is here put for the whole country. See Matt. xviii. 10; and Heb. i. 14. The first Notes, Ode i 23, 10, and ii. 16, 35. cut represents a Genius; the second a Juno 182. Est qui non curat habere, i.e., Sapiens-To shew how unnecessary these things are, the poet says there are many who never give themselves any trouble or concern about them. See Notes, Ode i. 1, 3. 183. Cur alter fratrum cessare, &c.-The dispositions of men are widely different; even in the case of brothers, it often happens that one is a careless and effeminate prodigal, the other a close and toiling miser. Cp. Sat ii. 1, 26, &c. Why this is so, is a secret known only to the Genius who presides at our birth, and guides the course of our existence. Cessare et ludere et ungiThe infinitives may be rendered in our idiom by nouns: "Ease and pleasure and perfumes." Cp. Epist. i. 7, 57; 14, 36; and Ode iv. 13, 4. 184. Herodis palmetis pinguibus" to the rich palm-groves of Herod the Great," who died B.C. 4. These were in the country around Jericho, and were regarded as constituting some of the richest possessions of the Jewish monarch. Ad um 185. Importunus-"morose." bram lucis ab ortu-" from the dawn of day to the shades of evening." 186. Silvestrem-"overrun with underwood." Mitiget" subdues," i.e., clears, and renders productive. Cp. Epist. i. 2, 45. 187. Scit Genius, &c.-ater-This is one of the loci classici, indicating the ideas respecting what the ancients considered the Genius of each individual. We learn from it:-1. The Genius was supposed to accompany a person wherever he went; 2. He governed the horoscope (natale temperavit astrum), exerting himself to avert the evil, and to promote the good indicated by the natal star of the individual with whom he was associated; 3. He is styled Naturae deus humanae, because he was believed to live and die with us; 4. He is angry if we oppose or resist his influence, but mild and gentle if we submit to his sway (mutabilis, albus et ater). Natale comes qui temperat astrum" our constant attendant, who governs our horoscope." See Notes, Ode ii. 17, 17. In addition to what has been said in Notes, Ode iii. 17, 16, it may be added that several distinguished commentators, such as Alford, Meyer, and Stier, on Acts xii. 15, compared with Matt. xviii. 10, have maintained that the doctrine of guardian angels was taught by our Saviour. All, however, that can be legitimately inferred from Scripture, is that saints are under angelic guardianship, not that one angel has been apportioned to each believer. Čp. Gen. xlviii. 16; Ps. xxxiv. 7; Eccl. v. 6; 188. Naturae, &c.—ater-"the god of human nature, who dies with each individual; mutable of aspect, benign or offended." Mortalis in unumquodque caput, is added for the purpose of explaining naturae deus humanae, i.e., the god who, equally with man, is subject to the power of death. 190. Utar (quaesitis)—“I will, therefore, enjoy what I have." Ex modico-acervo"from my little heap." Cp. Sat. i. 1, 51. 191. Nec metuam, &c.-invenerit—“ nor will I care what my heir may think of me, from his having got no more than what is actually given," i.e., when he shall find the amount that is left to him to be so small. Cp. Epist. i. 5, 13. 192. Tamen, &c.-volam-" still I would also wish to know (ie., never to forget)." 193. Quantum, &c.-avaro-The poet's maxim was to pursue the golden mean, auream mediocritatem. EPISTLE I.-The remaining Epistles are on poets and poetry. This one is addressed to Augustus, and according to Suetonius, in his life of Horace, it is a reply to the following complaint on the part of the Emperor: Irasci me tibi scito, quod non in plerisque ejusmodi scriptis mecum potissimum loquaris. An vereris ne apud posteros tibi infame sit, quod familiaris nobis esse? After a short eulogium on the government of Augustus, Horace proceeds to criticise the ancient poets of Greece and Rome, deprecating the partiality of his countrymen for ancient poetry, merely because it is ancient. While he praises poetry, and attempts a sketch of its history among the Romans, he disclaims all desire to shine in tragedy or comedy, and pleads in behalf of those who write for readers rather than spectators; commends Augustus for patronising Virgil and Varius; and concludes by alleging his incapacity as an excuse for not having made the splendid achievements of the Emperor the subject of his song. Supposed to have been written in B.C. 10, two years before the poet s death. 1. Cum-sustineas-" seeing you support (or uphold) the weight of." Negotia "occupations," here regarded as an onus. Solus-" alone," as if he had not assumed all the great offices of state, but had had them thrust upon him. 2. Res Italas-Cp. Ode iv. 15, 13, &c. Armis tuteris-Cp. Ode iv. 14, 43. Moribus ornes.-Cp. Ode iv. 5, 21, &c, and 15, 9, &c. For moribus, Bentley conjectures moenibus in the sense aedificiis magnificis, which is without authoritv. Leges and Tores are similarly connected in Ode iii. 24, 25, and iv. 5, 22. 3. Legibus emendes-In this and the two preceding phrases are included all the benefits which a good ruler is able to confer on his subjects, except rewarding "those who do well." 4. Longo sermone-longa epistola. Since this is one of the poet's longest letters, some would have these words to refer merely to the introduction, as if they had never heard any who were going to say "only a few words," make long speeches. Morer-"I should take up." Cp. Epist. L 13. 