Argento præferre caput, rebusque salutem? Sed postquam jacuit planum mare, tempora postquam money beyond even life itself. It is said of Aristippus the philosopher, that, being on board a ship with pirates, he threw all his money overboard secretly, lest, finding it, they should throw him into the sea, in order to possess what he had. 50. On account of life, &c.] i. e. That they may spend them in the necessaries and comforts of life. 51. Blind, &c.] With the vice of avarice. -Live for the sake, &c.] They do not get money that they may live, (see note, 1. 50.) but only live for the sake of money. 52. Useful goods, &c.] Not only articles of superfluity, such as fine embossed plate, and the like, but even useful necessaries, such as clothes, provisions, and, perhaps, a great part of the tackling of the ship, were thrown overboard on this occasion. 53. Losses lighten.] Alleviate their danger; or, what they had lost by throwing overboard did not seem to lighten the ship, as she kept filling with water. See 1. 30. 54. It came to that pass.] Illuc recidit. Some read decidit, which has the same meaning here. Il en vint là. Fr. -He.] Catullus, who was probably the owner of the ship. -Should lower, &c.] i. e. Should cut 50 55 690 65 away the mast, as we term it. Angustum, 1. 55, has the sense of angustatum. 56. Apply helps, &c.] It is a sign of the utmost distress, when we are obliged to use helps to make the ship lighter, and less exposed to the wind, as by cutting away her masts, which is supposed to be the meaning of minorem in this place. Afferimus præsidia seems to have the same sense as βοηθειας έχρώντο, Acts xxvii. 17. 57. Go now, &c.] In this apostrophe the poet severely reproves those, who, for the sake of gain, are continually risking such dangers as have been described. Comp. HoR. lib. i. ode iii. 1. 9-24. 57. Trusting, &c.] The timber, of which the sides of the ship were made, was hewn in a rough manner into planks of four or seven fingers breadth in thickness; so that the passengers, having no more between them and the water, might be said to be no farther removed from death. Alluding to a saying of Anacharsis the philosopher, who, on hearing one say that a ship was three fingers thick, answered, "then just so "far from death are those who sail in "her." 59. If the pine.] Teda signifies the middle or heart of the pine-tree. AINSW. Of this, it seems, they made the sides of their ships, after cutting or hewing 50 Prefer his life to his plate, his safety to his goods? Go now and commit your life to the winds, trusting to Fingers, or seven, if the pine be very large. 55 Immediately with your provision-baskets, and bread, and belly of a flagon, Remember axes to be used in a storm. 60 But after the sea lay smooth, after the circumstances of the Mariner were favourable, and his fate more powerful than the east wind, And the sea; after the cheerful destinies draw better 65 it into planks. 60. Provision-baskets.] Reticulis--twig baskets made like a net to carry provisions in; or bags made of network, used for that purpose by sailors, soldiers, and travellers, something like our knapsacks as to their purpose. -Belly of a flagon.] Lagena-a flagon, or bottle with a large belly, to keep wine in-q. d. a great-bellied flagon. 61. Axes to be used, &c.] To cut away the masts upon occasion. See 1. 54. These may happen to be as necessary as your other sea-stores; therefore, in the next place (mox) provide axes. Aspice -vide et memento, MARSHALL. To be used, sumendas-lit. to be taken. 62. But after, &c.] The narrative of Catullus's adventure is here resumed. -Lay smooth.] Became calm, on the storm ceasing. -Circumstances, &c.] When the happy fortune of my friend prevailed, (see AINSW. Tempus, No. 2.) and things put on a more prosperous appear ance. 62, 3. The mariner.] Vector signifies a bearer, or carrier; also a passenger in a ship; likewise a mariner. See AINSW. 63. Fate more powerful, &c.] The Romans believed every thing to be governed by fate, even the gods themselves. 64. The cheerful destinies, &c.] The parcæ, or fates. See sat. x. 252, note. Pensa-tasks enjoined to people that spin; also thread, &c. spun. Ducere pensa, to spin. AINSW. See HOR. lib. iii. ode xxvii. 1. 63. 65. White thread.] It was the opinion of the ancients, that when the destinies intended long life to a person, they spun white thread; when death, black thread. The phrase of ducere pensa, to spin, taken notice of in the last note, alludes to the action of the spinster, who draws the wool, or flax, from the distaff as she spins it; this she continues, till the task (pensum) assigned her is finished. 66. Spinsters.] And are now become spinsters, &c. Ventus adest; inopi miserabilis arte cucurrit 70 75 Quæ pelago occurrunt medio, longeque relinquunt Quos natura dedit: sed truncâ puppe magister 67. The miserable, &c.] The shattered vessel left in a miserable plight. Prora (by synec.) may mean the vessel itself: but it literally signifies the forepart, the foredeck or forecastle of a ship; and so it is probably to be understood here, as the velo suo implies the sail proper to this part of the ship; the foresprit sail, as we call it. This was the only remaining sail. -Poor device.] She made a sad shift to make her way through the water, by the poor contrivance of the seamen's clothes spread out-vestibus extensis, to help her on. 68. Was left.] i. e. Had surmounted the violence of the storm. Superaverat, quasi supererat remained; as in VIRG. En. v. 519. Amissa solus palmá superabat Acestas. 69. The south winds, &c.] Which were very dangerous on the coasts of Italy. See Hon. sat. i. l. 6; and lib. iii, ode iii. 1. 4, 5. ode iii. lib. i. 1. 14-16. These now began to abate. 70. Return'd with the sun.] With the day-light. -Acceptable to Iulus, &c.] The Alban mount, on which Iulus Ascanius, the son of Eneas, built Alba longa. This is the sublime top, mentioned 1. 