"And, while with partial aim their censure moves, Thou, Creticus, amidst the wondering croud, VER. 99. Thou, Creticus, &c.] Some will have this to be a fictitious name formed from Crete, (the judges of that island being deservedly famous for the integrity of their decisions,) and ironically given to some magistrate then in office others, with more reason, suppose it to be a real name; and apply it to a descendant of the great Metellus, who took the addition of Creticus from his conquests. The scholiast says there was a learned pleader of this name under the Cæsars; another, but of what profession I know not, is mentioned by Martial, who addresses an epigram to him: and this, perhaps, is the person so indignantly apostrophised here. What I have rendered a “cobweb vest,” is in the original multitia; that is, say the critics, sericas, vel bombycinas molli subtextas subtemine, &c. This I conceive to be confounding two things as distinct as silk and cotton. Serice vestes (I speak with hesitation) were what we now call fine cottons, imported into Europe then, as they were for ages before, from India, through the country of the Seres, the modern Bocharia. Bombycine vestes, on the contrary, were of silk, and from a region much more remote. It is not easy to say when the use of these vests was first introduced into Rome: no mention of them is made during the times of the old republic; so that they probably crept in with other luxuries, under the Emperors. They were first appropriated to the ladies, and appear to have given no small offence, if we may judge from the frequent pelting they received. Seneca is particularly severe against them, and quotes, with some humour, two lines of P. Syrus. These, thou rejoins't, are "daughters of the game." Strike, then-yet know, though lost to honest fame. The wantons would reject a robe so thin, And blush, while suffering, to display their skin. "Equum est induere nuptam ventum textilem, "Palam prostare nudam in nebulâ lineâ ! "A woven wind should married women wear, And in a very curious passage, tinctured with that pruriency of language to which, with reverence be it spoken, this grave philosopher was a little too prone; video sericas vestes, si vestes vocandæ sunt, in quibus nibil est quo defendi corpus aut denique pudor possit: quibus sumptis mulier parum liquido nudam se non esse jurabit. Hæc ingenti summa ab ignotis etiam ad commercium gentibus accersuntur, ut matronæ nostræ ne adulteris quidem plus sui in cubiculo quam in publico ostendant. The adoption of them by the men, was therefore something of a novelty when Juvenal wrote; and if we consider the fashion of a Roman gown, we must allow that a brawny magistrate, sitting on his awful tribunal in fine muslin, was a sight calculated to provoke a less irritable spectator than our author. VER. 103. The wantons would reject a robe so thin,] The word which I have rendered robe is toga; this was peculiar to the men, as stola was to the women: but females of dishonest lives, and more especially such as were convicted of adultery, were enjoined by way of penance to appear in public in the toga. Thus Martial, speaking of an effeminate wretch who walked out in it, says "Thelin viderat in togâ Spadonem, "Damnatam Numa dixit esse macham." Hence stolata and togata came by degrees to signify the virtuous and the loose part of the sex. Martial can find no worse designation of his antagonist, than matris togatæ filius, in plain English, son of a w; and he upbraids an But Sirius rages with unwonted fire; I glow, I burn! quit then thy whole attire, And Creticus, stern champion of the laws, acquaintance for sending a stola to a woman of no reputation, when a toga would have suited her better. The Romans seem to have borrowed this custom, as they did many others, from the Greeks, who, as Suidas says, had a law that prostitutes should wear a parανθινα Φορεινο ticular dress, τας εταιρας And we, erewhile, shall see thee, lewdlier clad, (For none at once become completely bad) VER. 122. And one infected grape pollutes the vine.] "Uvaque conspecta livorem ducit ab uva." It is probable, after all, that Juvenal meant nothing more by livor, than that ripening colour which the rustics of his time supposed grapes to acquire by looking at one another. In this case, the line will not state the communication of a bad effect, but simply of an effect; the translation, however, agrees best with the other example. For the rest, this is a proverbial expression. I find it in many languages. "One plum gets colour by looking at another" is said by Mr. Gladwin (in the Bahar Danush) to be a common phrase in Persia—to signify the propagation of an opinion, custom, &c. VER. 123. And we, erewhile, shall see thee, lewdlier clad, (For none at once become completely bad) "Fœdius hoc aliquid quandoque audebis amictu." Lubin would read aliud, and, I think, judiciously; for Juvenal does not mean, as he is generally translated, “you will attempt a worse crime than this dress," but "you will assume a dress even more scandalous and flagitious than this:" -evidently alluding to his entering into the society mentioned below, which took the ornaments and attire of women. The observation that immediately follows (nemo repente fuit turpissimus) is a most important one, and cannot be too frequently, nor too deeply meditated upon. Dryden, or rather Stapylton, has rendered it "No man e'er reach'd the heights of vice at first," which is very correct; though, if the laws of translation allowed, it might be given with more effect thus loosely, By just degrees we mount from crime to crime, And perfect villain is the work of time; Join that dire circle, which, in secret, decks, With flowing bands their brows, with pearls their necks, Sooths the GOOD GODDESS with large bowls of wine, And the soft belly of a pregnant swine. Madan has quoted a passage from some forgotten tragedy, which affords an admirable comment on our author's remark: "Never let man be bold enough to say, "Thus and no farther shall my passion stray; "The first crime past, compels us on to more, "And guilt proves fate, which was but choice before." Beaumont has an allusion to it in his “King and no King :" "There is a method in man's wickedness, "Which I must do-I shall come to't at last." And Gresset applies it very happily to the singular depravity of the unfortunate Ver-Vert: "Il démentit les célébres maximes “Où nous lisons, qu'on ne vient aux grands crimes Que par dégrés. Il fut un scélérat "Profès d'abord, et sans noviciat." VER. 125. Join that dire circle, which, in secret, decks, With flowing bands their brows, with pearls their necks, Sooths the GOOD GODDESS, &c.] We have here a piece of pri vate history, which, from the silence of contemporary authors, cannot now be fully understood. Every one had heard of the Good Goddess, whose mysterious |