IDYLLIUM VIII. THE BUCOLIC SINGERS. THE ARGUMENT. A conteft in finging, between the fhepherd Menalcas and the neatherd Daphnis, is related; a goat herd is chosen judge; they stake down their pastoral pipes as the reward of victory; the prize is decreed to Daphnis. In this Idyllium, as in the fifth, the second speaker feems to follow the turn of thought used by the firft. Dr. Spence obferves, there are perfons in Italy, and particularly in Fufcany, named Improvisatori, who are like the fhepherds in Theocritus, furprisingly ready at their andwers, refpondere parati, and go on fpeech for fpeech alternately, alternis dicetis, amant alterna camena This Idyllium is addressed to his friend Diophantus. Daphnis, Menalcas, Goatherd. DEAR Diophantus, fome few days ago, Daphnis, thou keeper of the bellowing kine! Where Milo walks, the flower-enamour'd bees O goat, the husband of the white-hair'd flock! Dapbnis. 50 Not Pelops' lands, not Crœfus' wealth excite To trees, and toils are fatal to the hind; Thus in alternate ftrains the contest ran, And thus Menalcas his last lay began: "Wolf, fpare my kids, my young and tender fheep; Though low my lot, a numerous flock I keep. 70 Roufe, Lightfoot, roufe from indolence profound; 80 They fung; the goatherd thus: Goatherd. Thy verfe appears So fweet, O Daphnis! to my ravish'd ears, As grieve new-married maids their fires to leave, 100 Since that time Daphnis, chief of fhepherd- Daphnis fupreme without a rival reigns: NOTES ON IDYLLIUM VIII. Ver. 1. The Greek 'is, Maλa nμwv (ws puyti), Eft mihi difparibus feptem compacta cicutis κατ' ωρα μακρα Μενάλκας the exprefion ως φαντι, Fiftula. Ecl. 2. 36. as they fay, feems very flat, and not correspondent with the native elegance of Theocritus: and there- herds could pipe and fing at the fame time: cerIt is difficult to conceive how the ancient fhepfore the learned and ingenious John Pierfon (fee tainly that was impracticable: the most probable his Verifimilia, p. 46.) propoles to read Maa vas, opinion is, that they first played over the tune, Διοφάντε, κατ' ωρια κ. τ. λ. obferving that Theoand then fung a verse or stanza of the fong anfwercritus infcribes feveral Idylliums to his intimate friends; for instance, he addreffes the 6th to Ara-ing thereto, and fo played and fung alternately; tus, the 11th and the 13th to Nicias the phyfician, and to this fame Diophantus the 21t. This very plaufible emendation I have followed in my tranílation. That the librarians often obliterated proper names will appear in the note on ver. 53. of this Idyllium. Virgil imitates this paffage; Compulerantque greges Corydon et Thyrfis in which manner of playing and finging is very com- Ver. 29. The fame verfe occurs, Idyl. 5. 71. Alternis igitur contendere verfibus ambo Capêre: Ver. 45. Ver. 51. At fi formofus Alexis Montibus his abeat, videas et flumina ficca. Eel. 7. 55. Ver. 55. The Greek is, Mn i gav Midomos, μη και χρύσεια ταλαντα Eim έχειν ! May the terri. tories of Pelops, and golden talents, never fall to my fhare! xpurea raλavra is very frigid; one expects fomething better than this from the Sicilian mufe, and therefore the ingenious Pierfon (fee his Verifimilia) obferving that the librarians frequently obliterated proper names, instead of xgvστις τελdς Κρουσειο ταλαντα; then a new beaucy arifes in the oppofition between the extensive territories of Pelops, and the talents, or treasures of Crefus; and what adds to the probability that this is the true reading, Theocritus mentions the riches of Crafus in the tenth Idyl. ver. 39. and likewife Anacreon, Ode 26. ver. 3. Aoxov d'exer a Keur, Rich I feem as Lydia's king: indeed every school-boy knows that the riches of Crafus became a proverb. Ver. 58. Georg. 