66 VER. 316, 317. Atque ipsae memores redeunt in tecta; * suosque "Ducunt; et gravido superant vix ubere limen.". * Dr. Martyn observes that most of the commentators following Servius, interpret Suos, their young ones; but that La Cerda thinks it means, their pastors. The former opinion has nothing singular in it, for if the dams go home, it must be imagined that the young ones do not stay behind.-I take the latter to be Virgil's meaning, that instead of being driven home to be milked, they even of themselves shew their conductors the way; which is likewise true, and enlivens the former part of the sentence. VER. 322-334. Zephyris cum laeta vocantibus aestas, "In saltus utrumque gregem atque in pascua mittes; "Carpamus: dum mane novum, dum gramina canent, 66 Ingentes tendat ramos, aut sicubi ** nigrum *"Aestate primâ luce exeunt pastum, propterea quod tunc "herba roscida meridianam, quae est aridior, jucunditate praeઉં stat: sole exorto potum propellunt, ut redintegrantes rursus "ad pastum alacriores faciant. Circiter meridianos aestus, "dum defervescant, sub umbriferas rupes et arbores patulas subjiciunt, quoad refrigerato aëre vespertino rursus pascant "ad solis occasum.-Ab occasu parvo intervallo interposito "ad bibendum appellunt, et rursus pascunt quoad contene"bravit: iterum enim tum jucunditas in herbâ redintegravit." Varro. lib. II. c. ii.-Columella says, "a kal. Juniis, si jam de"ficit viridis herba, usque in ultimum Autumnum frondem "caesam pecori praebebimus," lib. XI. c. ii. -Or by **Collegerit sitim caeli," has brought a general drought, so that the heaven itself has drunk up the dew. "sitim caeli," he means the dew, which the heaven has sucked up. When the fourth hour has drawn up the dew, which he calls the thirst of heaven, or what the heaven thirsts after. ** Virgil uses the same epithet again, Aen. IX. 381. "Sylva fuit late dumis atque ilice nigrâ VER. 335-338. "Tum tenues dare rursus aquas, et pascere rursus “Solis ad occasum: cum frigidus aëra Vesper "Temperat, et saltus reficit jam roscida Luna; "Litoraque halcyonem resonant, et * acanthida dumi. * "Acanthis, avis minima, duodenos gignit." Plin. lib. X. c. lxiii. "Acanthis in spinis vivit." Idem, 1. X. c. lxxiv. VER. 339-345. "Quid tibi pastores * Libyae, quid pascua versu "Prosequar, et raris habitata 2 mapalia tectis? 66 Saepe diem noctemque et totum ex ordine mensem "Pascitur, itque pecus longa in deserta sine ullis Hospitiis: tantum campi jacet: omnia secum "Armentarius Afer agit; tectumque, laremque, "Armaque, Amyclaeumque canem, Cressamque pharetram." *That there were Nomades in Arabia and several other parts of the world formerly, as well as there are at present, is manifest from history; but as they were so remarkable in Africa, that a large district of the country was from them called Numidia, therefore Virgil very properly lays the scene of this digression there.-Strabo, speaking of Numidia, says, "Singu"lare quiddam hominibus iis accidit. Nam cùm regionem "uberem colerent nisi quod feris abundabat, his omissis, et agri tuto colendi studio, in sese manus converterunt, agro feris "dimisso. Itaque contigit eis, ut vagi et patriae expertes "vitam agerent; haud aliter quam qui ob inopiam et locorum "sterilitatem, et aëris inclementiam ad ejusmodi vitae genus "adiguntur. Hinc Massaesylii Nomadum seu Numidarum no"men sunt adepti." N. B. The Greek name is Nouades: and this was the name by which all the people who lived in so unsettled a manner were distinguished. So Strabo, just before the abovementioned passage, speaking of the Carthaginians, says: "Africam omnem sibi subjecerunt, quae non habitaretur ab "hominibus incertas ad sedes vagantibus. Tv Acunv xalexInΛιβύην σε σαν ο πᾶσαν ὅσην μὴ Νομαδικῶς οἷόντ ̓ ἦν οικεῖν.” **Sallust, in his Jugurthine war, speaking of the old inhabitants of Africa, gives this account of their Mapalia.-" Post"quam in Hispaniâ Hercules, sicut Afri putant, interiit; exer citus ejus compositus ex gentibus variis, amisso duce, brevi "dilabitur. Ex eo numero Medi, Persae, etc., navibus in Afri "cam cam transvecti. Hique alveos navium inversos pro tuguriis "habuere."And then he adds; "Caeterum adhuc aedificia "Numidarum agrestium, quae mapalia illi vocant, oblonga, in"curvis lateribus tecta, quasi navium carinae sunt.' Dansqueius in his notes on Silius Italicus, understands by raris tectis," thin slight covering, "Vento scilicet et aura perflabilibus." The Mapalia being made only of reed and cane, as appears by that passage of Silius, which he is explaining: "Castra levi calamo cannaque intorta palustri, But as Silius, in the same place, calls Mapalia, dispersa, there is as good reason to argue from by raris tectis, is meant, scattered up and down the country. 