nate; for such only among men used perfumes. Aulus Gellius, Cap. 12. Lib. 7. mentions a fribble of this stamp. “Nam qui quotidie unguentatus adversum speculum ornetur, cujus supercilia raduntur, qui barba vulsa feminibusque subvulsis ambulet," &c. Cuve ne neges. This stanza is supposed to allude to the custom, instituted by Solon, of the bride eating a quince, or apple, with her husband, before she gave herself to his embrace; to denote that every word henceforth, proceeding from his mouth, would be grateful to her as that fruit; and that she would be complying, lest she should alienate from herself his affections: but I own I think the allusion very far-fetched.' Quæ seni tibi, &c. This line has been variously distorted by dif ferent editors: I have preserved the reading of Achilles Statius, as the most simple, and elegant; A. Maffeus has, Qua tibi, sine, servit; others read, Quæ tibi sine fine erit; and Vossius, perhaps not improperly, writes, Quo tibicine serviat. Julia, in this stanza, is congratulated on her noble alliance. Omnia omnibus annuit. A whimsical conceit, in my opinion, to express old age; which, causing the head to tremble, gives to every object a tremulous appearance. Transfer omine, &c. The bride, entering her husband's house, was lifted over the threshold, that she might not touch it: for this various reasons have been assigned; the most plausible of which are, that it was either because the threshold was sacred to Vesta, the goddess of chastity, who might be offended at her nuptials; or, because she should avoid touching any spell, which some envious rival might have secretly laid there. Thus Ovid, upon another occasion, mentions touching the threshold as a bad omen: Missa foras iterùm limen transire memento Sent out again, pray walk with sober care; Aspice, intus, &c. This is the constant reading of the oldest MSS. and certainly the just one; though Scaliger writes imus, interpreting, in interiore lecti sponda, which contradicts the word 1 Silvius. 2 Ovid. Amor. Lib. 1. nmineat. Achilles Statius observes, that the parallel Greek Ford has nearly a similar force in the following: · ἀμβρὸς ἔρχεται ἴσος "Αρειο Vossius reads unus, meaning solus; the bride not being yet in bed. audite ostia virgines. The virgins, who were the last admitted to the presence of the happy pair, having finished their KoiuntiKOV, or evening congratulation, retire, closing the door of the chamber. Theocritus concludes his epithalamium on Helen much in the same manner; and Statius, at the end of his on Stella, and Violantilla, addresses the young couple in a similar strain: Exerce formam, et fugientibus utere donis. Ergo age, junge thoros, atque otia deme juventae. Carm. lix. Achilles Statius conjectures, that this poem was made, as the former, upon the marriage of Julia and Manlius; telling us, it was no uncommon thing for poets to write several epithalamia on the same persons; and instances Claudian, who composed many on the nuptials of Honorius and Maria: however this is only supposition. Many editors, particularly among the French, make this piece the principal part of the epithalamium on Julia and Manlius, bringing in the preceding Carmen by way of chorus; and suppose it to be sung by the youths, and virgins together. Vesper adest. The star of evening, the same with Vesperugo, Hesperus, Lucifer, Phosphorus, and the Greek wлpópos, is introduced by most poets in the bridal song. Thus Claudian, in Epith, Honor. et Mar, Attollens thalamis Idalium jubar And thus Joannes Secundus, in his lively epithalamium : Ductor Hesperus aureae catervae. Cernitis, innuptæ, &c. The emulation between the youths, and virgins, which our poet seems to excite, is a very happy fiction; and gives a spirited effect to the whole piece. Nimirum Oetaos, &c. This line is variously read; some editions have, Oetaus obtendit Noctifer umbras; Scaliger has, Oceano se ostendit Noctifer imbre: others have, Eoos imbres: Silvius writes, Ethereos ignes: and many have, Umentes imbres. The text Í have fixed upon seems the most poetical, and the truest: Oeta was a mountain of Thessaly, where it was poetically said, that Hesperus, and all the stars set. Thus Virgil Tibi deserit Hesperus Oetam.1 For thee bright Hesper Oeta's summit leaves. Noctifer is here a happy expression for Hesperus. In like manner Calpurnius: Frigidus aestivas impellit Noctifer hors. Cool Hesper drives the burning hours away. Palma parata est. A metaphorical expression for victory. In war victors were crowned with palm, for which Plutarch assigns the following reason; "In certaminibus palmam signum esse placuit victoriæ, quoniam ejusmodi ligni ingenium est, ut urgentibus opprimentibusque non cedat." Habent memorabile quod sit. The best editions, immediately after this line, introduce the following; which is by some supposed to be spurious: Nec mirum; totâ penitus quæ mente laborent, Nos aliò mentes, &c. Meaning; the beauty, and harmony of the virgins so engage our attention, that we neglect the duties of song, and shall certainly be vanquished in the melodious strife, Ovid has a similar phrase: Secta bipartito cum mens discurrit