A noble Peer of mickle truft and power Has in his charge, with temper'd awe to guide & An old, and haughty nation proud in arms: Where his fair ofspring nurs'd in princely lore Are coming to attend their father's state, 35 Lies through the perplex'd paths of this drear wood,T From old or modern bard, in hall or bower. Bacchus, that firft from out the purple grape And downward fell into a groveling fwine) 45 50 1 This Nymph that gaz'd upon his cluftring locks, Whom 53. And downward fell into groveling fwine] Pope's expref fion is much fuperior, Not more amazement feis'd on 54. This Nymph that gaz'd upon &c] Milton by his ufe of the word in this place feems to favour the opinion of Minfhew and thofe ety. mologifts, who derive to gaze from the Greek ayal quar. 57. Much like his father, but bis mother more,] This is faid, becaufe Whom therefore the brought up, and Comus nam'd, At laft betakes him to this ominous wood, And in thick fhelter of black fhades imbowr'd Excels his mother at her mighty art, Offering to every weary traveller 60 His orient liquor in a crystal glass, 65 To quench the drouth of Phoebus, which as they taste, (For most do tafte through fond intemp'rate thirft) Soon as the potion works, their human count'nance, Th' exprefs refemblance of the Gods, is chang'd Into fome brutish form of wolf, or bear, 70 Or caufe Milton's Comus like Homer's Circe reprefents all fenfual pleafures, and Bacchus in the Heathen mythology only prefides over that of drinking. Thyer. 58. Whom therefore she brought up, and Comus nam'd, ] This fine was at firft in the Manukript, Which therefore fhe brought up, and nam'd him Comus. 60.-the Celtic and Iberian fields,] France and Spain. Thyer. 62. And in thick shelter of black fades In Milton's Ma 65. His orient liquor] That is of an extreme bright and vivid color. Warburton. 67.- through fond] So alter'd in the Manufcript from through weak intemperate thirst. 68. - their human count'nance, Th' express refemblance of the Gads,] The fame thought is again very Or ounce, or tiger, hog, or bearded goat, All other parts remaining as they were; A THI And they, fo perfect is their mifery, Not once perceive their foul disfigurement,' finely exprefs'd in the following lines of this poem, where the attendent Spirit is defcribing to the two brothers, the effects of this charmed cup. -whofe pleafing poison The vifage quite transforms of him that drinks, And the inglorious likeness of a beaft Fixes instead, unmolding reafon's mintage Character'd in the face. He gives us much the fame idea in his Paradife Loft, where he calls the human face divine. III. 44. Thyer. 72. All other parts remaining as they were;] It was at first in the Manufcriptas before. There is a remarkable difference in the transformations wrought by Circe and those by her fon Comus. In Homer the perfons are entirely changed, their mind only remaining as it was before, Odyff. X. 45 75 And But boast themselves more comely than before, And all their friends and native bome forget. This improvement upon Homer Των δ' όςις λωτοιο φαγοι μελι Αλλ' αυτό βάλοιτο μετ' ανδρα σε Λωτοφάγοισι Άωτον εροπλανοί μπεμπε, να εκτε λαθόπαιο The And all their friends and native home forget,; Therefore when any favor'd of high Jove The trees around them all their food produce, Lotos the name, divine, nectareous juce! (Thence call'd Lotophagi) which whofo tastes Pauci quos æquus amavit Jupiter 80. Swift as the Sparkle of a glancing ftar] Minerva in her defcent in the fourth Iliad appear Infatiate riots in the fweet re-ed to the Grecian hoft like one of pafts, Nor other home, nor other care intends, But quits his houfe, his country, and his friends. Pope. Or as Mr. Thyer conceives, it might poffibly be fuggefted to Milton by Spenfer in his bower of blifs, where telating how the Palmer reftor'd to human shape those whom Acrafia had changed into beats, he fays, B. 2. Cant. 12. St. 86. thofe glancing ftars which Homer hath diftinguith'd by its emitting Sparkles in its flight. ver. 75. Οιον δ' as:ρα ἧκε Keys παις αγκυλομήτεω, Η ναυτησι τερας με τρατῳ ἀ ρεϊ λαων, Λαμπρον το δε τέ πολλοί απο σπινθηρες δεν αι Τῷ εικυι πιξεν επιχθονα Παλ λας Αθή. Thefe lights were accounted in the Pagan theology the nimbus or glory of fome deity defcending. Servius on Virgil En. V. 693. et de cœlo lapfa per umbras Stella facem ducens multa cum luce cucurrit. Nunc theologicam rationem fequitur, [Poeta fcil.] quæ adferit flam. marum quos cernimus tractus, nimbum effe defcendentis numinis. Η Calton. 83.- Spun |