pretation of it, would not deserve great commendation, being, I think, if we believe his comment, very lame; for he makes the Poet omit entirely a principal part of the plough, which is the share, and describe another part twice, making Buris and Stiva to signify the same thing, viz., the crooked part of the plough, which is that which the ploughman holds. VER. 178-180. "Area* cum primis ingenti aequanda cylindro, *Varro gives the following instructions: "Aream esse "oportet solidâ terrâ pavitam, maxime si est argilla, ne aestu "paeminosa, in rimis ejus grana oblitescant, et recipiant aquam, "et ostia aperiant muribus ac formicis." Lib. I. c. li. **Fatiscere signifies sometimes to chop or cleave; and sometimes likewise to be fatigued, or worn out: in this place it may be understood in its largest sense, in both meanings. VER. 183. "Autoculis capti fodere cubilia talpae." See Der This was the vulgar opinion. Galen knew otherwise and the microscope has fully discovered it in our times. ham's Physico-Theol. p. 92. note (m). VER. 185. "Populatque ingentem farris acervum "Curculio." * The common people at Lyons use the name of Gourgillon for a small brown fly, in shape like a beetle, which is frequently found in beans: in the other parts of France, they call it Calendre; in English, Weevil.-Pliny calls this creature Gurgulionem, lib. XVIII. c. xxx. Q. If this worm is not so called from its shape being formed like the gullet, which the word signifies in its primary signification?-See the figure of it in Redi, Tab. xv. VER. 193-196. *Semina vidi equidem multos medicare serentes, "Et nitro prius et nigrâ perfundere amurcâ; "Grandior ut foetus siliquis fallacibus esset, 2 "* Et quamvis igni exiguo properata maderent.” *1 Though Virgil uses the general word Semina, yet by the reasons alleged, "Grandior ut foetus," etc., he seems to mean Legumes only; and though Varro, lib. I c. lvii. says, that Wheat was sometimes medicated, yet he intimates that this was done rarely; and that it was chiefly practised for Legumes and Columella, lib. II. c. x. makes this passage relate to the Bean only. "Priscis autem rusticis, nec minus Virgilio, prius amurcâ vel nitro macerari fabam, et ita seri placuit.' And then adds these two verses, "Laetior ut foetus," etc. putting Laetior instead of Grandior. 66 2 ** These two verses in most of the editions are very ill pointed. There ought to be a full stop at Maderent, and only a comma at Esset. The mistake is owing to the not understanding the second verse, the meaning of which is undoubtedly this; That one advantage arising from steeping beans in nitrous water is that they boil the sooner and grow tender over a little fire.Palladius mentions the same effect: "Graeci asserunt fabae "semina aquâ pridie infusa citius nasci, nitratâ aquâ respersa "cocturam non habere difficilem." Lib. XII. De re rust. Tit. i.-Q. If Maderent will not admit the construction, becoming tender ?-Columella uses the word Madescere in the same sense on the like occasion, lib. XI. c. iii. where, giving directions how to manage the cabbage-plant in transplanting it, he adds: "Haec res efficit, ut in cocturâ celerius madescat;' that is certainly, that it may be tender with less boiling. VER. 197-200. “*1 Vidi lecta diu, et multo spectata labore, *This latter part of the precept, Columella observes, is more extensive. "Hoc non tantùm de seminibus leguminum, "sed in totam agricolationis rationem dictum esse, intelligen"dum est." Lib. III. c. x. And to the same purpose, Lib. II. c. ix. in both which places he quotes these four verses. 66 66 2 ** Columella, Lib. II. c. ix. having given instructions" de "medicandis seminibus," proceeds thus: "Illud deinceps praecipiendum habeo, ut demessis segetibus jam in areâ futuro "semini consulamus. Optimam quamque spicam legere oportet, separatimque ex eâ semen reponere." And much more to this And then adds: Quia frumenta degenerant, purpose. "nisi cura talis adhibeatur." And concludes: 66 Ideoque "Virgilius cum et alia, tum et hoc de seminibus praeclarè sic "disseruit: Vidi ego lecta diu," etc. " VER. 204-207. "Praeterea tam sunt * Arcturi sidera nobis "Hoedorumque dies fervandi, et lucidus Anguis; "Quam quibus in patriam ventosa per aequora vectis Pliny calls Arcturus, Orion, and the Hoedi, "horrida sidera." Lib. XVIII. c. xxviii. And Ovid, describing the terrors of his banishment, says: 66 66 Saepe ego nimbosis dubius jactabar ab Hoedis, Ovid declares, in the same Elegy, that he was in the Adriatic going into banishment in December. VER. 210-211. "Exercete, viri, tauros, serite hordea campis, Usque sub extremum brumae intractabilis imbrem." *This must certainly mean, "to the very beginning of the "time properly called Bruma," not to the end of it, as commonly rendered; for during that time no tillage was to be undertaken, which Virgil means by his Intractabilis.-'Tis evident from Cato, Varro, and Columella, that the Romans were very scrupulous of sowing or tilling their ground in the dead of Winter.-Columella particularly, lib. XI. c. ii., speaking of the latter end of the month of December, says: "His "diebus qui religiosiùs rem rusticam colunt, nisi si vinearum "causâ pastines, negant debere terram ferro commoveri. "Itaque quicquid citra id genus effici potest, id ab his comprehenditur, ut olea legatur, et oleum conficiatur," etc."Nonnulli etiam legumina serunt." Then proceeding from the Calends of January to the Ides, he says: "Per hos quoque "dies abstinent terrenis operibus religiosiores agricolae, ita "tamen ut ipsis kalen. Januariis auspicandi causâ omne genus operis instaurent. Caeterùm differant terrenam molitionem usque in proximas idus."