f. i. 498-514, and
especially ll. 506-7,

'Non ullus aratro
dignus honos: squalent abductis arva colonis.'

The Emperor is introduced throughout as the object of veneration. Cf.
i. 24-42.

_Natural scenery._--Virgil dwells on Nature in her softer aspects. Cf.
phrases like ii. 470, 'mollesque sub arbore somni,' and the passage
ii. 458-540 in praise of a country life. For the praise of Italy see
the beautiful passage ii. 136-176, where special districts are
mentioned.

AENEID.--Even before the _Eclogues_ were written, Virgil had meditated
the composition of an epic, perhaps, as Servius suggests, on the kings
of Alba. Cf. _Ecl._ 6, 3,

'Cum canerem reges et proelia, Cynthius aurem
vellit et admonuit: "pastorem, Tityre, pingues
pascere oportet oves, deductum dicere carmen."'

The idea of a poem in honour of Augustus was present to his mind when
he wrote _Georg._ iii. 46,

'Mox tamen ardentes accingar dicere pugnas
Caesaris.'

The _Aeneid_ was commenced B.C. 29, and remained unfinished at
Virgil's death.

Servius, _vit. Verg._, 'postea ab Augusto Aeneidem propositam scripsit
annis undecim, sed nec emendavit nec edidit.'

His method of working at the poem is thus described by Donatus,
'Aeneida prosa prius oratione formatam digestamque in xii. libros
particulatim componere instituit, prout liberet quidque et nihil in
ordinem arripiens. Ut ne quid impetum moraretur, quaedam imperfecta
transmisit, alia levissimis verbis veluti fulsit, quae per iocum pro
tibicinibus interponi aiebat ad sustinendum opus donec solidae
columnae advenirent.'

In what order the Books were written it is impossible to decide; but
Book vi. was not read to Augustus till after the death of the young
Marcellus, B.C. 23.

Donatus, 'Cui [Augusto] multo post perfectaque demum materia tres
omnino libros recitavit, secundum quartum sextum, sed hunc notabili
Octaviae adfectione, quae cum recitationi interesset ad illos de filio
suo versus, "Tu Marcellus eris," defecisse fertur atque aegre
focillata est.'

Virgil, writing to the emperor, insists on the magnitude of the task
he had rashly undertaken.

Macrob. _Saturn._ i. 24, 11, 'Tanta incohata res est, ut paene vitio
mentis tantum opus ingressus mihi videar, cum praesertim, ut scis,
alia quoque studia ad id opus multoque potiora impertiar.'

Although in his will Virgil left instructions to Varius (and Tucca) to
destroy all his unpublished manuscripts, Variu