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

596 EXPLANATORY NOTES. BOOK I., EPISTLE XVIII.
so. What then 1 He who has carried his point, has ie not acted with
the spirit of a man 1 Now, the things that we seek after are to be obtained
by the exercise of moral courage and resolution, or not at all. Thij
man dreads the harden, as too great either for his strength or courage j
another attempts it, and happily succeeds, &c. In this way Horace seeks
to impress upon Soffiva the importance of zealous and untiring effort in
conciliating the favor of the great.—42. Aut decus el pretima recte petit
experiens mr. " Or he who makes the attempt deservedly claims the
honor and the reward." If there be difficulty or danger, he certainly deserves
the highest praise who tries to succeed ; and if virtue ha any thing
more than a mere idle name, he may with justice claim a reward proportional
to his merit.—43. Coram rege sua, &c. " They who say nothing
about narrow means in the presence of their patron, will receive more
than the importunate." By rege is meant the great man, the patron.
44. Distal, awmasne pudenter, an rapiai. " There is a difference, wheth-
er one take with modesty what is offered, or eagerly snatch at it."—45.
Atqui rerum caput hoc erat, hiefans. " !For this (the receipt of some ad-
vantage) is the capital point, this is the fountain-head of all your exertions."
The imperfect, as here employed, does not accord with the usage
of our own language, and must therefore be rendered by the present. In
the original, however, it gives a very pleasing air to the clause, as marking
a continuance of action in the two particular cases to which he refers.
—49. Indotata mihi soror est, &c. " The man who tells his patron, ' My
sister has no portion, my mother is in straitened circumstances, and my
farm is neither saleable nor to be relied upon for my support,' cries out, in
effect, ' Grive me food.' "—48. Succinit alter, Et mihi dividuo, &c. " Another
responds, ' A quarter shall be cut out &r me, too, from the divided
gift.' " An imitation of the cry of mendicants In asking charity. Quadra
is properly a piece of bread or cake cut in the form of a quarter.—49. Sed
tacitus pasci si posset corvus, &c. The poet compares the cries made by
the raven when lighting on food to the clamors of the importunate.
Bfistle XVm. As in the preceding epistle the poet has given advice
to ScsBva on the line of conduct to be pursued in his intercourse with the
great, so here he lays down precepts to the same effect for the guidance
of Lollius. The individual to whom this epistle is addressed, appears, as
Wetzel correctly supposes, to be the same person with the one to whom
the second epistle of the present book is inscribed.
1-12. 1. lAherrime Lolli. "Frankest Lollius." Horace here mentions
a leading quality in his friend, which might be serviceable or not, according
as he employed it.—^2. Scurrantis speciem jtresbere, &.c. " To display
the character of a mean Batterer, when thou hast professed thyself a
friend." As regards the peculiar force of scurrantis. in this passage,
compare the explanation of the scholiast ; " Scurrantis : tv/rpiter adulaiu
tis"—3. Huic vitio. Alluding to base and sordid flattery.—4. Asperitat
agrestis et inconcinna gravisgue. "A clownish, and unmannerly, and offensive
rudeness."— 5. Tonsa cute. " By being shorn to the skin." To
have the hair out quite close was regarded as a mark of clownishness.
The expression tonsa cute is equivalent to the Greek ry kv XP^ Kovp^.
Compare Bpist. i., 7, 50.—6. Libertas mera. " Mere frankness."-7. Yir
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