However, that was the exit of a man: but his fierce wife, I hasten to our own, and pass by the king of Pontus, 275 280 Hence had their causes-what, than that citizen, had With moderate murmur, the anxious mother desires beauty bred, and have escaped the miseries which afterwards befel him. 282. Teutonic chariot.] The Teutones were a people bordering on the Cimbri, conquered by Marius; the chariot in which Marius rode in his triumph over these people is therefore called Teutonic, as used on that occasion. 283. Provident Campania,] When first Pompey engaged in the civil war against Cæsar, he had a violent fever at Naples, and another at Capua, of which he was like to have died: these seem to have been provided against the miseries which afterwards befel him. 284. To be wished for.] In order to take him out of life, while he was great and happy. 285. Overcame them.] The united wishes and prayers of so many cities and people, for his recovery, prevailed against the effects of his sickness, and saved his life. -His own fortune.] Which reserved him to be slain in his flight to Egypt, after his defeat by Cæsar. -That of the city.] Doomed to fall under the dominion of Pompey's enemy, after suffering so much by a civil war. 286. Took off, &c.] That life which had been preserved in a dangerous sick ness (see note on 1. 285.) was destroyed after his defeat, and his head severed from his body by Achillas and Salvius, sent for that purpose from Ptolemy, who intended it as a present to Cæsar. Of Pompey's death, see ANT. Univ. Hist. vol. xiii. p. 217. 287. Lentulus-Cethegus.] These were in the conspiracy with Catiline, and being put into prison, by order of Cicero, then consul, were strangled, so that their bodies were not dismembered. 288. Catiline, &c.] The famous conspirator, whose designs were detected and frustrated by Cicero, died in battle, without the loss of any part of his body. See SALLUST. All these died young men, and thus were taken away from the miseries which those meet with who live to old age. 289. Moderate murmur.] The word murmur here implies that sort of muttering which they used at their prayers to the gods; this was louder, and more distinct, on some occasions than on others, according to the degree of fervency in the suppliant. Comp. PERS, sat. ii. 6-8. -Anxious mother, &c.] The poet here. represents another popular folly, in supposing a mother anxious for having RARA EST ADEO CONCORDIA FORMÆ ATQUE PUDICITIE! sanctos licet horrida mores Tradiderit domus, ac veteres imitata Sabinas. Murmure, cum Veneris fanum videt anxia mater, 290 295 Præterea, castum ingenium, vultumque modesto 300 Sanguine ferventem tribuat natura benignâ Larga manu: (quid enim puero conferre potest plus Custode, et curâ Natura potentior omni ?) Non licet esse viros: nam prodiga corruptoris Improbitas ipsos audet tentare parentes: 305 Strumosum, atque utero pariter, gibboque tumentem. handsome children, and praying for this at the shrine of Venus, the fabled goddess of beauty. 291. Even to the delight, &c.] So that the highest and fondest of them might be gratified, and the delight of their accomplishment be equal to that which she feit in making them. 292. Blame me?] A question supposed from the mother to the poet, on his finding fault with her for what she did. -Latona rejoices, &c.] She defends what she does by quoting an example. Latona, daughter of Cous, one of the Titans, bore, to Jupiter, Apollo and Diana at the same birth. 293. Lucretia forbids, &c.] The poet answers the example brought for asking beautiful children, by the instance of Lucretia, whose beauty proved her undoing. She was a beautiful Roman lady, the daughter of Lucretius, prefect of the city, and wife of Tarquinius Collatinus, ravished by Sextus Tarquinius, son of Tarquinius Superbus, which she so resented, that she sent for her father and husband, and stabbed herself before them. The people of Rome, on this, 310 rose in arms, expelled the Tarquins, and changed the monarchy to a commonwealth. 294. Virginia.] A Roman virgin exceedingly beautiful, whom her own father, to prevent her being exposed to the lust of Appius, one of the Decemviri, stabbed in the middle of the forum. 294, 5. Rutila.] An ugly deformed old woman, above seventy-seven years old, as Pliny says, was in no danger of such a death, and therefore happier in her deformity than Virginia in her beauty; so that the latter might have gladly changed her person for that of Rutila. 295. But a son, &c.] i. c. A son with an accomplished and beautiful person makes his parents unhappy, and keeps them in perpetual fear, so very rarely do beauty and inodesty meet together. 296. Person.] The word corporis, which literally signifies the body, is here used for the whole person of the man, per synec. 298. Homely house, &c.] i. e. Though the plain family, rough and honest, should have furnished him with the best For her boys-with greater for her girls, when she sees the temple of Venus, Even to the delight of her wishes. Yet, why, says she, 290 295 As she had. Virginia would desire to accept the hump of Rutila, Beside, a chaste disposition, and a countenance glowing 300 305 Nature, more pow'rful than a guardian, and than all care, bestow?) morals, and brought him up in all the plain and virtuous simplicity of the old Sabines, (see sat. vi. 1. 162, 3.) transmitting modesty and chastity by their own examples also. 300. Glowing, &c.] Easily blushing at every species of indecency. 303. More pow'rful, &c.] i. e. Who is more powerful than all outward restraints. q. d. Natural good dispositions are more powerful preservatives against vice, than all the watchfulness and care of guardians and parents. 304. Must not be men.] If they are to escape the pollutions that are in the "world through lusts," they must die young, and not be men. -The prodigal improbity, &c.] The offers of those who would corrupt their chastity, and who think no prodigality too great to seduce youth, will even attempt to corrupt the parents themselves, by bribing them, at any price, over to their side. Such is their extravagant wickedness. 