4. 395. -Curfuque pedum prævertere ventos. En. 7. 807. Ver 61. The prefent reading in the original is, stas axes, the drought is fatal to waters; but a friend of mine reads on auxμos, drought is fatal to the teats, which is far more natural, and agreeable to the idea of a fhepherd. Trifte lupus ftabulis, maturis frugibus imbres, Arboribus venti; nobis Amaryllidis iræ. Ed. 3. 80. Ver. 10. This seems to be an imitation of a verfe in Homer: Οι χρι παννύχιον εύδειν βυληφόρον ανδρά. 11. B. 2. 24. IDYLLIUM IX. DAPHNIS AND MENALCAS. THE ARGUMENT. The herdiman Daphnis, and the fhepherd Menalcas, are urged by a neighbouring shepherd to con tend in finging: the fong is in alternate strains, and each receives a prize; Daphnis a finely-finished club, and Menalcas a conch. The beauty of this Idyllium confifts in the true character of low life, full of felf-commendation, and boastful of its own fortune. DAFENIS, begin! for merrily you play, Daphnis, begin the fweet bucolic strain ; Menalcas next fhall charm the shepherd-fwain. Daphnis. Sweet low the herds along the paftur'd ground, Sweet is the vocal reed's melodious found; ΤΟ Sweet pipes the jocund herdfman, fweet I fing, Ah lucklefs! browfing on the mountain's fide, The fouth wind dafh'd them headlong, and they died. 19 There I regard no more bright fummer's fires Atna's my parent; there I love to dwell, near. A well-form'd club became young Daphnis' due, 39 Hail, rural mufes, teach your bard those ftrains Which once I fung, and charm'd the lift'ning fwains: Then would my tongue repeat the pleasing lore, And painful blifters never gall it more. To grafhoppers the grafhoppers are friends, And ant on ant for mutual aid depends; The ravenous kite protects his brother kite; But me the mufe and gentle fong delight. O, may my cave with frequent fong be bleft! For neither rofeat fpring, nor downy rest, So fweat the labourer footh; nor to the bee Are flowers fo grateful, as the mufe to me: For Circe's ftrongest magic ne'er can harm Those whom the mufes with foft rapture charm. Ecl. 3. 82. | Here cold and Boreas' blafts we dread no more Than wolves the sheep, or torrent freams the fhore. Warton. Ver. 30. The Greek is apuano, which I apprehend fignifies wheat boiled, without having been firft ground in the mill, fomething in the nature of frumenty. Ver. 31. Here the fhepherd refumes his account of the contest between Daphnis and Menaicas, and defcribes the prefents he made them. Ver. 45. Nymphæ, nofter amor, Libethrides, aut mihi carEcl. 7. 21. men, Quale meo Codro, concedite. Give me the lays, nymphs of th' infpiring fprings, Which Codrus, rival of Apollo, fings. Warten. Ver 48. The ancients believed that a lie was always followed by fome punishment, as a blifter on the tip of the tongue, a pimple on the nose, &c. See Idyl. 12. verfe 32. fee alfo Hor. B. 2. Ode 8. Ver. 49. Juvenal has a fimilar paffage, Sat. 15. 163. Indica tigris agit rabidâ cum tygride pacem Mico and Battus, two reapers, have a conference as they are at work; Battus 'not reaping so fast as ufual, Milo afks him the reafon of it: he frankly confeffes it was owing to love; and, at the request of Milo, angs a fong in praise of his miftrefs: Milo afterwards repeats the poetical maxims of Lytierfes. With mufic's charm's our pleafing toils prolong; Battus. Ye mufes fweetly let the numbers flow, 40 Yet these in crowns ambrofial odours fhed, Milo. How fweetly, fwain, your carols you rehearse? O fruitful Ceres, blefs with corn the field; To the fresh north wind, or the zephyrs rear |