Quæ causa officii? quid quæris? nubit amicus, 134. A friend marries.] The word nubo (as has been observed) properly belonging to the woman, as duco to the man. Nubit here is used to mark out the abominable transaction. 135. Nor does he admit many.] He does not invite many people to the ceremony, wishing to keep it rather private. He had not, perhaps, shaken off all fear of the Scantinian law. See before, 1. 43, note. -Only let us live, &c.] These seem to be Juvenal's words. Only let us have patience, and if we live a little longer, we shall not only see such things done, but done openly and not only this, but we shall see the parties concerned wish to have them recorded in the public registers. Juvenal saw the increase of all this mischief, and might from this venture to foretel what actually came to pass: for Salvian, who wrote in the fifth century, speaking of this dedecoris scelerisque consortium, as he calls it, says, that "it spread all over the city; and though "the act itself was not common to all, "yet the approbation of it was.' 137. Meanwhile, &c.] The poet here, with much humour, scoffs at these unnatural wretches in very ludicrous terms. 138. Retain their husbands.] Barrenness was frequently a cause of di vorce. 141. Turgid Lyde.] Some woman of that name, perhaps called turgida from her corpulency, or from her preparing and selling medicines to cure barrenness, 135 140 145 and to occasion fertility and promote conception. Conditus literally signifies seasoned, mixed, made savoury, and the like; here it implies, that she sold some conserve, or the like, which was mixed, seasoned, or, as we may say, medicated with various drugs, and put into boxes for sale. 142. The nimble Lupercus.] The Lupercalia were feasts sacred to Pan, that he might preserve their flocks from wolves, (a lupis ;) hence the priests were called Luperci. The Lupercalia appears to have been a feast of purification, being solemnized on the dies nefasti, or non-court-days of February, which derives its name from februo, to purify; and the very day of the celebration was called Februaca. The ceremony was very singular and strange. In the first place, a sacrifice was killed of goats and a dog; then two children, noblemen's sons, being brought thither, some of the Luperci stained their foreheads with the bloody knife, while others wiped it off with locks of wool dipped in milk. This done, they ran about the streets all naked but the middle, and, having cut the goat-skins into thongs, they lashed all they met. The women, so far from avoiding their strokes, held out the palms of their hands to receive them, fancying them to be great helpers of conception. See KENNETT, Antiq. b. ii. part ii. c. 2. Shakespeare alludes to this, Jul. Cæs. act i. sc. ii. former part. 143. The fork.] Fuscina, a sort of What is the cause of the bus'ness? why do you marries : ask? a friend Nor does he admit many. Only let us live, these things will be done, 135 Done openly, and will desire to be reported in the public registers. Meanwhile a great torment sticks to those (thus) marrying, That they can't bring forth, and retain by birth (of children) their husbands. But it is better, that, to their minds, no authority over their bodies 140 Doth nature indulge; barren they die: and to them stage, 144 More nobly born than the Manlii, the Capitolini, and Marcelli, And the Catuli, and the posterity of Paulus; than the Fabii, and Than all the spectators at the podium: tho', to these, him three-pronged fork or trident, used by a particular kind of fencer or gladiator, who was armed with this, and with a net; hence called Retiarius. His adversary was called Mirmillo, (from Gr. μvgpos, formica; see AINSW.) and was armed with a shield, scythe, and headpiece, with the figure of a fish on the crest. The Retiarius tried to throw his net over the Mirmillo's head, and so entangle him, saying, when he cast the net, Piscem peto, non te peto. The Mirmillo is sometimes called the secutor or pursuer, because if the Retiarius missed him, by throwing his net too far, or too short, he instantly took to his heels, running about the arena for his life, that he might gather up his net for a second cast; the Mirmillo, in the mean time, as swiftly pursuing him, to prevent him of his design. This seems to be meant, l. 144. Lustravitque fugâ, &c. which intimates the flight of the Retiarius from the Mirmillo. -Coated, &c.] Tunicatus, i. e. dressed in the tunica, or habit of the Retiarii, which was a sort of coat without sleeves, in which they fought. This same Gracchus meanly laid aside his own dress, took upon him the garb and weapons of a common gladiator, and exhibited in the public amphitheatre. Such feats were encouraged by Domitian, to the great scandal of the Roman nobility. Mediam arenam may here signify the middle of the amphitheatre, which was strewed with sand; on which part the gladiators fought: this made arena be often used to signify the amphitheatre itself. 