line (ano yeauμas) into check,' contrary to the rules of chefs. In other words, GALATEA, blinded by paffion, flies her lover, and • follows her scorner'—a false move, in the game of love. VIDA thus describes the fituation of the King, in the game of chefs. Non illi ftudium feriendi, aut arma ciendi ; Sed tegere eft fatis atque inftantia fata cavere. Thus tranflated by an anonymous writer (whofe translation is in general faithful enough to the original, but fhamefully inaccurate in regard to rhymes.) 'Tis not for him to join the warring host; Enough in fafety to preferve his poft: Yet should some venturous chief an infult dare, He feels quick vengeance from the monarch's spear. Nor dares at diftance from his line to ftray. The above explanation of the difficult paffage before us, by no means agrees with that of the Scholiaft, or indeed any of the commentators. They think the paffage alludes to what the ancients called Zaтpinion, or Scacchia, answering to our Chefs; but, in their comments, betray a total ignorance of the game. Bundy IDYLLIUM IDYLLIUM the SEVENTH. THE THE Idyllium before us is entitled Θαλύσια, η Εαρινη Οδοιπορία, commonly tranflated Thalyfia, or the Vernal Journey; though the Thalyfia were celebrated in autumn. But Odoogia fignifies a Navigation or Voyage. This poem, therefore, may HEINSIUS. be filed The Vernal Voyage of Ageanax. In the Grecian villages, and among the Bulgarians, they still obferve the feaft of CERES. When harvest is almost ripe, they go dancing to the found of the lyre, and vifit the fields, whence they return with their heads ornamented with wheat-ears, See M. GUYS. interwoven with the hair. 66 LINE 5. There LYCOPS' fons their harvest offering paid. "If that turn of imagination-those infirmities of intellect, "which mark infanity, or delirium, or folly, are so often con"feffed to be hereditary, shall we not allow to all the endowments and talents of the mind, the fame prerogative? The great qualities of the laft Athenian king flourished in the ARCHONS "for above 300 years. The INCAS of Peru, during a far "longer period, were eminent for every princely virtue. The The heroifm "daughter of SCIPIO was mother of the Gracchi. "of the younger BRUTUS was the heroism of his remote proge"nitor. The houses of the Messala, the Publicola, and Valerii, "were illuftrious for 600 years. The Decii, retaining equally long their primæval character, attempted the revival of Roman virtue, in the decline of the empire.". LINE 7. Great LYCOPS' generous fons, if any good See DUNBAR on Hereditary Genius. LINE. 9. From CLYTIA's and from CHALCON's line they came. CLYTIA was the daughter of MEROPS, wife of EURIPYLUS, king of Cos, and mother of CHALCON. See Hoм. II. b. 1. LINE 29. Where, where, my friend SIMICHIDAS, so fast THEOCRITUS, in his poem called Syrinx, claims to himself this appellation of SimICHIDAS, Παρις θετο Σιμιχίδας, &c. PARIs and THEOCRITUS are the fame-for PARIS, as judge of the beauty of the three goddeffes, was THEOCRITUS, Ewy KpiTns: thus PARIS, metaleptically, is taken for THEOCRITUS. HEINSIUS. LINE 31. While fleeping in each hedge the lizard lies. The green lizard is frequent in Italy, larger than our common Eft or Swift. At the fame time of the day VIRGIL tells us, Virides, etiam occultant Spineta lacertos. LINE 35. Struck by thy hurrying clogs the pebbles leap. Αρβυλιδεσσιν-Αρβυλις was a kind of wooden fhoe, armed with iron nails. It was used to tread the grapes in the wine-press. LINE 43. To bless the fair-veil'd Goddefs. Mr. HOLE, in his notes to his very elegant tranflation of HOMER'S Hymn to Ceres, remarks, that CERES was faid to ⚫ have worn a black veil by the Grecian poets, either as a sign of ⚫ forrow for the lofs of PROSERPINE, or to conceal her grief from ⚫ obfervation.' And it was used as an ornamental part of drefs, richly embroidered and tranfparent, in very early ages. HOMER describes, in his Iliad, a beautiful one offered by the Trojan matrons, at the altar of MINERVA. And PENELOPE'S is thus defcribed in POPE's Odyssey: A veil translucent, o'er her brow difplay'd, We · "We find REBECCA makes use of one, on being informed that ISAAC was approaching to meet her. When JUDAH meets THAMAR, fhe is described as covering herself with a veil. This phrase is rather remarkable, as JUDAH, on that account, poffibly, fuppofed her to be a courtezan; and it is said, that flaves formerly, in Greece, wore larger veils than other people. EURIPIDES makes ANDROMACHE Complain, in his play of that name: I was conducted from my husband's bed to the strand, ⚫ my face covered with the veil of a captive.' It is well known that the veil of female flaves in the Levant, at present, covers the whole body; and that the Greeks have been more tenacious of their old cuftoms, than most other nations." The ufe of the veil (fays M. Guys) is very old. The veil of the Grecian ladies of modern times is muflin fringed with gold; and (as formerly) that of the mistress and the maid, the free-woman and the flave, are all different. LINE 52. PHILETAS or SICELIDAS, in vain! Both these names occur in MOSCHUS's third Idyllium. SICELIDAS (or ASCLEPIADES) was a Samian poet-PHILETAS was of Cos. LINE 62. The Mufe-Cocks who the Chian bird defy. In this manner, HORACE ftiles VARIUS the cock of the Mæonian fong Scriberis VARIO fortis, et hoftium Victor Mæonii carminis alite. LINE 66. The ftrains I lately labour'd on the hill. Whether the common reading ought to be retained-ɛv opet, on a mountain, or that of HEINSIUS and others- wga, in the fpring, be preferable, is a question on which pages of verbal criticifm might still be waited, as they have already been. After all the learned argumentations of HEINSIUS, Mr. WARTON hath more fatisfactorily fupported the common reading. See vol. ii. p. 87. LINE 81. Then, at my hearth, the Ptelean bowl be quaff'd. The ancients held three things requifite towards indulging their genius-fays HEINSIUS-a good fire, wine, and mufic. The genius of the moderns is not very averse from the fame fpecies of indulgence. LINE 83. Then, as my elbow high, my couch shall swell. Thus too ANACREON, Ode 4, quaffs the rofy wine, reclining on odoriferous herbs, and leaves, and flowers. LINE 121. On me the CUPIDS fneez'd. Sneezing was, fometimes, accounted a lucky omen, as in this place, and a fimilar paffage in the 18th Idyllium. CASAUBON remarks, that the ancients thought it a fymptom of fome infirmity. Hence, after fneezing, a short prayer was usually put up to the Gods, fuch as ZEU CCE, JUPITER fave me. See Anthologia. STRADA wrote a treatise on fneezing, where he tells us, that the custom of faluting those who fneeze, is a relic of paganism. The origin of this cuftom has been generally thought of a later date-being referred by some to that dreadful æra in the records of mortality, when fneezing was an epidemic difeafe accompanied by death. LINE 133. But if thou fmile not on thy lover's cause, See a fimilar threat in the 10th Ode of ANACREON. The Arcadians, if they miffed their prey in hunting, used to beat the ftatue of PAN (the reputed Prefident of that sport) with fquills or fea-onions. POTTER. Thus the Indians, when any calamity befals them, chastise their idols with fcourges. |