17. Caesar concludes the introduction. 5. Romulus, Bacchus, Castor, Pollux, [GROUPS OF DOLPHINS AND SEA IIORSES-Antiq. d' Herculaneum.] ART OF POETRY, OR EPISTLE TO THE PISOS. IT has been keenly disputed whether this should be regarded as a systematic Treatise the Art of Poetry, or simply as an Epistle on Poetical Criticism. Though it differs free the other Epistles in being confined to one subject, this is not a sufficient reason criticising it as a systematic Treatise on Poetry; nor, though it may be admitted that the latter is the more descriptive title, does it follow that the former should be rejected, since it was freely conceded by Quintilian and the early Grammarians, and, if we may believe the Scholiasts, it is the one inscribed by Horace himself. merely because it happens that the oldest | Greek poets are so. Orelli regards this as a complex enthymeme rather than a proverb. Bentley conjectures olea for oleam so as to make intra an adv. as well as extra. 32. Venimus, &c.-unctis. we have reached the summit of prosperity, therefore, we paint, and play upon the harp, and wrestle more skilfully than the anointed Greeks," ie., or we may as well hold that because we are more powerful than the Greeks, we are, therefore, more skilful than they are in painting, music, and wrestling, which is certainly not the case. 33. Unctis-The ancient Greeks anointed their body with oil, previous to engaging in gymnastic exercises. 34. Si, &c.-annus-" if length of time makes poems better, as it does wine, I should like to know how many years will claim a value for writings." The poet, for the sake of argument, concedes the point, and has recourse to the "Reductio ad absurdum," to show the fallacy of the reasoning. 35. Arroget-Cp. Ode iv. 14, 39, and drrogatio. 36. Decidit is equivalent to mortuus est, and has reference to the falling of leaves. Cp. Ode iv. 7, 14. 38. Excluda jurgia finis-"let some fixed period exclude all possibility of dispute." 39. Est vetus atque probus, centum qui perficit annos. Horace here dexterously supposes a definite answer given to an indefinite question. The answer to Horace's question, is supposed to be given by some admirer of the ancients. 40. Minor (natu)—“ later." 45. Utor permisso, &c.—acervi—“I avail myself of this concession, and pluck away the years by little and little, as I would the hairs of a horse's tail; and first, I take away one, and then again I take away another, until he who has recourse to annals, and estimates merit by years, and admires nothing but what Libitina has consecrated, falls to the ground, being overreached on the principle of the sinking heap," i.e., the principle by which the heap keeps steadily diminishing. By this destructive Sorites (Zwgirns, from owgos, a heap,) the poet wishes to prove that merit cannot be estimated by years. He is supposed to refer to the story told by Plutarch of Sertorius, (Sert. 16,) who, being desirous to combine amusement with instruction, and convince his soldiers that union is strength, and perseverance more powerful than force, ordered a tall, strong man to pull the slender tail from a feeble old horse, while he set a feeble old man to pick out the bushy tail of a big strong horse, hair by hair. The latter found his task easy; the former had to give it up in despair, after being laughed at. 46. Paulatim vello, et demo unum, demo et item unum.-With vello supply annos, and with each unum, supply annum. For et item, some MSS. give itidem, etiam, or iterum. 47. Cadat-As if he had been standing on the heap, until the removal of its component parts, one after another, brings him eventually to the ground. Elusus refers technically to a defeated gladiator. 48. Pastos (consulares). Virtutem (poeticam). 49. Nisi quod Libitina sacravit designates the works of those who have been consigned to the tomb. See Notes, Sat. ii. 6, 19. 50. Ennius, &c.-Pythagorea-"Ennius, both learned and spirited, and a second Homer, as critics say, seems to care but little what becomes of his boastful promises and his Pythagorean dreams," seeing posterity, in their blind admiration, have made him all that he professed to be, i.e., a second Homer. The poet, from line 50 to 59, gives a detail of the judgments of his contemporaries upon the most celebrated of the old Roman poets. Ennius-See Notes, Epist. i, 19, 7. Horace begins with Ennius, as Ennius was reputed to be to Roman poetry (alter Homerus,) what Homer was to Greek. 32. Ennius, at the commencement of his Annals, professed that Homer had appeared to him in a dream, and intimated that his spirit had come out of a peacock that it might animate him to celebrate the achievements of the Romans. Pythagorea implies that Ennius was an adherent of the Pythagorean system of philosophy. Cp. Persius, Sat. vi. 10, Cor jubet hoc Enni, postquam destertuit esse Maeonides, Quintus pavone ex Pythagoreo. 53. Naevius, &c.-(ut) recens ?