2

r

2

2

also in fields and villages; where he is the guardian of vineyards and gardens that he is honoured in all the facrifices to Bacchus, with great mirth and jefting; Τὰς δὲ τιμὰς οὐ μqvov naтa worn atrovéμovom aut ἐν τοῖς ἱεροῖς, ἀλλὰ καὶ κατὰ τὰς ἀγροικίας, οπωροφύλακα τῶν ἀμ Two ai πελώνων ἀποδεικνύντες καὶ τῶν κήπων ἔτι δὲ πρὸς τοὺς βασκαίνοντάς τι τῶν καλῶν, τοῦτον κολαστήν παρεισά, γονίες· ἔν τε ταῖς τελεταῖς οὐ μόνον Διονυσιακαῖς, ἀλλὰ καὶ ταῖς ἄλλαις απάσαις οὗτος ὁ Θεὸς τυγχάνει τιμῆς τίνος, μετά γέλωτος και παιδιᾶς παρεισαγόμενος ἐν ταῖς θυσίας. This deity was reprefented to be of a very: deformed and moft obfcene figure, with a fcythe in his hand, to affright thieves and birds, and ferved for. the fame purpose as our scare-crows. He was often cut out of any rough block of wood, as Horace defcribes him, in the eighth Satire of the firft book. This poet adds, that his head was crowned with reeds, to terrify the birds;

"Aft importunas volucres in ver❝tice arundo

"Terret fixa, vetatque novis coner. "fidere in hortis..an

Our Poet reprefents him with a fcythe made of willow, and alludes to his being peculiarly worshipped at Lampfacum, a city on the Hellefpont, in the fourth Georgick;

σε Et cuftos furum atque avium, "cum falce faligna,

"Hellefpontiaci fervet tutela Pri"api."

Propertius alfo fpeaks of his terrifying the birds with his fcythe ;

"Pomofifque ruber cuftos ponatur ❝ in hortis,

"Terreat ut faeva falce Priapus 66 aves."

Martial, in the fixteenth Epigram of the fixth book, defires Priapus not to fuffer any to enter into his garden, but fuch as are agreeable to him;

not

Here again the victory is univerfally given to Corydon, who addreffes himself with due reverence to Diana; and fends his prefents to her by the hands of an uncorrupted youth, not prefuming to carry them himself to fo chafte a goddess. Thyrfis opposes the obfcene Priapus, to the pure Diana, and vainly boasts of making a ftatue of that deity, not only of marble, but even of gold.

37. Nerine Galatea.] Here, as in the third Eclogue, the fhepherds pass immediately from the invocation of their deities to the mention of their loves. Corydon addreffes him- ' felf to Galatea, and with the moft' tender expreffion, and in the fofteft numbers, invites her to come to him in the evening. The paffion of Thyrfis is more violent and 'rough: he uses several execrations, and protefts, that his expectation of her at night, makes the day feem longer than a whole year!

Galatea was a fea-nymph, the daughter of Nereus and Doris: fhe was beloved by the Cyclops Poly. phemus; and her beauty is much celebrated by the Poets. Thus the Cyclops addreffes her in the eleventh Idyllium of Theocritus.;

more fair than fwans, more beautiful than white ivy:

φακος ὠμᾶς.

Fair maid, and why doft thou thy

"love defpife?

mers aire ; More fweet then grapes; then apples Clearer then ice; more feemly then far more rare;' tall planes;

"fing to my eyes;

"More foft than lambs, more wan

1

"ton than a steer;

"But to the fenfe, like grapes unripe, fevere." CREECH.

Thus alfo, in the thirteenth book of Ovid's Metamorphofess

Swans

+

More faire, if fixt, then gardens by the fall Of Springs inchac't.

SANDYS.

Ruaeus is of opinion, that Corydon here celebrates a Galatea, that was his own rural mistress, under the

O Galatea, more than lilly, white; More fresh then flowrie meads; than glaffe more bright; Higher then alder-trees; then kids more blithe; Smoother then fhels whereon the furges drive;

if

you Corydon.

bave

THYR. May I feem to you more bitter than Sardinian herbs,

40

bis,

Thymo.] See the note on ver. 112. of the fourth Georgick. -Hyblue.] Strabo tells us, that this was the ancient name of the city, but that it afterwards was called Megara, by a colony of Dorians, who went to Sicily, under the conduct of Theocles, an Athenian: that the ancient names of the other i cities are forgotten; but that of Hybla is remembered, on account of the excellence of the Hyblaean honey; Τοὺς δὲ Δωριέας Μέγαρα, * τὴν βλαν πρότερον καλουμένην. A μὲν οὖν πόλεις οὐκέτ ̓ εἰσί· τὸ δὲ τῆς “Τέλης ὄνομα συμμένει διὰ τὴν ἀρετὴν τοῦ Υβλαίου μέλιτος. La Cerda obferves, that the modern name of this town is Avola, quafi Apola, vel Apiola, ab apibus. Hence we may obferve the delicacy of this expression of our Poet, fweeter than the thyme of Hybla; that is, fweeter than the mot fragrant here, from which the bees extract the most delicious honey.

