Inquisitores agerent cum remige nudo ; Quicquid conspicuum, pulchrumque est æquore toto, 50 55. 60 49. Would immediately contend, &c.] They would immediately take advantage of the poor fisherman's forlorn and defenceless condition, to begin a dispute with him about the fish; and would even have the impudence to say, that, though the man might have caught the fish, yet he had no right to it—that it was astray, and ought to return to the right owner. 51. Long had fed, &c.] Vivarium, as has been before observed, denotes a place where wild beasts or fishes are kept, a park, a warren, a stew or fish-pond. The monstrous absurdity of what the poet supposes these fellows to advance, in order to prove that this fish was the emperor's property, (notwithstanding the poor fisherman had caught it in the Adriatic sea,) may be considered as one of those means of oppression, which were made use of to distress the people, and to wrest their property from them, under the most frivolous and groundless pretences, and at the same time under colour of legal claim. 53. Palphurius-Armillatus.] Both men of consular dignity; lawyers, and spies, and informers, and so favourites with Domitian. Here is another plea against the poor fisherman, even granting that the former should fail in the proof; namely, that the emperor has, by his royal prerogative, and as part of the royal revenue, a right to all fish which are remarkable in size or value, wheresoever caught in any part of the sea; and as this turbot came within that description, the emperor must have it, and this on the authority of those great lawyers above mentioned. By the law of England, whale and sturgeon are called royal fish, because they belong to the king, on account of their excellence, as part of his ordinary revenue, in consideration of his protecting the seas from pirates and robbers. See BLACKS. Com. 4to. p. 290. 55. Therefore it shall be presented.] The poor fisherman, aware of all this, rather than incur the danger of a prosecution at the suit of the emperor, in which he could have no chance but to lose his fine turbot, and to be ruined into the bargain, makes a virtue of necessity, and therefore wisely determines to carry it as a present to Do. mitian, who was at that time at Alba. 56. Lest it should be lost.] Lest it should be seized, and taken from him by the informers. Would immediately contend with the naked boatman, 50 Is a matter of revenue, wherever it swims.-Therefore it shall be presented Lest it should be lost. Deadly autumn was now yielding to Deformed winter howled, and the recent prey Preserved: 55 And as soon as they had got to the lakes, where, tho' demolished, Alba DUKE. 60 The boatman then shall a wise present make, And give the fish, before the seizers take. Or-It shall be presented, and that immediately, lest it should grow stale and stink. 56. Deadly autumn, &c.] By this we learn, that the autumn, in that part of Italy, was very unwholesome, and that, at the begin ning of the winter, quartan agues were expected by persons of a weakly and sickly habit. Spero signifies to expect either good or evil. This periphrasis describes the season in which this matter happened, that it was in the beginning of winter, the weather cold, the heats of autumn succeeded by the hoar-frosts, so that the fish was in no danger of being soon corrupted. 59. Yet he hastens, &c.] Notwithstanding the weather was so favourable for preserving the fish from tainting, the poor fisherman made as much haste to get to the emperor's palace, as if it had been now summer-time. 60. They.] i. e. The fisherman, and his companions the infor mers they would not leave him. Got to the lakes.] The Albanian lakes-these are spoken of by Hor. lib. iv. od. i. l. 19, 20. Albanos prope te lacus Ponet marmoream sub trabe citreâ. The city of Alba was built between these lakes and the hills, which, for this reason, were called Colles Albani; hence these lakes were also called Lacus Albani. Alba was about fifteen miles from Rome. Tho' demolished, &c.] Tullus Hostilius, king of Rome, took away all the treasure and relics which the Trojans had placed there in the temple of Vesta; only, out of a superstitious fear, the fire was left; but he overthrew the city. See ANT. Un. Hist. vol. xi. p. 310. All the temples were spared. Liv. l. i. The Albans, on their misfortunes, neglecting their worship, were commanded, by various prodigies, to restore their ancient rites, the chief of which was, to keep perpetually burning the vestal fire which Ignem Trojanum, et Vestam colit Alba minorem, Iste dies; propera stomachum laxare saginis, 65 was brought there by Æneas, and his Trojans, as a fatal pledge of the perpetuity of the Roman empire. Alba Longa was built by Ascanius the son of Æneas, and called Alba, from the white sow which was found on the spot. See VIRG. Æn. iii. 3903. En. viii. 43-8. As Domitian was at this time at Alba, where he had instituted a college of priests, hence called Sacerdotes, or Pontifices Albani. he was their founder and chief, it might be one reason of his being called Pontifex Summus, l. 46. when at that place. The occasion of his being there at that time, may be gathered from what Pliny says in his epist. to Corn. Munatianus. "Domitian was desirous to punish Corn. Maximilla, a vestal, by "burying her alive, she having been detected in unchastity; he went "to Alba, in order to convoke his college of priests, and there, in "abuse of his power as chief, he condemned her in her absence, and "unheard." See before, l. 12, and note. Suetonius says, that Domitian went every year to Alba, to celebrate the Quinquatria, a feast so called, because it lasted five days, and was held in honour of Minerva, for whose service he had also instituted the Albanian priests-this might have occasioned his being at Alba at this time. 61. The lesser Vesta.] So styled, with respect to her temple at Alba, which was far inferior to that at Rome built by Numa, 62. Wondering crowd.] A vast number of people assembled to view this fine fish, insomuch that, for a little while, parumper, they obstructed the fisherman in his way to the palace.. 