The works of Horace : with English notes, critical and ... - Cristo Raul

—
—
—
436 EXPLANATORY NOTES. BOOK 1., SATIEE III.
He was of very small statare, nnder two feet, bat txtrelnely shrewd aad
acute, whence he obtained the appellation of Sisyphns, in allosion to that
dexteroas and cunning chieftain of fabulous times.—47. Varum. '* A Va-
rus."—48. Scaurum. " One of the Scanri." It will be observed that all
the names here given by the poet, Patus, Pullus, Vantt, and Bcaurus,
vrere surnames of Roman families more or less celebrated, derived, prob-
ably, from some ancestor in whom corresponding defects existed. This
imparts a peculiar spirit to the original, especially in the cose of the two
latter, where the parent seeks to cover the deformities of bis oSspring
with names of dignity. Yairui, as an epithet, denotes one who has the
legs bent inward, or, as the scholiast expresses it, " citjus pedes introrsum
retorta sunt," This, when not very great, is hardly regarded as a defect,
being considered a sign of strength; bnt the fond father thus calls his son
whose legs were actually distorted. Balbutit. " He calls in child-like
accents," i, e., he imitates the child's half-stammering mode of spealdng;
he fondly calls. &cav/rum. By scaurus is meant one who has the ankles
branching out, or is club-footed. Pra/aisfaltum Tnale ialis. "Badly sup.
ported on distorted ankles." By pravis fitllus talis is bere meant one
whose ankles branch out so far that he walks, as it were, on them.
49-66. 49. Parcius hie vivit ? fntgi dicatur. The poet here exempli'
fiea this rule as he would wish it to operate in the case of friends. "Does
this friend of thine live rather too sparingly 1 let him be styled by thee a
man of frugal habits." Ineptus etjactantior hie paulo est f " Is this one
accustomed to forget what time, and place, and circumstance demand,
and is he a little too much given to boasting?" As regards the term tn-
eptus, onr language appears to be in the same predicament, in which, according
to Cicero, the Greek tongue was, having no single word by wbicb
to express its meaning. {De Orat., ii., 4.) Some translate it by the term
" a bore."—50. Concinnus amicis postulate &c. " He requires that he
appear to his friends an agreeable companion," i. e., he requires this by
the operation of the rule which the poet wishes to see established in matters
of Mendship.—51. At est trueulentiar, &g. " But is he somewhat
rongh, and more free in what he says than is consistent with propriety?
let him be regarded as one who speaks just what he thinks, and who is a
stranger to all fear."—53. Caldior est? acres inter numeretv/r. "Is he
too passionate ? let him be reckoned among men of spirit."—55. At nos
virtutes ipsas iiwertimus, &c. "We, however, misrepresent virtues themselves,
and are desirous of smearing over the cleanly vessel," i. e, but we
do the very reverse of all this : we invert the virtues and turn them into
faults by our nomenclature. We, as I may say, are not content to let the
vessel remain clean in its present state ; we would fain danb and disfigure
it with dirt. - [Keightley, ad ?oc.)-r-57. Mulium est demissus homo 1 "Is
he a man of very modest and retiring character ?"
—
—
Illi tarda cogTuymen,
ice. "We call him heavy and dull." There is a great difference of opin-
ion with regard to this whole passage. We have followed the most natural
mode of explaining it.— 59. Nulliqtie malo lotus obdit apertum.
"And exposes an unguarded side to no ilI-deBignin|; person," i. e., lays
himself open to the arts of no bad man. An image borrowed from the
gladiatorial shows.—61. Crimdna. In the sense cX crimineUiones.—Pro
bene sano ac rum. incauto, tec. "Instead of a discreet and guarded, w«
style him a disgnised and subtle man "—63. SiHiplidor qiiis, et est. Sea