The "Laudes"--to which the Poet is brought by the preceding bold, sweeping, winged, and poetical strain about the indigenous vines of Italy--have two-fold root--TREES and the glory of LANDS. Virgil kindles on the double suggestion--the trees of Italy compared to the trees of other regions. They are the trees of primary human service and gladness--Oil and Wine. For see at once the deep, sound natural ground in human wants--the bounty of Nature--of Mother Earth--"whatever Earth, all-bearing Mother, yields"--to her human children. That is the gate of entrance; but not prosaically--but two gate-posts of a most poetical mythus-fed husbandman. For we have Jason's fire-mouthed Bulls _ploughing_, and Cadmus-sown teeth of the dragon springing up in armed men. Then comes, instead, mild, benign, Man-loving Italy--"gravidæ fruges"--the heavy-eared corn--or rather big-teeming--the juice of Bacchus--the Olives, and the "broad herds of Cattle." Note--ye Virgilians--the Corn of Book First--the Oil and Wine of Book Second--and the Cattle of Book Third--for the sustaining Thought--the organic life of his Work moves in his heart. BULLER. And the Fourth--Bees--honey--and honey-makers are like Milkers--in a way small Milch-cows. NORTH. They are. Once a-foot--or a-wing--he hurries and rushes along, all through the "Laudes." The majestic victim-Bull of the Clitumnus--the incipient Spring--the double Summer--_the absence_ of all envenomed and deadly broods--tigers--lions--aconite--serpents. This is NATURE'S FAVOUR. Then _Man's Works_--cities and forts--(rock-fortresses)--the great lakes of Northern Italy--showing Man again in their vast edifications. Then Nature in veins of metals precious or useful--then Nature in her production of Man--the Marsi--the Sabellian youth--the Ligurian inured to labour--and the Volscian darters--then single mighty shapes and powers of Man--ROMANS--the Decii, the Marii, the Camilli, "Scipiadas duros bello, et te, maxime Cæsar." The King of Men--the Lord of the Earth--the pacificator of the distracted Empire--which, to a Roman, is as much as to say the World. Then--hail Saturnian Land! Mother of Corn! Saturnian, because golden Saturn had reigned there--Mother, I suppose the rather because in _his_ time corn sprung unsown--_sine semine_--She gave it from out of her own loving and cherishing bosom. _To Thee_, Italy, sing I my Ascræan or Hesiodic song. The Works and Days--the Greek Georgics are his avowed prototype--rude prototype to magnificence--like the Arab of the Desert transplanted to rear his empire of dazzling and picturesque civilisation in the Pyrenean Peninsula. BULLER. Take breath, sir. Virgil said well-- "Adde tot egregias urbes operumque laborem." SEWARD.