This epithet is suggested by Milton and unnoticed by Mr. Mason. See P. Lost. "Now when a sacred light began to dawn, These shall the fury passions tear. "The fury passions from that flood began Pope's 3d. Eth. Ep. The painful family of death. GRAY. "Hate, fear, and grief, the family of pain." Pope's 2d. Eth. Ep. When Gray wrote his Church-yard, his mind seems to have been much tinctured with reading Tickell's Poem to the Earl of Warwick. It were difficult to produce passages that were immediately parallel. I must refer your readers, therefore, to the two pieces; the following imitations are amongst the most striking. "Proud names who once the reins of empire held.” TICKELL "Hands that the rod of empire might have held." GRAY, "What awe did the slow solemn knell inspire, TICKELL "The pealing anthem swells the note of praise." GRAY. Gray appears to have been a most attentive reader of Cowley, as he has adopted many of his occasional brilli ances, which Dr. Hurd has pointed out in his edition; this, however, seems to have escaped him. Cowley beautifully exclaims: "Ye fields of Cambridge, our dear Cambridge, say Have you not seen us walking every day &c. Hurd's Edit, Vol. I, p. 117. "Say, Father Thames, for thou hast seen," &c. GRAY. "Hence 'twas a master in those ancient days, &c. Father itself was but a second name." Hurd's Edit. Vol. I. p. 114. These lines are an imitation of Juvenal's fine apostrophe. Esse loco,"-7 Sat. To me the sun is more delightful far, "Instar veris enim vultus ubi tuus COWLEY. Hor. 5 Od. 4 B. Edwards's Sonnet upon a Family Picture, has as much merit as any sonnet, perhaps, can be entitled to; there is a passage in one of Pope's letters, that reminds us of the leading idea that pervades the sonnet. It seems that like a column left alone, Single, unpropp'd, and nodding to my fall. EDWARDS. "Nothing, says Seneca, is so melancholy a circumstance in human life, or so reconciles us to the thought of our death, as the reflection and prospect of one friend after another dropping round us! Who would stand alone, the sole remaining ruin, the last tottering column of all the fabric of friendship, once so large, seemingly so strong, and yet so suddenly sunk and buried.-Letter 10th, to Hon. R. Digby. Vol. VI. p. 87. In support of the usage of the word tale in Milton, which an anonymous writer suggested to Mr. Warton in his late edition, perhaps the following passage may be adduced: nor the vale: ! Of Alsbury, whose grass seems given out by tale." ... Drayton, New Edit. p. 369, col. 1. Milton seems to have been a great reader of Phineas Fletcher, and Drayton. I shall refer your readers to a few instances. See Fletcher, p. 173, sect. 58. "to try what may be." See Par. Lost, b. 1, 270." eyes that sparkling blazed." Milton, 193. b. 1. See Fletcher, sect. 61, 174. See Par. Lost, b. 1, 48. See Fletcher, sect. 54, p. 174, "troop to the infernal jail," Ode on Ch. Nativity. "Troop the poor." Fletcher, p. 131. " numbers numberless." Fletcher, P. Island, 123. " shapeless shapes." Fletcher, 166,"nummed soul." Fletcher, 83," imparadised." Fletcher, P. Island, p. 4. The expressive alliteration of Milton's combinations is, in some instances, to be found in both Fletcher and Drayton "valleys dark and deep." Drayton, Fol. Edit. p. 279, col. 1. "Ryedale dark and deep." 378, col. 1. "rude resort." Drayton, 337, 305, col. 2. "waste of waters." Drayton, 349, col. I. Married applied to music, see Drayton, Fol. Ed. p. 52. col. 2. "whilst she sat under an estate of lawn." Drayton, p. 73, col. 1. Milton uses state in this sense. "saily wings," Drayton, p. 368, col. 2. "flaggy sails," Fletch. P. Island, 173. See Milton's Par. Lost, b. 1, 225. Drayton's 15th Sonnet seems suggested by the story of Coucy, which is to be found in Howell's Letters, and in Baron's Cyprian Academy. Drayton has an idea which I never saw exceeded, though we frequently find common-place ideas of the kind; perhaps, notwithstanding its beauty, it has something the cast of a conceit, "Whilst in their crystal eyes he doth for Cupids look.” The two following lines are a specimen of fine imagery, not easily to be equalled ; "Her mantle richly wrought with sundry flowers; Her moistful temples bound with quivering reeds.” Drayton, 326, col. 1. Lord Rochester's verses on Nothing, which Dr. Johnson supposes might have been suggested by a Latin Poem, on that subject, by Passerat, might have arisen from some verses of P. Fletcher, on the same subject, see p. 70; or he might have found the idea in Crashaw, p. 14. It is much to be regretted that Mr. Upton did not live to complete his magnificent edition of Spenser; he has left all the minor poems unpublished. Spenser's incongruities, as well as his beauties, are without end. See Shep. Cal. April. ›Į I see Calliope speed her to the place, And after her the other Muses trace With their violines. See likewise Shep. Cal. June. I saw Calliope with Muses moe, Soon as thy oaten pipe began to sound 1 From the ridiculous insignia of violins and tamburins, that are here assigned to the muses, we might almost be led to imagine that Spenser had seen a painting by Carlo Maratti, who has very facetiously drawn Apollo, playing on the fiddle, surrounded by the nine muses. The imitations of Spenser, which we find in Shakespeare, are not unfrequent; the following instance (if it comes under the head of an imitation)I do not recollect to have seen remarked. Cassius says of Cæsar, to Brutus: Why, man, he doth bestride this narrow world, See F. Queen, B. 4. Cant. 10. Jul. Cæs. Scene 3. "But I, tho' meanest man of many moe, "This bold bad man," occurs in Shakesp. Hen. VIII. Act 2. sc. 4. a mode of expression every where to be met with in Spenser, "like a pined ghost," Spenser, B. 3. Cant. 2. 51. Shakespeare has this word in one of his most exquisite sonnets," hanging her pale and pined head beside." With you bring triumphant Mart. Spens. Introd. b. 1. Stan. 3. This usage of the word Mart for Mars we find in Massinger's Bashful Lover. Mason's Edit. p. 289. 1786, Feb. C-T-O. LXXXVIII. Remarks on Warton's Edition of Milton's Juvenile Poems. MR. URBAN, HAVING received pleasure and information from Mr. Warton's edition of Milton's Juvenile Poems, I venture to send you a few remarks which were made when I perused it. T. H. W. Yet once more, O ye laurels, and once more Shatter your leaves before the mellowing year. LYCIDAS, ver. 1. "Et vos, O lauri, carpam, et te, proxima myrte." Virg. Ecl. 2. v. 54. Aapras, in the note translated Myrti, is a remarkable instance of the editor's neglecting to revise. "The mellowing year," that is, the fall of the leaf, is not very properly applied by the poet to Laurels, Myrtles, and Ivy, which are all ever-greens, and change their leaves in the spring. And bid fair peace be to my sable shroud. ver. 22. It is observable that Shakespeare's shroud agrees with the modern. "White his shroud as the mountain snow." Hamlet, Act 4. Sc. 5... Whence did Milton and Mallet take their sable shrouds? "Clay-cold was her lily hand Margaret's Ghost, Together both, ere the high lawns appear'd V. 25. |