115 120 Officium vatis peragentibus, his monuit nos. 125 130 114. Office of a prophet.) By thus ing such fruits ; probably a walnut-tree warning the Romans of their approach is meant. ing danger. This was particularly the 121. Venison.] Dama signifies a falbusiness of augurs, soothsayers, &c. low dcer, either buck or doe : here it de - By these.) g. d. The voice gave notes the flesh which we call venison, warning of the enemy's approach, by – The ointments.] Of perfume, with these means (his) i. e. by the gods, who which they anointed their hair at their acted prophetically towards us. convivial meetings. See Hor. lib. iii. 115, 16. Latian affairs.] The affairs ode xxix. 1, 3, 4, 5. of Italy, anciently called Latium. 122. Roscs.] They made garlands and 116. Fictile.) Fictilismearthen ware. wreaths of roses and other flowers, which In those days of plainness and simpli- the guests wore on these occasions. city, when the images of Jupiter, and of See Hon. ubi supr. and see cde the last, the other gods, were made of potters' lib. i. clay. 123. Ivory sustains, &c.] Unless their -Pollisted by no gold.] i. e. Before he tables, which were of a round form, had fine statues made out of the gold (orbes) were set on huge pedestals of which had been taken by rapine and ivory. The circumference meant by plunder. Comp. sat, iii. 1. 20. orbes, is here put for the tables them117. These times.] Of ancient simpli- selves. Synec. city. -- A lofty leopard, &c.] The figure of a -Home-born tables, &c.] Our ances great leopard carved in ivory, put by tors did not send into foreign countries way of pedestal to support the table. for materials to make tables, as it is now -A great gape.] His jaws represented the fashion to do: they were content as stretched wide open. with the wood of their own trees. 124. Those teeth.) Elephants' teeth. 118. Stood, &c.] Was received and - The gate of Syene.] Porta is here put, applied to make such household furniture as denoting Syene to be the door, or as was wanted. gate, as it were, through which, from the 119. Nuot-tree.) All fruits that have island, the passage lay into Egypt, and an hard shell are called nuces, such as thence to Rome. Syene was the metroalmonds, walnuts, and the like. So the polis of an islandof ihat name; and this nucem, here, may signify any tree bear. island was called Insula Elephantina, Performing the office of a prophet, warned us by these. 115 petite, Hence strength to the stomach: for a silver foot to them, Is what an iron ring would be upon the finger. Therefore the proud 129 Guest I am aware of, who compares me to himself, and despises My little affairs; insomuch that I have not an ounce of ivory, from the number of its elephants. It -Hence arises uppetile, &c.] Orexis, belonged to Egypt, and bordered on from Gr. ogiyw, appeto, cupio. The Ethiopia. He uses the word porta here, sight of this fine ivory is a sort of whet as Horace uses janua, when speaking of to their appetite, (comp. 1. 121, 2.) gives the city of Cumæ,as to be passed in the vigour to the stomach. way to Baiæ. Sat. iii. 4. 128. A silver fuot, &c.) A table set Janua Buiarum est. upon a foot made of silver they would 125. Swift Moors.] The poet is de scorn, as much as to wear a ring made scribing the places from whence the ele of iron, instead of gold, upon their finphants came. Many came from Mau- ger. The Romans were very anxious to ritania, the inhabitants whereof were appear with fine rings, and were so lux. called Mauri, who were remarkable for urious as to have different sorts for sumtheir swiftness and activity. mer and winter. See sat, i, 28, 29, sat, -The Indian.] The largest elephants vii. 140, 1. came from India. 129, 30. Proud guest, &c.] Who -Darker, &c.] Of a blacker colour can't sit down to a plain meal upon a or complexion. plain table, but expects daintics set upon 126. A beast has deposited, &c.] Bellua ivory. signifies any great beast ; here, an ele 130. Who compares, &c.] Who meaphant. These animals shed their teeth, sures my fortune and expences by his which are often found. own, and expects me to entertain him as -Nabathæan forest.] Some forest of he entertains others. Arabia, which was called Nabathæa, 131. Little affairs.] My plain and frufrom n'a), Nebith, the first-born of Is. gal manner of living, according to the mael, the supposed father of the Arabs. smallness of my fortune. 127. Too much and too heavy, &c.] The - Insomuch that, &c.] I am so much teeth of elephants grow to an enormous (adeo), so totally without a single ounce size and weight so as to be burthensome of ivory, that even the squares of my to the animal when grown old, till they chess-board are without it, nor is one of drop out through age. the chess-men made of it. 135 140 Est eboris, nec tessellæ, nec calculus ex hâc 145 Tessella is a small square stone, or 137. Doctor Trypherus. ] He was emi. piece of wood, with which they make nent for his skill in carving, wbich he chequer-work in tables, or boards. Here, taught in a public school; hence Juveprobably, tessellæ means the chequers of nal Judicrously calls him doctor. a chess-board. 138. A large sumen.) The udder of a Calculus signifies a little pebble, or sow, with the paps and part of the gravel-stone, with which they marked; belly, cut from her the after she hence calculi, chess-men, table-men. has farrowed. See l. 81, note. AINSW. -Pygarg.) A sort of deer ; perhaps The game of chess is much more an. a roe-buck, cient than the days of Juvenal; it is a 139. Scythian birds.] It is thought common opinion that it was invented by that pheasants are meant here; but the Palamede, at the siege of Troy. See description is too vague to be certain CHAMBERS, art. Chess. what birds are precisely meant. 