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Ver. 2. Now thee I sing, O Bacchus.] Instead of coolly proposing the subject he is going to treat of, viz. the cultivation of vines, olives, &c. the poet at once breaks out into a rapturous address to Bacchus; the image contained in the following lines is beautiful and picturesque.

We see the god treading the wine-press. Mr. Dryden's translation of this passage is remarkable.

11. Kind nature trees.] The poet says, wild trees are produced three several ways, spontaneously, by seeds, and by suckers.

22. Greece devoutly paid.] In this, and many other passages, he glances at, and ridicules the superstitions of the Grecians.

24. Cherries.] This kind of fruit had not been brought into Italy many years before Virgil wrote. 'Tis said, Lucullus first introduced them into that country after he had conquered Mithridates.

29. Yet other means.] Having spoken of trees which spontaneously propagate their species, he now proceeds to mention those methods which are used by human industry. These are by suckers, sets, layers, cuttings, pieces of cleft wood, and ingrafting. Martyn.

32. Cross-split or sharpen'd stakes.] There are two ways of planting setters. The quadrifidas sudes (says Mr Benson) is when the bottom is slit across both ways; the acuto robore is when it is cut into a point, which is called the colt's foot.

37. Olive.] It is common in Italy to see old olive-trees, that seem totally dead in the trunk, and yet have very flouing young heads. The same is often as surprizing in old willows; of which I have seen several (and particularly some in the garden island in St. James's Park) which send down a tap-root from their heads through the trunk, that often seems intirely decayed; and so form a young tree on an old stock, which looks as flourishing as the other does rotten. Spence.

47. Ismarus.] Ismarus is a mountain in Thrace; Taburnus in Campania, famous for olives.

61. The trees.] The poet had before mentioned the three ways by which wild trees are produced.—Here he follows the same method, and shews by what culture each sort may be meliorated. Martyn.

80. But quite full grown.] A curious dissertation on the subject of these verses by Mr. Holdsworth was published not long ago, of whom I have heard many able judges declare, that he understood Virgil better than any man living. In my humble opinion, says he, after the general conclusion of planting out,

And the short remark added, that some trees thrive best, not by the ordinary way of planting, but by layers and truncheons,

Virgil proceeds next to another sort of planting, still more difficult; and tells us, that not only young plants and truncheons may be removed, but even grown trees. This is methodical, and consistent with what preceded, the transition easy, and the climax just. We continue still in the plantation, but we are led into a part we had seen nothing of before, a grove of some considerable growth, newly planted. And therefore we may observe, all the epithets and decorations, used here to enliven the subject, are suited to trees of an advanced age,

By this interpretation it must appear already, that the epithet ardua, which is another difficulty with Dr Martyn, becomes plain and easy: and indeed it was so far from embarrassing me, that it helped to explain what went before. We advance farther in the plantation, and are shewn, that even the palm too (an exotic) may be transplanted when tall, or in poetic language, be born a tree; and so likewise the fir, when grown fit for a mast.

We may very reasonably imagine, that in Virgil's time, that age of luxury, the great men of Rome transplanted tall trees from woods and nurseries, as is frequently done with us, into their walks and gardens. Maecenas, to whom this book is dedicated, had a garden, we know, on the Esquiline hill, celebrated by Horace and others; and 'tis not improbable, that in order to bring it sooner to perfection, this might be practis'd there, perhaps just at the time when Virgil was writing this Georgic. If so, how artfully does the poet here insinuate, with his usual address, a compliment to his patron? I only hint this as a conjecture; but am more inclin'd to believe, that something of the wilderness part of a garden is intended, by the palm being placed amongst the others; which, tho' a fruit tree in its own country, yet is not improperly put here in the company of forest-trees, because it did not bear fruit, nor was counted a fruit-tree at that time in Italy: as Pliny informs us lib. iii. c. 4. and therefore could be planted only, as the others might, for beauty and ornament to gardens.

Whether Virgil had any such view or not, there can at least be no doubt but that removing tall trees was practis'd among the Romans. We find by Pliny, that the common method of making their arbusta, or plantations for supporting vines, was by planting out elms, when about five years old, or about twenty foot high: lib. xvii. c. 11. And the fir, mention'd above, which Pliny tells us had so deep a root, must certainly have been a tall tree, and yet, he says, was removed. As to the palm, tho' it did not arrive to such perfection in Italy, as to bear fruit, yet we find it was common there; and a tree which not only would bear removing, but thrive the better for it.

