VER. 360-366. "Concrescunt subitae currenti in flumine ** crustae: "Undaque jam tergo ferratos sustinet orbes, Puppibus illa prius patulis, nunc hospita plaustris: "Aeraque dissiliunt vulgo, vestesque rigescunt "Indutae, caeduntque securibus humida vina; "Et totae solidam in glaciem vertere lacunae; 66 Stiriaque impexis induruit horrida ** barbis. "* Quid loquar ut cuncti concrescant frigore rivi, etc. Quaque rates ierant pedibus nunc itur, et undas "Frigore concretas ungula pulsat equi: "Perque novos pontes, subterlabentibus undis, "Ducunt Sarmatici barbara plaustra boves." See more to this purpose, Ovid, De Ponto, lib. IV. Ep. vii. ad Vestalem. This Ovid supposes to be so strange to the Romans that he adds; *3 2 "Vix equidem credar, sed cum sint praemia falsi Ovid. ** What Virgil calls Crusta, Ovid expresses by Testa. "Nudaque consistunt formam servantia testae "Vina; nec hausta meri, sed data frusta bibunt." Ovid. Again, he says; 66 Ipse vides gelido stantia vina gelu." De Ponto, lib. IV. Ép. vii. **"Saepe sonant moti glacie pendente capilli, De Ponto, lib. IV. Ep. vii. That they wore long beards. Lib. V. El. vii. Trist. "Non coma, non ullâ barba resecta manu.' VER. 371, 372. "Hos non immissis canibus, non cassibus ullis, "Puniceaeve agitant pavidos formidine pennae. * So Lucan; "Sic dum pavidos formidine cervos "Claudat odoratae metuentes aëra pennae.”' Phars. IV. 437. VER. 379, 380. "Noctem ludo ducunt, et pocula laeti "Fermento atque acidis imitantur vitea sorbis." * Motraye in his travels mentions a liquor called Boza, used in Crim Tartary; which he describes as a thick white liquor, made of a certain quantity of millet flour and water, which ferments together, and will fuddle any one who drinks much of it. Book II. c. ii. § 3. VER. 381-383. "Talis Hyperboreo septem subjecta trioni "Gens effraena virûm *1 Riphaeo tunditur Euro; setis." * The antients had a very confused and uncertain notion of the Riphaean mountains; as appears from Athenaeus, Stephanus, and others; but the most common opinion was, that they were the most distant ridge of mountains towards the north, or rather north-east, from Italy; the country of the Getae, and Sarmatae.-It was likewise believed that those mountains were joined to Thrace, etc. and likewise to the Alps by a continued chain. This Virgil expressly declares a few lines before, in this same book; "Quaque redit medium Rhodope porrecta sub axem :" And, again, in the fourth book, he hints the same in the story of Orpheus, when he makes him ramble wildly over mountains and deserts. He names, "Hyperboreas glacies, Tanaim nivalem, Riphaeas pruinas, et Oeagrium Hebrum." **Pellibus hirsutis arcent mala frigora bracchis." Ovid. Again; "Pellibus et laxis arcent mala frigora bracchis." Of the custom among the barbarous nations of covering themselves with skins, see Tacitus De mor. Germ.-Caesar, lib. VI. -Ammian, lib. XXXI. c. ii.-Justin. lib. II.-Senec. Epist. XC. -Arrian, lib. VIII.-and Strabo, lib. XVII.-Several nations in America have still no other habit: no more have the Laplanders. VER. 386-389. "Continuo greges villis lege mollibus albos. "Illum autem, quamvis aries sit candidus ipse, "Nigra subest udo tantum cui lingua palato, 66 66 "Rejice, ne maculis infuscet vellera pullis Varro, speaking De Arietibus, says: "Animadvertendum quoque linguâne nigrâ aut variâ sit, quod fere qui ea habent, nigros aut varios procreant agnos." Lib. II. c. ii. VER. 394, 395. “Cui lactis amor, cytisum, lotosque frequentes "Ipse manu, salsasque ferat praesepibus herbas." * The Lotus here meant is undoubtedly the Italian, which Pliny says was very common amongst them, but different from the African: "Et ipsam Italiae familiarem, sed terrâ mutatam.” Lib. XIII. c. xvii. VER. 404-408. "Nec tibi cura canum fuerit postrema: sed unà *"Boni seminii canes à regionibus appellantur Lacones, "Epirotici, Sallentini." Varro, lib. II. c. ix.-In the same chapter giving directions to feed dogs with bread and milk, he gives this reason for it: "Quod eo consueti cibo uti, à 66 non citò desciscunt." pecore *266 Cantabros, qui maximè hodiè latrocinia exercent, iisque "vicinos Caesar Augustus subegit: et qui ante Romanorum "socios populabantur, nunc pro Romanis arma ferunt, ut "Coniaci et qui ad fontes Iberi amnis accolunt," etc. Strabo, lib. III.As the Iberi were famous for robberies, Virgil well employs their names for common thieves. By Impacatos Virgil restrains his meaning so, as to extend it only to such wild Iberi as were not yet civilized by Augustus. Horace mentions the Cantaber on the coasts conquered by Augustus: "Servit Hispaniae vetus hostis orae 66 Cantaber, serâ domitus catenâ." Lib. III. Od. viii. "A tergo;" whilst the shepherd is leading his flock, according to the custom in Italy, the sheep-stealers might easily come behind and pick up a sheep, were there not dogs to watch. 