MEN. Pollio et ipfe facit nova carmina, pafcite MEN. And Pollis makes new verfes himself: feed a bull, taurum, NOTES. captains" ex illa ingeniorum, quae tunc Methinks the warlike In blood I fee the foldiers roul, Except the tubborn Cato's haughty foul: CREECH. ર ર Seneca, in his book de Tranquillitate Animi, mentions him as a great O'rator'; "Et magni, ut dixi, viri ¿C quidam fibi menftruas certis die"bus ferias dabant: quidam nullum non diem inter otium et curas dividebant. Qualem Pollio"nem Afinium oratorem magnum meminimus, quem nulla res ultra * decimam retinuit. Ne epiftolas quidem poft eam horam legebat, ne quid novae curae nafceretur, fed totius diei laffitudinem duabus illis horis ponebat." He was the first, that erected a publick library in Rome, as we find in Pliny, lib. 7. c. 30. who adds, that the ftatue of Varro being erected in his lifetime, in that library, by fo great an orator and citizen, was no lefs glory to him, than the naval crown given him by Pompey the Great, when he had finished the piratick war. "M. Varronis in bibliotheca, quae prima in orbe ab Afinio Pollione "de manubiis publicata Romae eft, "unius viventis pofita imago eft: haud minore (ut equidem reor) gloria, principe oratore et cive; " fuit, multitudine, uni hanc co ronam dante, quam cum eidem "Magnus Pompeius piratico ex "bello navalem dedit.” He mentions this library again in lib. 35. c. 2. "Afinii Pollionis hoc Ro"mae inventum, qui primus bibli"othecam dicando, ingenia homiic num rem publicam fecit." The fame author mentions Pollio's fine collection of ftatues, by Praxiteles and other famous mafters, as the reader will find at large, in lib. 36. c. 5. Plutarch mentions him as an intimate friend of Julius Caefar, and one of thofe, who were prefent with that great man, when he deliberated concerning the paffage of the Rubicon. The fame author quotes Pollio's account of the battle at Pharfalia, and fpeaks of his being with Caefar in Africa, and affifting him in putting a ftop to the flight of his men, when they were furprized by Scipio. The younger Piiny mentions him in a lift of the greatest men in Rome; "Sed ego verear that already butts with his born, Jam cornu petat, et pedibus qui fpargat arenam. and fpurns the fand with bis feet. NOTES. "enim ignorat diremtos gradibus "aetatis floruiffe hoc tempore Ci"ceronem, Hortenfium, faneque "Craffum, Catonem, Sulpicium; "moxque Brutum, Calidium, Coelium, Calvum, et proximum Ci❝ceroni Caefarem ; eorumque "velut alumnos, Corvinum, ac "Pollionem Afinium, aemulumque "Thucydidis Salluftium." In another place, he mentions his fteadinefs, and fidelity to Caefar's caufe; "Afinius autem Pollio, firmus proἐσ pofito, et Julianis partibus fidus." The fame Hiftorian mentions another inftance of his integrity. There had been a great friendship between him and Anthony; but after the fatter gave himself up to an infamous commerce with Cleopatra, Pollio would have no more concern with him; but when Auguftus invited him to join with his forces in the fight at Actium, he refufed to be engaged on either fide; "Non "praetereatur Afinii Pollionis fac"tum et dictum memorabile. Namque cum fe poft Brundufinam pacem continuiffet in Ita"lia, neque aut vidiffet unquam reginam, aut poft enervatum a"more ejus Antonii animum, par"tibus ejus fe mifcuiffet, rogante, Caefare, ut fecum ad bellum proficifceretur Actiacum: Mea, "inquit, in Antonium majora me"rita funt, illius in me beneficia "notiora: itaque difcrimini veftro "me fubtraham, et ero praeda "victoris." 66 σε 85. Pierides vitulam, &c.] Servius understands this to mean, "ei"ther feed his herds, because he reads this poem, or nurfe up a "heifer for him as a reward." Ruaeus makes a farther ufe of this paffage. He thinks the time of the publication of this Eclogue may be difcovered from the verfes before us. He is of opinion, that the mention. of a heifer and afterwards of a bull, refers to the time of his obtaining a triumph for the Dalmatian victory; thefe animals being facrificed on fuch occafions, to Jupiter Capitolinus. That triumph being noted in the Fafti, to have happened on the eighth of the Kalends of November, in the year of Rome 715, he concludes, that this Eclogue muft probably have been written about the middle of October, when Virgil was about 31 years old. His learned countryman, Catrou, is of another opinion. He thinks, that Damoctas propofes to breed up a heifer for him, as a man of taste in poetry; and that Menalcas propofes a young bull, as for one, who was himself an illuftrious Poet. Burman, in his note on the next couplet, takes nova carmina to fignify Heroic and Epic verfes, being induced by a note of Acron on Horace, where he fays, that the Lyric poets ufed to facrifice a heifer, the Tragic a goat, and the others a bull. He quotes Ramus alfo, who fays a heifer was a reward for Bu colic poets, which Burman fays he took DAM. Qui te, Pollio, amat veniat; quo te quoque gaudet: DAM. Let him, who loves thee, O Pollio, reach the fame bonours, which he rejoices to fee thee attain ; NOTES. take. I dare not venture to make an abfolute decifion in an affair fo very doubtful; and therefore fhall leave it to be confidered, whether this paffage may not relate to the Ambarvalia, in which we have feen already, that a heifer was the ufual offering for wealthy perfons. According to this interpretation, Damoetas défires the Mufes to feed a heifer for their friend and patron; to which Menalcas anfwers, "Pol took from Servius, and wifhes he had added