The Latin poet has, however, omitted to describe the manner in which Chiron was affected, at seeing the wonderful effect of Orpheus's music on the trees, mountains, rivers, beasts, &c. His astonishment on that occasion is thus characteristically and beautifully painted by Onomacritus. Αυταρ ορων Κενταυρος εθαμβες, χειρ επι καρπω Sed videns hæc Centaurus obstupuit; manum super volam Valde feriens, terramque pulsavit unguibus. I fear I have digressed too far already. But an imitation of Milton from his favourite Apollonius having been produced in this remark, I hope I shall be pardoned for taking so fair an opportunity of introducing another. Milton thus describes Adam's hair, * ApЛov. 438. The circumstance of the hair hanging like bunches of grapes has been justly admired: but it is literally translated from this description of Apollo's hair in Apollonius. Κρυσεοι δε παρειαων ἑκαλεσθε Aurei ab utraque gena Cincinni racemantes assultabant eunti. The word Bolgυoevles could hardly have been rendered into English by any other word than clustring. But it must not be omitted here, that we find the same metaphor in a little poem on the statue of Homer, in the Anthologia. Par. L. b. 4. v. 301. † Agyov. 1. 2. v. 678. Αυχενι μεν κύπίοντι λερων επεσυρείο ΒΟΤΡΥΣ Cervice quidem inclinata senex [canus] trahebatur racemus Comæ, in tergum delatus. B. vii. c. vi. s. iii. Spenser here makes Hecate the daughter of the Titans. Authors differ about the parentage of Hecate. her, Ταρταροπις Εκατη †. Tartari filia Hecate. Onomacritus calls The Titans were indeed thrown into Tar tarus; but it could not be concluded from Henr. Steph. fol. 1566 B. Teμwl. pag. 394. Eis 'OMHPON. Carm. 16. + Agsov. v. 975. thence that the Titans were Hecate's parents; although this, I presume, is the best argument our author could have offered for his genealogy. In this stanza, Bellona is likewise feigned to be the offspring of the Titans; but Bellona was the sister of Mars, who was son of Jupiter and Juno; or, as Ovid reports, of Juno alone. A classical reader of the Fairy Queen may discover many more examples which properly belong to this section. But my principal design was to select those allusions which best shewed how such an invention as Spenser's acted on the fictions of others. Hence it was necessary sometimes to enter into a minute detail of the fables of antiquity, not out of an ostentation of erudition, but that it might appear, what belonged to the poet, and what to ancient story. Those examples which are here omitted, have been |