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Postera lux hiemen medio discrimine signat,
Aequaque praeteritae, quae superabit, erit. 460

Proxima prospiciet Tithono Aurora relicto
Arcadiae sacrum pontificale deae.
Te quoque lux eadem, Turni soror, aede recepit,
Hic ubi Virginea campus obitur aqua.
Unde petam causas horum moremque sacrorum? 465
Dirigat in medio quis mea vela freto?
Ipsa mone, quae nomen habes a carmine ductum,
Propositoque fave, ne tuus erret honos.
Orta prior Luna,--de se si creditur ipsi--
A magno tellus Arcade nomen habet. 470
Hic fuit Evander, qui, quamquam clarus utroque,
Nobilior sacra; sanguine matris erat,
Quae, simul aetherios animo conceperat ignes,
Ore dabat vero carmina plena dei.
Dixerat haec, nato motus instare sibique, 475
Multaque praeterea, tempore nacta fidem.
Nam juvenis vera nimium cum matre fugatus
Deserit Arcadiam Parrhasiumque larem.
Cui genitrix flenti, Fortuna viriliter, inquit,
--Siste, puer, lacrimas!--ista ferenda tibi est. 480
Sic erat in fatis, nec te tua culpa fugavit,
Sed deus; offenso pulsus es urbe deo.
Non meriti poenam pateris, sed numinis iram,
Est aliquid magnis crimen abesse malis.
Conscia mens ut cuique sua est, ita concipit intra 485
Pectora pro facto spemque metumque suo.
Nec tamen ut primus maere mala talia passus;
Obruit ingentes ista procella viros.
Passus idem, Tyriis qui quondam pulsus ab oris
Cadmus in Aonia constitit exsul humo. 490
Passus idem Tydeus, et idem Pagasaeus Iason,
Et quos praeterea longa referre mora est.
Omne solum forti patria est, ut piscibus sequor,
Ut volucri, vacuo quidquid in orbe patet.
Nec fera tempestas toto tamen horret in anno, 495
Et tibi--crede mihi--tempora veris erunt.
Vocibus Evander firmata mente parentis
Nave secat fluctus, Hesperiamque tenet.
Jamque ratem doctae monitu Carmentis in amnem
Egerat, et Tuscis obvius ibat aquis. 500
Fluminis illa latus, cui sunt vada juncta Terenti,
Adspicit, et sparsas per loca sola casas.
Utque erat, immissis puppim stetit ante capillis,
Continuitque manum torva regentis iter;
Et procul in dextram tendens sua brachia ripam, 505
Pinea non sano ter pede texta ferit;
Neve daret saltum properans insistere terrae,
Vix est Evandri vixque retenta manu;
Dique petitorum, dixit, salvete locorum,
Tuque novos coelo terra datura deos, 510
Fluminaque, et Fontes, quibus utitur hospita tellus,
Et nemorum Nymphae, Naiadumque chori!
Este bonis avibus visi natoque mihique,
Ripaque felici tacta sit ista pede!
Fallor? an hi fient ingentia moenia colles, 515
Juraque ab hac terra cetera terra petet?
Montibus his olim totus promittitur orbis.
Quis tantum fati credat habere locum?
Et jam Dardaniae tangent haec litora pinus.
Hic quoque causa novi femina Martis erit. 520
Care nepos, Palla, funesta quid induis arma?
Indue: non humili vindice caesus eris.
Victa tamen vinces, eversaque Troja resurges;
Obruet hostiles ista ruina domos.
Urite victrices Neptunia Pergama flammae: 525
Num minus hic toto est altior orbe cinis?
Jam pius Aeneas sacra, et sacra altera patrem,
Afferet: Iliacos excipe, Vesta, deos.
Tempus erit, quum vos orbemque tuebitur idem,
Et fient ipso sacra colente deo: 530
Et penes Augustos patriae tutela manebit.
Hanc fas imperii frena tenere domum.
Inde nepos natusque dei--licet ipse recuset--
Pondera coelesti mente paterna feret.
Utque ego perpetuis olim sacrabor in aris, 535
Sic Augusta novum Julia numen erit.
Talibus ut dictis nostros descendit ad annos,
Substitit in medios praescia lingua sonos.
Puppibus egressus Latia stetit exsul in herba.
Felix, exsilium cui locus ille fuit! 540
Nec mora longa fuit; stabant nova tecta, nec alter
Montibus Ausoniis Arcade major erat.
Ecce boves illuc Erytheïdas applicat heros,
Emensus longi claviger orbis iter.
Dumque huic hospitium domus est Tegeaea, vagantur 545
Incustoditae laeta per arva boves.
Mane erat: excussus somno Tirynthius hospes
De numero tauros sentit abesse duos.
Nulla videt taciti quaerens vestigia furti:
Traxerat aversos Cacus in antra ferox; 550
Cacus, Aventinae timor atque infamia silvae,
Non leve finitimis hospitibusque malum.
Dira viro facies, vires pro corpore, corpus
Grande, pater monstri Mulciber hujus erat;
Proque domo longis spelunca recessibus ingens, 555
Abdita, vix ipsis invenienda feris.
Ora super postes affixaque brachia pendent,
Squalidaque humanis ossibus albet humus.
Servata male parte boum Jove natus abibat:
Mugitum ranco furta dedere sono. 560
Accipio revocamen, ait, vocemque secutus
Impia per silvas ultor ad antra venit.
Ille aditum fracti praestruxerat objice montis:
Vix juga movissent quinque bis illud onus.
Nititur hic humeris,--coelum quoque sederat illis-- 565
Et vastum motu collabefactat onus.
Quod simul evulsum est, fragor aethera terruit ipsum,
Ictaque subsedit pondere molis humus.
Prima movet Cacus collata proelia dextra,
Remque ferox saxis stipitibusque gerit. 570
Quis ubi nil agitur, patris malo fortis ad artes
Confugit, et flammas ore sonante vomit.
Quas quoties proflat, spirare Typhoëa credas,
Et rapidum aetnaeo fulgur ab igne jaci.
Occupat Alcides, adductaque clava trinodis 575
Ter quater adversi sedit in ore viri.
Ille cadit, mixtosque vomit cum sanguine fumos,
Et lato moriens pectore plangit humum.
Immolat ex illis taurum tibi, Jupiter, unum
Victor, et Evandrum ruricolasque vocat, 580
Constituitque sibi, quae Maxima dicitur, aram,
Hic ubi pars urbis de bove nomen habet.
Nec tacet Evandri mater, prope tempus adesse,
Hercule quo tellus sit satis usa suo.
At felix vates, ut dîs gratissima vixit, 585
Possidet hunc Jani sic dea mense diem.

