16. Et famae servit ineptus-"and stupidly become the slaves of a name." 17. Qui stupet in titulis et imaginibus "who are lost in stupid admiration of inscriptions and busts," i.e., of a long line of titled ancestors. The tituli were the descriptive legends attached to the imagines; and the imagines were waxen masks representing the features of deceased relatives who had held one of the curule offices, i.e., the ædileship, prætorship, or consulship. These masks, or family portraits, were preserved in niches, or cases, around the walls of the atrium, as in the following cut, from a sepulchral bas-relief. For the jus imaginum, see Ramsay's Antiquities, and compare Ode iv. 8, 13, and 14, 4. 18. Nos-"us," i.e., Mæcenas and Horace. For nos, Bentley conjectures vos. Longe longeque "far, far," or "very, very far." A few MSS. give longe lateque. The answer to the question here put is not given by the poet, but may be supplied, thus: In the selection of friends look only to their intrinsic merits, and continue to disregard the adventitious circumstances of birth and fortune. 19. Namque esto, &c. quiessem -The poet here makes a slight digression. The connection in the train of ideas appears to be: Such, then, being the true principle of action, and such the light in which merit, however humble its origin, ought to be regarded, let those unto whom titled ancestry is denied, repine not at their condition, but remain contented with what they have. For suppose, (Namque esto,) the people might even be unjust towards a candidate of lowly birth, or a censor like Appius eject an individual from the senate because his father had not always been free, what great harm is suffered by this? Is he not rather treated as he should be? And ought he not to have been contented, without aspiring to vain and disquieting honours? Mallet -mandare-"would have been more ready to bestow." The imperfect subjunctive implies that the supposition is contrary to fact. 20. Decio-novo-"to a new man like Decius." Decio is here used as a species of appellative, as, in the preceding line, Laevino should be rendered "to a Lævinus." P. Decius Mus, who (Livy, viii. 9) devoted himself and the army of the enemy to destruction, B.C. 340, at the battle of Vesuvius, in the great Latin war, was, like Marius, or Cicero, a novus homo, i.e., was the first of his family that attained to a curule office. Censor-Appius-"a censor like Appius." The poet probably alludes to Appius Claudius Pulcher, brother of the notorious Clodius, and when censor, B. C. 50, ejected many individuals from the senate because they were the sons of freedmen, and exercised his authority with such severity that Coelius (Cicero ad Fam. viii. 14, 4) declares, Persuasum est ei censuram lomentum aut nitrum esse. Errare mihi videtur; nam sordes eluere vult, venas sibi omnes et viscera aperit. 22. Vel merito nai eixóτws y-"and that, indeed, deservedly." In propriapelle-"in my own skin," i.e., in my own proper sphere. This probably has reference to Esop's fable of the Ass in the Lion's skin. Cp. versipellis. 23. Sed fulgente, &c.-generosis-The poet supposes some one to urge, in extenuation of the conduct which he has just been condemning, the overwhelming influence that a thirst for distinction exercises upon all men, whatever may be their origin or condition in life. To this he replies in the next line, "Quo tibi, Tilli," &c., by showing how little real pleasure attends the elevation of the low-born, amid the sneers and frowns of the very populace themselves, as well as of those into whose circle they have thus intruded. Fulgente, &c.-Cp. Sat. i. 1, 68; ii. 1, 13; and 3, 223, with i. 9, 31, &c., and 4, 60. Gloria curru-Cp. Epist. ii. 1, 177. 24. Quo tibi, Tilli-"of what advantage has it been to thee, Tillius?" Quo is here the old form for quoi, i.e., cui, and quo tibi is equivalent to cuinam commodo tibi fuit, or quid tibi profuit. According to the Scholiast, Tillius (or, as he writes the name, Tullius) was a person of low origin, and removed from the senate by Cæsar, for being a partisan of Pompey's. After the assassination of Cæsar, however, he regained his senatorian rank, and was made a military tribune. 