραν. — 4. Balanus, "Perfume.' The name balanus, or myrobalanum, was given by the ancients to a species of nut, from which a valuable unguent or perfume was extracted.-5. Eripe te mora, "Snatch thyself from delay," i. e. from every thing in the city that may seek to detain thee there: from all the engrossing cares of public life. Ut semper udum. The common text has ne semper udum, which involves an absurdity. How could Mæcenas, at Rome contemplate Tibur, which was twelve or sixteen miles off? Yet it may be translated "Lest you should always be merely looking forward to enjoy," a sense that contemplor often bears. The emendation in the text is due to HARDING. Tibur. Consult note on Ode 1. 7, 13. Esula declive solum, "The sloping soil of Æsula." This town is supposed to have stood in the vicinity of the Tiber, and from the language of the poet must have been situate on the slope of a hill.-8. Telegoni juga parricida Alluding to the ridge of hills on which Tusculum was situated. This city is said to be founded. by Telegonus, son of Ulysses and Circe, who came hither after having killed his father without knowing him.-9. Fastidiosam, "Productive only of disgust." The poet entreats his Molem propinquam nubibus arduis : Fumum et opes strepitumque Romæ Plerumque gratæ divitibus vices, Sollicitam explicuere frontem. Jam clarus occultum Andromeda pater Ostendit ignem : jam Procyon furit Sole dies referente siccos. Jam pastor umbras cum grege languido Rivumque fessus quærit, et horridi Ripa vagis taciturna ventis Tu, civitatem quis deceat status 10 15 20 25 patron to leave for a season that "abundance," which, when uninterrupted, is productive only of disgust.-10. Molem propinquam, &c. Alluding to the magnificent villa of Mæcenas, on the Esquiline hill, to which a tower adjoined remarkable for its height. From this tower Nero enjoyed the spectacle of Rome in flames.-11. Omitte. The first syllable is short, as in Od. I. 16, 19; Od. I. 17,7. Mirari fumum, a zaçαxgoodoxía, for mirari refers only to wealth, or splendid objects. Thus fumus is used in its proper meaning, not metaphorically for "bustle," "crowd," &c.-Beata Roma, "Of opulent Rome."-13. Vices, "Change."-14. Parvo sub lare, "Beneath the humble roof."-15. Sine aulais et ostro, "Without hangings, and without the purple covering of the couch." Literally, "without hangings and purple." The aula, or hangings, were suspended from the ceilings and side-walls of the banqueting rooms.-16. Sollicitam explicuere frontem, “Have smoothed the anxious brow." Have removed or unfolded the wrinkles of care. Explicuere, aoristically, "are wont to smooth."-17. Clarus Andromeda pater. Cepheus; the name of a constellation near the tail of the little bear. It rose on the 9th of July, and is here taken by the poet to mark the arrival of the summer heats. And, therefore, the proper period to retire to the country. Occultum ostendit ignem. Equivalent to oritur.-18. Procyon. A constellation rising just before the dog-star. Hence its name, Προκύων (πρὸ ante and κύων canis) and its Latin appellation of antecanis.--19. Stella vesani Leonis. A star on the breast of Leo, rising on the 24th of July. The sun enters into Leo on the 20th of the same month. Siccos. Scaliger has objected to the position of this word at the end of the verse, but it is emphatic. 22-64 22. Horridi dumeta Silvani, “The thickets of the rough Silvanus." The epithet horridus refers to his crown of reeds and the rough pine-branch which he carries in his hands.-24. Ripa taciturna. A beautiful allusion to the stillness of the atmosphere.-25. Tu civitatem quis deceat status, &c., Curas, et Urbi sollicitus times, Prudens futuri temporis exitum Fas trepidat. Quod adest memento Componere æquus; cetera fluminis Stirpesque raptas, et pecus et domos Quum fera diluvies quietos Irritat amnes. Ille potens sui 30 35 40 "Thou, in the mean time, art anxiously considering what condition of affairs may be most advantageous to the state." Alluding to his office of Præfectus Urbis. Civitas, "the political constitution," and urbs the collection of buildings, are joined as in Cic. Acad. II. 137: Nec hæc tibi videtur urbs nec in ea civitas. Join urbi with sollicitus not with times.-27. Seres. The name by which the inhabitants of China were known to the Romans. Regnata Bactra Cyro, "Bactra, ruled over by an eastern king." Bactra, the capital of Bactriana, is here put for the whole Parthian empire.-28. Tanaisque discors, "And the Tanais, whose banks are the seat of discord." Alluding to the dissensions among the Parthians. Consult note on Ode III. 8, 19. With playful irony the poet mentions these nations; no Roman could entertain apprehension from them.-29. Prudens futuri, &c., “A wise deity shrouds in gloomy night the events of the future, and smiles if a mortal is solicitous beyond the law of his being."