ΒΟΥΚΟΛΙΑΣΤΑΙ.

THE BUCOLIC SINGERS. Menalcas, a shepherd, and Daphnis, a neatherd, both proud and boastful of their musical abilities, contend in Amoebæan song; that is, in strains sung alternately, and consisting of an equal number of verses. They stake their pastoral pipes as the reward of victory, and choose a goatherd as their umpire. The prize is adjudged to Daphnis. It appears probable that the ancient shepherds actually contended in this manner; and like the modern improvisatori of Italy, were, from habit, extremely quick in extemporaneous conception and expression. Extempore composition of this kind, as we learn from Livy, was practised by certain Tuscans at Rome, long before the time of Theocritus.-The chief beauty of the eighth Idyl, says Warton, consists in the diversity of character between the neatherd and the shepherd. Daphnis feeds oxen, and Menalcas sheep; and the allusions of both respect their proper pursuit. The one never invades the province of the other.

2. as partí. Pierson, in his Verisimilia, p. 46. for ŵs pavтì, reads Aiópavre, observing that Theocritus addressed this Idyl to his friend Diophantus, the person to whom he inscribes the twenty-first. Reiske objects to the alteration. This passage is thus imitated by Virgil, Ecl. vii. 2. "Compulerantque greges Corydon et Thyrsis in unum: Thyrsis oves, Corydon distentas lacte capellas. Ambo florentes ætatibus, Arcades ambo: Et cantare pares, et respondere parati."

3. Αμφω τώγ ̓ ἤτην. Both of them were red-haired, both were young. Collins gives the epithet "fiery-tressed" to the sons of the Dane. "Avasos, i. e. anos, properly signifies wanting the down on the chin. Comp. vs. 93. Wakefield, Sylv. Crit. P. ii. p. 144. interpreting πuppóτpixos, “cui barba quidem enascitur, sed nondum fit hirsuta," for ȧvá¤w read évásw, which had been proposed by Hemsterhuis also. Graefe takes πυῤῥότριχος in the same sense. Comp. vi. 3.—4. Συρίσδεν dedanμévw. See Matth, Gr. Gr. § 202.

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11. § 230. p. 391. Virgil, Ecl. v. 2. "Tu calamos inflare leves, ego dicere versus."

5. Πρᾶτος δ ̓ ὦν. For πρῶτος οὖν. Comp. v. 68. vi. 5. Hoogeveen de Part. Gr. p. 272. supplies οὕτως after οὖν, and translates thus: "Prior vero Daphnin intuens cecinit. Cecinit ergo hoc modo.” Kiessling renders πρῶτος δ ̓ οὖν by “ primus igitur,” and refers to Riemer, Lex. Gr. v. obv.

6. Δῇς μοι. Comp. i. 12. iv. 14. 7. Φαμί τυ. Comp. i. 56. ii. 161. Νικασεῖν αὐτός. See Viger, iv. § 6. 7. v. § 3. 2. and Hoogeveen thereon.

10. Οὐδ ̓ εἴτι πάθοις. No, whatever you may do, i. e. however earnestly you may strive to sing well. See Hoogeveen, and Viger, v. $9. 12. 'Aeidwv

must be construed with νικασείς, as is evident from vss. 7. 84.

11. Χρῄσδεις ὢν. Virgil, Ecl. iii. 28. “Vis ergo inter nos, quid possit uterque, vicissim Experiamur." Χρήσδεις καταθεῖναι. Will you stake as a prize?

13. Θησεύμεσθα. Doric and poet, for θησόμεθα, and this for καταθησό μεθα. See Matth. Gr. Gr. 212. 2.

14. Μόσχον ἐγὼ θησῶ. Virgil, Ecl. iii. 29. 66 Ego hanc vitulam, ne forte recuses, Depono.”—Ἰσομάτορα. As full-grown as the mother. This Virgil expresses by "pariterque caput cum matre ferentem," Æn. ix. 528. on which see Heyne. Pierson conjectured λιπομάτορα, i. e. “ lacte depulsum,” as in Horace, Od. iv. 4. 15.

