ECLOGUE IV.

INTRODUCTION

POLLIO, to whom this Eclogue is inscribed, fought on Cæsar's side at Pharsalia; and, temporising between Antony and the senate, was promoted to the consulship (v. 11, 12) by the triumvirs, was commissioned by Antony to settle the division of lands among the veterans in Transpadane Gaul, and when he and Octavius quarrelled, restored peace awhile between them at Brundisium. He was then sent by Antony against the Parthini, a people of Dalmatia, over whom he triumphed, (Hor. Od. II. i. 16). He withdrew after this from active life, being excused by Octavius, whom he was too prudent to oppose, from serving against his former friend Antony; and having become famous as an orator, historian, and poet, still retains celebrity as a patron of literary men. He died A.D. 4.

This Eclogue proclaims the advent of a wondrous boy, during whose infancy, youth, and manhood, the world's evil course was to roll gradually back into the golden age. It was written 714, when, by the peace of Brundisium, the civil war awhile ceased. Antonius took to wife Octavia, sister of his colleague, who himself married Scribonia; a child, either of one of these, or of Pollio himself, has been thought intended by puero, v. 8. But was any individual

definitely intended? A vague general idea, in which perhaps a few individual features dimly lurk, is all one need understand. From Hor. Carm. Sæc. v. 5, Sibyllini monuere versus; some verses called Sibylline were perhaps then extant, and the style of this Eclogue may be supposed a polished imitation of them; in which case an oracular obscurity would quite suit the design. Some of the expressions have been thought borrowed from Hebrew prophecy ; they seem, however, to have been but the current imagery of the golden age. Yet it is true that heathen legend often seems a vague reflex of Holy Writ, and thus the golden age itself, ere Justice left mankind, suggests the state before the Fall (see on G. i. 133); and some broken and clouded rays of a Truth once whole and pure, may perhaps be gleaned from this Eclogue, as a witness to "the Desire of all nations."

NOTES.

1. Sicelides, adj. (fem. only), der. Zukeλía, Sicily. Greek form of adj. are preferred where possible in the Eclogues : Syracosio, vi. 1; Sardois, vii. 41; Cyrneas, ix. 30. A title given to the Muses because Theocritus, whose Idyls Virgil imitates, was a Sicilian; so vi. 1, Syracosio versu.—2. myricæ, "tamarisks;" generally μʊpiên in Homer, but once, Il. xxi. 550, μvρiên; adj. always μʊpīkivos; long in later Greek, which the Latin followed.-4. Cumai, the Sibyl whose prophecy (carminis) is. meant, abode at Cuma (Æn. vi. 2-10), a colony of Chalcis, in Euboea.-5. integro, (der. in tango,)

"

"entire," "of which no part has been used," especially of things reconstituted to a former fulness, hence ab integro, "afresh."-6. Virgo, Astræa, daughter of Zeus and Themis, who returned to heaven when the golden age expired, during which Saturn, as fables said, reigned (Sat. regna) in Italy, Æn. vi. 794.-8. modo, with fave. nascenti, at his birth. quo, abl. of the cause.-9. gens, "race," here for "age;" so sæcula, "age," or "generation," for the people in it, G. i. 468, a Lucretian usage.-10. Lucina, goddess of child-birth, as bringing babes ad lucem; sometimes same as Juno, or, as here, Diana, Hor. Od. 111. xxii., Carın. Sæc. 15. tuus... Apollo, "thy (as brother of Diana Lucina) Apollo;" compare the way in which these kindred deities are invoked throughout the Carmen Sæculare, Hor., as the authors of human happiness.-11. teque adeo, &c., "and thou too being consul;" adeo is especially used with this pronoun and with adverbs of time, e.g. jam, when standing first in a clause; it is a copula adding weight to what it joins, especially as shewing that the mind is led on to a further point than would have been expected, see G. i. 24; Ciris, 98; Æn. v. 268. inibit, "will begin;" so, ineunte, exeunte anno, and like phrases.-14. irrita, und. facta, "made void."

