SATIRA X. ARGUMENT. The subject of this inimitable Satire is the Vanity of Human Wishes. The poet takes his stand on the great theatre of the world, and summons before him the illustrious characters of all ages. As they appear in succession, he shews, from the principal events of their lives, how little happiness is promoted by the attainment of what our indistinct and bounded views represent as the most perfect of earthly blessings.-Its parts are eight.-I. The general proposition, that human wishes are vain. -II. This is exemplified in riches, but briefly; this head being treated of more fully in his fourteenth satire.-III. In honour,IV. Eloquence.-V. Military glory.-VI. Length of life.-VII. Personal accomplishments.-VIII. It concludes with the proper subjects of prayer.-From Gifford and Owen. 1. OMNIBUS in terris, quæ sunt a Gadibus usque Evertêre domos totas, optantibus ipsis, Dii faciles. Nocitura togâ, nocitura petuntur 1. Gadibus] Gades, now called Cadiz in Spain, to the west, and the river Ganges to the east, were the boundaries of the ancient known world. O. 2. Auroram] Orientem. 3. Vera bona, atque illis multùm diversa] Vera bona, et contraria iis, scil. mala. A. 4. Ratione] Rectâ ac bonâ ratione. R. 5. Dextro pede] Felicibus auspiciis.-Concipis] Suscipis, incipis, ingrederis. 8. Faciles] Indulgent.- Prompti nimis et faciles ad largiendum et obsequendum votis hominum. L.-Togá-Militia] In pace et in bello. Shakspeare, without knowing anything of our author, frequently falls into his train of thinking: Militia. Torrens dicendi copia multis, II. Temporibus diris igitur, jussuque Neronis, -We, ignorant of ourselves, Beg often our own harms, which the wise powers By losing of our prayers. G. 9. Torrens dicendi copia] Fluens loquendi facultas. P. 10 15 10. Viribus ille Confisus] The well-known wrestler Milo, who was caught by the hands in the cleft of a tree which he was attempting to rend asunder, and devoured by beasts. 13. Strangulat] Occidit, perdit.-In causâ est cur strangulentur ac jugulentur, sive a furibus, sive a tyrannis, qui opibus eorum inhiant. P. 14. Balana Britannica] The whale approached our shores in ancient times, more frequently than at present. V. 16. Longinum] A wealthy lawyer, whose pretended crime was having in his house a statue of the celebrated Cassius, who was one of his ancestors.-Seneca prædivitis] The avarice and luxury of Seneca (to say nothing of his other blemishes) were sadly inconsistent with his professed character of philosopher and moralist. Even within the first four years of Nero's reign, he is said to have amassed, by usury and legacy-hunting, no less a sum than two millions and a half of our money, (ter millies sestertiûm,) and this must have still further accumulated by the time of his execution, which was not till six or seven years afterwards. See Tac. Ann. xiii. 42. 17. Lateranorum] Plautius Lateranus, consul elect, was put to death at the same time with Seneca. From this family, the palace formerly inhabited by the Pope, but now deserted, takes its name. Ꮴ. 18. Rarus] Rarò. R.-Cœnacula] The abodes of the poor, (see Sat. iii. 183, 184.) whither no tyrant sends his satellites in quest of plunder. 19. Argenti puri] Plain, not embossed; and therefore of less value. Juv. Sat. K Nocte iter ingressus, gladium contumque timebis, Prima ferè vota, et cunctis notissima templis, Jamne igitur laudas, quòd de Sapientibus alter Ridebat, quoties a limine moverat unum Protuleratque pedem: flebat contrarius alter? Sed facilis cuivis rigidi censura cachinni: Mirandum est, unde ille oculis suffecerit humor. Perpetuo risu pulmonem agitare solebat Democritus, quanquam non essent urbibus illis 21. Ad lunam] Ad lumen lunæ. M. 22. Vacuus] Inops omnium rerum: penny less. 20 25 30 23. Prima ferè vota, &c.] Præcipuæ fermè preces, ac fanis omnibus cognitæ sunt, ut divitiæ et opes augeantur. P.-Owen supposes opes in this passage to signify power. But this is anticipating another division of the satire. Hodgson. 24. Maxima toto-arca foro] i. e. To be the wealthiest man in the forum, which was the Exchange or money-market, where all the usurers met for business.-Others understand it more literally of the coffers deposited for security in the temples that surrounded the forum. See Sat. xiv. 260. 27. Gemmata pocula] Compare Sat. v. 38. et seqq.