Ode XV.-1. The wealth of Gyges I despise,] Gyges was the favourite of Candaules king of Lydia, whose queen was remarkably beautiful, and passionately admired by her husband. In his vanity he extolled her charms above measure to Gyges, and to convince him of her beauty, determined to show her to him naked: which he effected, but not without the queen's discovering the affront; who next morning sent privately for Gyges, and resolutely told him, he must either suffer immediate death for what he had done, or dispatch Candaules, and take her and the kingdom of Lydia for his recompense. The choice was difficult, as he greatly valued his master: however, the love of life prevailed-he stabbed Candaules, married the queen, and took possession of the kingdom. 8. To morrow is a distant day.] There is an epigram in the second book of the Anthologia, that has the same turn: Πινε, και ευφραίνε" τι γαρ αύριον, ή τι το μέλλον, Ουδείς γινώσκει μη τρέχε, μη κοπια Ως δύνασαι χαρίσαι, μεταδος, φάγε, νήλα λογιζε, Το ζην τε μη ζην είδεν όλως απεχεία Πας ὁ βιος ποιος δε, ροπήν μόνον αν προλάβη τις Αν δε θανης, έτεξε πανία, συ δ' εδεν έχεις. Cease from thy cares and toils, be sweetly gay, And drink-To morrow is a distant day: Improve on time; to bliss each moment give; Not to enjoy this life, is not to live: Then while the hour serenely shines, Toss the gay die, and quaff thy wines; But ever in the genial hour, To Bacchus the libation pour, Lest Death in wrath approach, and cry, "Man-taste no more the cup of joy." ODE XVI. BY THE SAME. THE POWER OF BEAUTY. No navy, rang'd in proud array, Our goods are now our own, but when we die 10 Ode XVI.-1. Some sing of Thebes,] Anacreon alludes to the famous war of the seven captains against Thebes, occasioned by Eteocles the son of Edipus and Jocasta, refusing his brother Polynices his share in the government, though they had previously agreed, after their father's death, to rule alternately year by year. Æschylus wrote a tragedy on this subject. 3. I mourn, alas! in plaintive strains, My own captivity and chains.] Ovid has imitated this passage-Amor. 1. 2. eleg, 18. Vincor, et ingenium sumptis revocatur ab armis, I'm conquer'd, and renounce the glorious strain 9. Dangerous hosts that ambush'd lie Nonnus calls the eyes, The archers of Love, axı15ngs ww; and there is something similar to this in an epigram of the Anthologia, book which, speaking of love, says, Very wide, and very deep. Carve not there the northern Team, Ου με λέληθας, Τοξοτα, Ζηνοφίλας ομμασι κρυπίόμενος. 10 20 Insidious archer, not unseen you lie, Though ambush'd close in Zenophelia's eye. Ode XVII. This elegant ode is quoted by Gellius, who says it was sung and played upon instruments at an entertainment where he was present. 9. Carve not there the northern Team, &c.] The poet alludes to the constellations, which Vulcan described on the shield of Achilles. See Homer's Iliad, book the 18th. There shone the image of the master mind: Th' unweary'd Sun, the Moon completely round; Pope. 10. Nor Orion's dreadful beam ;] Anacreon calls Orion, vyvo, odious, because he is the forerunner of tempests, and therefore dreadful to mariners. Horace calls him infestus, Epode 15. Dum pecori lupus, et nautis infestus Orion. ODE XVIII. ON THE SAME. CONTRIVE me, artisan, a bowl And in the bright compartments bring ODE XIX. WE OUGHT TO DRINK. THE thirsty Earth sucks up the showers - Which from his urn Aquarius pours; 20 The meek-ey'd Graces laughing It is not without reason that Anacreon, after having mentioned Venus, introduces Love among the Graces; being sensible, that though beauty alone might please, yet without the aid of other charms, it could not long captivate the heart. Καλλος ανευ χαριτων τέρπει μόνον 8 κατέχει δε, Ως ατερ αγκιστρο νηχόμενον δέλεαρ. Beauty without the graces may impart 23. But no Apallo, god of day.] The poet desires that Apollo may not be described upon his bowl, because he was so unfortunate as to kill his favourite Hyacinthus, as he was playing with him at quoits. Ode XIX.-5. The Sea, in his prodigious cup, Drinks all the rain and rivers up ;] The original is, mivu Juracoa & augas, The sea drinks up the air. All the commentators are silent here, except Dr. Trapp, who owns he did not understand the expression. Might I venture to make an easy alteration of the text, I would read, Пive Farago' avavoo;, The sea drinks up the rivers. See Ode 7th. A fewy 14' avaugur, Through rapid rivers, or torrents. It is likewise used in the same sense by the best authors. Mosebus, Idyllium 2, 31. See also Hoelzinus on Apollonius Rhodius, book 1, 9. This emendation makes the sense full and complete. 10. The merry Moon drinks up the Sun.] The Moon is said to drink up the Sun, because she borrows her light from that luminary. Ode XX.