Pro cujus reditu tot pono altaria, parvos Tres habet hæredes. Libet expectare, quis ægram. Porticus. Existunt, qui promittant hecatomben : considered as possessed of such merit. 0. 100 105 93. Libet expectare] Answering to the English idiom, "I should be glad to see." M. 94. Claudentem oculos] i. e. Moribundam. P. 95. Tam sterili] From whom so little advantage could be reaped. W.-Compare Sat. v. 140.-Coturnix Nulla] Not even one of the least of birds. M. 96. Pro patre] i. e. For one who has children.-Calorem] "The slightest feverish heat." O. 98. Tabellis] Tablets containing prayers and vows for their recovery, are immediately set up in due form (legitimè fixis) by the legacy-hunters, and in such numbers as to cover the porticoes of the temples. 99. Existunt] Nonnulli sunt. M.-Hecatomben] 'Exaтoμßn, sacrificium centum boum: Kaтov centum, Bovs bos. 100. Quatenus hic, &c.] Quandoquidem hic non adsunt neque. venduntur elephanti. P. 102. Furtá gente] Ab Indis, Mauris, Ethiopibus. R. 103. Arboribus Rutulis] In nemoribus Rutulis.-The ancient Rutulia, or land of Turnus, was the sea coast of the Campagna di Roma, between the Tiber and the Pontine Marshes. 104. Cæsaris armentum] In apposition to Bellua.-Domi;ian, as a matter of state and curiosity, transported into Italy numbers of elephants; and, in the forest above mentioned, an herd of them might be seen together. M. 105. Tyrio Hannibali] The Carthaginians were a colony from Tyre. 106. Nostris Ducibus] The Romans used elephants for the first time in the war against Philip II. of Macedon, B. C. 200. Livy, Horum majores; ac dorso ferre cohortes, Partem aliquam belli, et euntem in prœlia turrim! 110 Tantis digna Deis, et captatoribus horum! Alter enim, si concedas mactare, vovebit De grege servorum magna et pulcherrima quæque 115 Imponet vittas; et, si qua est nubilis illi Iphigenia domi, dabit hanc altaribus, etsi Laudo meum civem, nec comparo testamento Mille rates: nam, si Libitinam evaserit æger, 120 xxxi. 36.-Regique Molosso] Pyrrhus, king of Epirus, of which country the Molossi were a tribe. 109. 110. Nulla igitur mora per Novium quin, &c.] Therefore it is not the fault of Novius of Ister Pacuvius, (two noted legacyhunters of the day,) that elephants are not sacrificed.-Illud ebur] A beautiful expression for animal; ivory being in high esteem at Rome. O. 112. Tantis Deis] Videtur intelligere ipsos divites orbos, quos captatores velut Deos colunt. L. 113. Alter] Meaning Pacuvius, as appears from 1. 123.-Si concedas mactare] i. e. Did not the laws forbid such horrid sacrifices. 114. Magna] Maxima. P. 115. Vel pueris] Vel is not disjunctive, but illustrative, for etiam. This sentence is in apposition with the preceding. 0. 116. Vittas] With which the victims were always adorned. 117. Iphigenia nubilis] Any daughter in the prime of youth and beauty. (See on iv. 131.) Agamemnon sacrificed his daughter Iphigenia, in order to procure a favourable wind for the departure of the Grecian fleet from Aulis, where, through the anger of the goddess Diana, it had been wind-bound for a considerable time. M. 118. Furtiva piacula] It is said that Iphigenia, when brought to the altar, was suddenly conveyed away by Diana, and a hind clandestinely substituted in her stead.- Tragica cerva] The sacrifice of Iphigenia forms the subject of one of the most celebrated tragedies of Euripides. 119. Meum civem] Pacuvium.-Testamento] A legacy. 120. Mille rates] The whole Grecian fleet.-Libitinam] The Goddess of funerals. Death. Delebit tabulas, inclusus carcere nassæ, 125 121. Tabulas] His will-Inclusus carcere nussæ] i. e. Completely ensnared by the arts of the legacy-hunter. 122. Post meritum sanè mirandum] After a service so truly wonderful, as the sacrifice of a daughter for his recovery! 123. Forsan] This word has exquisite point, as marking the uncertainty of the legacy-hunter's hopes-after all!-Breviter] When the property is all left to one person, the will is short. Compare Sat. i. 60. 