5

placed the Tityrus in the front. "It is faid alfo, that Virgil made all "his Eclogues in three years. "Therefore Cicero could not hear 63 any one of them. But, in the "original, it is perfecit, that is, he "perfected them, he made them "fit to appear. Thus this Eclogue "might have been prior to the Ti66 tyrus, and Cytheris might have "recited it in the prefence of Ci❝ cero." CATROU,

That the Tityrus was not the first of our author's Eclogues, feems highly probable: but at the fame time, it is no lefs probable, that the Silenus was not written before it. In the ninth Eclogue the Poet promises to exalt Varus to the fkies, which he has not performed any where but in this Eclogue. The ninth Eclogue was written after the Tityrus; and therefore the Silenus was pofterior to them

both.

Syracofio.] Theocritus was of Syracufe, a famous city of Sicily. Virgil therefore, writing Bucolicks, in imitation of that author, calls them Syracufian or Sicilian verfe.

Dignata eft.] The Roman Poets before Virgil had treated of higher fubjects: therefore he was the firft, who condescended to defcribe the low characters of fhepherds.

Ludere verfu.] Thus in the firft Eclogue ;

verfes.

"Ludere quae vellem calamo per"mifit agrefti ;"

and in the fourth Georgick,

"Carmina qui lufi paftorum."

2. Thalia.] Thalia was one of the nine Mufes. Her name feems to be put here for Muse in general.

3. Cum canerem reges, &c.] It is faid that Virgil once attempted to describe the actions of the Alban kings; but that, being deterred by the harshness of their names, he defifted, and applied himself to the writing of Bucolicks.

Cynthius.] Cynthus is the name of a mountain of Delos, where Apollo and Diana were born; whence they are called Cynthius and Cynthia.

4. Pingues pafcere.] Servius fays, these words are put figuratively, for pafcere ut pinguefcant.

5. Deductum dicere carmen.] A metaphor taken from wool, which is spun thinner.

6. Nunc ego, &c.] In the following verfes, the Poet makes a dedication of this Eclogue to Varus.

Servius tells us, that the Varus here intended had overcome the Germans, and thereby gained much glory and wealth. He adds, that fome are of opinion, that it was the Varus, who was flain in Germany

with three legions, and loft the ftandards, which were afterwards recovered by Germanicus the fon of Drufus that others will have it, that, when Afinius Pollio was overthrown, Alfenus Varus was made lieutenant-general in his room by Auguftus, that he prefided over the province beyond the Po, and took care, that Virgil's lands, which had been restored to him, fhould not be taken away again by the foldiers. As for the Varus, who gained fo much glory and wealth by overcoming the Germans, there feems to be a profound filence concerning him among the hiftorians. Caefar indeed, in his eighth book de bello Gallico, mentions one Quintus Atius Varus, who was prefect of the horfe under Caius Fabius in Caefar's army, and did good fervice against Dumnacus. Caefar gives him the character of a man, of fingular courage and conduct. It feems to be the fame Varus, that Caefar mentions again, in his third book de bello Civili, under the name of Quintus Varus. He was then prefect of the horfe under Cneius Domitius in Macedon; where he fell into an ambush, that was laid for him by Scipio. Varus defended himself bravely, repulfed the enemy, killed about eighty of them, and retreated to the camp, with the lofs only of two men. This Varus, might probably have attended Cacfar in his expedition into Germany; but whatfoever glory he might gain there, it is certain, that neither Caefar, nor any

of his officers gained any wealth in that country. This German story of Servius muft therefore be a miftake; for there had been no other expedition against the Germans, when Virgil wrote the Eclogue under confideration. As for the Varus, who was flain in Germany, he is well known in hiftory by that misfortune. His name was Publius Quintilius Varus. He was Conful in the year of Rome 741, together with Tiberius; and perifhed, with his army, in Germany, in 762. Dio tells us, that after he had been governour of Syria, he was fent, in the fame quality, into Germany, where he attempted to rule, as over a conquered nation, and to fleece the people of their money, which they were refolved not to bear. But finding, that the Romans were ftrong about the Rhine, they contrived to circumvent Varus, and draw him farther up into the country. They pretended to live in peace and friendfhip with him, and made him believe, they were fo perfectly obedient to him, that there was no occafion for many foldiers to keep them under. There were two of their chiefs among the confpirators, Arminius and Segemerus, who were perpetually with Varus, and greatly in his confidence. They perfuaded him to difperfe his foldiers in feveral diftant garrifons, where they pretended the weakness of the places, or danger of robbers required them. Having thus weak

