NOTES

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THE SATIRES OF PERSIUS.

AULUS PERSIUS FLACCUS was born at Volaterræ, a town of Etruria, A. D. 34. His father was of Equestrian rank, and died when his son was about six years of age. Persius studied at Volaterra, until he had attained his twelfth year: after that he was removed to Rome, and placed under the care of Palæmon, a grammarian, and Verginius Flaccus, a rhetorician. At the age of sixteen, he was placed under the tuition of Annæus Cornutus, a Stoic philosopher, to whom the fifth Satire is addressed, and in whose praise it is written. During the reign of Nero, Persius distinguished himself for his satiric compositions, in which he did not even spare the emperor himself. He died at his estate, near Rome, in the twenty-eighth year of his age, in the consulship of Rubrius Marius and Asinius Gallus.

The arguments or designs of the six satires are contained in this verse:

Of poets, wishes, idleness and health,

The statesman, freedom, avarice and wealth.

PROLOGUE.

Persius, after the inanner of dramatic writers, prefaces his Satires with a prologue in Iambic verse. This kind of Iambie verse is called scazon, and requires an iambus in the fifth and a spondee in the sixth place: an iambus, spondee, dactyle, tri brac, and anapest are admissible in the first four places: thus, Nec fon- tě là- | bră prō- | lui | căbal- | linō. Hěděre | sẽquâ- | ces ip- | sẽ sẽ- | mipā- | gānus. Corvos põe- tās et | põe- | trias | picas. Cântă- | rẻ crẻ- | dās Pē- | găsé- |ĭūm ' néctar.

1. Fonte caballino: i. e. Hippocrene, which fountain Pegasus, the winged horse of Bellerophon, is said to have opened by a blow of his hoof.-Nec labra prolui: I have not even moistened my lips. The poets feigned, that drinking of this fountain inspired poetic fancy.

2. Bicipiti Parnasso: Parnassus, a mountain of Phocis, in Achaia, sacred to Apollo and the Muses, had two summits, Cirrha and Nisa; others call them Helicon and Citheron; Herodotus calls them Tithorea and Hyampeus. It was imagined, that if any person ascended the mountain and remained there for any time, he became a poet.

3. Repentè i. e. temporis momento, by immediate inspiration. 4. Heliconidas: the Muses, so called from the mountain Helicon-Pallidam Pirenen: Pirene, the daughter of Achelous or Ebalus, shedding many tears for her son, slain by Diana, is said to have been changed into a fountain.-The epithet pallida is figuratively used because people become pale by continued study.

5. Imagines... hedera: see Juv. Sat. VII, 29.

6. Semipaganus: i. e. one, who has no right to be considered a poet, not having been initiated by drinking of the fountain Hippocrene or by dreaming on mount Parnassus-'a half-rustic'

an illiterate poet.'-Semipaganus is used in opposition to vatum, and carmen to sacra.

7. Sacra vatum: i. e. carmina illis (vatibus) ab Apolline et Musis dictata.-Others understand sacra, sc. templa, the temple of Apollo and the Muses. Juv. Sat. I, 1.

8. Quis expedivit... nectar: Persius now gives the reason, why he, acknowledging himself to be without poetical abilities, yet dares attempt poetical composition. There are other things, says he, besides those enumerated, which can inspire men with genius, which can effect things the most difficult to be accomplished, hunger and the desire of gain.

8. Expedivit: i. e. docuit.-Xaige, a salutation used at meeting and parting.

9. Verba nostra: i. e. voces humanas.

11. Negatas: sc. a naturâ.—Artifex sequi: a Greek construction for artifex in condocefaciendo, ut sequantur (i. e. assequantur or exprimant).

12. Dolosi: seductive.'

13. Corvos poetas et poetrias picas: we may understand this line literally, raven poets and magpie poetesses: i. e. if gain be in view, men will attempt impossibilities.-Or by corvos poetas we may understand wretched poets; by poëtrias picas, boasting rhymers.

