Numina sortitique vices, una undique circum 635 640 645 650 Nam qualis quantusque cavo Polyphemus in antro Trunca manu pinus regit, et vestigia firmat; Postquam altos tetigit fluctus et ad aequora venit, 655 660 634. Sortiti vices, in this perilous adventure, the followers of Ulysses settled by lot which part each should act.-635. The telum was, according to Homer, a tree pointed and hardened in the fire. (Lumen); See ii. 173.-637. The clipeus Argolicus was round. Compare, with this passage, and with 645 (cornua complent), "The moon that rose last night, round as my shield, had not yet filled her horns.'-Home's Douglas.-639. The elisions and hexameters of this line mark the impatience of despair.-643. Vulgo, everywhere around.-645. Tertia, &c. Three months had elapsed. See 637.-648. Tremisco poetically governs the accusative. See xi. 403.-654. Potius, in preference to the horrid fate that awaited him in the hands of Polyphemus.-658. This line, with its spondees and elisions, visibly represents the crashing movement of the giant. Dentibus infrendens gemitu, graditurque per aequor 665 670 675 680 Constiterunt, silva alta Jovis, lucusve Dianae. Praecipitis metus acer agit quocumque rudentis Excutere, et ventis intendere vela secundis. Contra jussa monent Heleni, Scyllam atque Charybdim Inter, utramque viam leti discrimine parvo, 685 Ni teneant cursus; certum est dare lintea retro. Ecce autem Boreas angusta ab sede Pelori Missus adest. Vivo praetervehor ostia saxo Pantagiae Megarosque sinus Thapsumque jacentem. 690 669. Vocis. The cry of the rowers.-671. The motion of the waves bore Aeneas away with a rapidity too great for him to overtake them. -676. Ruit et complent. See Zumpt, § 366. Perhaps the notion is, 'as one body they rush, but in scattered groups they fill.'-681. Constitěrunt. Quercus referring to silva Jovis, cyparissi to lucusve Dianae, who must here be identified, as often, with Hecate.-684-686. A difficult passage, and one that has given much trouble to the commentators. According to the punctuation adopted, the meaning will be, 'On the other hand, the instructions of Helenus (410, &c.) warn us, that unless they (the ships, or rather the sails, vela) keep their way right between Scylla and Charybdis, both courses expose to almost inevitable destruction: (yet, so great is our fear of Polyphemus,) we determine to sail back.'-687. Autem. They were delivered from their danger in sailing northwards, by the rising of the north wind.-690. Errata, poetically employed in this sense, the verb being intransitive. Ulysses, and of course Achemenides, had sailed from the coast of Africa previously to the adventure with the Cyclopes. Litora Achemenides, comes infelicis Ulixi. 'Sicanio praetenta sinu jacet insula contra 695 700 Moenia, magnanimum quondam generator equorum; 705 Et vada dura lego saxis Lilybeïa caecis. Sic pater Aeneas, intentis omnibus, unus 710 715 697. Jussi. By whom? Perhaps by Anchises, or it may be in compliance with the instructions of Helenus, as generally applicable.-702. Gela. Immanis is probably an epithet of fluvii, as a destructive river. -711. Nequidquam; since, after all, he had not reached Italy.-716. Intentis, bringing back the mind to ii. 1, ' Intentique ora tenebant." LIBER IV. DIDO loves Aeneas, 1-5. She reveals her love to her sister Anna, 6-30. Anna encourages her to marry him, 31-55. They offer sacrifices, in order to propitiate the gods, 56-67. Progress of Dido's love, 68-89. Juno, alarmed, proposes to Venus the marriage of Aeneas and Dido, with the junction of the two nations; to which Venus seemingly assents, 90-128. The Carthaginians and Trojans go forth to hunt, 129159. In a storm, raised by Juno, Aeneas and Dido, separated from their companions, are married, 160-172. Fame (who is described) bears the tidings through Libya, 173-197. This irritates king Iarbas, a rejected suitor of Dido's, who prays to his father Jupiter, 198-218. Jupiter sends Mercury to hasten the voyage of Aeneas to Italy, 219237. Flight of Mercury, 238-258. Mercury's message to Aeneas, 259278. Aeneas, whose leading characteristic is obedience to the will of Heaven (pius), prepares for his departure, attempting to conceal his plans from Dido, 279-295. The queen divines his intentions, and upbraids him, 296-330. His reply, 331-361. Dido's resentment and grief, 362-392. Aeneas, sorrowful, persists in his preparations, 393407. Anna, at Dido's request, interposes, but in vain, 408-449. Dido is appalled by frightful omens, and prepares for death, but concealing her design from her sister, pretends that she is making preparations to win back Aeneas by magical rites, 450-552. Aeneas, warned by Mercury, in a vision, to depart on the instant, sets sail, 553-582. The queen sees his fleet departing, and stabs herself, 583-665. The general consternation, and Anna's despair, 666-687. Agonies of Dido, till Iris, by Juno's command, interposes to release her by death, 688-705. Ar regina gravi jamdudum saucia cura 5 1. At seems to connect this book with the preceding narrative. Aeneas had concluded his tale, but long before he was done, the queen was smitten with the pains of love.-2. Carpo, the primitive notion of which involves separation into fragments, infers a gradual process.— 6, 7. Lustrabat, dimoverat. Aurora had dispelled previously, and was lighting up.-8. Male sana, insana. See at ii. 735. 10 15 'Anna soror, quae me suspensam insomnia terrent! Anna refert: 'O luce magis dilecta sorori, 30 20 30 35 11. Ferre sese refers to the general deportment. See a similar expression, i. 503.-12. Genus, prolem.-15. Sederet. This term indicates the unalterableness of her resolution. See Zumpt, § 524.-17. Fefellit. This clause is no part of her resolution, otherwise we should have fefellisset. It is narrative merely, and had better be taken in after si.-19. Potui. Strongly put instead of possem. See ii. 55.-20. Sychaei. See i. 343-352. -24. Prius. An apparent pleonasm, with antequam, 27. But prius may have a general reference, antequam a more precise reference to what follows. Dehiscat.-28. Ille-primus. The Roman feeling was strongly against the marriages of widows.-31. Dilecta sorori, for a sorore. See Zumpt, § 419.-35. Granted (esto) that you have rightfully indulged your wounded feelings (aegram) in rejecting so many suitors, why resist a passion fondly cherished? Mariti. See Ecl. viii. 18.-36. Libyae, in prose would be, in Libya. See 320, and iii. 162. Iarbas. See 196, &c. 37. Virgil's expressions refer constantly to Roman usages (see i. 73), |