metal is of ancient date, has been adduced from different authorities; particularly from Xenophon, Artemidorus, and Homer; the latter of whom terms horses, xaλxómodas; though perhaps brazen-footed is only a poetical metaphor. The shoes of all animals, among the ancients, were not nailed like ours, but rather bound on; and consequently were very liable to slip off. There is a most ingenious note, on this subject, in Dr. Lowth's translation of Isaiah, p. 52. sec. Edit. Carm. xix. In palimpsesto. The palimpsestum was a kind of coarse paper, which the Romans wrote the rough copy of any compo sition upon. Cicero makes the following mention of a correspondent's frugality, who wrote to him upon such paper: "Nam quod in palimpsesto; laudo equidem parsimoniam; sed miror, quid in illa chartula fuerit, quod delere malueris; nisi fortè tuas formulas; non enim puto te meas epistolas delere, ut reponas tuas." Royal paper, with the Romans, as with us, was a superior sort; in which sense they used the words Hieratica, and Augusta. Carm. xx. Nec cimex, neque araneus. This is highly picturesque; the poet says; "that even the common vermin, which abound in every poor man's house, could not find enough in Furius's for their support." Our Churchill, in the same strain of poetry, pretending the barenness of Scotland, humorously declares, it was so devoid of sustenance that, -In three hours a grasshopper must die.1 Conjuge ligneá. Thus Lucretius: Nervosa, et lignea Dorcas.2 The epithet ligneus arises, from the similitude there is between shrivelled, emaciated people; and wooden statues, which can never be cut, but when the wood is dry. Vulpius observes, that men were not only called ligneos, when they were little else than skin and bones, aridos, mucie confectos, vixque ossibus hærentes; but also, when they were stupid, and slow, ad motum duriores. We, in like manner, call a dull inactive person, a log, block, or blockhead, or wooden man. Nihil timetis. These conveniences attending poverty are likewise noticed by Horace, Sat. 1. Lib. i. and by Juvenal, Sat. 14. Purior salillo. Every Roman of condition had his silver saltseller: the ancients looked upon salt as divine, indeed Homer so calls it; and they regarded it as a bad omen, if they chanced to eat a meal without it: the force of the words paternum, and splendet, in the following passage from Horace, points out the ! Prophecy of Famine. 2 Lucr. Lib. 4. custom of transmitting this utensil to posterity; and the extreme care with which it was kept clean, and bright: Vivitur parvo benè, cui paternum Splendet in mensâ tenui salillum.' Carm. xxi. Isti. This person, whom Catullus reproaches Juventius with loving, seems to be Furius, mentioned in the preceding Carmen. Mallem divitias, &c. Many read delicias, making a sense far less eligible. Carm. xxii. Sitûque araneoso. Catullus seems to mean, in this place, spiders' webs; to which he very elegantly compares the soft and slender figure of a young man. Thus likewise Tibullus, Carm. ad Priap. Araneosus obsidet fores situs.2 Cùm dira maris. This reading, I should apprehend, makes the most plain, easy sense; the birds alluded to are the Fulicae and Lari, our seafowl, or gulls; which, when a storm approaches, flock to the shore, with loud screams. The word oscitans, i. e. foreboding, has here the same meaning, as in Horace: Antequam stantes repetat paludes See also the last chapter of Forster on Atmospheric Phenomena.' Scaliger reads, "Cùm de viâ mulier alites, &c." meaning," when some female sage, or wizard, from the flight of these birds, is conscious of the approaching storm:" Muretus, Achilles Statius, and others, read "diva mulier," which they variously, and as ridiculously interpret, but it should seem, without foundation. Carm. xxiv. Posthumia jubet magistra. This lady of Catullus's time is, I believe, no where else upon record; she was a drunken character, whom Catullus, with his usual satyric vein, here takes occasion to lash: the Romans, as well as the Grecians, at their drinking-bouts, had a toast-master; who was chosen by the best throw of the tali, or tessera; and whom they styled, according to Varro, modimperator; or, according to Horace, rer vini, or arbiter bibendi. See Horace, Od. 4. Lib. 1. and Od. 7. Lib. 2. Ebriosá aciná. Thus Pliny, Hist. Nat. Lib. 15. "Conduntur et musto uvæ, ipsæque vino suo inebriantur." See likewise Aulus Gellius, Cap. 20. Lib. 7. Hor. Od. 16. Lib. 2. 2 Vulpius. 3 Hor. Od. 27. Lib. 3. Merus est Thyonianus. Bacchus was called Thyoneus, from Thyone, a title of his mother Semele; or more probably from Búw," to rave and rant like a drunkard." Carm. xxv. Vappá. A cant word for a degenerate knave; taken from wine, that is said to be vapid, when harsh or flat. Vappa et lippus, et in tenui farragine mendax.1 Carm. xxvi. This is the first poem, wherein we find that remarkable freedom, with which Catullus treated the highest character in Rome; and it is a question, which is most extraordinary; the moderation of Cæsar, who forgave; or the boldness of the satyrist, who could urge such unwelcome truths. The learned writer of Cicero's life has a passage, which particularly mentions this very Carmen. Vide Epist. ad Attic. 