And to-day comb'd only on account of our feast. 150 Ons is the son of an hardy shepherd, the other of an herdsman; He sighs after his mother, not seen for a long time, And sad, longs for the little cottage, and the known kids. A lad of an ingenuous countenance, and of ingenuous modesty, Such as it becomes those to be, whom glowing purple clothes. Nor, hoarse, does he expose himself, With indecency, when naked in the baths, Nor, fearful, practise means to hide his nakedness. 156 161 From whence himself comes, under the top of which he played: Of the other sex, it is most affected by it, and soon 165 170 An humble house does not contain these follies: let him hear The noise of shells, with words, from which a naked slave dance and sing in a lascivious manner. 164 Lower, &c.] By degrees, and at last seat themselves on the ground. 165. Their husband lying by.] The husband and wife are here supposed to be both invited to the entertainment, and both, from the couches on which they lay at meals, beholding these indecencies, which were so great as not even to be related, without shame, (præsentibus ipsis) in their presence. Which brides do by their husband's side behold, Tho' shameful before them to be but told. HOLYDAY. 167. A provocative, &c.] To stir up the enfeebled passions. -Sharp incentives.] See urtica, used in a similar sense, sat. ii. 128. 168. A rich man.] Who can afford the expence of such scenes as these, and is profligate enough to use them as inVOL. II. centives to his palled and depraved appetites. 169. The other sex.] Women are most delighted with such scenes as these. Neither here, any more than throughout the sixth Satire, does Juvenal conceal or spare the faults of the ladies of his time. 170. The eyes and ears.] The former, by beholding the lewd gestures; the latter, by hearing the obscene songs of the dancing women. 171. An humble house, &c.] A small estate is not capable of throwing away expence on such follies. -Let him.] i. e. The rich and luxurious; so, ille fruatur, 1. 173. 172. The noise of shells.]These were, probably, shells jingled together in their hands as they danced, like the Spanish castanets. -With words.] With obscene songs accompanying. -From which, &c.] i. e. Which a common prostitute, standing naked in a brothel, would be ashamed to utter. K Fornice mancipium quibus abstinet: ille fruatur The common harlots in the brothels were slaves, purchased for that purpose by the leno, or pander; they were his property, and therefore Juvenal calls one of these mancipium, which signifies a thing or person bought and made over. 175. Who lubricates, &c.] Pytisma (from Gr. rua, spuo, to spit) signifies a spirting out of wine betwixt the teeth when we taste it, or a throwing out of the bottom of the cup on the floor. AINSW. -The Lacedæmonian orb.] The Romans were very fond of fine pavements, or floors, made of marble, and inlaid with various kinds of it; among the rest, sonie came from Sparta, in small round forms, which were inserted in their proper places by way of ornament. When they had an entertainment, it was given in a room thus ornamented with a fine inlaid marble floor, on which the master of the house, and the guests, when they met at a feast, scrupled not to spirt their wine, or throw out, as the custom was, the bottom of the cup. This, among the numerous readings and comments which learned men have given of this much controverted line, seems to be the best interpretation, because it nearly coincides with a passage in Horace to the same purpose: 175 180 Absumet hæres cæcuba dignior 185 190 Lib. ii. od. xiv. 1. 25, &c. Then shall the worthier heir discharge, And dye the floor with wine: With liquor more divine. FRANCIS. The various reading of this line 175, as well as the various senses given, may be seen by consulting the various commentators in the Leyden quarto edit. 1695. See also HoR. Delph. on the above ode. The poet's meaning is, that such scenes of obscenity, and such arts of lewdness, are only fit to be enjoyed by professed sensualists. 176. There we give, &c.] In the case of a rich libertine, we make all due allowance for his large fortune, and don't blame his excesses, as we do those of people in a lower class of life. -The die is base, &c.] Gaming is reckoned very scandalous, adultery vile and abominable, in plebeians. 177. When they do, &c.] When people of quality and of large fortunes practise these things, they are looked upon as Standing in a stinking brothel abstains; let him enjoy Who lubricates the Lacedæmonian orb with spirting wine, 175 The author of the Iliad shall be repeated, and of lofty Maro 181 What does it signify with what voice such verses may be read? Be idle throughout the whole day of interest-money 185 No mention; nor, if gone forth at day-break, she is wont anger, Bringing back her fine garments with suspected wrinkles, instances of cheerfulness and elegance; in short, as gentlemanlike qualifications. 179. Other sports.] Amusements of a different kind than those above mentioned. 180. Author of the Iliad, &c.] Homer parts of his Iliad shall be repeated. Canto may perhaps imply, that the Romans read, or repeated verses, in a sort of chant or singing. See sat. vii. 153, note. -Lofty Maro.] Virgil. He derived the surname of Maro from his father; he was the most sublime of all the Latin poets. 181. A doubtful palm.] The palm, or chaplet, made of palm-twigs and leaves, was a token of victory. Juvenal means to say, that it was doubtful which of the two excelled, Homer or Virgil. See sat. vi. 435, 6. 182. With what voice, &c.] With what tone of voice-i, e. so intrinsically valuable and excellent are the verses of these authors, that they can't lose their value, though read or repeated by ever so indifferent a toned voice. This line also seems to imply that verses were usually chanted or sung. Verse, so sublimely good, no voice can wrong. 183. Leave off business.] Lay it quite aside; think not of it. --Cares deferr'd.] All cares put off for the present. 185. Idle, &c.] Having nothing else to do, but to enjoy yourself all the day long at my house. -Interest-money.] No talk of money matters. 