25. Sumere depositum clavum-"to resume the laticlave which had been put off by thee." The laticlave (latus clavus) was one of the badges of a senator. See Notes, Sat. i. 5, 36. Tribuno-A Grecism for tribunum. 26. Privato quae minor esset - "which would have been less to thee, hadst thou remained in a private station," i.e., which thou wouldst have escaped, hadst thou remained in the obscurity to which thou wast forced to return. 27. Nam ut, &c.-pellibus-"for the moment that any fool has covered his leg up to the middle with the black buskins." Among the badges of senatorian rank were black buskins (here called nigrae pelles, literally "black skins,") reaching up to the middle of the leg, with the letter C in silver on the top of the foot. See Notes, Sat. i. 3, 31. Hence calceos mutare, "to become a senator," (Cicero, Philip. xiii. 13.) 30. Ut si, &c.-formosus-"just as if one should labour under the same disorder that Barrus does, so as to desire to be thought a handsome man." For Barrus, see Notes, Sat. i. 4, 110. 31. For ut, some MSS. give et. 34. Sic, &c.-deorum apparently refer to the fair promises of candidates for the three principal magistracies. Urbem sibi curae relate to the prætor urbanus; Imperium et Italiem, to the consul; and delubra deorum, to the curule ædile. 36. Inhonestus (sit)" he may be dishonoured." 38. Tune, &c.-Cadmo?-" darest thou, the son of a Syrus, a Dama, or a Dionysius, hurl Roman citizens down from the Tarpeian rock, or deliver them over to the executioner Cadmus?" This introduces a dialogue between one of the people and an upstart tribunus plebis. Syrus, Dama, and Dionysius were common names of slaves, and are used as appellatives. According to Acron, Cadmus "fuit carnifex notae crudelitatis." 40. At Novius, &c.-meus-The tribune is here supposed to urge, in his defence, that his colleague Novius is of humbler origin than himself; to which the poet replies, by demanding whether he fancies himself on that account a Paullus or a Messalla? Gradu post me sedet uno-"sits one row behind me," i.e, is inferior to me in rank. See Notes, Epode 4, 16. Of those who do not regard the expression as figurative, some suppose that the one was a senator and the other an eques; others, that the one was an eques, and the other one of the people. 41. Namque, &c.-meus-" for he is what my father was," i.e., he is a freedman, whereas I am the son of a freedman, and consequently one degree his superior. Hoc tibi, &c.-videris?-dost thou fancy thyself, on this account, a Paullus and a Messalla?" Lucius Emilus Paullus (Ode i. 12, 38) and Marcus Messalla Corvinus (Ode iii. 21) were two distinguished noblemen, and the question here put is equivalent to, Dost thou fancy that, on this account, thou art deserving of being compared with men of the highest rank and the most ancient families? 42. At hic, si plostra, &c.-nos-The individual with whom the tribune is here supposed to be engaged in argument, ironically replies, on behalf of the people, to the excuse which the latter had advanced. 28 Well, suppose thy colleague Novius has been advanced to office, although a freedman, did not his merits obtain this station for him? Has he not a voice loud enough to drown the noise of two hundred waggons and three funerals, meeting in the forum? It is this that pleases us in the man, and therefore we have made him. a tribune. The following representation of a plaustrum, or plostrum, is from a Roman bas-relief. While the axle supported the wooden platform, it revolved along with the (tympana) solid wooden wheels, and caused a loud creaking noise. Cp. Ovid, Trist. iii. 10, 59. 43. Tria funera-Roman funerals were accompanied by musicians-tibicines, cornicines, and tubicines, and by hired female mourners (praeficae), some shrieking, and others chanting dirges. See Ramsay's Antiquities, and Becker's Gallus. Magna &c. -tubas-"will send forth a mighty voice, so as to drown the notes of the horns and the trumpets." ." Cp. Sat. i. 4, 43, and 9, 25. 44. Saltem There is something extremely amusing in the self-importance which this saltem denotes. Tenet-delectat. Hoc-Some regard this as a nom., others as an abl. 45. Nunc ad me redeo, &c.