expressed in one, but yet may serve as a good comment upon him. This seeming inconsistency between Plena and Ortu quarto might probably at first cccasion the adulteration; some acute critics imagining, that Plena could by no means suit the Moon when but four days old. 'Tis true indeed it cannot in the common sense, but in the Poet's it does. And if this was the occasion of the alteration, I hope what appeared to them a solecism will be thought a real beauty. I have often ob-† served this appearance spoken of by Mr. Holdsworth, and that sometimes on the third and fifth day's of the New Moon, as well as on the fourth. Virgil had, no doubt, often seen the same; but he instances in the fourth, as its being a surer sign of fair weather than any of the other; (" namque is certissimus auc"tor.") It may be a surer sign in Italy too, than it is with us; for 1 have scarce ever found it to hold good, as to its prediction, in our moister air and more inconstant climate.Mr. Holdsworth's reason for altering the word Pura, depends wholly on the reading of the verse in Seneca. It might perhaps be said, on the other side, that Valerius Flaccus, in a verse (in which he seems to have had this line of Virgil in his eye) uses the word Pura: it is in the second book of his Argonautics: 66 "Micat immutabile coelum; Puraque, nec gravido surrexit Cynthia cornu :" But an imitation is not near so full a proof, as a quotation; and of the two, Val. Flaccus is farther removed from the time of the first edition of Virgil's works, than Seneca. 66 VER. 461-463. Denique, quid Vesper serus vehat; unde serenas "Ventus agat nubes; quid cogitet humidus Auster; "Sol tibi signa dabit." *The Poet here speaks of the South-Wind as a person having the command over the watery corner, and meditating whether he should bring rain upon the earth or not; and supposes that, by frequent observations on the Sun, one may discover his designs and enter into his thoughts. —“Quid cogitet humidus Auster." Dr. Martyn, in a note on this verse, tells us, that Pierius says, some would fain read, "Quid cogat et humidus Auster;" but that most of the ancient Mss. have Cogitat. Again, at the end of the 4th Georgic, he publishes some remarks which he says were sent him, after the publication of the third Georgic, by the learned Edward King, Esq.; in a letter dated from Bromley in Kent. Among which is this following; "I never could be reconciled to, Quid cogitet humidus Auster. "I had rather read Cogat et, or Concitet, (contra omnes Codices) "than Cogitet." For my part, I see no difficulty in animating the winds; Cogitet. There is no doubt but the ancients often described the winds as persons, which alone sufficiently justifies the use of the word Cogitet. And as the southerly wind generally produces cloudy dark weather, and, as Virgil says in another place, " Contristat caelum," may it not very properly be represented in a thoughtful posture, like an old pensive fellow, on a damp gloomy day? -In this sense Cogitet is an expression, which to me appears not only easy; but truly poetical and very beautiful.+ See also Polymetis, xiii. 13. on the passage. VER. 471-473. "Quoties Cyclopum effervere in agros "Vidimus undantem ruptis fornacibus Aetnam, *The Academy of Sciences at Naples, who may well be supposed to be proper judges of a just description of a burning mountain, take occasion to applaud this passage, in the account they published of the eruption of mount Vesuvio,which happened in the year 1737. They seem to think these words convey a truer and more lively idea of the torrents of a burning mountain, than any of the formal descriptions given by Virgil's interpreters, or other writers: The matter thrown out at such times being, as they observe, really liquid or melted stone. They particularly condemn Ruaeus's note on this passage, as not agreeable to Virgil or the truth; and quoting his words, they add this angry censure: "Ex quibus manifestum est aptissimam "Poetae phrasin imperiti hominis temerario judicio in praeposteram explicationem esse deductam.”- -See their commentary De Vesuvii conflagratione, published at Naples, 1738. p. 47. See likewise Borelli, De Incend. Aetn. p. 69. 66 66 VER. 476-479. "Vox quoque per lucos vulgò exauditi silentes "Visa sub obscurum noctis: pecudesque locutae, "Infandum! sistunt amnes, terraeque dehiscunt." Virgil seldom or never mentions, such incredible stories, without an exclamation to denote his not giving too much credit to the report. Observe, that the exclamation is the most proper that could be used on the occasion. VER. 481-483. *" Proluit insano contorquens vortice sylvas "Fluviorum rex Eridanus, camposque per omnes "Cum stabulis armenta tulit !" *This is a short but noble description of the inundations of the Po: of which Virgil, who lived in the neighbourhood, must frequently have been an eye-witness. The first verse flows with strength and fury; and the irregularity of Fluviorum adds at beauty in describing the violence of a torrent that knows no bounds. Lucan, lib. VI. expatiates more minutely on the damages done bythe same river; but, according to custom, he knows not where to leave off. And though he has commonly too much rage, yet in this place, for want of judgment, he is very tame; where his fury, if ever, might have been pardonable." Tum flu"mine toto Transit," is a very calm way of breaking down bounds, and overflowing a country. VER. 484-486. "Nec tempore eodem "Tristibus aut extis fibrae apparere minaces, *The sound of this word, especially according to the foreign pronunciation, is expressive of its sense. 