Exul ab octava Marius bibit, et fruitur Dîs Et mare percussum puero, fabrumque volantem ? 50 55 60 amount, were put into the public trea- beasts-hunting-chasing. So inveighsury. As for Marius himself, he lived ing against by satire, driving such vices in as much festivity as if nothing had as he mentions out of their lurking happened, as the next two verses inform places, and hunting them down, as it were, in order to destroy them. us. 49. The exile Marius.] Marius Priscus, proconsul of Africa, who, for pillaging the province of vast sums of money, was condemned to be banished. •From the eighth hour.] Began his carousals from two o'clock in the afternoon, which was reckoned an instance of dissoluteness and luxury, it being an hour sooner than it was customary to sit down to meals. See note on sat. xi. 1. 204. and on Persius, sat. iii. 1. 4. 49, 50. He enjoys the angry gods.] Though Marius had incurred the anger of the gods by his crimes, yet, regardless of this, he enjoyed himself in a state of the highest jollity and festivity. -Vanquishing province, &c.] Victrix was used as a forensic term, to denote one who had got the better in a law-suit. The province of Africa had sued Marius, and had carried the cause against him, but had still reason to deplore her losses: for though Marius was sentenced to pay an immense fiue, which came out of what he had pillaged, yet this was put into the public treasury, and no part of it given to the Africans; and, besides this, Marius had reserved sufficient to maintain himself in a luxurious manner. See above, note on i. 47, 8. 51. Worthy the Venusinian lamp?] i. e. The pen of Horace himself? This charming writer was born at Venusium, a city of Apulia. When the poets wrote by night, they made use of a lamp. 52. Shall I not agitute, &c.] Agitem implies pursuing, as hunters do wild -But why rather Heracleans?] Juvenal here anticipates the supposed objections of some, who might, perhaps, advise him to employ his talents on some fabulous and more poetical subjects— such as the labours of Hercules, &c. Why should I prefer these (as if he "had said) when so many subjects in "real life occur, to exercise my pen in "a more useful way?" 53. Or Diomedeans.] i. e. Verses on the exploits of Diomed, a king of Thrace, who fed his horses with man's flesh. Hercules slew him, and threw him to be devoured by his own horses. -The lowing of the labyrinth.] The story of the Minotaur, the monster kept in the labyrinth of Crete, who was half a bull, and slain by Theseus. See AINSW. Minotaurus. 54. The sea stricken by a boy.] The story of Icarus, who, flying too near the sun, melted the wax by which his wings were fastened together, and fell into the sea; from him called Icarian. See Hor. lib. iv. od. ii. 1. 2—4. The flying artificer.] Dædalus, who invented and made wings for himself and his son Icarus, with which they fled from Crete. See AINSW. Dædialus. 55. The bawd.] The husband, who turns bawd by prostituting his wife for gain, and thus receives the goods of the adulterer as the price of her chastity. 56. There is no right to the wife.] Domitian made a law to forbid the use of The exile Marius drinks from the eighth hour, and enjoys the Angry gods? but thou, vanquishing province, lamentest! 50 Shall I not believe these things worthy the Venusinian lamp? Shall I not agitate these (subjects?)—but why rather Heracleans, Or Diomedeans, or the lowing of the labyrinth, And the sea stricken by a boy, and the flying artificer? When the bawd can take the goods of the adulterer, (if of taking 55 There is no right to the wife,) taught to look upon the ceiling, Taught also at a cup to snore with a vigilant nose. When he can think it right to hope for the charge of a cohort, 59 Who hath given his estate to stables, and lacks all litters (see note, 1. 32.) to adulterous wives, and to deprive them of taking legacies or inheritances by will. This was evaded, by making their husbands panders to their lewdness, and so causing the legacies to be given to them. Taught to look upon the ceiling.] As inobservant of his wife's infamy then transacting before him-this he was well skilled in. See HoR. lib. iii. od. vi. l. 25-32. 57. At a cup, &c.] Another device was to set a large cup on the table, which the husband was to be supposed to have emptied of the liquor which it had contained, and to be nodding over it, as if in a drunken sleep. -To snore with a vigilant nose.] Snoring is an evidence that a man is fast asleep; therefore the husband knew well how to exhibit this proof, by snoring aloud, which is a peculiar symptom of a drunken sleep. The poet uses the epithet vigilanti here very humourously, to denote, that though the man seemed to be fast asleep by his snoring, yet his nose seemed to be awake by the noise it made. SO PLAUT. in Milite. An dormit Sceledrus intus? Non naso Nam eo magno magnum clamat. Our Farquhar, in the description which he makes Mrs. Sullen give of her 59. Hath given his estate to stables.] i. e. Has squandered away all his patrimony in breeding and keeping horses. Præsepe sometimes means, a cell, stews, or brothel. Perhaps this may be the sense here, and the poet may mean, that this spendthrift had lavished his fortune on the stews, in lewdness and debauchery. 