125. Quam grande operæ pretium, &c.] Quantam utilitatem, quantumque emolumenti afferat immolata filia. M.-Mycenis] A Greek adjective, meaning Iphigenia, who was born at Mycenæ ; but here put for the flatterer's daughter. O. 126. Vivat Pacuvius] Long live Pacuvius! say I; for the longer such a man lives, the more miserable must be be. M.-Vel Nestora totum] Etiam totam Nestoris ætatem. R. 127. Quantum rapuit Nero] Who not only plundered the people, but even the temples of the gods. The prodigious sums which he extorted from the provinces, by unreasonable taxes, confiscations, &c. are almost incredible. He gave no office without this charge to the person who filled it, "You know what I want; let us make it our business that nobody may have any thing." M.-Montibus aurum Exaquet] Aurum accumulet par montibus. Calvinus, to whom the poet addresses this satire, had been basely defrauded of a sum of money by a friend, in whom he had reposed an implicit confidence; and the poet has the merit of making this particular incident a subject of universal instruction. His outlines are these.-I. Four topics, thrown out, without any formal introduction, as the ground-work of the satire; to be enforced more fully hereafter.-II. Sufferings to be expected by the virtuous from the depravity of their fellow-creatures. III. This depravity peculiarly increased in that age by the monstrous corruptions of polytheism, and the pestilent notions of atheism.-IV. A particular application of these things to his friend's case.-V. The duty and happiness of man lie in the control of his passions.-VI. Wickedness escapes not at last with impunity. The connection of the parts, being easy and natural, is left to the reader's observation: and nothing needs be added more, but just to observe, that it is difficult to determine whether of the two we are to admire most, the uncom→ mon vigour of the poet, or the strict purity of the moralist. Owen. AD CALVINUM. 1. EXEMPLO quodcumque malo committitur, ipsi Displicet auctori. Prima est hæc ultio, quòd, se Judice, nemo nocens absolvitur; improba quamvis Gratia fallaci Prætoris vicerit urnâ. 1. Exemplo quodcumque malo] i. e. Every evil deed, which sets a bad example to others. M. 2. Displicet] Mororem creat. P.-Auctori] The perpetrator. -Ultio] Pœna. B. 4. Urná] Either the urn from whence the Prætor, who presided as judge, first drew by lot the names of the jury-men, (judices, as they were called,) or that which contained their verdicts. Each jury-man was furnished with three tablets; one marked with the letter A. absolvo, another with C. condemno, and the third with Quid sentire putas omnes, Calvine, recenti Magna quidem, sacris quæ dat præcepta libellis, 5 10 15 20 N. L. non liquet, i. e. doubtful, and requiring a further hearing. At the end of the pleadings, each dropt one of these tablets into the urn, which was then brought to the Prætor, who took then out, and pronounced sentence according to the decision of the majority. In either stage of the proceedings, a corrupt Prætor might show partiality. He might contrive a jury of his own selection, or give a false return of their votes. We may infer, that the perfidious friend of Calvinus had in this manner escaped punishment. 10. E medio Fortunæ acervo] Not taken from the summit of that heap of miseries which Fortune stores up for mankind, but from the middle, as it were ;—not so small as not to be felt, nor yet so severe as to overwhelm you. M. 17. Fonteio Consule] Fonteius Capito, who was consul in the reign of Nero, A. D. 59. According to which calculation, this satire was written in the reign of Adrian, A. D. 119. 18. An nihil in melius proficis] An nihilo magis sapis? P.Tot rerum usu] Tam longâ experientiâ. 20. Sapientia] Philosophy.-Much may be learnt from her sacred volumes, on the subject of triumphing over fortune: but those are to be pronounced happy also, who, in the school of life, (Vitá magistrá,) i. e. by experience alone, have learned to bear, with quietness and patience, any inconveniences or misfortunes which they may meet with. M. |