And to put this matter about removing tall trees beyond dispute, Virgil himself confirms it in another place, and makes his Corycius Senex put it in practice, Georg. iv. 144, &c.

'Tis true, most of the commentators and translators seem not to have rightly apprehended the meaning of this passage, as Dr. Martyn observes, and thereby have lost much of its spirit. But since he has render'd it justly, and given it its full force, I doubt not, but when he compares the expressions of both passages together, he will more easily agree to my interpretation; and will be surpriz'd, as indeed I am, how it before

Mr. Holdsworth observes, that Virgil had before spoken of grafting in the common method, from ver. 32 to 34.

As he there grafts only kernel fruit on kernel, and stone on stone, he shews plainly, that he understood what was the common method, and conforms to it. Again, from ver. 49. to 51. under the articles of improvements, he observes, that chance-plants, which are naturally wild, may be civilized by grafting, as crabs, sloes, or wild plums, &c.

Having thus sufficiently mentioned this practice, and there being no necessity to repeat it as he endeavours to be as concise as possible; he proceeds in the next place to tell us, that trees of different kinds may likewise be grafted on each other. And as he had before shew'd, in the four preceding verses, what art could do in transplanting tall trees; he advances here to shew what may likewise be done by the help of art in grafting, viz. that any cion may be ingrafted on any stock. All the translators have mistaken this passage: and I am indebted to Mr. Holdsworth for his clearing it up.

114. Psythia.] Passum is a wine made from raisins, or dried grapes, common both in Italy and the south of France. But the grapes are only hung up to dry, and not squeezed into barrels like our common raisins.

126. Libations.] Among the Romans the first course consisted of flesh, and the second of fruit, at which they poured out wine to offer to the gods, called a Libation. See Arbuthnot on Coins, &c.

127. Plumpest.] Bumastus is the very large red sort of grapes, that they give you so perpetually in their deserts in Italy: and particularly at Florence. It has its name from its shape, each grape being like the teat of a cow; Varro half latinises the word, where he calls it bumamma. Holdsworth.

154. Median fields.] Virgil here gives a very high character of this tree, both for its beauty and usefulness: I take it that he means orange-trees, which were brought first into Italy from Media in his time. As the orange-tree was not yet generally known in Italy, he describes it by its likeness to a tree, well known there, the laurel-tree. The leaves, says he, resemble the leaves of that; but have a finer and more diffused smell and it is almost always beautify'd with flowers. Pliny (Nat Hist. lib. xii. c. 3.) calls the orange-tree malus Medica, and his account of it agrees extremely with this in Virgil. Holdsworth.

166. Media's groves.] We are now come to his most beautiful praises of Italy; nor is it easy to determine which is greatest, the poet's skill, or the patriot's love of his country, He glances at Greece with some ironical sarcasms, in several parts of this passage; particularly he seems to laugh at some of their absurd stories: in these lines,

he alludes to the famous story of Jason. Mr. Thomson has finely imitated these praises of Italy in his Seasons, where he celebrates Great Britain. See his Summer.

181. Clitumnus.] Now called Clitumno; it rises a little below the village of Campello in Ombria. The inhabitants near this river still retain a notion, that its waters are attended with a supernatural property, imagining that it makes the cattle white that drink of it; a quality for which it is likewise celebrated by many of the Latin poets. See Melmoth's Pliny, p. 455.

196. With towns—cliffs.] Among other instances of the happiness of Italy, Virgil mentions its having so many towns built on craggy rocks and hills. There were more formerly, and are several still. In the road from Rome to Naples, you see no less than four in one view, from the hill on which Piperno now stands; reckoning that for one of them. These were very useful, of old, for defence, among such a fighting race of people: and are so still for their coolness, in so hot a climate, that they are generally forced to drive their flocks of sheep up upon the mountains for the summer-season, as they usually feed them in the sheltered plains by the sea-side in the winter. Holdsworth and Spence.