-The digres sion, from which the poet now returns, commenced at the 23d line. 46. Rodunt-"carp at." Libertino-See Note on line 6. 47. After at olim, supply me rodebant. 48. Quod mihi, &c.-tribuno-The poet alludes to the command which he once held in the army of Brutus and Cassius. See Notes, Ode ii. 7, 1. In a Roman legion there were six military tribunes, who commanded, under the general, each in his turn, usually month about. In battle, a tribune seems to have had charge of ten centuries, or about a thousand men. See Notes, Epode 4, 20. 49. Dissimile hoc illi est-"this latter case is different from the former." Hoc refers to his having obtained the office of military tribune; illi relates to the circumstance of his being a constant guest at the table of Mæcenas (convictor). Quia non, &c.-procul-"because, though any one may perhaps justly envy me military advancement, he cannot, with the same justice, also envy me the pos session of thy friendship, especially as thou art careful to take unto thee only the worthy, who are far removed from the baseness of adulation." However justly we may envy others the possession of the gifts of fortune, we cannot with the same propriety envy them the enjoyment of what they obtain by their own deserts. Forsit (fors sit) forsitan, or forsan, which is found in some MSS. 50. Te-amicum tuam amicitiam, 51. With dignos, understand amicitia tua. In Greek, vras would have been inserted before prava ambitione procul. 52. Hoc propter hoc-"on this account." 55. Varius-See Notes, Ode i. 6, 1. Quid essem-"what (i. e. what sort of a person) I was;" but quis essem-"who I was." Sin construction is, Si (ut me collaudem) vivo purus et insons, et carus amicis. 70. Ut me collaudem-"to praise myself," anticipates the objection of self-praise which he knows would be urged by his opponents. 71. His "harum rerum, harum virtutum"- Acron. Macro pauper agello "though in narrow circumstances, and the owner of a meagre farm." See Notes, Ode i. 1, 18. 72. In Flavi ludum-"to the school of Flavius," at Venusia, the poet's native place. magni and magnis. The poor parent of the Magni, &c.-orti-There is much satire in bard sends his humble offspring to Rome, the great centurions send their great sons to the village school. Contempt also is probably implied in these epithets, as they seem to insinuate that centurions, who held much the same rank in the Roman army gentry of the place. as sergeants do in ours, were the principal 56. Coram-"into thy presence." gultim pauca locutus-"having stammered out a few words." Singultim is here taken in the sense of singillatim, or singulatim pended on their left arm their satchels and 74. Laevo, &c. - lacerto-"having sus"one by one." Gesner, Orelli, and others, board," which, at Rome, would have been derive it from singultus and make it equiva-carried by Capsarii. SuspensingτnμÉlent to srà λvyo-"sobbingly," or "with sobs." 57. Infans-pudor-"childish (or silent) bashfulness." steed." 59. Satureiano-caballo-"on a Satureian Saturium (or Satureium) was a fertile district in the neighbourhood of Tarentum, and famed for its breed of horses. Rura fundos, or agros-"my lands," or "my estate." 60. With quod eram, compare quid essem, in line 55, and see Notes, Ode i. 1, 3. 61. Nono post mense-The prime minister of Augustus seems to have been somewhat chary about admitting among the number of his friends the quondam Tribune of Bru tus. 63. Turpi and honestum are of the masculine gender, and used substantively. 64. Non, &c.-puro-"not by illustrious parentage, but by purity of life and heart." 65. Atqui si-"but if" Mediocribus "with only ordinary." 66. Alioqui recta-"and in all other res pects unblameable." MSS. give alioquin. For alioqui, some Aut 68. Sordes-"acts of meanness." Most MSS. give ac. The former is probably the true reading. Cp. Ode iii. 12, 1; 23, 5; Sat. i. 9, 31; ii. 1, 13; and 2, 22. Mala lustra"the haunts of vice," i.e., "the habit of resorting to such places," lit. "wicked haunts." Cp. Sat. i. 1, 77. Lustra literally denotes the dens or haunts of wild beasts, hence it is figuratively applied to the abodes of profligacy and vice. 69. Purus, &c.