Cum fas esse putet curam sperare cohortis, Nonne libet medio ceras implere capaces 60 65 58. A cohort.] A company of foot in a regiment, or legion, which consisted of ten.cohorts. 59. Hath given his estate to stables.] i. e. Has squandered away all his patrimony in breeding and keeping horses. Præsepe sometimes means—a cell, stews, or brothel. Perhaps, this may be the sense here, and the poet may mean, that this spendthrift had lavished his fortune on the stews, in lewdness and debauchery. 59-60. Lacks all the income, &c.] Has spent the family estate. 60. While he flies, &c.] The person here meant is far from certain. Commentators differ much in their conjecture on the subject. Britannicus gives the matter up. "This passage," says he, "is 46 one of those, concerning which we are yet to seek." But whether Cornelius Fuscus be meant, who when a boy was charioteer to Nero, as Automedon was to Achilles, and who, after wasting his substance in riotous living, was made commander of a regiment-Or Tigillinus, an infamous favourite of Nero's, be here designed, whose character is supposed to have answered to the description here given, is not certain-one or other seems to be meant. -The poet is mentioning various subjects, as highly proper for satire; and, among others, some favourite at court, who, after spending all his paternal estate in riot, extravagance, and debauchery, was made a commander in the army, and exhibited his chariot, driving full speed over the Flaminian way, which led to the emperor's villa; and all this, because, when a boy, he had been Nero's charioteer, or, as the poet humourously calls him, his Automedon, and used to drive out Nero and his minion Sporus, whom Nero castrated, to make him, as much as he could, resemble a woman, and whom he used as a mistress, and afterwards took as a wife, and appeared publicly in his chariot with him, openly caressing, and making love, as he passed along. The poet humourously speaks of Sporus in the feminine gender. As the lacerna was principally a man's garment, by lacernatæ amicæ, the poet may be understood, as if he had called Sporus, Nero's male-mistress-being habited like a man, and caressed as a woman. The above appears to me a probable explanation of this obscure and difficult passage. Holiday gives it a different turn, as may be seen by his annotation on this place. I do not presume to be posi When he can think it right to hope for the charge of a cohort, Who hath given his estate to stables, and lacks all. [60 The income of his ancestors, while he flies, with swift axle, over The Flaminian way: for the boy Automedon was holding the reins, When he boasted himself to his cloaked mistress. Doth it not like one to fill capacious waxen tablets in the middle of a Cross-way-when now can be carried on a sixth neck. (Here and there exposed, and in almost a naked chair, And much resembling the supine Mæcenas) A signer to what is false; who himself splendid and happy 65 tive, but will say with Britannicus : "Sed quum in ambiguo sit, de 66 quo poèta potissimum intelligat, unusquisque, si neutrum horum "probabile visum fuerit, quod ad loci explanationem faciat, ex"cogitet." 61. The Flaminian way.] A road made by Caius Flaminius, colleague of Lepidus, from Rome to Ariminum. 62. When he boasted himself.] Jactare se alicui-signifies to recommend, to insinuate one's self into the favour, or good graces of another as when a man is courting his mistress. By ipse, according to the above interpretation of this passage, we must understand the emperor Nero. 63. Capacious waxen tablets.] These are here called ceras, sometimes they are called ceratæ tabella-because they were thin pieces of wood, covered over with wax, on which the ancients wrote with the point of a sharp instrument, called stylus, (see HOR. lib. I. sat. x. 1. 72): it had a blunt end to rub out with. They made up pocketbooks with these. 64. Cross-way.] Juvenal means, that a man might please himself by filling a large book with the objects of satire which he meets in passing along the street. Quadrivium properly means a place where four ways meet, and where there are usually most people passinga proper stand for observation. On a sixth neck.] i. e. In a litter carried by six slaves, who bare the poles on the shoulder, and leaning against the side of the neck. These were called hexaphori, from Gr. iş, six, and Qɛpw, to bear or carry. See sat. vii. l. 141, n. 65. Exposed, &c.] Carried openly to and fro, here and there, through the public streets, having no shame for what he had done to enrich himself. 66. The supine Macenas.] By this it appears, that Mecenas was given to laziness and effeminacy. See sat. xii. 1. 39. Horace calls him Malthinus-from pandaxos, which denotes softness and effeminacy. See HoR. lib. i. sat. ii. 1. 25.. 67. A signer, &c.] Signator signifies a sealer or signer of contracts or wills. Here it means a species of cheat, who imposed false wills and testaments on the heirs of the deceased, supposed to be made in their own favour, or in favour of others with whom they Exiguis tabulis, et gemmâ fecerat udâ? Si vis esse aliquis:"PROBITAS LAUDATUR, ET ALGET.? 70 75 shared the spoil. See sat. x. 1. 336. and note. Some suppose this to be particularly meant of Tigellinus, a favourite of Nero's, who poisoned three uncles, and, by forging their wills, made himself heir to all they had. 68. By small tables.] Short testaments, contained in a few words. Comp. note on 1. 