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

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EXPLANATORY NOTES. BOOK I., SATIRE VI. 457
af ancestors," s. e-, of obscure birth. Nullis is here equivalent in spirit to
ignobUibus.
lS-17. 12. Lceoinum. We have here an example, on the other hand,
of a man descended fiom illnstrions ancestors, bat so degraded bjr vices
as to be held in universal contempt, and never to have gained an office beyond
the qusBstorship. Valeri genus, unde, &c. "A descendant of that
Valerius by whom," &c. Unde is here for a quo. The allusion is to the
celebrated Valerius Poplicola, who was elected to the consulship A.TT.C.
S44, in the stead of Oollatinns, and became the colleague of Brutus in that
office. From Valerius were descended the families ofthe Leevini, Corvini,
Messal89, Catuli, &c.— ^13. Fugit. The present tense in place of the past,
in order to make the narrative more graphic and animated. TInius assit
nan unquam, tec. " Has never been valued more highly than a single as,
even when the populace themselves, with whose decision in matters of
this kind thou art well acquainted, estimate his merits as the judge ; the
populace, who often," Sec. Licuisse properly refers to bidding at auction,
go that the idea intended to be conveyed is, that the people would never
have bid more for bim, had he been set up al; auction, than a single as.—
IS. Quo nosti. By attraction, in imitation of the Greek idiom, for juent
Tiosii^ and equivalent in effect to quern qualis judex sit Tiodti. According
to the poef s idea, Lsvinus must be worthless enough, if the populace
even think him so, since they most commonly are blinded to a person's
defects of character by the brilliancy of his extraction.—17. Q,ui siupet
in titulis et i/lnaginibus. "Who are lost in stupid admirall6n of titles and
of images," i. e., of a long line of titled ancestors. An allusion to the 'Bmlannjus
imaginum.
18-19. 16. Vos. The idea intended to be conveyed is this : Tii, then,
the very populace themselves pay but little regard to the nobility of such
a man as Lesvinns, "how ought persons like thee to act, who art far, far
removed in sentiment from the vulgar herd 1" The answer is not given
by the poet, but may be easily supplied: They should act even as thou
dost : they should disregard, not in one, but in every instancej the adven-
titious circumstances of birth and fortune, and they shoold look only to
integrity, to an upright and an honest heart.—19. Namque esto, &c. The
poet here gives a slight turn to bis subject in a somewhat new direction.
The connection in the train of ideas appears to be as follows : Bach, then,
being the true principle of action, and such the light in which merit, however
humble its origin, is regarded by the wise and good, let those unto
whom titled ancestry is denied repine not at their condition, bat remain
contented with what they have. For suppose {^amquo esto) the people
should even be unjust toward a candidate of lowly birth, or a censor like
Appius should eject aa>individaal from tiie senate because his, father had
not always been &ee, what great harm is suffered by this I Is he not
rather treated as he should be 7 And ought he not to have been contented
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with hia previous lot, with the approbation of those whose good opinion
was his best reward, without going on an idle chase afl^ vain and disquieting
honors 1
30-SS. 20. Decio novo. " To a new man like Decius." The term Dedo
is here used as a species of appellative. So, in the preceding line,
IT
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