ened

ened his army, they raised a report of an infurrection in fome diftant parts of Germany; which drew Varus to march that way, with what forces he had about him, incumbered at the fame time with many carriages, and women, and boys, thinking himself fafe in a country fubject to his command. Thefe chiefs contrived to stay behind, under pretence of gathering auxiliaries to join him. But instead of this, they killed the Romans, who were difperfed among them, and drew their own forces together, which had been privately made ready, and affaulted Varus, as he was marching through a mountainous country, intangled with woods, when the foldiers were fatigued with cutting down great trees, and making bridges. A great ftorm of wind and rain happening at the fame time, the Romans were hardly able to stand upon the unequal, flippery ground whilft the Germans, being acquainted with the by-paths, wounded them at a diftance, and then engaged them hand to hand. In this manner they fkirmished for two or three days, when the Romans were quite born down, with fatigue and wounds. In this diftreffed condition, Varus, and other principal officers, fearing they should be either flain or taken prifoners, chofe to fall upon their own (words. When Auguftus heard the news, he is faid to have rent his garments, and used other expreffions of the highest grief. Suetonius alfo

and to record your dreadful

wars.

f

mentions this misfortune of Varus, and fays, that three legions, with the general, lieutenant-generals, and all the auxiliaries were loft: that when the news came, Auguftus appointed a guard, to watch all night in the city, for fear of tumults that he vowed great fports to Jupiter, if he would reftore the decay ing ftate of the commonwealth that he let his hair and beard grow for feveral months, in the mean time frequently knocking his head against the doors, and crying out, Reftore the legions, Varus: "Quin"tili Vare, legiones redde." Velleius Paterculus, who lived about the time of this misfortune, gives this character of Quintilius Varus: that he was of a family, rather illuftrious than noble; of a mild and quiet temper, indolent both in body and mind, more accustomed to the inactivity of a camp, than to the fatigues of war; fo far from a contempt of money, that when he was appointed governor of Syria, he went poor into a rich province; and came away rich, leaving the country poor; that, when he went into Germany, he behaved, as if those stubborn people were to be fubdued by laws inftead of arms: that, being circumvented by the Germans, he fhewed more skill in dying than in fighting; and fo killed himself, as his father and grandfather had done before him. The fame author mentions another Quintilius Varus, who fought against Caefar at Philippi, and when the

battle

fball read,

quis

battle was loft, flew himself. This was probably the father of the Varus, of whom we have been speaking, and to whom Virgil is generally supposed to have dedicated this Eclogue. But notwithstanding the concurrent opinion of the most learned Criticks has given the honour to him; fome material objections may be formed against their determination. The divifion of the lands was made in the year of Rome 713, when Virgil made ufe of the intereft of his friend Varus with Caefar, to obtain the reftitution of his eftate; and we are told, that Varus was then in the highest degree of esteem and favour with Caefar. It may feem ftrange therefore, that this great favourite was not advanced to the Confulate till near thirty years afterwards. Another objection may be made to the age of Quintilius Varus. He is faid to have ftudied philofophy together with Virgil. He must therefore probably be about the fame age; and indeed he could not be much younger, to deserve to have his wars celebrated, et triftia condere bella: for Virgil was but in his thirtieth year, when the lands were divided. Now, if he was of the fame age with Virgil, he must have been near eighty, when he killed himself in Germany; an age too great for the command of a newly conquered province, where the people were known to be very robuft, and inchinable to rebel. Befides, the hifto

quoque, fi

rians would hardly have paffed over in filence the remarkable circumftance of his killing himself at ́so great an age. A third objection arifes from the character given of Quintilius Varus, by Velleius. It is hard to imagine, that a man fo mild, quiet, indolent, and unactive by nature, could be celebrated by Virgil as a great warrior, whofe brave actions were fufficient to employ many pens in praife of them. The third perfon mentioned by Servius is Publius Alfenus Varus. This man was bred a taylor, as we find in Horace;

Alfenus vafer, omni "Abjecto inftrumento artis, claus "faque taberna

1

"Sutor erat."

Having good natural parts, he applied himself to the ftudy of the Law, and became very eminent in that profeffion; and was chosen Conful in 755. Aulus Gellius fays he was a Lawyer, the difciple of Servius Sulpicius, and curious in antiquities. He fpeaks of fome books of his writing: but there is not the leaft mention any where, of his having ever applied himself to arms. Befides, as he did not come to be Conful, till forty years after this Eclogue was written, it is not probable, that he was at that time a man of fuch intereft, as to obtain the prefervation of Mantua. As for his fucceeding Pollio, in a mili

tary