Siccandam eluviem, portandum ad bufta cadaver, 35 the feveral branches of the public revenue and expenditure, were farmed out to certain contractors, who were answerable to the ædiles, and to the other magiftrates, for the due execution of their contracts. Juvenal here feems to point at the temples, theatres, and other public buildings, which were thus farmed out to these people, who, from the wealth which they had acquired, and, of course, from their refponfibility, could eafily procure fuch contracts, by which they made an immenfe and exorbitant profit. Edis-is-fignifies any kind of edifice. AINSW. Omne ædeficium ædis dicitur. 31. Rivers.] Fisheries perhaps, by hiring which, they monopolized them, fo as to diftrefs others, and enrich themfelves-Or the carriage of goods upon the rivers, for which a toll was paid-Or, by flumina, may here be meant, the beds of the rivers, hired out to be cleaned and cleared at the public expence. Ports.] Where goods were exported and imported: these they rented, and thus became farmers of the public revenue, to the great grievance of those who were to pay the duties, and to the great emolument of themfelves, who were fure to make the moft of their bargain. 32. A fewer to be dried.] Eluvies fignifies a fink or common-fewer; which is ufual in great cities, to carry off the water and filth that would otherwife incommode the houses and itreets. From eluo, to wash out, wash away. These contractors undertook the opening and clearing thefe from the stoppages to which they were liable, and by which, if not cleanfed, the city would have been in many parts overflowed. There was nothing fo mean and filthy, that these two men would not have undertaken for the fake of gain. Here we find them fcavengers. A corpfe, c.] Bufta were places where dead bodies were burned--alfo graves and fepulchres. AINSW. Buftum from uftum. Sometimes thefe people hired or farmed funerals, contracting for the expence at fuch a price. In this too they found their account. 33. And to expofe, &c.] Thefe fellows fometimes were mangones, fellers of flaves, which they purchafed, and then fold by auction. See Perf. vi. 76, 77. The mistress-fpear.] Dominâ haftâ. It is difficult to render thefe two fubftantives literally into English, unless we A fewer to be dried, a corpse to be carried to the pile, theatre Perpetual attendants, and cheeks known through the towns, 35 Now fet forth public fhews, and, the people's thumb being turned, join them, as we frequently do fome of our own-as in mafterkey, queen-bee, &c. We read of the hafta decemviralis which was fixed before the courts of justice. So of the hafta centumviralis, also fixed there. A fpear was also fixed in the forum where there was an auction, and was a fign of it: all things fold there, were placed near it, and were faid to be fold-under the fear. Hence (by meton.) hafta is used, by Cicero and others, to fignify an auction, or public fale of goods. The word domina feems to imply, the power of difpofal of the property in perfons and things fold there, the poffethon and dominion over which were fettled, by this mode of fale, in the feveral purchafers. So that the fpear, or auction, might properly be called domina, as ruling the difpofal of perfons and things. 34. Theje, in time paft, born-blowers.] Such was formerly the occupation of thefe people; they had travelled about the country, from town to town, with little paltry fhews of gladiators, fencers, wrestlers, ftage-players, and the like, founding horns to call the people together- like our trumpeters to a puppet-fhew. Municipal theatre.] Municipium fignifies a city or town-corporate, which had the privileges and freedom of Rome, and at the fame time governed by laws of its own, like our corporations. Municipalis denotes any thing belonging to fuch a town. Moft of thefe had arena, or theatres, where ftrolling companies of gladiators, &c. (like our ftrolling players) used to exhibit. They were attended by horn-blowers and trumpeters, who founded during the performance. 35. Cheeks known, &c.] Blowers on the horn, or trumpet, were fometimes called buccinatores, from the great diftenfion of the cheeks in the action of blowing. This, by conftant ufe, left a swollen appearance on the cheeks, for which thefe fellows were well known in all the country towns. Perhaps bucce is here put for buccinæ, the horns, trumpets, and fuch wind inftruments as thefe fellows ftrolled with about the country. See AINSW. Bucca, N° 3. 36. Now fet forth public fhews.] Munera, fo called becaufe Quemlibet occidunt populariter: inde reverfi Conducunt foricas: & cur non omnia? cùm fint Quales ex humili magna ad faftigia rerum Quid Romæ faciam? mentiri nefcio: librum, 40 Si malus eft, nequeo laudare, & pofcere: motus Aftrorum ignoro: funus promittere patris given to the people at the expence of him who fet them forth. These fellows, who had themselves been in the mean condition above described, now are fo magnificent, as to treat the people with public fhews of gladiators at the Roman theatre. 