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If my fortune had been ample, and like my affection,
A bull, fatter than Hispulla, should be drawn, and with its very
Bulk slow, nor nourish'd in a neighbouring pasture,
But his blood shewing the glad pastures of Clitumnus,
Should go, and his neck to be stricken by a great minister,
On account of the return of my yet trembling friend, lately
having

Suffer'd dreadful things, and wondering that he is safe.

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For, beside the hazard of the sea, and the stroke of lightning Escaped, thick darkness hid the sky

In one cloud, and a sudden fire struck the sail-yards;

When every one might believe himself struck with it, and

presently,

Astonish'd, might think that no shipwreck could be
Compared with the burning sails. All things become
Such, as grievously, if at any time a poetic tempest
Arises. Behold another kind of danger, hear,
And again pity, tho' the rest be of the same
Kind: a dire portion indeed, but known to many,
And which many temples testify with a votive

Tablet-who knows not that painters are fed by Isis?
The like fortune also happen'd to my Catullus;

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Such a circumstance is awfully related, Which Catullus was in. This, as afterActs xxvii. 20.

19. A sudden fire, &c.] A flash of lightning struck the sail-yards, and set the sails on fire.

20. Might believe, &c.] Each person on board might think it levelled at him, it was so near him.

21. Astonish'd, might think, &c.] For in case of a shipwreck, some might escape on parts of the broken ship (comp. Acts xxvii. ult.); but if the ship were burnt, all must be consumed together therefore, horrible as a shipwreck might be in the expectation, there could be no comparison, in point of horror, between this and a ship on fire.

22. All things become, &c.] The above circumstances of the danger from the waves, and of the greater horror of the ship's being struck with lightning, and the rigging set on fire, are ingredients in a poetical description of a tempest; even the imagination of the poet could not invent any thing more dreadful and grievous.

24. Another kind of danger.] i. c.

wards appears, was from the ship's being half full of water, (1. 30.) and he forced to lose his property to save his life.

25. The rest, &c.] Of my friend's disasters, which I shall relate, are of the same unfortunate nature.

26. Known to many.] Who have been in a like situation.

27. Many temples, &c.] Persons that escaped shipwreck used to have a painting made of the same scene which they had gone through, drawn upon a tablet, which they vowed to Neptune during their distress, and hung up in some temple near the sea-coast.

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Cum plenus fluctu medius foret alveus, et jam
Alternum puppis latus evertentibus undis
Arboris incertæ, nullam prudentia cani
Rectoris conferret opem; decidere jactu
Cœpit cum ventis, imitatus Castora, qui se
Eunuchum ipse facit, cupiens evadere damno
Testiculorum adeo medicatum intelligit inguen.
Fundite quæ mea sunt, dicebat, cuncta, Catullus;
Præcipitare volens etiam pulcherrima, vestem
Purpuream, teneris quoque Mæcenatibus aptam :
Atque alias, quarum generosi graminis ipsum
Infecit natura pecus, sed et egregius fons
Viribus occultis, et Bæticus adjuvat aër.
Ille nec argentum dubitabat mittere; lances
Parthenio factas, urnæ cratera capacem,
Et dignum sitiente Pholo, vel conjuge Fusci.
Adde et bascaudas, et mille escaria, multum
Cælati, biberat quo callidus emptor Olynthi.
Sed quis nunc alius, quâ mundi parte, quis audet

30. Middle hold, &c.] i. c. The hold was half full, or full up to the middle.

31. Alternate side, &c.] Heeling her from side to side, by dashing against them alternately.

32. Uncertain wood.] It being now doubtful, whether the timbers could much longer stand the force of the beating waves upon her sides, or whether she would not go to pieces.

-The prudence, &c.] All the skill and care of the old experienced master of the ship could afford no help.

33. He. i. c. Catullus.

-Began to compound, &c.]To bargain (as it were) for his life at the expence of his goods, by throwing them overboard. See AINSW. Decido, No. 4.

34. Imitating the beaver, &c.] This notion of the beaver is very ancient, and well introduced by our poet; but it is to be reckoned among those vulgar errors which have no foundation in truth.

In the first place, the liquid matter, which is called in medicine castoreum, is not found in the testicles, but inclosed in bags, or purses, near the anus of the animal.

In the next place, such an instance of violence upon itself was never known to be committed by the beaver.

