Appearing and beginning noble deeds, Might'st thou expel this monster from his throne, 100 And with my help thou may'st; to me the power 105 110 Much less my mind; though thou should'st add to tell Their sumptuous gluttonies and gorgeous feasts 115 115 citron tables or Atlantick stone] Citron wood grew on Mount Atlas, and was held by the Romans as valuable as gold. Martial Ep. xiv. 89. Accipe felices Atlantica munera, sylvas.' Atlantick stone, the Commentators say, was never heard of; nor can they explain the meaning of the expression: had the mantle therefore of Bentley descended on me, I should read and gorgeous feasts On citron tables or Atlantic, stor'd.' I can find no account of Atlantic marble in the learned work of Cariophylus de Ant. Marmoribus.-Since writing the above, I believe that I have detected the true meaning of Atlantic stone, which has escaped the Commentators. Pliny mentions that the woods of Atlas were eagerly searched by the Romans for citron wood and ivory. Hist. Nat. lib. v. c. i. 1. vol. i. p. 366, ed. Brot. 'quàm luxuriæ, cujus efficacissima vis sentitur atque maxima, cùm ebori citroque silvæ (For I have also heard, perhaps have read,) 125 exquirantur.' Diod. Siculus joins them, lib. v. c. xlvi. vol. iii. p. 355, ed. Bip. ' τά δε θυρώματα τοῦ ναοῦ θαυμαστὰς ἔχει τὰς κατασκευὰς ἐξ ἀργύρου καὶ χρυσοῦ καὶ ἐλέφαντος, ἔτι δὲ θύους δεδημιουργημένας ; so the author of the Apocalypse, xvii. 12. πᾶν ζύλον θυΐνον, καὶ πᾶν σκέυος ἐλεφάντινον; Suidas and Pausanias also mention them together. We may, therefore, consider Atlantick stone' to be a learned and poetical way for naming the 'Ebor Atlanticum;' and Pliny also says, that the forests in Mauritania were filled with elephants, lib. v. c. i. 1. vol. i. p. 364, the same forests which afforded the citron wood. Should stone' be still thought a singular expression for ivory, it may be observed, that 'fossil ivory' might have been sought for; and that Pliny, lib. xxxvi. c. xxix. 18, vol. vi. p. 230, mentions a mineral ivory, which he calls a stone. 115 Citron tables, &c.] ' Citrus arbor in Atalante Mauritaniæ monte nascitur, ex qua olim faciebant lectos fores et mensas, quas eboreis pedibus fulcientes feminæ, viris contra margaritas regerebant. Cato in ea, quam habuit, oratione, ne quis consul bis fieret: Dicere possum, quibus villæ atque ædes ædificatæ atque expolitæ maximo opere, citro, atque ebore, atque pavimentis Panicis stent.' Aus. Popma Not. in Fragm. Varronis, ed. Bipont. p. 349. 119 myrrhine] Plinii N. Hist. lib. xxxv. c. xlvi. vol. vi. p. 172. 'Quoniam eò pervenit luxuria, ut etiam fictilia pluris constent quam murrhina.' A brutish monster: what if I withal Then cruel, by their sports to blood inur'd 130 135 Of fighting beasts, and men to beasts expos'd; 140 All monarchies besides throughout the world, To whom the tempter impudent replied. 141 Luxurious] Manilius, iv. 10. Luxuriamque lucris emimus, luxuque rapinas.' Dunster. 145 150 155 Thou valu'st, because offer'd, and reject'st; 160 165 Whom thus our Saviour answer'd with disdain. 170 I never lik'd thy talk, thy offers less; Now both abhor, since thou hast dar'd to utter But I endure the time, till which expir'd, 175 The first of all commandments, Thou shalt worship 157 the difficult] Jortin and Sympson would read 'thee difficult.' 180 Permitted rather, and by thee usurp'd; Long since. Wert thou so void of fear or shame, To me my own, on such abhorred pact, That I fall down and worship thee as God? 185 190 To whom the fiend with fear abash'd replied. 195 Be not so sore offended, Son of God, Though sons of God both angels are and men, Than these thou bear'st that title, have propos'd 200 205 210 |