Cætera Trinacriis pubes senioris Acesta Fertur equis. Excipiunt plausu pavidos, gaudentque tuentes 575 rum Catera pubes fertur Trinacriis equis senioris Aceste. Dardanidæ plausu excipiant eos pavidos, gaudentque tuentes, agnoscuntque ora veterum parentum. Postquam læti lustravere omnem consessum, ocu losque suorum in equis, Epytides longè dedit signum paratis clamore, insonuitque flagello. Olli discurrere pares, atque terni solvere agmina choris 580 diductis; rursusque vocati con Lustravere in equis, signum clamore paratis vertere vias, tulereque tela infesta. Inde ineunt alios cursus, aliosque recursus, adversis spatiis; impediuntque alternos orbes orbibus, cientque simulacra 584 pugnæ sub armis. Et nunc nudant terga fugâ, nunc infensi vertunt spicula; nunc, pace factâ, pariter feruntur. Ut labyrinthus in altâ Cretâ fertur quondam habuisse iter textum cæcis parietibus, TRANSLATION. the youths ride on Trinacrian horses of aged Acestes. The Trojans with shouts of applause receive them anxious for honour, and are well pleased with the sight, and trace the features of the aged sires in the children. Now when the joyous youths had paraded on horseback round the whole ring, and full in their parents' view, Epytus' son, from far, gave them the signal with a shout, as they stood ready, and clanked with his lash. They broke away in pairs, and the three leaders divided their troops into separate bands; and again, upon summons given, they wheeled about, and bore their hostile spears on one another. Then they again advance, and again retreat in their opposite grounds, and alternately form intricate orbs within orbs, and exhibit the representation of a fight in arms. And now flying they expose their defenceless backs; now in hostile manner turn their darts on each other: now, peace being made up, they ride on together. As of old in lofty Crete was a labyrinth famed for having had a winding alley formed NOTES. 577. Oculosque suorum. This expression, when well considered, will appear very beautiful and emphatic. They made the circuit of the whole ring of spectators, oculosque suorum, and their parents' eyes; as much as to say, their parents were all eye, all attention to their motion and whole demeanor. 580. Agmina terni diductis solvere choris. Others read ternis, which makes the sense easier. However that may be, the meaning appears to be this; that after they had marchéd round the circus in one body to be reviewed by Eneas and the other spectators, upon the signal given they divided into three troops, and marched over the plain, each troop performing their exercises in a different ground. 588. Labyrinthus. The Labyrinth was an edifice full of cells that communicated with one another, and was perplexed with winding avenues, disposed in such a manner as to lead backward and forward in a maze, and bewilder those who entered into it, so that they could not trace their way out. The original Labyrinth was in Egypt, a very curious work, carried on at the expense of many kings, and at last finished by Psammaticus. After this dolumque ancipitem mille viis, Parietibus textum cæcis iter, ancipitemque quà indeprensus et irremeabi- Mille viis habuisse dolum, quà signa sequendi 590 lis error falleret signa sequen di; haud aliter nati Teucrûm Falleret indeprensus et irreméabilis error; impediant vestigia cursu, lu- Haud aliter Teucrûm nati vestigia cursu doque texunt fugas et prælia; similes delphinum, qui nando Impediunt, texuntque fugas et prælia ludo; per humida maria secant Car- Delphinum similes, qui per maria humida nando pathium Libycumque mare, luduntque per undas, Ascanius Carpathium Libycumque secant, luduntque per un primus retulit hunc morem cum cingeret Albam Longam ipse pher, quo modo Troïa pu das. 595 cursus, atque hæc certamina, Hunc morem cursus, atque hæc certamina, primus muris, et docuit priscos Lati- Ascanius, Longam muris cum cingeret Albam, nos ea celebrare: quo modo Retulit, et priscos docuit celebrare Latinos: bes secum celebravit ea, eodem Quo puer ipse modo, secum quo Troïa pubes, Albani docuere suos: hinc maxima porro cepit ea, et servavit patrium Accepit Roma, et patrium servavit honorem: honorem: nuncque pueri di- Trojaque nunc, pueri, Trojanum dicitur agmen. Hac celebrata tenùs sancto certainina patri. modo Albani docuere suos: hine porro maxima Roma ac cuntur Troja, et agmen dici tur Trojanum. Hactenùs cer tamina sunt celebrata sancto Hic primùm Fortuna fidem mutata novavit. patri. Hic Fortuna mutata pri- Dum variis tumulo referunt solennia ludis, ferunt solennia tumulo variis Irim de coelo misit Saturnia Juno mùm novavit fidem. Dum re ludis, Saturnia Juno misit frim de cœlo ad Iliacam classem, 600 605 TRANSLATION. by dark intricate walls, and a puzzling maze perplexed by a thousand avenues, whereby the steps should still be lost in wandering and inextricable error; in just such mazy course the sons of the Trojans involve their motions, and frame promiscuous fighting and flying in sport; like dolphins, that swimming through the watery abyss cut the Carpathian or Libyan sea, and gambol amid the waves. This manner of tilting, and those mock-fights, Ascanius first renewed, and taught the ancient Latins to celebrate, when he was enclosing