-amicis-The order of vol, and equivalent to an ablative absolute Cruquius' Scholiast explains tabula as a counting-board (abacus), and loculi as the bags which held the pebbles used in count to send his son to Rome, to be taught the same accomplishments as the sons of knights and senators. 77. Artes-"accomplishments =artes liberales-rhetoric, poetry, and philosophy. Doceat =docendas curet-"causes to be taught." ing. It may be observed also that the line mere boy," probably about twelve years of is sportively repeated in Epist. i. 1, 56. age. Est ausus-" he had the spirit," for it 75. Octonis referentes Idibus aera-"bear-was a bold act for a man in his circumstances ing, in payment of their instruction, their (lit. coppers) paltry fees on eight successive Ides," ie., on the Ides of eight successive months. This interpretation, I believe, was first given by C. F. Hermann, and is adopted by Dillenburger and others. Cp. senos dies, Virg. Ecl. i. 44. From this passage, compared with Martial, x. 62, it appears that in country schools there was a four months' vacation, from the Ides of June to those of October. This was owing to the great majority of the parents requiring the services of their children during the olive and vine harvest. At Rome, the principal holidays were three at the Saturnalia, beginning on the 17th of December (xvi. Kal. Jan.), and five at the Quinquatria, commencing with the 19th of March (xiv. Kal. April.), previous to the commencement of a new session. At Venusia the fees were paid by eight instalments of coppers; at Rome, though their smallness, in comparison with the value of the education imparted, is ably ridiculed by Juvenal, in the seventh Satire, they amounted to gold, and were paid in one sum (Juvenal, Sat. vii. 242). Referentes=ἀποφέροντες. Aera-rà di. danrga. Aera is used in this sense also by Juvenal, Sat vii. 217. Many other interpretations have been given. The Scholiasts regard octonis Idibus aera as a hypallage for octona aera Idibus—"eight as's a-month" which not only destroys the spirit of the passage, but is unsupported by other authority. Facciolati, Doering, and Orelli, consider octonis as a sort of epitheton ornans, a mere expletive, there being always eight days between the Nones and Ides; but it does not appear very likely that any Roman author would have been guilty of calling the Ides octonae, and the Nones nonue, precisely for the same reason! This 79. In magno ut populo-"in the midst of a great people even," or "although in the midst of a great people," i.e., in metropolitan Rome, where a fine attire and attendant slaves were common, and consequently attracted less attention than they would have done in a provincial town like Venusia. In this sense the clause is supposed to modify what follows. Some commentators would have it to mean-"as far as he could observe any one in a great crowd of people." Others take the ut from its position, and connect it with si quisuppose any one." Many, on the other hand, consider the clause to depend upon vestem servosque sequentes, and after ut supply fieri solet, decet, or opportet --"as is usual (or proper) in a great city." Si qui vidisset-crederet-"had any one observed, Observe the he would have supposed." sequence of tenses, and the difference between the Latin and English idiom. Avita ex re "from some hereditary estate,' which was impossible in a freedman's son, who, according to Roman law, had no grandfather. See Notes, Sat. i. 5, 55, and Livy, iv. 3, 12. 80. Sumptus dañavýμara. Illos-tam magnos. 81. Custos incorruptissimus—"a most incorruptible guardian." Youths of good family were accompanied to and from school by slaves-boys by paedagogi, and girls by nutrices-who remained during the period of instruction, and probably assisted the teachers, who are in the next line styled by those who wished to corrupt the morals of the individuals entrusted to their charge. doctores. These slaves were often bribed 82. Pudicum (=purum)—-ab omni-facto. 83. Qui-See Notes, Sat. i. 5, 92. Honos is surely confounding the modern with the 76. Puerum (me)-"me, when I was a 85. Sibi ne vitio quis verteret-"lest any one might turn it as a reproach against him." It is better to connect olim with sequerer than with verteret. 