13. 52. Cæsar it seems dined by appointment at Cicero's villa; and, during his bathing, some one read to him the verses of Catullus on Mamurra; at which, says Tully, he did not so much as change countenance: Middleton adds, that the verses were not produced by Cicero ; but by some of Cæsar's friends, who attended him, and who knew his desire to see every thing that was published against him. Comata Gallia. All Transalpine Gaul was so termed; either from the country being much wooded; or, according to Strabo, Geograph. Lib. 4. whose opinion we follow, from the inhabitants paying singular attention to their hair: σαγηφοροῦσι δὲ καὶ κομοξο. pova, saga ferunt, et comam alunt.2 Ut albulus columbus. The dove of Venus is here alluded to; indeed many write," Ut albulus columbulus Dionæus.” Ultima occidentis insula. That is Britain, which Cæsar conquered; and which, by some, was supposed to be the ultima Thule of the ancients. Aurifer Tagus. Catullus poetically calls upon the Tagus, to witness the riches, which Cæsar had obtained by his wars in Spain; the golden sands of this river are well known, among poets. Thus Juvenal:` Tanti tibi non sit opaci Omnis arena Tagi, quodque in mare volvitur aurum, Ut somno careas.3 Carm. xxvii. Nec facta impia, &c. This very much resembles the following line of Homer: Οὐ γὰρ σχέτλια ἔργα θεοὶ μάκαρες φιλέουσιν. Inducens in amorem. In like manner Tibullus : 1 Persius, Sat. 5. 2 Vulp. 3 Juv. Sat. 3. Semper ut inducas, blandos offers mihi vultus; Fides. Faith had divine honours paid her by the Romans, as a Carm. xxix. Hypsithilla. Scaliger thinks, this word is a diminutive of Hypsithea; Vossius writes Hispitilla, and Turnebus Hospitilla. Pransus. The usual meal with the Romans was their cana, which was commonly taken at sun-set; but they, who were infirm, eat a frugal morsel about noon, which was called prandium: the effeminate, and voluptuous, taking advantage of this custom, soon changed the nature of its institution; and made it a scene of debauchery. There is a beautiful passage in Plautus, which will set this matter in a very clear light: Prandium mihi uxor perbonum dedit. Nunc dormitum me jubet ire. Minime. Melius quam prandium, quam solitum, dedit. Non bonus somnus est de prandio. apage.2 Pertundo, &c. The Greeks, with great elegance, say, hoy xрouεLY. Carm. xxx. We can have but little desire to trace the family of the Vibennii, when we find, in this instance, that the father. was a paltry thief, and the son an odious character: the name however is mentioned by Gruterus, p. 706. Inscrip. 5. though Tib. Eleg. 7. Lib. 1. 2 Plaut. Mostellaria, Ac. 3. Sc. 2. we may reasonably conclude, they were of no rank, or distinction at Rome. It was a very common thing to steal cloaths from the public baths. See Petronius, Satyric. Seneca, Epist. 56. and others. The people who committed such offences were styled, fures balnearii. Carm. xxxi. Scaliger would persuade us, that this ode was written on the same occasion with the famous Carmen Seculare of Horace; but a little attention to chronology will show us the improbability of such conjecture: Catullus was born A. U. C. 667. and Horace perhaps wrote his poem, which by the by is the only one extant upon the subject, A. U. C. 736. so that, according to Scaliger, Catullus must have lived upwards of 69 years; which is in no degree probable. (See the Lives of Catullus.) Vossius, correcting this mistake, falls into another; for he tells us, that Catullus died A. U. C. 702. or, as he afterwards says, 704. or 705. whereas it is certain, from the testimony of Cicero, that our poet was alive in 708. (See Carm. 26.) For my own part, I am much inclined to believe, that the ode in question was never intended for a Secular Ode; as well because we have no passage in any history, which shows us to what æra we may affix it; as also that we must have lost several component parts, which were necessary for making it a Carmen adequate to the supposed occasion. The fact I take to be this: Catullus composed his ode on some particular festival peculiar to Diana: since, had it been intended as a Carmen Seculare, he would have addressed it to Apollo likewise. For a full account of the Ludi Seculares, the reader may consult Francis's elegant translation of Horace, with his learned and judicious notes. Prope Deliam olivam. The story of Diana's birth is differently related; some say, that she was born in the groves of Ortygia; and that Apollo only was born in Delos: but the fable generally goes, that Latona was brought to bed of both, on that island; it is likewise doubted, whether it was not the palm-tree, instead of the olive, under which Diana was laid, Catullus says, prope olivam; though it is certain we have a tradition, that the palmtree assists labour. Montium domina. In like manner Horace: Montium custos, nemorumque virgo,' Of groves, and mountains, guardian maid,2 Notho es, &c. The ancients knew that the moon shone with borrowed light; and therefore, according to Festus, often emblematically fabled her car to be drawn by mules, animals that have their origin from a species different from themselves, |