June — Cunning of the Idyllists. 1 8 7 



pleasant place, where this or that species of tree was 

 growing. ' Let us sit down here,' the goatherd says, 

 ' under this elm, before this Priapus and these (carved) 

 Kraniades, where there are a rustic seat and oak-trees.' 

 When the poet describes a vase he takes the oppor- 

 tunity of doing a little leaf-painting at the same time, 

 by twining round the lips of it a garland of ivy mixed 

 with pelichrysum, giving a dainty little touch of color 

 just at the last, Kapirco tcpo/coevri, of saffron-colored 

 fruit. The vase, too, is varnished with 4 odorous wax/ 

 the simple mention of which carries the imagination 

 instantaneously to the bees and their labors, and thence 

 to the flowers where the odorous wax is found. Nor 

 is this all ; for, in continuing the description of the 

 vase, Theocritus, whilst speaking of the figures upon it, 

 says that near to one of them is a vine laden with 

 grapes, and round about the vase is a wreath of the 

 flexible acanthus. So in Virgil's third Eclogue the two 

 cups, made by the 4 divine Alcimedon,' are decorated 

 with carvings of vine and ivy ; whilst on two other cups 

 by the same artist, belonging to Damcetas, the acanthus 

 is used for the handles ; and in the midst the artist has 

 represented Orpheus a?id the forests following him — 

 ' sylvasque sequentes.' How completely the sylvan 

 spirit flows into every thing here ! 



Mr. Symonds, whom I have already quoted, thinks 

 that, whilst it is difficult to speak in terms of exag- 

 gerated praise concerning the appreciation of scenery 

 by Theocritus, Virgil lacks his vigor and enthusiasm 

 for the open-air life of the country. The sentiment that 