66 "Numidae Nomades appellantur a permutandis pabulis, mapalia sua, hoc est, domus plaustris circumferentes." Plin. lib. V. c. iii. VER. 346348. "Non secus ac patriis acer Romanus in armis. * It may well be supposed, that the ordinary baggage soldiers were obliged to carry with them, was esteemed "justus fascis,' a reasonable burden, (of this see Vegetius); whatever exceeded this might properly be called "injustus fascis." Such a load they may be supposed to carry with them upon sudden marches, when they went to encamp themselves unexpectedly upon which occasion every soldier might probably be obliged to carry palisades, a spade, or the like; and whatever was necessary for such a hasty encampment. According to this interpretation, there is no difficulty in the construction of the words, and the application of the comparison is just.- -L. Florus, speaking of the strict discipline used by Scipio in his camp, when he besieged Numantia, says: "Tunc acrius in castris quàm in campo, "nostro cum milite, quàm cum Numantino, praeliandum fuit. 66 Quippe assiduis et injustis et servilibus maximè operibus "attriti," etc. Lib. II. c. xviii. What this strict discipline was, which Florus terms injusta opera, we may learn from Livy's account of the same war. Epitome, lib. lvii.- (Quaer. If Virgil, by his injusto sub fasce, does not refer to some remarkable campaign, about the time he was writing his Georgics, in which the same sort of discipline was required? and uses this epithet on purpose to shew the allusion?) VER. 349-351. "At non, qua Scythiae gentes,* Moeoticaque unda, Quaque redit medium Rhodope porrecta sub axem." *'Ovid, who was banished to the mouth of the Danube, and lived there some years, writes an essay in his third book De Tristibus, entitled, "Quibuscum gentibus vivat ;" and describes the country in which he then was in such a manner, that he seems almost to have copied Virgil; which shews how exact Virgil was in describing a country at that time so little known; and how much care he took to be well informed of what he wrote. "Jacet aggeribus niveis informis, et alto 66 Ver. 356. "At cùm tristis hiems squallentia protulit ora, "Ergo, ubi delicuit nondum prior, altera venit: Ovid. De Trist. lib. III. El. x. *The Danubius; known formerly by both names, as Ovid testifies, when he calls it Binominis Istri, lib. I. De Ponto, Epist. ix. And mentions Ister by the name Danubius, lib. IV. De Pont. Ep. ix. VER. 352-359. "Illic clausa tenent stabulis armenta: *1 neque ullae "Aut herbae campo apparent, aut arbore frondes; "Sed jacet aggeribus niveis informis, et alto "Terra gelu late, septemque assurgit in ulnas. 66 Semper hiems, semper ** spirantes frigora cauri. "Tum sol pallentes haud unquam discutit umbras: "Nec cum invectus equis altum petit aethera; nec cum Praecipitem oceani rubro lavit aequore currum.' 1 *1 Horace gives the like description: "Pone me pigris ubi nulla campis "Arbor aestivâ recreatur aurâ: "Quod latus mundi nebulae malusque "Jupiter urget." Lib. I. Od. xxii. **Varro, speaking of the advantageous situation of Italy, says; "Haec temperatior pars est Europae, quam interior; nam "intus pene sempiternae hiemes. Neque mirum, quod sunt regiones inter circuitum septentrionalem et inter cardinem "caeli, ubi sol etiam sex mensibus continuis non videtur:" which Virgil describes as follows, 66 "Tum sol pallentes," etc. Lib. I. c. ii. Virgil cannot here mean, that the winter in that country lasts the whole year; at least with the severity he describes: that would be inconsistent with other passages of his account: but when the winter once begins, it continues uninterrupted, as it is known to do in the most northern countries: no zephyrs during the winter months; no thaws, as in Italy. So Ovid, describing the same country as Virgil does, calls the Snow there Perpetuam; and yet speaking of that country at the time of the Vernal Equinox, he says: "At mihi sentitur nix verno sole soluta, "Quaeque lacu duro vix fodiantur aquae. "Nec mare concrescit glacie: nec, ut ante, per Istrum "Stridula Sauromates plaustra bubulcus agit." Trist. lib. III. El. xii. Yet in another place he says of this country; 66 66 Nunquam sine frigore caelum, Glebaque canenti semper adusta gelu." Lib. V. c. iii. And, again, speaking of the same, he says; "Tu neque ver sentis cinctum florente coronâ, De Ponto, lib. III. Epist. i. "Hiemi continuatur hiems." Lib. I. Ep. ii. This is imitated by Silius in Hannibal's march. "Nullum ver usquam, nullique aestatis honores. Lib. III. **The sound of these words well suits a northern throat. A man seems hoarse when he pronounces them. |