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'Study'

• code of humanity!

publica lex hominum naturaque continet hac fas, e ignorance & in becility,

ut teneat vetitos inscitia debilis actus.

diluis helleborum, certo conpescere puncto

‹ index.

nescius examen? vetat hoc natura medendi. shod with the pero'

navem si poscat sibi peronatus arator, I. 437

sea god's

luciferi rudis, exclamet Melicerta perisse frontem de rebus. tibi recto vivere talo

indicium.

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ars dedit, et veri specimen dinoscere calles, ne qua subaerato mendosum tinniat auro?

quaeque sequenda forent, quaeque evitanda vicissim,

charcoal

illa prius creta, mox haec carbone notasti?

es modicus voti? presso lare? dulcis amicis?

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98. publica lex hominum, opp. to 'Masuri rubrica' v. 90, as the Delph. ed. remarks.

natura seems to be mentioned as the source of the law, which is consequently accepted and acknowledged everywhere. [The doctrine of a supreme law of Nature, the actual source and ideal standard of all particular laws, was characteristic of the Stoics, and lay at the bottom of the Roman juristical notion of a ' ratio naturalis' or 'ius gentium' (Inst. 2. 1). Aliquod esse commune ius generis humani' Sen. Ep. 47. 3: 'lex naturae' ib. Vit. Beat. 15. 5.]

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is a common

98. hoc fas; 'fas omne expression, Virg. Aen. 3. 55, etc.; and 'fas gentium,' 'patriae,' etc. occur in Tacitus (Ann. I. 42., 2. 10).

99. teneat vetitos are connected by] Casaubon, who explains them habeat pro vetitis.' Jahn says, Teneat, ita ut necessario eam sequantur.' Perhaps it would be more natural fo explain it in the sense of restraining. That ignorance and incompetence should operate as a bar to forbidden actions,'-or, if we take inscitia debilis as equivalent to 'insciti et debiles,'' should check them,' as if it

were

teneat se ab agendis vetitis.' So Ascens. Contineat in se nec emittat actus vetitos,' and Nebriss. Contineat se ab aliqua re agenda quam agere ratio, lex, et natura vetant.'

The use of actus in this sense seems chiefly to belong to later Latin. Freund thinks there is only one instance of it in

106. sub aerato.

100

105

Cicero (Leg. I. II), 'Non solum in rectis sed etiam in pravis actibus.' [But Orelli reads pravitatibus' without mentioning any variant.]

100. This and the following example are from Hor. 2 Ep. 1. 114 foll. 'Navem agere ignarus navis timet: abrotonum aegro Non audet, nisi qui didicit, dare,'speaking of those who rush into poetry without preparation.

seems

diluis helleborum. Hellebore to have been sometimes taken pure, as in 4. 16 note, sometimes mixed. certo, etc. The metaphor here is from a steel-yard (' statera '), not as in I. 6 foll., from a balance (trutina ').

conpescere, 'to check,' seems here to mean to bring to the perpendicular, so that the index ('examen ') may show that there is an equipoise.

punctum is one of the points on the graduated arm, along which the weight is moved.

certo conpescere puncto, then, is to steady the index by bringing the weight to the point required. Thus the whole will mean, as Lubin explains it, 'Do you attempt to compound medicines who do not understand the use of the steelyard?' IOI. natura medendi, the conditions of the healing art.'

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code of humanity and nature, that ignorance and imbecility operate as an embargo on a forbidden action. What? compound hellebore, when you don't know the right point at which to steady the index of the steel-yard? The law of the healing art forbids you. So if a roughshod clodhopper, unacquainted with the pole-star, should ask for a ship, the gods of the sea would cry out that shamefacedness had vanished from nature. Tell me, has study given you the power of living correctly? are you well practised in testing the appearances of truth, and seeing that there is no false ring to show that the gold is coppered underneath? Have you discriminated what should be followed on the one hand and what avoided on the other, marking the former with chalk first, and then the latter with charcoal? Are your desires moderate, your house within compass, your temper to your friends pleasant? Can you

Euros Pellibus inversis' Juv. 14. 185, con trasted with the light shoes which sailors wear on deck (Stocker).

103. luciferi, mentioned as the chief of the stars. Casaubon remarks that in that case the countryman would be ignorant even of his own trade, as he is bound to have some knowledge of the stars, Virg. G. 1. 204 foll.

exclamet, etc. From Hor. 2 Ep. 1. 80 clamant periisse pudorem Cuncti paene patres.' Casaubon quotes Theognis 291 αἰδὼς μὲν γὰρ ὄλωλεν, ἀναιδείη δὲ καὶ ὕβρις Νικήσασα δίκην γῆν κατὰ πᾶσαν ἔχει.

