NOTÆ VARIORUM IN

such as the Arcadian Mercury prepared, he made the song measured by the lyre, which was made from a tortoise-shell, so that lyricists are called from thence. Gronov. Diatr.

98 And who [would] sweet] And to whom it was pleasing. To diminish] To temper. Strengths] Of heroic verse. Wanton Thalia] In elegiac verse. Domit.

99 To cut with a step] That is, to diminish by one foot. Six-footed verses] Of six feet. Heroes] That is, heroic ones. The same.

105 And the crime with the inspired mountain] Although J. Lipsius and another began to correct the much-repeated polythrullēton much-discussed of the Muses' human, here, yet it is true that the poet wrote as it is commonly read. He orders Parthenope, the divine guardian of the Neapolitan city and region, to place locks of hair upon the tomb of her parent. He imagines, however, that the Goddess Parthenope herself dwells upon Mount Vesuvius as a seat sacred to herself: just as places were often thought to be those of the Gods, and were fenced off by religion even if they were otherwise impassable. Pomponius Mela, book III: "Beyond this gulf is a high mountain (as the Greeks call it, the chariot of the gods), it burns with perpetual fires," and what follows. Then the head of Parthenope is rightly said, because it is the highest in the Neapolitan district; that is, Mount Vesuvius, which ejected fires. Furthermore, 'locks of hair' are frequently called the flames of fires. Gronov. in Diatr.

107 The citadels of Munichia] In all other codices it is written erroneously Munichia's arts original: "Monichiæ artes"; which neither sense nor reason can bear; nor will any invented fable persuade it. Let it therefore be read with our emendation: The citadels of Munichia original: "Munichiæ arces": which signifies Athens. For Munichia is a curved hill in Athens, having an entrance with a narrow mouth, beneath which lie three gates; once surrounded by a wall, encompassing the Piraeus: whence the Athenian citadels of Munichia are so called. This says Papinius: That neither in Athens, nor in Cyrene, nor in Lacedaemon was a more outstanding man ever born than your father: for from these three places, most outstanding men have arisen. Domitius.

109 If you were old in lineage] In other codices it is written erroneously vetas; but you read vetus old; for he addresses Parthenope, and says: If you were lying with the memory of your lineage and founders obliterated by antiquity, certainly my father alone, your citizen, would indicate that you were a Greek city by his erudition in Greek letters. The same. And you would lie with obscure fame] Ven. and Sal. and you would lie with obscure fame original: "famæque obscure jaceres". Livy XLII: "They will have opened to fame a world unknown by arms." Gronov.

122 Of the Aonides, and for the boy] As if the Muses and Apollo were considered among the genethlious theous birth-gods or protecting Gods: although only four are numbered by the doctrine of the Egyptians by Macrobius: Daimon, Tyche, Eros, Ananke. Genius, Fortune, Love, Necessity. Morell.

124 Nor is the simple, &c.] Thus the following must be written, that is, the honor of your fatherland is not simple and unique for you; but your natal origin hangs in an ambiguous struggle of a twin land, it is ventilated between the wavering struggle of two cities, namely Naples and Selles. In an ambiguous original: "in ambiguo" is in the Roman and Venetian edition; which I am surprised escaped the eyes of the most studious Lindenbrogius. It may suffice to have indicated this once, that the ancient codex, the variants of which he published, is none other than our Roman one. Lest learned men err in the future, and think it that Ms., even if it is to be equated with writings. But the supreme man, involved in more serious studies, and performing this labor for the sake of the printer, sometimes used it rather carelessly. Degente dwelling was rightly discussed by Cruceus. Greek Master is ineptly called Palinurus, who was Phrygian. But Papinius said 'grateful,' whether to Aeneas, or to the Teucrians, or to the very ship. Gronov. Diatrib.

132 It feeds the conquered, monstrous, &c.] That is,