Tho' banish'd to the burning Libyan sand, 70 Sure all the friendly pow'rs our course inspire, To the dear relics of my reverend fire. 75 Haste then, the new-adopted god adore, And from his grace a prosp'rous gale implore; Implore a city, where we still may pay, In his own fane, the honours of the day. Shall glad the world, and chase the shades of night, 85 Then to my Trojans I propose, to grace These facred rites, the rapid naval race; Or vaunt their fiery swiftness in the course, Or dart the spear, or bend the twanging bow, 90 Or to the dreadful gauntlet dare the foe, Attend; and each by merit bear away The noble palms, and glories of the day. Now grace your heads with verdant wreaths, he said; Then with his mother's myrtle binds his head. 95 Adorn their brows, with all the youth of Troy. fail for Italy, whither he arrives at the beginning of the spring. This last point is plain, from the finging of the birds, and the serenity of the sky, which began to look clear, cum venti posuere. For the rest, the wars of Aneas in Italy till the death of Turnus, lasted from the beginning of the April, when he came into Italy, to the November following. According to this plan, we may determine the Eneid to be comprised within the course of one folar year, Ille e concilio multis cum milibus ibat 75 Ad tumulum, magna medius comitante caterva. Fundit humi, duo lacte novo, duo fanguine sacro, Purpureofque jacit flores, ac talia fatur: 80 Nequidquam cineres, animaeque umbraeque paternae. Nec tecum Aufonium, quicumque est, quaerere Thybrim. Dixerat haec: adytís cum lubricus anguis ab imis Septem ingens gyros, septena volumina traxit, 85 Mille trahit varios adverso sole colores. Obstupuit visu Aeneas. ille agmine longo 90 Hoc magis inceptos genitori inftaurat honores, 98. Now to the tomb.] The critics and commentators seem not to have perceived the design which the poet undoubtedly had, in this episode of the apotheosis of Anchises, and in the description of the games which are celebrated at his tomb. It is Augustus that Virgil represents here under the character of Æneas. The pious Augustus, by the apotheosis (or deification) with which he honoured Julius Cæfar his father, and by the games which he caused to be performed to celebrate this new god; gave Virgil an occasion of inventing this episode, and of making aking these games and honours the subject of one entire book. This appears very charming, even to us at present; although the commentators have taken no notice of the relation it bore to Augustus. But how much more interesting and delightful must it have been to Augustus himself, and the Romans of that age, who remembered that they themselves performed the fame things for Julius Cæfar, which the poet makes Æneas perform in honour of Anchises ? CATROU. 110. An azure ferpent rose, in scales.) There are many beautiful descriptions of this animal in the Aneid of Virgil, and in the Georgics likewife. M. Segrais is of opinion, that there are Now to the tomb furrounded with a throng, A mighty train, the hero past along. 100 105 Two bowls of milk, and sacred blood he pours; Pleas'd round the altars and the tomb to wind, 115 Aftonish'd at the fight, the hero paid New rites, new honours to his father's shade, 120 indeed too many of the fame creature. There are few passages in Ovid, finer than his picture of the ferpents, into which Cadmus and Afculapius were transformed. Under this head it would be unpardonable to omit Milton's exquisite description of the tempting ferpent, which far exceeds that of any poet whatever. - not with indented wave Prone on the ground, as fince; but on his rear, Book 9. v. 496. It was judicious in Milton to dwell so long on the defcription of the ferpent, on which the catastrophe of his poem depended. Incertus Geniumne loci, famulumne parentis 95 100 105 Famaque finitimos et clari nomen Acestae Excierat. laeto conplerant litora coetu 148. Four well-match'd gallies.) The chariot-race is that which Homer has most laboured in his games, of which Virgil being fenfible, he most judiciously avoided the imitation of what he could not improve, and substituted in its place the naval course or ship-race. It is in this, the Roman poet has employed all his force, as if on fet purpose to rival his great master; but it is extremely obfervable, how constantly he keeps Homer in his eye, and is afraid to depart from his very track, even when he had vary'd the subject itself. Accordingly the accidents of the naval course have a strange resemblance with those of Homer's chariot-race. He could not forbear at the very beginning, to draw a part of that description into a fimile. Do not we fee he has Homer's chariots in his head, by these lines ? Non tam præcipites, &c. --Ver. 144. What is the encounter of Cloanthus and Gyas in the strait between the rocks, but the fame with that of Menelaus and Antilochus in the hollow way? Had the galley of Sergestus been broken, if the chariot of Eumelus had not been demolished? Or, had Mnestheus been caft from the helm, had not the other been Doubts if the dæmon of his fire rever'd, In view, amid the spacious circle, lay 125 130 135 140 Silver and purple vests in heaps are roll'd, Rich robes, and talents of the purest gold; 145 Four well-match'd gallies first, by oars impell'd, Drawn from the navy, took the watry field. been thrown from his feat? Does not Mnestheus exhort his rowers in the words Antilochus had used to his horses ? Nec jam prima peto Mnestheus, neque vincere certo. Et prohibere nafas! |