186. Nor, if, &c.] Though, like many other husbands, you suffer from the irregularities of your wife. 187. Provoke you, &c.] Don't let the thoughts of this vex you, or let her make you angry, or tempt you to say a single word upon the subject, though, as the two next lines import, you should have found the most evident and undeniable circumstances of her guilt. Contrahat bilem tibi-lit. contract, or draw together, choler to you. 188. Fine garments.] Multitia, or multicia— garments wrought so fine that the body might be seen through them. See sat. ii. 1. 66. 190. Put off, &c.] Exue; a metaphorical expression, taken from putting off clothes, &c. Divest yourself It matters not with what ill tone they're of all uneasiness at entering my So Mr. CONGREVE : sung, doors. Pone domum, et servos, et quicquid frangitur illis, Aut perit: INGRATOS ANTE OMNIA PONE SODALES. Idæum solenne colunt, similisque triumpho Perda caballorum Prætor sedet: ac (mihi pace 195 Totam hodie Romam Circus capit; et fragor aurem Percutit, eventum viridis quo colligo panni. Nam si deficeret, mostam attonitamque videres 200 205 191. Lay aside, &c.] Pono also signifies to put off as clothes. He desires his friend to lay aside, or put off, all his domestic uneasiness, arising from the mischief or misconduct of servants. 192. Ungrateful friends.] Which are the bitterest trials of all. 193. Meantime.] This invitation of the poet to his friend was on a holiday, or day of the public games beginning. -Spectacles.] The shows or games. -Megalesian towel.] At the Circensian and Megalesian games, they hung out a towel (mappa) to shew that the sports were going to begin. Nero introduced this custom; for hearing, as he sat at dinner, how impatiently the people expected his coming, he threw out at the window the towel with which he wiped his hands, to give the people notice that he had dined, and would soon be at the circus. Ever since this, the beginning of these games was announced by hanging out a towel. The Megalesian games were in honour of Cybele, the mother of the gods. She was called μiyaan Mërng, magna Mater, and from thence these games Megalesia, or ludi Megalenses; they began on the fourth of April, and lasted six days. 194. Idaan solemnity.] Cybele was called Idæa, from Ida, a mountain of Phrygia, where she was worshipped; and hence her festival was called Idæum solenne. 195. The prætor, a destroyer, &c.] He was an officer not unlike our mayor or sheriff. Sat. i. 101, note.-He was to oversee these sports, and sat in great state, while they were acting, to the destruction of many horses, which were spoiled on the occasion. See sat. x. 1.36-40. Many are for reading prædo, and suppose it to denote the prætor's acting sometimes unjustly, and determining the prizes wrongfully, taking them from the winning horses, and giving them to the losers, by which he might be said to rob the winners of their due. Others think the word prædo is used as a jest upon the prætor's fine trappings and gaudy dress on the occasion, as if he had robbed the horses of their finery to put upon himself. There are other conceits upon this subject, but perda seems to give the most natural sense of the passage. I am, therefore, with Salmasius and others, for adopting it. -If with the peace, &c.] If with their good leave I may take the liberty of saying so much without offence. The poet here lashes the Roman people for their great eagerness to crowd after these shows, as if they thought nothing else worthy their attention. Sat. x. I. 80, 1. 197. The circus.] Where those games were celebrated. -A noise strikes, &c.] I hear a great 194 Lay aside home, and servants, and whatever is broken by them, This city, as when the consuls was conquered in the dust 200 Let our contracted skin drink the vernal sun, And avoid the gown: even now to the baths, with a safe Countenance you may go, tho' a whole hour should remain 205 shout, as of victory, which makes me suppose that the race is determined on the behalf of some favourite competitor. 198. The green cloth.] The four par. ties, which ran chariot races in the circus, were divided in several liveries, viz. green, russet, blue, and white. One of these factions was always favoured by the court, and, at this time, more probably, the green; which makes Juvenal fancy that he hears the shouts for joy, that their party had won the race. 199. Should fail.] If the green cloth should fail of the prize, or if the festival, which occasioned the celebration of these games, should be laid aside, and these shows fail, or cease. 200. This city.] The people of Rome would be ready to break their hearts reflecting on their immoderate fondness for these shows. -The consuls.] Paulus Æmilius and Terentius Varro. 201. Canna.] A small town, near which Hannibal obtained a great victory over the Romans. See sat. x. 1. 164, note. -Let youths behold.] i. e. Be spectators of these shows. -Whom clamour, &c.] Who may, without any indecency, make as much noise as they please in clapping and hallooing, and lay what bets they please on the side they take. 202. By a neat girl, &c.] By this we see that men and women sat promiscu ously together on these occasions. See sat. iii. 1. 65, and note. 203. Contracted skin.] Once smooth, but now through age contracted into wrinkles. -Drink the vernal sun.] Let us avoid these crowds, and bask in the reviving rays of the sun, which now is bringing on the delightful spring. This was in the beginning of April. See above, note on 1. 193, ad fin. 204. Avoid the gown.] The gown was the common habit of the Romans, insomuch that VIRG. Æn. i. 286, calls them gentem togatam. The poet, by togam, here means the people that wore it, by metonym. i. e. The Romans now crowding to the games-let us keep out of their way, that we may enjoy ourselves in quiet. 204, 5. Safe countenance, &c.] Without fear of being put out of countenance. The Romans used to follow their business till noon, that is, the sixth hour, our twelve o'clock; and then to the ninth hour, our three o'clock in the afternoon, they exercised and bathed themselves, and then went to their meals but to do these sooner than the appointed hours was allowed only on festival days, or to persons aged and infirm; otherwise, to be seen going to the baths before the usual appointed hour was reckoned scandalous. See sat. i. 1. 49, and note. |