Velocem Mneftheus agit acri remige Pristin, 120 125 130 Ductores longe effulgent ostroque decori. Cetera populea velatur fronde juventus, 135 (Haud mora) profiluere suis: ferit aethera clamor 140 Upon the whole, the defcription of the sea-race, I think, has the more poetry and majesty; that of the chariots, more nature and lively incidents. There is nothing in Virgil so picturesque, so animated, or which so much marks the characters, as the episodes of Antilochus and Menelaus, Ajax and Idomeneus, with that beautiful interpofition of old Neftor.On the other fide, in Virgil the description itself is nobler; it has something more oftentatiously grand, and seems a spectacle more worthy the prefence of princes and great persons. POPE'S notes on the 23d Iliad. 150. Mighty Mnestheus.] 'Tis surprizing that Virgil, who marks the origin of three very illustrious families of Rome, the Sergiens, the Memmians, and Cluentines, hath omitted the family of the Geganians, who were derived from Gyas. 6 CATROU. In the swift Dolphin mighty Mnestheus came, 150 155 160 16.5 Then, rank'd by lot, confpicuous o'er the flood, 170 Thick in their hearts alternate motions play, 175 Now prest with beating fears they sink away, 154. Three rows of oars.] Virgil here describes one of those three-oared galleys of the ancients; concerning which much is faid by many Greek and Roman writers. It must be owned likewise, that in the time of Æneas, this fort of vessel was not in use, since it was invented long afterwards by Aminocles of Corinth. This is an anachronism, which is to be imputed but as a flight fault to the poet. CATROU. 55 60 Hunc ego, Gaetulis agerem si Syrtibus exful, 65 According to the foregoing computation, January was the month in which Æneas arrived at the port of Sicily, where he lost his father. It very evidently appears from the poet's own narration, that Anchises died in February; and that his anniversary was kept in the fame month, which I thus prove. Æneas parted from Carthage in the depth of winter, Hyberno moliris fidere claffem: This is what Dido reproaches him with: This certainly could mean no other time than the end of January. According to this supposition Æneas stayed but three months at Carthage; that is, from November to the end of January. As to what remains, we cannot possibly prove, that his stay was longer; and nothing can induce us to believe that it was. So that when he arrives in Sicily, that is to say, at the beginning of February, he declares that very day to be the anniversary of his father: It therefore follows, that his father died in February. Æneas afterwards spends one month in the celebration of the games, after leaving Sicily a fecond time to 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, Implore a city, where we still may pay, 1 On every ship two oxen are bestow'd 80 With those the hospitable king adores. Soon as the ninth fair morning's opening light 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 pofuere. For the rest, the wars of Eneas 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. Incertus Geniumne loci, famulumne parentis 95 100 105 Famaque finitimos et clari nomen Acestae Excierat. laeto conplerant litora coetu 110 115 148. 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 |