66

=

19. errantes hederas, from Catull. Ixi. 34, tenax hedera hoc et hoc arborem implicat errans; so Milton, Lycidas, 'gadding vine." baccare, ladies-glove," supposed to dispel fascination, see vii. 27.-20. colocasia, "the Egyptian bean," it bears a large leaf and superb flower; prob. an exotic word.-21. ipsa, "of their own accord ;" so ipse, v. 43.-24. fallax, "deceptive," as being easily mistaken; so fallunt aconita legentes, G. ii. 152; Hor. Epod. ii. 7. veneni, i. e. productive of it.-25. amomum, “ginger;" prob. an oriental word.-26. simul, as soon as," with poteris.27. quæ (= qualis), &c., “what their (i. e. heroum and pa

66

rentis) virtue is," see on ii. 19; "what is virtue?" would require quid.-28-36. the whole depends on simul poteris. molli, "waving," so vi. 53.—32. Thetim, put for "the sea;" so Nerea, vi. 35.-34. alter, "a second." Tiphys, the pilot of the Argo, whose crew were heroes, v. 39; the Argonautic is the earliest legend of Greek voyage.

=

66

=

38. mari, abl. "from."-40. rastros, sing. -trum, pl. -tri, der. rado.-41. tauris, dat. commodi; but solvet tauros jugo would be abl., as in v. 14.-42. mentiri ... colores, "to counterfeit colours," acc. quasi-cognate, the color being the mendacium.-43. ipse, see on v. 21. suave, see on iii. 8. mutabit. Mutare aliquid aliquo, either "to acquire," or to part with anything in exchange for another."—44. vellera, i. e. their native colour. luto, see on ii. 50.-45. Sandyx, Gr. σávdug or -ı, “vermilion," prepared from sulphuret of arsenic. pascentes, mostly trans., here neut., so ii. 96, (also G. iii. 467.)-46. sæcla, acc. quasi-cognate (as cursus), with currite, which agrees with fusi und.— 47. f. numine, decree of destiny. incrementum, see note C. —51. terrasquē, see note A.-53. aspice lætantur ut, "look! how all things exult;" see on en, i. 68. venturo, the poet here assumes a prophet's tone. quantum, neut., as used for subst. dicere, a Greek constr. ad dicendum. -56. Linus, an ancient legendary Greek poet, killed accidentally by Hercules; one legend made him the son of Apollo (as here), and teacher of Orpheus. Orphei, dat. Oppel. 60. risu, "by her smile."-61. longa fastidia, acc., "tedious languor;" dispelled and changed into smiles of joy, risu, v. 60, after the child's birth. tulĕrunt, penult. short by poetic license, so steterunt, dedĕrunt.

=

ECLOGUE V.

INTRODUCTION.

In this poem, (probably written 712,) in the first part of which one shepherd bewails the death of another, and in the last declares him a deity, some have thought a tribute to the memory of Julius Cæsar to be designed. If so, the description, formosi pecoris custos, formosior ipse, v. 44, hardly suits the idea of the historical hero, although the name Daphnis may, perhaps, suggest his bay-leaf crown (dápvn). In this case, by mater, v. 23, the goddess Venus might be meant, see E. ix. 47; G. i. 28. Milton in his "Lycidas" has imitated this Eclogue.

NOTES.

2. inflare dicere, depending on boni, so pares with infin., vii. 5; and so in passive, cantari dignus, v. 54; amari, 89.-4. major, i. e. natu.—5-6. sub out of composition may govern acc., umbras, compounded the dat., antro.-7. raris, &c., "has dotted with clusters here and there." labrusca, "the wild vine."-18. Alcor, Codrus, Tityrus, Stimichon, v. 55, Damætas, Ægon, v. 72, Alphesibæus, v. 73, Antigenes, v. 89, are mere names of shepherds, mostly borrowed from Theocritus.-14. modulans, &c., "setting to music, have marked the alternate pauses." alterna, i. e. modulamina, a cognate acc.-17. saliunca, "the wild nard.”