NOTES. Auguftus had directed Horace to celebrate the Victories gained by his Sons-in-law, Drufus and Tiberius Nero. He had already performed the first Part of this Tafk in the 4th Ode of this Book, viz. fo far as it regarded the Actions of Drufus In this Ode (which may be confidered as a Sequel to the former) he refumes and profecutes the fame Subject: First, touching on the great Actions of Drufus, (who feems to have been his Favourite,) he then extolls the Victories obtained by Tiberius over the Rhætians. At the fame Time, he makes his Court to Auguftus, in a very polite and artful Manner; afcribing the Succefs of thefe young Princes to the good Education they had received from Him, to his wife Counsel, and to the Pro tection of his tutelary Gods. 1 Vindelici didicere nuper, Quid Marte poffes } For Drufus fubdued this People in the Year of Rome 738, and this Ode was written after the Return of Auguftus from Gaul, towards the Spring of the Year 740. By this Calculation, the preceding Invitation to Virgil must have been written above five Years before this Ode. 2 The Vindelici poffeffed the Country from the northern Part of the Alps to the Danube: It makes now Part of Swabia and Bavaria. 3 Genaunos Breunofque.] For fo thefe Words are to be fpelt; not Geraunos and Brennos. This Reading is confirmed by Strabo, and by an ancient Monument erected on the Alps. DACIER. Ib. Implacidum genus.] Strabo, speaking of the Cruelty of this People, fays, that, as foon as they had taken any City, they were not content to put to the Sword all the Men able to bear Arms, but they flew alfo all the male Children, and as many of the Women big with Child, as their Prophets told them would be delivered of Boys. The fame is related by Dion Caffius: On which Account Velleius Paterculus ftyles them feritate truces, favagely fierce. We learn from Velleius, that they had fortified themTelves on the Alps, in Places deemed inacceffible; from which, however, they were driven by Drufus and Tibe rius, who took several of their Cities and strong Castles. 5 Major Neronum.] Tiberius, who was about four Years older than Drufus. 6 Immanefque Rhetos.] Now the Grifons. See the 4th Ode. 7 The Pleiads are feven Stars, between the Tail of the Ram, and one of the Knees of the Bull. The Romans called them Vergilie. One of them is scarce ever seen. They were faid to be the Daughters of Atlas, and Sisters of the Hyads. Their Rife and Setting are generally very ftoriny. 8 Sic tauriformis volvitur Aufidus.] The Ancients generally described and painted the River-Gods in the Form of old Men, with two Horns on their Forehead ; perhaps on account of the bellowing Noife their Waters make. Sanadon thinks they are fo defcribed, because they frequently divide themfelves into two or more Streams before they fall into the Sea. Thus Virgil ftyles the Rhine, Rhenus bicornis, the two-horned Rhine; becaufe the Rhine had then only the two Channels which formed the Ifland of the Batavi; but Drufus Germanicus afterwards opened a third, to join its Waters with those of the Iffel. 9 Aufidus] Now the Ofanto. This Image, viz. the comparing a powerful Prince to a rapid River, is common both to the Greeks and Orientals. Thus Ifaiah, fpeaking of the King of Affyria; Now therefore behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them the Waters of the • River, ftrong and many, even the King of Alyria, and all his Glory; and he fhall come up over all his • Channels, and go over all his Banks. He fhall pass through Judab; he shall overflow; &c. Ifaiah viii. 7 and 8. DACIER Diluviem meditatur agris.] The Sublimity of this Paffage depends on the Word meditatur, by which Horace animates the River Aufidus, des defcribing it as a God, forming and executing Schemes at pleasure. Take heed not to read minitatur, though Dr. Bentley has admitted it into his Text. DACIER. 11 Ferrata agmina.] Troops harnessed in Steel or Iron. They were armed with a Breaft-plate and Helmet. 12 Sine clade victor.] This is fetting the Merit of Tiberius in the ftrongest Light, viz. that he conquered fuch a fierce and obftinate Foe, without any confiderable Lofs on his Part. It was thought a Virtue in those Times for a Leader to spare the Lives of his own Soldiers. It were to be wifhed, that Chriflian Generals would imitate the Example of this Pagan Hero. 13 Te copias, te confilium et tuos Præbente Divos.] This whole Stanza, with the Alteration only of two or three Words, is taken from Mr. Creech. Ib. When the General did not lead his Army in Perfon, it was said, that he lent his Gods and his Troops to his Lieutenant. Ovid, speaking of Tiberius, and addreffing himself to Auguftus, ufes the like Expreffion; . Aufpicium cui das grande, Deofque tuos. 14 Horace had faid, that the tutelary Gods of Auguftus had aided Tiberius to conquer the Rhætians : To prove this, he obferves, that they were overcome in the fame Month, and on the very fame Day, on which Auguftus had triumphantly entered into Alexandria, fifteen Years before. From whence he infers, that the fame Gods had been propitious on both thefe Occafions. Ib. Auguftus entered into Alexandria on the 29th of Auguft, in the Year of Rome 723, which was then the firit of the Month which the Egyptians called Thot. DACIER. 