-Setinum] See on Sat. v. 34. 28. Jamne igitur laudas?] Nonne itaque probas? R.-Sapientibus] The two philosophers Democritus and Heraclitus; the former of whom laughed at the follies of mankind, while the latter wept at their miseries.-The general idea of this passage resembles that of the well-known epigram: Τον βιον, Ηρακλειτε, πολυ πλεον, ηπερ ότ' εξης, Τον βιον αρτι γελα, Δημοκριτε, το πλεον η πριν 31. Sed facilis cuivis, &c.] Cuilibet facile est ridere. R. 32. Mirandum est, &c.] The wonder is, how Heraclitus could always find tears at command. 34. Quanquam non essent urbibus illis] Although in the cities of his native country, Thrace, and in his simple times, there were no such follies and vanities to be seen, as Rome now exhibited. Prætexta, et trabeæ, fasces, lectica, tribunal. Quid, si vidisset Prætorem in curribus altis 35 40 45 35. Prætexta, et trabeæ, &c.] It is the ambition connected with these that the poet notices. W. 36. Prætorem] The Prætor, when presiding at the Circensian games. Compare Sat. xi. 184. 38. Tunica Jovis] The tunica palmata, worn on state occasions, and kept in the temple of Jupiter.-Picta] Acu elaboratæ. P.Sarrana] Purpurea, Tyria; nam Sarra priscum Tyri nomen. R. 39. Aulaa toga] This expresses the extravagant size of these robes of state. 40. Sufficit] Sustentare potest. 41. 42. Quippe, &c.] Ordo est, Quippe sudans publicus servus tenet hanc, &c.-The public slaves were those who were kept to take care of the temples and other public buildings, and to attend on the magistrates, &c.-Sibi Consul Ne placeat] Ne superbiat. P.— The poet blends two exhibitions together, the Circensian games and a triumph, in this account; because the same robes of state were used upon both occasions. But the public slave, attendant clients, &c. belong to the triumphal procession. The slave used to cry, as the general went along, Respice post te, hominem esse memento. 0. 43. Da] Adde.-Volucrem] The triumphant general bore an ivory sceptre with an eagle on the top. 45. Agminis] The train of friends and clients, who preceded and attended the conqueror, clothed in white, (niveos,) and some of them holding the bridles (ad frana) of the horses that drew the triumphal chariot. 46. Quos sportula, &c.] Vide in Sat. i. 87. Quos emolumentum, non verus amor, fecit amicos:-sportula defossa in loculis a clienti bus, qui amicitiain divitum sectantur, ut colligant sportulas, iisque marsupia sua impleant. R. 47. Tunc quoque] Even in his own simple times.-Invenit] sc. Occursus hominum; cujus prudentia monstrat, III. Quosdam præcipitat subjecta potentia magnæ 50 55 Democritus. Ad omnes Occursus hominum] In every man he met.Quoties homini cuivis occurreret. M. 49. Magna exempla daturos] Virtutis nempe, prudentiæ, et fortitudinis exempla posteritati præbituros. M. 50. Vervecum] Of blockheads; literally, of wether-sheep.Democritus was born at Abdera, a town of Thrace, whose inhabitants were proverbially stupid. 51. Vulgi] Of the crowd; of mankind in general. 53. Mandaret laqueum] Bade her be hanged.-Mediumque ostenderet unguem] To hold up the middle finger was a mark of contempt among the ancients; hence that finger was called infamis. 54. Ergò supervacua, &c.] Therefore, (i. e. since we are so unable to distinguish between good and evil,) those petitions of ours are either superfluous or pernicious. 55. Fas est] Licet nobis, permittitur.-Genua incerare Deorum] It was the manner of the ancients, when they made vows to their gods, to write them on tablets, and fasten these with wax to the knees of the idols. When their desires were granted, they took away the tablet and offered up the sacrifices they had promised. 56. Subjecta] Exposita. R.-Subjectior invidia. Hor. Sat. ii. 6.47. 57. Mergit] Obruit. L.-Honorum Pagina] A brazen tablet was annexed to statues, containing an account of all the titles and honours of the represented person. 0. 58. Descendunt statuæ, &c.] When any man of eminence was disgraced and condemned, his statues were pulled down, dragged with ropes through the streets, and demolished. Compare Sat. viii. 21. 59. Rotas bigarum] Not content with pulling the triumphal statues out of the chariots in which they stood, (compare Sat. vii. 125.) the very chariots themselves are hacked to pieces by the mob.Impacta] Vi adacta. |