*1 This epithet is very proper. Columella, speaking of barley, says, "Ubi paulum maturuerit, festinantius quàm ullum aliud "frumentum demetendum erit, nam et fragili culmo, et nullâ "vestitum paleâ, granum ejus celeriter decidit." Lib. II. c. ix. * See in Pliny and others the several ways of reaping.-See Ecl. IX. 61. note.-Quaer. If Stringeret does not imply the reaping in haste? *3 The Poet takes occasion here to observe, that the regular seasons are frequently interrupted by storms, etc.. Piny in the same manner, after having discoursed "de temporibus serendi," proceeds thus "Cum omnia haec statis sideribus coeloque "affixis constent, interveniunt motu stellarum (i. e. by the planets) grandines, imbres, et ipsi non levi effectu, ut docui"mus, turbantque conceptae spei ordinem.-Ideo Virgilius "errantium quoque siderum rationem ediscendam praecipit, "admonens observandum frigidae Saturni stellae transitum." Lib. XVIII. c. xxv. VER. 328-333. "Ipse pater, media nimborum in nocte, † coruscâ Dejicit: ingeminant Austri, et densissimus imber." + This is supposed to be taken from some antient painting. See Pol. VI. 36. VER. 335-337. "Hoc metuens, coeli *2 menses et sidera serva; 3 Frigida Saturni sese quo stella receptet; "Quos ignis coeli Cylennius erret in orbes." * By these three verses Virgil advises the countrymen to observe the twelve signs of the zodiac, and the other constellations, and likewise the planets.-That Pliny understood him in this sense, I think, plainly appears from the beginning of the twenty-fifth chapter of his eighteenth book. See note *3 on ver. 318. anteh. 2 * A very pretty expression for the twelve signs. 3 *This epithet is given to Saturn, because he was supposed by the antients to preside over cold. The Aegyptian priest in Lucan, explaining to Caesar the different powers of the heavenly bodies, says; 66 Frigida Saturno glacies et zona nivalis Phars. X. 205. VER. 347-350. 1 "Neque ante "Falcem maturis quisquam *' supponat aristis, *1 See second note on ver. 297. 3 * The worship here directed must be different from the Ambarvalia, just before mentioned by Virgil. we find, was, For that feast, "Extremae sub casum hiemis; whereas this was just before harvest, when they adorned themselves with garlands of oak. I have seen the Florentine peasants in the month of July dancing and singing, in the manner here described, crowned with garlands of oak. ** Horace tells us, that Poetry in Italy began first at their harvest feasts. Lib. II. Ep. i. ver. 139. "Agricolae prisci, fortes, parvoque beati, x. r. λ. 1 VER. 379, 380. "Saepius et tectis penetralibus extulit ova *1 The emphasis, as I take it, is to be laid upon saepius. The observation relating to the hurry ants are in, against bad weather; when they run out and in, and carry their eggs backward and forward, several times. 66 Imperfecto complectitur aëra gyro Arcus, vix ullâ variatus luce colorem, "Oceanumque bibit." Lucan. Phars. lib. IV. ver. 79. Where the bow is represented as dark, and cloudy, and imperfect; portending an inundation. It is now a common opinion that the rainbow sometimes por tends fair weather, at other times rain. The like opinion prevailed among the antients; and when the bow appeared dark and watery at either end towards the horizon, then they said, "bibit arcus."-Plautus makes one of his actors, on seeing a crooked old woman drinking, say very humorously; "Ecce autem bibit arcus, pluet, credo herclè hodie." Curcul. act. I. Seneca in his Nat. Quaest. lib. I. cap. vi. confirms what is said, that the rainbow sometimes portended rain, sometimes fair weather. VER. 388, 389. "Tum cornix plenâ pluviam vocat improba voce; * Servius reads it raucâ.-Pliny observes of the Corvi, "Pessima eorum significatio, cum glutiunt vocem, velut strangulati." Lib. X. c. xii. VER. 393, 394. "Nec minus ex* imbri soles et aperta serena Prospicere, et certis poteris cognoscere signis." * Dr. Martyn_reads eximbres, thinking this more poetical than the common reading; and says it is certain that Virgil's meaning could not be, that these observations are to be made during the rain, etc. With submission, I think that "ex imbri" does not necessarily signify whilst it actually rains, but rather immediately after a shower. During which interval one may judge whether the bad weather is like to continue, or not. Virgil here gives us prognostics of the latter; and Prospicere plainly intimates something future; and shews Virgil's meaning to be, when the weather is not quite settled, but going to change from bad to good. We find too afterwards, vers. 413, that the showers are but just over, when the ravens foretell a change, and promise fair weather: "Juvat imbribus actis Progeniem parvam dulcesque revisere nidos." VER. 395-397. "Nam neque tum stellis acies obtusa videtur, "Nec fratris radiis obnoxia surgere Luna: "Tenuia nec lanae per caelum vellera ferri.” These fleecy thin clouds are signs of rain: "Si nubes ut "vellera lanae spargentur multae ab oriente, aquam in triduum "praesagiunt." Plin. lib. XVIII. c. ult. As