10 15 Rure ego viventem, tu dices in urbe beatum: may interpret the passage thus :-my mind delights (is wont) to burst through the barriers which are interposed between me and the country, i. e. although my affection and concern for Lamia, in his affliction, detains me at Rome, still my heart and soul are wont to burst the barriers which stop me; although still at Rome, in heart and soul I am often at my farm. Ib. Spatiis. Properly the race-course. Obstantia; lit. stopping the course. *Refer spatiis in the dative case to Ib. Claustra. By these, the poet means either Lamia pietatem et curam quæ morantur, or the distance from the city to his farm. If the latter, let spatia be the farm, and if the former, the course from the city to his farm. But false criticism analyses metaphors. All that the poet means is, that his mind often over-leaps the bar between him and the country; that in his thoughts he frequently revisits his farm. 10. Rure ego viventem, scil. beatum dico. 11. Alterius, scil. sors. Ib. Sua-est odio sors, i. e. is dissatisfied with his own condition. 12. Immeritum. Comp. note, Sat. II. 3. 7. Ib. Causatur, i. e. lays the blame on. Comp. Epist. I. 11. 26. 30. 13. Qui se non effugit unquam. Carm. II. 16. 20.: quis exul Se quoque fugit. Doering conjectures usquam, which the context seems to require. Comp. note, Sat. I. 1. 37. 14. Mediastinus. A city-slave of the lower grade. Tr. when a city-slave. The word is supposed to be derived from in medio stans (or quasi mediodestinus as clandestinus), as he had no particular duty, but stood ready to receive any orders that might be given, either by his master, or the superior slaves. *The word is merely derived from medius, as clandestinus, from elan. It denotes a slave of the lowest order. Ib. Petebas. The tense, here, as often before, implies habit. 16. Me constare mihi scis. Davus (Sat. 11. 7. 28.) thought differently. Ib. Discedere. From my farm. 17. Trahunt invisa. Expressive of the reluctance with which he goes. 18. Eò. Therefore; because non eadem miramur. 19. Tesqua. Wastes, wilds, Linguâ Sabinorum loca difficilia et repleta sentibus sic nominantur.-Sch. Varro. VI. 2. derives the word as if tuesca from tueor, i. e. curo. Quòd ibi mysteria fiunt ac tuentur, tuesca dicta, postea tesca. Scaliger prefers from dάoxia, shady, quasi, decúrnia. According to Varr. loca augurio designata. zarangnurad aai tenlos Torror, patis. Gloss. Quæ tu pulchra putas. Fornix tibi et uncta popina 25 21. Uncta popina. The popine were called before, Sat. II. 4. 62. immundæ and thus we may interpret uncta here. But, remarks Doëring, immunda popina could not inspire urbis desiderium. How then does it happen, that, Sat. II. 4. 62. the guest mulit Quæcunque immundis fervent allata popinis? In both cases, because it is in the judgment of the poet, that the popinæ are immundæ, and not in that either of the guest (in Sat. II. 4.) or of the slave here. But although there is no objection to interpreting uncta, immunda, [ prefer the other interpretation which Doëring adopts from Sch. Cruq. scil. where unctæ epula are served. Similarly, Epist. I. 15. 44. Verùm ubi quid melius contingit et unctius. Translate savoury. *Thus Orellius, rightly, "nidore redolens et optimis cibis plena." 22. Desiderium. óber, the desire for what we do not possess, but once did. 23. Angulus iste. His farm, which was but an angulus, as we say a retired Comp. Carm. II. 6. 14: Ille terrarum mihi præter omnes Angulus corner. ridet. Ib. Feret piper et thus ociùs uvd. This does not mean that his farm did produce piper et thus, but that it would produce piper et thus, ociùs uvâ sooner than, rather than grapes, i, e, you would get more pepper and frankincense from it than grapes. 24. Subest. Is near, at hand. Comp. Juven. Sat. IV. 59. utque lacus suberant. 25. Tibicina. A female player on the tibia. This instrument appears to have resembled our flageolet. It consisted of a mouth-piece and a tube, made of reed or box-wood, horn, bone, &c. which was pierced with holes that were stopped by the fingers. 