Book 8
6.47
For in this passage, with the exception of the proper name, the words bear no more than their literal meaning. But the name does not simply denote the shepherd Menalcas, but is a pseudonym for Virgil himself. Oratory makes frequent use of such allegory, but generally with this modification, that there is an admixture of plain speaking. We get allegory pure and unadulterated in the following passage of Cicero: From an unknown speech. What I marvel at and complain of is this, that there should exist any man so set on destroying his enemy as to scuttle the ship on which he himself is sailing.
6.48
The following is an example of the commonest type, namely, the mixed allegory: Pro Mil. ii, 5. I always thought that Milo would have other storms and tempests to weather, at least in the troubled waters of political meetings. Had he not added the words at least in the troubled waters of political meetings, we should have had pure allegory: their addition, however, converted it into a mixed allegory. In this type of allegory the ornamental element is provided by the metaphorical words and the meaning is indicated by those which are used literally.
