Ars Amatoria; or, The Art Of Love
which circumstance their badge of office was a vine sapling.]
[Footnote 1109: Nemesis.--Ver. 536. Nemesis was the mistress of
Tibullus. See the Amores, Book iii. El. ix. Cynthia was the mistress of
Propertius and Lycoris of Gallus.]
[Footnote 1110: Shut your door.--Ver. 587. He addresses the husband,
whom he supposes to be wearied with satiety.]
[Footnote 1111: Than even Thais.--Ver. 604. Thais seems to have been
a common name with the courtesans of ancient times. Terence, in his
Eunuchus, introduces one of that name, who is pretty much of the free
and unrestrained character here depicted.]
[Footnote 1112: Lictor's rod.--Ver. 615. This conferred freedom on the
slave who was touched with it. See the Fasti, Book vi. 1. 676, and the
Note, lie means, that free-born women are worthy to become wives; but
'libertinæ,' or 'freed-women,' are only fit to become 'professæ,' or
'courtesans,' when they may sin with impunity, so far as the laws are
concerned.]
[Footnote 1113: Broad girth.--Ver. 622. This seems to be the kind of
belt mentioned in line 274.]
[Footnote 1114: Stalk of wetted flax.--Ver. 629. According to the common
reading, this will mean that the letter is to be written on blank paper,
with a stalk of wetted flax; which writing will afterwards appear, when
a black substance is thrown upon it. Heinsius insists that the passage
is corrupt, and suggests that 'alumine nitri' is the correct reading; in
which case it would mean that alum water is to be used instead of ink.
Vessius tells us that alum water, mixed with the juice of the plant
'tithymalum,' was used for the purposes of secret correspondence.]
[Footnote 1115: Good Goddess.--Ver. 637. The debauched Clodius was
detected as being present at these rites, in a female dress.]
[Footnote 1116: The false key, too, tells.--Ver. 643. He plays upon the
double meaning of the words, 'adultéra clavis,' which properly signifies
'a false key.']
[Footnote 1117: Even though.--Ver. 646. 'Even though you should have
to go to the expense of providing the rich wines of Spain for the
purpose.']
[Footnote 1118: Even she.--Ver. 663. He alludes to the accommodating
lady mentioned in line 641.]
[Footnote 1119: Has she filled.--Ver. 666. See his address to Cypassis,
in the Amores, Book ii. El. viii.]
[Footnote 1120: Lemnian dames.--Ver. 672. See the introduction to the
Epistle from Hypsipyle to Jason.]
[Footnote 1121: Cephaltis.--Ver. 695. This story is also related in the
Seventh Book of the Metamorphoses.]
[Footnote 1122: The quinces.--Ver. 705. These are called 'cydonia,' from
Cydon, city of Crete.]
[Footnote 1123: Cyllenian God.--Ver. 725. Cephalus was said to be the
son of Mercury; but, according to one account, which is followed by Ovid
in the Metamorphoses, Deioneus was his father.]
[Footnote 1124: Her breath.--Ver. 746. See the corresponding passage in
the Metamorphoses, Book vii. 1. 861. It was the custom for the nearest
relative to catch the breath of the dying person in the mouth.]
[Footnote 1125: With your fingers.--Ver. 755.. Perhaps he means in
moderato quantities at a time, and not in whole handfuls. See the Note
to the First Book, 1. 577.]
[Footnote 1126: And do not first.--Ver. 757. He seems to irs two
precepts here; first, they are not to eat so much at home as to take
away all appetite at the banquet, as that would savour of affectation,
and be an act of rudeness to the host. On the other hand, he warns them
not to stuff as long as they are able, but rather to leave off with an
appetite. The passage, however, is hopelessly corrupt, and is capable of
other interpretations.]
[Footnote 1127: Perform their duty.--Ver. 764. 'Constent,' literally.
'Will stand together.']
[Footnote 1128: The swans.--Ver. 899. He also alludes to them in the
Metamorphoses, as drawing the car of Venus, though that office was more
generally assigned by the Poets to doves.]
END