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

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558 EXPLANATOKY NOTES. BOOK I., EPISTLE V.
and elegance. The allusion is to ability in pnblic speaking.—10. Gratia,
"The favor of the great." The allusion is particularly to the terms of
friendship on which Tiballas stood with the celebrated Messala Gorvinns.
1»-16. 12. Inter spem curamque, &c. The advice here given is that
by which Horace regnlp-ted his own coarse of conduct. An Epicarean,
observes Sanadon, who considers every day as his lajit, will enjoy the
pleasure that day brings. He bounds all his hopes, fears, cares, and pnj.
ects by this little compass, without disquieting himself about what may
happen on the morrow,^which neither depends upon him nor he upon it
Such is the doctrine to which Horace attributes bis own joyous plight of
body, his good humor, and easy carelessness of life.~^l5. Pinguem et nitidum
bene curatacute. "Fat and sleek with good keeping."—16. Epicwri
de grege porcum. This serves to keep up and render more definite the
allusion contained in the preceding lines. The Slpicureans, in conseqnence
of the corrupt and degenerate maxims of some of their number
relative to pleasure, were stigmatized, in the popular language of the day,
as mere sensualists, though many of them were most undeserving of this
obloquy. Horace, therefore, playfully applies to himself one of the wellknown,
phrases that were wont to be used by their enemies, as a sweeping
denunciation of all the followers of Epicurus.
Epistle V. The poet invites Torquatus to come and sup with bim on
the eve of the birth-day of Augustus. He promises him a homely entertainment,
but a welcome reception, and that what is wanting in magnificence
shall be made up in neatness and cleanliness. We have in this
epistle some strokes of morality, for which Torquatus might possibly have
occasion. They are enlivened by a panegyric on wine, short, but spirited,
as if it were a declaration of the good humor with which he proposed to
receive his guest.
1-4. 1. Si poiea ArcJiiacis cotvoiva, Sec. "If thou canst prevail on thyself
to recline as a guest upon short couches made by Archias." The
short couches made by Archias, a mechanic of the day, were plain and
common ones, used only by persons in moderate circumstances.—2. Nee
^modica ccBnare timeSj &c. " And art not afraid to sup on all kinds of herbs
from a dish of moderate size."— 3. Supremo sole. "Toward sunset."
This was later than the usual time for supping, bat is purposely named
by Horace in order that his friend may have full time before it to get
through all the business ofthe di^. {OreUi,ad loc.)— Torquate. Theindividual
here addressed is supposed to be the same with the Torquatus to
whom the seventh ode ofthe fourth book is inscribed. Manebo. "1 shall
expect thee."—4. Iterum Temro. Understand consule. The second con-
sulship of T.Statilius Taurus was A.XJ.C. 728, whence Bentley, reckoning
from the time when this epistle is supposed to have been written, namely,
A.XI.C. 734, makes the wine in question between six and fieven years of
age. Diffusa. "" Backed off." The term alludes to the pouring of the
wine into the vessels intended to receive it, when it had stood some time
in the large doUa.~~Palu8tres inter Mintumas, &c.
Minturnee and Fetrinum, in the territory of Sinnessa,"
"Between maifhy
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