SYLVAR UM LIBE R. In obitum Procancellarii, medici *. Anno Etatis 17. Arere fati difcite legibus, PA Parere Manufque Parcæ jam date fupplices, Qui pendulum telluris orbem Iäpeti colitis nepotes. *This Ode is on the death of doctor John Goflyn, Mafter of Caius College, and king's profeffor of medicine at Cambridge; who died, while a second time Vice-chancellor of that university, in October, 1626. See Fuller's HIST. CAMBR. p. 164. Milton was now seventeen. But he is here called fixteen in the editions of 1645, and 1673. A fault which has been fucceffively continued by Tonfon, Tickell, and Fenton. I am favoured in a letter from doctor Farmer with these informations. "I find in Baker's MSS. vol. xxviii. Chargis of buryall and "funeral of my brother doctor Gofflin who departed this life the 21 of O&. 1626, and his funerall folemnized the 16th of Nov. following. And fo "it stands in the College GESTA-BOOK. He was a Norwich-man, "and matriculated Dec. 3, 1582. A benefactor to Caius and Catha"rine-Hall; at which laft you once dined at his expence, and faw "his old wooden picture in the Combination room." For his confiderable benefactions to Caius college, fee Blomefield's ANNALS of that college, in Ives's SELECT PAPERS, Lond. 1773. p.76. And Blomefield's COLLECTAN. CANTABRIG. p. 102. For those to Catharine-Hall, fee Fuller. ubi fupr. p. 83. And fee Kennet, REG. CHRON. p. 870. Vos fi relicto mors vaga Tænaro 5 Semel vocarit flebilis, heu moræ Per tenebras 'Stygis ire certum eft. Mortem valeret, non ferus Hercules, Neffi venenatus cruore, Emathia jacuiffet Oeta. Nec fraude turpe Palladis invidæ Vidiffet occifum Ilion Hectora, aut Enfe Locro, Jove lacrymante. Si trifte fatum verba Hecatëia 11. Horace, EPOD. xvii. 31. Atro delibutus HERCULES NESSI CRUORE. 10 1-5 On this fable of Hercules, our author grounds a comparison, PARAD. "Felt th' envenom'd robe, &c." L. ii. 543. 15. Quem larva Pelidis peremit, &c.] Sarpedon, who was flain by Patroclus, disguised in the armour of Achilles. At his death his father Jupiter wept a fhower of blood. See the fixteenth Iliad. 17. Si trifte fatum, &c.]" If inchantments could have stopped death, "Circe, the mother of Telegonus by Ulyffes, would have ftill lived; "and Medea, the fifter of Ægialus or Abfyrtus, with her magical rod." Telegonus killed his father Ulyffes, and is the fame who is called parricida by Horace. Milton denominates Circe Telegoni parens, from Ovid, EPIST. PONT. iii. i, 123. Ibid. TELEGONIQUE PARENS vertendis nota figuris. Vixiffet Vixiffet infamis, potentique Numenque trinum fallere fi queant Læfiffet et nec te, Philyreie, Nec tela te fulmenque avitum, Et mediis Helicon in undis, 20 25 30 22. Artes medentum, ignotaque gramina.] Not fo much the power, as the skill, of medicine. This appears from the names which follow. 23. Machaon, &c.] Machaon, the fon of Æfculapius, one of the Grecian leaders at the fiege of Troy, and a physician, was killed by Eurypilus. See the Iliad. 24. Philyreie, &c.] Chiron, the fon of Philyra, a preceptor in medicine, was incurably wounded by Hercules, with a dart dipped in the poisonous blood of the ferpent of Lerna. See above, EL. iv. 27. 27. Nec tela te, &c.] Efculapius, who was cut out of his mother's womb by his father Apollo. Jupiter ftruck him dead with lightening, for restoring Hippolytus to life. 28. Tuque O alumno major Apolline.] Certainly we should read Apollinis. But who was this pupil of Apollo in medicine? Had it been Efculapius, the tranfition would have been more eafy. But Æfculapius was fent by Apollo to Chiron, to be educated in that art. I think therefore, although Milton's allufions in these pieces are chiefly to established Grecian fable, we should here understand Virgil's JAPIs, who was Phaho ante alios dilectus, and to whom he imparted fuas artes, Sff Jua Jam præfuiffes Palladio gregi At fila rupit Persephone tua Faucibus eripuiffe mortis. Colende Præfes, membra precor tua Molli quiefcant cefpite, et ex tuo Purpureoque hyacinthus ore. Sit mite de te judicium Æaci, Elyfio fpatiere campo. 35 40 45 fua munera. Æn. xii. 391. feq. It should be remembered, that the word Alumnus is more extenfively, favourite, votary, &c. In Milton's Latin poems, it is often difficult to afcertain the names of perfons and places. To fhew his learning, he frequently clouds his meaning by obfcure or obfolete patronymics, and by the fubftitution of appellations formed from remote genealogical, hiftorical, and even geographical, allufions. But this was one of Ovid's affectations. In In Quintum Novembris *. JA Anno ætatis 17. A M pius extrema veniens läcobus ab arcto, Teucrigenas populos, lateque patentia regna Albionum tenuit, jamque inviolabile fœdus Sceptra Caledoniis conjunxerat Anglica Scotis: Pacificufque novo, felix divefque, fedebat In folio, occultique doli fecurus et hoftis : Cum ferus ignifluo regnans Acheronte tyrannus, Eumenidum pater, æthereo vagus exul Olympo, Forte per immenfum terrarum erraverat orbem, Dinumerans fceleris focios, vernafque fideles, 10 Participes regni poft funera mæsta futuros: Hic tempeftates medio ciet aere diras, Illic unanimes odium ftruit inter amicos, Armat et invictas in mutua vifcera gentes; Regnaque olivifera vertit florentia pace: Et quofcunque videt puræ virtutis amantės, Hos cupit adjicere imperio, fraudumque magister ΙΟ 15 * I have formerly remarked, that this little poem, as containing a council, confpiracy, and expedition of Satan, may be confidered as an early and promifing prolufion of Milton's genius to the PARADISE LOST. 15. Regnaque olivifera vertit florentia pace.] Ohvifer is an Ovidian epithet, FAST. iii. 151. Primus OLIVIFERIS Romam deductus ab arvis. And in the IBis, "OLIVIERA Sicyone," v. 317. Sff 2 Tentat |