Idibus in magni castus Jovis aede sacerdos
Semimaris flammis viscera libat ovis:
Redditaque est omnis populo provincia nostro,
Et tuus Augusto nomine dictus avus. 590
Perlege dispositas generosa per atria ceras;
Contigerunt nulli nomina tanta viro.
Africa victorem de se vocat: alter Isauras,
Aut Cretum domitas testificatur opes;
Hunc Numidae faciunt, illum Messana superbum; 595
Ille Numantina traxit ab urbe notam.
Et mortem et nomen Druso Germania fecit.
Me miserum, virtus quam brevis illa fuit!
Si petat a victis, tot sumat nomina Caesar,
Quot numero gentes maximus orbis habet. 600
Ex uno quidam celebres, aut torquis ademptae,
Aut corvi titulos auxiliaris habent.
Magne, tuum nomen rerum mensara tuarum est:
Sed qui te vicit, nomine major erat.
Nec gradus est ultra Fabios cognominis ullus; 605
Illa domus meritis Maxima dicta suis.
Sed tamen humanis celebrantur honoribus omnes:
Hic socium summo cum Jove nomen habet.
Sancta vocant _augusta_, patres: _augusta_ vocantur
Templa sacerdotum rite dicata manu. 610
Hujus et augurium dependet origine verbi,
Et quodcumque sua Jupiter auget ope.
Augeat imperium nostri ducis, augeat annos:
Protegat et vestras querna corona fores.
Auspicibusque deis tanti cognominis heres 615
Omine suscipiat, quo pater, orbis onus.

