Ærea, lata, sonans, rutilis vicinior astris Quàm superimpositum vel Athos vel Pelion Ossæ. "Tótque fremit, vocêsque refert, iterátque quod audit. 66 "Atria turba tenent; veniunt leve vulgus, eúntque. "Vanáque Lætitia est, consternatique Timores, 66 Seditióque repens, dubióque auctore Susurri," &c. In the figure of his Fame, however, our author adverts to Virgil. See the next Note. T. WARTON. Ver. 172. Titanidos] Ovid has "Titanida Circen," Met. xiv. 376. Fame is the sister of Cacus and Enceladus, two of the Titans, Æn. iv. 179. T. WARTON. Ver. 174. Quàm superimpositum vel Athos] Chaucer's House of Fame stands on a rock, higher than any in Spain, H. F. B. iii. 27. And totidémque fenestræ, are from Chaucer, H. F. B. iii. 101. "Imageries and tabernacles, "I sawe, and full eke of Windowes "As flekis fallin in grete snowes," &c. But Chaucer seems to have mentioned the numerous windows as ornaments of the architecture of the House, rather than with Milton's allegorical meaning. T. WARTON. Ver. 177. Not to copy Ovid too perceptibly, Milton adopts 180 185 Qualitèr instrepitant circum mulctralia bombis 190 195 this comparison from Homer, which is here very happily and elegantly applied, Il. ii. 469. “HvTε μviáwv," &c. See Parad. Lost, B. i. 768. Much the same comparison is in Parad. Reg. B. iv. 15. See also Il. xvi. 641. I must however observe, that Chaucer, in the same argument, has the outline of the same comparison, H. F. iii. 431. "I heard a noise approchin blive, "That fareth as bees don in an hive, 66 Against ther time of outflying," &c. T. WARTON. See the notes on Par. Reg. B. iv. 15. And the concluding lines of the citation from P. Fletcher's Locusta, which I have given in the Inquiry into the Origin of Paradise Lost, in the present edition. TODD. Carmine tam longo; servati scilicèt Angli 66 Conjurata cohors in méque meósque Britannos, "Et nova sceptrigero cædes meditata Iacobo ?" Nec plura; illa statim sensit mandata Tonantis, Et, satis ante fugax, stridentes induit alas, Induit et variis exilia corpora plumis; 205 Dextra tubam gestat Temesæo ex ære sonoram. Ver. 200. The voice of God is preceded by thunders and earthquakes. This is in the style of Paradise Lost. T. WARTON. Ver. 207. Dextra tubam gestat Temesco ex ære sonoram.] Her brazen trumpet is from Chaucer, which is furnished by Æolus, H. F. B. iii. 347. "What did this Æolus, but he "Toke out his blak trompe of bras," &c. Temese is a city on the coast of the Tyrrhene sea, famous for its brass. See Odyss. i. 183. Ες ΤΕΜΕΣΗΝ μετὰ ΧΑΛΚΟΝ, &c. And Ovid, Metam. xv. 707. "Themesesque metalla." And ib.. 52. Milton has the epithet from Ovid, Medicam. Fac. 41. "Et quamvis aliquis Temesca removerit æra," &c. Again, Fast, L. v. 441. “ Temescaque concrepat æra." See also Metam. vii. 207. T. WARton. Ver. 208. jam pennis cedentes remigat auras,] Cedentes auras as in Par. Lost, B. ii. 842, "the buxom air :" Where see the Note. TODD. 215 Mox arguta dolos, et detestabile vulgat 220 224 Ver. 220. Attamen &c.] We are disappointed at this abrupt ending, after curiosity and attention had been excited by the introduction of the goddess Fame with so much pomp. But young composers are eager to dispatch their work. Fame is again exhibited in the next poem, written also at seventeen. T. Warton. In obitum Præsulis Eliensis*. Anno Etatis 17. ADHUC madentes rore squalebant genæ, Et sicca nondum lumina Adhuc liquentis imbre turgebant salis, Quem nuper effudi pius, Dum mosta charo justa persolvi rogo Wintoniensis Præsulis. Cùm centilinguis Fama, proh! semper mali Cladisque vera nuntia, Spargit per urbes divitis Britanniæ, Populósque Neptuno satos, Cessisse morti, et ferreis sororibus, Te, generis humani decus, Qui rex sacrorum illâ fuisti in insulâ Quæ nomen Anguillæ tenet. Tunc inquietum pectus irâ protinùs Tumulis potentem sæpe devovens deam: Concepit alto diriora pectore; 5 10 15 * Nicholas Felton, bishop of Ely, died October 5, 1626, not many days after bishop Andrewes, before celebrated. He had been also master of Pembroke Hall, as well as bishop Andrewes; and bishop of Bristol. He was nominated to the see of Lichfield, but was translated to that of Ely in 1618-9. He is said to have been a pious, learned, and judicious man. Hist. of Ely Cathedral, p. 199. TODD. See Bentham's Ver. 14. Quæ nomen Anguillæ tenet.] Ely, so called from its abundance of eels. Mr. Bowle cites Capgrave, "Locus ille sive cœnobium a copia anguillarum Hely modo nuncupatur." Vit. Sanct. f. 141. b. Capgrave wrote about 1440. T. WARTON. |