5

Ah! miser ille tuo quanto felicius ævo

Perditus, at propter te, Leonora, foret!
Et te Pieria sensisset voce canentem

Aurea maternæ fila movere lyræ !
Quamis Dircæo torsisset lumina Pentheo a

Sævior, aut totus desipuisset iners,
Tu tamen errantes cæca vertigine sensus

Voce eadem poteras composuisse tua;
Et poteras, ægro spirans sub corde, quietem

Flexanimo cantu restituisse sibi.

IC

VIII.-AD EANDEM.
CREDULA quid liquidam Sirena, Neapoli, jactas,

Claraque Parthenopese fana Acheloiados;
Littoreamque tua defunctam Naiada ripa,

Corpora Chalcidico sacra dedisse rogo?
Illa quidem vivitque, et amæna Tibridis unda

Mutavit rauci murmura Pausilipi.
Illic, Romulidum studiis ornata secundis,

Atque homines cantu detinet atque deos.

IX.-IN SALMASII HUNDREDAM.5
Quis expedivit Salmasio suam Hundredam,
Picamque docuit verba nostra conari ?
Magister artis venter, et Jacobæi
Centum, exulantis viscera marsupii regis.
Quod si dolosi spes refulserit nummi,
Ipse, Antichristi qui modo primatum Papæ

d For the story of Pentheus, a king of Thebes, see Euripides's "Bacchæ," where ho sees two suns, &c., v. 916. But Milton, in “ torsisset lumina," alludes to the rage of Pentheus in Ovid, “Metam." iii. 557:

Aspicit hunc oculis Pentheus, quos ira tremendos

Fecerat.-T. WARTOX. e Parthenope's tomb was at Naples: she was one of the sirens.-T. WARTOX.

i Pausilipi. The grotto of Pausilipo, which Milton no doubt had visited with delight.-TODD.

$ This Epigram is in Milton's “Defensio" against Salmasius; in the translation of which by Richard Washington, published in 1692, the Epigram is thus anglicized, p. 187:

Who taught Salmasius, that French chattering pye,
To aim at English, and Hundreda cry?
The starving rascal, flush'd with just a hundred
English Jacobusses, Hundreda blunder'd:
An outlaw d king's last stock.-A hundred more
Would make him pimp for the antichristian whore;
And in Rome's praise employ his poison'd breath,

Who threaten'd once to stink the pope to death.-T. WARTON. h King Charles II., now in exile, and sheltered in Holland, gave Salmasius, who was & professor at Leyden, one hundred Jacobuses to write his defence, 1649. Wood asserts that Salmasius had no reward for his book: he says, that in Leyden, the king sent Dr. Morley, afterwards bishop, to tho apologist, with his thanks, “but not with a purse of gold, as John Milton the impudent lyer reported.”—“Athen. Oxon.” ii. 770.T. WARTON.

This Epigram, as Mr. Warton observes, is an imitation of part of the Prologue to Persius's Satires.-TODD.

Minatus uno est dissipare sufflatu,
Cantabit ultro Cardinalitium melos.

X.-IN SALMASIUM.
GAUDETE scombri, et quicquid est piscium salo,
Qui frigida hyeme incolitis algentes freta !
Vestrum misertus ille Salmasius, eques
Bonus, amicire nuditatem cogitat;
Chartæque largus, apparat papyrinos
Vobis cucullos, præferentes Claudii
Insignia, nomenque et decus, Salmasii ::
Gestetis ut per omne setarium forum
Equitis clientes, scriniis mungentium
Cubito virorum, et capsulis, gratissimos.

10

XL-IN MORUM,1
GALLI ex concubitu gravidam te, Pontia, Mori,

Quis bene moratam, morigeramque, neget?

XII.-APOLOGUS DE RUSTICO ET HERO.m
RUSTICUS ex malo sapidissima poma quotannis

Legit, et urbano lecta dedit domino :
Hinc, incredibili fructus dulcedine captus,

Malum ipsam in proprias transtulit areolas.

i This is in the “Defensio Secunda." It is introduced with the following ridicule on Morus, the subject of the next Epigram, for having predicted the wonders to be worked by Salmasius's new edition, or rather reply :-"Tu igitur, ut pisciculus ille anteambulo, præcurris balænam Salmasium.” Mr. Steevens observes, that this is an idea analogous to Falstaff's—“Here do I walk before thee," &c., although reversed as to the imagery. -T. WARTox.

j Mr. Warton observes, that Milton here snecrs at a circumstance which was true : Salmasius was really of an ancient and noble family.--Todd.

k"Cubito mungentium," a cant appellation among the Romans for fishmongers. T. WARTON.

