Bandusiæ of Horace's Ode. And Mr Hobhouse in his Illustrations of Lord Byron's Childe Harold, 1818. pp. 42, 3. rather delights in adopting so brilliant a detection. "The Bandusian fountain is not to be looked for in the Sabine valley, but on the Lucano-Apulian border where Horace was born. "The vicissitude which placed a Priest on the throne of the Cæsars, has ordained that a Bull of Pope Pascal the second should be the decisive document in ascertaining the site of a fountain which inspired an ode of Horace." About so minute a concern long disquisitions here would be tedious and unnecessary. For in the first place, Mr Dunlop's solution (History of Roman Literature. 1828. Vol. III. p. 213.) seems calculated to set the matter at rest very easily. "The probability is, that Horace had named the clearest and loveliest stream of his Sabine retreat, after that fountain which lay in Apulia, and on the brink of which he had no doubt often sported in infancy." And secondly, in confirmation of Mr Dunlop's conjecture, I may be forgiven for inserting part of a Letter of my own on this very point of difficulty, familiarly written in the year 1824. "Let the Fons Bandusia (now the Fonte Bello) of the Sabine valley, flow on with all its honours! "For as to the Ode of Horace (3 C. XIII.), it tallies admirably with the idea of his christening what had no name before, after the romantic spring, which had a name, not far from Venusia, and which he had loved when a child." "From 1 E. XVI. 12. Fons etiam rivo dare nomen idoneus, you may perhaps gather that this fountain had no name whatever, till Horace gave it one. The rivus lower down was certainly called Digentia, now Licenza. 1 E. xviii. 104. Me quoties reficit gelidus Digentia rivus, &c. The classical verisimilitude of my conjecture that Horace called his Sabine fountain, from natural love and liking, after the old spring near Venusia, you can hardly deny; if you will but turn to a beautiful part of the third Æneid." 302. falsi Simoentis ad undam. 349. 351. Procedo, et parvam Trojam, simulataque magnis Pergama, et arentem Xanthi cognomine rivum Agnosco, Scææque amplector limina Porta. He takes the Toga Virilis. He goes, as to an University, to Athens. He joins the standard of Brutus, as military tribune, and shares in the defeat at Philippi. He returns to Rome, buys the office of clerk in the Treasury, becomes acquainted with Virgil and Varius, is by them introduced to Mæcenas, obtains his patronage, and is admitted to his friendship. The first Class of his Writings. The first book of Satires. Years of Horace... XXVI, XXVII, XXVIII. R. B. The second book of Satires. Years of Horace... XXXI, XXXII, XXXIII. R. B. 32. H. F. C. lxxxviii BRIEF CHRONOLOGY OF THE LIFE Before Years of Horace. 38 27 in the spring Horace enjoys the journey to Brundusium, is enriched by Mæcenas with the Sabine estate. 36 29 In this year, probably, Horace rents or buys the cot tage and garden at Tivoli. The second Class of his Writings. The first book of Odes. Years of Horace...xxxvI, XXXVII, XXXVIII. R. B. 30 35 Death of Anthony and Cleopatra. 29 36 | End of the Civil Wars: the Temple of Janus shut. The name of Augustus conferred on Cæsar. 27 38 The third Class of Horace's Writings. The first book of Epistles. Years of Horace...xLvI, XLVII. R. B. The Carmen Sæculare, and the fourth book of Odes. Years of Horace... XLIX, L, LI. R. B. 20 45 19 46 The Roman Eagles restored from Parthia. while Tiberius is in the East, Ludi Sæculares, for the fifth time, celebrated. The fourth Class of Horace's Writings. The second book of Epistles, containing the two, to Augustus Cæsar, and to Julius Florus; with the Epistle to the Pisos, called de Arte Poetica, ANNIS INCERTIS. to Kalendas Decembres, on the 27th of November, within a few days of completing his 58th year, FINIS. |