31 26. Strepitum, i. e. music, playing. Ad strepitum as before. Epist. I. 2. Ib. Salias. Aptly to the motion of a rustic, instead of saltes. Ib. Terræ gravis. (Thus join.) The poet ridicules the rustic style of dancing, stamping heavily on the ground. Ib. Et tamen urges. Although you detest this farm, you work, &c. Sch. Cruq. These words are to be referred to those which precede, nam quæ deserta et inhospita tesqua, or to the beginning of the Epistle Quem tu fastidis habitatum, &c. in this way; although you despise my land, or although you say that it is barren, desert, and waste, however, you attentively dig and cultivate arva jampridem non tacta.-L. And yet you have much to do, and no time for idling.-B. Correctly; and better than those interpreters, who understand this as an objection, an apology on the part of the steward, for himself, which even Horace himself rather commends here, because he does not neglect his duty through his desiderium urbis.-G. Although you feel the want of and wish for the pleasures and amusements of the city, still you do not neglect your duty in the country.-Z. And yet it is not the ennui of idleness that Jampridem non tacta ligonibus arva, bovemque 30 excites in you the urbis desiderium.—D. The words are to be considered, according to Cruquius, as coming, in fact, from the steward, and as only repeated by the poet in commendation of his diligence. We should be rather inclined, however, to give them an ironical turn.-A. Cruquius in his note says: Estque ironica commemoratio operum villici. It appears to me that the simplest explanation is to consider from et tamen to parcere prato, as additional reasons for preferring the city. He has stated the attractions of the city, he now statas the hardships of the country. In the city were fornix, popina, uva, taberna, tibicina, whilst in the country there were none of these; and, “notwithstanding this deprivation of pleasures and amusements, he toils at hard work, such he would not have were he in the city. Ib. Urges, i. e. labour in digging, work at. Comp. the Virgilian, arva insequi, terram consectari. 27. Jampridem. Doëring connects this with urges, but join it with non tucta. The work was more severe on arva jampridem non tacta. Ib. Ligonibus. paziλhais, hoes, spades. 28. Disjunctum. Unyoked, in his stall. Ib. Strictis frondibus. Comp. note, Sat. I. 2. 8. 29. Addit opus. In addition to his ordinary work, if there had been a heavy fall of rain, he had to raise a mound to keep out the river from overflowing the meadow. Ib. Pigro. When disengaged, unoccupied. Ib. Rivus. Near Horace's farm was the fountain Bandusia, whence the river Digentia flowed. 30. Multâ mole. Refer either to the mound or embankment which he had to raise, or to the great labour with which the river was docendus aprico parcere prato; suppose in raising banks between it and the meadow; or (as Gesner) in cutting or clearing drains to draw off the water. Parallels for both senses of moles are at hand to every scholar. 31. Quid nostrum concentum dividat, i. e. what that is, in which we differ, D. or, how great (quid for quantum) a difference there is between us.-B. G. 32. Tenues. Fine, the opposite crassa, mentioned, Sat. I. 3. 15. Ib. Nitidi. With unguents, used as oil or pomatum with us, to improve and give a gloss to the hair. Horace speaks of the time when he was attentive to his appearance. 33. Scis. The steward, when a slave in the city, had probably been in Horace's confidence. Ib. Immunem. Without giving her presents. Ib. Cinare. The same mentioned, Epist. I. 7. 28. lb. Rapaci, scil. as to presents from others. 36 Quem, bibulum liquidi media de luce Falerni, Horum tu in numerum voto ruis: invidet usum 31. Bibulum. Fond of, in the habit of, drinking. 40 Ib. Media de luce. Sat. II. 8. 3: dictus herè illic, De medio potare die. Men of pleasure commenced their revels even at mid-day. Ib. Falerni. Of this before, Sat. I. 10. 