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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 11 February 2009
‘ If Rome, addlepate that she is, misprises a thing, let that be no concern of yours. For at Rome every living soul—ah, would that I might utter it! But utter it I surely may, when I consider what dismal old squaretoes we are from the day when we are boys no more. Then, then—forgive me (I don't wish it, I can't help it)—but (this spleen of mine is to blame) I do burst out laughing.’ Down to the middle of u. n my text and punctuation are those of most editors, and I shall uphold them against the MS readings retained by Casaubon and recalled by Buecheler. From that point onward the punctuation is my own, except that it partly agrees with K. F. Hermann's, adopted in 1910 by Mr Leo.
page 20 note 1 The scholiast promptly says ‘ sub Geminis nati in amicitiis permanent, ut et ipsi concor- dissimi fratres sunt,’ but I suspect that this is merely a plausible fancy of Persius' own, for I do not find in the astrologers that two men born under Gemini were likely to be better friends than if they had any other sign for their common horoscope. Casaubon cited Manil, II 631 ‘magnus erit Geminis amor et concordia duplex,’ and the editors of Persius cite it still; but they might know, what Casaubon could not, that this verse is found in none of Manilius' MSS. What Manilius himself says in that passage is that men born under Gemini are friends with men born under Libra and Aquarius, not that they are friends with one another.
page 20 note 2 Casaubon says this, but he does not mean it; he talks as laymen do, confusing the horoscope or ascendant with the whole nativity or geniture.
page 29 note 1 The passage however ought not to stand on p. 612 in section I C 5 along with Verg.bue. II 25 ‘ nee sum adeo informis,’ but on p. 606 in section I C i, with Aen. I 567 ‘ non obtunsa adeo gestamus pectora Poeni.’
page 31 note 1 Indeed it is not clear to me that any quoted sentence could depend on that verb; when the thes. ling. lat. arrives at dicto it will doubtless cite this example, but I shall be surprised if it cites another.
page 31 note 2 So I understand pone, with Mr Ramorino; Buecheler took it to mean ‘invest.’
