Sivut kuvina
PDF
ePub

Pan primus calamos cera conjungere plures

NOTES.

Pan firft taught to join feveral
reeds together with wax:

tion against Verres; "Ipfe tamen,
"cum vir effet Syracufis, uxorem
"ejus parum poterat animo foluto
ac libero tot in acta dies fecum
"habere."

We may therefore

conclude, that by the epithet actaeo
is meant, that the mountain Ara-
cynthus extended to the fea; and
therefore that Aracynthus actaeus is
to be interpreted the rocky fhoar, or
cliffs of Aracynthus ; as we say the
cliffs of Dover.

Catrou tranflates actaeo Aracyntho
the mountains of Boeotia," Nou-
«vel Amphion, je chante les" ejus
"mêmes airs que ce fçavant Ber-
ger, lorfqu'il conduifoit fes trou-
peaux fur les montagnes de Bé-
"ocie." In his note on this paf-
fage, he relies on the authority of
Stephanus, for placing Aracynthus
in Boeotia, and agrees with Guel-
lius in the fignification of actaeus,
rendering it l'Aracynthe efcarpé.
But after all that has been faid, I
believe we may venture to affirm,
that axrn is not used for any rocky
places, unless they border upon th
fea; but frequently fignifies the fea
fhoar. Thus we read in the
eighteenth Iliad,

[ocr errors]

Ακτὴν ἐισανέβαινον, ότι

in the twelfth,

the

Καὶ τ ̓ ἐφ ̓ ἄλος πολιής κέχυται λιμέ
σιν τε καὶ ἀκλαῖς.
Με θεών

And in the fifteenth Odyssey;

1

Αὐτὰρ ἐπὴν πρώτην άκτην Ἰθάκης ἀφίκηαι,

Thus alfo bur Poet himfelf ufes acta for the fhoar in the fifth Aeneid;"

25. Nec fum adeo informis.] It is
non inftead of nec, in fome copies.
"This is a modeft expreffion of
his own beauty. Thus Cicero
in his oration for Coelius; ut eum
paeniteat non deformem effe natum,
where he means very handfome."

SERVIUS,

[merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors]

And Polyphemus alfo in the Bu-
coliaftae,

[ocr errors]

"At procul in fola fecretae Troades Kai yap Inv Bud Erdos #Xw xanov ws

acta

[ocr errors]
[merged small][ocr errors]

με λέγοντι :

! Η γὰρ πρὸν ἐς πόντον ἐσέβλεπον, #s και

Thus alfo Cicero, in his fifth Ora

δὲ γαλάνα.

D 4

"For

[ocr errors]

Pan takes care of the sheep, and Inftituit: Pan curat oves, oviumque magiftros. of the mafters of the sheep.

NOTES..
IPOV

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small]
[ocr errors]

that the Poet afcribed to the fea "a faculty of reflecting an image, "not fo much from the nature of "things, as in imitation of The"ocritus: for they deny the poffi"bility of an image being reflected "by by the waves of the fea, which has always fomething oily and fat fwimming on it's furface, any more than by clouded lookingglafs, or water in which flefh has been boiled. But experience is "against these arguments; for the fea, when calm, does really reflect an image; as thefe cavillers "may find, if they will but give themfelves the trouble to go to "the fea fide." Then he confirms it by feveral quotations from Ari totle, Plato, Artemidorus, Lucian,

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

A

Ovid, Statius, and others, who speak of the fea as of a mirrour.

27. Fallat. Some read Fallit, and others Fallet; but most of the ancient manufcripts have Fallat, which is approved alfo by Heinfius, Ruaeus, and other good editors.

28. O tantum libeat, &c.] In this paragraph Corydon invites Alexis to live with him in the country,

and partake of his rural labours; and promifes him in recompence to teach him to play on the thepherd's pipe like Pan himself.

Thus the Cyclops, in Theocritus;

!!

[ocr errors][merged small]
[ocr errors]

Sordida rura.] Servius obferves, that tibi in this verfe is to be underftood as if it was twice repeated; Utinam libeat tibi habitare megum rura tibi fordida; and interprets it tibi fordida, id eft, quae tu putas fordida.

