Sabine valley, but on the Lucano-Apulian border where Horace was born. "The vicissitude which placed a Priest on the throne of the Cæsars, has ordained that a Bull of Pope Pascal the Second should be the decisive document in ascertaining the site of a fountain which inspired an Ode of Horace." About so minute a concern long disquisitions here would be tedious and unnecessary. For in the first place, Mr. Dunlop's solution (History of Roman Literature. 1828. Vol. 1. p. 213.) seems calculated to set the matter at rest very easily. "The probability is, that Horace had named the clearest and loveliest stream of his Sabine retreat, after that fountain which lay in Apulia, and on the brink of which he had no doubt often sported in infancy." And secondly, in confirmation of Mr. Dunlop's conjecture, I may be forgiven for inserting part of a Letter of my own on this very point of difficulty, familiarly written in the year 1824. "Let the Fons Bandusia (now the Fonte Bello) of the Sabine valley, flow on with all its honours! "For as to the Ode of Horace (3 C. XIII.), it tallies admirably with the idea of his christening what had no name before, after the romantic spring, which had a name, not far from Venusia, and which he had loved when a child." "From 1 E. xvi. 12. Fons etiam rivo dare nomen idoneus, you may perhaps gather that this fountain had no name whatever, till Horace gave it one. The rivus lower down was certainly called Digentia, now Licenza. 1 E. XVIII. 104. Me quoties reficit gelidus Digentia rivus, &c. The classical verisimilitude of my conjecture that Horace called his Sabine fountain, from natural love and liking, after the old spring near Venusia, you can hardly deny; if will but turn to a beautiful part of the third Æneid.” you 349. 351. Procedo, et parvam Trojam, simulataque magnis Pergama, et arentem Xanthi cognomine rivum Agnosco, Scææque amplector limina Porta. OF THE LIFE AND WRITINGS OF HORACE. Authoritles and allusions. 2 S. 1. 34, 5. HORACE born, 8 Dec. near Venusia, in the Ep. XI. 6 3 C. XXI. 1. 4 C. IX. 2. 3 C. IV. 9-20. His adventure when a child 53 127 52 135 Is carried by his father to Rome for education. 1 S. vi. 71–6. 49 16 His father dies about this time. Battle of Pharsalia. He takes the Toga Virilis. He goes, as to an University, to Athens ...... 2 E. 11. 43. Julius Cæsar assassinated. 1 C. xII. 35, 6. Horace leaves Athens, to join the standard of 1 S. vi. 48. ... calidus juventâ | Consule Planco shares in the defeat at Philippi, and in the confiscation that followed .... 2 E. 11. 46. 3 C. XIV. 27, 8. 2 C. vii. 7—9. 2 E. 11. 49-51. His friend Pompeius Varus betakes himself to 1 S. vi. 54, 5. been nearly shipwrecked off Cape Palinurus 3 C. IV. 28. becomes acquainted with Virgil and Varius; is by them introduced to Mæcenas ...... obtains his patronage, and is admitted to his friendship........ Ibid. 61, 2. The first Class of his Writings. The first book of Satires. Years of Horace ... XXVI, XXVII, xxviii, R. B. Authorities and allusions. B. C. [37, 36, 35, 34, 33. In the spring, Horace enjoys the journey to Is enriched by Mæcenas with the Sabine estate Division of lands, towards the close of the The book of Epodes. .........................XXXIV, xxxv. R. B. Years of Horace = 33, 34. B. C. 32, 31. F. H. 1 S. v. Ep. IX. 7-10. 2 S. vi. 55, 6. 2 S. 111. 185, 6. 32 31 333 The war impending betwixt Cæsar and Antony Ep. vii. 34 Horace desires to accompany Mæcenas to the In this year probably Horace rents or buys Ep. ix. ............... 1 C. XXXVII. Death of Antony and Cleopatra End of the civil wars: the Temple of Janus The deliberation about restoring the republic, of Augustus conferred on Cæsar in the Augustus returns from the war in Spain ... An Embassy from Parthia: allusion supposed 1 C. II. 1 C. xxxv. 30. 4 C. xv. 8, 9. 1 E. xvIII. 55,6. 3 C. v. I. 4. M. Lollius, the Elder, Consul: Horace com- 4 C. IX. 1 E. pletes his 44th year XX. 27, 8. 39. |