Finierat, rigidi cupide paruere gemelli.

Interea longo flectens curvamine cœloś Defpicit ætherea dominus qui fulgurat arce, Vanaque perverfæ ridet conamina turbæ, Atque fui caufam populi volet ipfe tueri.

Effe ferunt fpatium, qua diftat ab Afide terrà Fertilis Europe, et fpectat Mareotidas undas; Hic turris pofita eft Titanidos ardua Famæ

165

171

cially from a youth of feventeen. But Milton might fairly defend himself, by reading u as the confonant, for which there are authorities.

166. Longo flectens curvamine cælos.] See CoмUS, V. 1015. Where the Bow'D welkin flow doth BEND.

But Ovid has a like contexture, with a different idea. METAM; vi. 64. Of a rainbow.

Inficere ingenti longum curvamine cœlum.

171. Mareotidas undas.] Mareotis is a large lake in Egypt, connected by many small channels with the Nile. See Ovid, MEТАМ. іх. 772.

172. Hic turris pofita eft, &c.] The general model of this TOWER OF FAME is Ovid, METAM. xii. 39. Milton has retouched and variegated Ovid's imagery. The reader fhall compare both poets at large.

ORBE locus MEDIO eft, inter terrasque fretumque,
Cœleftefque plagas, triplicis CONFINIA mundi;
Unde, quod eft ufquam, quamvis regionibus abfit,
Infpicitur; penetratque cavas vox omnis ad aures.
FAMA tenet, fummaque locum fibi legit in arce :
Innumerofque aditus, ac mille foramina tectis
Addidit, et nullis inclufit limina portis.

Nocte dieque patent: tota eft ex ÆRE SONANTI

Totque fremit, vocefque refert, iteratque quod audit.

Nulla quies intus nullaque filentia parte.

Nec tamen eft clamor, sed PARVÆ MURMURA VOCIS,
Qualia de pelagi, fi quis procul audiat, undis
Effe folent; qualemve fonum, cum Jupiter atras

Increpuit nubes, extrema tonitrua reddunt.
Atria turba tenent; veniunt leve vulgus, euntque.
Mixtaque cum veris paffim commenta vagantür
Millia rumorum, confusaque verba volutant.

E quibus hi vacuas implent fermonibus auras,

Ærea, lata, fonans, rutilis vicinior aftris
Quam fuperimpofitum vel Athos vel Pelion Offæ.
Mille fores aditufque patent, totidemque feneftræ,
Amplaque per tenues translucent atria muros: 176
Excitat hic varios plebs agglomerata fufurros;
Qualiter inftrepitant circum mulctralia bombis
Agmina mufcarum, aut texto per ovilia junço,

Hi narrata ferunt alio; menfuraque ficti
Crefcit, et auditis aliquid novus adjicit auctor.
Illic Credulitas, illic TEMERARIUS Error,
Vanaque Lætitia eft, confternatique Timores,
Seditioque repens, dubioque auctore SUSURRI, &c.

In the figure of his Fame, however, our author adverts to Virgil.
See the next Note. And Notes on v. 174. 175. 177.207.

Ibid. -Titanidos.-] Ovid has TITANIDA Circen, METAM. xiv. 376. Again, xiii. 968. FAME is the fifter of Cacus and Enceladus, two of the Titans, ÆN. iv. 179.

174. Quam fuperimpofitum vel Athos, &c.] Chaucer's House OF FAME ftands on a rock, higher than any in Spain. H. F. B. iii. 27.

175.-Totidemque feneftra.] From Chaucer, H. F. B. iii. 101. Imageries and tabernacles

I fawe, and FULL EKE OF WINDOWES
As flekis fallin in grete fnowes, &c.

But Chaucer feems to have mentioned the numerous windows as ornaments of the architecture of the House, rather than with Milton's allegorical meaning.

177. Not to copy Ovid too perceptibly, Milton adopts this comparifon from Homer, which is here very happily and elegantly applied. IL. ii. 469. "HUTE μviάwv, &c." See PARAD. L. ii. 770. Much the fame comparison is in PARAD. REG. iv. 15.

Or as a fwarm of flies in vintage time

About the wine press, &c.

See alfo IL. xvi. 641.

I must however obferve, that Chaucer, in the fame argument, has the outline of the fame comparison, H. F. iii. 431.

I heard a noife approchin blive,
That fareth as bees don in an hive
Against ther time of outflying, &c.

Sss 2

Dum

180

185

Dum Canis æftivum cœli petit ardua culmen.
Ipfa quidem fumma fedet ultrix matris in arce,
Auribus innumeris cinctum caput eminet olli,
Queis fonitum exiguum trahit, atque leviffima captat
Murmura, ab extremis patuli confinibus orbis.
Nec tot, Ariftoride fervator inique juvenca
Ifidos, immiti volvebas lumina vultu,
Lumina non unquam tacito nuntantia fomno,
Lumina fubjectas late fpectantia terras.
Iftis illa folet loca luce carentia fæpe
Perluftrare, etiam radianti impervia foli:
Millenifque loquax auditaque vifaque linguis
Cuilibet effundit temeraria; veraque mendax
Nunc minuit, modo confictis fermonibus auget.