145. Capitolini, &c.] Noble families, who were an ornament to the Roman name. 147. The podium.] Hodov, Gr, from Tous, a foot. That part of the theatre next the orchestra, where the nobles sat; it projected in form something like the shape of a foot. See AINSW. -Tho', to these, &c.] Though to those who have been mentioned before, you should add the prætor, at whose expence these games were exhibited. The prætors often exhibited games at their own expence. But the poet may here be understood to glance at the emperor Domitian, who was a great encourager of these strange proceedings of the young nobility. See note on 1. 143. He that set forth, at his own charge, the sight of sword-players, and other like games unto the people, was called mune Admoveas, cujus tunc munere retia misit. Esse aliquos manes, et subterranea regna, rarius. Hence Juvenal says, cujus tunc munere, &c. 148. Threw the net.] Entered the lists in the character of a Retiarius: and thus a man of the noblest family in Rome debased himself and his family by becoming a prize-fighter in the public theatre. 149. That there are any ghosts.] The poet now proceeds to trace all the foregoing abominations to their source, namely, the disbelief and contempt of religion, those essential parts of it, particularly, which relate to a future state of rewards and punishments. By manes, here, we may understand the ghosts or spirits of persons departed out of this life, which exist after their departure from the body, and are capable of happiness and misery. See VIRG. En. vi. 735-44. -Subterranean realms.] Infernal regions, which were supposed to be under the earth. 150. A boat pole.] Contus signifies a long pole or staff, shod with iron at the bottom, to push on small vessels in the water. Juvenal here alludes to Charon, the ferryman of hell, of whom Virgil says, En. vi. 1. 302. Ipse ratem conto subigit. -Frogs.] The poets feigned that there were frogs in the river Styx. Some give the invention to Aristophanes. See his comedy of the Frogs. -Stygian gulph.] The river Styx, supposed to be the boundary of the infernal regions, over which departed souls were ferried in Charon's boat. VIRG. Geor. iv. 467-80. See 150 155 160 If any of the gods swore by this river falsely, he was to lose his divinity for an hundred years. 152. Not even boys believe.] All these things are disbelieved not only by persons in a more advanced age, but even by boys. -Unless those not as yet, &c.] The quadrans, which was made of brass, in value about our halfpenny, was the bathing fee paid to the keeper of the bath by the common people. See sat. vi. 446. and Hok. lib. i. sat. iii. 1. 137. Dum tu quadrante lavatum Little children, under four years old, : The poet means, that none but children, and those very young indeed, could be brought to believe such things these might be taught them, among other old women's stories, by their nurses, and they might believe them, till they grew old enough to be wiser, as the freethinkers would say. 153. But think thou, &c.] Do thou, O man, whatever thou art, give credit to these important matters, which respect a future state of rewards and punish ments. -Curius.] Dentatus: thrice consul, and remarkable for his courage, singular honesty, and frugality. What does he now think, who is enjoying the rewards of his virtue in elysium. 153, 4. Both the Scipios.] Viz. Scipio Africanus Major, who conquered Hannibal, and Scipio Africanus Minor, who You should add, at whose expence he then threw the net. Not even boys believe, unless those not as yet washed for money: But think thou that they are true: What thinks Curius, and both The Scipios? what Fabricius, and the ghost of Camillus? 154 What the legion of Cremera, and the youth consumed at Cannæ, So many warlike souls? as often as from hence to them such A shade arrives, they would desire to be purified, if there could be given Sulphur with pines, and if there were a wet laurel. Thither, alas! we wretches are conveyed! our arms, indeed, beyond 155 The shores of Juverna we have advanced, and the lately captured rased Numantia and Carthage. Hence VIRG. Ea. vi. 842, 3. -Geminos duo fulmina belli Scipiadas, cladem Libya.. -Fabricius.] C. Luscinius the consul, who conquered Pyrrhus. -Camillus.] A noble Roman; he, though banished, saved Rome from its final ruin by the Gauls. The Romans voted him an equestrian statue in the Forum, an honour never before conferred on a Roman citizen. 