198. Ocean.] Italy is washed on the north side by the Adriatic sea, or gulph of Venice, which is called mare superum, or the upper sea; and on the south side by the Tyrrhene or Tuscan sea, which is called mare inferum, or the lower sea. The Larius is a great lake at the foot of the Alps in the Milanese, now called, Lago di Como. The Benacus is another great lake in the Veronese, now called Lago di Garda; out of which flows the Mincius, on the banks of which our poet was born. Lucrinus and Avernus are two lakes of Campania; the former of which was almost wholly destroyed by an earthquake, but the latter is still remaining, and now called Lago d' Averno.

214 The Scipios.] The elder Scipio delivered his country from the invasion of Hannibal, by transferring the war into Africa; where he subdued the Carthaginians, imposed a tribute upon them, and took hostages. Hence he had the surname of Africanus, and the honour of a triumph. The younger Scipio triumphed for the conclusion of the third Punic war, by the total destruction of Carthage. Hence they were called the thunderbolts of war—duo fulminæ belli Scipiades. Aen. 6. Virgil borrows the expression, from Lucretius, Scipiades belli fulmen.

218. All hail.] The conclusion of Pliny's natural history bears a very near resemblance to this passage, and is very beautiful. Ergo in toto orbe et quacunque coeli convexitas vergit, pulcherrima est omnium, rebusque merito principatum obtinens, Italia, rectrix parensque mundi altera; viris, foeminis, ducibus, militibus, servitiis, artium praestantiâ, ingeniorum claritatibus, jam situ ac salubritate coeli atque temperie, accessu cunctarum gentium facili, littoribus portuosis, benigno ventorum afflatu. The whole passage is worth the reader's perusal.

272. Roremque ministrat.] Ros does not in this place signify dew, as Dryden translates it, but rosemary. Virgil says that the dry hungry soil (now under consideration) is of so barren a nature, that not even those common plants, casia and rosemary, will grow in it. Dr. Martyn has proved the casia here mentioned not to be the celebrated aromatic casia, but a very vulgar herb. Perhaps the epithet humiles, in this place, ought to be construed mean or insignificant, rather than low of growth.

288. Dense.] Densa signifies such a soil, as will not easily admit the rain, is easily crack'd, and apt to gape, and so let in the sun to the root of the vines, and in a manner to strangle the young plants. This therefore must be a hard or stiff soil; rara, lets the showers quite through, and is apt to be dry'd up with the sun. Therefore this must be a loose soil. See Dr. Martyn, who grounds this interpretation on Julius Graecinus, as he is quoted by Columella.

289. Chuse.] It is extremely difficult to make this experiment, which is told with great dignity in the Latin, read gracefully and agreeably in a translation.

309. Bitter.] Amrora is in the style of Lucretius, and the true reading; tho' many read amaro, making it agree with sensû. Servius.

327.] Columella says the trenches should be dug a year beforehand. Mr. Holdsworth used to say, that Columella's treatise on husbandry was by much the best comment on Virgil's Georgics, that he knew of. Spence.

327. Two soils.] Having explained the several sorts of soil, says Martyn, he proceeds to give some instructions concerning the planting of vines: and speaks of the trenches to be made to receive the plants out of the nursery; of taking care that the nursery and the vineyards should have a like soil, and that the plants should be set with the same aspect which they had in the nursery.

346. As in just ranks.] Virgil, says Dr. Martyn, does not mean the form of a Quincunx in this description, but that you should plant your vines in a square in the following order:

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

As Virgil compares the disposition of the trees in a vineyard, to an army drawn up in battle array, 'tis evident that he must mean this figure. The Romans usually allowed three foot square for every common soldier to manage his arms, that is, six foot between each, which is a proper distance for the vines in Italy, according to Columella, who says the rows should not be wider than ten feet, nor nearer than four.

349. And earth reflects.] Aere renidenti tellus, says the original. This expression is borrow'd from Lucretius's, aere renidescit tellus. The shining beauties of the clusters of the vines (says Dr. Martyn) is finely represented by the splendor of the brazen arms. I beg for once to dissent from this learned gentleman, and to observe, that this part of the comparison seems too minute, and too much like an Italian conceit, for Virgil to have thought of.

