Scilicet horreres, majoraque monstra putares, for expiation? For, as the next two lines intimate, we ought not, in all reason, to be more shocked or amazed at the most monstrous or unnatural births, than at these monstrous and unnatural productions of vice. 124. Collars.] Segmenta; collars, ouches, pearl-necklaces worn by women. AINSW. from seco, to cut; segmen, a piece cut off from something: perhaps segmina may mean pieces of ribbon, or the like, worn as collars, as they often are by women among us. -Long habits.] The stola, or matron's gown, which reached down to the feet. -Wedding veils.] Flameum or flammeum, from flamma, a flame, because it was of a yellowish or flame-colour. A kind of veil or scarf, put over the bride's face for modesty's sake. -He takes.] Gracchus puts on, who once had been one of the Salii. 125. Who carrying sacred things.] This alludes to the sacred images carried in the processions of the Salii, which waved or nodded with the motion of those who carried them, or, perhaps, so contrived, as to be made to nod, as they were carried along, like the image of Venus when carried in pomp at the Circensian games, mentioned by Ov. Amor. Eleg. lib. iii. eleg. ii. Annuit et motu signa secunda dedit. -A secret rein.] A thong, or leather strap, secretly contrived, so as by pulling it to make the image nod its head; to the no small comfort of the vulgar, who thought this a propitious sign, as giving assent to their petitions. See the last note. 126. Sweated with Mars's shields.] The ancilia were so called from ancisus, cut or pared round. 125 130 In the days of Numa Pompilius, the successor of Romulus, a round shield was said to fall from heaven: this was called ancile, from its round form; and, at the same time, a voice said, that "the city "would be of all the most powerful, while "that ancile was preserved in it." Numa, therefore, to prevent its being stolen, caused eleven shields to be made so like it, as for it not to be discerned which was the true one. He then instituted the twelve Salii, or priests of Mars, who were to carry these twelve shields through the city, with the images and other insignia of Mars, (the supposed father of Romulus, the founder of Rome,) and while these priests went in procession, they sang and danced till they were all over in a sweat. Hence these priests of Mars were called Salii, a saliendo. The poet gives us to understand, that Gracchus had been one of these Salii, but had left them, and had sunk into the effeminacies and debaucheries above mentioned. 126. O father of the city!] Mars, the supposed father of Romulus, the founder of Rome, and therefore called pater urbis. See HoR. lib. i. od. ii. l. 35— 40. 127. Latian shepherds?] Italy was called Latium, from lateo, to lie hid; Saturn being said to have hidden himself there, when he fled from his son Jupiter. See VIRG. Æn. viii. 319-23. Romulus was supposed to have been a shepherd, as well as the first and most ancient ancestors of the Romans; hence Juvenal calls them Latii pastores. So sat. viii. 1. 274, 5. What! would you dread, and think them greater prodigies, 130 Nor complain to the father!—Go therefore, and depart from the acres Of the harsh field, which you neglect.-A bus'ness, to-morrow Early, is to be dispatched by me in the vale of Quirinus. Gradivus.] A name of Mars, from Gr. Keadaa, to brandish a spear. Some derive it from gradior, because he was supposed to go or march in battle. Homer has both these ideas; : Ηιε μακρα βιβας κραδαων δολιχόσκιον syxos. See VIRG. Æn. iii. 34. Gradivumque patrem, &c. 129. Is given.] Traditur, is delivered up in marriage, as a thing purchased is delivered to the buyer, so man to man, on payment of dowry, as for a wife. 130. You neither shake, &c.] In token of anger and resentment of such abomination. 131. Nor complain, &c.] To Jupiter, the father of all the gods, or perhaps Juvenal means" your father," as supposing with Hesiod, that Mars was the son of Jupiter and Juno. So Homer, Il. s. though some, as Ovid, make him the son of Juno without a father. Ov. Fast. v. 229, &c. Go therefore.] Since you are so unconcerned at these things, as to shew no signs of displeasure at them, you may as VOL. I. well depart from us entirely. -Depurt.] Cede for discede, the simple for the composite. So VIRG. Æn. vi. 460. Invitus, regina, tuo de litore cessi. 