Respiciet Titan actas ubi tertius Idus,
Fient Parrhasiae sacra relata deae.
Nam prius Ausonias matres carpenta vehebant:
--Haec quoque ab Evandri dicta parente reor-- 620
Mox honor eripitur, matronaque destinat omnis
Ingratos nulla prole novare viros;
Neve daret partus, ictu temeraria caeco
Visceribus crescens excutiebat onus.
Corripuisse patres ausas immitia nuptas, 625
Jus tamen exemptum restituisse, ferunt.
Binaque nunc pariter Tegeaeae sacra parenti
Pro pueris fieri virginibusque jubent.
Scortea non illi fas est inferre sacello,
Ne violent puros exanimata focos. 630
Si quis amas ritus veteres, assiste precanti:
Nomina percipies non tibi nota prius,
Porrima placantur Postvertaque, sive sorores,
Sive fugae comites, Maenali Nympha, tuae.
Altera, quod porro fuerat, cecinisse putatur: 635
Altera, versurum postmodo quidquid erat.

Candida te niveo posuit lux proxima templo,
Qua fert sublimes alta Moneta gradus:
Nunc bene prospicies Latiam, Concordia, turbam:
Nunc te sacratae restituere manus. 640
Furius antiquum populi superator Etrusci
Voverat, et voti solverat ante fidem.
Causa, quod a patribus sumptis secesserat armis
Vulgus, et ipsa suas Roma timebat opes.
Causa recens melior: passos Germania crines 645
Porrigit auspiciis, dux venerande, tuis.
Inde triumphatae libasti munera gentis,
Templaque fecisti, quam colis ipse, deae.
Haec tua constituit Genitrix et rebus et ara,
Sola toro magni digna reperta Jovis. 650
Haec ubi transierint, Capricorne, Phoebe, relicto,
Per juvenis curres signa gerentis aquam.

Septimus hinc Oriens quum se demiserit undis,
Fulgebit toto jam Lyra nulla polo.
Sidere ab hoc ignis venienti nocte, Leonis 655
Qui micat in medio pectore, mersus erit.

Ter quater evolvi signantes tempora fastos,
Nec Sementiva est ulla reperta dies:
Quum mihi--sensit enim--Lux haec indicitur, inquit
Musa: quid a fastis non stata sacra petis? 660
Utque dies incerta sacro, sic tempora certa,
Seminibus jactis est ubi fetus ager.
State coronati plenum ad praesepe juvenci,
Cum tepido vestrum vere redibit opus.
Rusticus emeritum palo suspendat aratrum: 665
Omne reformidat frigida vulnus humus.
Villice, da requiem terrae, semente peracta:
Da requiem, terram qui coluere, viris,
Pagus agat festum; pagum lustrate, coloni,
Et date paganis annua liba focis. 670
Placentur matres frugum, Tellusque, Ceresque,
Farre suo gravidae visceribusque suis.
Officium commune Ceres et Terra tuentur;
Haec praebet causam frugibus, illa locum.
Consortes operum, per quas correcta vetustas, 675
Quernaque glans victa est utiliore cibo,
Frugibus immensis avidos satiate colonos,
Ut capiant cultus praemia digna sui.
Vos date perpetuos teneris sementibus auctus,
Nec nova per gelidas herba sit usta nives. 680
Quum serimus, coelum ventis aperite serenis;
Quum latet, aetheria spargite semen aqua;
Neve graves cultis Cerealia dona, cavete,
Agmine laesuro depopulentur aves.
Vos quoque subjectis, formicae, parcite granis: 685
Post messem praedae copia major erit.
Interea crescat scabrae robiginis expers,
Nec vitio coeli palleat aegra seges,
Et neque deficiat macie, neque pinguior sequo
Divitiis pereat luxuriosa suis; 690
Et careant loliis oculos vitiantibus agri;
Nec sterilis culto surgat avena solo.
Triticeos fetus, passuraque farra bis ignem,
Hordeaque ingenti fenore reddat ager.
Hoc ego pro vobis, hoc vos optate coloni, 695
Efficiatque ratas utraque diva preces.
Bella diu tenuere viros: erat aptior ensis
Vomere: cedebat taurus arator equo.
Sarcula cessabant, versique in pila ligones,
Factaque de rastri pondere cassis erat. 700
Gratia dîs domuique tuae! religata catenis
Jampridem nostro sub pede bella jacent.
Sub juga bos veniat, sub terras semen aratas.
Pax Cererem nutrit: pacis alumna Ceres.

