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+ Molliorem] So in the Sapphic Ode, "Mollior æstas." Ovid in his Epist. ex Ponto,

I. ii. 62: "Litora mollia."

ELEGIAC VERSES,

OCCASIONED BY THE SIGHT OF THE PLAINS WHERE THE BATTLE OF TREBIA WAS

FOUGHT.

(See Mason's Memoirs, vol. ii. p. 104.)

QUA Trebie glaucas salices intersecat undâ,
Arvaque Romanis nobilitata malis.

Visus adhuc amnis veteri de clade rubere,
Et suspirantes ducere moestus aquas;

NOTES.

Ver. 1. Trebie] I do not know on what authority Gray has used the word "Trebie" with the final e. The word which is used in the Classic authors is Trebia, Teeßlas. See Sil. Ital. iv. 661, xi. 140, &c. sæpe. Lucan, ii. 46. Livy, xxi. c. 48. Pliny, N. H. 3. 20, &c. Claudian, xxiv. 145. Manilius, iv. 661.-It is most probable that Gray thought that the final syllable of Trebia could not be lengthened; therefore used the word Trebie, as Libya, Libye. But in Ovid the words, Leda, Rhea, Hybla, Phædra, Andromeda, Amalthea, &c. lengthen the final syllable. "Mittit Hypermnestră de tot modo fratribus uni," Ov. Ep. xiv. 1. In Propertius, II. xi. 5. the a in Electra is long ; also in Ovid. Fast. iv. 177. See on this point D'Orville's Misc. Obs. ii. 202, and Burmann's notes to Anthol. Latin. i. 215. ii. 78. In the Herc. Fur. of Seneca, 203: "Megarā parvum comitata gregem." Gray therefore would have had sufficient authority for the use of Trebia in this place.

Ibid. Glaucas] So Sil. Italicus, iv. 661, describing the appearance of Trebia :
"Tum madidos crines, et glauca* fronde revinctum
Attollit cum voce caput."

* When the epithet glauca is applied to the foliage of a tree, and the tree itself not particularized, as in the passage of Sil. Italicus; we must refer it to the "salix," the "populus," or the "oliva;" according to situation, and other circumstances.

Maurorumque ala, et nigræ increbescere turmæ,
Et pulsa Ausonidum ripa sonare fugâ.

NOTES.

Ver. 5. Nigra] Sil. Italicus describes the army of Hannibal, iii. 407 : "Talia Sidonius per campos agmina ductor

Pulvere nigrantes raptat."

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* Written by Mr. Gray immediately after his journey to Frascati and the cascades of Tivoli, which he had described in a preceding letter to his friend Mr. West.

Ver. 1. Vigent] "Et reserata viget genitalis aura Favoní," Lucret. i. 2.

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Umbrosa, vel colles Amici

Palladiæ superantis Albæ.

Dilecta Fauno, et capripedum choris
Pineta, testor vos, Anio minax

Quæcunque per clivos volutus

Præcipiti tremefecit amne,

Illius altum Tibur, et Æsulæ
Audîsse sylvas nomen amabiles,
Illius et gratas Latinis

Naisin ingeminâsse rupes;
Nam me Latinæ Naides uvidâ
Vidêre ripâ, quâ niveas levi

Tam sæpe lavit rore plumas

Dulcè canens Venusinus ales;

Mirum! canenti conticuit nemus,

Sacrique fontes, et retinent adhuc

NOTES.

15

20

25

Ver. 14. Anio] "Et præceps Anio, ac Tiburni lucus," Hor. Od. I. vii. 13. ceps Anien," Statii. Silv. I. v. 25.

"Pre

Ver. 20. Naisin] In Mr. Mason's, and all the subsequent editions, the word " Naïasin," is here placed; which would make the line unmetrical. Gray indeed might have written "Naïasin geminâsse rupes." But the word "Naides" in the following line, which has also the same error in the editions as the former word, would make an objection to that reading. I have therefore restored the metre, by reading "Naisin" and "Naides." See Gronovius on Seneca Hippol. 778. Jortin's Tracts, vol. i. p. 321.

Ver. 20. Naisin] See Propert. I. xx. 12: "Non minor Ausonius est amor ah! Dryasin." And I. xx. 52: "Ah! dolor ibat Hylas, ibat Hamadryasin." And Ov. Art. Am. iii. 672. See Burmann's note to Ovid, Ep. xiii. 137.

Ver. 23. Rore] In this, the following, and the last stanza, the third line of the Alcaic stanza ends with two dissyllables; which can be defended but by very few examples of Horace. Another error in this verse is, the absence of the accent on the fifth or sixth syllable.

Ver. 26. Sacrique fontes] « Kgrvns iegòv góov,” Apoll. Rhod. i. 1208.

"Ad aquæ lene

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