2 Non te Penélopen, difficilem procis, Tyrrhenus genuit parens.] Horace here tells Lycé, that, being defcended from a Tufcan Father, Nature did not defign her for a Penelope': For the Tufcans were addicted to Pleasure, and very luxurious. It was a common Proverb, by way of Reflection on a Lady's Chaftity, to fay, She is no Penelope; in like Manner as we now fay, Such a one is no Lucretia, or no Veftal. Thus alfo Ovid, in his firft Book de Arte Amandi ; Penelopen ipfam, perftes modo, mpore vinces. DACIER. 3 A pale Complection was always esteemed one of the Marks of Love. Thus Ovid: Palleat omnis amans; color eft hic aptus amanti. 4 What Horace here threatens, was afterwards verified by the Event; for he fatyrized her in the 13th Ode of the fourth Book. ODE XI. To MERCURY. By Mr. DUNCOMBE sen. 2 ERMES! (by whom Amphion's Song Ή And thou, 3 fweet HARP, who canft controul 4 With seven harmonious Strings th' according Soul; 6 Once 5 mute, but grateful now at Feafts, To chear the Gods, and godlike Guests, Teach me fuch Numbers, as may pierce My Lydé's Ears; though, to my Vows averse, E 2 She 8 She sports along the verdant Plain, Like a fleet Filly; fhuns the Rein; Fears to be touch'd; nor yet will prove, Wild and untry'd, the pleafing Pains of Love! Thou, Tygers and attentive Woods, 10 Though all around his dreadful Head, A hundred hiffing Snakes are fpread ; His Mouth though fiery Vapour fills, And from his triple Tongue black Gore diftills! Thy Notes Ixion's Pains beguil'd; 12 Tityus awhile, reluctant, fmil'd; Dry was the 13 Danaids Urn; thy Strain Reliev'd the Labours of the Virgin-Train. ← 14 The Streams through leaky Veffels spilt, • The Torment equal to their Guilt, ‹ Fair Lydé, hear! Revenge, though flow, ‹ O'ertakes the Guilty in the Realms below. Juft Pains thofe Sisters suffer there, • Who with disloyal Hand could dare, • Ev'n at the filent Hour of Rest, • (What could they more?) to pierce each Huf band's Breaft! • Of 66 Of all the Virgins, One alone Worthy the Bridal 1s Torch was known, Her perjur'd Father, and her Confort fav'd: "Awake! fhe cry'd; Awake! Arife! My Sire's and Sifters unexampled Crime. "As on the Lamb the Tygrefs feeds, "So by his Bride each Bridegroom bleeds; "But I, more merciful, the Blow "Nor ftrike, nor keep thee for a fiercer Foe. << 17 Me let my Father load with Chains, "Or banish to Numidia's Plains, "For faving thus my wretched Mate, "To tread, with doubtful Feet, the Maze of Fate. "With happy Omens quit my Bed, "By favouring Night and Venus led; "Then, grateful, on 18 my Tomb rehearse "My pious Love in foftly-plaintive Verfe." NOTES. This Ode has two Parts: The firft confifts of fix Stanzas, and contains the Invocation, and the Praises of the Harp. The fecond Part has seven Stanzas, which recite the Song, that Mercury dictates to Horace. I See the Notes on the roth Ode of the first Book. 2 Amphion, by the Charms of his Oratory, prevailed on a favage People to build Towns, and to live peaceably under the fame Laws. On this Account the Poets feigned, that the Stones, obfequious to his Notes, ranged themselves in Order, and built the Walls of Thebes, a City of Baotia. 3 Horace here addreffes himself to his Harp, as he had before done in the 32d Ode of the first Book. Refonare Septem Callida nervis.] The Ancients had the Tetrachord, which was a Harp with four Strings, and they had a Harp with feven Strings, which was a Sort of double Tetrachord, because the Middle String ferved for the three low and the three high Strings. Thefe feven Strings made the feven different Tones of Mufic; that is to fay, the feven Intervals that are in an Octave. Thus Virgil, speaking of Orpheus, Obloquitur numeris feptem difcrimina vocum ; Jamque eadem digitis, jam pectine prifat eburno. Eneid vi. v. 646 & 647. His flying Fingers, and his Ivory Quill, Strike feven diftinguifh'd Notes. 5 DRYDEN. Nec loquax olim, neque grata.] That is, whilst it was a mere Shell, and not yet wrought into a Harp by Mercury. 6 The Harp was made use of at all Feafts and Festivals. 7 This was the fame Lydê, to whom the 28th Ode of this Book is addreffed. We there fee, that the profited by the Leffon Horace here taught her, and was not always obdurate. 8 Quæ, velut latis equa trima campis, Ludit exultim, metuitque tangi.] These two Lines are an Imitation of Anacreon, Ode 63, Νυν δὲ λειμωνάς τε βοσκιαι, Κεφάτε σκιρτώσα παίζεις. 9 Tu potes.] The Poet addreffes himself to the Harp, and not to Mercury. It was the Harp tuned by Orpheus that wrought the Miracles here referred to. 10 Centum Muniant angues caput.] For For this Reafon Horace calls Cerberus, bellua centiceps, in the 13th Ode of the fecond Book. 11 Ixion was fixed upon a Wheel in Hell, for attempt. ing to ravish Juno. 12 Tityus was flain by Apollo, for endeavouring to vioJate Latona. Two Vulturs prey upon his Liver in Hell. The Ancients would reprefent. by this Fable the Torments arifing from the Paffions, which have their Seat in the Liver. 13 See the Story of the Danaïdes in the Notes on the 14th Ode of the fecond Book. 14 The Air, or Song, with which Mercury is fuppofed to infpire Horace, in Answer to his Invocation, begins here. Face nuptiali 15 Digna.] As the Bride was conducted at Night to her Hufband's Houfe, Torches were carried before her. Perjurum fuit in parentem, 16 Splendide mendax.] This beautiful Expreffion may ferve as one Inftance of that curiofa felicitas, which Petronius admired in Horace, and is, perhaps, impoffible to be preferved in a Tranflation. It is remarkable, that Horace here transfers the Guilt of Perjury from the Daughter, who broke a wicked Oath, to the Father, who had obliged her to take it. 17 Me pater favis oneret catenis.] This was what actually happened to her; for her Father shut her up in a close Prison, as Apollodorus relates: And thus alfo fhe writes to Lynceus in Ovid: Claufa domo teneor, gravibufque coërcita vinclis. I'm close confin'd, and bound with heavy Chains. Here Hypermneftra lies, who died |