72. The poet calls it gratus Iulo, because he left Lavinum, built by Æneas, to live at Alba. 71. Lavinum of his step-mother, &c.] 80 When Iulus came to live at Alba, he left Lavinum to his mother-in-law Lavinia, the second wife of Æneas, (who had named the city Lavinum after his wife Lavinia.) Hence Juvenal says, novercali Lavino. See 72, 3. A white sow, &c.] From which the city was called Alba, white. sat. vi. 1. 176, note. 73. A wonderful udder, &c.] Sumen, Hic locus urbis erit, requies ea certa la- Troy was the capital of Phrygia, a country of Lesser Asia, and sometimes taken for the whole country of Phrygia: hence the Trojans were called Phry. gians. 74. Thirty dugs.] With each a pig En. viii. 1. 45. A sight sucking at it. never seen before. 75. She enters.] i. c. The ship enters. -Placed moles.] The moles, or piers, which had been placed, or built, to keep off the violence of the sea, and to form a safe and quiet harbour. --Included waters.] The waters included between and within the moles. 76. Tyrrhene Pharos.] In this haven Is there a wind, the miserable prow ran with a poor device, The hope of life return'd with the sun: then, acceptable to Iülus, 70 And an abode preferr'd to the Lavinum of his step-mother, 74 At length she enters the placed moles, thro' the included waters, And the Tyrrhene Pharos, and again the stretched-out arms Which meet the middle sea, and far leave Italy therefore you will not so admire the havens 80 Which nature has given: but the master, with mangled ship, of Ostia, on the shore of the Tyrrhene sea, Claudius built a Pharos, or lighthouse, in imitation of that at Alexandria in Egypt. 76. And again.] We once more return to the spot from whence we sat out. -Stretched-out arm,&c.] The two sides of the piers, or artificial mounts, like two arms, stretched so far into the Tyrrhene sea, that they seemed to inclose it as far as the middle way, and, as it were, to leave the coast of Italy behind. 78. You will not, &c.] This port, formed in this manner by art, is much more wonderful than any port naturally formed by the shore itself; therefore the former is more to be admired than the latter. 80. The interior pools, &c.] The innermost part of this artificial haven, as the most secured from the sea. 81.4 Baian boat.] Little wherries were used at Baia to carry people in still water; perhaps from one side of the bay to the other. -Shaved head, &c.] It was a custom, when in distress at sea, to invoke the aid of some god or other (see Jonah i. 5.) with a solemn vow of cutting off their hair, and offering it as an acknowledgment for their preservation. Acts xxvii. 34. where Paul says, "there "shall not an hair of your head perish:" VOL. 11. See alluding probably to this custom. As if he had said, "they should not need to "shave and devote their hair, for they "should be preserved without it." See POWER'S note. 82. The sailors rejoice, &c.] Take a delight to chatter and prate about what had happened to every boy they met. The poet says, garrula pericula-quia nautas garrulos reddebant-i. e. because they set the sailors a prating. BRIT. See a like figure of speech, sat. vii. 49. Hypallage.-q. d. The chattering sailors delight to relate their dangers. 83. Boys.] Go, my boys-speaking to his servants. See sat. xi. 1. 151, where he describes his two servant-lads. -Favouring, &c.] Helping on the solemnity, by observing a profound silence and attention; this was always commanded during a sacrifice, that there might be no disturbance or interruption. In this view, faveo means to attend with silence. AINSW. So HoR. lib. Sertaque delubris, et farra imponite cultris, Nec suspecta tibi sint hæc, Corvine: Catullus, Tres habet hæredes. Libet expectare, quis ægram See VIRG. En. v. 1. 71. Ore favete omnes, &c. 84. Put garlands, &c.] On solemn occasions all the temples of the gods were adorned with garlands. So VIRG. En. ii. l. 248, 9. -festá velamus fronde per urbem. -Mihi sacri purari Et salsa fruges. 85. Soft hearths, &c.] The poet gave us to understand, 1. 2. that his altar was made of turf, or green sod. 86. I'll soon follow.] i. e. After these preparations are made. —The sacred business, &c.] That of the public sacrifice, which I shall offer. —Which is best.] Quod præstat, i. e. which is the most material thing, and most necessary to be done. 87. Then return home.] In order to offer private sacrifices on the little turfaltar to my domestic deities. -Little images, &c.] Little statues of the Lares, or household gods, made of Sentire calorem 85 90 95 wax, neatly polished, so as to shine. Hence HoR. epod. ii. 1. 66. calls them, renidentes Lares. 88. Slender crowns.] Small garlands, or chaplets. 89. Placate.] Appease and render propitious. -Our Jupiter.] The favourer and guardian of our country; or, as the poet mentions the worship of Jupiter after his return home, we may suppose, that, among his other little statues, there was one of Jupiter, before which, as before the others, he intended to offer incense, in order to make him propitious. -Paternal Lares.] Left me by my forefathers, who used to worship them as I do. See note on sat. viii. 1. 110. The Romans were very superstitious about these little images of the Lares; they thought no house safe without them, they constantly worshipped them, and, if they removed, they carried their Lares along with them: they were looked upon as tutelar deities, which protected their houses and lands. 90. Will give.] Will offer; which they did, by putting it on the fire, and fumigating the images, or letting the smoke ascend before them. -Throw down.] i. e. Will strew be fore them. -All the colours, &c.] i. e. Violets of every colour. 91. All things shine.] Every thing looks gay. Has erected, &c.] Over the tops of |