132. The harsh field.] The Campus Martius, a large field near Rome, between the city and the Tiber, where all manner of robust aud martial exercises were performed, over which Mars was supposed to preside. By the poet's using the epithet harsh, or severe, he may be supposed to allude to the harsh and severe conflicts there exhibited; or to Mars himself, to whom this is given by Martial, ep. xxx. 1. 10. Cum severi fugit oppidum Martis. -Which you neglect.] By not vindicating its honour, and not punishing those who have exchanged the manly exercises of the Campus Martius for the most abandoned effeminacy. -A bus'ness to-morrow.] In order to expose the more, and satirize the more severely, these male-marriages, the poet here introduces a conversation between two persons on the subject. The word officium is peculiarly relative to marriage, nuptiale or nuptiarum being understood. Suet. in Claud. c. 26. Cujus officium nuptiarum, et ipse cum Agrippina celebravit. So PETRON. Consurrexi ad officium nuptiale. Such is the meaning of officium in this place, as relative to what follows. He was to attend the ceremony at sun-rise, at the temple of Romulus, which was a place where marriage-contracts were often made. I Quæ causa officii? quid quæris? nubit amicus, 134, A friend marries.] The word nubo (as has been observed) properly belonging to the woman, as duco to the man. Nubit here is used to mark out the abominable transaction. 135. Nor does he admit many.] He does not invite many people to the ceremony, wishing to keep it rather private. He had not, perhaps, shaken off all fear of the Scantinian law. See before, 1. 43, note. -Only let us live, &c.] These seem to be Juvenal's words. Only let us have patience, and if we live a little longer, we shall not only see such things done, but done openly: and not only this, but we shall see the parties concerned wish to have them recorded in the public registers. Juvenal saw the increase of all this mischief, and might from this venture to foretel what actually came to pass: for Salvian, who wrote in the fifth century, speaking of this dedecoris scelerisque consortium, as he calls it, says, that "it spread all over the city; and though "the act itself was not common to all, "yet the approbation of it was." 135 140 145 and to occasion fertility and promote conception. Conditus literally signifies seasoned, mixed, made savoury, and the like; here it implies, that she sold some conserve, or the like, which was mixed, seasoned, or, as we may say, medicated with various drugs, and put into boxes for sale. 142. The nimble Lupercus.] The Lupercalia were feasts sacred to Pan, that he might preserve their flocks from wolves, (a lupis ;) hence the priests were called Luperci. The Lupercalia appears to have been a feast of purification, being solemnized on the dies nefasti, or non-court-days of February, which derives its name from februo, to purify; and the very day of the celebration was called Februaca. The ceremony was very singular and strange. In the first place, a sacrifice was killed of goats and a dog; then two children, noblemen's sons, being brought thither, some of the Luperci stained their foreheads with the bloody knife, while others wiped it off with locks of wool dipped in milk. This done, they ran about the streets all naked but the middle, and, having cut the goat-skins into thongs, they lashed all they met. The women, so far from avoiding their strokes, held out the palms of their hands to receive them, fancying them to be great helpers of conception. See KENNETT, Antiq. b. ii. part ii. c. 2. Shakespeare alludes to this, Jul. Cæs. act i. sc. ii. former part. 143. The fork.] Fuscina, a sort of What is the cause of the bus'ness? why do you ask? a friend marries : Nor does he admit many. Only let us live, these things will be done, 135 Done openly, and will desire to be reported in the public registers. Meanwhile a great torment sticks to those (thus) marrying, That they can't bring forth, and retain by birth (of children) their husbands. But it is better, that, to their minds, no authority over their bodies : 140 Doth nature indulge; barren they die and to them stage, 144 More nobly born than the Manlii, the Capitolini, and Marcelli, And the Catuli, and the posterity of Paulus; than the Fabii, and Than all the spectators at the podium: tho', to these, him three-pronged fork or trident, used by a particular kind of fencer or gladiator, who was armed with this, and with a net; hence called Retiarius. His adversary was called Mirmillo, (from Gr. vgos, formica; see AINSW.) and was armed with a shield, scythe, and headpiece, with the figure of a fish on the crest. The Retiarius tried to throw his net over the Mirmillo's head, and so entangle him, saying, when he cast the net, Piscem peto, non te peto. The Mirmillo is sometimes called the secutor or pursuer, because if the Retiarius missed him, by throwing his net too far, or too short, he instantly took to his heels, running about the arena for his life, that he might gather up his net for a second cast; the Mirmillo, in the mean time, as swiftly pursuing him, to prevent him of his design. This seems to be meant, 1. 