Finierat, rigidi cupide paruere gemelli.
Interea longo flectens curvamine cœlos
Defpicit ætherea dominus qui fulgurat arce,
Vanaque perverfæ ridet conamina turbæ,
Atque fui caufam populi volet ipfe tueri.

Effe ferunt fpatium, qua distat ab Afide terra
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, METAM. ix. 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,
Coeleftefque 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, fed 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 vagantur
Millia rumorum, confufaque verba volutant.
E quibus hi vacuas implent fermonibus auras,

Erea, 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 junco,

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 feneftræ.] 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 Houfe, 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 prefs, &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 noise approchin blive,
That fareth as bees don in an hive
Against ther time of outflying, &c.

Ss $ 2

Dum

180

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 tót, Ariftoride fervator inique juvencæ
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,

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 Papistarum
Conjurata cohors in meque meofque Britannos,
Et nova fceptrigero cædes meditata Iacobo ?

185

190

195

201

205

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.

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

207. Dextra tubam geftat Temefæo ex ære 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 structa 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

Temese is a city on the coaft of the Tyrrhene fea, famous for its brafs. See ODYSS. i. 183. 'E, TEMEZHN perà XAAKON, &c.” And Ovid, METAM. XV. 707. Themefefque metalla." And, ib. 52. Milton has the epithet from Ovid, MEDICAM. FAC. 41. Et quamvis aliquis TEMESA A removerit ÆRA, Nunquam Luna fuis excutietur equis.

Again, FAST. L. v. 441.

-TEMES EAQUE Concrepat ÆRA.

And METAM. vii. 207.

208.

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

Jam pennis cedentes remigat auras.
s.] See AD J.

ROUSIUM, v. 45.

-Vehique fuperum

In Jovis aulam REMIGE PENNA.

This metaphor firft occurs in Æfchylus, 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 re"mi facemo al."

Attamen

220

Attamen interea populi miserefcit 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 Præfulis Elienfis.* Anno Ætatis 17.

A

DHUC madentes rore fqualebant genæ,
Et ficca nondum lumina

Adhuc liquentis imbre turgebant falis,

Quem nuper effudi pius,

Dum mæsta 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 goddess Fame with so 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 master of Pembroke Hall.

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