The

13. Te duce, &c.]The Poet having mentioned the confulfhip of Pollio, immediately tells him, that under his conduct all the remains of the civil war fhall be extinguifhed.

We fee plainly, that Pollio is the perfon on whom Virgil depends, for putting a period to the civil wars, which he means by the wickedness of the Romans, fceleris noftri. In order to a full understanding of this paffage, let us confider, as briefly as we can the state of the Roman affairs at that time. The civil war between Julius Caefar and Pompey began in the year of Rome 705, and notwithstanding the defeat of Pompey, at Pharfalia, in the next year, it was not ended till about the

latter part of 709. This ceffation was but very fhort; for in lefs, than half a year, Julius Caefar was murthered, in the Senate-houfe, when he was Conful the fifth time. Immediately the Capitol was feized by the murtherers, the Forum filled with armed foldiers by Lepidus, and the whole city was in confufion. Lepidus, who then had the command of an army, intended, under pretence of avenging the death of Caefar, to fet up himself, Mark Anthony, who was Caefar's collegue in the confulfhip, brought the mangled corpfe into the Forum, fhewed his wounds, and read his will to the people, in which he had made his nephew Octavius his heir in the first place, and Anthony and Decimus Brutus, and fome others of the murtherers, in the fecond, and had left his gardens by the river fide to the people, and thirty drachmas to each of them. This raifed a moft violent tumult among the people, and an ardent defire to revenge the death of that great man. This gave an opportunity to Anthony of affuming an almost arbitrary power, who finding Lepidus to be a perfon capable of giving him much difturbance, made an alliance with him, beftowing his daughter in marriage on the fon of Lepidus. Octavius was purfuing his ftudies at Apollonia, having been fent thither, with part of the army, to wait there for his uncle, who was preparing to make war against the Parthians.

1

But

But being informed of Caefar's death, and of his having conftituted him his heir, he haftened to Rome, where he was treated with contempt by Anthony, who looked upon him as a mere boy, and one of no confequence. Octavius there fore joined with the Patrician party, and particularly with Cicero, who having conceived an implacable ha tred against Anthony, fupported the young man in oppofition to him. With this affiftance, he foon levied an army, and together with the new Confuls for the year 711, marched against Anthony, who then held Decimus Brutus befieged in Mutina. The town was relieved, and Anthony put to flight, with the lofs of the two Confuls, who fell in different engagements. The Senate now became jealous of Octavius, and endeavoured to deprefs him as much as they had before exalted him." They invefted his enemies with power, giving the province of Macedon to Marcus Brutus, one of Caefar's murtherers, Syria to Caffius another of them, and the command of the navy to Sextus, the fon of Pompey. Octavius, being informed of thefe alterations, came to an agreement with Anthony and Lepidus, and marched back to Rome, where he was prefently chofen Conful, and had the govern-, ment of the city committed to him. He was then adopted into the family of Caefar, and took upon him the name of Caius Julius Caefar Octavianus, according to Dio. The

and the herds fhall not ftand in fear of the great lions:"

Senate, who did not know of the private agreement, that young Cae-far had made with Anthony and Lepidus, fent him against them, and at the fame time invited Brutus and Caffius to march towards Rome. But Caefar meeting with Anthony and Lepidus, had a private conference with them; they agreed to divide the government between them, and by their joint intereft, Lepidus was chofen Conful for the enfuing year 712. The union of these three powerful perfons was called the Triumvirate. They returned separately to Rome, each with his own army, and there put in execution the horrid agreement made between them, of putting all to death, whom each of them looked upon as his enemy, and this without the leaft appearance of mercy. It would be long and difagreeable to relate the particulars of these fhocking barbarities; how husbands were betrayed by their wives, fathers by their fons, and mafters by their flaves, into the hands of their murtherers. It was inade a capital crime to conceal any of the proscribed perfons, or even to fhew any mark of forrow for their death. In the mean time Brutus and Caffius had gathered a confiderable army near Philippi, a city of Macedon, on the confines of Theffaly. Caefar and Anthony marched against them: the battle was fought with fury on both fides: the victory inclined to the Triumvirs, and Caffius firft, and then Brutus, flew themL 3

felves.

