Horace addressed Ode 9th of B. II. - -83. Fuseus. The same friend to whom Horace addressed the 22d Ode of B. I. On Viscorum see n. Sat i., 9, 22. 85. Pollio-Messala. See Introd. to O. ii., 1; above 1. 29. 86. Bibuli. The two sons of M. Calpurnius Bibalus, one of whom studied with Horace at Athens. Servius was the son of Serv. Sulpicius Rufus, and was tribune in B. c. 48. Furnius, according to an old commentator, was a writer of history.—91. Cathedras. The cathedra was an easy chair, used by women. Plorare is used in contempt, for read or recite. He will bid them whine their love-songs to women. BOOK II. SATIRE I. In publishing this Second Book, Horace bestows a prefatory satire upon his critics and detractors, who, it appears, had not been silenced by the earlier satires directed against them. The poet pretends to come for advice to C. Trebatius Testa, an eminent counsellor at law. Bent as he is upon writing satires, and yet pressed hard by these detractors, what is to be done in the premises (1-5)? Trebatius first advises him to keep quiet, which the poet declares to be quite impossible; then, if he must write, to praise Caesar; here the poet pleads, first, that he lacks the ability, and second, that he waits for that task, a fitting occasion (5-20). Warned by Trebatius, that satire will get him enemies, the poet still persists that he must follow in the track of Lucilius, and, though a lover of peace, that he will employ against all such enemies the weapons nature has given him, and for the uses intended by nature (21-60). Still warned by his counsel, that he may incur the illwill of the great, the poet cites the example of Lucilius, who did not lose by his satire the favor of Laelius and Scipio (60-79). At last Trebatius is content to advise that his ́ poet-client write nothing that is libellous; this advice Horace accepts with a pleasant jest, and with a confident mention of his favor with Augustus, which shows how little he cared for the whole tribe of his detractors (79-end). With this ingenious defence, Horace gives this Second Book of Satires to the Roman public. The whole tone of the Satire is that of one who is conscious of merit and of success, of one who has already gained an established reputation as a poet. Supported by the advice of a Trebatius, confident of the courtly favor of Caesar, he is only entertained and amused by the charges of envious poets and malicious critics. This Satire has been imitated by Pope, in his Satire addressed to Mr. Fortescue. 2. Legem; i. e. the law that regulates satire; operis lex, comp. Ars. P. 135. Tendere; the image borrowed from a bow: or from a stringed instrument, as in O. i., 1, 34, tendere barbiton. 4. Deducl. Exactly as we say of bad poetry, spun out. Comp. Sat. i., 10, 44; Epist. ti., 1, 225, and Juvenal, Sat. vii., 54. -Trebati. C. Trebatius Testa was a friend of Cicero, and is described by him as the head of a school of jurists, also as a man of wit and conviviality. Cic. Epist. ad Fam. vii., 5, 10, 20. At this time he must have been upwards of sixty years of age. -7. Erat. See n. O. ii., 17, 28.-Ter; join with transnanto. Uneti. The Romans anointed themselves in preparation for athletic sports, and after these sports they bathed. Comp. n. Sat. i., 6, 123. The poet here makes Trebatius prescribe, like a physician, for sleeplessness. To this description, he humorously adds another, which we learn from Cicero, was quite in accordance with Trebatius' habits. See above n. on 1. 4. 12. Praemia. The praise of Caesar, and poetic fame. Pope has it thus: "You'll gain at least a Knighthood or the Bays." 13. Horrentia. Bristling. 12. Pater. See above, n. 1. 4, at the end. The pilum was the regular weapon of the Roman infantry; it was a javelin, having a wooden shaft five and a half feet long, and an iron head, nine inches in length. See Dict. Antiqq. -14. Fracta. When Marius fought against the Cimbrian Gauls, he gave orders, that of the two nails which fastened the head of the pilum to the shaft, one should be made of wood; the result was, that when the pilum struck the shield of the enemy, the shaft was turned on one side, and the spear could not be sent back again.