25. Corybanta: the Corybantes were priests of Cybele, who danced about in a wild and frantic manner.

The wine was so bad and had such an effect upon the guests, who drank it, as to make them frantic, and turn them into priests of Cybele, whose gestures they imitated.

26. Jurgia proludunt: 'quarrels or reproaches serve as a pre

lude.'

27. Rubrá: 'red,' stained with the blood of the combatants. 29. Saguntina: Saguntum was a city of Spain, famous for its earthen ware.

30. Ipse your host, the patron himself.-Diffusum : the wine that was poured or filled out from the wine vat into the cask.Capillato... consule: in ancient times, when consuls wore long hair.

33. Albanis... montibus: the Alban hills bore a very pleasant grape. The vino Albino from the same place is still in great repute.

34. Cujus...teste: the casks had been kept in the cellars such a length of time, that they had contracted a mouldiness, which so overspread the outside, as to conceal every mark and character, which had been impressed upon them.

36. Thrasea Helvidius: Thrasea Patus and his son-in-law, Helvidius Priscus, were both of them patriots and opposers of Nero. 38. Heliadum crustas: drinking cups, made of large pieces of amber. The Heliades, sisters of Phaethon, bewailing deeply his death, were changed into poplar or alder trees, from whose bark, instead of tears, dropped amber: hence Heliadum lachrymæ means amber; Ovid, Met. X, 263.—Inæquales ... phialas: the beryl, a precious stone, was inlaid in drinking cups, here called inæquales, from the inequality or roughness of the outward surface, owing to the protuberance of the pieces of beryl, with which it was inlaid. 39. Virro: the name of the master of the feast.

41. Ungues... acutos: 'your sharp nails,' lest you should make use of them to pick out the precious stones.

43. Nam Virro... a digitis: the poet now censures the vanity and folly of the nobles, who took the gems out of their rings, to ornament their drinking cups.

44. Vagina fronte: hilt of the sword.'

15. Juvenis prælatus Iarba: Æneas, whom Dido preferred as a suitor to Iarbas, king of Gætulia. Virg. Æn. IV, 36, and 196 -218.

46. Tu... quatuor: the cobbler of Beneventum, by name Vatinius, was remarkable for having a large nose, as well as for being a drunkard. Hence those glass cups, which had four handles or spouts, which resemble so many noses, were called calices Vatiniani.

48. Quassatum: so cracked as to be hardly fit for use- -Rupto ... vitro: it was the custom at Rome to change away broken glass for brimstone matches.

50. Decocta: 'boiled water;' it was an invention of Nero to have water boiled, and then set in a glass vessel to cool in heaps of snow and ice, which had been kept for use in summer in places similar to our ice-houses.

51. Vobis: i. e. clientibus vel parasitis.

52. Aliam... aquam: while the master of the house is drinking iced water, you are obliged to put up with common water. 53. Gatulus: Gætulia was a country of Africa, where the inhabitants were blacks..

55. Monumenta Latina: see Sat. I, 162.

56. Flos Asia: an Asiatic boy, beautiful, and blooming as a flower,who had been purchased at an enormous price, waits upon the master of the feast.

59. Gætulum Ganymedem: the poet alludes to the beautiful cup-bearer of Jupiter, and gives his name to the Gætulian negro footboy.

61. Puer: i. e. the Asiatic boy.

63. Calida... minister: 'to serve you with hot or cold water;' both these the Romans, especially in winter time, had at their feasts, that the guests might be served with that which they might prefer.

68. Vix fractum: 'broken into pieces with the utmost difficulty.'-Solida... farina: i. e. grown into hard, solid lumps, by being so old and stale, and now become mouldy.

69. Quæ... agitent: which may loosen a jaw-tooth.'

71. Dextram cohibere: from the fine and nice bread, prepared for the patron himself.

72. Artocopi: the slave who cut up the bread, from agros and

κύπτω.

73. Ponere: for deponere; to lay it down.'

74. Vis... colorem: the words of the butler.

76. Scilicet... nimbo: the supposed words of Trebius, vexed at finding himself so ill repaid for his services and attentions.