370. To the west decline.] 'Tis worth observing that the poet has brought together here, more precepts than in any part of all the Georgics; but it is likewise remarkable, that he has placed them very artfully betwixt that fine passage just mentioned, and another equally beautiful. Benson.

376. Falls a spark.] This fine description of a fire raging among the vines and their supporters, judiciously relieves the dryness of the Didactic lines preceding.

394. In spring.] There are few passages in the Georgics more charming than this description of spring. He strives hard to excell Lucretius, but I am afraid it cannot be said that he has done it. The conjugis in gremium is evidently taken from

And the following lines of the same writer, to whom Virgil is indeed infinitely obliged, are very fine; he is likewise speaking of the genial influence of the spring:

404.] This ascribing boldness and fear to trees is highly poetical.

415. Stars.] This seems to be oddly put together at first sight. The forests were stock'd with beasts, and the heavens with constellations. It was not so in those times, when the constellations were generally considered as real animals, and many of them as men, but most of them as beasts. The prologue to Plautus his Rudens is spoken by Arcturus, as one of the Dramatis Personae. Spence.

422. Pebbles hide.] Mr. Evelyn mentions the placing potsheards, pebbles, or flints near the root of the stem; but then he adds, remember you remove them after a competent time, else the vermin, snails and insects which they produce and shelter, will gnaw and greatly injure their bark; and therefore to lay a coat of moist rotten litter with a little earth upon it, will preserve it moist in summer, and warm in winter, enriching the showers and dews that strain thro' it. Evelyn of Forest Trees.

436. Assisted thus.] The word tabulata in the original signifies the branches of elms extended at proper distances to sustain the vines. See Martyn.

440. Dart into the air.] The original says, laxis per purum immissus habenis; this expression is doubtless extremely bold and strong, but the poet had the authority of his master Lucretius.

460. Hence on the lofty stage.] The ancient theatre was a semicircular building, appropriated to the acting of plays, the name being derived from θεαομαι to behold. It was divided into the following parts. 1. The porticus, scalae, sedilia; the rows of sedilia, or seats, were called cunei, because they were formed like wedges, growing narrower, as they came nearer the center of the theatre; and these were all disposed about the circumference of the theatre. 2. The orchestra, so called from ορχειαι to dance: it was the inner part, or centre of the theatre, and the lowest of all, and hollow, whence the whole open space of the theatre was called cavea. Here sat the senators, and here were the dancers and musick. 3. The proscenium, which was a place drawn from one horn of the theatre to the other, between the orchestra and the scene, being higher than the orchestra, and lower than the scene: here the comic and tragic actors spoke and acted upon an elevated place, which was called the pulpitum, or stage. 4. The scene was the opposite part to the audience, decorated with pictures and columns, and originally with trees, to shade the actors, when they performed in the open air. 5. Proscenium, or part behind the scenes. Ruaeus.

473. The god.] Virgil speaks of some little heads of Bacchus, which the countrymen of old hung up on trees, that the face might turn every way; out of a notion that the regards of this god gave felicity to their vineyards: and Ovid mentions Bacchus's turning his face towards him, as a blessing. The former, in a passage, which is not very easy to be understood of itself; and for the full understanding of which, I was obliged to a gem in the Great Duke's collection at Florence. Virgil on this occasion says, that there is plenty where ever this god turns his beautiful face. Mr. Dryden, in his translation of the words, seems to have borrowed his idea of Bacchus from the vulgar representation of him on our sign-posts, and so calls it, [in downright English] Bacchus's honest face. Polymetis, page 130.

502. At the last rank.] Mr. Benson complains, that he could not find that the word antes in the original, was used by any other Roman writer, and says, that he did not know what to make of it. It undoubtedly signifies ranks or files, and is a metaphor taken from the army. For Cato de Re Militari, says, pedites quatuor agminibus, equites duobus antibus duces.

541. Elms, foodful leaves.] The use of the very leaves of this tree, especially of the female, is not to be despised; for being suffered to dry in the sun upon the branches, and the spray stripped off about the decrease in August (as also where the suckers and stolones are supernumerary, and hinder the thriving of their nurses) they will prove a great relief to cattle in winter, and scorching summers; when hay and fodder is dear they will eat them before oats, and thrive exceedingly well with them. Evelyn.