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39. Tender Mæcenases.] Mæcenas, the favourite of Augustus, was a very delicate and effeminate person, from whom people of such character were denominated Mæcenates. See sat i. 1. 66, note. Such persons were very finical and expensive in their dress, and therefore poor Catullus lost a good market for his purple dress, by throwing it overboard in the storm.

40. The very sheep, &c.] In this place the poet means, that the wool, of which these other garments were made, had a native tinge of a beautiful colour, owing to the particular nature of the soil, and water, and air, where the sheep were bred, so that the garments were made up without receiving any artificial dye.

41. A remarkable fount, &c.] The water of which, as well as the pasture where the sheep fed, was supposed to contribute to the fineness and colour of their wool.

42. Bætic air.] The air of Bætica, now Andalusia, in Spain, through which ran

When the middle hold was full of water, and now
The waves overturning the alternate side of the ship
Of uncertain wood, the prudence of the grey master
Could confer no help: he began to compound

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With the winds by throwing overboard, imitating the beaver, who

Makes himself an eunuch, desiring to escape with the loss 35 Of his testicles thus medicated does he understand his groin. Throw out all things which are mine, says Catullus,

Willing to throw over even the most beautiful things, a garment Of purple, fit also for tender Mæcenases:

And others, the very sheep of which the nature of

The generous herbage dyed, but also a remarkable fount
With hidden powers, and Bætic air helps.

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Nor did he hesitate to throw away his plate; dishes
Made by Parthenius, a cup holding an urn,

And worthy Pholus thirsting, or the wife of Fuscus.
Add also baskets, and a thousand dishes, a great deal

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Of wrought-work, in which the cunning buyer of Olynthus had drunk.

But who now is the other, in what part of the world, who dares

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wrought-work here mentioned is thought, from what follows, to have been the large wrought, i. e. chased or embossed, gold cup, that Philip, king of Macedon, used to drink out of, and to put under his pillow every night when he went to sleep. This must have been a very great, as well as valuable curiosity.

But as it is said multum cælati, one should rather think, that the poet means a great quantity of wrought plate, which had once been the property of Philip; a set of plate, as we should say. Philip was killed by Pausanias three hundred and thirty-six years before Christ. Juvenal flourished about the latter end of the first century: so that this plate was very old.

-Buyer of Olynthus.] This cup, and other pieces of valuable plate, he gave to Lasthenes, governor of Olynthus, a city of Thrace, to betray it into his hands. It was, from this, said of Philip, that what he could not conquer by iron (i. c. his arms) he gained by gold.

48. But who now, &c.] This implied commendation of Catullus seems here to be introduced by the poet, in order to lash the prevailing vice of covetousness, which was so great, as to make men love

Argento præferre caput, rebusque salutem ?
Non propter vitam faciunt patrimonia quidam,
Sed vitio cæci propter patrimonia vivunt.
Jactatur rerum utilium pars maxima; sed nec
Damna levant. Tunc, adversis urgentibus, illuc
Recidit, ut malum ferro summitteret, ac se
Explicat angustum: discriminis ultima, quando
Præsidia afferimus navem factura minorem.
1 nunc, et ventis animam committe, dolato
Confisus ligno, digitis a morte remotus
Quatuor, aut septem, si sit latissima teda.
Mox cum reticulis, et pane, et ventre lagenæ,

Aspice sumendas in tempestate secures.

Sed postquam jacuit planum mare, tempora postquam
Prospera vectoris, fatumque valentius Euro,
Et pelago; postquam Parcæ meliora benignâ
Pensa manu ducunt hilares, et staminis albi
Lanificæ; modicâ nec multo fortior aurâ

money beyond even life itself. It is said of Aristippus the philosopher, that, being on board a ship with pirates, he threw all his money overboard secretly, lest, finding it, they should throw him into the sea, in order to possess what he had.

50. On account of life, &c.] i. e. That they may spend them in the necessaries and comforts of life.

51. Blind, &c.] With the vice of avarice.

-Live for the sake, &c.] They do not get money that they may live, (see note, 1. 50.) but only live for the sake of money.

52. Useful goods, &c.] Not only articles of superfluity, such as fine embossed plate, and the like, but even useful necessaries, such as clothes, provisions, and, perhaps, a great part of the tackling of the ship, were thrown overboard on this occasion.