59, 60. Lacks all the income, &c.] Has spent the family estate. 60. While he flies, &c.] The person here meant is far from certain. Commentators differ much in their conjecture on the subject. Britannicus gives the mat ter up. "This passage," says he, "is "one of those concerning which we are yet to seek." But whether Cornelius Fuscus be meant, who when a boy was charioteer to Nero, as Automedon was to Achilles, and who, after wasting his substance in riotous living, was made commander of a regiment; or Tigillinus, an infamous favourite of Nero's, be here designed, whose character is supposed to have answered to the description here given is not certain; one or other seems to be meant. The poet is mentioning various subjects as highly proper for satire; Flaminiam puer Automedon nam lora tenebat, Ipse lacernatæ cum se jactaret amicæ. Nonne libet medio ceras implere capaces Quadrivio-cum jam sextâ cervice feratur (Hinc atque inde patens, ac nudâ pene cathedrâ, Et multum referens de Mæcenate supino) Signator falso, qui se lautum, atque beatum Exiguis, tabulis, et gemmâ fecerat udå? Occurrit matrona potens, quæ molle Calenum Porrectura viro miscet sitiente rubetam, Instituitque rudes melior Locusta propinquas, Per famam et populum, nigros efferre maritos. Aude aliquid brevibus Gyaris, et carcere dignum, and, among others, some favourite at court, who, after spending all his paternal estate in riot, extravagance, and debauchery, was made a commander in the army, and exhibited his chariot, driving full speed over the Flaminian way, which led to the emperor's villa; and all this, because, when a boy, he had been Nero's charioteer, or, as the poet humourously calls him, his Automedon, and used to drive out Nero and his minion Sporus, whom Nero castrated, to make him, as much as he could, resemble a woman, and whom he used as a mistress, and afterwards took as a wife, and appeared publicly in his chariot with him, openly caressing, and making love, as he passed along. The poet humourously speaks of Sporus in the feminine gender. As the lacerna was principally a man's garment, by lacernatæ amica, the poet may be understood as if he had called Sporus, Nero's male-mistress, being habited like a man, and caressed as a woman. The above appears to me a probable explanation of this obscure and difficult passage. Holiday gives it a different turn, as may be seen by his annotation on this place. I do not presume to be positive, but will say with Britannicus, "Sed quum in ambiguo sit, de quo poeta potissimum intelligat, unusquisque, si neutrum horum probabile visum "fuerit, quod ad loci explanationem faciat, excogitet." 61. The Flaminian way.] A road made by Caius Flaminius, colleague of Lepidus, from Rome to Ariminum. 62. When he boasted himself.] Jactare se alicui signifies to recommend, to in 65 70 sinuate one's self into the favour or good graces of another; as when a man is courting his mistress. By ipse, according to the above interpretation of this passage, we must understand the emperor Nero. 63. Capacious waren tablets.] These are here called ceras; sometimes they are called ceratæ tabellæ, because they were thin pieces of wood, covered over with wax, on which the ancients wrote with the point of a sharp instrument, called stylus, (see Hor. lib. i. sat. x. l. 72.) it had a blunt end to rub out with. They made up pocket-books with these. 64. Cross-way.] Juvenal means, that a man might please himself by filling a large book with the objects of satire which he meets in passing along the street. Quadrivium properly means a place where four ways meet, and where there are usually most people passinga proper stand for observation. -On a sixth neck.] i. e. In a litter carried by six slaves, who bare the poles on the shoulder, and leaning against the side of the neck. These were called hexaphori, from Gr. ¿, six, and pɛew, to bear or carry. See Sat. vii. 1. 141. n. 65. Exposed, &c.] Carried openly to and fro, here and there, through the public streets, having no shame for what he had done to enrich himself. 66. The supine Mecenas.] By this it appears, that Mæcenas was given to laziness and effeminacy. See Sat. xii. 1. 39. Horace calls him Malthinus, from parlanos, which denotes softness and effeminacy. See Hon. lib. i. sat. ii. 1. 25. 67. A signer, &c.] Signator signifies a sealer or signer of contracts or wills, The Flaminian way: for the boy Automedon was holding the reins, When he boasted himself to his cloaked mistress.. Doth it not like one to fill capacious waxen tablets in the middle of a Cross-way-when now can be carried on a sixth neck 65 A signer to what is false; who himself splendid and happy Has made, with small tables, and with a wet gem?eal A potent matron occurs, who soft Calenian wine About to reach forth, her husband thirsting, mixes a toad, 70 And, a better Locusta, instructs her rude neighbours, Through fame and the people, to bring forth their black husbands. Dare something worthy the narrow Gyaræ, or a prison, Here it means a species of cheat, who imposed false wills and testaments on the heirs of the deceased, supposed to be made in their own favour, or in favour of others with whom they shared the spoil. See sat. x. 1. 