NOTES. 1 Horace here reprefents Nearchus, the Judge and the Prize of the Combat, so perfectly indifferent about the Event of it, that, without troubling himself with their Difputes, he is wholly taken up in fanning his Neck and fragrant Hair. He has taken great Part of this Thought from the Trachinie of Sophocles, who thus defcribes the Combat of Hercules and Achelous for Dejanira: They then furiously rushed to the Field of Battle, to contend for Dejanira. Venus, who prefides over Love, fat fole Judge of the Fight, with her Wand in her Hand.' As Sophocles here gave Venus a Wand, Horace gives Nearchus a Branch of a Palm, which he so little values, that he treads it under his Feet. 2 Nireus was the most beautiful among the Greeks, next to Achilles. To give fome Idea, how far a Perfon, who only underftands French, can judge of the Beauties of Horace, as a Poet, from Dacier, I will here prefent the Reader with his Tranflation of this Ode, clofely traced in English. Pyrrhus, you do not fee to what Danger you expofe yourself, by taking young Nearchus from his Miftrefs. It is to take her young ones from a Lionefs: And, like a base Ravither, you will foon fhun the Combat, when this Lady shall, in a Rage, break through the Crowd of her Lovers, to run after her Nearchus, and to fatch him from you. But whilft You prepare your Arrows to defend Him, and She collects all her Force · to run after You, and to tear him from you, it is • said, that this Boy, the Umpire and the Prize of the Combat, is fo little affected by the Efforts which both of you make, that he hath put under his naked Feet the Palin, which he held in his Hand; and that, delicately fanning his Shoulders, on which we fee his 'perfumed Ringlets waving, he appears as beautiful as Nireus, or as the young Trojan, whom Jupiter snatched from Mount Ida. ODE ODE XXI. To his CA S K. By Mr. DUNCOMBE, fen. Infcribed to GEORGE JEFFREYS, Efq; ITH1 Me 2 coæval, in the Year WIT Of Manlius, whether Plaints thou bear Or Mirth; or Brawls and frantic Love; 4 Whatever Frame thou fhalt inftill, Of my Corvinus, and produce, Though with 7 Socratic Learning fraught, Thou, with thy gentle Torture, oft And, fportive, ftrip from grave Difguife Thou Thou canft to anxious Minds restore Spirit and Hope; and give the Poor A Heart, that neither knows to fear The wrathful Tyrant's Plume, or Soldier's Spear. Bacchus, and 10 Beauty's Queen (if kind), And Hand in Hand the Graces join'd, And these fair 12 Lamps, fhall court thy Stay, 13 Till rifing Phoebus chase the Stars away. 1754 NOTES. Meffala Corvinus had, one Day, invited himself to fup with Horace; which gave Occafion to this Ode. Sanadon fixes the Date of it to the Year of Rome 722, which preceded That, wherein Meffala was Conful with Octa vius. The Wars of Sicily, fays he, had too much engaged him before that Time. 1 Nata mecum Confule Manlio.] Horace means, that this Cafk was made under the Confulfhip of L. Manlius Torquatus and L. Aurelius Cotta, in the Year of Rome 688. Nata for facta: For the Ancients ufed the Word born for made; as in the 27th Ode of the first Book, Natis in ufum latitiæ fcyphis. DACIER. Dacier is here mistaken, as Sanadon juftly obferves. Nata ftands for impieta; and the Poet intimates, that the Wine contained in the Cafk was made under the Confulship of Manlius. It fignified little in what Year the Cafk was made, provided the Wine was good: Befides, it cannot be said of an empty Cask, that it softens a favage Breaft, chafes Sorrow, extorts Secrets, &c. as Horace here fpeaks. To which it may be added, that the Example alleged by Dacier, Natis in ufum lætitiæ fcyphis, is against him; for it is plain, that Cups are made for Joy, only with relation to the Wine, with which they are are filled. An empty Cup is no way proper for that Purpose. 2 Horace was then about 34. 