63. As it gave way.] i. e. As the crowd, having satisfied their curiosity, retired, and gave way for him to pass forward. The gates, &c.] Valve-the large folding doors of the palace are thrown open, and afford a ready and welcome entrance to one who brought such a delicious and acceptable present. Comp. HOR. lib. i. od. xxv. l. 5, 6. 64. The excluded fathers.] Patresi, e. patres conscripti, the senators, whom Domitian had commanded to attend him at Alba, either out of state, or in order to form his privy-council on state affairs. There is an antithesis here between the admissa opsonia and the exclusi patres, intimating, that the senators were shut out of the palace, when the doors were thrown open to the fisherman and his turbot: these venerable personages had only the privilege of look. ing at it, as it was carried through the crowd. Many copies read expectant-q. d. The senators are to wait, Preserves the Trojan fire, and worships the lesser Vesta, A wondering crowd, for a while, opposed him as he entered: 65 He comes to Atrides: then the Picenian said—“ Accept "What is too great for private kitchens: let this day be passed "As a festival, hasten to release your stomach from its cram "mings; while the business of the turbot is settled, before they can be admit ted-lit. they await the admitted victuals. See expectant used in this sense. VIRG. En. iv. l. 134. Casaubon reads spectant, which seems to give the most natural and easy sense. 64. Dainties.] Opsonium-ii-signifies any victuals eaten with bread, especially fish. AINSW. Gr. olov, proprie, piscis. Hed. So likewise in S. S. John vi. 9. duo ofagia, two little fishes. Here Juvenal uses opsonia for the rhombus. 65. Atrides.] So the poet here humourously calls Domitian, in allusion to Agamemnon, the son of Atreus, whose pride prompted him to be styled the commander over all the Grecian generals. Thus Domitian affected the titles of Dux ducum-Princeps principum, and even Deus. The Picenian.] i. e. The fisherman, who was an inhabitant of Picenum. Accept.] Thus begins the fisherman's abject and fulsome address to the emperor, on presenting the turbot. 66. What is too great.] Lit. greater than private fires. Focus is properly a fire-hearth, by met. fire. Focis, here, means the fires by which victuals are dressed, kitchen fires; and so, by met. kitchens. q. d. The turbot which he presented to the emperor was too great and valuable to be dressed in any private kitchen. 67. As a festival.] The adj. genialis signifies cheerful-merryfestival-so, genialis dies-a day of festivity, a festival-such as was observed on marriage or on birth-days: on these latter, they held a yearly feast in honour of their genius, or tutelar deity, which was supposed to attend their birth, and to live and die with them. See PERS. sat. ii. 1. 3, and note. Probably the poet here means much the same as Horace, lib. iii. ode xvii.-by genium curabisyou shall indulge yourself-make merry. . Hasten to release, &c.] The poet here lashes Domitian's gluttony, by making the fisherman advise him to unload, and set. his stomach at liberty from the dainties which it contained, (which was usually done by vomits,) in order to whet it, and to make room for this turbot. Sagina lit. means any meat wherewith things are crammed or fatted, and is well applied here to express the emperor's stuffing and cramming himself, by his daily gluttony, like a beast or a fowl that is put up to be fattened. Et tua servatum consume in sæcula rhombum : 70 75 68. Reserved for your age.] As if Providence had purposely formed and preserved this fish for the time of Domitian. 69. Itself it would be taken.] The very fish itself was ambitious to be caught for the entertainment and gratification of Mayour jesty. What could be plainer?] What flattery could be more open, more palpable than this? Juvenal. says 70. His crest arose.] This flattery, which one would have thought too gross to be received, yet pleased Domitian, he grew proud of it -surgebant crista. Metaph. taken from the appearance of a cock when he is pleased, and struts and sets up his comb. There is nothing, &c.] i. e. When a prince can believe himself equal in power to the gods, (which was the case with Domitian,) no flattery can be too gross, fulsome, or palpable to be received; he will believe every thing that can be said in his praise, and grow still the vainer for it. Mr. Dryden, in his ode called Alexander's Feast, has finely ima. gined an instance of this, where Alexander is almost mad with pride, at hearing himself celebrated as the son of Jupiter by Olympia. With ravish'd ears Affects to nod, And seems to shake the spheres. 72. But a size, &c.] They had no pot capacious enough, in its dimensions, to contain this large turbot, so as to dress it whole. -Patina is a pot of earth or metal, in which things were boiled, and brought to table in their broth. AINSW. 73. The nobles.] Proceres-the senators-called patres, 1. 64. Are called into council.] To deliberate on what was to be done in this momentous business. Whom he hated.] From a consciousness of his being dreaded and hated by them. 74. The paleness.] We have here a striking representation of a tyrant, who, conscious that he must be hated by all about him, hates them, and they, knowing his capricious cruelty, never approach him without horror and dread, lest they should say or do something, |