At quae venturas praecedet sexta Kalendas, 705
Hac sunt Ledaeis templa dicata deis.
Fratribus illa deis fratres de gente deorum
Circa Juturnae composuere lacus.

Ipsum nos carmen deducit Pacis ad aram.
Haec erit a mensis fine secunda dies. 710
Frondibus Actiacis comptos redimita capillos
Pax ades, et toto mitis in orbe mane.
Dum desunt hostes, desit quoque causa triumphi.
Tu ducibus bello gloria major eris.
Sola gerat miles, qnibus arma coërceat, arma, 715
Canteturque fera, nil nisi pompa, tuba,
Horreat aeneadas et primus et ultimus orbis:
Si qua parum Romam terra timebit, amet.
Tura, sacerdotes, pacalibus addite flammis,
Albaque percussa victima fronte cadat: 720
Utque domus, quae praestat eam, cum pace perennet,
Ad pia propensos vota rogate deos.
Sed jam prima mei pars est exacta laboris,
Cumque suo finem mense libellus habe.

NOTES: (numbers refer to lines)

1. _Tempora_ in Virgil. (Ecl. iii. 42. Geor. i. 257,) is the seasons,
here it denotes the festivals and other remarkable days of the year.--
_Latium_, adj. Latin, _Latius annus_ is the solar year.

2. _Lapsa ortaque signa_. The subject of the poem is the Roman festivals,
and the rising and setting of the constellations. See Introduction, § 1.

3. _Caesar Germ_, son of Drusus Claudius Nero, and nephew of Tiberius, by
whom he was adopted at the desire of Augustus. See Tacit. Annal II. 73.
Suet. Calig. 1-4.--_Pacato vultu_, etc. as if he were a deity.

5. Heinsius and Burmann, following some of the best MSS. read _officii
... In tibi devoto munere_, which gives a good sense. Lenz, Mitscherlich
and Krebs, prefer the present reading.

7, 8. See Introd. § 4.

9. _Vobis_, your family, i.e. the Claudii, or rather the Julii, into
which he had been adopted.

10. _Pater_, Tiberius; _avus_, Augustus, who had adopted Tiberius.

11. Germanicus and his brother, the poet says, will perform actions and
receive honors similar to those of Augustus and Tiberius. Drusus was the
son of Tiberius; and therefore, only the adoptive brother of Germanicus.
--_Pictos_. the Fasti, were like all other books, adorned with various
colours.

13. _Aras_. The altars dedicated by Augustus, perhaps the altars raised
to him, Hor. Ep. II. 1. 15. The following line shows the former sense to
be preferable.

