enjoy himself with his Friends (whom he often invited to Supper), and even to extoll the Pleasures of good Cheer: And this was Ground enough for Horace to fay of him, that he fometimes warmed his Virtue with Wine. 9. Tu lene tormentum ingenio admoves.] Thefe Words are thus explained by the Editor in ufum Delphini: By Thee, the Tempers of Men are gently tortured, and ⚫ tried of what Kind they are; the Severe are mademore mild, the Cruel foftened, &c.' Plato, in his Book of Laws, fays, That Wine is a Rack, neither coftly nor dangerous, to try the Affections of Men.' Dacier thinks, that Horace here alludes to the battering Rams and other Machines made ufe of in befieging Cities: But the former Interpretation feems the most easy and natural. 13 Et, fi lata aderit, Venus.] Venus, if chearful; that is, fays Dacier, fi elle eft de belle humeur, gay and affable; because the Pleasure of thefe jovial Meetings was often interrupted by Quarrels occafioned by Love. It appears from hence, that Women were to be of the Party. 11 Segnefque nodum folvere Gratiæ.] The GRACES, Now to break their Knot; that is, who never break it, or are infeparable; for they always hold one another by the Hand, and are fo painted. What Horace here fays amounts to no more than this: That Love without Strife, and fincere Friendship, should heighten the Joys of Wine and good Cheer. 12 Lucerna.] See the Remarks on the 8th Ode of this Book. 13 Dum rediens fugat aftra Phoebus.] On fuch joyful Occafions they continued drinking till the Morning. This Ode is omitted by Mr. Creech. ODE. ************************** ODE XXII. To DIAN A. F Woods and Mountains Guardian-Maid, 2 Thrice call'd, propitious to redeem, OF And give to pregnant Dames thy Aid, Thou 3 triple Goddess with a triple Name! Accept the Pine that shades my Seat, * Of a young Boar, that aims a fidelong Wound. NOTES. This Ode feems to be a Thanksgiving to Diana, for, the timely Aid she gave one of his Miftreffes. 1 Montium cuftos nemorumque.] Mountains, Woods, and Rivers were the Province or Portion of Diana: For which Reason Horace calls her here the Guardian of Mountains. 2 Ter vocata.] On account of her three Names: Befides, the Number Three was myfterious and sacred; a Superftition of great Antiquity: But Man is by Nature a fuperftitious Animal. Earl of CORKE. 3 Diva triformis.] Having, as it were, a threefold Deity; and styled in Heaven Luna, or the Moon, on Earth Diana, and Proferpine in Hell. Hence this Diftich : Terret, Terret, luftrat, agit, Proferpina, Luna, Diana, 4 Verris obliquum_meditantis_ictum.] This is happily expreffed; for the Tufks of a Boar are placed in fuch a Manner, that he can only bite obliquely, or fideways. ODE XXIII. TO PHIDYLE. By Mr. DUNCOMBE, fen. F, each new Moon, my ruftic Maid IF, new my Is feen with Hands to Heaven display'd, Why should she seek more Gifts than these, New Fruits and Incense let her pay, Let the devoted Steer, that feeds • Before their Altar if you ftand, And touch it with unblemish'd Hand, Your Salt and Barley will become More grateful than a Hecatomb. NOTES. Phidyle is fuppofed to have been Horace's Housekeeper in the Country, and to have begged Leave to offer larger Sacrifices to the Lares. The Anfwer which the Poet makes her in this Ode, may be produced as one Instance (among many) of the excellent Morality taught by the Philofophers. I Supinas fi tuleris manus.] This was the common Gesture of thofe who prayed. If they addreffed themselves to the heavenly Gods, they lifted their Hands in fuch a Manner, that the Palm was turned towards Heaven; in which Pofture the Hand is reverfed: This is properly the Meaning of Supina. Thus Virgil: Dicitur Multa Jovem manibus fupplex oraffe fupinis. Æneid. iv. 204, 205. For this is the fame thing, which he has faid elsewhere; Duplices tendens ad fidera palmas. But when they addressed themselves to the infernal Gods, the Palm was turned towards the Earth. 2 Avidaque porca.] A Pig was the Victim commonly offered to the Lares. At nobis arata, Lares, depellite tela: TIBULLUS, L. I. Eleg. 11. 3 Rubiginem.] Rubigo fignifies that Blight upon Corn, which we call the Smut, and is fo tranflated by Mr. Creech. But it seems too low a Word for Poetry. 4 Dulces alumni.] The young ones of the Flock; as in the 18th Ode of this Book, Dulces, tender. Mr. Creech has tranflated it, her darling Children, viz, of Phidylé. VOL. II. G 5 Qua 5 Qua nivali pafcitur Algido.] In the 21ft Ode of the firit Book he calls it gelido Algido. See the Note there. We learn from hence, that Victims for the public Sacrifices were taken from the Herds fattened on Mount Algidus, or in the Paftures of Alba. 6 Immunis aram fi tetigit manus, Non fumptuofa blandior hoftia, Mollibit averfos Penates Farre pio, et faliente micâ.] Bentley here reads mollivit: Sanadon, mollirit. They both agree, that there is not a fingle Inftance of any Writer in that Age, who made the future Tenfe of the fourth Conjugation end in ibo. Dacier and Bentley contend, that immunis fignifies here only empty, and that it is never taken for pure or innocent, when it ftands by itself. Sanadon, on the contrary, maintains, that it fignifies innocent; and proves that it may be fo taken from Pliny, Book xvii. Chap. xxxvii. Caprificus omnibus immunis eft, quæ adhuc diximus, where vitiis must be understood; and from his xxvith Book, Chap. ii. Oculis tantum immunibus; mali or malo being understood. Befides, a Hand which makes an Offering with Bread-corn or Barley (farre), with Salt (faliente mica), and with a Heg (porca) cannot be faid to be empty. Thefe great Critics are no lefs divided about the Manner of conftruing thefe Lines. Dacier fays, the Words are to be placed thus: Et fi manus tua immunis tetigit aram, mollibit iniquos penates farre pio et faliente micâ, non blandior futura cum fumptuofa hoftiâ. Sanadon thus: Si tua manus aram immunis (fceleris or vitii) tetigit, non blandior molliverit averfos penates cum fumptuofâ hoftia, quam cum farre pio et faliente micâ. Bentley thinks they are both in the wrong: Hofia, according to him, is the Nominative Cafe, and this the Order of the Words: Sumptuofa hoftia non mollivit perates blandior farre pio, five, blandius quam far. The fhort Syllable in fum ptuofa, he fays, is produced, or lengthened, because the next Word, blandior, begins with two Confonants; as was frequently practifed by Catullus; and by Martial in the following Line; Quid gladium demens Romana firingis in ora? And that blandior is to be joined with hoflia, and not with manus, Ovid alone will evince (fays he), in a Pas fage where he imitates our Author: Sape |