In that breast of hers; and be prepared for the real theatre. What modesty can an helmeted woman shew, 251 Who deserts her sex, and loves feats of strength? yet she herself Would not become a man: for how little is our pleasure! What a fine shew of things, if there should be an auction of your wife's, Her belt, her gauntlets, and crests, and the half covering 255 Of her left leg? or, if she will stir different battles, Happy you, your wench selling her boots. up These are the women who sweat in a thin gown, whose Behold, with what a noise she can convey the shewn hits, 260 Say, ye grand-daughters of Lepidus, or of blind Metellus, their persons, in which they delighted, and which were also the delights of men-q. d. their charms. 260. With what a noise.] By this it should seem probable, that the custom of making their thrusts at the adversary, with a smart stamp of the foot, and a loud " Hah," was usual, as among us. These seem alluded to here, as instances of the indelicacy of these female fencers. -She can convey.] Perfero signifies to carry, or convey to a designed person or place; hence perferre ictus may be a technical expression for a fencer's making his thrust, by which he conveys the hit or stroke to his adversary. -The shewn hits.] Monstratos ictus, i. e. the artificial hits which have been shewn her by the fencing-master who taught her. 261. How greut.] How firmly, how dexterously, with what an air. 262. On her hams.] She squats upon her hams, to avoid the blow which is made at her. -Her swathe, &c.] Fascia signifies a swathe, band, or roller, which the men used on their thighs and legs, instead of breeches. AINSW. Such, on these occasions, were worn by these women. -A fold.] Libro-quasi volumine. They could complain when dressed like women, though in the thinnest attire; but when they engaged in these indecent and improper exercises, nothing was thought cumbersome. 263. Female head-dress.] Scaphium. From this seems derived the Fr. escoffion, which Boyer explains by coiffure de tête pour des femmes; hence, perhaps, Engl. coif. See AINSW. Scaphium-and Marshal in loc. -Is taken.] Sumitur. i. e. When the lady puts off her heavy helmet, (1. 261.) and takes, i. e. puts on, her coif, or female head-dress, thus changing from the appearance of a fierce gladiator to that of a delicate female, the sight must be highly ridiculous; ride, laugh—q. d. aspice et ride. Comp. 1. 260. 264. Ye grand-daughters of Lepidus.] The poet here intimates how much worse the women were grown, since the days of the great men here mentioned, who brought up their daughters to imitate their own severe and grave manners; not to expose themselves, like the women in more modern times; and, doubtless, it may be supposed, that the daughters of these respectable persons brought up theirs as they had been educated themselves. By Lepidus is here meant Em. Lepidus, who was chosen by the censors chief of the senate; he was twice consul, pont. maximus, and colleague with Fulvius Flaccus, as censor. -Blind Metellus.] Who, when the Gurgitis aut Fabii, quæ ludia sumpserit unquam 265 270 275 280 temple of Vesta was on fire, lost his eyes in saving the palladium from the flames, See sat. iii. 1. 139. and note. 265. Fabius Gurges.] The son of Q. Fabius, the censor; he fined some matrons for the crime of adultery, and with the money built a temple to Venus. He was very extravagant when young, and his expences almost swallowed up his fortune; hence he was named Gurges; but he afterwards grew sober, frugal, and an example of virtue. -What actress, &c.] Ever had so much impudence as to habit and exercise herself in the manner these matrons do? See 1. 104. and note. 266. The wife of Asyllus.] Asyllus was a famous gladiator and prize-fighter; but when did his wife ever behave as these ladies do, fencing at a post, habited like men, and pushing at the mark with the same noise as the men make? 267. The bed, &c.] Here the poet touches on what we call a curtain-lecture. 269. A bereaved tigress.] A tigress robbed of her whelps, than which nothing can be supposed more fierce and terrible. Comp. Prov. xvii. 12. Hos. xiii, 8, 270. Of an hidden fact.] Some secret adultery of her own; in this case she pretends some charge against her husband of the like kind. 271. Hates the servants.] Pueros-pretends to be angry at them, as having misbehaved towards her, or perhaps as privy to their master's amours. -A mistress being pretended.] Pretends that her husband keeps some other woman. 273. In their station, &c.] A metaphor taken from the order in which soldiers stand ready to obey the commands of their officers; so her tears wait upon her will, and flow as, and when, she pleases. -Waiting for her, &c.] Entirely attending her pleasure, waiting her direction. 