29. Figere cervos.] Some underftand thefe words to mean the Gerstand these v fixing of the forked poles, called furcae or cervi, to fupport the cottages." Cervi, fays Varra, ha "bent figuram literae V, a fimili“tudine cornuum cervi." They were ufed alfo in war, to obftruct the approach of an enemy. Thus

Caefar;

Nec te poeniteat calamo triviffe labellum.

[ocr errors]

NOTES.

Do not think much to rub your lip with a reed.

mifes to teach him to excel in mufick. This fenfe is not wholly to be rejected. But the general opinion is that the Poet means hunting in this place, which is confirmed by a fimilar paffage in the first Georgick;

marlord ardi C

Caefar; Hoc intermiffo fpatio, "duas foffas, quindecim pedes la"tas, eadem altitudine perduxit: quarum interiorem campeftribus, ac demiffis locis, aqua ex flumine "derivata, complevit. Poft eas "aggerem, et vallum duodecim "pedum exftruxit.,. Huic loricam, "pinnafque adjecit grandibus cervis "eminentibus ad commiffuras plu"teorum atque aggeris, qui afcenfum hoftiumy tardarent." They are mentioned alfo by Livy; Roff Stupea, torquentem Balearis ver manus ad Clitas, quas, vocant, "munimenta cervis etiam objectis "ut viam intercluderet, a Mace "donico, ad Toronaicum mare perducit." Thus alfo Catullus:

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

"Tum gruibus pedicas, et retia
66 ponere cervis,
"Auritofque fequi lepores: tum
"figere damaster

"bera fundae;"

where figere damas, without queftion, means to pierce the does; in which fense of piercing or wounding, figo is frequently ufed. Thus in the BOUN

"Jam te non alius belli tenet ap firft Aeneid

<tius artes,

"Quae deceat tutam caftris praeducere foffam,

Qualiter adverfus hofti defigere

"cervos.

od rod and ** n Thefe quotations fhew fufficiently the nature and ufe of the cervi: and that from Catullus has almost the very fame words with thofe under confideration. Nor does it seem amifs, that Corydon, having juft mentioned the cottages or hutts of the fhepherds, fhould immediately add, the props which fupport them. He is not inviting Alexis to partake of pleafures, but to engage with him in rural labour, to content himfelf with living in a poor hutt, fixing poles, and driving goats; as a reward for which labour, he pro

+

1

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small]

What did not Amyntas do, to Haec eadem ut fciret, quid non faciebat Amyntas? 35 learn the very fame thing?

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

Forte facer Fauni foliis oleafter

« Hic fteterat, nautis olim venera

"bile lignum:!!

Here it is plainly used in the firfte amaris
fense, which has been given to figere
cervos. There are not wanting
ather paffages, where it is used alfo
for fixing, faftening, or sticking; as
in the third Aeneid;

t

Aere cavo clypeum magni gefta66 men Abantis musion fast

"Servati ex undis ubi figere dona

folebant Mil

"Laurenti Divo, et votas fufpen"dere veftes

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors][merged small]

Eft mihi difparibus feptem compacta cicutis

NOTES..

Hence it has been transferred to fome figurative expreffions; as Figere ofcula, Figere veftigia, Figere vultus, and Figere dicta. The Earl of Lauderdale tranflates this paffage according to the latter fenfe:

** I quickly could diverting paftime find,

"To Shoot the stag, or hunt the fwifter hind:"

and Dryden,

"To wound the flying deer 21

And Dr Trapp,

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small]

I have a pipe composed of Seven unequal reeds;

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small]

But La Cerda thinks viridi hibifeo is the ablative cafe, being the inftrument with which the kids are to be driven. In this he is followed by Dr Trapp; : a

[ocr errors]

5

[ocr errors]

mom de pla de Su
To drive the kids a-field

"With a green wand."

This learned Gentleman has fo well vindicated the latter interpretation, that I fhall take leave to infert his whole note: That is, fay, fome

Commentators, compellere ad viit, that they may feed upon it. "ridem hibifcum. Drive them to "To juftify this, they alledge that

of Virgil in the Aeneis, It cla"mor caelo for ad caelum, to which "they might have added that above,

in this very Eclogue, Montibus " jactabat. But thofe expreffions be foftened. In the former, may much the fame with per caelum: "Caelo quafi in caelo; which is

and thao again, with regard to "the different parts of the air, or "fky, fuppofes ad. In the latter, jactabat includes dixit, which "really

Y

« EdellinenJatka »