Alba Longa with walls: as the boy himself, as the Trojan youth with him had practised them, so the Albans taught their posterity: hence, in after-times, imperial Rome received them, and preserved the same in honour of her ancestors; and at this day it is called the game of Troy, and the boys that perform it, the Trojan band. Thus far the trials of skill were exhibited by Æneas in honour of his venerable sire. Here shifting Fortune first became treacherous and unkind. While they are celebrating the anniversary at the tomb with various games, NOTES. model, Dædalus built a Labyrinth of a much smaller size in Crete, wherein the Minotaur was shut up. 590. Quà signa sequendi, &c. Literally, whereby error, not to be unraveled and inextricable, frustrated all signs to trace out one's way. 595. Carpathium, the Carpathian sea, to the east of the island of Crete, where is the island Carpathus, between Crete and Rhodes. 596. Hunc morem cursus. Other copies read hunc morem, hos cursus, which is more poetical. 604. Fortuna fidem novavit. Here Fortune is considered as a friend, on whom Æneas had hitherto depended for favour and protection; but now she changes sides, breaks her faith, and proves treacherous. 606. Irim misit. Servius observes, that as Mercury is mostly sent on messages of peace, so Iris generally comes on errands of mis Iliacam ad classem, ventosque aspirat eunti, rem. per mille coloribus arcum, dolo 610 Illa viam celerans 620 Ac sic Dardanidûm mediam se matribus infert: TRANSLATION. aspiratque ventos eunti, mo. vens multa, necdum exsaturata antiquum dolorem. Illa virgo celerans viam per arcum ex mille coloribus, visa nulli decurrit cito tramite. Conspicit ingentem concursum, et lustrans litora, videt portusque desertos, classemque relictam. At Troades procul secretæ in solâ actâ flebant Anchisen amis sum, cunctæque flentes aspectabant profundum pontum: Heu, tot vada et tantum maris superesse nobis fessis, erat una vox omnibus. Orant urbem; tædet eas perferre laborem pelagi. Ergo Iris, haud ignara nocendi, conjicit sese inter eas medias, et reponit faciemque vestemque Dex. Fit Beröe, longæva conjux Dorycli Ismarii, cui quondam genus et nomen natique fuissent. Ac sic infert se mediam matribus Dardanidûm: O miseræ, inquit, quas Achaica manus non tramanibus patriæ! O infelix gena! Saturnian Juno dispatched Iris from heaven to the Trojan fleet, and with the fanning winds speeds her way, forming many mischievous plots, and her old revenge not yet glutted. The virgin goddess accelerating her way, seen by none, amidst the bow with a thousand colours, shoots down the path with nimble easy motion. She descries the vast concourse at the games; then, surveying the shore, sees the port deserted, and the fleet left defenceless. But at a distance the Trojan dames apart were mourning the loss of Anchises on the desolate shore, and all of them with tears in their eyes viewed the deep ocean: Ah that so many perils and such a length of sea should still remain for us after all our toils! was the sole complaint of all. They pray for some city, are sick of enduring the hardships of the main. Therefore she, not unpractised in mischief, throws herself into the midst of them, and lays aside the mien and habit of a goddess. She assumes the figure of Beroe, the aged wife of Thracian Doryclus, who was nobly born, and once had renown, and an illustrious offspring. And thus she joins in discourse with the Trojan matrons: Ah! how hard is the lot of us, who were not dragged NOTES. chief and contention; whence some derive her Aëriam cælo nam Jupiter Irim 613. Secreta Troades. It was reckoned an indecency, among the Greeks and Romans, for women to be present at the public shows. Therefore Virgil, who has all along the Roman customs in his eye, represents the matrons here apart from the men, deploring the death of Anchises by themselves. cui exitio fortuna reservat te? Infelix! cui te exitio fortuna reservat? septima æstas jam vertitur post 625 excidium Troja; cum ferimur Septima post Trojæ excidium jam vertitur æstas; emensæ omnia freta, omnes Cum freta, cum terras omnes, tot inhospita saxa, terras, tot inhospita saxa side raque; dum sequimur Italiam Sideraque emensæ ferimur; dum per mare mag fugientem per magnum mare, fraterni fines Erycis, atque hic num et volvimur undis. Hie sunt Italiam sequimur fugientem, et volvimur undis. est hospes Acestes: quid pro- Hic Erycis fines fraterni, atque hospes Acestes:630 hibet Enean hic jacere muros, Quid prohibet muros jacere, et dare civibus uret dare urbem civibus? O pa tria, et Penates rapti ex hoste nequicquam! bem? O patria, et rapti nequicquam ex hoste Penates! TRANSLATION. forth to die in the war by the Grecian host under our native walls! Ill-fated race! for what miserable doom are you reserved by fortune? The seventh summer from the destruction of Troy is already rolled away, while we, having measured all lands and seas, visited so many inhospitable rocks and barbarous climes, are driven about; while along the wide ocean we pursue Italy that flies from us, and are tossed on the waves. Here are the realms of his brother Eryx, and his friend Acestes: what prevents him from founding walls, and giving his subjects here a city? Ah my country, and our gods in vain saved from the enemy shall a city never more arise to be named from Troy? Shall I never NOTES. 