Ut Linus hæc illi divino carmine pastor, Floribus atque apio crines ornatus amaro, Dixerit: Hos tibi dant calamos, en accipe, Musæ ; Ne quis sit lucus, quo se plus jactet Apollo. 70 Quid loquar? ut Scyllam Nisi, aut quam fama secuta est, custom among the ancients to rise from their seats at the entrance of any person whom they intended to honour. There could not be a greater compliment imagined to be paid to Gallus, as a poet, than for the Muses to rise up, on his being introduced into their company. This respect was paid to Virgil by the people of Rome, who rose up when his verses were recited in the theatre; and shewed the same reverence to his person as they did to that of Augustus himself. Linus.] See the note on ver. 56. of the fourth eclogue. Pastor.] It does not appear that Linus was really a shepherd. Perhaps Virgil represents him under that character, as he does himself and Gallus in these Bucolicks. Apio.] See the note on ver. 121. of the fourth Georgick. Hos tibi dant calamos, &c.] Hesiod himself does not speak of a pipe being given him by the Muses; but of a branch of bay, by which he was inspired to sing of things past and future. However, as Hesiod had represented himself as a shepherd, Virgil seems to have represented Linus under the same character, and therefore with propriety makes him give a shepherd's pipe to Gallus, the very same pipe with which that ancient poet sung his immortal verses. Ascræo seni.] See the note on et quis fuit alter, ver. 40. of the third eclogue. Grynei nemoris.] Strabo places Grynium in Æolia, and speaks of an ancient oracle of Apollo there, and a sumptuous temple, built of white stone. Quid loquar, &c.] The poet just mentions the fables of Scylla and Tereus, with which he concludes the song of Silenus. Ut Scyllam Nisi, aut quam.] For Scylla, the daughter of Ni sus, see ver. 404. of the first Georgick, and the note on ver. 405. Scylla, the daughter of Phorcus, was greatly beloved by Glaucus, who, not being able to obtain her favour, applied to Circe for her assistance. But Circe, being in love with Glaucus, resolved to get rid of Scylla. She poisoned the water where Scylla used to bathe; so that as soon as she went in up to the middle, she found her lower parts surrounded with barking monsters. Scylla being affrighted, ran away, not imagining Candida succinctam latrantibus inguina monstris, Quas illi Philomela dapes, quæ dona pararit? these monsters to be part of Dulichias.] Dulichium is one of those islands in the Ionian sea, called Echinades. It lies over against the mouth of the river Achelous, and was subject to the dominion of Ulysses. Vexasse.] We are informed by Aulus Gellius, that some ancient grammarians, among whom was Cornutus Annæus, in their comments on Virgil, found fault with this word, as being ill chosen and mean. They thought it applicable only to trifling uneasinesses; and not strong enough to express so great a misery, as the being devoured by a horrid monster. But that learned critic affirms it to be a very strong word; and thinks it was derived from vehere, to carry, which expresses force; because a man is not in his own power when he is carried. A man who is taken up, and carried away by violence, is properly said to be vexatus. For as taxare is a much stronger word than tangere, from which it is derived; 75 80 jactare than jacere; and quassare than quatere; so is vexare also more forcible than its primitive vehere. And though in common speech, one who is incommoded by smoke, wind, or dust, is said to be vexatus; yet we are not to relinquish the original and proper sense of the word, as it was used by the ancients. He confirms this by a quotation from an oration of Cato, where, speaking of the greatest calamity that ever Italy endured, he makes use of the verb vexo. Aut ut mutatos Terei, &c.] See the note on ver. 15. of the fourth Georgick, Omnia qua Phabo, &c.] The poet concludes this fine eclogue with telling us, that Silenus related all the stories also which Apollo himself sung on the banks of the Eurotas, when he courted his darling Hyacinthus. Eurotas.] This river, according to Strabo, has its spring near that of Alpheus: for they both rise near Asea, a village belonging to Megalopolis, in the Peloponnesus. They both run under ground for some furlongs, and then break out again; when the Alpheus takes its course ; Ille canit: pulsæ referunt ad sidera valles Cogere donec oves stabulis, numerumque referre Jussit, et invito processit Vesper Olympo. through the Pisatis, and the Eurotas through Laconia, running by Sparta, passing through a small valley at Helos, falls into the sea between Gythium, which is the maritime town of Sparta and Acrææ. Jussitque ediscere lauros.] The banks of the Eurotas are said to abound with bay-trees. Hence perhaps Apollo was fancied by the ancients to be more particularly fond of this river than of any other. Cogere donec oves, &c.] At the end of the first eclogue, the evening was described by the smoking of the cottage chimneys, and lengthening of the shadows in the second, by the oxen bringing back the plough: 85 P. VIRGILII MARONIS BUCOLICORUM ECLOGA SEPTIMA. MELIBUS. MELIBEUS, CORYDON, THYRSIS. MEL. FORTE sub arguta consederat ilice Daphnis, Forte sub arguta, &c.] In this eclogue is represented an Amobean contention between two shepherds, Corydon and Thyrsis. They are described sitting under a tree, in company with Daphnis, who seems to have been appointed to judge between them. Melibus, happening to pass that way in quest of a goat that had strayed, spied by Daphnis, who calls him, and insists on his staying to hear the dispute. The whole affair is related by Melibœus. Arguta.] Servius interprets it canora, stridula. Nothing is more frequent with the poets than to speak of the whispering or murmuring of trees. Ruæus thinks this epithet may be applied to trees, either on account of the birds singing on their branches, or of the wind whistling among their leaves. Arcades ambo.] Servius says, they were not really Arcadians, because the scene is laid near Mantua; but so skilful in singing, that they might be taken for Arcadians. Et cantare pares, et respondere parati. Huc mihi, dum teneras defendo a frigore myrtos, habebam; Depulsos a lacte domi quæ clauderet agnos: Et certamen erat, Corydon cum Thyrside, magnum. Alternis igitur contendere versibus ambo Dum teneras, &c.] The mention of defending the myrtles from the cold, has occasioned some trouble to the commentators in settling the time of year in which this eclogue is said to be written. Servius says, some understand this passage in the plain and obvious sense of the words. Catrou thinks the epoch of this eclogue is March or April, when the weather is cool enough to require a shelter for the more tender trees. Hic viridis, &c.] The verdure of the fields adjoining to the Mincius seems to have been remarkable. Sacra quercu.] The oak was accounted sacred, not only by the Greeks and Romans, 5 10 15 20 |