the authority of fome other writer. I believe indeed it will be difficult to prove, that either heifers or bulls were ever offered in facrifice by Poets, or given to them as a reward. We know that the goat was a reward for Tragedy but cannot find the leaft hint in any ancient author, concerning a like reward for the other forts of poetry. Nor is it eafy to imagine, that it Thould be cuftomary for Poets to fa-lio is not only a patron of the crifice a bull, which was esteemed the greateft victim that could be offered to the Gods. Thus Pliny, Hinc victimae opimae, et lautiffima deorum precatio." Nay our Poet himself has told us as much, in the second Georgick; "Hinc albi, Clitumne, greges, et There does indeed feem fomething 66 ૯૯ Mufes, but also a Poet himself: therefore inftead of a heifer, the ufual victim of wealthy fhep"herds, feed a bull, the greatest of all victims for fo illuftrious a per fon." Those who will not admit of this expofition, may take that of Ruaeus, which is certainly very ingenious. 86. Pollio et ipfe facit, &c.] We have feen already, in the notes on the preceding couplet, that Pollio was an excellent Poet. Nova carmina.] Servius interterprets nova by magna, miranda: Burman will have it to mean Heroic and Epic poems, because Acroh fays, Alios (which he interprets Epicos) Poetas taurum immolaffe. It may probably mean no more, than that Pollio was at that time compofing fome new poem. 87. Jam cornu petat, &c.] Thefe circumftances make a good defcription of a young bull, that is just come to maturity. This line is I 2 repeated let boney flow for him, and let Mella fluant illi, ferat et rubus afper amomum. the rough bramble bear fpices. NOTES. repeated in the ninth Aeneid, ver. 629. It can hardly be doubted but that the victory here belongs to Menalcas. Damoetas fpeaks of Pollio, only as a judge of poetry: but Menalcas celebrates him, as being a good Poet himself. Damoetas offers him a heifer: but Menalcas proposes a bull for him. Thus the latter excels the former in each particular. equal; Damoetas excelling in the firft, fecond, and fourth, and Menalcas in the third, fifth, and feventh; for they were equal in the fixth; as they will alfo appear to be in the remaining part of this contention. The fhepherds are now honey flow, that is, be mafter of a honey eloquence, and able to "treat of the most difficult fub"jects, with the greatest sweetness." Then he feems to think that we ought to read veniat quo te quoque laudet, taking quo to be used for ut, and interprets it, may he come to fing your praises, and may he be furnished with all eloquence. I must confefs myfelf to be as much at a lofs to underftand this learned Critick, as he is to understand Servius and his followers. I do not fee how it appears from the following couplet, that Damoetas here cenfures the arrogance of Menalcas; nor was it Menalcas, but Damoetas himself, that faid Pollio amat noftram, &c. nor can I comprehend, how it can be an answer to that arro 88. Qui te, Pollio, amat, &c.] Damoetas, unwilling to fall fhort of his adverfary, in the praifes of Pollio, expreffes the higheft regard for him, and wishes that all, who love him, may reach the fame honours. Menalcas, on the other fide, expreffes the ftrongeft deteftation of the detractors from that great man. Veniat quo te quoque gaudet.] Here no doubt veniffe muft be understood, according to Servius, who adds, that the Poet alludes to the Confulfhip, which Pollio obtained, after having taken Salonae, a city of Dalmatia: though others affirm, that the victory over the Dalmatians was in the year after the Confulfhip. Burman differs from his predeceffors, and fays "he does not well underftand what Servius, and the reft" "after him mean, about the Con D gance to fay, "That Damoetas, MEN. Qui Bavium non odit, amet tua carmina MEN. Let bim, who does not bate Bavius, love thy 90 verfes, 0 Maevius: Maevi: NOTES. 1 Servius fays the Amomum is an Affyrian flower; to prove which, he quotes thefe words of Lucan ; "Vicinae meffis amomum.' The Earl of Lauderdale tranflates this paffage, "Who loves thee, Pollio, all those "bleffings hare "paret Damoętam hic perftrinxiffe 89. Mella fluant illi.] Burman, as was obferved in the preceding note, interprets this to mean Eloquence. It feems rather to allude to the happiness of the Golden Age, in which the Poets feign, that honey dropped from oaks. Thus we read in the next Eclogue; "Et durae quercus fudabunt rof "cida mella.' See the note on ver. 131. of the firft Georgick. Ferat et rubus afper amomum.] Rubus is without doubt the Bramble, or Blackberry-bush. Sweet Honey yields, or Myrtles "which thy hedges bear." Dryden renders it Myrrh; "Let Myrrh inftead of Thorn hist "" fences fill." Dr Trapp tranflates it Spices, and Catrou des parfums. Theophraftus tells us, that fome fay the Amomum is brought from Media, and others from India ; Τὸ δὲ καρδάμωμον καὶ ἄμωμον, οἱ μὲν ἐκ Μηδείας οἱ δ ̓ ἐξ 'Iuda. Diofcorides fays "it is a "little fhrub, with branches bend"ing and turning, like a cluster of "grapes. It has a fort of flower, fmall, and refembling a stock-.. "gilliflower. The leaves are like "thofe of bryony. That from "Armenia is accounted the beft,,. "which is of a goldifh colour, has. "reddish stalks, and a very fweet. σε {mell;” “Αμωμόν ἔστι Θαμνίσκος διονεὶ βότρυς, ἐκ ξύλου ἀντιμπεπλεγε μενος ἑαυτῷ· ἔχει δὲ τι καὶ ἄνθος, μι κρόν, ὡς λευκοΐου· Φύλλα δὲ βρύονίᾳ ὅμοια· κάλλιστον δὲ ἐστὶ τό ἀρμένιον, χρυσίζον τῇ χρόᾳ, ἔχον τὲ τό ξύλον I 3 ὑπόκιῤῥον, |