96 [It can scarcely be necessary to observe that the acrostic, the general sense of which has been aimed at in the above translation must be regarded as the pious fiction of some writer, whose object was to recommend the truth of Christianity to heathens by an appeal to the authority of an (alleged) ancient heathen prophecy.-Bag.] The quotation is found in the edition of Alexandre, Bk. VIII. ch. 219-250. (Cf. translation in Augustin, De civ. Dei.) The translation of Bag., giving the "general sense" and reproducing the acrostic, stands unchanged. The translation of 1709, much more vigorous and suggestive of the "Dies Irae," is as follows:

Our Saviour, dying, shall man's doom Reverse."

97 "Our men," i.e. Christians rather than "countrymen."

98 [The passage in Cicero (De Divinatione, Bk. II. ch. 54) clearly does not refer to this acrostic, and contains in itself a plain denial of prophetic truth in the Sibylline prediction (whatever it was) which the writer had in view. "Non esse autem illud carmen furentis, cum ipsum poema declaret (est enim magis artis et diligentiae, quam incitationis et motus), tum verò ca, quae akrostixij dicitur, cum deinceps ex primis versuum litteris aliquid connectitur, ut in quibusdam Cumanis, id certe magis est attenti animi, quam furentis," &c.-Bag.]

99 This and following quotations are found in the fourth eclogue of Virgil-the Pollio. The version of Bag. is allowed to stand. If farther variety of rendering and interpretation is desired, it can be found in charming profusion in the various English translations of Virgil of which the few at hand give ample promise. Those at hand are Ogilby, Lond., 1675, p. 41-49; Warton, Lond., 1763, p. 76-82; Trapp, Lond., 1755, p. 37-46; Kennedy, Lond., 1849, p. 25-29; Wilstach, Bost., 1884, p. 154-161; Bowen, Lond., 1887, p. 24-28. Compare Henley, Observations on the Subject of the Fourth Eclogue, etc., Lond., 1788. 8vo.

100 Here is variety indeed. 1711 renders, "Last times are come Cumaea's prophecy,"-whatever that may mean. Molz. has "Now the voice of the famed oracle of Cumae is dumb."

101 Constantine takes large liberty with the poet here in order to make him say what he would like to have had him say. The latest translation at hand (Bowen) renders:

Justice the Virgin comes, and the Saturn Kingdom again."

102 "The blessed and salutary mystery of our Saviour."-1709. "Mystery of salvation."-Molz.

103 [Amomum.-Bag.] "Assyrian cinnamon," Kennedy, p. 28; "the cardamon's spice shall grow, That from Assyria's gardens," Wilstach, 1, p. 157; "Syrian spices," Trapp, 1, p. 92; "Assyria's rich perfume," Warton, 1, p. 78; "Assyrian roses," Ogilby, p. 42.

104 [i.e. the Christians.-Bag.]

105 Self-control.

106 "Might not experience," according to some, including Heinichen, who rejects in first, but accepts in text of his second edition.

107 [Referring, apparently, to Abraham. This passage is founded on a misconstruction of Virgil's line by Constantine. which is followed by the Greek verse itself according to one edition.-Bag.]

108 [By a kind of play on the word amomum, he alludes to the Christians as amwmoi, or blameless persons.-Bag.]

109 "The fields shall mellow wax with golden grain."

110 Bag. adds:

"And through the matted grass the liquid gold shall creep."

1709 translates:

"And th' hardened oaks with dewy honey sweat."

While Molz. has

"Forth from the hard oak stems the lovely honey flows."

These all approach Virgil closer than they do Constantine. With all allowance for poetic license, "pine" should hardly be translated "oak."

111 Literally, "times and wars."-1709.

112 This, bad as it is, is hardly worse than the subjective interpretation of scripture modern allegorizers, and certainly no worse than some of the Scripture interpretations of Eusebius.