felves. Many others, who either had been concerned in the murther of Julius Caefar, or knew themfelves to be in the number of the profcribed, or feared the hatred of the Triumvirs, fell upon their own fwords. The two conquerors now divided the world between them, making little account of Lepidus; and Anthony undertook to keep all quiet in Afia, and Caefar to do the fame in Italy, engaging at the fame time to fettle the foldiers in the Italian lands. This was performed in the year 713. when P. Servilius and Lucius, the brother of Mark Anthony, were chofen Confuls. This divifion of the lands drew a general hatred on Caefar; the foldiers being generally difcontented with the portion that was given them, and the lawful owners being juftly exafperated at the lofs of their eftates. This gave an opportunity to Fulvia, the wife of Mark Anthony, who had a quarrel with Caefar, and was a woman of a most turbulent spirit, to draw the difaffected to her party. Her husband's brother Lucius, the Conful, joined with her in endear vouring to opprefs Caefar, who marched against them, and befieged them in Perufia, a city of Hetruria. The town was ftrong, and held out a long time: but it was taken the next year, in the Confulfhip of Domitius and Pollio. Fulvia efcaped to her husband, and endeavoured a reconciliation between him and Sextus Pompey; and Caefar foon reduced all the other towns of Italy.

Anthony, being incited by his wife, came to Italy against Caefar, took Sipus, a town of Apulia, and laid fiege to Brundufium. Agrippa re-took Sipus; but Servilius Rullus, who was fent to relieve Brundufium, was fuddenly attacked by Anthony, and routed, many of his foldiers being flain, and many alfo deferting.

Rome was now under the greatest terror; the flames of civil war were now breaking out with fresh fury: nothing less than new battles, profcriptions, and murthers, were to be apprehended. But it happened very luckily that Fulvia, who had a chief hand in blowing up the flame died; whereupon Pollio the Conful, who was a great friend of Anthony, and defirous to recal him from the luxurious life, which he had learned in Afia and Egypt, projected a reconciliation, Maecaenas alfo, who had no lefs regard for Caefar, did his cndeavour to bring him to a reconciliation. This was happily effected by the joint concurrence of these two worthy perfons; and as a pledge of their agreement, Octavia, Caefar's beloved fifter, was married to Anthony. It was hoped, that this lady, who had all the ornaments as well as virtues of her fex, would be able to draw Anthony from his licentious way of living. She was then with child by her former hufband, Marcellus, and it can hardly be doubted, but that it was this unborn child, that Virgil alluded to in this Eclogue. Caefar and Anthony

entered

entered Rome in great triumph together, and nothing lefs. than the moft folid and happy peace was then expected. It was to this peace therefore, that our Poet afcribed the happiness of the golden age; and to Pollio, the chief author of it, that he dedicated the Poem under confideration. Since he had performed an action of fuch importance, as the reconciliation of these great and powerful enemies, he might justly tell his patron, that what little fparks now remained of the civil wars, would be easily extinguished under his conduct. Whether it fucceeded according to the Poet's expectation or not, is not my bufinefs here to examine. I have taken upon me to explain the meaning of my author; but not to fhew, that he was endued with the spirit of prophecy.

Siqua manent, &c.] There were ftill fome remains of the civil war; for Sextus Pompey at that time retained the fhips, which had been put under his government, and infefted the coafts of Italy. Virgil Virgil expreffes his hope, that Pollio will by his prudence compofe this difference alfo, fince he had juft effected a more difficult reconciliation.

