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

—
478 EXPLANATQRY NOTES.—BOOK I., SATIRE IX.
^itaata on the right bank of the Tiber.—19. Piger. " In a lazy mqodv'/—
Usque seqnar ie. "I will accompany thee as far."—20. Ut iniqtus TnentU
melius. " Like a surly young ass." Beasts of burden, says Keightley,
when out of temper, lay back their ears.—21. Q,ii,um gravius dorso subiii
onus. The construction is quum subiit (i. e., Ut sub},gravius onus dorso,
"When a heavier load than prd^iuary is put upon his back." Literally
" when he goe? under a hejavier load than ordinary with his back." Th&
(inal syllable oS submit isjengthenied by the axsAfi.
2S-28. 22. Fispam. There were two brothers named Viscus, of sena-
torianranki and sons of VibiusViscuSj alloman knight, who stood high in
favor with Angostas. They were both (U^tiuguishcd by their literiiiy talentSj
and both are named by Horace, in the tenth satire of this book, among
those persons whose good opinion was to him a source of gratification.
From the present passage it wquld appear, that, at this time,. he was par
tjcularly intimate with one of. the two.—24. Quis, membra movere mollius
1 &c. *' Who can 'dance more gracefully ? My singing, too, even
Hermogenes .would envy." , Consult note, on Satire i., 6, 1.—26. .Tnierpel-
landi locus hie erat. ," An opportunity here oiFered itself for interrap^ng
him."' . The poor bar4 driven to despair J>y the;g«rrality of his new acquaintajice,
And finding it impossible to shake hii^ of^ seeks some little
.relief under his misery by endeavoring to change the conversation, and
inti'oduce tlie subject of his neighbor's extraction. He asks him,. there-
fore, if he'has a mother living, if he has any relations who. are ipterested
in his welfgre.—27. Quozs te, salvo est opus, " Who are intei;ested in
thy welfarei'' i. e.^who are wrapped up in the. safety and presejrvatioD
of so valuable a man as thou. Literally, " who have need of thee safe."
The poet, driven to extremities, indulges in a sneer at his persecutor, hat
the armor of the other is proof against the blow.—28. Omties composui.
"1 have laid them all at rest," i. e., I have buried them all. Compono is
the proper term fbr, laying the corpse on the bier, or placing the ashes in
.the urn. The talkative fellow wishes to intimat.e to Horace how able he
is to serve the bard as well as all other friends, from the cu'cumstance of
bis being iree from the claims of any relatives on his time and attention.
— Felices ! "Happy they," mutters the poor hard to himself. who are
now out of the reach of thy neveT.ending tongue. !From this to cefas, in
th^ 34th line, inclusive, is supposed to be spoken aside by the poet.
Ifothing caji he more amusing than, to picture to ourselves the pppr bard,
moving along with drooping head, and .revolving ;in mind his glopmy des-
tiny. The pi-ediction, of cciarse, to which be allqdes is a mere fiction, and
got up expressly for the occasion.
29-37. 29. Conjice^ "Dispatch me," i. e., come, make quick work of
me. Saidlaquod puero,ef,e. "Which an old Sabine sorceress foretell
unto we iShe»«boy, after having shaken ber urn." The common reading
is divijia mota anus iirna, to whiclx Cruquiu^ and Bentley both ob-
ject, on the girquifl of amljiguity.; We hayg adoptedthe order which they
recommend instead of it, naiOiely, mold divind anus urita.. This avoids
the elision of the long Vowel,, which will occur if we rea^ di^ind mgli
anus urna. . Gompite si, mi amas in verse 38. The divination here al-
luded to was performed- in the- following manner: A number of letters
and entire words were thrown into an urn and shaken ' togethezv, When