-According to the common acceptation of this verse, the word Intractabilis, which is very significant, would be very improper, to say no worse of it: and therefore, to avoid the force of it, Ruaeus renders it only Durae. "Usque sub extremum imbrem," may perhaps carry this image in it; till you come near or under the very skirts of the Winter-showers. What Columella, observes above, Nonnulli etiam legumina serunt," explains what Virgil says afterwards, ver. 227. '66 66 "Si verò viciamque seres," etc. About these sorts of seed, which are of less consequence, they were not so scrupulous. They did venture sometimes to continue sowing them till the middle of Bruma. VER. 212-214. "Necnon et lini segetem et cereale papaver. "Tempus humo tegere; et 1 jamdudum incumbere aratris : "Dum* siccâ tellure licet, dum *3 nubila pendent.' * This adverb is commonly joined to express great ardency, and Empressement, as the French call it.See other parts in Virgil; and Lucan. iv. 545. **Whilst the ground still continues dry.This is well observed, especially with respect to Hordeum. "Hordeum "nisi solutum et siccum locum non patitur," says Columella, lib. II. c. ix. And again: "Siligo et far adoreum post con"tinuos imbres, si necessitas exigat, quamvis adhuc limoso et "madente solo sparseris, injuriam sustinent. Ordeum, si lutoso "commiseris, emoritur." * Because the sooner it rains after sowing the better. "Ut semina consita rigataque imbribus celeriter prodeant et "confirmentur ante hiemis violentiam." Col. lib. II. c. xi. 66 VER. 215, 216. "Vere fabis satio: tum te quoque, medica *', putres, Accipiunt sulci, et milio venit annua ** cura." *Locum, in quo medicam proximo vere saturus es, pro"scindito circa Calendas Octobris; et eum totâ hieme putres"cere sinito." Col. lib. II. C. xi. **Annua, on account of Medica before named; which, as Columella asserts: "Cum semel seritur, decem annis durat.' Lib. II. c. xi.Cura too requires its particular emphasis; for Columella observes of it: "Frequenter exigit sarritionem et runcationem, ut herbis liberetur.' Lib. II. c. ix. -And Palladius directs: Ut herbis liberetur assiduè." Lib. IV. Tit. 3. VER. 217, 218. *"Candidus auratis aperit cum cornibus annum "Taurus, et adverso cedens canis occidit astro." * Commentators are much divided about the reading and explanation of this passage. The common reading is Adverso; which not being well understood, Ruaeus and others read Averso, but still are puzzled in explaining it. In my opinion, the whole difficulty lies in their making Canis the nominative case to Occidit, whereas I think it the genitive, the second verse relating to Taurus as well as the first, and then the whole will run thus: "Cùm candidus Taurus aperit annum auratis corni"bus, et occidit cedens adverso astro Canis.". -The design of these two verses is to shew the proper season for sowing Milet, and perhaps Medica too, which, in my opinion, Virgil says is from the 1st of April to the Ides or 13th of the same month. That the beginning of April is signified by the first verse, "Candidus auratis," 'tis generally agreed; and I think that the Ides are plainly meant by the latter," Cum Taurus "occidit." But, to set this matter in a clear light, let us inquire what was reckoned the time of the setting of Taurus, and what the proper season for sowing Milet. Columella, lib. XI. De re rustica, c. ii. (which is a sort of Farmer's Almanack) says: "Pridie idus Aprilis Suculae celantur." The stars in the Bull's head are hid from us the 12th of April. And, in the same chapter, directing what is to be done at the beginning of April, he says: "Milii quoque et Panici haec prima satio est, quae peragi debet circa Idus Aprilis." Here we find Columella and Virgil agree very exactly, both as to the beginning and end of the season for sowing Milet. The one directs simply as a Farmer, the other as a Poet. And as Virgil adorns his first verse by an allusion to the ancient sacrifices, in Candidus and Auratis Cornibus; and by the latter expression points out the two bright stars which tip the horns of Taurus; and likewise hints at the etymology of the name Aprilis in the word Aperit: so he beautifies the second verse from the natural enmity between the Bull and Dog; and represents the Bull when setting as yielding to his adversary the Dog, who still remains above as it were victorious. (See the Bull and the Dog on the Farnesian Globe.)-Taking the two verses thus, the expressions are very poetical, and yet the construction easy, without distorting any word from its proper signification, or changing a letter. 66 66 દ Palladius likewise, in his month Aprilis, tit. I. says, " Aprili mense in areis, quas ante, sicut diximus, praeparasti, medica serenda est." And, tit. II. "Nunc locis mediocriter siccis "milium serimus et panicum." Hesiod speaks of the setting of the Pleiades, and their flying the fury of Orion, as Virgil of the Bull yielding to the Dog. Εἶτ ̓ ἂν Πληϊάδες, σθένος ἔβριμον Ωρίωνος Op. et Dies, lib. II. ver. 237. As Virgil before takes in the whole season for barley sowing, from the autumnal equinox to the fall of the winter rains; and directs the season for flax, and poppy, as long as it continues |