Book i

. line 591, and the Note to the passage; also the Epistle of Laodamia to Protesilaus, line 152.]

[Footnote 120: Nay, more, should.--Ver. 67. 'Quin' seems to be a preferable reading to-'quid?']

[Footnote 121: There will be Isis.--Ver. 74. The Roman women celebrated the festival of Isis for several successive days, and during that period they care-fully abstained from the society of men.]

[Footnote 127: By your censure.--Ver. 80. When she has offended she is to pretend a counter grievance, so as to outweigh her faults.]

[Footnote 128: A deaf hearing.--Ver. 86. Literally, 'deaf Godhead.']

[Footnote 129: A crafty handmaid.--Ver. 87. The comedies of Plautus and Terence show the part which the intriguing slaves and handmaids acted on such occasions.]

[Footnote 130: A little of many.--Ver. 89. 'Multos,' as suggested by Heinsius, is preferable to 'multi,' which does not suit the sense.]

[Footnote 131: Heap from the gleanings--Ver. 90. 'Stipula' here means 'gleanings.' She says, that each of the servants must ask for a little, and those little sums put together will make a decent amount collected from her lovers. No doubt her meaning is, that the mistress should pocket the presents thus made to the slaves.]

[Footnote 132: With a cake.--Ver. 94. The old woman tells how, when she has exhausted all other excuses for getting a present, to have the birth-day cake by her, and to pretend that it is her birth-day; in order that her lover may take the hint, and present her with a gift. The birth-day cake, according to Servius, was made of flour and honey; and being set on tabic before the guests, the person whose birth-day it was, ate the first slice, after which the others partook of it, and wished him happiness and prosperity. Presents, too, were generally made on birth-days.]

[Footnote 133: The Sacred Street."--Ver. 100. The 'via sacra,' or' Sacred Street, from the old Senate house at Rome towards the Amphitheatre, and up the Capitoline hill. For the sale of all kinds of luxuries, it seems to have had the same rank in Rome that Regent Street holds in London. The procuress tells her, that if her admirer makes no presents, she must turn the conversation to the 'Via Sacra;' of course, asking him such questions as, What is to be bought there? What is the price of such and such a thing? And then she is to say, that she is in want of this or that, but unfortunately she has no money, &c.]

[Footnote 134: Conceal your thoughts.--Ver. 103. This expression resembles the famous one attributed to Machiavelli, that 'speech was made for the concealment of the thoughts.']

[Footnote 134: Prove his ruin.--Ver. 103. 'Let your lips utter kind things, but let it be your intention to ruin him outright by your extravagance.']

[Footnote 135: Grant thee both no home--Ver. 113. The 'Lares,' being the household Gods, 'nullos Lares,' implies 'no home.']

[Footnote 136: Everlasting thirst.--Ver. 114. In allusion to her thirsty name; see the Note to the second line.]

[Footnote 138: Atticus.--Ver. 2. It is supposed that this Atticus was the same person to whom Ovid addresses the Fourth and Seventh Pontic Epistle in the Second Book. It certainly was not Pomponius Atticus, the friend of Cicero, who died when the Poet was in his eleventh year.]

[Footnote 139: The years which."--Ver. 5. The age for serving in the Roman armies, was from the seventeenth up to the forty-sixth year.]

[Footnote 140: Of his general.--Ver. 8. He alludes to the four night-watches of the Roman army, which succeeded each other every three hours. Each guard, or watch, consisted of four men, of whom one acted as sentry, while the others were in readiness, in case of alarm.]

[Footnote 142: The othert doors.--Ver. 20. From the writings of Terence and Plautus, as well as those of Ovid, we find that the youths of Rome were not very scrupulous about kicking down the door of an obdurate mistress.]

[Footnote 143: Thracian Rhesits.--Ver. 23. See the preceding Epistle of Pénélope to Ulysses, and the speech of Ulysses in the Thirteenth Book of the Metamorphoses.]

