CXLIII

As in the country, on a morn in June,

When the dew glistens on the pearled ears,
A shiver runs through the deep corn for joy-
So when they heard what Peran-Wisa said
A thrill through all the Tartar squadrons ran.
Sohrab and Rustum.

CXLIV

Pope loses the true force of this simile:

As a large fish, when winds and waters roar,
By some huge billow dash'd against the shore,
Lies panting: not less batter'd with his wound,
The bleeding hero pants upon the ground.

Homer simply means that Epeus' blow took Euryalus clean off his legs. and flung him with violence.

CXLVI

A curious simile for a close pursuit. The closeness is most graphically given by the concluding line. Virgil's "calcemque terit jam calce Diores" is not nearly so striking. The sand or dust pours in to fill up a footprint almost instantaneously; but Ulysses' foot is down upon his rival's

footprint before even this can happen. Coleridge in the Ancient Mariner describes a pursuit thus:

As one p rsued by yell and blow

Still treads the shadow of his foe,

And forward bends his head.

This gives a forcible image, but one must assume a special position in regard to sun or light.

π.

CXLIX

There can be no doubt that this simile refers to line-fishing. See above on . 408 (XCII) for the parallel simile in the Odyssey. The lead, which is to sink the line faster, is here described as close upon the horn-piping, perhaps within it (if we join ἐμβεβαυῖα with κατὰ κέρας). Heyne prefers to take uß. pxeral together: and this line is quoted in Plato's Io with éppeμavia "eager, swift, rushing down," which is equally good for the sense. The method of guarding the line is almost the same as is adopted now in some coarse flies for sea-fishing.

CL

Achilles respects Priam, as all would respect a suppliant. At first sight this looks too much of an identity to be a fit simile. But we must remember that the sacredness of the person of him who fled his country for some deed of blood was universally recognized-we have numerous instances of this in Greek legend and history: whereas respect to one who came on such a mission as that of Priam, would not be equally a matter of course.

CAMBRIDGE: PRINTED BY C. J. CLAY, M.A. AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS.

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