-"is not Nævius in our hands, and does he not adhere to our memories almost as a late writer?" i.e., is not Nævius, though an older and harsher writer than Ennius, in every body's hands, and as fresh in their memories almost as if he were one of their contemporaries? Cn. Nævius, probably a Campanian, produced his first play at Rome in 235. Besides tragedies and comedies, he wrote a poem on the first Punic war, and died in exile at Utica in 204 B.C. 55. Ambigitur quoties-" as often as a debate arises," i.e., among the critics of the day, respecting the merits of old dramatic poets. Prior-praestanior. Aufert Pacuvius docti famam senis (poetae) Accius alt-"Pacuvius bears away the character of the learned old poet, Accius of the sublime." Senis is applicable to both. Pacuvius-M. Pacuvius, a tragic poet, son of Ennius's sister, born at Brundusium, B.C 220, and the friend of C. Lælius. He produced his last play at Rome, in his eightieth year, and died at Tarentum, after having nearly completed his ninetieth. Docti"learned," in the Greek poets. Accius-L. Accius (or Attius), born B.C. 170, and lived till he saw C. Julius Cæsar Vopiscus, who was put to death in 87. Besides tragedies, he wrote Libri Didascalion. Cp. Sat. i. 10, 53, and Ars Poet., 258, &c. 57. Dicitur, &c.-Menandro-"the gown of Afranius is said to have fitted Menander" -Dicitur Afranî togam conventuram fuisse Menandro-"it is said that the gown of Afranius would have fitted Menander," i.e, the Roman Afranius is as great a poet as the Greek Menander. Afrani-L Afranius, a Roman comic poet, flourished about 94 B.C. The names and fragments of more than 40 of his dramas remain. Their immoral tendency is censured by Quintilian (x. 1, 100). Toga-Latin comic pieces, (comoediae or fabulae,) descriptive of Roman manners, and played in Roman dresses, were styled togatae; those on Greek manners, and played in Greek dresses, palliatae. Menandro-Menander, the most distinguished poet of the new comedy at Athens, was born in 342, and died in 291 B.C. He wrote above 100 plays, and appears to have been studied by Horace. See Notes, Sat. ii. 3, 11. 58. Plautus, &c--Epicharmi-" Plautus to hurry onward after the pattern of the Sicilian Epicharmus." Plautus T. Maccius Plautus, the most celebrated of the Roman comic poets, was born at Sarsina in Umbria, about 254, came to Rome at an early age, and died in 184 B.C., when Terence was nine years of age. He is said to have written more than 100 plays, 20 of which are extant. Properare is understood to indicate the liveliness of his style, and the rapidity with which his incidents hasten to the catastrophe. Cp Ars Poet., 148. Epicharmi - Epicharinus, though born in Cos, about B.C. 540, is here styled Siculus, as he passed the most of his life in Sicily, first at Megara, and after its destruction in 484, at Syracus where he was patronized by Gelon and his successor Hiero. He was the chief comic poet among the Dorians, a pupil of Pythagoras, and the contemporary of Pindar and Eschylus, &c. He is said to have died at the age of 90 or 97, and composed 52 plays, of which the titles of 35 are extant. How far the present judgment of the critics is deserved can scarcely be determined, as 144 only a few fragments of his works have been preserved. 59. Vincere Caecilius gravitate, Terentius arte-"Cæcilius to excel in dignity, Terence in skill." Caecilius-C. Cæcilius Statius, a Roman comic poet, au Insubrian Gaul, a native of Mediolanum (Milan), by birth a slave, and an intimate friend of Ennius. His servile name was Statius, which seems to have been converted into a cognomen after he obtained his freedom. He was classed by his countrymen along with Plantus and Terence, and by Cicero placed at the head of his own department. The names of some 40 of his dramas have been preserved, all of which appear to have been palliatae. He died in 168, the year after Ennius, and two years before the representation of the Andria, which had been submitted to his judgment by the Ediles, at the request of the author, and had received his commendation. Terentius P. Ter entius Afer was born at Carthage in 195, and died in Arcadia in 159 B.C. He was by birth or purchase the slave of P. Terentius Lucanus, a Roman Senator. His servile name was Publius or Publipor, and on his manumission he assumed, as usual, the name of his master. He is the only one of the Roman comic poets, except Plautus, of whose works more than fragments have been preserved. Six of his plays remain, all palliatae, and said to have been founded principally on those of Menander. chief patrons were Lælius and the younger Scipio. He subsequently visited Greece, and translated 108 of Menander's comedies. It is said that these were lost at sea on their way to Italy, and that grief for their loss occasioned their author's death. He is celebrated for the purity of his style, the elegance of his language, and skill in the construction of his plots. His 60. Ediscit "gets by heart." Arcto stipata theatro—“ crammed in the too nar row theatre." Though large in itself, the theatre was too confined for the immense crowds that flocked to witness the repre sentation of his plays. 62. Livi-Livius Andronicus, the earliest Roman dramatist, was a Greek, and probably born at Tarentum, the year before Ennius. He was one of the prisoners taken by the Romans during their wars in Southern Italy, and became the slave of C. (or M.) Livius Salinator. He instructed the children of his master, and on his manumission assumed the name of Livius. Besides tragedies and comedies, he wrote s Latin Odyssey in Saturnian verse and hymns. The names and a few fragments of the dramas have been preserved; the rest have perished. Cicero (Brutus 18, 71) says they were not worthy of a second |