Anne lacus tantos? te, Lari maxime, teque, Fluctibus et fremitu assurgens, Benace, marino? Lari maxime.] The Larius Benace.] The Benacus is another great lake in the Veronese, now called Lago di Garda; out of which flows the Mincius, on the banks of which our poet was born. Lucrinoque addita claustra, &c.] Lucrinus and Avernus are two lakes of Campania; the former of which was destroyed by an earthquake, but the latter is still remaining, and now called Lago d' Averno. Augustus Cæsar made a haven of them, to which he gave the name of his predecessor Julius. This great work seems to have been done about the time that Virgil began his Georgicks. We may gather the manner in which these lakes were converted into a haven from Strabo the geographer, who, as well as our poet, lived at the time when it was done. He ascribes the work to Agrippa, and tells us, that the Lucrine bay was separated from the Tyrrhene sea by a mound, which was said to have been made by 'Hercules but as the sea had broken through it in places, Agrippa restored it.-This great work consisted chiefly in form 160 165 ing moles to secure the old bank, and leave no more communication with the sea than was convenient to receive the ships into the harbour. Hence it appears that we are to understand these words of Pliny, Mare Tyrrhenum a Lucrino molibus seclusum, not to mean that the sea was entirely excluded, but only so far as to secure the bank. This is what the poet means by the moles added to the Lucrine lake, and the sea raging with hideous roar. He calls the new haven the Julian water: as Augustus gave it the name of the Julian port. It remains now that we explain what the poet means by the Tuscan tide being let into the Avernian straits. We find in Strabo, that the lake Avernus lay near the Lucrine bay, but more within land. Hence, it seems probable that a cut was made between the two lakes, which the poet calls the straits of Avernus. Philargyrius, in his note on this passage of Virgil, says a storm arose at the time when this work was performed, to which Virgil seems to allude when he mentions the raging of the sea on this occasion. Hæc eadem argenti rivos, &c.] Pliny tells us in lib. iv. cap. 20. that Italy abounds in all sorts of Ostendit venis, atque auro plurima fluxit. Hæc genus acre virum, Marsos, pubemque Sabellam, Assuetumque malo Ligurem, Volscosque verutos Extulit: hæc Decios, Marios, magnosque Camillos, Scipiadas duros bello: et te, maxime Cæsar, metals, but that the digging them up was forbid by a decree of the senate. In lib. xxxiii. cap. 4. he mentions the Po amongst the rivers which afford gold. In the same chapter, he confirms what he had said before of the decree of the senate. At the end of his work, where he speaks of the excellence of Italy above all other countries, he mentions gold, silver, copper, and iron. Virgil seems to allude to this ancient discovery of metals, by using ostendit and fluxit in the preterperfect tense. Eris metalla.] Es is commonly translated brass; but copper is the native metal, brass being made of copper melted with lapis calaminaris. Marsos.] The Marsi were a very valiant people of Italy, said to be descended from Marsus, the son of Circe. They inhabited that part of Italy which lay about the Lacus Fucinus, now called Lago Fucino, or Lago di Celano. It is now part of the kingdom of Naples. Pubem Sabellam.] The Sabelli were anciently called Ausones. They inhabited that part of Italy which was called Samnium. Assuetumque malo Ligurem.] The Ligurians inhabited that part of Italy which is now the republic of Genoa. Volscos.] The Volsci were a warlike people of Italy, of whom R 170 there is abundant mention in the Æneids. Verutos.] Armatos verubus, that is, according to Nonius, armed with short and sharp darts. The veru is thought to differ from the pilum in the form of its iron, which was flat in the latter, but round in the former. Decios.] The Decii were a famous Roman family, three of whom, the father, son, and grandson, devoted themselves at different times for the safety of their country: the first in the war with the Latins, being consul together with Manlius Torquatus; the second in the Tuscan war; and the third in the war with Pyrrhus. Marios.] There were several Marii, whereof one was seven times consul. Julius Cæsar was related to this family by marriage: wherefore the poet makes a compliment to Augustus by celebrating the Marian family. Camillos.] Marcus Furius Camillus beat the Gauls out of Rome, after they had taken the city, and laid siege to the Capitol. His son Lucius Furius Camillus also beat the Gauls. Scipiadas duros bello.] The elder Scipio delivered his country from the invasion of Hannibal, by transferring the war into Africa, where he subdued the Carthaginians, imposed a tribute Qui nunc extremis Asiæ jam victor in oris upon them, and took hostages. Extremis Asia jam victor. in oris.] This verse, as Ruæus observes, must have been added by Virgil after he had finished the Georgicks; for it was about the time of his concluding this work that Augustus went into Asia, and spent the winter near the Euphrates, after he had vanquished Anthony and Cleopatra. Imbellem avertis Romanis arcibus Indum.] Some think the Indians here mentioned are the Ethiopians, who came to the assistance of Cleopatra, and are called Indians in the eighth Æneid. Others think he alludes to the Indians, who, being moved by the great fame of the valour and moderation of Augustus, sent ambassadors to him to desire his friendship; as we find in Suetonius. We find also in Florus, that after Augustus 175 had subdued the people between the Euphrates and mount Taurus, those nations also who had not been subdued by arms, amongst whom he reckons the Indians, came to him of their own accord, bringing him presents, and desiring his friendship. We may observe, that imbellem in this place is not to be rendered weak, effeminate, or unwarlike, as it is generally translated: the meaning of the poet being, that they came in a peaceable manner to Augustus, being disarmed by the glory of his name, and the fame of his great exploits. Ascræum carmen.] By Ascræan verse, he means that he follows Hesiod, who was of Ascra in Boeotia, and wrote of husbandry in Greek verse. Nunc locus, &c.] Here the poet speaks of the different soils which are proper for olives, vines, pasture, and corn. Difficiles primum terræ.] The same soil does not agree with olives in all countries. Thus Pliny tells us, that a fat soil suits them in some places, and a gravelly soil in others. The soil where Virgil lived is damp, |