550. The fierce Centaurs.] This happened at the nuptials of Pirithous, king of the Lapithæ, where a Centaur aided by his brethren, attempted to ravish his bride Hippodamia.

552. Thrice happy swains.] The following description of the pleasures of a country life is celebrated almost to a proverb; it affords the highest ideas of Virgil's uncorrupt mind, as well as of his poetry. He has assembled here all the most striking and beautiful objects of nature. No contrast was ever worked up more strongly, than this between the city and country life.

553. Felt their happiness.] Sua si bona norint, is a tender reproach to the Romans for their insensibility of being delivered, a discordibus armis, and restored to the quiet enjoyment of their possessions. Benson.

556. Tho' high-arch'd domes.] Virgil hath so evidently taken the very turn and manner of expression in these lines from a passage in his master Lucretius (Book 2.) that I cannot forbear inserting it; and shall leave the reader to judge which of the two is most beautiful.

580. Me may the lowly vales.] Cowley observes upon this passage, that the first wish of Virgil was to be a good philosopher; the second, a good husbandman; and God, whom he seemed to understand better than most of the learned heathens, dealt with him just as he did with Solomon; because he prayed for wisdom in the first place, he added all things else which were subordinately to be desired. He made him one of the best philosophers, and the best husbandman; and to adorn and communicate both those faculties, the best poet: he made him besides all this a rich man, and a man who desired to be no richer.

590. O that I wander'd.] O ubi campi, &c. It cannot possibly be the poet's enquiry where these places are situated, tho' most of the translators take it so; but it is an ardent wish to be placed in such delightful retreats. Catrou, and the learned M. Huet, bishop of Avranches, read O ubi Tempe, instead of campi, which is most consistent with the passage.

These noble lines are undoubtedly a compliment to Lucretius, whose system must lead him to despise the fears of death and hell: how strongly and poetically is the latter particular expressed by the roaring (din or noise) of the infernal river Acheron.

592. Haemus.] The very best of the Roman poets copied so much after the Greeks, that they sometimes give us ideas of things, that would be proper enough for a Greek, but sound quite improper from a Roman. Virgil's and Horace's instancing Thrace, as so very cold a country, is a strong proof of this.—Thrace was full north of Greece, and some of the Greeks therefore might talk of the coldness of that country as strongly, perhaps, as some among us talk of the coldness of Scotland. The Roman writers speak just in the same stile of the coldness of Thrace, tho' a considerable part of Italy lay in as northern a latitude, and some of it even farther north than Thrace. Spence.

604. He weeps no wretch's.] The meaning of nec doluit miserans inopem is not, that he looks on distress and misery with a stoical apathy and indifference, but that there is no body in the country (so happy are they) to be pitied. Mr. Benson and Dr. Trapp.

608. The noisy people's rage.] The tabularium in the original was the place where the publick records were kept at Rome. It was in the temple of Liberty. Catrou.

615. To quaff in gems.] The Romans carried luxury so far, as to procure large drinking cups made of one intire gem. See instances of this kind in Pliny's natural history. Pocula myrrhina were common among them. Tyre was anciently called Sarra, hence Sarrano ostro.

641. His infants.] Pendent circum oscula, hang about his kisses, is an image most poetical and well expressed; but would not bear a literal translation. The passage in Lucretius, from whom this is imitated, has an image still more tender and natural.—He says,—nec dulces occurunt oscula nati praeripere,—which last word, representing the children running out to meet their father, and striving which shall have the first kiss is very beautiful.

652. The frugal Sabines.] To raise the praises of the country life still higher, he tells us, that this was the life their glorious ancestors, and the first founders of their city were so fond of. Virum bonum cum laudabant, ita laudabant bonum agricolam bonum colonum. Amplissimè laudari existimabatur qui ita laudabatur, says the venerable old Cato.

654. Tuscans.] He mentions Etruria in compliment to Maecenas, who was descended from the ancient kings of Tuscany. Tyrrhena regum progenies, &c. Hor.

660. Useful bullock's gore.] Varro informs us, that in ancient times it was deemed a capital crime to kill an ox; Hic socius hominum in rustico opere, et Cereris minister. Ab hoc, antiqui manus ita abstineri voluerunt, ut capite sanxerit, si quis occidisset. I could not forbear quoting this passage for its great humanity.