77. Montem adversum: the Esquiline hill had a very steep ascent. It must be supposed to have lain in the parasite's way to his patron's house, and by its steepness to have been a hindrance to his speed.-Gelidas... Esquilias: its height made it very cold and bleak at the top, especially in bad weather.

82. Asparagis: this word in the plural may here denote the young shoots of various herbs with which perhaps it was usual to garnish the dishes.-Quâ... ministri: i. e. what a noble tail he displays; with what contempt does he seem to look down upon the rest of the banquet, when lifted on high by a tall slave, to be placed on the table.

84. Constrictus: 'shrunk.'-Many render it in the sense of paratus, coctus, or the like, 'dressed,-seasoned,' (dimidio ovo) with half an egg.'-Ruperti understands it, circumdatum in patina oris sectis, surrounded in a dish by eggs cut up.'

85. Exiguâ ... patellà: the Romans used to place on the

sepulchres of the dead, to appease the shades, a small dish, containing milk, honey, water, wine, flowers, a very little of each: the smallness of the dish and of the quantity seems to be the reason of the allusion.

86. Ipse the master of the house.-Venafrano: sc. oleo; the oil made at Venafrum, a city of Campania, was the best in Italy. 87. Pallidus: sickly looking, as if it was half withered.

89. Micipsarum: Micipsa is a general name given to all the Numidians, from Micipsa, one of their kings. They were a barbarous people, on the shore of Africa, near Algiers, from whence the oil came, which the Romans used in their lamps.

90. Bocchare: Bocchar is the name of one of the Mauritanian kings; used here, probably, for any one of that nation.

The meaning is this, the Numidians and Moors, by anointing themselves with this oil, became so disgusting, that no Roman would go to the same bath with them.

93. Tauromenitanæ rupes: on the sea-coast, near Tauromenium, in Italy.

95. Macello: 'the market people,' who deal in fish.

96. Proxima: 'the neighboring seas.'-Nec... piscem: the Roman nobles were so greedy after delicate fish, and such numbers were caught, that they were not suffered to grow to their proper size.

97. Illinc: i. e. from the coasts of a foreign province.

98. Lenas: some famous legacy hunter, who, like the rest of his tribe, was in the habit of purchasing whatever was rare and curious, to present it to some rich and childless person, whose heir he was desirous of becoming.--Aurelia: probably this is the name of some rich and childless widow, who perhaps, being very avaricious, was in the habit of selling the fine fish, which was presented to her.

101. Carcere: sc. Eolio.

102. Lina: literally, nets; but here, by Metonymy, ' fishermen.' 104. Tiberinus: sc. piscis; 'a pike;' some common and coarse fish, out of the river Tiber, is here meant, which in the winter time, when the Tiber was frozen, contracted spots, perhaps from some disorder, to which it might be liable.

105. Vernula riparum: i. e. accustomed to remain near the banks.

106. Solitus... Suburæ: the fish is supposed to enter the mouth of the drain, that it might meet the filth in its way and feed upon it.

107. Ipsi pauca velim: 'I would say a few words to the master of the feast himself.'

109. Seneca: L. Annæus Seneca, the tutor of Nero, was very rich and munificent towards his poor clients.-Piso: L.Calpurnius Piso was famous for his liberality.-Cotta: Aurelius Cotta was distinguished for his munificence.

111 Solum poscimus: 'all we ask.'

113. Dives... amicis: i. e. when you sup alone, fare as expensively and as sumptuously as you please (dives tibi); but when you invite your friends and dependants, fare as they do; if you treat them as poor and mean, thus treat yourself (pauper amicis). 114. Anseris...jecur: this was looked upon as a great dainty by the ancient epicures; and they, therefore, took extraordinary pains to increase its size, by subjecting the animal to a particular kind of regimen.

115. Altilis: from alo; 'fatted, crammed;' probably 'a capon' is here meant.

116. Post hunc: the next dish after the boar.-Tubera: 'mushrooms.'

118. Majores: by a plentiful addition of mushrooms.-Alledius. some famous epicure.

119. Disjunge boves: 'unyoke your oxen;' i. e. plough and sow no more, that there may be more land for the production of mushrooms or truffles. Africa was one of the principal granaries of Rome.