53. Losses lighten.] Alleviate their dan ger; or, what they had lost by throwing overboard did not seem to lighten the ship, as she kept filling with water. See 1. 30.

54. It came to that pass.] Illuc recidit. Some read decidit, which has the same meaning here. Il en vint là. Fr.

-He.] Catullus, who was probably the owner of the ship.

-Should lower, &c.] i. e. Should cut

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away the mast, as we term it. Angustum, 1. 55, has the sense of angustatum.

56. Apply helps, &c.] It is a sign of the utmost distress, when we are obliged to use helps to make the ship lighter, and less exposed to the wind, as by cutting away her masts, which is supposed to be the meaning of minorem in this place. Afferimus præsidia seems to have the same sense as βοηθειας έχρώντο, Acts xxvii. 17.

57. Go now, &c.] In this apostrophe the poet severely reproves those, who, for the sake of gain, are continually risking such dangers as have been described. Comp. HoR. lib. i. ode iii. 1. 9-24.

57. Trusting, &c.] The timber, of which the sides of the ship were made, was hewn in a rough manner into planks of four or seven fingers breadth in thickness; so that the passengers, having no more between them and the water, might be said to be no farther removed from death. Alluding to a saying of Anacharsis the philosopher, who, on hearing one say that a ship was three fingers thick, answered, "then just so

"far from death are those who sail in "her."

59. If the pine.] Teda signifies the middle or heart of the pine-tree. AINSW. Of this, it seems, they made the sides of their ships, after cutting or hewing

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Prefer his life to his plate, his safety to his goods?
Some do not make fortunes on account of life,
But, blind with vice, live for the sake of fortunes.
The greatest part of useful goods is thrown over, but
Neither do the losses lighten. Then, the contrary (winds) urging,
It came to that pass that he should lower the mast with an axe,
And free himself distressed: the last state of danger is,
When we apply helps to make the ship less.

Go now and commit your life to the winds, trusting to
A hewn plank, removed from death four

Fingers, or seven, if the pine be very large.

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Immediately with your provision-baskets, and bread, and belly

of a flagon,

Remember axes to be used in a storm.

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But after the sea lay smooth, after the circumstances of the Mariner were favourable, and his fate more powerful than the

east wind,

And the sea; after the cheerful destinies draw better
Tasks with a benign hand, and of a white thread
Are spinsters, nor much stronger than a moderate air

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it into planks. See note on 1. 57. put on a more prosperous appear

These were, at the thickest, seven fingers' breadth, or thickness, measuring from one edge to the other on the same side. Teda here means the plank, by synec.

60. Provision-baskets.] Reticulis--twig baskets made like a net to carry provisions in; or bags made of network, used for that purpose by sailors, soldiers, and travellers, something like our knapsacks as to their purpose.

-Belly of a flagon.] Lagena—a flagon, or bottle with a large belly, to keep wine in-q. d. a great-bellied flagon.

61. Axes to be used, &c.] To cut away the masts upon occasion. See 1. 54. These may happen to be as necessary as your other sea-stores; therefore, in the next place (mox) provide axes. Aspice -vide et memento, MARSHALL. To be used, sumendas-lit. to be taken.

62. But after, &c.] The narrative of Catullus's adventure is here resumed. -Lay smooth.] Became calm, on the storm ceasing.

-Circumstances, &c.] When the happy fortune of my friend prevailed, (sce AINSW. Tempus, No. 2.) and things

ance.

62, 3. The mariner.] Vector signifies a bearer, or carrier; also a passenger in a ship; likewise a mariner. See AINSW.

63. Fute more powerful, &c.] The Romans believed every thing to be governed by fate, even the gods themselves.

64. The cheerful destinies, &c.] The parcæ, or fates. See sat. x. 252, note. Pensa-tasks enjoined to people that spin; also thread, &c. spun. Ducere pensa, to spin. AINSW. See HoR. lib. iii. ode xxvii. 1. 63.

65. White thread.] It was the opinion of the ancients, that when the destinies intended long life to a person, they spun white thread; when death, black thread.

The phrase of ducere pensa, to spin, taken notice of in the last note, alludes to the action of the spinster, who draws the wool, or flax, from the distaff as she spins it; this she continues, till the task (pensum) assigned her is finished.

66. Spinsters.] And are now become spinsters, &c.

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