-Dict. Antiqq. -15. Parthi. See n. O. i., 2, 51. — 17. Scipiadam; the younger Scipio, Africanus Minor. The patronymic is used instead of Scipionem, simply on metrical grounds. -20. Recalcitrat. The metaphor is from a spirited horse, who keeps off from him all rude hands. Used of Caesar, it seems hardly in good taste, but yet the fact and the manner of its use here, show that Horace must already have gained estimation in the eyes of Octavianus, and that he knew well how to keep and increase it. 22. Pantolabum. See n. Sat. i., 8, 11.-24. Icto; i. e. with wine; as soon as his head is heated with wine. Cicero in pro Muraena, 6, says: nemo fere saltat sobrius, etc. -25. Lucernis; dat. depending upon accessit; literally, is added to the lamps; i. e. when, in intoxication he sees the lamps double. 26. Castor, etc. Comp. O., i., 12, 26. -28. Claudere. Comp. n. Sat. i., 10, 59. 33. Votiva. See n. O. i., 5, 13. - 34. Senis. Seems here to be used, in reference to the time in which he lived; as seniorum in Sat. i., 10, 67. Jerome says, in his Chronica ad Ol. 169, 2, 46 (cited by Orelli), that Lucilius died at forty-six.Anceps dubius; in doubt whether a Lucanian or Apulian; in allusion to the situation of Venusium, as he in the next line explains. So too he speaks of Mt. Vulturnus in O. iii: 4, 10, where see note. - 36. Ad hoc. For this purpose.- --37. Quo ne; for ut ne. Dillenburger compares Cic. ad Fam. 7, 2: quo ne pluris emerem. On ut ne see Z. § 535. — Vacuum; sc. agrum.--39. Sed. "Opposed to sequor hunc, 1. 34." -Dillenb.- -40. Ensis. Dillenburger aptly compares Juv. i., 165: Ense velut stricto-Lucilius infremuit.- -43. Ut-pereat; sc. te precor. -45. Commorit; future perfect;= provocarit. - 46. Insignis cantabitur. Both words in a sad sense. Pope imitates thus: "Sacred to ridicule his whole life long, And the sad burthen of some merry song." 47. Urnam; of the judges, into which they threw their votes. Cervius was an informer. 48. Albuti venenum; with which, according to some, he poisoned his wife; according to others, his mother. — 49. Turius. The name of a corrupt judge. 50. Ut, quo, etc.; quomodo fiat, ut, quo, etc.; dependent upon collige.. -52. Nisi intus, etc.; i. e. except by instinct. - 54. Dextera; the emphasis is on this word, not by his right hand, that is, not by violence. Pia is, of course, ironical. ———— 54, 55. Mirum, ut; = non magis mirum quam. 61. Majorum-amicus. Any one of your great friends. ——62. Frigore. Metaphorical for withdrawing of favor, exactly as our word coldness. As Scott says of "the Douglas," "he had endured—the king's cold look.” 65. Qui. The younger Scipio. -67. Metello. Q. Caecilius Metellus, called Macedonicus. "The meaning here is, that Scipio did not take alarm at seeing men of high rank, fearing his own turn might come." Keightley, after Orelli. -68. Lupo. L. Cornelius Lentulus Lupus, consul A.U. C., 611. He was satirized for his irreligion. ———— 70. Uni aequus, etc. "To Virtue only and her friends a friend."-POPE. 72. Sapientia. The people gave Laelius the cognomen of Sapiens. To this Cicero alludes De Amicitia, c. 2. - 73. Discineti; at ease; literLucilius was of equestrian ally, ungirded. 75. Lucili censum. rank. 77. Fragili. Neuter dative. The metaphor is from cracking a nut. -79. Diffindere. This reading of good MSS. is preferred by Orelli and Dillenburger, to the others, diffidere, diffingere and defringere. It is a legal term, to put off, defer, and the whole line expresses the assent of Trebatius to what has been said. - 83. Mala-bona. The poet puns upon the two meanings of mala, libellous and bad. - 84. Caesare. See n. O. i., 6, 2. - 86. Solventur; for dissolventur. "Perhaps, as the phrases dissolvere leges, judicia, etc., were used, dissolvere tabulas might signify put an end to the prosecution; tabulae being used for libellus, what we call the indictment, which was written on tablets.”