'Tis very mournful, and cannot be uttered without howling. 66 VER. 489-492. Ergo inter sese paribus concurrere telis "Nec fuit indignum superis, bis sanguine nostro * A large extent was given to this mountain, by the Antients; and at this day 'tis called by the Italians, Catena mundi. VER. 498-500. "Diit1 patrii Indigetes, et Romule, Vestaque mater, "Quae Tuscum Tiberim*, et Romana Palatia servas, "Hunc saltem everso juvenem succurrere saeclo "Ne prohibete!” Beside less mistakes, our Mr. Dryden has made a very gross one, in his translation of this passage. Virgil, by the Dii Patrii. here, means the great Triad of deities first received all over the East; and afterwards successively in Greece and Italy. These the ancient writers in general (from Herodotus quite down to Macrobius) usually call by the title of Ooi Пalpão, or Dii Patrii. There is an endless variety of opinions, who these three deities were, who were so much revered in the East; and particularly in the island of Samothrace: but among the Romans it is evident enough that the three deities received as the three supreme, were Jupiter, Juno and Minerva: and therefore Virgil adds the word Indigetes, to fix it to the ol Пalpão, or the three great supreme gods, received as such in his own country. Indigetes here is much the same as Nostri in Juvenal; where he is speaking of these very deities, (Sat. III. ver. 145.) They are therefore no less personages than Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva (the three supreme among all the gods of the Romans), whom Dryden here represents Virgil as calling," Home-born deities; of mortal birth." +Mr. Holdsworth seems to have thought (as appears in a note which he has left imperfect), that there were two temples of Vesta in Rome; and that this verse may point out the situation of each: one on the banks of the river; and the other, near the gate of the Palatine Hill. *Virgil speaks of Tuscany and Rome almost as if they were both upon the same footing, here and in other places; chiefly out of complaisance for his great patron Maecenas, who was descended from the old race of the kings of that country. VER. 509-513. "Hinc movet Euphrates, illinc Germania bellum: "Vicinae ruptis inter se legibus urbes "Arma ferunt: saevit toto Mars impius orbe: "Ut cum carceribus sese effudêre quadrigae, 66 * Addunt se in spatia." *Dr. Martyn owns this to be the common reading, but chooses to follow Heinsius and Ruaeus in reading, "Addunt in spatio:" which he takes to signify, "They increase their swiftness in the ring; or run faster and faster." As if Virgil meant (as he says Grimoaldus understands him), that the longer horses run in a course the faster they go. With submission, I think the Poet has no such thought in view: what he chiefly intends in this comparison, at least in this part of it, is, as I take it, the eagerness and fury of horses, when they first find themselves at liberty, as soon as the barrier is removed. To this he compares the mad licentiousness of the world, which he had before described, when loosed from the restraint of laws, upon the death of Caesar." Effudêre se carceribus" answers to "ruptis legibus" and "addunt se in spatia," to the first impetuosity of regained liberty or licentiousness. In the foot-race, Aen. V. Virgil calls this first Impetus," Corripere spatia:" 66 "Signoque repentè Corripiunt spatia audito, limenque relinquunt.” In which place 'tis plain, from "signo audito" and "limen relinquunt," that "corripiunt spatia" can relate only to the first Impetus after starting. Dr. Martyn understands "corripere campum" in the same manner, Georg. III. ver. 103. "Cùm praecipiti certamine campum corripuere :" which he well translates, "when the chariots have seized the plain." I think "addunt se in spatia," or "addunt se spatio," signifies much to the same purpose; and therefore I take one of these to be the true reading. The chief difficulty lies in the word Addunt. Let us then only suppose it to be Dant, and then the expression would be easy, "dant se in spatia," they give themselves a loose. Addunt Addunt may be taken in the same sense, and with more force; for as this preposition (in composition) not only implies nearness, but one of its known powers is to enforce; so here it has both significa tions, and expresses not only their starting together as Quadrigae, but serves to give a greater emphasis: and its intent is to shew with what violence they jointly seize the field. |