36. The people's thumb, &c.] This alludes to a barbarous ufage at fights of gladiators, where, if the people thought he that was overcome behaved like a coward, without courage or art, they made a fign for the vanquisher to put him to death, by clenching the hand, and holding or turning the thumb upward. If the thumb were turned downward, it was a fignal to spare his life. 37. Whom they will, &c.] Thefe fellows, by treating the people with fhews, had grown fo popular, and had fuch influence among the vulgar, that it was entirely in their power to direct the fpectators, as to the fignal for life or death, so that they either killed or faved, by directing the pleasure of the people. See AINSw, Populariter, No 2. Thence returned, &c.] Their advancement to wealth did not alter their mean purfuits; after returning from the fplendor of the theatre, they contract for emptying bog-houses of their foil and filth. Such were called at Rome-Foricarii and Latrinarii—with us-nightmen. 38. Why not all things?] Why hire they not the town, not every thing, Since fuch as they have fortune in a string? DRYDEN. 39. Such as from low ftate.] The poet here reckons the advancement of fuch low people to the height of opulence, as the fport of Fortune, as one of thofe frolics which the exercises out of mere caprice and wantonnefs, without any regard to defert. See Hor. Lib. i. Ode xxxiv. 1. 14–16. and Lib. iii. Ode xxix, 1.49-52. 40. Fortune.] Had a temple and was worshipped as a goddess. The higher the raifed up fuch wretches, the more confpicuously contemptible she might be faid to make them, and feemed to joke, or divert herself, at their expence. See Sat. x. 366. Kill whom they will, as the people please: thence returned I neither will, nor can: the entrails of toads I never 4. I cannot lye.] Diffemble, cant, flatter, fay what I do not mean, feem to approve what I diflike, and praise what in my judgment I condemn. What then should I do at Rome, where this is one of the only means of advancement? 42. Afk for.] It was a common practice of low flatterers, to commend the writings of rich authors, however bad, in order to ingratiate themfelves with them, and be invited to their houfes: they also asked, as the greatest favour, for the loan or gift of a copy, which highly flattered the compofers. This may be meant by pofcere, in this place. See Hor. Art. Poet. 1. 419-37. Martial has an epigram on this subject. Epigr. xlviii. Lib. viii. Quod tam grande Zopws clamat tibi turba togata, Pomponius, thy wit is extoll'd by the rabble, 'Tis not thee they commend-but the cheer at thy table. 42-3. Motions of the ftars, &c.] I have no pretenfions to fkill in astrology. 43. The funeral of a father, &c.] He hereby hints at the profligacy and want of natural affection in the young men who wifhed the death of their fathers, and even confulted aftrologers about the time when it might happen; which faid pretended diviners cozened the youths out of their money, by pretending to find out the certainty of fuch events by the motions or fituations of the planets. This, fays Umbritius, I neither can, nor will do. 44: The entrails of toads.] Rana is a general word for all kinds of frogs and toads. The language here is metaphorical, and alludes to augurs infpecting the entrails of the beafts flain in facrifice, on the view of which they drew their good or ill omens. Out of the bowels of toads, poifons, charms, and spells, were fuppofed to be extracted. Comp. Sat. i. 70. Sat. vi. 658. Um britius 1 Infpexi ferre ad nuptam quæ mittit adulter, Carus erit Verri, qui Verrem tempore, quo vult, 45 50 britius feems to fay I never foretold the death of fathers, or "of other rich relations; nor fearched for poison, that my predictions might be made good by the fecret adminiftration of it." Comp. Sat. vi. 563-7. 66 45. To carry to a married woman.] I never was pimp, or go-between, in carrying on adulterous intrigues, by fecretly conveying love-letters, prefents, or any of thofe matters which gallants give in charge to their confidents. I leave this to others. 46. I afifting, c.] No villainy will ever be committed by my advice or affiftance. 47. I go forth, c.] For thefe reafons, I depart from Rome, quite alone, for I know none to whom I can attach myself as a companion, fo univerfally corrupt are the people. 48. Maimed.] Like a maimed limb, which can be of no fervice in any employment: juft as unfit am I for any employment which is now going forward in Rome. - A ufeless body, &c.] As the body, when the righthand, or any other limb, that once belonged to it, is loft and gone, is no longer able to maintain itself by laborious employment, fo I, having no inclination, or talents, to undergo the drudgery of vice of any kind, can never thrive at Rome. Some copies read-extinctâ dextrâ-Abl. Abf. the righthand being loft. The fenfe amounts to the fame. 49. Unless confcious.] Who now has any favour, attention, or regard fhewn him, but he who is confcious, privy to, acquainted with, the wicked fecrets of others? 50. Fervent mind boils, &c.] Is in a ferment, agitated between telling and concealing what has been committed to its confidence. The words fervens and æftuat are (in this view) metaphorical, and taken from the raging and boiling of the fea, when agitated by a ftormy wind. Fervet vertigine pontus. Ov. Met. xi. 549. So ituare semper fretum. Curt. iv. 9. AINSW. Eftuo, N° 4. S Hence, |