But as Europa is here aggravating her own Guilt, why may not culpa virginum, and turpe commiffum, be applied to the indecent Freedom the had taken with the Bull, in decking his Head with Flowers, kiffing him, and getting upon his Back? This feems as natural as her calling herself impudent (in the Verfe before quoted) merely because she had left her Father's Houfe. Mofchus fays, that the Bull fell down upon his Knees to receive her, and that, as she was placing herself on his Back, the cried out to her Virgin Companions to mount him also ; fpringing up at once, he carried her off. In the Tranfport of her Affliction the might justly call this a fame ful Action. To be sure, it would have been indecent in any Virgin of a liberal Education, and was much more fo in a King's Daughter. but Bentley, to fix the Senfe here, corrects the Line following those above in this Manner : An vitio carentem Vana? Though he owns that all the Copies he has ever met with read vitiis. But (fays he) quantumvis ii reclament, fine dubio corrigendum eft VITIO. 'How much foever they may reclaim against it, without Doubt this Paffage must be corrected with the Word VITIO.' And vitium in the Singular (as he fhows) fignifies Auprum, or Fornication. I fhall only obferve upon this, that if Horace intended to follow the Plan I have mentioned, he would purpofely avoid the Word vitio here: And I can fee no Reafon why we fhould not tranflate vitiis carentem, without Faults, or blameless; i. e. without any intentional Fault. To conclude; I dare not affert any thing pofitively, but fubmit thefe Conjectures to the Judgment of the Learned, by whom I fhall be always glad to be inftructed. As this is the moft obfcure Ode in Horace, it is hoped the Reader will excufe the Length of the Notes: D. This Ode is omitted by Mr Creech. ODE W O DE XXVIII. TO LYDÉ. I HAT Honours, Lyde, fhall we pay Produce your old Cæcubian Wine; And each grave Thought for frolic Airs refign. You fee, from Noon declines the Sun; You spare to broach the tardy Jar, Laid up in Conful Bibulus's Year, Our Voice, by Turns, to Neptune's Praife,' And to the 3 Sea-green Nymphs, we'll raise: 4 Latona, to the tuneful String, And squiver'd Cynthia, You alone shall fing. In Chorus Her we'll praife, whofe Sway Who, drawn by Swans, her 7 Paphian Plain Revives; and favouring 8 Night shall close our Strain. NOTES NOTES. This feems to have been written fome Years after the 11th Ode of this Book. In the 11th Ode of this Book Lydé is described as a Girl quite wild ; Qua, velut latis equa trima campis, Nuptiarum expers, et adhuc proter vo Cruda marito. But here he appears thoroughly tamed and gentle. It feems probable that this was not the firft Feast of Neptune the had given to her Lover. DACIER. 2 Fefe die Neptuni.] The Feast of Neptune was celebrated on the 23d of July. There was fo great a Concourse of People at Rome on this Festival," that the Streets and Suburbs of the City were filled with Booths for the Entertainment of Strangers. Horace, who hated a Crowd, chofe rather to pass the Day with Lyde. DACIER. 3 Virides Nereidum comas.] The Hair of the Nereids was painted of a greenish Colour, like the Waves of the Sea. 4 Lyde was to fing Latona and Diana, because the Courtezans often wanted the Aid of thofe Goddeffes, who were the Patrons of Lying-in Women. Celeris fpicula Cynthiæ.] Diana was called Cynthia, and Apollo, Cynthius, from a Mountain in Delos. Horace fpeaks here of the Arrows and Swiftness of Diana, because the delighted in Hunting. 6 The Cyclades are Ilands in the Egéan Sea; which were fo named because they encompaffed Crete. But Horace here fpeaks of the Sporades (for they were allo called Cyclades by the Ancients) fifty-three lands of the Egean Sea from Tenedos to Crete. He very accurately calls them fulgentes here, and nitentes in the 14th Ode of the first Book for the Sporades are white and luminous, from the Chalk with which they abound: On which Account Dionyfius the Geographer compares them to After the Cyclades, fays he, we fee the Sporades fhine, like Stars in a ferene Sky, when the furious North Wind has chafed away the moist Clouds. Stars: PACIER. 7 Paphos 7 Paphos was a City in Cyprus. 8 Horace fays, that after they have fung Venus, they will alfo fing the Goddess of Night, to thank her for the Pleasures the gives them an Opportunity of enjoying. DE That long the Tuscan Sceptre fway'd, The fragrant Syrian Oil, that shall perfume thy Hair. II. When the Wine sparkles from afar, And the well-natur'd Friend cries, Come away; Make Haste, and leave thy Bufinefs and thy Care, No mortal Intereft can be worth thy Stay. III. Leave, for a while, thy coftly Country-Seat; The naufeous Pleasures of the Great. Make Make Hafte, and come; Come, and forfake thy cloying Store ; The Smoke, and Wealth, and Noise of Rome; And all the bufy Pageantry, That wife Men fcorn, and Fools adore: Come, give thy Soul a Loofe, and tafte the Pleafures of the Poor, IV. Sometimes 'tis grateful to the Rich, to try A fhort Viciffitude, a Fit of Poverty, A favoury Difh, a homely Treat, Where all is plain, where all is neat, Without the stately fpacious Room, The Perfian Carpet, or the Tyrian Loom, Clear up the cloudy Foreheads of the Great. V. The Sun is in the Lion mounted high; Barks from afar, And with his fultry Breath infects the Sky; The Ground below is parch'd, the Heavens above us fry. The Shepherd drives his fainting Flock And feeks refreshing Rivulets nigh: The Sylvans to their Shades retire, Thofe |