15-20. All the terms _annue_, etc. used here, are such as would be
addressed to a deity.--_Laudes_, praiseworthy deeds.--_Tuorum_, like
_vobis_, v. 9.--_Pagina_ for _liber_.--_Movetur_ scil; with awe. He
personifies the book.--_Clario Deo_. There was a celebrated oracle of the
Clarian Apollo, near Colophon, in Asia Minor, which Germanicus himself
once consulted. Tac. Annal. xii. 22.

21, 22. Germanicus had pleaded causes publicly with success, Suet. Cal.
4. Dion. 56. 26.

23-25. He had written Greek comedies, Suet, _ut sup_. He also made a
version of Aratus which is still extant,

26. _Totus annus_, i. e. the whole poem on the year.

27. _Tempora_, the parts of the year, i. e. months and days.--_Cond.
urb_. Romulus.

28. See Introd. § 2.

33, 34. That is ten lunar months.

35, 35. This is putting the effect for the cause, the mourning was for
ten months, because that was the length of the original year.--_Tristia
signa_, the signs of grief, such as avoiding society, wearing mourning,
&c.

37. _Trabeati_, Romulus wore the trabea. Liv. I. 8.

38. _Populis_, i. e. _civibus.--Annua jura daret_, i.e. regulated the
year, v. 27.

40. _Princeps_ head or origin. Venus was the mother of aeneas, Mars the
father of Romulus.

41. See the beginning of Books III and IV.

42. Quinctilis, Sextilis, September, &c.

43. _Nec avitas_, see below II. 19. _et seq_.

45-62. See Introd. § 3.

50. _Qui jam_, &c. a half holiday, the latter part of the day might be
devoted to business.

52. _Honoratus_, as bearing office. It was applied with peculiar
propriety to the Praetor whose edicts were called the _Jus honorarium_.

53. The _Dies comitiales_ on which _cum populo licebat agi_, i. e. laws
might be proposed, &c.--_Septis_ the wooden palings, within which the
people were assembled in the Campus Martius, to pass laws.

54. The Nundinae. Every ninth day the country people came into Rome to
attend the market. By the Hortensian law, these days were made _fasti_ in
order that their rustic disputes might be settled.

55. On all the Kalends the Pontifex Minor and the Regina Sacrorum
sacrificed to Juno who was by some regarded as the moon. For the name
Juno see my Mythology, p. 461.--_Junonis_, Heinsius would read _Junonia_.

56. A sacrifice of a lamb was offered on the Capitol to Jupiter on the
Ides of each month.

57. The Nones were not under the care of any deity.

57-60. The days following the Kalends, Nones and Ides were termed _Atri_,
black or unlucky, as on these days, the Romans had met with their most
memorable defeats at the Cremera, the Allia, and elsewhere. A public
calamity on any particular day of any one month rendered _ater_, that day
in every other month.

61, 62. I say it once for all.

63. For the mythology of Janus, see Mythology, p. 466, _et seq_.

65. _An. tac lab_. denotes the noiseless pace of time.--_Origo_ as the
year began with January.

66. See his figure. Mythology, Plate xii. 4.

67. _Ducibus_, perhaps Tib. and Germ, after the victory gained by the
latter over the Catti and Cherusci, and other German tribes, A.U.C. 770;
it may, however, include Augustus and other generals.

68. Terra ferax, the [Greek: zeidoros arera] of Homer.

69. _Tuis_, Burmann would read _tui_ as it seems awkward to say the
_Patres Jani_ and the Populus Quirini. Quirinus was a name of Janus
(_Janum Quirinum ter clusit_ Suet. Aug. 22.) and Gierig thinks the true
reading might have been _Quirine_. After all it was perhaps the
constraint of the metre that made the poet express himself thus.

70. _Candida templa_, either as being built of marble, or on account of
those who frequented them on festival days, being clad in white. Gierig
inclines to the latter, I should prefer the former sense.

71. _Lin. anim. fav_. [Greek: euphaemeite] by using no words of ill omen
and by admitting no thoughts but what were good.