15. Ille Deum vitam accipiet, &c.] He now turns his difcourfe, to the infant, and predicts his future glories. Hefiod, in his defcription of the golden age, fays, they lived like gods. Catrou obferves, that " Virgil "would not have fpoken thus of a

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and the ferpent fhall perish, and the deceitful berb of poison fhall perifb,

fon of Pollio. As for Marcellus, " fays he, it is probable, that Cae"far caufed him to be brought up as his own fon, from the very "moment of his birth. He was "his own nephew, and he had no "fon. We know that he adopted "Marcellus; and as hiftory has 66 not pointed out the time of this "adoption, we may believe, and "Virgil infinuates it, in this Ec"logue, that it was from the very "time of his birth. In short, "would he have given up the hope "of his family to the education and "difcretion of Anthony? In this "fense therefore Virgil fays, that "Marcellus was going to live a"mongst gods and heroes. He had "the blood of both in his veins, "being Caefar by his mother, and "Marcellus by his father." But this child does not seem to have been

born at the time of writing this Eclogue. It is however not impoffible, that Auguftus fhould adopt him, even before his birth. We have feen already, that when he married Livia, he fent the child as foon as born, to his true father Tiberius. In the prefent cafe, Octavia had no former husband living, to whom fhe might return the child when born. It might therefore very probably be ftipulated, that the infant fhould be returned to his nearest relation, who was his mother's brother, Auguftus. Nor is it improbable, that Auguftus fhould engage to make it his heir, if it proved a male, and he had no

grow common.

fon of his own. Or perhaps it might be an article of the peace, that as Octavia was so nearly related to both the Triumvirs, being the fifter of one and wife of the other, and pledge of the peace itfelf, that the child of which he was then pregnant, fhould be heir to both. But thefe are only conjectures, and are neither to be proved nor contradicted from hiftory. It must be from fuch an adoption, that Marcellus could claim any relation to the gods; for Catrou forgets himself, when he fays he had divine blood from his mother. Julius Caefar derived his defcent from Iulus or Afcanius, the fon of Aeneas, the fon of Venus; his fifter's daughter was married to Octavius, by whom the had young Octavius, who was called alfo Octavianus, and Auguftus Caefar: therefore Auguftus was alfo of divine defcent: but Octavia was the daughter of Octavius by a former wife, and therefore a mere mortal.

Divifque videbit.] What the Poet here fays concerning gods and heroes, feems to relate rather to the general description of the golden age, than to any circumstances, which can be fuppofed to have really happened at that time. We need only compare this paffage with the fixth and feventh verfes of the ninth chapter of Ifaiah, to be fatisfied that either the Sibyl or the Poet had feen that prophecy. For unto us a "child is born, unto us a fon is "given, and the government fhall

be upon his fhoulder: and his

"name fhall be called Wonderful, "Counfellour, the everlafting Father, the Prince of peace.'

17. Patriis virtutibus.] By his father's virtues, I believe we muft understand thofe of Auguftus, wha muft already have adopted him, as was faid before. We cannot well understand him to mean those of Anthony, his mother's husband;: for his licentious life was too well known at that time, and gave great offence to Pollio himself. Nor can it well be fuppofed, that the Poet would thus exprefs himself of a fon of Pollio, if that was the infant intended for a prediction of his fon becoming the ruler of the world, publifhed under his patronage, would have expafed both poet and patron to danger, at a time when the Triumvirs were in full power.

18. At tibi prima puer, &c.] He foretels the bleffings, which fhall attend the birth of this infant.

There is a very great fimilitude between this paffage and the following quotation from Ifaiah; gala

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The wilderness and the folitary. "place fhall be glad for them: and "the defert fhall rejoice, and blof"fom as the rofe, chap. xxxv. ver. " I. The glory of Lebanon fhall come unto thee, the fir-tree, the pine-tree, and the box together, chap. lx. ver. 13. The wolf "alfo fhall dwell with the lamb, "and the leopard fhall lie down "with the kid: and the calf, and "the young lion, and the fatling

together, and a little child fhall

"lead