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

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438 EXPLANATORY NOTES. BOOK I., SATIRE III.
here the ablative, not the nominative, and refers' to the cniel conduct of
the master toward his slave. The crime alluded to in peccatum is stated
immediately after, ** Paulum deliquit amicus" &c.—85. Concedas. " Over"
lookest." Insuavis. "Unkind."—86. Ruson&n. Ruso was a well-known
naurer, and at the same time prided himself on his literary taletits. When
his debtors were unable to pay the principal or the interest that was due,
their only way to mitigate his anger was to listen patiently to him while
he read over to them his wretched historical productions. He was thus,
as Francis well observes, a double torment : he ruined the poor people,
who borrowed money, by his extortion, and he read them to death with
his works.—87. Tristes KcUendtB, The caleuds are here called tnsf^f or
glbomy, in allnsioii to the poor debtor who finds himself unable to pay
what he owes. Money was lent among the Romans from month to month,
and the debtor would of course be called upon for payment of the principal
or interest on the calends of the ensuing month. Another part of the
month for laying out money at interest or calling it in was the ides. Con-
sult note on Epode ii., 67.—88. Mereedem aut nummos. " The interest or
principal." Unde unde extricat. "Makes out in some way or other."
Extrico is to disengage from tricm, or little impediments, such as hairs,
threads, &c., which get about things. Amm-ax* Equivalent to inepte
scriptas.—89. Porrecto jugulo. Raso reads his unfortunate hearer 6d
death with his silly trash, and the poor man, stretching oat his neck to
listen, is compared to one who is about to receive the blow of the executioner.
Audit. " Is compelled to listen to:"
91-95. 91. Evandri manibus tritum. As regards the Evander here
mentioned^ the scholiast informs us that he was a distinguished artist^
carried from Athens to Alexandrea by Marc Antony, and thence subsequently
to R^me by Augustus, and that he executed i& this latter city
some admirable works. Some commentators, however, understand by
the expression Evandri mamhus tritum a satirical allusion to the great
antiquity of the article in question, as if it had been " worn smooth," as it
were, by the very hands of Bvander, the old monarch of early Roman
story. This latter appears to be the more correct opinion. 1^ however,
the other explanation be preferredr tritum must then be translated " fashioned
in relief."—95. Commissa fide. *' Secrets confided to his hofcor."
F*de is here the old form of the dative. Compare Ode iii., 7, 4. Spansumve
negarit.
word.
*" Or has refused to fuliill a promise," i. e., has broken hia
96-110. 96. Queis paria esse fere plaeuit, &c. Render /crS here "in
general." The poet here begins an attack on the Stoic secfc, who maintained
the strange doctrine that all offences were equal in enormity. According
to them, every virtue being a conformity to nature, and every-vice
a deviation from it, aU virtues and vices were equal. One act of benefi<
cence or justice is not more truly so than another : one fraud is not more
a fraud than another; therefore there is no other difference in the essen-
tial nature of moral actions' than that some are vicious and others virtuous.
—97. Quum ventum ad verzim est. " When they come to the plain reali-
ties of life."
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Sensus moresque. " The general sense of mankind and the
established customs of all nations."—99. Quwa prorepservnt, &c. Horace
Sere follows the opinion of ISpicamjs respecting the primitive state of man.
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