Constabitque tuus tibi honos, longumque vigebit Solvere post Daphnin, post Daphnin dicere laudes, 30 Ite domum impasti, domino jam non vacat, agni. 35 Hæc tibi certa manent, tibi erunt hæc præmia, Damon, At mihi quid tandem fiet modo? quis mihi fidus Hærebit lateri comes, ut tu sæpe solebas' Frigoribus duris, et per loca fœta pruinis, Aut rapido sub sole, siti morientibus herbis? Sive opus in magnos fuit eminus ire leones, Aut avidos terrere lupos præsepibus altis;! Quis fando sopire diem, cantuque solebit? Ite domum impasti, domino jam non vacat, agni. Pectora cui credam? quis me lenire docebit Mordaces curas, quis longam fallere noctem Dulcibus alloquiis, grato cum sibilat igni 40 45 Molle pyrum, et nucibus strepitat focus, et malus Auster Miscet cuncta foris, et desuper intonat ulmo? Ite domum impasti, domino jam non vacat, agni. 50 Aut æstate, dies medio dum vertitur axe, Cum Pan æsculea somnum capit abditus umbra, See also Metam. xi. 670. And v. 14. 3. 46. See note on Sonnet, xx. And El. vi. 12. 52. In Theocritus, the shepherds are afraid to wake Pan, who constantly sleeps in the middle of the day, Idyll. i. 16. See also Fletcher, Faithf. Shep- Lest the great Pan do awake, Et repetunt sub aquis sibi nota sedilia nymphæ, 60 65 70 Ite domum impasti, domino jam non vacat, agni. Tityrus ad corylos vocat, Alphesibœus ad ornos, Ad salices Aegon, ad flumina pulcher Amyntas, "Hic gelidi fontes, hic illita gramina musco, "Hic Zephyri, hic placidas interstrepit arbutus "undas;" Ista canunt surdo, frutices ego nactus abibam. Ite domum impasti, domino jam non vacat, agni. Mopsus ad hæc, nam me redeuntem forte notarat, 75 (Et callebat avium linguas, et sidera Mopsus) Ite domum impasti, domino jam non vacat, agni. Ite domum impasti, domino jam non vacat, agni. Nil me, si quid adest, movet, aut spes ulla futuri. 76. Avium cannot with any authorized licence be contracted into a dissyllable. Symmons. 79. Planet-struck by the planet Saturn. See Lycid. v. 188. Arcad. v. 52. But why is the influence of this planet more particularly fatal to shepherds? Unless on account of its coldness. It is in general called a noxious star: and Propertius says, l. iv. i. 84. Et grave Saturni sydus in omne caput. Its melancholy effects are here expressed by its wounding the heart with an arrow of lead. And perhaps our author had a concealed allusion to this Saturnine lead, in making his Melancholy the daughter of Saturn. Il Pens. v. 43. 80 85 90 With a sad leaden downward cast, &c. 79. Lead was called Saturnus by the chymists, who anciently gave the names of the planets to the several metals. E. 89. Docta modos, citharæque sciens,] Horace, Od. iii. ix. 9. Dulces docta modos, et citharæ sciens. 90. The river Chelmer in Essex is called Idumanium fluentum, near its influx into Blackwater bay. Ptolemy calls this bay Portus Idumanius. 92. Doctor Parr suggests that futurum without an adjunct never means future time, but a future event. Symmons. Hei mihi, quam similes ludunt per prata juvenci, Gens homines, aliena animis, et pectore discors; 113. Heu quis me ignotas, &c.] He has parodied a verse in Virgil's Eclogues, into a very natural and pathetic complaint, Et quæ tanta fuit Romam, &c. i. 27. And there is much address in the parenthesis introducing Vir 95 100 105 110 115 gil, which points out that verse. 116. Quamvis illa foret, &c.] Although Rome was as fine a city at present, as when visited by Tityrus or Virgil, Ecl. i. ut supr. 119. He addresses the same 120 Tot sylvas, tot saxa tibi, fluviosque sonantes! 126 Hic Charis, atque Lepos; et Thuscus tu quoque Damon, Antiqua genus unde petis Lucumonis ab urbe. sentiment to T. Young, El. iv. 21. Milton, while in Italy, visited Rome twice. 128. -Lucumonis ab urbe.] Luca, or Lucca, an ancient city of Tuscany, was founded by Lucumon or Leumon, an Hetruscan king. See the first note on El. i. 137. Et Datis, et Francinus,] Carlo Dati of Florence, with whom Milton corresponded after his return to England. In a Latin letter to Dati, dated at London, Apr. 21, 1647, Milton speaks of having sent this poem to Dati, and also mentions his intention of sending his book of Latin poems published two years 135 |