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

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EXPLANATORY NOTES.— EPlBTi,a xu x..^ PISOS. 669
Its Lamite vivum puerum, &c. The Lamia was a apeoies of phantom or
bugbear, whose name, like Monno or Empasa, was used by nurses to
terrify children. She was said to devour little children, like the ogress of
our nursery tales. The scholiast describes her as follows : " Est manstrum
supeme habens speciem muUeris\ iy^erne vero desinit in pedes asi'
niiws." Horace seems to allude here to a drama of the time, in which
the hobgoblin devoured a child entire. (Osborne, ad loc.)—2ll. Centuries
seniomm agitant expertia frugis. " The centuries of tlie old drive off
pieces that are devoid of instruction." The allusion is to the centuries of
the classes, and it is the senators that are meant. Agitant is equivalent
here to abigunt, exsibilant.—3i2. Celsi Ramhes. " The haughty equites."
By Ramnes are here meant the whole equestrian order. Strictly speaking,
however, the Ramnes were one of the three ancient tribes into which
the Roman people were divided, when the term populus included only
the patricii. These were the LatiiT element, as the TUienses, from King
Tatius, represented the Sabines, and Luceres the Etruscans. [Did. Ant.,
s. V. Patrick.)—343. Om7ie tulit punctvm. " Gains universal applause.
Literally, has " carried off every point," i. e., vote. The allusion is to the
mode of counting the votes at the Roman comitia by means of dots or
points (puncta). Compare Epist. ii., 2, 99.^345. Hie liber. "Such a
work as this," i. e., in which the author miscuit utile dulci.— Sosiis. The
Sosil were well-known Roman booksellers. Compare Epist. i., 20, 2.'
Et longum noto scriptori prorogat cBvum. "And continues to the celebrated
writer a long duration of fame," i. e., prolongs his fame tp distant
ages. Prorogare is properly a term borrowed from the comitia.
347-359. 34T. Sunt delicta tamen, &c. The bad poet is supposed to
object to the severity of the terms imposed by our author, and to urge,
that if the critic looked for all these requisites, and exacted them with
rigor, it would be impossible to satisfy him; at least it was more likely
to discourage than animate, as he proposed, the diligence of writers. To
this the reply is (from line 347 to 360) that it was not intended to exact a
faultless and perfect piece ; that some inaccuracies and faults of less moment
would escape the most cautious and guarded writer ; and that as he,
Horace, should condemn a piece that was generally bad, notwithstanding
a few beauties, he could, on the other hand, admire a work that was generally
good, notwithstanding a few faults. 3i9. Gravem. "Aflat." Not
from the want of skill in the player, but from the imperfect tension in the
strings of the instrument. (Osborne, ad loc.)—Acutum. "A sharp."
352. Fudit. Equivalent to adspersit, and alluding to the macula, or stains
of ink on the fair paper or parchment. (Keightley, ad loc.)—353. Quid
ergo est 7 " What, then, is the conclusion that we are to draw V[— ^5i.
Scriptor librarius. " A transcriber."—357. Cessat. Equivalent tnyecca*,
Charilus ille. " That well-known Cho3rilus," i. e., as stupid as another
Chojrilas. Consult note oh Epist. ii., I, 233.—358. Quern bis teme bonum
cum risu miror. "Whom, when tolerable in two or three instances, I
wonder at with laughter." Et idem indignor, &;c. " And I am also in-
dignant whenever the good Homer nods." The idea is this : I am even
angry when Homer makes slips, because I wish him to be free from these,
and a model for others ; it mast be confessed, however, that Homer is excusable
on account of the length of the poem. (Orelli, ad loc.)—359. QtuiTiioque.
Pat for quandbcunqne.
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