35. Cœna brevis juvat, scil. nunc me cœna brevis juvat, &c. Ib. Brevis. Frugal, plain, at which he remained but a short time. 36. Sed. Supply pudet. Ib. Incidere. To put an end to: ludum, the wildness, the sports of youth. Juven. Sat. VIII. 163. breve sit quod turpiter audes: Quædam cum primá resecentur crimina barba. 37. Istic. At his farm. Ib. Obliquo oculo, i. e. with the eye of envy, of which Ovid says; Met. II.: Nusquam recta acies. * λοξοῖς όμμασι προσβλέπειν. 38. Limat. Either diminishes, takes from, deriving it from lima, a file; or regards, looks askance, limis oculis aspicit, deriving it from limus, crooked, obliquus. (Comp. Sat. II. 5. 53: Sic tamen ut limis rapias.) The allusion is to the vulgar superstition, that the envious eye injured whatever it regarded. Пb. Obscuro. Smothered, suppressed: pejor enim odio est amoris simulatio. Ib. Morsuque venenat. As a snake is said morsu venenare. Virgil, Georg. IV. 236. of the bees: læsæque venenum Morsibus inspirant. 39. Glebas-moventem, i. e. digging. 40. Cum. In company with. Moventem, scil. me moventem. 15. Diaria. The allowance of food for a day to a slave, the demensum. Ib. Rodere. Aptly; on account of the small allowance, or the food being stule. 41. Horum. The slaves in the city. Ib. Usum Lignorum et pecoris-et horti. The advantages which you have in the country, in fuel, milk, and fruit. 42. Lignorum. The villicus had it near him in abundance, but the calo had the trouble of going to a distance for it. Ib. Calo. Dacier, supported by Festus and the Scholiasts, derives this word from xaλśw voco, and then it must signify nomenclator, but the first syllable of calare, calo, calator, is always short. We may, therefore, better derive it from an old substantive used by Lucretius, and probably taken from záλcs lignum.-F. Comp. note, Sat. I. 6. 103. Voss. Etymol. Ling. Lat. ad verb. "Servius remarks on An. VII. [it should be VI. 1.]: Calas dicebant says: Optat ephippia bos piger; optat arare caballus: Quam scit uterque, libens, (censebo) exercerat artem. EPISTOLA XV. AD NUMONIUM VALAM. QUE sit hiems Veliæ, quod cœlum, Vala, Salerni, majores nostri fustes, quos portabant servi, sequentes dominos ad prælium ; unde etiam calones dicebantur, nam consuetudo erat militis Romani, ut sibi arma portaret et vallum. Vallum autem dicebant calam. Thus Lucilius, scinde calam (puer), ut caleas, i. e. O puer frange fustem, et fac focum." The same on Æn. I. says: Classis dicta est àñò тŵv xáλwv, i e. a lignis; unde et calones dicuntur milites, qui ligna deportant, et zahozódia. 42. Argutus. Cunning. 43. Ephippia. Eqirxia; the saddle-cloth of a horse. Ib. Piger. Tired of its work.-G. Although the ox, on account of its slowness, cannot run as the horse does.-D. *Some prefer to join, pigercaballus, but that steed could hardly be called piger, which optat arare. Ib. Arare. Which in ancient times was done by oxen. 44. Quam scit uterque, &c. Aristoph. Vesp. 1422: 'Egdol ris, zασTos εἰδείη τέχνην. Ib. Uterque. Villicus et calo. Ib. Censebo. A word drawn from the usage of the senate. The future is used, because both now and hereafter he will give the same decision. EPISTOLA XV.-Antonius Musa had ordered our poet to use the cold bath, probably on account of the complaint in his eyes. This letter is addressed to Numonius Vala, asking him for information regarding Vala and Salernum, watering-places on the coast of Lucania, that he might decide in which he would pass the winter. 1. Quæ sit hiems Velia, &c. The arrangement in this Epistle is very intricate. The first twenty-five lines form one strained hyperbaton. The natural order is: 25. Scribere te nobis, tibi nos acredere par est, 14. Major utrum populum frumenti copia pascat; 22. Tractus uter plures lepores, uter educet apros; Pinguis ut inde domum possim Phæaxque reverti. The Epistle appears purposely to be composed after the style of Lucretius. See Sat. I. 8. Ib. Quæ. For qualis, what kind, whether mild or severe. Ib. Velice. A maritime town of Lucania, about three miles distant from the river Heles, whence some derive its name. The Phocæans, who founded it, called it Ovíλn, which, perhaps, was changed into Velia. Others derive |