75. _Odor. ig_. with the frankincense, cinnamon, saffron, &c. which were
burnt on the altars.

76. _Spica Cilissa_, the saffron from Mount Corycus in Cilicia.--
_Spica_, the chives or filaments of the saffron.--_Sonet_, when the
saffron was good it crackled in the fire.

77. _Aurum_, the gilded roof of the temple.

79, 80. _Vest, intact_. with new or white garments, the Roman _toga_ was
white.--_Concolor_, a festal or happy day was metaphorically termed
white.--_Tarp. Arces_, the Capitol. It was the practice ever since A.U.C.
601 for the consuls elect, followed by the people, to go in procession to
the Capitol and offer a sacrifice to Jupiter.

81, 82. The consuls entered on their office on this day.--_Purpura_, the
_toga praetexta_ or _trabea_, worn by magistrates.--_Ebur_, the curule
chair.

83. _Rudis operum_, that had never been worked.

84. _Herba Fal_. &c., the land of Falerii in Etruria, whence the animals
for sacrifice were chiefly brought, the water of the Clitumnus, in
Umbria, was supposed to make them white, Virg. G. II. 146.

85. _Arce_, either the Capitol, or the dome of Heaven, see Met. I. 163.
Virg aen. I. 223.

88. _Pop. rer. pol_. the _Romanos rerum dominos_ of Virgil.

89. The poet here commences his enquiry into the mythology of Janus.

90. There was no deity worshipped in Greece whose attributes were the
same as those of Janus. A curious similarity has been traced out between
him and the Ganesa of India.

93. _Tabellis_, his writing-tables.

94. A usual sign of the presence of a Deity.

100. _Ore priore_, his front face. See his image.

101. _Vat. oper. dier_. Poet engaged on the days.

103. _First_ opinion, Janus was the World.

105-110. Compare Met. I. _init_.

113, 114. His back and front figure were the same, a memorial of the time
when the world was in a chaotic state of confusion, all its parts being
alike. This is a very silly explanation.

115. _Second_ opinion, see below v. 135-140.

116. His office of door-keeper (_Janitor_) of heaven and earth.

120. The _cardines_ of heaven, if they are meant, are the cardinal
points, where according to the poetic creed of the Augustan age there
were doors for the gods to go in and out of heaven. Stat. Theb. i. 158,
vii. 35. x. 1. See Mythology, p. 39.

121. He represents Peace and War as persons in the custody of Janus.--
_Placidis_ as being the abode of Peace.

122. _Perpetuas_, long.

125. See Hom. II. v. 749, _et seq_. Mythology p. 150.

127. _Janus à janua_.

127, 128. _Cereale libum_, the _Janual_, a kind of cake offered to Janus.
Festus _sub. voc.--Imponit_ on the altar.--_Far mix. sal_. the _Mola
salsa_.

129, 130. _Patulcius (à pateo)_ the Opener, _Clusius (à claudo)_ the
Shutter; sacrifical names of Janus.

133. _Vis_ i.e. _officium_.

134. From what I have said you already in part perceive it.

137. _Primi tecti_, the first part of the house, i.e. the entrance.

141, 142. The three-faced Hecate, (see her figure Mythology, Plate III.
2.) was placed at the _triviae_, or the point where a road branched off
(like the Greek capital Y) so that a face looked down each road.

149, 150. The poet naturally asks why the year began in the middle of
winter and not in the spring. This gives him an opportunity of
introducing the following lovely description with which compare, Virg. G.
II. 324, _et seq_. Lucret I. 5, _et seq_. and below III. 236 _et seq_.
IV. 87 _et seq_.

153. _Oper. frond_. Heinsius, Burmann and Gierig on the authority of nine
MSS. read _amicitur vitibus_; four MSS. have _amicitur frondibus_ which I
should feel disposed to prefer.

154. _Seminis herba_ appears to be the corn which had been sown and was
now coming up; one MS. reads _graminis_.

