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

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446 , EXPLANATORY NOTES. BOOK I., SATIRE IV.
Bale in regular establishments {taberneB librariie), chiefly in the ArgiletiSm
and in the Vicus Sandalarius. On the shop-doort or on a pillar, as the caso
might be, there was a list of the titles of books on sale.—71. Queis manus
insudet, Sec. " Over which the hand of the rabhle and of Hermogenes
TigelUns may sweat."
73-84. 73. Nee rectio^ Understand qua servpsi.— ^73. In meditt qui,
Sec, It is here objected to the poet, that if he himself does not openly
recite satirical verses of his composing, yet there are .many who do redtd
theirs, and that^ too, even in the fonim and the bath; selecting the latter
place in particolar, because, "being shat in- on every side by walls, it
gives a pleasing echo to the voice." To this the poet replies, that such
persons are mere fools, and altogether ignorant «fwhat propriety demands,
as is shown in their selection of the place where they choose to exhibit
themselves.— ^76. Hand illud queereTUes. "Who never stop to put this
question to themselves." Siiie senau, "Without any regard to what
propriety demands."—77. Ltsdere gaudes^ &c. The poet^A antagonist is
here supposed to return to the attack with a new charge. Well, then,
if thou recitest in private and not in public, it is only the promjpfeing of a
maHcions spirit, that thou mayest slander with the more impuni^ amid
the; secret circle of thy friends ; for " thou takest delight in assailing the
characters of others" {Ladare gaitdes).—78. Inquit, "Says one." The
common reading is inqwisi—Et hoc studio prmus fads. " And this thoa
doest from the eager promptings of an evil heart." Literally, " and this,
evil-hearted, thou doest with eager feelings." JJnde^ petitum hoc in me
jacis. The poet indignantly repels the charge, and introdoces a most
beautiful moral lesson respecting the duties of friendship.—79. Est auctot
qiiis, &c. Observe that ^'U^s is here, as B/eissig remarks, the simple in-
terrogative, and does not stand for aliquiSf as Heindorf maintains,
80. Absentem qui rodit amicum. In order to connect the train of ideas,
we must suppose something like the following clause to precede the present
line : No, the maxim by which my conduct is governed is this : " He
who backbites an absent friend," &o. There is no term in our language
which more forcibly expresses the meamngoi rodere in this passifige than
the homely one which we have adopted, "to backbite." And yet even
this, in some respects, does not come fully up to the signification of the
original. The allusion is to that " gnawing" of another's character, which
is the more injurious as it is the more difficult to be detected and put
down.j—81. Solutoa qui capiat risus homiTmm, &c. " Who seeks eager-
ly for the loud laughter of those around him, and the reputation of a wit.'
The allusion is to one who values not the character or the feelings of
others if he can but raise a laugh at their expense, and who will sacrific*
the ties of intimacy and friendship to some paltry witticism.—85. Hii
niger est, ice. " This man is black of heart ; shon him, thou that hast tht
spirit of a Koman.''
85-87. 85. Scepe tribus lectis, &c. The poet now proceeds to give a
proof of the unreasonable conduct of those who charged him with maligni
ty. The usual number of couches placed around the TftWtSO'Or table, ii
the Roman banqueting-^oom, w-as three, one side ef= the table being left
open for the slaves to bnng in and out the dishes. Henoe the name tri^
elinium given to the bimqaeting-room. On each couch there were com
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