144. Lustravitque fugâ, &c. which intimates the flight of the Retiarius from the Mirmillo. —Coated, &c. ] Tunicatus, i. e. dressed in the tunica, or habit of the Retiarii, which was a sort of coat without sleeves, in which they fought. This same Gracchus meanly laid aside his own dress, took upon him the garb and weapons of a common gladiator, and exhibited in the public amphitheatre, Such feats were encouraged by Domitian, to the great scandal of the Roman nobility. Mediam arenam may here signify the middle of the amphitheatre, which was strewed with sand; on which part the gladiators fought: this made arena be often used to signify the amphitheatre itself. 145. Capitolini, &c.] Noble families, who were an ornament to the Roman name. 147. The podium.] Пodiov, Gr. from ovs, a foot. That part of the theatre next the orchestra, where the nobles sat; it projected in form something like the shape of a foot. See AINSW. -Tho', to these, &c.] Though to those who have been mentioned before, you should add the prætor, at whose expence these games were exhibited. The prætors often exhibited games at their own expence. But the poet may here be understood to glance at the emperor Domitian, who was a great encourager of these strange proceedings of the young nobility. See note on 1. 143. He that set forth, at his own charge, the sight of sword-players, and other like games unto the people, was called mune. Admoveas, cujus tunc munere retia misit. Esse aliquos manes, et subterranea regna, rarius. Hence Juvenal says, cujus tunc munere, &c. 148. Threw the net.] Entered the lists in the character of a Retiarius: and thus a man of the noblest family in Rome debased himself and his family by becoming a prize-fighter in the public theatre. 149. That there are any ghosts.] The poet now proceeds to trace all the foregoing abominations to their source, namely, the disbelief and contempt of religion, those essential parts of it, particularly, which relate to a future state of rewards and punishments. By manes, here, we may understand the ghosts or spirits of persons departed out of this life, which exist after their departure from the body, and are capable of happiness and misery. See VIRG. En. vi. 735-44. -Subterranean realms.] Infernal regions, which were supposed to be under the earth. 150. A boat pole.] Contus signifies a long pole or staff, shod with iron at the bottom, to push on small vessels in the water. Juvenal here alludes to Charon, the ferryman of hell, of whom Virgil says, En. vi. 1. 302. Ipse ratem conto subigit. -Frogs.] The poets feigned that there were frogs in the river Styx. Some give the invention to Aristophanes. See his comedy of the Frogs. -Stygian gulph.] The river Styx, supposed to be the boundary of the infernal regions, over which departed souls were ferried in Charon's boat. See VIRG. Geor. iv. 467-80. 150 155 160 If any of the gods swore by this river falsely, he was to lose his divinity for an hundred years. 152. Not even boys believe.] All these things are disbelieved not only by persons in a more advanced age, but even by boys. -Ŭnless those not as yet, &c.] The quadrans, which was made of brass, in value about our halfpenny, was the bathing fee paid to the keeper of the bath by the common people. See sat. vi. 446. and Hor. lib. i. sat. iii. l. 137. Dum tu quadrante lavatum Rex ibis Little children, under four years old, The poet means, that none but chil* 153. But think thou, &c.] Do thou, O man, whatever thou art, give credit to these important matters, which respect a future state of rewards and punishments. -Curius.] Dentatus; thrice consul, and remarkable for his courage, singular honesty, and frugality. What does he now think, who is enjoying the rewards of his virtue in elysium. 153, 4. Both the Scipios.] Viz. Scipio, Africanus Major, who conquered Hannibal, and Scipio Africanus Minor, who |