86. Praeco-"an auctioneer," or "public crier." Cp. Ars Poet., 419; Epist. i. 7, 56; and Epode 4, 12. Praecones were very extensively employed at Rome, and appear to have been fully more important personages than town-criers are with us. The following cut, is from an ancient bas-relief, and represents a praeco with his long trumpet, in the act of summoning the people to a public funeral (funus indictivum). Coactor is here, according to some commentators, exauctionum coactor" an auctioneer's clerk," or "collector" of purchase-money at sales by auction; according to others, exactionum coactor-"a tax-gatherer," or collector of customs," under the publicani. The former appears the more probable interpretation, from its connection with praeco. There were many sorts of coactores at Rome; and Tacitus applies the term to the rear-guard of an army. Parvas-mercedes sequerer"I should follow an employment yielding small profits," i.e, I should be compelled to follow a mean employment, and one utterly at variance with the education I had received. 87. At hoc-"but for this." For at, some MSS. give ad, and others ob; both of which appear to be emendations, as in the Satires hoc is frequently used for ob (or propter) hoc. Cp. lines 41 and 52. 88. Laus-et-gratia major - "greater praise and gratitude." 89. Sanum--"as long as I am in my right senses." Eoque non, &c.—defendam-" and therefore I will not seek to excuse myself. as a large number do, who declare it to be owing to no fault on their part that they have not free-born and illustrious parents." Dolo culpa. 93. Et vox et ratio-"both my language and sentiments." After juberet supply omnes, or homines. 94. A certis annis-"from (i.e., commencing with) any definite (lit. year) period," i.e.. from the time when each became dissatisfied with his condition in life. 101. Atque salutandi (forent) plures--“and more visitors would have to be received," or rather "more would have to be visited," lit. "saluted." Complimentary visits were paid by clients and others to the rich and powerful, and generally at an early hour in the morning. As the offspring of powerful parents, the poet would have to receive a large number of these; whereas at present he had probably none, and might therefore lie in bed till ten o'clock. See line 122, and Notes, Sat. i. 5, 23. Plures is often equivalent to multi. Unus et comes alter-"one or two as companions," lit. "one and the other companion." 102. See Notes, Sat. i. 4, 96. 103. Calones-" grooms, or "menials," usually "soldiers' slaves." 104. Petorrita-"four-wheeled carriages." The Petorritum was open, and used chiefly for servants, as the rheda was covered and used by their master and his companions. Cp. Sat. i. 5, 86, and Epist ii. 1, 192. Both were of Gallic origin, and so were the esse dum and cisium. Curto-mulo=mulo cauda curta (Cruq. Schol.)-"on my dock-tailed (or bob-tailed) mule.' Some explain curto by "diminutive," or "little." Orelli would have it to mean "vili, exigui pretii," non autem "exiguo, macro," i. e., "paltry, or cheap," but not "small-sized, or lean.' 106. Mantica - "my portmanteau," or "saddle bags." 107. Sordes-"instances of shabbiness, or of miserliness." 108. Tiburte Via-The Tiburtine Way led from the Esquiline gate to Tibur, where the prætor is supposed to have had a villa. The meanness to which the poet alludes, is his being accompanied by neither friends nor equipage, except only a few slaves to carry things which will save him the expense of stopping at inns by the way. Cp. Sat. i. 3, 11. 109. Lasanum, λάoavov—“a gridiron,” or "cooking apparatus." It also denotes a "nightstool." Oenophorumque, οἰνοφόρον, -"and a wine-basket." 110. Observe the variety of construction after commodius. It is first followed by quam, and then by the ablative. 95. Atque alios, &c.—sibi quisque—“and to select, according to their pride, any other parents whatever, each one might wish for himself." In many editions, a stop is placed after quoscunque parentes; but the former appears to be the more natural construction,jectures multis. 111. Millibus atque aliis-" and a thousand others." For millibus, Lambinus con |