^{page 39 note *} Hor. Sat. I. 8. t. 33.

^{page 48 note *} I suppose the words Et pauci læta arva tenemus, to be a parenthesis; which, in my opinion, clears the text of all obscurity. By the change of the person, in the four last lines of the speech,—Has omnes,—volvere,—incipiant,—revisant, it appears, that Anchises does not include himself among those who were to return to the world; which ascertains sufficiently the import of tenemus. The learned Rueus construes the passage in a way somewhat different; but his general account of the poet's doctrine differs not effentially from mine.

^{page 49 note †} More literally, “ When they have rolled the wheel, or circle, for a thousand “ years;” that is, when the revolution of a thousand years is completed. For this interpretation we are indebted to Servius, who tells us further, that this singular phrase was taken from Ennius. Anciently perhaps rota might mean a circle, (as well as a wheel,) and poetically a year; so that, in Ennios's time, volvere rotam might be a figurative phrase of the same import with annum peragere, to pass a year. The original meaning of annus is a circle, whence the diminutive annulus, a ring. The same reference to the circular nature of the year, may be seen in the Greek, which Virgil certainly had in his mind when he wrote, “ Atque in se sua per vestigia volvitur annus.” When this is attended to, our author's use of the phrase in question will appear not so harsh as it might otherwise be thought to be, and not at all too figurative in this very solemn part of the poem.