15. Οὐ θησῷ ποκα. Virgil, Eel. iii. 32. "De grege non ausim quiequam deponere tecum: Est mihi namque domi pater, est injusta noverca: Bisque die numerant ambo pecus, alter et hædos." 16. Τὰ ποθέσπερα. Comp.iv. 3. v. 113. 17. ̓Αλλὰ τί μάν. But what will you really stake? i. e. what else then, if not that? Comp. Xenophon, Cyr. iii. 1. 23. Plato, Symp. 23. and Viger, iii. § 11. 10.

18. Εννεάφωνον, Though the shepherd's pipe is here called nine-toned, yet it was generally composed of seven unequal reeds, and consequently was only seven-toned. "Est mihi disparibus septem compacta cicutis Fistula.” Virgil, Ecl. ii. 36. It is probable that the ancient shepherds first played over the tune, and then sung a stanza of the song answering thereto; and so played and sung alternately. Comp. Virgil,

Ecl. v. 14. - 19. Λευκὸν καρόν. The shepherd's pipe was compacted with wax. Comp. i. 129. — Ἴσον . . . ΐσον. A similar example of the same word having the first syllable long and short in the same verse, occurs in Homer, Il. E. 31. Αρες, "Αρες, &c.

21. Η μάν τοι. I too indeed, &c. The particles ἢ μὴν are a formula used in solemn asseveration. See Viger, vii. § 7. 5. and Hoogeveen, xxi. (3. 13. who notices the union of the three particles in the present passage, where they have merely the force of serious assertion.

23. Τὸν δάκτυλον ἀλγῶ. Thus Plato, Rep. v. p. 462. ὁ ἄνθρωπος τὸν δάκτυ λον ἀλγεῖ. See Matth. Gr. Gr. ( 424.

25. ̓Αλλὰ τίς. Comp. v. 60, 61. 'Αμέων. Comp. ii. 148. Matth. Gr. Gr. § 145. 7.

26. Τηνόν πως. Suppose we call, δεν

او

ων

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See Hoogeveen, Part. Gr. p.551. ed. Schutz. Reiske circumfexes πῶς, and puts a note of interrogation after ὑλακτεῖ. Graefe points the verse thus: Τῆνον, πῶς; ἐνταῦθα τὸν αἰπόλον ἢν καλέσωμες ! See Matth. Gr. Gr. $200.

27. Ὧι ὁ κύων. The dative for the genitive, as is common in the poets. Φαλαρός, White. This in Idyl v. 104. is the name of a ram.

28. Επακούσας. Having heard them. So Kiessling : “ voce audita. Some others translate it " obsequutus."

30. Ιϋκτά. An ancient form for ἰϋκτὴς, i. e. ὁ συρικτὴς, ὁ λιγύφθογγος. δ Το εὐρνόπα for εὐρυόπης in Homer. Harles calls it Doric; Portus says it

is a Macedonian form.

31. Εἶτα δ ̓ ἀμοιβαίην. Virgil, Ecl. vii. 18. « Alternis igitur contendere versibus ambo Copere. Hos Cory don, illos referebat in ordine Thyrsis.”

33. Θεῖον γένος. This refers to που ταμοί. — 34. Πά ποια. Comp. i. 66. ii. 67. xi. 66. — 35. Ἐκ ψυχᾶς. This corresponds exactly with our English phrase, with all my heart. And so it is explained by Harles: "Ex animi mei sententia, prout ipse ego volo atque cupio. Graefe refers ψυχάς to ποτα μοί as being deities of race divine. Others refer it to τὰς ἀμνίδας, and translate it, to their hearts" content. Comp. v. 3. 36. Μηδὲν ἔλασσον ἔχοι. I. e. may he fare as well.

37. Γλυκερὸν φυτόν. The singular for the plural. Brunck with four MSS. reads γλυκερὰ φυτὰ, not so correctly as regards the metre. The Scholiast properly interprets alтep duoîov by εἴπερ ὁμοιῶς : If Daphnis sing equally as well, &c. Edwards translates it “ si quid simile.” — 40. Τεῖνδε. See Matth. Gr. Gr. § 150. Obs. 1. — Χαί. ρων ἄφθονα. Freely and plentifully.