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

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668 EXPLANATORY NOTES. ^BOOK I., EPISTLE VU.
riches of the Arabians." The poet means to convey the idea that he is
not one of those who first sarfeit themselves, 'and then extol the trag'al ta-
bles and the easy slambera of the poor, but that he has always loved a
life of repose and freedom, and will always prefer snch a one to the splen-
dors of the highest affluence. Hence the same idea is involved in this
sentencCj as in the passages which immediately precede, namely, that
the poet has never sought the friendship of his patron merely for the sake
of indalging in a life o£laxary» AUilium. The epithet altilis^ in its gen
eral import, denotes any thing fattened for human food ; when taken in a
special sense, however,- as in the present instance, it refers to birds, par-
ticularly those of the rarer kind, reared for this purpose in an aviaiy.-—
37. ^peverecund/wm laudasUt R&sque Paterqv£y &c. "Thoa hast ctften
commended my moderation ; when present, thou hast heard thyself salut*
ed by me as king and father ; nor have Xbeeu more sparing in thy praise,
when thou wert absent, by a single word." For a literal translation, un*
derstand audisti with Tiec verbo paTfiiuB absens, and, as regards the peca-
liar meaning in which the verb la here employed ("thou haat heard thy-
self called," i. e., thou hast been called or saluted]^, consult note on Sat.
ii., 7, 101, and ii., 6, 20. Horace is not afraid to call Msscenaa himself as
a witness of his disinterestedness and gratitude. Thou hast often, says
be, commended me for a moderation which could alone set bounds to thy
liberality. Thou knowest that I ever spoke of thee in the language of tenderness
and respect, as my friend and benefactor. Pater. Msecenas was
a few years the elder.—rVerecundum. It w;iU be perceived from the foregoing
note that we have, with Lambinns, referred this term to the moderation
of the poet^ amid the favors of his patron. Most commentators,
however, make it allude merely to his modesty of deportment.-r-Sezfut!
Paterque: The first of these appellations refers to the liberality, the second
to the kind and friendly feelings, of Moecenas toward the bard.
39-45. 39. Inspiccj si possum donata reponere latus. " See whether I
can cheerfully restore what thou hast given me." The connection in the
train of ideas is as follows : I said just now, that if the apologue of the
fox were applicable to my own case, I was perfectly willing to resign
all the favors which thy kindness had conferred upon me. Try me then,
my patrojji, and see whether I am sincere in what I have said.—49. Hand
male TeLemachuSf &c. "Well did Telemacbus answer, the offspring of
the patient Ulysses." This answer of Telemacbus is taken from the 4th
book of the Odyssey, and was made to Menelaus, who nrged him to ac*
cept a present of horses. The application is obvious : Tibur or Tarentum
was our poefs Ithaca, where Maecenas's gifts could be of no more use to
him than the present of Menelaus to Telemacbus.—41, Nonestaptnslthace
locus, &c. Horace has here expressed Horn., Od,, iv., 601, seqq.— TJt
neque plants porrecius spatiiSf Sec. "As it is neither extended in plains
nor abounds with much grass."—45. Vacuum Tibur* " The calm retreat
of Tibur." The epithet vacuum is here equivalent in some respect to
otiosum, and designates Tibur as a place of calm retreat for the poet, and
of literary leisure. Imbelle Tarentum. "The peaceful Tarentum."
46-48. 46. Strenuus et fortis. "Active and brave." The allusion in
the text is to Lucius Marcius Philippas, of whom Cicero makes frequent
mentioh. He was equally distingqished for eloquence and courage, wbicb
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