Melicerta, as one of the patrons of sailors, Virg. G. 1. 437.

·

104. frontem, the seat of modesty, put for modesty itself, as in our word frontless.' de rebus, from the world,' as in 'Rerum pulcherrima Roma,' etc.

Cadat an recto stet fabula talo' Hor. 2 Ep. 1. 176; apparently from Pind. Isthm. 6. 12 ὀρθῷ ἔστασας ἐπὶ σφυρῷ. Jahn. Opp. to falling or stumbling. Not unlike is Juv. 10. 5 dextro pede concipis.'

105. ars. So Cic. Tusc. 2. 4 says of the philosopher, 'In ratione vitae peccans.. in officio cuius magister esse vult labitur, artemque vitae professus, delin¡quit in vita.' The word is emphatic here, as Persius means to deny that virtue comes except by training and study. [The Stoics were fond of drawing out the analogy between life and the arts so familiar to the readers of Plato: e. g. Epictetus 4. 1. 117 foll, οὕτως ἐφ ̓ ἑκάστης ὕλης τὸν ἔμπειρον τοῦ ἀπείρου κρατεῖν πᾶσα ἀνάγκη. Ὅστις οὖν καθόλου τὴν περὶ βίον ἐπιστήμην κέκτηται, τί ἄλλο ἢ τοῦτον εἶναι

δεῖ τὸν δεσπότην; Τίς γάρ ἐστιν ἐν νηῒ κύριος; Ο κυβερνήτης κ.τ.λ. Sen. Ep. 117. 12 Sapientia .. .. ars vitae est:' comp. ib. Vit. Beat. 8. 3.]

specimen is restored by Jahn from the majority of MSS., including the oldest, for speciem.'' specimen' has here its original sense of indicium,' as in Lucr. 4. 209 foll. Hoc etiam in primis specimen verum esse videtur, Quam celeri motu rerum simulacra ferantur.'

106. subaerato, a translation of vπXaλkos, Casaubon. Rather an awkward one, as 'aeratus' would imply that the copper had been applied to the gold, not vice versa.

mendosum tinniat, like 'sonat vitium' 3. 21, 'solidum crepet' above, v. 25. The metaphor in this and the preceding line is not unlike Hor. I Ep. 7. 23 Nec tamen ignorat quid distent aera lupinis.' The nom. totinniat' would seem to be verum.'

107. vicissim, on the other hand,'

108. prius.. mox. Whether there is any point in making the knowledge of virtue precede that of vice is not clear. Hor. 1 Ep. 1. 41 gives the contrary process, 'Virtus est vitium fugere, et sapientia prima Stultitia caruisse.'

creta.. carbone. 'Creta an carbone notandi' Hor. 2 S. 3. 246, of different classes of men. Compare note on 2. I and 4.13 nigrum vitio praefigere theta.' 109. modicus voti is found also in Sil. 5. 14. Jahn. Tacitus has 'modicum voluptatum' Ann. 2. 73, 'modicus pecuniae' id. 3. 72.

pressus, frequent as an epithet of style, opp. to diffusus' or 'abundans.'

iam nunc astringas, iam nunc granaria laxes, inque luto fixum possis transcendere nummum, glutton' nec glutto sorbere salivam Mercurialem? 'haec mea sunt, teneo' cum vere dixeris, esto by grace the quartors & love liberque ac sapiens praetoribus ac love dextro, sin tu, cum fueris nostrae paulo ante farinae, pelliculam veterem retines et fronte politus

Lit: of wrice. hich has lost. to spirit

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astutam vapido servas in pectore vulpem,

reconsider

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of our grain

115

quae dederam supra relego funemque reduco.
nil tibi concessit ratio; digitum exere, peccas,
et quid tam parvum est? sed nullo ture litabis,
a short half ounce
haereat in stultis brevis ut semuncia recti.
haec miscere nefas; nec, cum sis cetera fossor,

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109. dulcis, like dulces ignoscent. amici' Hor. 1 S. 3. 139 (referred to by Madan), indulgent,'-so that it answers to ignoscis amicis?' Hor. 2 Ep. 2. 210, in a similar list of questions for selfexamination.