2

38. Hedera formofior alba.] Ivy

1

is fpoken of at large, in the note on ver. 39. of the third Eclogue. Whatfoever plant the white ivy of the Ancients was, it is plain from this paffage, that it was aècounted the most beautiful. Virgil does not feem to have mentioned this fpecies, in any other place: for where he uses the epithet pallens, it is most probable, that he means that fort with yellow berries, which was used in the garlands, with which poets ufed to be crowned. Of this fpecies farther notice will be taken, in the note on ver. 13. of the eighth Eclogue.

39. Cum primum pafti.] This defcription of the evening, by the cattle coming home to their ftalls, is entirely paftoral; *

41. Sardoïs videar tibi amarior herbis.] Diofcorides fays exprefsly that the poisonous herb of Sardinia is a fpecies of βατράχιον, ranunculus, or crowfoot. For, in his chapter, concerning the βατράχιον, he fays there is another fort, which is more hairy, and has longer ftalks, and the leaves more divided: it grows plentifully in Sardinia, is very acrid, and is called wild fmallage; 7 de xai éregov eidos xvowderTegov, Ἔστι καὶ ἕτερον εἴδος χνοωδέστερον, ή μακροκαυλότερον, ἔνομας ἔχων whELOUS TWU QUWU TELOTOV EV Zαeδωνία γενώμενον, δριμύτατον ὃ δὲ καὶ σέλινον ἄγριου καλοῦσι. In the fixth book, the fame author has

a

chapter

"

chapter concerning the Sardinian herb, in which he tells us, that the herb called Sardonius is like the ranunculus; that being taken inwardly it deprives a perfon of his underftanding, and caufes convulfions, with a diftortion of the mouth, which refembles laughing; that from this fhocking effect, a Sardinian laugh is become a common expreffion; Η δὲ Σαρδόνιος λεγομένη róa Baręúxou sidos otca, Toteica βρωθεῖσα, παραφθοραν διανοίας επιφέρει, καὶ σπάσματα μετὰ συνολκῆς χειλέων, ὥς τε γέλωτος Φαντασίαν παρέχειν ὑφ ̓ ἧς διαθέσεως καὶ ὁ σαρδόνιος γέλως οὐκ ευφήμως ἐν τῷ Biw nadwuintal. He recommends as a cure for this disorder first a vomit, then large draughts of water and honey and milk; frequent embrocations and anointings of the body with warm, medicines; bathing in water and oil, with much friction; and fuch medicines as are ufed in convulfions. The Bargaxo βατράχιον of Diofcorides feems to be the Ranunculus paluftris apii folio laevis -C. B. or Round-leaved water crowfoot, the leaves of which are like thofe of fmallage, and of a fhining green. The flowers are yellow, and very small, in proportion to the fize of the plant. The fruit is an oblong head, compofed of feveral fmall, naked, fmooth feeds. It is common in watery places, and is very hot and burning; as indeed moft forts of ranunculus, or crow

foot are. There is another fort of ranunculus, which C. Bauhinus calls Ranunculus paluftris, apii folio, lanuginofus, and fays it differs from the other, in being hairy, and having the leaves more divided. This agrees very well with the defcription, which Diofcorides gives of the Sardinian crowfoot, and is probably the very herb in question. As for the effect of it on the human body, I do not remember any account of it's having been taken.inwardly: but it is well known, that most forts of crowfoot, being applied outwardly exulcerate the tkin, and have much the fame efed with blifters. Hence it is not improbable, that they might occafion convulfions, and diftortions of the countenance, if. taken inwardly. One fort of crowfoot, which is commonly known under the name of Thora, and Thora Valdenfium is abundantly known to be poisonous. The inhabitants of the Alps are faid to squeeze out the juice of it in the fpring, and to keep it in the hoofs and horns of bullocks and to dip their weapons in it, by which means they are almoft fure of killing any beaft that they wound. This is confirmed by the noble hiftorian, Thuanus; who, in his relation of the cruel perfecution of the Vaudois, by the Duke of Savoy, at the inftigation of the Pope, informs us, that thefe miferable people, being provoked by repeated injuries, took up arms in their own

:

defence;