Christina, queen of Sweden, among other learned men who fed her vanity, had invited Salmasius to her court, where he wrote his “ Defensio.” She had pestered him with Latin letters seven pages long, and told him she would set out for Holland to fetch him if he did not come. When he arrived, he was often indisposed on account of the coldness of the climate; and on these occasions, the queen would herself call on him in a morning: and locking the door of his apartment, used to light his fire, give him breakfast, and stay with him some hours. This behaviour gave rise to scandalous stories, and our critic's wife grew jealous.—It is seemingly a slander, what was first thrown out in the “Mercurius Politicus," that Christina, when Salmasius had published this work, dismissed him with contempt, as a parasite and an advocate of tyranny: but the case was, to say nothing that Christina loved both to be flattered and to tyrannize, Salmasius had now been long preparing to return to Holland, to fulfil his engagements with the university of Leyden: she offered him large rewards and appointments to remain in Sweden, and greatly regretted his departure; and on his death, very shortly afterwards, she wrote bis widow a letter in French, full of concern for his loss, and respect for his memory. Such, however, was Christina's levity, or hypocrisy, or caprice, that it is possible she might have acted inconsistently in some parts of this business.T. WARTOx.

1 From Milton's “Defensio Secunda," and his “Responsio” to Morus's Supplement. This distich was occasioned by a report, that Morus had debauched a favourite waitingmaid of the wife of Salmasius, Milton's antagonist.-T. Wartox.

m This piece first appeared in the edition 1673.—TODD.

Hactenus illa ferax, sed longo debilis ævo,

Mota solo assueto, protinus aret iners.
Quod tandem ut patuit domino, spe lusus inani,

Damnavit celeres in sua damna manus;
Atque ait, “Heu quanto satius fuit illa coloni,

Parva licet, grato dona tulisse animo !
Possem ego avaritiam frænare, gulamque voracem:

Nunc periere mihi et fætus, et ipse parens."

10

XIII.-AD CHRISTINAM SUECORUM REGINAM, NOMINE CROMWELLIA

BELLIPOTENS virgo, septem regina trionum,

Christina, Arctoi lucida stella poli!
Cernis, quas merui dura sub casside rugas,

Utque senex, armis impiger, ora tero:
Invia fatorum dum per vestigia nitor,

Exequor et populî fortia jussa manu.
Ast tibi submittit frontem reverentior umbra;

Nec sunt hi vultus regibus usque truces. These lines are simple and sinewy. They present Cromwell in a new and pleasing light, and throw an air of amiable dignity on his rough and obstinate character. They are too great a compliment to Christina, who was contemptible, both as a queen and a

The uncrowned Cromwell had no reason to approach a princess with so much reverence, who had renounced her crown. The frolics of other whimsical modern queens have been often only romantic; the pranks of Christina had neither elegance nor even decency to deserve so candid an appellation. An ample and lively picture of her court, politics, religion, intrigues, rambles, and masquerades, is to be gathered from Thurloo's “State Papors.”—T. WARTON.

I have quoted the English version of Milton's epigram to Christina: it appeared as follows, in Toland's life of the poet, fol. 1698, p. 39:

Bright martial maid, queen of the frozen zone!
The northern pole supports thy shining throne :
Behold what furrows age and steel can plow
The helmet's weight oppress'd this wrinkled brow.
Through fate's untrodden paths I move; my hands
Still act my free-born people's bold commands :
Yet this stern shade to you submits his frowns,
Nor are these looks always severe to crowns. -TODD.

woman.

SILVARUM LIBER.

1ο

PSALM CXIV.
ΙΣΡΑΗΛ ότε παίδες, όσ’ αγλαά φύλ’ Ιακώβου
Αιγύπτιον λίπε δήμoν, απεχθέα, βαρβαρόφωνον,
Λή τότε μούνον έην όσιον γένος υλες Ιούδα.
'Εν δε Θεός λαοίσι μέγα κρείων βασίλευεν.
Είδε, και εντροπάδην φυγάδ' ερρώησε θάλασσα
Κύμασι ειλυμένη ροθίω, δδ' άρ' έστυφελίχθη
Ιρος Ιορδάνης ποτί άργυροειδέα πηγήν.
'Εκ δ' όρεα σκαρθμοίσιν άπειρέσια κλονέοντο,
“Ως κριοί σφριγόωντες ευτραφερω εν άλωή.
Βαιοτέραι δ' άμα πάσαι ανασκίρτησαν ερίπναι,
οία παραι σύριγγι φιλη υπό μητέρι άρνες.
Τίστε σύγ', αινά θάλασσα, πέλωρ φυγάδ' ερρώησας.
Κύμασι ειλυμένη ροβίω; σί δ' άρ' έστυφελίχθης
Ιρος Ιορδάνη ποτί άργυροειδέα πηγήν και
Τίπτ', όρεα, σκαρθμοίσιν άπειρέσια κλονέεσθε,
“Ως κριοί σφριγόωντες ευτραφερω εν αλωή;
Βαιοτέραι τί δ' άρ' ύμμες ανασκιρτήσασ', ερίπναι,
οία παραι σύριγγι φίλη υπό μητέρι άρνες;
Σείεο, γαία, τρέουσα Θεόν μεγάλ' εκτυπέοντα,
Γαία, Θεόν τρείουσ' ύπατον σίβας Ισσακίδαο,
"Ος τε και εκ σπιλάδων ποταμούς χέε μορμύροντας,

