Suppositumque rotis solidum mare: credimus altos Da spatium vitæ, multos da, Jupiter, annos: Hoc recto vultu, solum hoc et pallidus optas. Sed quam continuis et quantis longa senectus Plena malis! deformem, et tetrum ante omnia vultum, -Strowed.] Covered, paved, as it were, for Xerxes is said to have had twelve thousand ships with him in his expedition, with which he formed the bridge after mentioned. 176. Those very ships.] Which had sailed through the passage at mount Athos. -Put under wheels.] He, in order to march his forces from Asia into Europe, made a bridge with his ships over the sea, which joined Abydus, a city of Asia, near the Hellespont, to Sestos, a city of the Thracian Chersonesus, which was opposite to Abydus, and separated by an arm of the sea: this part is now known by the name of the Dardanelles. The sea being thus made passable by the help of the bridge, the army, chariots, horses, &c. went over, as if the sea had been solid under them; therefore the poet says, sepositum rotis solidum mare, the firm sea. HOL. -We believe.] i. e. If we give credit to such historians. 177. Rivers failed, &c.] It is said that Xerxes's army was so numerous, as to drink up a river at once, whenever they made a meal. HERODOT. lib. ii. -The Mede.] The Medes and Persians composed the army of Xerxes. 178. Sostratus.] A Greek poet, who wrote the Persian expedition into Greece. -Wet wings.] The fancy of a poet may be compared to wings, for it is by 180 185 190 this he takes his flight into the regions of invention. The fancy of Sostratus is here supposed to have been moistened with wine; in short, that no man who was not drunk, which is signified by madidus, could ever have committed such improbabilities to writing. 179. What, &c.] What manner of man- qualis-how wretched, how forlorn, how changed from what he was! Comp. 1. 185. -That barbarian.] Xerxes. See sat. vi. 1. 157, note. --Salamis being left.] When he left and fled from Salamis, an island and city in the Ægean sea, near which Themistocles, the Athenian general, overcame him in a sea-fight, and forced him to fly. 180. Rage with whips, &c.] When he found the sea raging, and, being raised by those winds, to have destroyed his bridge, he was mad enough to order the Hellespont to be scourged with three hundred lashes. I don't read any where, but in this passage of Juvenal, of his whipping the winds. 181. Never suffered, &c.] The poet here alludes to Æn. i. l. 56-67. where Eolus is represented as holding the winds in prison, and giving them liberty to come forth as he pleased. 182. Who bound Ennosigaus, &c.] Xerxes was mad enough also to cast iron fetters into the sea, as if to bind Neptune in chains; who was called Ennosigæus, the earth-shaker, from the notion Those very ships, and put under wheels: we believe deep Rivers to have failed, and their waters drunk up when the Mede Dined, and what things Sostratus sings with wet wings. But what did that barbarian return, Salamis being left, 179 Who was wont to rage with whips, against the north-west and East wind, (which never suffered this in the Æolian prison,) Who bound Ennosigæus himself with fetters? That indeed was rather mild, that not worthy a mark also He thought him. Any of the gods would be willing to serve him. But what manner of man returned he? Truly with one vessel in the 185 Bloody waves, and, with slow prow, thro' thick carcasses. Glory so often wished for exacted this punishment. Give length of life, give, O Jupiter, many years! This with upright countenance, and this, pale, alone you wish. But with what continual, and with how great evils is old age Full! See the countenance deform'd, and hideous beyond every thing, 66 66 that he presided over the waters of the 66 191 the slain, that the boat could hardly make its way. 187. Glory, &c.] This haughty prince, who had collected so vast a force together, in order to carry on the war with the Athenians, begun by his father Darius, and invading Greece with seven hundred thousand men of his own kingdoms, three hundred thousand auxiliaries, and with twelve thousand ships, after beating Leonidas and taking Sparta, is defeated by Themistocles, his army cut to pieces, his fleet destroyed, and himself forced to escape in a wretched fishingboat. All this might well be called the just demand of vengeance against his pride, and mad thirst after glory. 188. Give, &c.] The poet now satirizes the folly of wishing for long life: he supposes one praying for it. 189. Upright countenance, &c.] i. e. Looking up to heaven-pale, with fear of death, or lest the petition should be refused. But, perhaps, recto vultu may here be a phrase to express one in youth and health; and the following pallidus may denote a state of old age and sickness: comp. 1. 191. "Both sick and healthful, old and young, conspire 66 "In this one silly, mischievous desire.” DRYDEN. Dissimilemque sui, deformem pro cute pellem, 192. Itself.] Its former self. -Unsightly hide.] Here is a distinction between cutis and pellis, the former signifying the skin of a man, the other the hide of a beast; to the last of which, by an apt catachresis, the poet compares the coarse and rugged appearance of an old man's skin. 193. Pendent cheeks.] It is observable, that, in old persons, the cheeks, not only in that part of them which is immediately below the eyes, hang in purses downwards, but also in that part which, in youth, forms the roundness, and contributes so much to the beauty and comeliness of the face, hang downwards in a relaxed and pendent state. 