30 pia tefla.] The Critics feem puzzled for a Reafon why Horace gives the Epithet of pious, or facred, to his Cafk: Perhaps because it was deftined to a holy Purpose, viz. to entertain his Friend. 4 Quocunque nomine.] To whatever Purpofe employed. Thus thefe Words are interpreted by Bentley and Sanadon. To conftrue them (as most Commentators do) under whatever Conful, is plainly to make Horace contradict himself; fince he had before told us, in the first Verfe, that the Wine was made under the Confulfhip of Manlius. Maficum lectum does not fignify du vin cueilli (as Dacier translates it), gathered Wine, (which he himself owns to be a very bold Phrase), but du vin choifi, du meilleur vin, choice Wine, the beft Wine, as Sanadon obferves. 5 Defcende.] The Romans kept their Wines in StoreRooms at the Top of the House, to ripen them by the Smoke. DACIER. It were to be wifhed (fays M. Le Clerc), that M. Dacier had here cited his Authors; for no one can believe that Wine was kept above twenty Years (he might have faid above thirty) in Garrets, to be ripened by the Smoke: That, perhaps, might have been a good Method to make Vinegar of it, but by no means to make it more delicate. He, therefore, would have dʊne better to have faid, that the Romans hung up their Jars of Wine on the Walls of their Vaults, or Cellars, as appears by the 23d or 24th Chapters of Cato's Book, De Re Rufica. M. Dacier fhould always have referred us to his Authors, at leaft when he afferts any thing remarkable. We live in an Age that is extremely dif truftful; because it has been found, that fome Critics as confidently advance things, for which they have no manner of Proof, as thofe for which they have the best. Bibliotheque Univerfelle, Tome x. p. 280. 6 Corvino jubente.] Publius Valerius Meffala Corvinus, (the Perfon here meant) was Conful in the Year of Rome 723, and the fame who is fo much celebrated by Tibullus. But all the Praises given him by that Poet are lefs lefs to his Honour than the following Encomium of Ci. cero, in his 15th Epiftle to Brutus: Cave putes probitate, conftantiâ, curâ, ftudio Reipublica, quidquam illi effe fimile: ut eloquentia, quâ mirabiliter excellit, vix in eo locum ad laudandum babere videatur; quanquam in hac ipfâ, fapientia plus apparet, ita gravi judicio, multâque arte fe exercuit in veriffimo genere dicendi. Tanta autem induftria eft, tantumque evigilat in Audio, ut non maxima ingenio, quod in eo Jummum eft, gratia habenda videatur. This amiable Character is alfo an Honour to Horace; for we may judge of the Merit of Men by that of their Friends. See the Character of Meffala more at large in Dr. Middleton's Life of Cicero, Vol. II. p. 475. 4to Edit. Ib. The Word jubente proves that Corvinus had invited himself to fup with Horace. 7 Quanquam Socraticis madet Sermonibus] Philofophy is juttly compared to a River, which waters the Mind, and renders it fruitful. The Ancients have often employed the Word madere in the fame Sense: But it is the more happily introduced here, because the Subject is Drinking. There is an Allufion of the like kind in Mr. Pope, which is carried on with peculiar Propriety and Beauty : A little Learning is a dangerous thing; Drink deep, or tafte not the Pierian Spring: Effay on Criticism. Ib. By Socratici fermones, he means the Academic Philofophy, which opened the Mind, and formed the Judg-ment, more than any other. On which account Horace elsewhere puts it for the Bafe and Foundation of good Sense and Reafon. Meffala was both a deep Philofopher, and an accomplished Orator. 8 Narratur et prifci Catonis Sape mero caluiffe virtus.] Horace means Cato the Cenfor, who was called Prifcus, (the Ancient) before he had the Name of Cato: For though he was the molt fober Man in that Age, infomuch that he only drank Water in the Camp, and at home the fame Wine as his Slaves; yet he was wont in his latter Years, and especially in the Country, to enjoy |