FullReads

[Footnote 43: Then the Pleiades are at hand. Then the Goat is merged in the Sea, viz. in the Month of October and November.]

[Footnote 44: The Original points at the Day in which the Romans were overthrown by the Gauls on the Banks of the River Allia. This was the 15th of the Kalends of August. A. U. C. 363, and it was marked as a black Day in their Kalendar. As this Nation is too happy to produce any such Day, we have been obliged to give it a different Turn in our Paraphrase.]

[Footnote 45: Cydippe was a beautiful virgin of the island of Delos. She was celebrating the Rites of Diana when she was seen by Acontius, who falling in love with her, and not daring openly to declare his Passion, contrived to drop an Apple at her Feet, in which were inclosed these two Lines:

I swear to you by the mystical Rites of Diana,

That I will attend you as a Companion, and become your Bride.

Cydippe took up the Apple and read the Lines; by repeating which words they became her own; and she was ignorantly betrothed to her Lover: For it was a Law, that whatever any persons said in Diana‘s Temple, they were obliged to perform.]

[Footnote 46: Ariadne was the Daughter of Minos King of Crete. She fell in Love with Theseus, and with a Clew of Thread helped him out of the Labyrinth into which he went to kill the Minotaur. He afterwards basely deserted the poor Lady, of which our Poet will presently tell the Story.]

[Footnote 47: Silenus was the Pedagogue of Bacchus, and his Foster-Father: He was likewise his Companion on all Occasions; and is often introduced in his drunken Mood by our Poet.]

[Footnote 48: At this Wedding Eurytion the Centaur getting drunk, attempted to ravish Hippodamia the Bride of Pyrithous, but Theseus knocked his Brains out with a Bowl. Upon this a Battle ensued between the Centaurs and the Lapithae, who defending the Cause of their Prince Pyrithous, destroyed almost all the Centaurs. Horace Lib. I. Ode 18. mentions this Story likewise, as a Caution to Men not to be quarrelsome in their Cups.]

[Footnote 49: Here and in many other Places, we have been obliged to supply that Connection, which is greatly wanting in the Original.]

[Footnote 50: Phoebe and Ilaira were two pretty Girls, the Daughters of Leucippus, and by their Father betrothed to two Brothers Idas and Lynceus; but before the Celebration of their Nuptials, were ravished by Castor and Pollux. This ended in the Death of Castor, by the Hands of Lynceus; and of Lynceus, by Pollux, whose Death while Idas was attempting to revenge, he was struck dead by Thunder at the Feet of Pollux.]

[Footnote 51: Orion the Theban was in Love with Merope the Daughter of AEnopian; but who this Lyrice was, is not so plain, no Mention being made of her in any other Place.]

[Footnote 52: Daphnis was the Son of Mercury; for his Love for this Nais, we have here Ovid‘s Authority.]