194. Tabraca, &c.] Now called Tunis, on the Mediterranean, near which was a wood, wherein was a vast quantity of apes. 195. Her old cheek.] Bucca properly signifies the cheek, or that part of it which swells out in blowing; but here it seems (by synec.) to denote the whole face, every part of which, in the animal he speaks of, especially when old, is in a wrinkled state. Dryden has well preserved the humour of this simile: Such wrinkles as a skilful hand would draw For an old grandam-ape, when, with a grace, She sits at squat, and scrubs her leathern face. 196. The differences, &c.] The poet is here to be understood as observing, that, however, in the days of youth, one is distinguishable from another by different beauties of countenance, and strength of body, old age renders all distinctions void; and, in short, one old man is too like another, to admit of them, both with respect to countenance, and bodily strength. 199. Smooth head.] Bald with the loss of hair. -Infancy, &c.] A running and drivelling nose, like a young child. 200. Unarm'd gum.] Having lost all his teeth, he has nothing left but his bare gums to mumble his food withal. And unlike itself, an unsightly hide instead of a skin: As, where Tabraca extends its shady forests, 195 The differences of youths are very many, one is handsomer than This, and he than another: this far more robust than that: The face of old men is one, the limbs trembling with the voice, And now a smooth head, and the infancy of a wet nose. Bread is to be broken by the wretch with an unarm'd gum So very burthensome, to wife, and children, and himself, 201 That he would move the loathing of the flatterer Cossus. The palate growing dull, the joys of wine and food are not The same a long oblivion of those pleasures, Which are in vain invited to return, : 205 Tho' every means be used to restore them. 202. The flatterer Cossus.] Captator signifies one who endeavoureth to get or procure any thing, particularly he who flattereth a man to be his heir. (See sat. v. 1. 98, note.) This mean occupation was frequent in Rome, and this Cossus seems to have been famous for it; yet old age, like what the poet has been describing, is sufficient, says he, even to disgust Cossus himself, so as to keep him away from paying his court. 203. The palate, &c.] Every thing now grows insipid; all difference of meats and drinks is lost. See this symptom of age mentioned by Barzillai, 2 Sam. xix. 35. 210. Another part.] The hearing. 211. A harper.] Citharœdus denotes that species of musician, who sung, and played the harp at the same time. -Seleucus.] A noted musician, who, according to the fashion of those times, wore a rich embroidered garment when he sang upon the stage. This is meant 211 in the next line by aurata lacerna, as not only the case of Seleucus, but of others. Of this incapacity for relishing music, Barzillai also speaks, 2 Sam. xix. 35. 214. The cornets.] Cornicen (from cornu, an horn, and cano, to sing) signifies a blower on the horn, or cornet, the sound of which was probably very loud and harsh, as was that of the trumpets. If he be so deaf that he cannot hear these, he can't expect to hear the singers, and the softer instruments. 215. Bawling, &c.] His boy must bawl as loud as he can into his ear, when he would tell him who called to visit him, or to let him know what o'clock it was. They had not watches and clocks as we have, but sun-dials and hour-glasses, which a boy was to watch, and acquaint the master how the time went. Horas quinque puer nondum tibi nun tiat et tu Jam conviva mihi, Cæciliane, venis. Quem dicat venisse puer, quot nunciet horas. 218. Warm from fever.] The blood is so cold, and circulates so slowly, that nothing can warm or quicken it but that hectic, feverish habit, which frequently is an attendant on the decays of old age. Gelidus tardante senecta Sanguis hebet, &c. N. v. 1. 395, 6. -Leap around, &c.] Surround him on all sides, ready to rush upon him, like wild beasts leaping on their prey. -Form'd into a troop.] A whole troop of diseases, in array against him. Agmine facto. See VIRG. Æn. i. 86. from whence our poet borrows this expression. See sat. iii. 162, and note. 220. Hippia.] See sat. vi. 82. a woman famous for her debaucheries. 221. Themison.] A physician much commended by Pliny and Celsus, though here spoken of in no very favourable light. Perhaps Juvenal gives this name to some empiric, in derision. -Autumn.] The autumn was usually a sickly time at Rome. See sat. iv. 1. 56, 7, and notes. 222. Allies, &c.] When the Romans had conquered any people, they reduced 220 225 230 235 them into the form of a province, which, being subject to Rome, was governed by a Roman prætor, and the inhabitants were called socii, allies, and, indeed, looked upon, in all respects, as such, not daring to refuse a confederacy with their conquerors. Basilus was one of these prætors, who shamefully plundered his province. -Hirrus.] Some read Irus. Whoever this was, his character is here noted, as a cheater and circumventer of youth, committed to his care and guardianship. He that had the tuition of a ward was called tutor. The ward was called pupillus. The pupilli were orphans, who had lost their parents, and thus fell under the tuition of guardians, who frequently, instead of protecting them, plundered and cheated them out of their patrimony. 223. Maura.] See sat. vi. 1. 306, note. 224. Hamillus] A school-master, famous for unnatural practices with his scholars. 226. Who clipping.] See sat. i. 25, and notes. |