Κρήνην σ’ αέναον πέτρης από δακρυοέσσης. Philosophus ad regem quendam, qui eum ignotum et insontem inter reos forte captum inscius damnaverat, την επι θανάτωι πορευόμενος, haec subito τoisit:

Ω"ANA, ει ολέσης με τον έννομον, ουδέ τιν' ανδρών
Δεινόν όλως δράσαντα, σοφώτατον ίσθι κάρηνον
Ρηϊδίως αφέλoιο, το δ' ύστερον αύθι νοήσεις,
Μαξιδίως δ' άρ' έπειτα τεόν προς θυμόν οδυρή,
Τοιόν δ' εκ πόλιος περιώνυμον άλκαρ ολέσσας.

20

IN EFFIGIEI EJUS SCULPTOREM.
'ΑΜΑΘΕΙ γεγράφθαι χειρί τήνδε μέν εικόνα
Φαίης τάχ' άν, πρός είδος αυτοφυές βλέπων.
Τον δ' εκτυπωτών ουκ επιγνόντες, φίλοι,

Γελάτε φαύλου δυσμίμημα ζωγράφου. - Milton sent this translation to his friend Alexander Gill, in return for an elegant copy of herdeeasyllables.-T. WARTON.

10

18

IN OBITUM PROCANCELLARII, MEDICI.

ANNO ÆTATIS 17.
PARERE fati discite legibus,
Manusque Parcæ jam date supplices,
Qui pendulum telluris orbem

Iapeti colitis nepotes.
Vos si relicto mors vaga Tænaro
Semel vocarit flebilis, heu ! moræ
Tentantur incassum, dolique ;

Per tenebras Stygis ire certum est.
Si destinatam pellere dextera
Mortem valeret, non ferus Hercules,
Nessi venenatus cruore,

Æmathia jacuisset Eta :
Nec fraude terpi Palladis invidæ
Vidisset occisum Ilion Hectora, aut
Quem larva Pelidis peremit

Ense Locro, Jove lacrymante.
Si triste fatuma verba Hecateia
Fugare possint, Telegoni parens
Vixisset infamis, potentique

Ægiali e soror usa virga.
Numenque trinum fallere si queant
Artes medentum, ignotaque gramina ;
Non gnarus herbarum Machaon ?

Eurypyli cecidisset hasta :
Læsisset et nec te, Philyreie,5
Sagitta Echidnæ perlita sanguine;
Nec tela te fulmenque avitam,

Cæse puer genetricis alvo: This Ode is on the death of Dr. John Goslyn, master of Caius college, and king's profosyor of medicine at Cambridge; who died while a second time vice-chancellor of that university, in October, 1626. Milton was now seventeen.-T. WARTON,

cQuem larva Pelidis, &c. Sarpedon, who was slain by Patroclus, disguised in the armour of Achilles. At his death his father wept a shower of blood. See Iliad. xvi.-T. WARTON.

d Si triste fatum, &c. “If enchantments could have stopped death, Circe, the mother of Telegonus by Ulysses, would have still lived; and Medex, the sister of Ægialus or Absyrtus, with her magical rod.” Telegonus killed his father Ulysses, and is the same who is called "parricida" by Horace.-T. Wartoy.

e Absyrtus is called "Ægialius" by Justin, Hist. lib. xliii. cap. 3, speaking of Jason and Æetes :-“Filiam ejus Medeam abduxerat, et filium Ægialium interfecerat."-TODD.

Machaon. Machaon, the son of Æsculapius, one of the Grecian leaders at the siege of Troy, and a physician, was killed by Eurypylus.-T. Warton.

6 Philyreie, &c. Chiron, the son of Philyra, a preceptor in medicine, was incurably wounded by Hercules, with a dart dipped in the poisonous blood of the serpent of Lerna.-T. WARTON.

h Nec tela te, &c. Æsculapius, who was cut out of his mother's womb by his father Apollo. Jupiter struck him dead with lightning, for restoring Hippolytus to life.-T. WARTON.