306. Confidence in bribes.] So thoroughly persuaded are they that a bribe will carry their point. 310 -No tyrant, &c.] The poet shews another danger arising from beauty, namely, that of being taken into the palaces of princes and great men, where they were kept for unnatural purposes, and castrated, in order to make their voices like those of women; now this might be the consequence of being handsome, but no deformed and ugly youth was ever served so. See sat. vi. 36872. 308. Nero ravish, &c.] Alludes to the horrid amours of Nero with Sporus, whom he dressed in woman's apparel, and is said to have married. See sat. i. 60, note. 309. A wen.] Struma signifies a swelling, or wen, arising from a scrophulous habit, like what we call the king's evil. Strumosus, one that has this disorder. -Swelling, &c.] i. e. Pot-bellied and hump-backed. 310. Go now, &c.] An ironical apostrophe to the mother (see 1. 289—91.) who is wishing for beautiful children. 311. Greater dangers, &c.] The older Publicus, et pœnas metuet, quascunque maritus Martis, ut in laqueos nunquam incidat: exigit autem Sed casto quid forma nocet? quid profuit olim Nec Sthenoboa minus quam Cressa excanduit, et se he grows, the more dangers will he be exposed to, even greater than those already mentioned. 311. He will become, &c.] He will intrigue with married women, and, on detection by the husbands, be exposed to all the suffering which their rage and jealousy may inflict. 313. Happier than the star, &c.] As all destiny was supposed to be governed by the stars, so the word star (per metonym.) may signify destiny. Will he have better luck than Mars, who, when in an amour with Venus, was surprised by her husband Vulcan, who enclosed them with a net, and exposed them to the sight of all the gods. 315. That pain.] Which an adulterer may have inflicted on him by an enraged husband. -Than any law, &c.] i. e. The pain which the gallant may suffer from the husband may possibly exceed any that the law would inflict, or has allowed, for such an offence. 316. With a sword.] Ferrum means any tool or weapon made with iron. There seems here to be an imitation of Hon. lib. i. sat. ii. 1. 40-46. 316, 17. With bloody scourges.] i. e. Most barbarously flogs the gallant with Scourges, the blood following the strokes : 315 320 325 317. The mullet, &c.] This was a punishment sometimes inflicted on adulterers, when caught in the fact, and must be attended with the most excruciating pain. It was done by thrusting the fish up the fundament, and then drawing it out, with the fins laying hold of and tearing the part. 318. But your Endymion.] Another ironical apostrophe to the mother. See before, note on 1. 310. Endymion was a shepherd, fabled to have been fallen in love with by Cynthia, or the moon, who, that she might kiss him, laid him asleep on mount Latmus, in Caria, near the coast of the Archipelago. The poet uses the name Endymion here in derision of the mother, whom he supposes to be so fond of her son, and so pleased with his beauty, as to think him as handsome, at least, as Endymion himself, and as likely to excite the love of some favourite lady, as Endymion was to excite the love of Cynthia, and who will think to have him all to herself. No, says the poet, this will only last till some lucrative temptation comes in his way, and then he will be as bad as others, and just as profligate-for 319. When Servilia, &c.] This name may here be put for any lewd and profligate adulteress, who hired lovers for her pleasures. There may probably be an allusion to Servilia, the mother of Adulterer, and will fear whatsoever punishment an angry Of Mars, that he should never fall into snares: but sometimes But your Endymion will become the adulterer of some beloved But how does beauty hurt the chaste? what, once on a time, did 324 A solemn resolution benefit Hippolytus? what Bellerophon? Nor was Sthenoboa less on fire than the Cretan, and both Brutus, and sister of Cato, with whom When such a one pays him well, how. ever he may dislike her person, he will be at her service. 320. Put off, &c.] She will strip herself of all her jewels and finery, part with every thing that's valuable, to supply the means of rewarding her lover. 322. Hippia.] See sat. vi. 82-112. A prodigal adulteress. -Catulla.] See sat. ii. 49. A poor harlot. q. d. However different in their circumstances, they will all meet in this point, viz. to spare nothing where a lover is in question. 323. There a bad woman.] On that one principle of self-gratification she forms all her conduct; there she shews herself kind, generous, and liberal, however worse in general than others. 324. How does beauty, &c.] Granting that beauty may be pernicious, in instances like those above mentioned, yet how can it injure the chaste and virtuous? 325. A solemn resolution, &c.] This was the solemn resolve of Hippolytus, to refuse the love of his step-mother Phædra, who, for this, accused him of tempting her to incest. He fled away in a chariot by the sea side, but the horses taking fright at the sea-calves lying on the shore, overturned the chariot, and killed him. -Bellerophon.] Sthenobon (the wife of Poetus, king of the Argives) falling in love with him, he refused her; at which she was so incensed, that she accused him to her husband: this forced him upon desperate adventures, which he overcame. Sthenoboa, hearing of his success, killed herself. 326. These redden'd, &c.] Phædra reddened with anger and resentment, as thinking herself despised. 327. Sthenobaca, &c.] See note on 1.325. The Cretan.] Phædra was the daughter of Minos, king of Crete. -Both.] Phædra and Sthenobœa. 328. Vexed themselves.] Concussere. The verb concutio literally signifies to shake, jog, or stir; and, when applied to the mind, to trouble, vex, or disquiet. Here it intimates, that thesewomenshook, or stirred themselves, into a fit of rage and vexation. It seems to be used metaphorically, from the custom of the wrestlers and boxers at the theatres, who, before they engaged, gave themselves blows on the breast, or sides, to excite anger and fury. Thus the lion is said to shake his mane, and lash himself with his tail, when he would be furious. |