SATIRA XIII. ARGUMENT. The Poet writes this Satire to Calvinus, to comfort him under the loss of a large sum of money, with which he had entrusted one of his friends, and which he could not get again. Hence Juvenal takes occasion to speak of the villany of the times— EXEMPLO quodcunque malo committitur, ipsi Line 1. With bad example.] Every evil deed which tends to set a bad example to others. -Displeases, &c.] Gives him unplea sant sensations. 2. First revenge, &c.] The vengeance which first seizes upon him arises from himself; his own conscience will condemn him, though he should have no other judge. 4. Should have overcome the urn, &c.] Vicerit--i. e. should have defeated the turn's impartial decision, and have declared him innocent.-The prætor, who was the chief judge, had others appointed with him as assistants. The names of these were written upon little balls, and cast into an urn by the prator: after they were shaken together, he drew out as many as the law required for the 5 10 cause; after which the parties had power to reject such as they thought would be partial. The number of those excepted against were filled up by the prætor's drawing other names out of the urn. Then the judges, which were thus appointed, took an oath to judge ac cording to law; but, on many occasions, others were often substituted by the prætor. The cause being heard, the prætor gave to each of the judges three waxen tables. On one was the letter A, to signify the acquittal or absolution of the defendant. On another C, to imply his condemnation. On another N L, for non liquet,signified that a farther hearing was necessary: which delay of the cause was called ampliation. Then the judges, being called upon, cast the billet, expressing their opinion, into the urn, ac SATIRE XIII. ARGUMENT. shews that nothing can happen but by the permission of Providence and that wicked men carry their own punishment about with them. WHATEVER is committed with bad example, displeases even The author of it. This is the first revenge, that, himself many, and now Trite, and drawn from the midst of Fortune's heap. cording to which the prætor pronounced sentence. But if the prætor was a wicked judge, and inclined that partiality should get the better of justice, he might so manage matters, in all these many turns of the business, that the defendant, however guilty, might appear to have the urn in his favour. This our poet very properly calls, Improba gratia fallacis prætoris. 5. What do you suppose, &c.] What, think you, are the opinions of people in general, of this injustice which you lately suffered, and of the breach of trust in your friend, of which you so loudly complain? -Calvinus.] Juvenal's friend, to whom he addresses this Satire. And here he comforts him by many considerations: 10 first, that he must have all the world on his side; every body must join with him in condemning such a transaction. 7. So small an income.] Another comfort is, that his circumstances are such, that such a loss won't ruin him. Census means a man's estate, or yearly revenue. -The burden, &c.] A metaphor taken from a ship's sinking by being overloaded. S. Rare, &c.] His case was not singular, but very commonly happened to many as well as to Calvinus: he therefore must not look upon himself as a sufferer beyond others. 10. Trile.] Common. -Drawn from the midst, &c.] Not taken from the top, or summit, of that heap of miseries, which Fortune stores Ponamus nimios gemitus. Flagrantior æquo Quæ tam festa dies, ut cesset prodere farem, up for mankind, but from the middle, 11. Too many sighs.] Immoderate grief. —More violent, &c.] A man's concern should never exceed the proper bounds. 12. Than his wound.] Should not rise higher than that which occasions it requires. Sorrow should be proportioned to suffering. 13. Tho' you, &c.] The poet here reproves the impatience and anger of his friend, who, instead of apportioning his grief to his loss, which was comparatively small, according to the preceding maxim, (1. 11, 12.) shewed a violence of grief and resentment on the occasion, which bespake him unable to bear, in any measure as he ought, a light injury or misfortune. 14. Burning, &c.] Your very bowels on fire with rage and indignation. We often find the intestines, such as the heart, liver, and bowels, or entrails, represented as the seat of moral feelings. 15. Your friend, &c.] The poet calls the money which Calvinus had intrusted his false friend with, and which he was afraid to lose, a sacred deposit, because delivered to him to keep, under the sacred confidence of friendship. 15 20 25 16. Does he wonder, &c.] Does my friend Calvinus, now turned of sixty, and consequently well acquainted with the nature of mankind from many years experience, stand astonished at such a common transaction as this? 17. Fonteins.] L. Fonteius Capito was consul with C. Vipsanius, in the reign of Nero. 18. Of so many things.] Of so many things of a like kind, which your knowledge of the world must have brought to your observation-has all your experience of men and things been of no use or profit to you? 19. Wisdom, indeed, &c.] The volumes of philosophers, held sacred by the followers of them, contain rules for a contempt of fortune; and the wisdom by which they were indited, and which they teach, is the great principle which triumphs over the misfortunes we meet with. So SENECA, epist. 