157. _Ignota_, the stranger, as the swallow returns in spring.

158. _Lut. fing. opus_. her clay-built nest: _Fingere_ is the proper term
when speaking of pottery any work in clay.

163. _Bruma_, the winter solstice after which the days begin to lenghten.

165-170. It was usual with all classes of the people to practice a little
at their respective trades, or occupations on the Kalends of January by
way of omen and not for payment. Thus the shoe-maker or the fuller did
some little job or another, the peasant some rural work, pleaders
skirmished a little in the forum, &c,--_Delibat_, i.e. _leviter
attingit_.

171-174. The reason is here required and given, why the Romans when about
to sacrifice to any other of the gods, first made offerings to Janus. The
old historian, Fabius Pictor, said it was because Janus first taught to
use spelt (_far_) and wine in sacrifice. Macrobius says because he was
the first who erected temples to the gods in Italy. Others give other
reasons equally unsatisfactory.

175-182. In our own custom of wishing each other a happy new year, &c.
may still be witnessed, the practice of which the poet here asks the
reason. The _bona verba_ were used for the sake of omen.--_Ulla lingua_,
any tongue which then utters a prayer.--_Caducas_, unavailing.

186, 187. The _strenae_ (Fr. _étrennes_) or New Year's gift--_Palma_,
dates, the fruit of the palm, (_caryotae_) covered with gold leaf, were a
part of the _strenae_.--_Carica_ the [Greek: ischas] or dried fig.--
_Cado_, some MSS. read _favo_.

189. _Stipis_, pieces of money were then as now, a part of the New-year's
gift. Augustus himself, as inscriptions shew, did not scruple to receive
money as his _strenae_ on the Kalends of January, See Suet. Aug. 91.

191-218. The praises of ancient simplicity, and censure of the vices of
his own times,--a common place with Ovid and the other poets.

191. _Quam te fallunt_, etc. How little you know the character of your
own times.

193, 194. Such was hardly the case even in the golden age.

_Pris. tem. an_. In the years of the olden time.

199. _Martigena_, Mars-begotten, like _terrigena_, etc.

201. _Angusta aede_, either the temple of Jupiter Feretrius, built by
Romulus on the Capitol, and which was not quite fifteen feet long, or
that built by Numa, or rather any temple of those ancient times.--_Vix
totus stabat_ seems to mean that the statue was in a sitting posture, and
the roof of the temple so low, that it would not admit of its being
placed erect in it.

202. _Fictile fulmen_. The images of the gods at Rome, in those times,
were of baked clay, manufactured in Etruria. Even the four-horse chariot
which was placed on the Capitoline temple, when first built, was of baked
clay. Niebuhr, Rom. Hist. I. 491.

208. _Levis lamina_ is employed to express more strongly the simplicity
of those days, as if the possession of even the smallest quantity of the
precious metals was a crime. Fabricius, when censor, A.U.C. 478, put out
of the senate Cornel. Rufinus, who had been twice consul and dictator,
for having ten pounds weight of wrought silver.

210. Rome would appear to be personified in this place.

212, 213. The union of luxury and avarice, Sallust Cat. 5 and 12. They
vie in gaining what they may consume, in regaining, what they have
consumed, and these very alternations (of avarice and luxury) are the
aliment (or support) of (these) vices.

215, 216. The usual comparison of avarice to the dropsy. See Hor. Carm.
II. 2. 13.

217, 218. _In pret. pret_. a play on words.--_Dat census_, etc. Hor.
Epist. I. 6.

219. _cur sit_. Heinsius, Burmann and Gierig, read _si sit_.--_Quaeris_,
means you will probably ask, or you wish to know, for the poet had not
yet asked the question.--_Ausp. utile_, a good omen.

220. _Aera vestua_, the _stips_ or _as_. was a copper coin. In the old
times, the Romans had none but copper money. See Neibuhr, Rom. Hist. I.
449 _et seq_.

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