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110. astringas, like 'astrictum limen' Ov. Am. 3. 1. 50, of a door shut.

granaria, 6. 25, implying large stores, as in Hor. 1 S. 1. 53 'Cur tua plus laudes cumeris granaria nostris ?'

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laxare, of opening. Virg. Aen. 2. 259 'laxat claustra Sinon.' Gr. xaλáw. III. Avarus, In triviis fixum cum se demittit ob assem' Hor. 1 Ep. 16. 63 foll.,, a common joke in Rome being for boys to fasten a piece of money to a stone in the street, that they might laugh at any one who stooped to pick it up.

transcendere, 'to step across.' Persius seems here to contemplate a man knowing it would be no use to stoop, yet coveting the money. [Αν ἀργυρίδιον προβάλῃς, καταφρονήσει Epictetus I. 18. 22, of the trained character.]

112. glutto, a glutton,' 1. 12 note. Freund refers to Fest. s. v. ingluvies,' p. 112, Müller; a predicate taken closely with sorbere.

116. polita.

121. semi uncia.

120

saliva, 6. 24, of the watering of the mouth excited by dainties; here called Mercurialis, a name applied to traders (Hor. 2 S. 3. 25) as arising from avarice. See 2. II note.

est'

113. haec mea sunt, the formula of asserting ownership. 'Hic meus Virg. Ecl. 9. 4.

teneo, as in Hor. 2 Od. 12. 21 'quae tenuit dives Achaemenes,' 3 Od. 17. 8 tenuisse Lirim.'

esto again suggests a legal form. 114. dextro, like dextro Hercule' 2. 11, 'by grace of the praetors and Jove.' [Λέγουσιν (οἱ φιλόσοφοι) μόνους τοὺς παιδευθέντας ἐλευθέρους είναι Epictet. 2. 1. 22. Ea libertas est, qui pectus purum et firmum gestitat,' Ennius Trag. 340 (Vahlen).]

115. farinae, a metaphor from loaves, which might be of different qualities, 3. 112 note. König compares Suet. Aug. 4

Cassius Parmensis.. ut pistoris ..nepotem sic taxat Augustum: Materna tibi farina ex crudissimo Ariciae pistrino.' The sense of the line seems to be after

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enrolling yourself_just now among the
philosophers,' as the Scholiast explains it,
though Casaubon supposes nostrae to be
said modestly, and paraphrases the words
• Cum
esses paullo ante vitiosissimus,'
which is also the view of Brit., Plaut.,
König, Heinr.

shut up your granaries at one time, open them at another? and are you able to step across a coin fastened in the mud without greedily gulping down the water of treasure-trove in your mouth? When you can say with truth, 'All this is mine, I have realized it,' herewith be free and wise by favour of the praetors and Jupiter; but if after being of our grain only a moment ago you really keep your old skin, and though your brow is smooth enough, have a cunning fox still locked up in the musty cellar of your bosom, I beg leave to reconsider my concessions, and pull in the rope. No, reason has made no admission in your favour; move your finger, you make a wrong move; and where will you have a slighter thing than that? but no amount of incense will induce the gods to rule that one small grain of wisdom may get itself lodged in a fool's nature. It is sacrilege to

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fronte politus, instead of fronte polita,' like pede liber' 1. 13, 'cute perditus 1. 23. This does not seem to belong to the metaphor.

117. Jahn refers to Archiloch. fr. 88 a 5 (Bergk.) κερδαλέη ἀλώπηξ. [Οἱ πλείους δ ̓ ἡμῶν ἀλώπεκες, καὶ ὅσα ἐν ζώοις ἀτυ χήματα. Τί γάρ ἐστιν ἄλλο λοίδορος καὶ κακοήθης ἄνθρωπος, ἢ ἀλώπηξ; Epictetus 1. 3. 7.]

vapido, of wine that has lost its spirit, opp. to incoctum generoso pectus honesto' 2. 74.

118. relego Jahn, from the best MSS., the rest have 'repeto,' which is easier but relego' may very well mean 'I revise,'' reconsider.' Val. Fl. 6. 237 seems to use 'relego' in the sense of drawing back a spear.

funemque reduco, apparently of pulling in a beast who has had rope allowed him. Tortum digna sequi potius quam ducere funem' Hor. 1 Ep. 10. 48.