14. Pegaseïum nectar: sublime and poetic strains.-Nectar: i. e. carmen. Pindar. Olymp. VII, 12 seqq.

SATIRE I.

1. O curas... leget hæc: the poet supposes that, while he is employed in composition, he is interrupted by some person, whic addresses him with these words.

2. Min'... ais: the answer of the poet.

3. Vel duo, vel nemo : i. e. paucissimi. Quare: the poet asks, why it is a shameful and lamentable thing?

4. Ne... prætulerint: i. e. are you afraid that I should feel uneasy, because the works of worthless poets are preferred to mine?-By Pulydamas, Nero is generally thought to be meant. -Troiades is in the feminine gender to denote the effeminacy of the Romars, who prided themselves in being called Trojugene -Accius Labeo: a favorite of Nero, who wrote a miserable translation of the Iliad and Odyssey.

6

5. Nuge: i. e. I care nothing for the judgment of such men, -Si... elevet: if the people of Rome, not clear in their judgment, (muddy,) should think lightly of any work.'

6. Examenve... trutinâ: i. e. do not attempt to correct the false judgment of these men, who have not the means of judging correctly. Examen: this means the tongue or needles of the scale, which always inclines to the side where the weight predominates. Trutina: this means the part in which the needle moves, and is put for the whole scales.

7. Nec... extra: Dryden thus translates it:

The conscience is the test of every mind;
Seek not thyself, without thyself, to find."

8. Quis non: sc. perversè judicat.—Ah, si fas dicere: 'oh! if I only had the power of speaking my opinion freely.'-The poet says these words, as if he was as yet undecided what he should do; immediately, as if he had decided upon the question, he says sed fas, &c.

9. Nostrum: the first person is used, including himself, as he would thereby give less offence.-Vivere: a Græcism, for the substantive.-Triste: i. c. morose,-inclined to find fault with

others.

10. Aspexi: by enallage for the present tense.-Nucibus relictis our toys being left'-' when we cease to be children.'

11. Sapimus patruos: uncles were the usual guardians of children, who had lost their parents, and were strict to a proverb.— When we take on ourselves the severity of uncles in censuring the faults of others.-Tunc, tunc : sc. fas est.-Ignoscite: 'pardon my writing.'

12. Sed sum cachinno: but I must write, for I am a grea laugher.'

13. Inclusi: 'shut up in our studies.'-Numeros: 'verse.'-Pede liber: unshackled by poetic feet.'

14. Grande: bombastic.'-Pulmo animæ prælargus: i. e. pul mones capacissimi.

15. Scilicet, &c.: i. e. you, no doubt, dresse l with the greatest elegance and in all your finery, adapting your looks to the lasciviousness of your verses, will read your compositions to an audience, who will exhibit every mark of indecency and wantonness.

16. Natalitiâ sardonyche: a ring set with a sardonyx, a birthday present.

17. Sede celsâ : i. e. ex cathedra.-Plasmate: 6 a gargle.'

18. Mobile: flexible in pronouncing.-Patranti fractus ocello: effeminate with lascivious eyes.

19. Hic in the place where you recite your verses.

90. Titos: many Romans had the name of Titus, from Titus Tatius. Trepidare: i. e. beat the ground and clap their hands in applause.

22. Auriculis. . . ohe : i. e. do you write such lascivious verses to please the ears of others, who flatter you so immoderately, that even you are filled with disgust and are forced to exclaim, enough (ohe).-Et cute perditus: i. e. etiamsi naturæ aliquo vitio crubescere non possis: or it may be understood of a person suffering with the dropsy :-puffed up with their praises, like one in a dropsy.

24. Quo...caprificus: i. e. what then, says a third person, is the advantage of all your study and labor, unless it is to make others acquainted with your labors, that you may receive from them praise and glory-unless your knowledge, swelling like leaven in dough, and shooting out like the wild fig-tree, burst forth, &c. Juv. Sat. X, 145.-Quo: i. e. cui bono- -quem in finem.