63. A wet gem.] i. e. A seal, which was cut on some precious stone, worn in a ring on the finger, and occasionally made use of to seal deeds or wills-this they wetted to prevent the wax sticking to it. This was formerly known among our forefathers, by the name of a seal-ring. 69. A potent matron occurs.] Another subject of satire the poet here adverts to, namely-women who poison their husbands, and this with impunity. The particular person here alluded to, under the description of matrona potens, was, probably, Agrippina, the wife of Claudius, who poisoned her husband, that she might make her son Nero emperor. Occurs.] Meets you in the public street, and thus occurs to the observation of the satirist. Comp. 1. 63, 4. 69. Calenian wine.] Calenum was a city in the kingdom of Naples, famous for a soft kind of wine. 70. About to reach forth.] Porrectura-the husband is supposed to be so thirsty, as not to examine the contents of the draught; of this she avails herself, by reaching to him some Calenian wine, with poison in it which was extracted from a toad. 71. A better Locusta.] This Locusta was a vile woman, skilful in preparing poisons. She helped Nero to poison Britannicus, the son of Claudius and Messalina; and Agrippina to dispatch Claudius. The woman alluded to by Juvenal 1. 69. he here styles-melior Locusta a better Locusta-i. e. more skilled in poisoning than even Locusta herself. Her rude neighbours.] i. e. Unacquainted and unskilled before, in this diabolical art. 72. Through fame and the people.] Setting all reputation and public report at defiance: not caring what people should say. To bring forth.] For burial-which efferre peculiarly means. See TER. And. act. I. sc. i. 1. 90. 70 . Has made, with small tables, and with a wet gem? If you would be somebody. PROBITY IS PRAISED AND STARVES WITH COLD. To crimes they owe gardens, palaces, tables, 75 Old silver, and a goat standing on the outside of cups. [to sleep? Whom does the corrupter of a covetous daughter-in-law suffer Whom base spouses, and the noble young adulterer? 72. Black husbands.] Their corpses turned putrid and black, with the effects of the poison. 73. Dare.] i. e. Attempt-presume-be not afraid to commit. prisonment. The narrow Gyara.] Gyaras was an island in the Ægean sea, small, barren, and desolate-to which criminals were banished. 74. If you would be somebody.] i. e. If you would make your self taken notice of, as a person of consequence, at Rome. A severe reflection on certain favourites of the emperor, who, by being informers, and by other scandalous actions, had enriched themselves. -Probity is praised, &c.] This seems a proverbial saying-and applies to what goes before, as well as to what follows, wherein the poet is shewing, that vice was, in those days, the only way to riches and honours. Honesty and innocence will be commended, but those who possess them, be left to starve. 75. Gardens.] i. e. Pleasant and beautiful retreats, where they had gardens of great taste and expense. Palaces.] The word prætoria denotes noblemen's seats in the country, as well as the palaces of great men in the city. - Tables.] Made of ivory, marble, and other expensive ma terials. 76. Old silver.] Ancient plate-very valuable on account of the workmanship. A goat standing, &c.] The figure of a goat in curious bassrelief-which animal, as sacred to Bacchus, was very usually expressed on drinking cups. 77. Whom.] i. e. Which of the poets, or writers of satire, can be at rest from writing, or withhold his satiric rage? The corrupter.] i. e. The father, who takes advantage of the love of money in his son's wife, to debauch her. 78. Base spouses.] Lewd and adulterous wives. The noble young adulterer.] Prætextatus, i. e. the youth, not having laid aside the prætextata, or gown worn by boys, sons of the nobility, till seventeen years of age-yet, in this early period of life, initiated into the practice of adultery. Si natura negat, facit indignatio versum, 80 85 Et quando uberior vitiorum copia? quando Major avaritiæ patuit sinus? alea quando Hos animos? neque enim loculis comitantibus itur 90 79. Indignation makes verse.] Forces one to write, however naturally without talents for it. 80. Such as I, or Cluvienus.] i. e. Make or write. The poet names himself with Cluvienus, (some bad poet of his time,) that he might the more freely satirize him, which he at the same time does, the more severely, by the comparison. 81. From the time that Deucalion.] This and the three following lines relate to the history of the deluge, as described by Ovid. See Met. lib. i. 1. 264-315. 82. Ascended the mountain, &c.] Alluding to Ovid: Mons ibi verticibus petit arduus astra duobus, Nomine Parnassus Hic ubi Deucalion (nam cætera texerat æquor) Asked for lots.] Sortes here means the oracles, or billets, on which the answers of the gods were written. Ovid, (ubi supra,) I. 367, 8. represents Deucalion, and his wife Pyrrha, resolving to go to the temple of the goddess Themis, to inquire in what manner mankind should be restored. placuit cæleste precari Numen, et auxilium per sacras quærere sortes. And 1. 381. Mota Dea est, sortemque dedit. To this Juvenal alludes in this line; wherein sortes may be rendered-oracular answers. 83. The soft stones, &c.] When Deucalion and Pyrrha, having consulted the oracle how mankind might be repaired, were answered, that this would be done by their casting the bones of their great mother behind their backs, they picked stones from off the earth, and cast them behind their backs, and they became men and women. Jussos lapides sua post vestigia mittunt : Ponere duritiem cæpére, suumque rigorem, Ib.. 399-402. |