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5. Latmia] a mountain of Caria, the dwelling of Endymion.

7. cœlesti lumine] construe with fulgentem.

15. Estne n. n. o. v.] 'is Venus odious to young brides?' The transition here is abrupt. The order of thought seems to be this. Are the maidenly reluctance of young brides, and their timid apprehensions of their coming nuptials, real or feigned? The sorrow and vows of Berenice on the departure of her new married husband, teach me they are not sincere.

16. frustrantur] 'mocked.'

17. fundunt] sc. novae nuptae.

21. luxti] for luxisti.

26. magnanimam] Hyginus, (Poet. Astron. cap. 24.) mentions as instances of the masculine character of Berenice, and which secured to her the throne of Egypt, a passion for horses, and her habit of sending them to contend in the Olympic games. Also, that once when Ptolemy, her father, sought safety in flight from more numerous forces, she rallied the flying troops, and defeated the enemy. 28. alis] for alius.

30. tristi] for trivisti. 36. Asiam] i. c. Syria.

39. invita] So Virgil, Æn. 6. 460. Invitus Regina tuo de litore cessi. In these expressions of passionate regret, the original author addressed to the princess most courtly adulation. A similar strain

of compliment is implied in the preceding verses, in the intimations that her love and fears, had overcome her wonted energy, and self-possession.

41. quod] sc. caput. inaniter] "ut solent perjuri.” digna ferat] let him suffer due punishment. 42. postulet]'arrogate to himself,' 'boast.' 44. Progenies Thia] 'the Sun.'

51. paulo ante] join with sorores. 'just now sister locks.' abjuncta] i. e. 'whom I have left behind.' 53. unigena] Zephyrus twin brother (Carm. 42. v. 201,) of Memnon; both born of Aurora.

54. ales equus] in apposition with unigena, v. 53. Arsinoes Chloridos] Arsinoë the mother adoptive of Berenice, was worshipped by the Egyptians, under the name of Chloris.

57. Zephyritis] the same as Arsinöe Chloris, v. 54, so called from a temple dedicated to her and Venus, on the Zephyrian promontory.

66. Callisto] dative case.

65-67.] these verses determine the position of the constellation, having Bootes on the east, Leo on the west, northward the fore feet of Ursa Major, southward Virgo.

69, 70.] in compliance with the popular belief, that the stars occupy the heavens only in the night, and on the return of day pass into the ocean. vestigia] 'footsteps.'

71. pace tuâ] lest this seeming boasting should excite the indignation of Nemesis.

77, 78.] Voss reads expers for explens, and murrae for una, asserting that virgins were not used to smear their hair with unguents, but used simply myrrh or oil. Sillig joining omnibus expers with virgo, reads,

Dum virgo quondam fuit omnibus expers, Unguentum multa millia bibi.

79-82.] this passage seems to have perplexed commentators very much, and almost every one has given a different construction, Compare Vulpius, Voss, &c. The order is vos, quas taeda optato lumine junxit non (i. e. ne) tradite corpora, nudantes rejecta veste papillas, unanimis conjugibus, prius quam onyx libet mihi jucunda munera.

89. tu] Berenice.

90-93.] effice me esse tuam, (restored to thee,) non votis, sed largis muneribus.

94. Hydrochöei] (údão xe☎) ‘Aquarius,' dative case. Oarion] i. q. Orion. Both are constellations, whose appearing was usually accompanied with storm, and the sense may be "let me be restored, the tresses of a queen, though there should be perpetual storm." Or perhaps, 'let Aquarius and Orion retain their splendor in the heavens, let me,' &c.

CARMEN XLV.

To Manlius.

The poet begins this letter to Manlius, by rendering him thanks for the friendship which induced him in his affliction, to apply to himself for consolation; and mentions the loss of his brother, and the inconvenience of his situation at Verona, as an excuse for omitting to comply with his request. The remainder of the poem is occupied with the praises of Manlius, allusions to the kindness Catullus had received from him, and a somewhat long digression in praise of a lady, to whose favor he had been introduced by Manlius.

10. Muneraque et Musarum. . et Veneris] i. e. "versiculos amatorios."

17. lusi] indulged in poetic essays.' Carm. 38. v. 2.

34. capsula] a box usually "cylindrical, in which manuscripts were placed vertically with the titles at the top."

73. inceptam frustra] 'entered in vain,' as she was so soon to be separated from her husband, domum, v. 72, has the sense of family 'home.'

77. desideret ara cruorem] the displeasure of the gods was incurred by the omission of some customary nuptial sacrifices.

83. scibant] ordained.'

107. Quale] the deep love of Laodamia is grossly compared to the abyss under mount Cylleve. Hercules, it is said, driven by Eurystheus from Tirinthia, went to Pheneus, a city of Arcadia, and as the Olbius by its overflow, had made the adjacent country an immense marsh, he drained off the waters by an excavation of fifty stadia in length, which passed under the neighboring mountains.— Pausanias, Archaica, cap. 14.

110. audit] is said;' for a similar use of audit, see Horace, Ep. 1. 14. 17, and Serm. 2. 7. 101. In a similar sense the Greeks sometimes use ἀκούειν, as Xenophon, Anab. Lib. vii. cap. 7. Sec. 23. εử úzovε "to hear ones self (i. e. to be) well spoken of." 112. heri] Eurystheus.

113. ut] pointing to the destiny assigned to Hercules by the fates as the end and reward of his labors.

116. indomitam] sc. se, Laodamia.

117-122.] a comparison of her affection with the doting on the son of an only daughter, of a grandfather whose hopes of perpetuating his name had been given up, and whose property must have passed to hated and fortune-hunting relatives. inventus] as an heir. vulturium] 'the vulture,' i. e. the legacy-hunting relative.

123.] compare Carm. 2.

This

126.] he commends the constancy of Laodamia, in contrast with the fickleness of her sex. verse is to be connected with v. 117, Nam neque, &c.

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