274. You think it love.] That it is all out of pure fondness and concern for you. 275. Hedge-sparrow.] The poor cuckold, Juvenal calls curruca, or hedge-sparrow, because that bird feeds the young cuckows that are laid in its nest. So the cuckold must bring up other people's children. -Suck up the tears.] Kiss them off her Or Fabius Gurges, what actress ever took 265 These habits? when would the wife of Asyllus groan at a post? Then she is grievous to her husband, then worse than a bereaved tigress, When, conscious of an hidden fact, she feigns groans, 270 Or hates the servants, or, a mistress being pretended, she weeps With ever fruitful tears, and always ready In their station, and waiting for her, In what manner she may command them to flow: you think (it) love You then, O hedge-sparrow, please yourself, and suck up the tears 275 With your lips: what writings and what letters would you read If the desks of the jealous strumpet were opened!But she lies in the embraces of a slave, or of a knight; "Tell, "Tell us, I pray, here, Quintilian, some colour.""We stick fast:""say yourself:" "formerly it was agreed," says she, "That 66 280 you should do what you would; and I also might Indulge myself: though you should clamour, and confound "The sea with heaven, I am a woman." Nothing is more bold Than they are when discovered; they assume anger rage from their crime. and cou 285 Unde hæc monstra tamen, vel quo de fonte requiris ? Divitiæ molles. Quid enim Venus ebria curat? 285. Do you ask whence, &c.] The poet is now about to trace the vice and profligacy of the Roman women to their true source, viz. the banishment of poverty, labour, and industry, and the introduction of riches, idleness, and luxury. So the prophet Ezek. xvi. 49. concerning the profligacy of the Jewish women. 288. Short of sleep.] Up early and down late, as we say. -The Tuscan fleece.] The wool which came from Tuscany, which was manufactured at Rome by the women. 289. Hannibal very near the city, &c.] This great Carthaginian general marched his army so nigh to Rome, that he encamped it within three miles of the city, which obliged the citizens to keep con stant guard. 290. The Colline tower.] One of the gates of Rome was on an hill, and therefore called Porta Collina-here was probably some tower, or other fortification, which, when an enemy was near, was garrisoned by the Roman people, some of which were constantly on duty. This made them sober and diligent. 292. Hath invaded us.] Incubuit. HOR. lib. i. od. iii. 1. 30, 1. So Nova febrium terris incubuit cohors. -Avenges the conquer'd world.] Luxury, 290 295 300 by destroying the manners of the Romans, plunged them into miseries, which might be truly said to revenge the triumphs of the Roman arms over the rest of the world. 293. No crime is absent, &c.] The banishment of poverty occasioned also the banishment of that hardiness, plainness, and simplicity of living, for which the ancient Romans were remarkable; and this was the occasion of their introducing the vices of many of those countries which they had conquered, till every species of profligacy and lewdness overspread the city. Sat. ix. 131-3. As it follows 294, 5. Hence flowed to these hills, &c.] i. e. The seven hills of Rome, on which the city was built; here put for the city itself, or rather for the people. 295. Sybaris.] A city of Calabria, so addicted to pleasure and effeminacy, as to become proverbial. -Rhodes-Miletus (or Malta).] Were equally famous for lewdness and debauchery. See sat. iii. 69–71; and sat. viii. 1. 113. 296. Tarentum.] A city of Calabria. -Crowned.] Alluding to the garlands and chaplets of flowers which they put on at their feasts. -Petulant.] The poet here alludes Do you ask-whence these monstrous things, or from what source? An humble fortune rendered the Latin women chaste 285 To be touched with vices; short of sleep, and with the Tuscan fleece Their hands chafed and hard, and Hannibal very near the city, 290 And their husbands standing in the Colline tow'r. Roman poverty was lost. Hence flow'd to these Hills, Sybaris, hence Rhodes too, and hence Miletus, And the crowned, and petulant, and drunken Tarentum. Brought in, and soft riches weakened the ages with Base luxury. For what does a drunken woman regard? 295 She knows not the difference between her top and bottom. 300 She who eats large oysters at midnights, When ointments, mixed with Falernan wine, foam, When she drinks out of a shell, when now, with a whirl, the house not only to the insolence with which they refused to restore some goods of the Romans, which they had seized in their port, but also to their having sprinkled urine on one of the ambassadors which the Romans sent to demand them. -Drunken.] This may either allude to their excessive drinking, for sometimes madidus signifies drunk; or to their wetting or moistening their hair with costly ointments. See HoR. ode iii. lib. ii. 1. 13. et al. This piece of luxury, Juvenal here seems to insinuate, was adopted by the Romans from the people of Tarentum, and was one of the delicacies of the Romans at their feasts and convivial meetings. 297. Filthy money.] Obscoena pecunia; so called, because of its defilement of the minds of the people, by inviting them to luxury, and of the obscene and vile purposes to which it is applied. 298. Soft riches.] Molles divitiæ-because the introducers of softness and effeminacy of all kinds. 299. A drunken woman.] Lit. a drunken Venus-q. d. a woman adding drunkenness to lewdness. 300. She knows not, &c.] Whether she stands on her head or her heels, as the saying is. 301. Who eats large oysters.] Which were reckoned incentives to lewd practices. 301. When ointments mixed, &c.] To such a pitch of luxury were they grown, that they mixed these ointments with their wine, to give it a perfume. See 1. 155. and l. 418. - Foam.] From the fermentation caused by the mixture. 303. Drinks out of a shell.] The shell in which the perfume was kept. So concha is sometimes to be understood. See Hon. lib. ii. ode vii. 1. 22, 3. Or it may mean here some large shell, of which was made (or which was used as) a drinking-cup: but the first sense seems to agree best with the preceding line. |