155. The legion of Cremera.] Meaning the 300 Fabii, who, with their slaves and friends, marched against the Veientes, who, after many battles, surrounding them by an ambuscade, killed the 300 near Cremera, a river of Tuscany, except one, from whom came afterwards the famous Fabius mentioned by VIRG. Æn. vi. 845, 6. -The youth consumed, &c.] Cannæ arum. A village of Apulia in the king dom of Naples, where Hannibal defeated the Romans, and killed above 40,000. Among these such a number of the young nobility, knights, and others of rank, that Hannibal sent to Carthage three bushels of rings in token of his victory. There was such a carnage of the Romans, that Hannibal is said, at last, to have stopped his soldiers, crying out, "Parce ferro." 156. So many warlike souls.] Slain in battle, fighting for their country. VIRG. En. vi. 660. places such in elysium. By mentioning the above great men, Juvenal means, that they were examples not only of the belief of a future state, which influenced them in the achievement of great and worthy deeds during their lives, but that now they experienced the certainty of it, in the enjoyment of its rewards. 156. As often as from hence, &c.] When the spirit of such a miscreant, as I have before described, goes from hence, leaves this world, and arrives among the venerable shades of these great and virtuous men, they would look upon themselves as defiled by such a one coming among them; they would call for lustrations, that they might purify themselves from the pollution which such company would bring with it. 157. If there could be given.] i. e. If they could come at materials for purification in the place where they are. 158. Sulphur with pines.] Fumes of sulphur, thrown on a lighted torch made of the wood of the unctuous pine-tree, were used among the Romans as purifying. See AINSW. Teda, No. 3. Pliny says of sulphur, " Habet et in religionibus locum ad expiandas suf"fitu domos." Lib. xxxv. c. 15. -A wet laurel.] They used also a laurel-branch dipped in water, and sprinkling with it things or persons which they would purify. 159. Thither, alas! &c.] We wretched mortals all must die, and be carried into that world of spirits, where happiness or misery will be our doom. 160. Juverna.] Al. Juberna, hod. Hibernia, Ireland. It is thought by Cam Orcadas, ac minimâ contentos nocte Britannos. den, that the Romans did not conquer Ireland; this passage of Juvenal seems to imply the contrary. The poet might speak here at large, as a stranger to these parts, but according to the report of the triumphing Romans, who sometimes took discoveries for conquests, and thought those overcome, who were neighbours to those whom they overcame. 161. Orcades.] A number of small islands in the north of Scotland, added to the Roman empire by the emperor Claudius. Hod. the Orkneys. -The Britons content, &c.] At the summer solstice the nights are very short; there is scarce any in the most northern parts of Britain. 162. The things which, &c.] The abominations which are committed in Rome, are not to be found among the conquered people, at least not till they learn them by coming to Rome; instances, indeed, may be found of this, as may appear by what follows. 164. Zelates.] An Armenian youth, sent as an hostage from Armenia. -More soft, &c.] More effeminate; made so, by being corrupted at an earlier period of life than was usual among the Roman youths. Ephebus signifies a youth or lad from about fourteen to seventeen. Then they put on the toga virilis, and were reckoned men. The word is compounded of 7, at, and en, puberty. 165. To have yielded himself.] For the 165 170 horrid purpose of unnatural lust. -A burning tribune.] VIRG. ecl. ii. I. has used the verb ardeo in the same horrid sense. The tribune is not named, but some think the emperor Caligula to be hinted at, who, as Suetonius relates, used some who came as hostages, from far countries, in this detestable manner. 166. See what commerce may do.] Commercia here signifies intercourse, correspondence, converse together. Mark the effects of bad intercourse. The poet seems to mean what St. Paul expresses, 1 Cor. xv. 33. “ Evil communications corrupt good manners." -He had come an hostage.] Obsesquia quasi pignus obsidetur, i. e. because kept, guarded, as a pledge. An hostage was given as a security or pledge, for the performance of something by one people to another, either in war or peace, and was peculiarly under the protection and care of those who received him. This youth had been sent to Rome from Artaxata, the capital of Armenia, a country of Asia, and was debauched by the tribune who had the custody of him. This breach of trust aggravates the crime. 167. Here they become men.] Here, at Rome, they soon lose their simplicity and innocence of manners, and though young in years, are soon old in wickedness, from the corruptions which they meet with. The word homo is of the common gender, and signifies both man |