626. Septima vertitur æstus. The question is, how Eneas had spent so long time as seven years in so short a voyage. In order to make this out, I shall give the following computation according to a French critic. First, he finds from history, that Troy was taken in the month of May or June. He allows Eneas ten months for fitting out his fleet at Antandros, and makes him set out in the month of March of the following year. From that time to his arrival in Epirus, he computes four years and some months, which he had spent in building cities, and establishing useless settlements in Thrace and Crete. After having staid some time in Epirus, and celebrated the Actiac games, he set out thence in the end of autumn of the fifth year; and having made a compass almost round Sicily, arrived at Drepanum in the beginning of the following year. There he lost his father in the month of February, and, according to the law established among the ancients, devoted ten months to grief and retirement, without resuming his expedition before the prescribed time had elapsed. Thus, according to my author, Æneas did not set sail from Sicily till the month of November, and here the scene opens, and the action of the Æneid begius, En. I. 34. Vixè conspectu, &c. Soon afterward, about the middle of the seventh year of his voyages, he was driven by a storm on the coast of Carthage, where he spent three months of winter; and thence set out for Italy, in the end of January following; arrived again in Sicily in the month of February, about the end of the same seventh year; spent about one month in celebrating his father's anniversary, and about the beginning of the eighth year arrived in Italy, in the end of March, or beginning of April, when the spring was pretty well advanced, as we may gather from those beautiful lines which paint that season, Æn. VII. 32. variæ circumque supraque Assueta ripis volucres et fluminis alveo, Ethera mulcebant cantu, lucoque volabant. Thus what Beroe here says perfectly agrees with Dido's assertion in the end of the first book; for there it is only te septima æstas portat, which implies only that the seventh year was runuing: but here it is septima æstus vertitur; the seventh year is rolled away or past. Yet Servius is so dogmatical as to impeach Virgil here of an unpardonable inconsistency. 628. Per mare magnum. By magnum here Servius understands stormy, high swelling, and quotes Lucretius, Lib. II. 1. Suave mari magno turbantibus æquora ventus. Nullane jam Troja dicentur moenia? nusquam res. Nec tantis mora prodigiis. En quatuor aræ nem : 641 nullane monia jam dicentur mania Troja? nusquamne vithum et Simöenta? Quin agite, debo Hectoreos amnes, Xan et mecum exurite infaustas puppes. Nam imago Cassandre vatis per somnum visa est dare mihi ardentes faces: Hic, inquit, quærite Trojam; hic domus est vobis Nunc tempus est agi res. Nec mora sit tantis prodigiis. En quatuor aræ sunt Neptuno: ipse Deus ministrat nobis faces animumque. Illa memorans hæc prima corripit infensum ignem vi, dextrâque sublatâ connixa procul coruscat, et jacit. Mentes Iliadum sunt arrectæ, cordaque stupefacta. Hic una è multis, quæ erat maxima natu, nomine Pyrgo, regia nutrix tot natorum Priami, ait: Non est Beröe vobis, matres, hæc non est Rheteia conjux Dorycli: notate signa divini decoris, oculosque ardentes; qui spiritus, qui vultus, sonusve vocis, vel gressus est illi eunti! Sublatâque procul dextrâ connixa coruscat, TRANSLATION. 645 see the Hectorean rivers, Xanthus and Simois? Nay, rather come, and burn with me our cursed ships. For in my sleep I saw the ghost of the prophetess Cassandra present me with flaming brands: Here, says she, seek for Troy, here is your fixed residence. Now is the time for action. Nor let us delay after such awful signs from heaven. Lo, here are four altars to Neptune the god himself spirits us to the enterprise, and supplies us with firebrands to put it in execution. With these words she violently snatches the destroying fire, and, lifting up her right hand with exerted force, first waves at a distance, then throws it. Roused are the minds, and stunned the hearts of the Trojan matrons. Then one of the number, Pyrgo, the most advanced in years, the royal nurse to Priam's numerous sons, said, Matrons, this is not Beroe whom you see, it is not she from the Rheteum, the wife of Doryclus: mark here the characters of divine beauty, eyes bright and sparkling; what fragrance in her breath, what majesty in her looks; or mark the accents of her voice, or her gait as she moves. Myself lately, as I came NOTES. 646. Non Beroe, &c. The tendency of this speech is not to dissuade the matrons from executing Juno's purpose, as it may seem at first sight; but on the contrary it is a strong incitement to it, by showing them that the person who had appeared to them in the form of Beroe was really a goddess. 648. Ardentesque notate oculos, &c. Here are four striking characters of divinity mentioned: 1. Beauty, radiant eyes, looks, and complexion, as in Venus, Roseû cervice refulsit. En. I. 406. 2. A fragrant breath which perfumed the air |