120. Structorem: 'carver,' who is supposed to be performing his duties, with some antic gestures.

122. Magistri: i. e. the one who taught him the art of carving See Sat. XI, 136–141.

123. Nec. refert: 'nor is reckoned a matter of small concern. 126. Quid. hiscere: to mutter,'-'to make the least com.

plaint.'

127. Tanquam... nomina: i. e. as if you were a man of quality.

The great men at Rome were distinguished by the prænomen, nomen, and cognomen.

132. Quadringenta: sc. sestertia; equivalent to a knight's

estate.

133. Melior fatis: better and kinder than the fates have been, in making you so poor.-Homuncio (in the voc. case): this means 'a poor sorry fellow; such was Trebius in his present condition.

136. Ilibus: 'dainties;' ilia literally signifies entrails or bowels, of which some very choice and dainty dishes were prepared. He would, in the kindest manner, if you should by any good luck become rich, call you brother, and invite you to taste of all the delicacies on the table.

137. Dominus. . . illo : i. e. if you are desirous of domineering not only over dependants, but even their masters, you must be childless, without son or daughter to inherit your estate. See En. IV, 328, 329.

141. Nunc i. e. after you have become rich.-Mycale: the mistress of Trebius.

142. Ipse: Virro himself.

144. Minimas nuces: i. e. Avellanas (filberts), vel potiùs, res minimi pretii, quales sunt nuces.

146. An ipites

...

fungi: there are several species of the

mushroom kind, some of which are poisonous, and it is sometimes difficult to distinguish them; the eater, therefore, cannot be certain that he is safe.

The poet, after his digression, on the mean venality of such men as Virro, (who would pay the utmost attention to those men, whom they now treat with the greatest contempt, if by any accident, they should become rich,) now returns to his main subject, the ill treatment, which the poor receive at the tables of the rich.

147. Boletus: a mushroom of the wholesome and best sort.

148. Ante illum uxoris: Agrippina, the mother of Nero, and sister to Caligula, the wife of Claudius, destroyed her husband, by mixing poison in a mushroom, which she gave him to eat. 149. Pirronibus: i. e. rich men like himself.

151. Phæacum: the Phæacians were a people of the island Corfu, or Corcyra, in the Ionian sea, where there was feigned to be a perpetual autumn, abounding with the choicest fruits.

152. Sororibus Afris: i. e. the Hesperides. See Class. Dict. 153. Tu... capellà: various interpretations have been given of this passage, but none are entirely satisfactory. One reading of the 155th line is, Discit ab hirsuto jaculum torquere Capellâ, according to which we are to understand Capella to be the name of a centurion.

By aggere the Prætorian camp, near the walls of Rome, is intended.-By qui tegitur, &c. (sc. simius, as antecedent to qui) the sports of the soldiers of the Prætorian camp are alluded to; one of which was (according to Leo Africanus) to dress an ape like a soldier and teach him to hurl a javelin from the back of a goat, as a soldier hurls his from that of a horse.

156. Forsitan ... doleas: i. e. you may perhaps think that Virro treats you in this poor manner, to save expense; but you are mistaken, he does it to vex you, and then to laugh at you.

157. Nam...molari: i. e. there can be no comedy more pleasing, no buffoon more laughable, than a disappointed glutton, bemoaning himself with tears of anger and resentment at such wretched fare, and gnashing and grating his teeth together, having nothing to put between them, to keep them asunder. 158. Ergo: this line is thus divided:

Quis měli- | ōr plō- | rantě gù- | l'érgō | ōmníă | fiúnt. The o in ergo is preserved from elision.

164. Etruscum ... aurum: the golden boss or bulla was adopted by the Romans from the Etrurians, and at first was worn only by the children of the nobility; afterwards, by all free-born: it was in the shape of a heart, and worn before the breast, to prompt them to the study of wisdom.

165. Vel nodus... loro: a bulla or boss of leather, a sign or note of freemen, worn by the poorer sort of children, and susrended at the breast by a leathern thong.

The meaning is, that no one would bear such insulting treat