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119. nil..concessit, 'has given you power over nothing,' like 'ne liceat,' etc., v. 97. digitum exere, a favourite ex

attempt the union; if you are a

pression with the Stoics. Epict. Fr. 53 ἡ φιλοσοφία φησὶν ὅτι οὐδὲ τὸν δάκτυλον ἐκτείνειν εἰκῇ προσήκει, and so Plut. de Rep. Stoic. 13 has the expression ȧvdpeiws τὸν δάκτυλον ἐκτεῖναι. [Δίχα αὐτοῦ (τοῦ κάνονος) μηδὲ τὸν δάκτυλον ἐκτείVOVTES Epictetus 2. 11. 17.] Chrysippus is represented by Cic. Fin. 3. 17 to have said of reputation Detracta utilitate, ne digitum quidem eius caussa porrigendum esse.' These instances are quoted by Casaubon, who adds another Stoic dictum, ὁ μῶρος οὐδὲ φακήν κακῶς (καλῶς) ἕψει. Something like our proverb, There is reason in the roasting of eggs.'

120. 'What smaller thing will you choose as a test?'

litabis, as in 2. 75: taken in connexion with the next line it has virtually the force of impetrabis.'

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a davers in the time of hugnotus? tris tantum ad numeros satyrum moveare Bathylli.'

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'Liber ego.' Unde datum hoc sentis, tot subdite rebus?

an dominum ignoras, nisi quem vindicta relaxat ? '

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I puer et strigiles Crispini ad balnea defer!'

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si increpuit, cessas nugator?' servitium acre <from without?

te nihil inpellit, nec quicquam extrinsecus intrat,

quod nervos agitet; sed si intus et in iecore aegro

nascuntur domini, qui tu inpunitior exis

Rash! Whip

atque hic, quem ad strigiles scutica et metus egit erilis? Mane piger stertis. Surge!' inquit Avaritia heia

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125

130

surge!' Negas; instat 'Surge!' inquit. Non queo.' 'Surge!'

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122. fossor, doubtless with reference to Hor. 3 Od. 18. 15 foll. Gaudet invisam pepulisse fossor Ter pede terram.' fossor opp. to bellus et urbanus' Catull. 22.9 (Jahn.) 123. dancing.

numerus, the time kept in

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In numerum exsultant' Lucr. 2. 631. Histrio si paullo se movit extra numerum Cic. Parad. 3. 26, quoted by Casaubon. Thus ad numeros moveri' is 'to take steps in time.'

moveare 'moveri potes,'-of dancing, as in Hor. 2 Ep. 2. 125 Nunc Satyrum, nunc agrestem Cyclopa movetur,' 'Satyrum' (conjectured by Casaubon for the traditional satyri') is the reading of the oldest MS. and is rightly restored by Jahn in his edition of 1868.

Bathyllus, Dict. Biog., was a comic dancer in the time of Augustus, so that the mention of him here is another instance of Persius' habit of looking rather to books than to life.

124-131. No matter, he replies, I am free. As if a man had no other masters than those from whom the praetor's enfranchisement delivers him! True, you can refuse to perform your old duties: but if you are under the command of your passions, you are as much a slave as ever.'

124. Persius meets this reassertion of freedom with a new answer. Before he had contended that fools had no rights: now he shows that they have no independent power.

130. quin.

Jahn restores sentis for 'sumis,' from the best MSS., so that the expression is borrowed from Hor. 2 S. 2. 31 'Unde datum sentis, lupus hic Tiberinus an alto Captus hiet?' and apparently equivalent to 'Quis tibi dedit hoc sentire?' 'Sumis' however has great probability on account of datum, both being regularly used as philosophical terms, the latter for granting, the former taking for granted.

subdite, voc., equivalent to 'cum subditus sis,' like Tune hinc, spoliis indute meorum, Eripiare mihi' Virg. Aen. 12. 947, for 'cum indutus sis.'

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tot subdite rebus, imitated from Hor. 2 S. 7. 75 Tune mihi dominus, rerum imperiis hominumque Tot tantisque minor?' as Jahn remarks.

125. Persius has again glanced at Hor. 1. c. quem ter vindicta quaterque Imposita haud unquam misera formidine privet.'

relaxare dominum, a bold expression for relaxare imperium domini.'

relaxat, either general or for 'relaxavit,' like 'tollit' 4. 2.

126. A specimen of a command. 'I, puer, atque meo citus haec subscribe libello' Hor. I S. 10. 92.

The strigiles (Juv. 3. 263) would be carried to the bath, that the master might use them after bathing. König refers to Luc. Lexiph. 2. p. 320.

Crispinus, seemingly the name of the bathkeeper, may be taken from Horace, as Jahn thinks; but there is nothing to show it.

127. The man does not move, so the master addresses him sharply.

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