-4. Sad Niobe an image stands;] Niobe was the daughter of Tantalus king of Phrygia, and wife of Amphion king of Thebes, by whom, according to Homer, having six sons and six daughters, she became so proud of her offspring and high birth that she had the vanity to prefer herself to Latona, the mother of Apollo and Diana, who, to revenge the affront offered to their parent, in one day slew all her children; upon which Niobe was struck dumb with grief, and remained stupid. For that reason, the poets have feigned her to be turned into a stone. The story is told by Ovid in the sixth book of the Metamorphoses; but perhaps better by Pope, in his translation of the twenty-fourth book of the Iliad, where Achilles is introduced thus speaking to Priam. Nor thou, O father! thus consum'd with woe, ODE XXI. SUMMER. FILL, fill, sweet girls, the foaming bowl, I faint with thirst-the heat of day So was her pride chastis'd by wrath divine, Who match'd her own with bright Latona's line: But two the goddess, twelve the queen enjoy'd; Pope. There are two short epigrams in the Anthologia, which perhaps the reader will be glad to see in English. Ο τύμβος έτος ενδον εκ έχει νεκρον. Ο νεκρος έτος εκτος εκ έχει τάφον. This weeping tomb within no corse contains; Ζωην Πραξιτέλης εμπαλιν ειργασαίο. I once was Niobe, and fill'd a throne, I cannot conclude my notes on this ode without first observing, that this gallant original has been copied by several masters. I shall produce one example, because it is the shortest, which is ar. epigram of Dionysius the sophist. Ειθ' ανεμος γενόμην, συ δε γε τείχεσα παρ' αυγάς, κρίνον γενόμην λευκόχροον, ούρα με χερσιν I wish myself a gentle breeze to blow, That I might kiss your skin, and gather whiteness there. Ode XXI.-2. And let me gratify my soul:] The Greek is, wiv apuçi. Amystis, as Madame Dacier observes, was a manner of drinking among the Thracians, so called from their swallowing down a O! lead me to yon cooling bowers, What wines, what shades, this heat of love? 10 ODE XXII. BY E. G. B. ESQ. THE BOWER. HERE, my Chloe, charming maid, Gently fans the waving trees! Streams, that whisper through the grove, Whisper low the voice of Love, Sweetly bubbling wanton sport, ODE XXIII. THE VANITY OF RICHES. If the treasur'd gold could give And, when Death approach'd, would say, Give me freely while I live Friends sincere, and beauty kind. 10 9. But O! my heart, what can remove, &c.] The reflection the poet here makes is exceedingly natural, beautiful, and strong; "When love has once got possession of the heart, all exterior remedies will have no effect;" agreeably to the conclusion of the fourteenth ode: All defence to folly turns, When within the battle burns. Ode XXII.-This ode is by Anacreon addressed to Bathyllus; but the translator has, with more decency and gallantry, applied it to a lady. 10. Where Persuasion holds her court.] The original is, Пnyn go wuss, a fountain rolling persuasion, than which nothing can be more delicate or poetical, as most of the commentators have ob served. Longepierre quotes a beautiful epigram from the Anthologia, book 1, similar to this ode; where the god Pan is supposed to speak. Ερχεο και κατ' εμαν ίζευ πίτιν, ὦ το μελιχρον Or sweetly sleep the tranquil hours away. Ode XXIII. One cannot but be surprised at the wretched taste of Faber, who has rejected this ode as spurious and not Anacreon's, when perhaps it is not inferior in beauty to the best of them; as Barnes and Trapp have amply proved by explaining a Greek idiom, with which it is scarce worth while to trouble the English reader. 3, 4. I'd employ my utmost care Still to keep, and still to spare ;] These words seem to allude to an anecdote in the history of Anacreon, which I shall explain. Stobæus tells us, that Anacreon, having received a present of five talents of gold from Polycrates, ty solicitudes about his treasure, that he could not sleep for two nights successively: whereupon he sent back the present, with this apology to his patron, "That, however valuable the sum might be, it was not a sufficient price for the trouble and anxiety of keeping it." rant of Samos, was so embarrassed with cares and Ode XXIV-7. Teasing Care, then set me free,] Tibullus says, Ite procul durum curæ genus, ite labores. And all the wrinkled family of Care. Macedonius concludes an epigram with this distich, Anthologia, book 1. Την γαρ Ανακρέοντος ενι παραπίδεσσι φυλάσσω I like Anacreon's counsel wond'rous well, To let no troubles in my bosom dwell. 13, 14. Laugh and sing, and dance and play, With Lyæus young and gay.] Julian, in an epitaph he composed on Anacreon, makes him repeat the same lesson after he was dead. Tod μεν αείσα, και εκ τυμβω δε βοήσω Πίνετε, πριν ταύτην αμφίβαλησθε κονιν. What oft alive I sung, now dead I cry Loud from the tomb, "Drink, mortals, ere. you die." Ode XXV,-1, 2. When gay Bacchus cheers my breast, [rest:] All my cares are lull'd to Dissipat Evius curas edaces. Hor. b. 2. 11. Th' enlivening god will sordid care refine. Duncombe, Ode XXVI.-This ode, as Longepierre observes, is in the same style as the two preceding, and the Μέγισον πλετον, Ως πίνοντος ὁρμαινει καρι When the rosy bowl we drain, 5, 6. Ivy-wreaths my temples shade, next ensuing. There is a fragment of Bacchylides In the forty-first ode Anacreon calls Bacchus, |