15 The Cantabrians, though often overcome before, had always fhaken off the Yoke; but, at length, Agrippa abfolutely fubdued them in the Year of Rome 734, four Years before this Defeat of the Rhotians. This 18 what Horace means by non ante domabilis. See the Remarks on the 6th Ode of the 2d Book, and on the 8th Ode of the 3d Book. 16 Horace here refers to the Embaffy which Porus King of India fent to Auguftus, to defire his Friendship, and that that of the Roman People. Auguftus received this Emtbaffy at Samos, in the Year of Rome 734. 17 By the Mede he means the Parthians. In the Year of Rome 733, Phraätes King of Parthia fent back to Auguftus the Enfigns taken from Crafus. 18 The Scythians, that is to fay, the Dacians, Sarmatians, and Gelons; and, in general, all the People of the North. Augufus had conquered Part of them, and the moft diftant fent Ambassadors to beg Peace. Suetonius, Florus, and Victor give an Account of this Embassy from The Scythians. 19 By the Nile, he means Egypt, which, after the Battle of Actium, and the taking of Alexandria, was_become a Roman Province, and an Apanage of the Emperor On which Account the Governor of Egypt was called Præfectus Auguftalis. Ib. Fontium qui celat origines Nilus.] Touching the Source of the Nile, Herodotus owns that no Man of all the Egyptians, Libyans, or Grecians he had converfed with, ever pretended to know any thing cer tain. Nor were the Romans better acquainted with it. Nile pater, quánam poffum te dicere caufâ, Aut quibus in terris occuluiffe caput ?" Thus alfo Lucan; Tibullus, Lib. i. El. viii. non fabula mendax Aufa loqui de fonte tuo eft; ubicunque videris, Lib. x. ver. 282. The Reason why this remained fo great a Mystery fo the Ancients undoubtedly was, because inacceffible Deferts lay between the Source of the Nile and Egypt. But, of late Years, it has been happily discovered by fome Portuguese Jefuits. This River, to speak properly, has but two Sources, which are two Fountains, round and very deep, issuing on a Plain called Sicut, at the Top of the Mountain Dengla, in a Province of the Kingdom of Gouam, called Sabala. The Rivulet, which thefe two Mountains form, at the Foot of the Mountain, flows Northerly, and then winds about to the East, receiving in its Couffe three three small Streams; then, turning to the South, it flows for about twelve Leagues between the Kingdoms of Bagemder and Goyam, which latter, Goyam, is ftill on the right Side of its Current. Then, winding itself round Goyam, it advances Wefterly for about twentyfive Leagues. Now, being recruited with the Waters of many Rivers, it flows again Northerly, and leaving Aby finia on the Right, it traverses the Kingdom of Nu bia, by Sennar, or Sufa; from whence it carries its fruitful Waters into the Bofom of Egypt, which it commonly overflows in June. To conclude, after so long a Courfe, it difcharges itfelf by two Mouths into the Mediterranean Sea. The Mountain in Ethiopia, where the Springs of the Nile rife, is in the 12th Degree of North Latitude, and in the 51ft Degree of Longitude. The copious Showers, which fall in Ethiopia, from June even to September, are the fole Cause of the Nile's overflowing Egypt. The Ancients feem not to have been entirely Strangers to this; at leaft, if they were, it must be owned that the Greek Hiftorian, Arrian, had a very happy Guefs, fince, fpeaking of fome Rivers in India, which are overflowed in the Summer by periodical Showers of Rain, he has this remarkable Paffage ; From hence it is eafy to conjecture that the fame Caufes produce the Overflowings of the Nile; viz. the Showers which may fall on the Mountains of Ethiopia, during the Summer; and that the River, swelled with thefe Floods, overflows its Banks, and fpreads its troubled Waters over all the Land.' The Nile was not known by that Name in the Time of Homer, who always calls it Ægyptus. 20 At that Time the Euphrates, and not the Tigris, was the Boundary of the Roman Empire: But he here fpeaks of the latter as fuch, because the Parthians, from the Dread of Auguftus's Arms, had quitted Armenia, and fent back the Enligns they had taken from Crassus and Antony, and all their Prifoners. On this Account, Horace, in the sth Ode of the 3d Book, fpeaks of the Per fans as fubject to the Roman Empire. See the Remarks there, and on the 9th Ode of the 2d Book, where he fpeaks of Auguftus's new Trophies. 21 In the Reign of Auguftus, the Danube was the Bounds of the Roman Empire to the North; fo that when Horace fays, the Danube owns the Power of Auguftus, he means the |