-32. Quod adest memento, &c., "Remember to make a proper use of the present hour "-33. Cetera, "The future." Referring to those things that are not under our controul, but are subject to the caprice of fortune or the power of destiny. The mingled good and evil which the future has in store, and the vicissitudes of life generally, are compared to the course of a stream, at one time troubled, at another calm and tranquil. Ritu, “Like." Thus juvenum ritu, Hor. A. P. 62; torrentis ritu, Ovid. Am. I. 7, 43. For Alveo, Bentley reads æquore. Equore, is similarly used for the flow of a stream, in Virg. Æn. VIII. 89: Thybris....sterneret æquor æquis, and 96: viridesque secant in EQUORE silvas. Amnes, "Smaller streams," which seldom inundate the adjacent region.-41. Ille potens sui, &c., "That man will live master of himself."—42. In Dixisse, "Vixi: cras vel atra Quod fugiens semel hora vexit." Nunc mihi, nunc alii benigna. Laudo manentem: si celeres quatit Ne Cypriæ Tyriæve merces Aura feret geminusque Pollux. 45 50 55 60 diem, "Each day." From day to day," i. e. "daily."-43. Vixi, "I have lived," i. e. I have enjoyed, as they should be enjoyed, the blessings of existence.-44. Occupato. A Zeugma occurs in this verb: in the first clause it has the meaning of "to shroud," in the second "to illumine."-46. Quodcunque retro est, "Whatever is gone by."-47. Diffinget infectumque reddet, "Will he change and undo."-49. Savo læta negotio, &c., "Exulting in her cruel employment, and persisting in playing her haughty game." Join pertinax ludere. For the expression ludere ludum, see Ter. Eun. III. 5, 38; and the corresponding Greek, ięwτα gãy, &c.—53. Manentem, "While she remains.”—54. Resigno quæ dedit, "I resign what she once bestowed." Resigno is here used in the sense of rescribo, and the latter is a term borrowed from the Roman law. When an individual borrowed a sum of money, the amount received and the borrower's name were written in the banker's books; and when the money was repaid, another entry was made. Hence scribere nummos "to borrow;" rescribere, "to pay back." Mea virtute me involvo. The wise man wraps himself up in the mantle of his own integrity, and bids defiance to the storms and changes of fortune. Sine dote, "Even without a dower."-57. Non est meum, "It is not for me." It is no employment of mine. Thus Plat. Alcib. I., où yàg koti toiOÛTOV Tò ¿μóv.—59. Et votis pascisci, "And to strive to bargain by my vows."-62. Tum, "At such a time as this." Biremis, "a two-oared vessel." σxágos dixwxov.-64. Aura geminusque Pollux, "A favouring breeze, CARMEN XXX. EXEGI monimentum ære perennius, Quod non imber edax, non Aquilo impotens 5 10 and the twin-brothers Castor and Pollux," scil. the Aorzouga. Consult note on Ode I. 3, 2. ODE XXX.-The poet's presage of immortality.-It is generally supposed that Horace intended this as a concluding piece for his odes, and with this opinion the account given by Suetonius appears to harmonise, since we are informed by this writer, in his life of the poet, that the fourth book of Odes was added, after a long interval of time, to the first three books, by order of Augustus. 1-16. 1. Exegi monimentum, &c., "I have completed a memorial of myself more enduring than brass." Compare the beautiful lines of Ovid, at the conclusion of the metamorphoses. Jamque opus exegi quod nec Jovis ira, nec ignes, &c.-2. Regalique situ, &c., "And loftier than the regal structure of the pyramids. The highest of the pyramids has the elevation of 425 feet.— 3. Imber edax, "The corroding shower." Impotens, "Violent." Comp. Epod. XVI. 22: nullius astri-impotentia.-4. Innumerabilis annorum series, &c., "The countless series of years, and the flight of ages."—7. Libitinam. Venus Libitina, at Rome, was worshipped as the goddess that presided over funerals. When Horace says, that he will escape Libitina, he means the oblivion of the grave.-7. Usque recens, "Ever fresh," i. e. ever blooming with the fresh graces of youth. ANTH. Rather usque is to be joined with crescam. "Ever shall I gain renown in the approbation of posterity."-8. Dum Capitolium, &c. Every month, according to Varro, solemn sacrifices were offered up in the Capitol. Hence the meaning of the poet is, that so long as this shall be done, so long will his fame continue. To a Roman, the Capitol seemed destined for eternity. Comp. Virg. Æn. IX. 448: Dum domus Æneæ Capitoli immobile saxum 10. Dicar. To be joined in construction with princeps deduxisse. "I shall be celebrated as the first that brought down," &c. Aufidus. A very rapid stream in Apulia, now the Ofanto. -11. Et qua pauper aquæ, &c., And where Daunus, scantily supplied with water, ruled over a rustic population." The allusion is still to Apulia, and the expression pauper aquae refers to the |