Virgil and Pliny call these thin clouds, "vellera lanae ;' so Ovid likens a fleece, carded by Arachne, to a cloud. "Jupiter humidus † Austris "Densat, erant quae rara modo; et, quae densa relaxat," + See Pol. xiii. 71 VER. 430, 431. "At si virgineum suffuderit ore ruborem "Ventus erit: vento semper rubet aurea * Phoebe." *The common epithet given to the Moon is Argentea; on this occasion the Poet more properly and very prettily calls her Aurea. "Sin ortu in VER. 432-435. quarto (namque is certissimus auctor) "Pura, neque obtusis per coelum cornibus ibit; "Totus et ille dies, et qui nascentur ab illo "Exactum ad mensem, pluviâ ventisque carebunt." *1Quartam Lunam maximè observat Aegyptus. Si splen"dens exorta puro nitore fulserit, serenitatem; si rubicunda, "ventos portendere creditur." Plin. lib. XVIII. cap. ult. **M. Annaeus Seneca has quoted this passage at large in his 3d Suasoria, and all the editions of that author have it," Plena, "neque obtusis." Yet, notwithstanding this ancient and good authority, we find in all printed copies of Virgil the word Pura substituted instead of Plena. 'Tis pretended indeed by And. Schottus, that in Mss. of Seneca, he found the word, as in the printed copies of Virgil, Pura; and contends that it ought to be so. But, besides the testimony of the best editions of that author, it seems evident, from the whole tenor of Seneca's discourse, that he read the word Plena; and the chief stress of his argument depends upon it. And therefore I make no doubt but this is the genuine reading; and, with submission, I think it likewise far preferable to the other. For Pura conveys no idea to us more than " neque obtusis cornibus" but Plena does. The whole of Virgil's observation is this: When on the first appearance of a New Moon the horns are dim, and the space. within the horns dark and black, then we are threatened with bad weather. But on the contrary, when on the fourth day of the Moon the horns appear sharp, and the space between them so bright (as may be observed in a clear sky) that the whole circle or face of the Moon is plainly distinguishable, which is the purport of Plena, then it portends good weather. Any one may easily perceive, that the word in this place is very expressive, and the opposition between " Luna plena" and "in ortu quarto" enlivens the thought; and therefore, I sup pose, 'tis admired by Seneca as a shorter, more easy, and happier expression than what he quotes from Fuscus Arellius: "Luna, sive plena lucis suae est splendensque, pariter assurgit "in cornua:" which is dull and languid in comparison of Virgil, and contains no more in such a number of words than Virgil has expressed in one, but yet may serve as a good comment upon him. This seeming inconsistency between Plena and Ortu quarto might probably at first cccasion the adulteration; some acute critics imagining, that Plena could by no means suit the Moon when but four days old. 'Tis true indeed it cannot in the common sense, but in the Poet's it does. And if this was the occasion of the alteration, I hope what appeared to them a solecism will be thought a real beauty. + I have often observed this appearance spoken of by Mr. Holdsworth, and that sometimes on the third and fifth days of the New Moon, as well as on the fourth. Virgil had, no doubt, often seen the same; but he instances in the fourth, as its being a surer sign of fair weather than any of the other; ("namque is certissimus auctor.") It may be a surer sign in Italy too, than it is with us; for 1 have scarce ever found it to hold good, as to its prediction, in our moister air and more inconstant climate.- -Mr. Holdsworth's reason for altering the word Pura, depends wholly on the reading of the verse in Seneca. It might perhaps be said, on the other side, that Valerius Flaccus, in a verse (in which he seems to have had this line of Virgil in his eye) uses the word Pura: it is in the second book of his Argonautics: 66 66 "Micat immutabile coelum ; Puraque, nec gravido surrexit Cynthia cornu:" But an imitation is not near so full a proof, as a quotation; and of the two, Val. Flaccus is farther removed from the time of the first edition of Virgil's works, than Seneca. 66 VER. 461-463. Denique, quid Vesper serus vehat; unde serenas "Ventus agat nubes; quid cogitet humidus Auster; "Sol tibi signa dabit." * The Poet here speaks of the South-Wind as a person having the command over the watery corner, and meditating whether he should bring rain upon the earth or not; and supposes that, by frequent observations on the Sun, one may discover his designs and enter into his thoughts. "Quid cogitet humidus Auster." 66 Dr. Martyn, in a note on this verse, tells us, that Pierius says, some would fain read, Quid cogat et humidus Auster;" but that most of the ancient Mss. have Cogitat. Again, at the end of the 4th Georgic, he publishes some remarks which he says were sent him, after the publication of the third Georgie, by the learned Edward King, Esq.; in a letter dated from Bromley in Kent. Among which is this following: |