98. Valentior omni fortuna est animus sapientis. The books of moral philosophy abound in maxims of this kind. 22. Nor to toss the yoke.] A metaphor taken from oxen which are restive, and endeavour to get rid of the yoke, by flinging and tossing their necks about. The poet means, that much may be learned on the subject of triumphing over fortune from the sacred volumes of philosophy but those are to be pronounced happy also, who, by the expe Let us lay aside too many sighs. More violent than what is just, The grief of a man ought not to be, nor greater than his wound. Tho' you can hardly bear the least, and small particle Of light misfortunes, burning with fretting Bowels, because your friend may not return to you a sacred 15 Deposit. Does he wonder at these things, who already has left behind His back sixty years, born when Fonteius was consul? Do you profit nothing for the better by the experience of so many things? But we call Wisdom, indeed, which gives precepts in the sacred books, 20 25 For GOOD MEN ARE SCARCE: they are hardly as many in number As the gates of Thebes, or the mouths of the rich Nile. age is now passing, and worse ages than the times of An That which before us lies in daily life 23. What day, &c.] Festa dies signifies a day set apart for the observance of some festival, on which some sacrifices or religious rites were performed; a holiday, as we call it. Festus also signifies happy, joyful. Perhaps the poet means to say, what day is so happy as not to produce some mischief or other? 24. Gain sought, &c.] Every sort of wickedness practised for the sake of gain. 25. Money gotten.] Somebody or other murdered for their money, either more openly by the sword, or more secretly by poison. -Poison.] Pyxis signifies a little box; but here, by meton. poison, which used to be kept in such boxes, by way of concealment and easiness of conveyance. 27. Thebes.] A city of Boeotia, built by Cadmus, the son of Agenor; it was called Heptapylos, from having seven gates. There was another Thebes in Egypt, built by Busiris, king of Egypt, which was called Heliopolis, famous for an hundred gates. The first is meant here. -Mouths of the rich Nile.] Which were seven. The Nile is called rich, because it made Egypt fruitful by its overflowing, thus enriching all the country within its reach. 28. An age, &c.] i. c. The present age in which we live, now passing on in the course of time. The verb ago, when applied to age or life, has this signification: hence agere vitam, to live. Si octogesimum agerent annum : if they were eighty years old. Cic. -Worse ages.] The word sæculum, Temporibus quorum sceleri non invenit ipsa like ætas, means an age; a period of an hundred years. Here the poet would represent the age in which he wrote as worse than any that had gone before. 28, 9. The times of iron.] The last of the four ages into which the world was supposed to be divided, and which was worse than the three preceding. Ov. Met. lib. i. See 29. Nature itself, &c.] The wickedness of the present age is so great, that nothing in nature can furnish us with a proper name to call it by. 30. Imposed, &c.] Lit. put it.-q. d. Nor has any name been affixed to it from any metal. The first age of the world was named Golden, from its resembling gold in purity; and after this came the Silver, the Brazen, the Iron Age; but now the age is so bad, that no metal can furnish it with a name which can properly describe the nature of it. Nomen ponere signifies to put or affix a name, i. e. to name. Nature herself can find no inetal base enough to call it by. 31. We invoke, &c.] Pro Deam atque hominum fidem! was a usual exclamation on any thing wonderful or surprising happening.-q. d. We can seem much amazed, and cry out aloud against the vices of the age-we can call heaven and earth to witness our indignation. 32. The vocal sportula.] The dolebasket; the hope of sharing which opens the mouths of the people who stand by 30 35 40 “I never hunt th’inconstant people's vote, "With costly suppers, or a threadbare FRANCIS. "coat." The name Fæsidius, or Fessidius, as some editions have it, may mean some vain pleader of the time, who courted the applause of the mob, by treating them with his sportula. Perhaps no particular person may be only meant, but such sort of people in general. 33. Old man, worthy the bulla.] The bulla was an ornament worn about the necks of children, or at their breasts, made like an heart, and hollow within; they wore it till seventeen years of age, and then hung it up to the household gods.-PERS. sat. v. 1. 31. The poet addresses himself to his old friend Calvinus, in a joking manner; as if he said, "Well, old gentleman," (comp. 1. 16, 17.) "worthy again to "wear your childish baubles, are you, at sixty years old, such a child, as not to "know" 66 34. What charms, &c.] i. e. As to be ignorant how great the temptation is, |