190

195

Sed tamen a noftro meruifti carmine laudes Fama, bonum quo non aliud veracius ullum, Nobis digna cani, nec te memoraffe pigebit Carmine tam longo; fervati fcilicet Angli Officiis, vaga diva, tuis, tibi reddimus æqua. Te Deus, æternos motu qui temperat ignes, Fulmine præmiffo alloquitur, terraque tremente: Fama files? An te latet impia Papiftarum Conjurata cohors in meque meofque Britannos, Et nova fceptrigero cædes meditata läcobo? Nec plura, illa ftatim fenfit mandata Tonantis, Et fatis ante fugax ftridentes induit alas, Induit et variis exilia corpora plumis;

Dextra tubam geftat Temefæo ex ære fonoram.

201

205

200. The voice of God is preceded by thunders and earthquakes. This is in the ftyle of PARADISE LOST.

207. Dextra tubam geftat Temefao ex are fonoram.] Her brazen trumpet is from Chaucer, which is furnished by Æolus, H. F. B. iii 347.

What

Nec mora, jam pennis cedentes remigat auras,
Atque parum eft curfu celeres prævertere nubes;
Jam ventos, jam folis equos poft terga reliquit :
Et primo Angliacas, folito de more, per urbes
Ambiguas voces, incertaque murmura fpargit :
Mox arguta dolos, et deteftabile vulgat
Proditionis opus, nec non facta horrida dictu,
Authorefque addit fceleris, nec garrula cæcis
Infidiis loca ftructa filet; ftupuere relatis,
Et pariter juvenes, pariter tremuere puellæ,
Effoetique fenes pariter, tantæque ruinæ
Senfus ad ætatem fubito penetraverat omnem.

What did this Eolus, but he

Toke out his blake trompe of bras, &c.

211

215

Temefe is a city on the coaft of the Tyrrhene fea, famous for its brafs. See ODYSS. i. 183. “ Ες ΤΕΜΕΣΗΝ μετὰ ΧΑΛΚΟΝ, &c.” And Ovid, METAM, XV. 707. "" Themefefque metalla." And, ib. 52. Milton has the epithet from Ovid, MEDICAM. FAC. 41. Et quamvis aliquis TEMESAA removerit ÆRA, Nunquam Luna fuis excutietur equis.

Again, FAST. L. v. 441.

-TEMESA QUE Concrepat ÆRA.

And METAM. vii. 207.

Te quoque, Luna, traho, quamvis TEMESA labores
ERA tuos minuant.-

208. Jam pennis cedentes remigat auras.] See AD J. ROUSIUM, V. 45.

-Vehique fuperum

In Jovis aulam REMIGE PENNA.

This metaphor first occurs in Æschylus, AGAMEMN. V. 53. Of vulturs.

Πτερύγων ἐρεμοῖσι ἐρεσσόμενοι.

Alarum remigiis remigantes.

For claffical inftances of the Remigium alarum, see Heinfius on Ovid, ART. AMATOR. ii. 45. Drakenborch on Sil. Ital. xii. 98. Dante turns Oars into Wings. INFERN. C. xxvi. 121. "De remi facemo al."

Attamen

220

Attamen interea populi miferefcit ab alto Æthereus pater, et crudelibus obftitit aufis Papicolum; capti pœnas raptantur ad acres : At pia thura Deo, et grati folvuntur honores; Compita læta focis genialibus omnia fumant ; Turba choros juvenilis agit: Quintoque Novembris Nulla dies toto occurrit celebratior anno.

In obitum Prafulis Elienfis.* Anno Ætatis 17.

A

DHUC madentes rore fqualebant genæ,
Et ficca nondum lumina

Adhuc liquentis imbre turgebant falis,
Quem nuper effudi pius,

Dum mæfta charo jufta perfolvi rogo

Wintonienfis Præfulis.

Cum centilinguis Fama, proh! femper mali

Cladifque vera nuntia,

Spargit per urbes divitis Britanniæ,

Populofque Neptuno fatos,

Ceffiffe morti, et ferreis fororibus,

Te, generis humani decus,

Qui rex facrorum illa fuifti in infula
Quæ nomen Anguillæ tenet.

226

220. Attamen interea, &c.] We are difappointed at this abrupt ending, after curiofity and attention had been excited by the introduction of the goddefs Fame with fo much pomp. But young compofers are eager to dispatch their work. Fame is again exhibited in the next poem, written alfo at seventeen.

Nicholas Felton, bishop of Ely, died Octob. 5, 1626, not many days after bishop Andrewes, before celebrated. Felton had been alfo mafter of Pembroke Hall.

14. Qua nomen Anguille tenet.] Ely, fo called from its abundance of eels. Mr. Bowle cites Capgrave, " Locus ille five cæno