336. and note. Some suppose this to be particularly meant of Tigellinus, a favourite of Nero's, who poisoned three uncles, and, by forging their wills, made himself heir to all they had. 68. By small tables.] Short testaments, contained in a few words. Comp. note on 1. 63. -A wet gem.] i. e. A seal, which was cut on some precious stone, worn in a ring on the finger, and occasionally made use of to seal deeds or wills-this they wetted to prevent the wax sticking to it. This was formerly known among our forefathers by the name of a sealring. 69. A potent matron occurs.] Another subject of satire the poet here adverts to, namely, women who poison their husbands, and this with impunity. The particular person here alluded to, under the description of matrona potens, was, probably, Agrippina, the wife of Claudius, who poisoned her husband, that she might make her son Nero emperor. -Occurs.] Meets you in the public street, and thus occurs to the observation of the satirist. Comp. 1. 63, 4. 69. Calenian wine.] Calenum was a city in the kingdoin of Naples, famous for a soft kind of wine. 70. About to reach forth.] Porrectura the husband is supposed to be so thirsty, as not to examine the contents of the draught; of this she avails herself, by reaching to him some Calenian wine, with poison in it, which was extracted from a toad. 71. A better Locusta.] This Locusta was a vile woman, skilful in preparing poisons. She helped Nero to poison Britannicus, the son of Claudius and Messalina; and Agrippina to dispatch Claudius. The woman alluded to by Juvenal, 1. 69. he here styles, melior Locusta, a better Locusta, i. e. more skilled in poisoning than even Locusta herself. -Her rude neighbours.] i. e. Unacquainted, and unskilled before, in this diabolical art. 72. Through fame and the people.] Setting all reputation and public report at defiance; not caring what people should say. -To bring forth.] For burial-which efferre peculiarly means. See TER. And. act i. sc. i. 1. 90. 72. Black husbands.] Their corpses turned putrid and black, with the effects of the poison. 73. Dare.] i. e. Attempt-presumebe not afraid to commit. Something.] Some atrocious crime, worthy of exile, or imprisonment. -The narrow Gyara.] Gyaras was an island in the Ægean sea, small, barren, and desolate, to which criminals were banished. Si vis esse aliquis: PROBITAS LAUDATUR, ET ALget. 74. If you would be somebody.] i. e. If you would make yourself taken notice of, as a person of consequence, at Rome. A severe reflection on certain favourites of the emperor, who, by being informers, and by other scandalous actions, had enriched themselves. -Probity is praised, &c.] This seems a proverbial saying, and applies to what goes before, as well as to what follows, wherein the poet is shewing, that vice was, in those days, the only way to riches and honours. Honesty and innocence will be commended, but those who possess them be left to starve. 75. Gardens.] i. e. Pleasant and beautiful retreats, where they had gardens of great taste and expence. -Palaces.] The word prætoria denotes noblemen's seats in the country, as well as the palaces of great men in the city. -Tables.] Made of ivory, marble, and other expensive materials. 76. Old silver.] Ancient plate-very valuable on account of the workmanship. ·A· goat standing, &c.] The figure of a goat in curious bas relief-which animal, as sacred to Bacchus, was very usually expressed on drinking cups. 77. Whom.] i. e. Which of the poets, or writers of satire, can be at rest from writing, or withhold his satiric rage? -The corrupter.] i. e. The father, who takes advantage of the love of money in his son's wife, to debauch her. 75 80 85 78. Base spouses.] Lewd and adulterous wives. -The noble young adulterer.] Prætextatus, i. e. the youth, not having laid aside the prætextata, or gown worn by boys, sons of the nobility, till seventeen years of age-yet, in this early period of life, initiated into the practice of adultery. 79. Indignation makes verse.] Forces one to write, however naturally without talents for it. 80. Such as I, or Cluvienus.] i. e. Make or write. The poet names himself with Cluvienus, (some bad poet of his time,) that he might the more freely satirize him, which he at the same time does, the more severely, by the compari son. 81. From the time that Deucalion.] This and the three following lines relate to the history of the deluge, as described by Ovid. See Met. lib. i. 1. 264-315. 82. Ascended the mountain, &c.] Alluding to Ovid: Mons ibi verticibus petit arduus astra duobus, Nomine Parnassus Hic ubi Deucalion (nam cætera texerat æquor) Cum consorte tori parvâ rate vectus ad hæsit. -Asked for lots.] Sortes here means the oracles, or billets, on which the answers of the gods were written. Ovid, (ubi supra,) I. 367, 8. represents Deu |