[Footnote 144: Cease to love.--Ver. 32. It is hard to say whether the word 'Desinat' means 'Let him leave off saying so,' or 'Let him cease to love': perhaps the latter is the preferable mode of rendering it.]

[Footnote 146: The raving prophetess.--Ver. 38. 'Mænas' literally means 'a raving female,' from the Greek word paivopai, 'to be mad.' He alludes to Cassandra when inspired with the prophetic spirit.]

[Footnote 147: At the forge.--Ver. 39. When he was detected by means of the iron net, as related in the Fourth Book of the Metamorphoses.]

[Footnote 148: A lazy inactivity.--Ver. 41. When persons wished to be at ease in their leisure moments at home, they were in the habit of loosening the girdle which fastened the tunic; from this circumstance, the term 'dis-cinctus' is peculiarly applied to a state of indolence.]

[Footnote 149: Couch and the shade.--Ver. 42. 'Lectus et umbra' means 'lying in bed and reclining in the shade.' The shade of foliage would have peculiar attractions in the cloudless climate of Italy, especially for persons naturally inclined to be idle.]

[Footnote 150: To serve.--Ver. 44. 'Æra merere' has the same meaning as 'stipendum merere,' 'to earn the pay of a soldier,' whence it came to signify 'to sene as a soldier.' The ancient accounts differ materially as to the pay which the Roman soldiers received.]

[Footnote 151: The Eurotas.--Ver. 1. The Eurotas was the river which flowed past the walls of Sparta. He is alluding to Helen.]

[Footnote 152: Amymone.--Ver. 5. She was one of the Danaides, and was carrying water, when she was attacked by a Satyr, and rescued by Neptune. See the Epistle of Hero to Leander, 1. 131, and the Note to the passage.]

[Footnote 153: Fold in his dress.--Ver. 18. The 'sinhs' of the 'toga,' among the men, and of the 'palla,' among the women, which extended in folds across the breast, was used as a pocket, in which they carried money, purses, letters, and other articles. When the party was seated, the 'sinus' would almost correspond in meaning with our word 'lap.']

[Footnote 154: Avaricious procurer.--Ver. 23. 'Leno' was a person who kept a house for the purposes of prostitution, and who generally robbed his victims of the profits of their unfortunate calling. This was called 'lenocinium,' and the trade was not forbidden, though the 'lenones' were considered 'infames,' or 'disgraced,' and thereby lost certain political rights.]

[Footnote 155: By compulsion.--Ver. 24. Being probably the slave of the 'leno,' he would use force to make her comply with his commands.]

[Footnote 156: Hired dishonestly.--Ver. 37. The evidence of witnesses was taken by the Praetor, and was called 'jusjurandum in judicio,' whereas the evidence of parties themselves was termed 'jusjurandum in jure.' It was given on oath by such as the Praetor or other judge chose to call, or as either party might propose for examination.]

[Footnote 157: The chest.--Ver. 38. The 'area' here means the strong box, or chest, in which the Romans were accustomed to place their money; they were generally made of, or bound with, iron or other metal.]

[Footnote 158: Commissioned judge.--Ver. 38. The 'judices selecti' were the 'cen-tumviri,' a body of one hundred and five officers, whose duty it was to assist the Praetor in questions where the right to property was litigated. In the Second Book of the Tristia, 1. 93, we are informed that the Poet himself filled the office of a 'judex selectus.']

[Footnote 159: That is purchased.--Ver. 39. Among the Romans, the 'patroni' defended their 'clientes' gratuitously, and it would have been deemed disgraceful for them to take a fee or present.]

[Footnote 160: He who hires.--Ver. 45. The 'conductor' was properly the person who hired the services, or the property of another, for a fixed price. The word sometimes means 'a contractor,' or the person with whom the bargain by the former party is made. See the public contract mentioned in the Fasti, Book v . 1. 293.]

[Footnote 161: The Sabine bracelets.--Ver. 49. He alludes to the fate of the Vestal virgin Tarpeia. See the Fasti,