27. Scire tuum: for scientia tua.

29. Ten'... fuisse: i. e. that your compositions are read in the schools, and are committed to memory by noble boys.-Cirratorum: noble boys usually had their hair curled.-Nero ordered his poems to be used as exercises at the schools. Persius probably alludes to him.

30. Ecce inter... nascentur viola: the ironical answer of the poet.

32. Hîc: i. e. inter pocula.

33. Rancidulum: disgusting.'-Balbâ de nare: i. e. per nares vocem balbam emittens; stammering and snuffling.

34. Phyllidas, Hypsipylas: Phyllis, daughter of Lycurgus, was deserted by Demophoon.-Hypsipyle, daughter of Thoas, king of Lemnos, was deserted by Jason.-Plorabile si quid: 'some mournful love-ditty.'

35. Eliquat: a metaphor, from melting and softening metals and hard substances; speaks in a soft and effeminate voice.'Supplantat: mirces his words.'

36. Cinis ille poëta: by hypallage for cinis illius poëtæ.

...

37. Levior .. ossa: this alludes to the usual superstitious wish, expressed by the Romans, sit tibi terra levis. Juv. VII, 207

38. Manibus: put here for the sepulchre, where the manes were supposed to dwell.

40. Rides, ait: you are jesting, says the adversary.'-Uncis ... naribus: scorn and derision are expressed by wrinkling and turning up the nose.

42. Os populi: i. e. laudem et famam; 'the applause of the people. Cedro digna: deserving immortality. The ancients rubbed their books with an oil, extracted from the cedar, to preserve them from worms, moths, &c.

43. Nec scombros. . . thus: i. e. in no danger of being used as wrapping-paper by fishmongers or perfumers.

44. Quisquis, &c.: Persius, having severely satirized a desire of false praise, now allows that praise, properly bestowed, is not to be despised.

46. Rara avis: in allusion to the phoenix.

47. Fibra cornea: i. e. sensus obtusus; insensible like horn. 49. Euge-Belle: acclamations of applause.-Belle . . . totum : examine well the force and nature of this mark of applause.'

50. Quid... habet: i. e. are not these marks of applause applied to all sorts of writings? are they not applied to the most insipid and foolish things? in short, what is not contained within it?-Hic: i. e. illo belle.-Do not men use this same mark of applause when the Iliad of Accius is recited? See verse 4.

51. Ebria veratro: inebriated with hellebore.'-Accius, Persius says, as some understand it, derived his poetical imagination, not from drinking of the fountain Hippocrene on mount Helicon, which fountain he never reached; but from stupifying his senses with hellebore, which grew luxuriantly upon the same mountain. -Elegidia with contempt (a dimin. from elegia) songs of a wanton or trifling character are thus denominated.—Crudi: 'filled with undigested food'-'gluttonous.'-Or, 'not well digesting and understanding the subject.'

53. Citreis: the citron wood was very valuable: the rich had beds and couches made of it.-Calidum... lacernâ ; i. e. you hire persons to applaud your writings by inviting them to suppers, and by making them presents.

55. De me: i. e. of the poem which has just been recited.

56. Qui pote: how is it possible, that such men will speak the truth, when they are afraid of offending you, if they did?-Vis dicam sc. verum tibi.—Nugaris ... exstet: i. e. you are an old fool to write verses, when, from the size of your paunch, it is evident that you have thought more of indulging your appetite, than of cultivating your mind. The note of Konig is, Nugaris, non seriò loqueris quum tibi, &c. i. e. quum corporis tui habitus jam indicet, aures ad laudem captandam arrectas esse.

58. June: Janus was represented with two faces, one before and one behind, as regarding the time past and future.-A tergo ..tantùm: there were three ways of expressing derision with the ancients;-one was, holding out the finger and crooking it a little