utroque, Alterius vires subtrahit alter Amor.2 Crudelior ignis. These words, similar to a stanza in the preceding poem; Tu fero juveni, &c. are admirable in the mouths of the reluctant virgins, who sorrow for the loss of their companion now a bride. Jucundior ignis. This joy of the youths, contrasted with the grief of the virgins, in the foregoing lines, has a beautiful effect. See Homer to the same purport: “Εσπερος ὃς κάλλιστος ἐν οὐράνῳ ἵσταται ἀστήρε Hesper, esteem'd the choicest star of heav'n, And in like manner Virgil, Aeneid 8. Quem Venus ante alios astrorum diligit ignes, Of all heav'n's fires to Venus most 'tis dear. Nec junxere priùs, &c. See the end of the second note to this Carmen. Hesperus, ah! nobis, &c. After this line, which is variously read, as, è nobis æquales, and è nostris æqualibus, there is an evident hiatus, from the Namque in the next line; there is likewise ! Virg. Ecl. 8. Ovid. Remed. Amor. another ate end of the virgins part, which however is not perceptible in nslation, if we add the chorus. Latent fures. Meaning lovers; for amorous joys are by almost every Latin pet called furta, as lovers are fures. See Ovid, in various places; and Catullus, Carm. 7. Mutato compr is nomine. The same planet, that at night is called Hespes, in the morning is called Phosphorus, or Lucifer; as it is the first star that rises, so it is the last that leaves the skies. In like manner Horace, Od. 9. Lib. 2. Nec tibi vespero And Columella: Aut ore corusco Hesperus Eoo remeat cum Lucifer orto. Milton mentions the duplicity of this luminary: If better thou belong not to the dawn, Sure pledge of rising day! Ut flos in septis, &c. This is a most beautiful comparison, and drest in the most poetic language. Columella has one similar to the beginning of it: Talis humum vel parietibus vel sæpibus hortis Ariosto, Canto 1., has closely imitated it. So has Pope in his Multi illum pueri, &c. If we turn to Ovid, we shall find nearly the same words: Multi illum juvenes, multæ optavere puellæ; Ut vidua in nudo, &c. This simile of the unpropped vine, which the youths sing, is a lovely counterpart to the preceding one, spoken by the virgins; the introduction of which is an admirable effort of our poet's genius. Nulli accoluere juvenci. One is astonished at those who, like Silvius, interpret juvenci, boves; we cannot make sense, unless we understand juvenes Ulmo conjuncta marito. This mode of expression is common both in prose, and poetry. Thus Pliny, Cap. I. Lib. 14. "Jam in agro Campano populis nubunt vites, maritosque complexæ, atque per ramos earum procacibus brachiis, geniculato cursu scandentes cacumina æquant." To this purpose likewise Horace: Cat. 1 Ovid. Metam. 3. K Ergo aut adultâ vitium propagine Sometimes his marriageable vines Round bridegroom poplars tall he twines. Virginitas non tota tua est. The young Roman maids could by no means act for themselves; they were more particularly, than in the present age, under the guardianship of their relations. Thus Livy, Lib. 34. "Majores nostri nullam ne privatam quidem rem agere feminas sine auctore voluerunt, in manu esse parentûm, fratrûm, virorum." Thus Menander: And again: ̓Αλλὰ θυγάτηρ κτῆμ' ἐργῶδες πατεί. Χαλεπὸν θυγάτηρ κτῆμα, δυσδιάθετον. Carm. lx. This very singular poem, which some ignorantly pretend is the same written by Caecilius, and alluded to in Carm. 32. is composed in Galliambics, so called from Galli (priests of Cybele, who were said to use this kind of verse in their sacred songs,) and iambicus: the metre usually consists of an anapest, or spondee; then two iambics, with a long catalectic syllable; to which are again added an anapest, and two iambics; as, Vice veris et Favoni glacies resolvitur; sometimes, that the verse may run more rapidly, a tribracus is put in the last foot, for an iambic; as, Super alta vectus Atys celeri rate maria. Hephæstion, Terentianus, Diomedes, and various grammarians treat of this species of verse. Mr. W. Walsh, in his preface to Virgil's pastorals, speaking of the barbarism of rhyming hexameters, which, he says, Virgil held in abhorrence, adds, that "the French cannot imitate those wonderful spondees of Pythagoras; nor those swift numbers of the priests of Cybele, which had the force to enrage the most sedate tempers; nor can any modern put into his own language the energy of that single poem of Catullus: Super alta vectus Atys, &c." Mr. Gibbon too, in his Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, gives a most respectable suffrage in favour of the present composition. Speaking of the allegorizing spirit of the later Platonists, who constantly inwove philosophic table with their polytheistical mythology, he says: "But all the allegories, which ever issued from the Platonic school, are not worth this short poem of Catullus. The transition of Atys, from the wildest enthusiasm to sober pathetic complaint, for his irretrievable loss, must inspire a man with pity, an eunuch with despair."2 Tympanum, tubam, &c. If, according to the interpretation of Vossius, adopted by Vulpius, the meaning of the words be: "The 1 Hor. Epod. 2. 2 Gibbon. Vol. 2. Chap. 23. Note 18. |