66 VER. 409-413. Saepe etiam cursu timidos agitabis * onagros; "Et canibus leporem, canibus venabere damas, Saepe volutabris pulsos sylvestribus apros "Latratu turbabis agens: montesque per altos 66 Ingentem clamore premes ad retia cervum." * Varro says; "Asinorum genera duo. Unum ferum, quos "vocant Onagros; in Phrygiâ et Lycaoniâ sunt greges multi: "alterum mansuetum, ut sunt in Italiâ omnes. Ad semina❝tionem onagrus idoneus, quod è fero fit mansuetus facilè, et è "mansueto ferus nunquam. Lib. II. c. vi. -That the Romans used to eat the wild ass appears from Pliny.-" Pullos "asinarum epulari Maecenas instituit, multum eo tempore praelatus onagris." Lib. VIII. c. 43. And in the following chapter he says: "Pullis onagrorum, seu praestantibus sapore, Africa gloriatur.' 66 66 * That is; Loca ubi se volutant," where they wallow. Varro uses the same word, speaking of boars: " Admissuras cum faciunt, prodigunt in lutosos limites ac lustra, ut volu"tentur in luto; quae est illorum requies, ut lavatio hominis." Lib. II. c. iv. 66 1 VER. 414, 415. "Disce et odoratam stabulis accendere cedrum, "*1 Galbaneoque agitare graves nidore *2 chelydros.” *' Columella mentions Galbanum being an antidote against serpents." Cavendum ne (pulli) à serpentibus adflentur, quarum odor tam pestilens est, ut interimat universos: id "vitatur saepius incenso galbano, etc. Quorum omnium fere "nidoribus praedicta pestis submovetur." Lib. VIII. c. v. *A sort of serpent, which Nicander, ver. 411. who otherwise calls it Apuïvav, elegantly describes as exhaling a smoking stench. Κῆρα δέ τοι δρυίναο πιφαύσκεο, τὸν δὲ χέλυδρον Lucan, in his description of the serpents of Africa, speaking of the Chelydri, calls them, "tracti viâ fumante," i. e. taken from the high way, which smokes with their steam. Pharsal. IX. 217. By this it appears, that the distinguishing character of the Chelydri was, that they exhaled a smoking noisome stink, which Virgil certainly would not omit, and, therefore, as he has placed Nidore after Graves, so must it be joined with it in construction.-Ruaeus and other interpreters join Galbaneo with Nidore: and it may be so too, if Galbaneo cannot be used substantively, but then Nidore must be repeated. VER. 445-451. "Dulcibus idcirco fluviis pecus omne 1 magistri "Scillamque helleborosque graves, nigrumque bitumen." *This was the proper title given to the bailiff, or superintendent over the several shepherds or herdmen, who had the care of large flocks, or herds; his business was to govern the rest, to see they did their duty, and to provide every thing necessary both for the shepherds and their flocks; as appears plainly from Varro, who observes, that ten or twelve shepherds were necessary to take care of a thousand sheep; and that the head person, who presided over them, was called Magister. "Oportet pastores esse omnes sub uno magistro pecoris; eum esse majorem natu potius quam alios, et peritiorem quam reliquos; quod iis, qui aetate et scientiâ praestant, animo "aequiore reliqui parent.- -Magistrum providere oportet quae pecori et pastoribus opus sunt, maximè ad victum ho"minum, et ad medicinam pecudum." Lib. II. c. x. 66 66 66 ** Varro prescribes as follows-" Tonsas recentes eodem die "perungunt vino et oleo: non nemo admixtâ cerâ albâ, et adipe "suillo.Siqua in tonsurâ plagam accepit, eum locum "oblinunt pice liquidâ." Lib. II. c. xi. VER. 457-463. "Quin etiam ima dolor balantum lapsus ad ossa "Cum furit, atque artus depascitur arida febris; "Profuit incensos aestus avertere, et inter 2 "Ima ferire pedis salientem sanguine venam : 3 *Livy, speaking of Macedonia, says: " Pars prima Bisaltas "habet fortissimos viros, trans Nessum amnem incolunt, et circa Strymonem," lib. XLV. c. xxx.-And Pliny, " Amphipolis, "liberum oppidum; gens, Bisaltae," lib. IV. c. x. 66 **"Longaque Sarmatici solvens jejunia belli 66 Massagetes, quo fugit, equo, volucresque Geloni." where he adds, " quo fugit," to shew that this was only done in time of distress and necessity. |