360.

Who dares think one thing, and another tell,
My heart detefts him as the gates of hell.

till, by enchanting cups

IL. I. 312,

Infatuate, they their wily thoughts difclofe, &c.]

POPE.

The following fragment of Ephippus is preferved by Athenæus.

Οινε σε πληθος πολλ' αναγκάζει λαλείν,
Ουκεν μεθύοντας φασι τ' αληθη λεγειν.

They who drink deep, to boundless talk incline, And hence the proverb," there is truth in wine.' 365. T'indulge awhile.]

INDULGENT vino.

Virg. Æn. ix. 165.

365.

now folemn rites he pays

To Bacchus, author of heart-cheering mirth.]

Virgil thus describes the farmer's feast; GEORGIC. ii, 527:

Ipfe dies agitat feftos; fufufque per herbam,
Ignis ubi in medio, et focii cratera coronant,
Te libans, Lenæe, vocat.

The jocund mafter keeps the folemn days,
To thee, great Bacchus, due libations pays,
Around the cheerful hearth unbends his foul,
And crowns, amid his friends, the flowing bowl.

366.

WARTON.

Bacchus, author of heart-cheering mirth—] Milton in his ALLEGRO, V. 13. makes HEART-EASING MIR daughter of BACCHUS and Venus.

Con

Come uninvited; he with bounteous hand
Imparts his smoking vintage, fweet reward
Of his own industry; the well-fraught bowl
Circles inceffant, whilft the humble cell
With quavering laugh and rural jests resounds.
Eafe, and content, and undiffembled love,
Shine in each face; the thoughts of labor paft
Increase their joy: as, from retentive cage
When fullen Philomel escapes, her notes
She varies, and of past imprisonment
Sweetly complains: her liberty retriev'd

370

375

Cheers her fad foul, improves her pleafing fong. Gladsome they quaff, yet not exceed the bounds 380 Of healthy temperance, nor encroach on night,

371.

whilst the humble ceil

With quavering laugh and rural jefts refounds,]

We may compare Lucretius, L. v. V. 1381.

Hæc animos ollis mulcebant, atque juvabant
Cum fatiate cibi; nam tum funt omnia cordi.

TUM JOCA, tum fermo, TUM DULCES ESSE CACHINNI
Confùerant.

380, Gladsome they quaff, yet not exceed the bounds

Of healthy temperance]

This is Martial's temperate pleasure.

Nox non ebria, fed foluta curis.

L. x. Ep. 47.

Milton has an idea fomewhat fimilar, in his SONNET to Cyriac Skinner.

To day deep thoughts refolve with me to drench
In mirth, that after no repenting draws.

Season

joys are short and few; yet when he drinks
dread retires, the flowing glaffes add
rage and mirth; magnificent in thought,

82.

well-bedew'd]

IRRIGUUMQUE MERO fub noctem corpus habento.

Hor. L. ii. Sat. 1. 9.

34. Ere heaven's emblazon'd by the rofy dawn,
Domeftic cares awake them, brifk they rife,
Refresh'd and lively with the joys that flow
From amicable talk, and moderate cups
Sweetly interchang'd.]

may here perhaps trace our Poet to the opening of the fifth book PARADISE LOST.

Now morn her rofy fteps in th' eastern clime
Advancing, fow'd the earth with orient pearl,
When Adam wak'd, fo cuftom'd, for his fleep
Was aery light from pure digeftion bred
And temperate vapors bland.

Yet when he drinks

His dread retires; the flowing glaffes add Courage and mirth-]

following verfes of Diphylus, a Writer of the New, or Later of the Greeks, are preferved by Athenæus.

Ω πασι τοις φρονεσι προσφιλές αλε
Διονυσε, και σοφωίατ', ὡς ἡδὺς τις εν
Όταν ταπεινον μέγα φρονειν ποιης μονος.
Τον τας οφρυς αίροντα συμπείθεις γελαν.
Τον τ' ασθένη τολμαν τι τον δειλον θρασυνο

Beft

Imaginary riches he enjoys,

And in the jail expatiates unconfin'd.

Nor can the poet Bacchus' praife indite,

Beft friend to those who duly know thy worth,
Beft teacher of philofophy, O Bacchus,
How pleasant art thou, that alone can'st make
The abject bofom glow with loftieft thoughts,
The wrinkled brow of care affume a fmile,
The feeble arm to glorious deeds afpire,

And trembling cowards rife at once to heroes.
Anacreon, in his 25th ODE, fings in the fame ftrain,
Όταν πίνω τον οίνον,
Ενδυσιν αι μερίμναι.

Τι μοι πόνων, τι μας γοών,
Τι μοι μέλει μεριμνών
Θανειν με δει, καν μη θελω
Τι δε τον βιον πλανώμαι ;
Πίνω μεν ουν τον οίνον

Τον το καλο Λυαίο.

Συν τω

δε πίνειν ήμας

Εύδεσιν αι μεριμνακό

While the fparkling bowl I drain
Hufh'd to reft is every pain.

Wherefore then should cares perplex ?
Why should needless forrows vex?
When I know how short a span
Is th' allotted life of man,
Shall I that feafon mifemploy,
And idly fly from proffer'd joy?

No! let me quaff the generous wine,

Gift of Bacchus, power divine,

And, while the sparkling bowl I drain,

Hush to reft my every pain.

396. Nor can the Poet Bacchus' praise indite,

Debarr'd his grape- -]

395

Our Poet's mafter has enlarged on the fame fentiment in his Epistle to his friend, Carlo Deodati. As we do not often find Milton celebrating convivial feftivity, the paffage is the more curious and worth citing.

Quid quereris refugam vino dapibufque poefin?
Carmen amat Bacchum, carmina Bacchus amat.
Nec puduit Phoebum virides geftâffe corymbos,
Atque hederam lauro præpofuiffe fuæ.

Sæpius Aoniis clamavit collibus Evæ

Mifta Thyonoo turba novena choro.

Nafo

Ah! why complain it thou that from generous wine
And scenes of feftive joy the Muses fly?
To Bacchus oft they chant their fongs divine,
Bacchus himself admires fweet poefy.

Phœbus, his wreath of laurel caft away,

The ivy chaplet oft will not disdain, The facred Nine, on Helicon who stray,

Ev'n in those haunts have join'd the Bacchant train.
Sad elegies the bard from Pontus wrote,

Whose other works fuperior fancy boast,
No feafts were there to prompt the glowing thought,
No wine to cheer the melancholy coaft.
How sweetly flow Anacreon's tuneful lays!
Roses and sparkling wine his verse inspire,
While, to the clufter-crown'd Lyæus' praife,
In happieft notes he ftrikes his feftive lyre.
Nor lefs, in Pindar's animated strain,

Th' infpiring power of Bacchus' aid we trace,
While the wreck'd chariot ftrews th' Olympic plain,
Or youths imbrown'd with duft contest the race.
He too, whom Rome allow'd beyond compare
In Lyric poetry her bard fupreme,

Bedew'd with wine fang Chloe's auburn hair,
Or made bright Glycera his charming theme.

7.

the Mufes ftill require

Humid regalement-]

id regalement might have been fuggefted by the oppofite phrase food, in a fimilar paffage of Athenæus (L. ii. C. 3.) Ex TPO¢HE οὐ αν σκώμματα γενοιτ', ου] αυτοσχεδια ποιήματα.