—Keightley. SATIRE II. The poet inveighs against the luxury and extravagance of the times, and sets forth the advantages of frugal and temperate living. In order to present his sentiments in a more lively manner, he puts them into the mouth of a plain, sensible farmer, Ofellus, by name, whom Horace, when a boy, had known at Venusium. This piece has beer. imitated by Pope, in his "Satire to Mr. Bethel." 1. Boni. Voc. plural.—3. Abnormis (a and norma); literally, without rules, i. e. of philosophers and philosophic schools; self-instructed.-Crassa Minerva. Minerva, the goddess of wisdom, the arts, &c., here metaphorically expresses ingenium, genius, talent, &c. "A genius, though of coarse texture."-Osborne. So Cic de Amic. 5, pingui Minerva. -5. Acies; sc. oculorum. Acies, meaning primarily a sharp edge, sharpness, is applied metaphorically, as here, to the sense of sight, vision. 6. Acclinis; inclined to. A word rarely used. 10. Si Romana, etc. The poet turns from the participial construction to the conditional; instead of fatigatus, etc. Hunting and horse-riding were favorite sports with the Romans; also to some extent a training for war; hence here Romana militia. 11. Graecari. Greek fashions were imitated by the Romans; much in the same way, probably, as French modes by us. Comp. n. O. iii., 24, 57. 15. Sperne. Said in irony.. -Nisi; join with diluta. The poet refers to the favorite Roman drink, called mulsum, a mixture of wine and honey. Comp. notes, O. i., 1, 19; ii., 6, 14. - 19. Partum, sc. esse; viz., that you could be content with such fare. -21. Ostrea. Read here as a dissyllable. -22. Lagois. Some kind of a bird, but of what species is unknown. -23. Eripiam. Used poetically for impediam or prohibebo. Vanis; the neuter abl., and governs rerum; by the vain shows of things. See Z. 435.- -29. Carne tamen, etc. I give here the explanation of Bothe, also adop'ed by Dillenburger: quamvis distat gallinae caro a pavonis, tamen nu (non) hac (pavonis) magis illa (gallinae sed) imparibus formis deceptum te esse patet.- -31. Unde datum sentis; = unde datum tibi est, ut sentias. The Roman epicures professed to be able to distinguish between fish caught in the Tiber, and fish of the same species caught in the sea; and also to decide whether they were caught at the mouth of the river, or between the bridges, i. e. the Sublician and the Senatorian, where the Cloaca maxima discharged itself. ———— 34. Mullam. Great prices were paid by Roman epicures for large mullets. The ordinary size was about two pounds. Juvenal mentions one that weiged six pounds, and was sold for 6000 sesterces. Sat. iv. 15.40. At vos, etc. The poet makes the honest Ofellus indignantly invoke the south winds to taint the delicacies of such gluttons. On at see n. Epod. v., 1. — 44. Inulas. The inula is a plant; scabwort or elecampane, 25. 45. Regum; i. e. divitum, as often in the Odes.- -46. Ita pridem. Very long ago; Ita, exactly as we use so, e. g. it was not so long ago. The force of ita in such expressions grows out of an ellipsis, e. g. haud ita, ut quis putet.-So Hand, Turs, iii., p. 491.-Gallonius lived in the time of Lucilius, and is mentioned by him; so that Horace uses ita pridem for a period of about eighty years. Comp. Ars. p. 254. -47. Acipensere. Generally thought to be a sturgeon. In the time of Horace, the rhombus, turbot, had displaced the sturgeon in the good graces of the gourmands. The poet, in this line and the following lines, ridicules the changing fashions of the table. -50. Auctor. According to an old commentator, A. Sempronius Rufus, on whom, when he failed of being elected praetor, some wag wrote the following epigram : Ciconiarum Rufus iste conditor, verbially; perversely. the worse, spoiled. 59. Cujus, etc.; = 51. Edixerit. In humorous allusion to praetorius, in preceding line. Ph. "Coena dubia apponitur. Geta. Quid istuc verbi est ? 79. Divinae―aurae. In allusion to the doctrine, that every human soul is an emanation from the Divine Spirit;-"ex universa mente divina delibatos animos:"-Cic. de Senec. c. 21.. 80. Dieto citlus. Join with curata. The whole expression is opposed to the long, and luxuri |