134. Yet by these, &c.] Though the -Phænicopter.] So called from Gr. handles of my knives are made of bone, Porixtos, crimson, and pripov, a wing; a yet my victuals suffer no damage, but bird, having its wings of a crimson cotaste as well, and are carved as well, as lour. The tongue of this bird was if my knife-handles were made of a great dainty among the Romans, ivory Phænicopterus. 136. A carver.] It was, among other Dat mihi penna rubens nomen : sed instances of luxury, a fashion to have an lingua gulosis artist, who had been taught to carve Nostra sapit. dexterously, at their entertainments : MART. epigr. Ixxi, lib. xiii. he, as well as the sewer who set on the 140. Gætulian goat.) Orix, a sort of dishes, was called structor, from struo, wild goat, from Gætulia, a country of to prepare, or make ready. Afiica, -School.] Pergula here signifies a -Blunt iron.) Some large knife, or place where the professors of any art, or some chopping instrument of iron, worn science, taught their scholars publicly. blunt with constant use. I know not that we have an English 141. Made of elm, &c.] Trypherus had word which exactly expresses it: in this all kind of provision for a feast made in sense of it, school, or academy, may wood, as the best material for the concome the nearest. veniency of teaching; the hacking and Nor are my squares, nor a chess-man of this 135 139 And a Gætulian goat, most delicious things, with a blunt iron Are cut, and the feast made of elm sounds thro' all the Suburra. Neither to take off a piece of a roe, nor the side of an African Bird, does my little novice know, and always rude, And accustomed to the broken pieces of a little steak. Plebeian cups, and bought for a few pence, 145 The homely boy, and safe from cold, shall reach forth. There shall not be Phrygian or Lycian, nor any bought from A slave-merchant, and costly: when you ask, ask in Latin. The same habit is to all, the hair cropp'd and straight, hewing of which, among the scholars, 146. Homely hoy, &c.] Incultus here, must have made no sinail noise. perhaps, rather means mcanly dressed, 141. Thro' all the Suburra.) A very not trimmed up, not spruce; and yet so public street in Rome, often mentioned clad as to keep him warm, to secure him before. The idea of carving being erect from the cold-A frigore tutus. ed into a science, and taught by a pub - Reach forth.] Porriget here delic professor, but exercising his pupils scribes the act of ihe servant, when he on wooden subjects, is truly ludicrous. brings what is called for, and reaches or See sat. v. 121, note. holds it forth to the guest, that he may 142. To take off, &c.] To carve ac take it. See sat. i. 1. 70; and sat. v. cording to art. 1, 67. 142, 3. The side of an African bird.] 147. Phrygiun-Lycian, &c.] The no. The wing of a turkey. This bird came bility of Rome purchased elegant and from Numidia, a country of Africa, handsome slaves, which were brought hence called gallus Numidicus. To from Phrygia and Lycia, countries of take off the wing (as we call the pinion, Asia, by merchants who made it their and part of the breast) of a roasted bird, business to traffic in slaves, and who, by without leaving some part behind, is using all arts to set them off to the best reckoned to require some skill in carving. advantage, sold them at an extravagant 143. My little novice.] Tyrunculus price. These dealers were called man(dim. from tyro) signifies a young solo gones, because they painted the slaves, dier, scholar, or a young beginner, in to make them look the better, and sell any science. Here it describes Juve- the dearer; from Gr. Hayyavor, a deceit nal's boy as lately come out of the by some contrivance, such as witchcraft. country, and beginning to learn his See Ainsw. Or disguising a thing to business. make it look better than it is. -Always rude.] Untaught from his 148. Ask in Latin.] For my poor boy cradle to this hour. understands no other language; there144. Accustomed.] Used only perhaps fore, when you ask, or call, for what to cut a piece off a collop, or steak, of you want, do it in Latin, or he won't some plain meat. understand you. 145. Plebeian cups.] Such as the com 149. The same habit, &c.] All my mon people use. servants are dressed and appear alike. 150 155 160 Atque hodie tantum propter convivia pexi. 165 170 149. Cropp'd and straight.) Not long This was called prætexta, and those and curled, like the fashionable waiters who wore it prætextati. It was worn at table. also by magistrates, and other noble 150. Comb'd only, &c.) On this occa persons, as a mark or badge of honour. sion, indeed, their hair is combed out, See sat. i. 1. 78, note; and sat, ii. 1. with a little more care than usual, that 170, note; and sat, x. 99. they may appear neal and decent. So 156. Nor, hoarse.) Alluding to the Hor. sat. viii. lib. ii. 1. 69, 70. change of the voice in boys at the age Ut omnes of puberty. Præcincti recte pueri, comptique mini 157. In the baths.] Where youths exstrent. posed their naked persons, for purposes 153. Littlc cottage.] Where he was tou horrid to explain. born and brought up. Comp. sat. ix. 159. Give you wine.] This modest boy 1. 60, I. of mine shall wait upon you at supper, --Known kids.] Which he used to and serve you. tend and play with. Withwinefrom his own countrybrought; 154. Ingenuous countenance, &c.] An and made honest countenance, and a genuine un From the same vines, beneath whose affected modesty. fruitful shade 155. Such as it becomes, &c.] g. d. It He and his wanton kids have ofien would be well if the same could be said play'd. CONOREVE. of our young nobility. 162.AGaditanian.) A Spanish girl from -Glowing purple.] Alluding to the Gades, now Cadiz. See sat. x. I. 1, nole. white robe, faced and trimmed with 162, 3. Tuneful company.) An usual purple, which was worn by the young part of the entertainment, when great nobility till seventeen years of age. men feasted, was to have wanton women |