Line 79. Chloris. The ancient Greek name for Flora. Line 83. Amalthea.] The mother of the first Bacchus, whose birth and education was written, as Diodorus Siculus informs us, in the old Pelasgic character, by Thymietes, grandson to Laomedon, and contemporary with Orphees. Thymates had travelled over Libya to the country which borders on the western ocean; there he saw the island of Nysa, and learned from the inhabitants, that "Ammon, king of Libya, was married in former ages to Rhea, sister of Saturn and the Titans: that he afterwards fell in love with a-beautiful virgin whose name was Amalthea; had by her a son, and gave her possession of a neighbouring tract of land, wonderfully fertile; which, in shape nearly resembling the horn of an ox, was thence called the Hesperian horn, and afterwards the horn of Amalthea: that, fearing the jealousy of Rhea, he concealed the young Bacchus, with his mother, in the isle of Nysa;" the beauty of which Diodorus describes with great dignity and pomp of style. This fable is one of the noblest in all the ancient mythology, and seems to have made a particular impression on the imagination of Milton; the only modern poet (unless perhaps it be necessary to except Spenser) who, in these mysterious traditions of the poetic story, had a heart to feel, and words to express, the simple and solitary genius of antiquity. To raise the idea of his Paradise, he prefers it even to "That Nysean isle Girt by the river Triton, where old Cham, Young Bacchus, from his stepdame Rhea's eye." Line 94. Edonian band. The priestesses and other ministers of Bacchus: so called from Edonus, a mountain of Thrace, where his rites were celebrated. Line 105. When Hermes.] Hermes, or Mercury, was the patron of commerce; in which benevolent character he is addressed by the author of the Indigitamenta, in these beautiful lines: Ἑρμηνεῦ πάντων, κερδέμπορε, λυσιμέριμνε, Ὃς χειρέσσιν ἔχεις εἰρήνης όπλον αμεμφές. Line 121. Dispense the mineral treasure.] The merchants of Sidon and Tyre made frequent voyages to the coast of Cornwall, from whence they carried home great quantities of tin. Line 136. Hath he not won.] Mercury, the patron of commerce, being so greatly dependent on the good offices of the Naiads, in return obtains for them the friendship of Minerva, the goddess of war: for military power, at least the naval part of it, hath constantly followed the establishment of trade; which exemplifies the preceding observation, that "from bounty issueth power." Line 143. Calpe Bay of Biscay. Line 150. Egina's gloomy surge. Near this island, the Athenians obtained the victory of Salamis, over the Persian Cantabrian surge.] Gibraltar and the navy. Line 160. Xerxes saw.] This circumstance is recorded in that passage, perhaps the most splendid among all the remains of ancient history, where Plutarch, in his Life of Themistocles, describes the sea-tights of Artemisium and Salamis. Line 204. Thyrsus.] A staff, or spear, wreathed round with ivy: of constant use in the Bacchanalian mysteries. Line 227. lo, Paan.] An exclamation of victory and triumph, derived from Apollo's encounter with Python. Line 252. Cirrha.] One of the summits of Parnassus, and sacred to Apollo. Near it were several fountains, sad to be frequented by the Muses. Nysa, the other eminence of the same mountain, was dedicated to Bacchus. Line 263. Charm the mind of gods. This whole passage, concerning the effects of sacred music among the gods, is taken from Pindar's first Pythian ode. Line 297. Phrygian pipe's. The Phrygian music was fantastic and turbulent, and fit to excite disorderly passions. Line 302. The gates where Pallas holds The guardian key. It was the office of Minerva to be the guardian of walled cities; whence she was named ΠΟΛΙΑΣ and ΠΟΛΙΟΥΧΟΣ, and had her statues placed in their gates, being supposed to keep the keys, and on that ac count styled ΚΛΗΙΔΟΥΧΟΣ. Line 310. Fate of sober Pentheus.] Pentheus was torn in pieces by the bacchanalian priests and women, for despising their mysteries. Line 318. The cave Corycian.] Of this cave Pausanias, in his Tenth Book, gives the following description: "Between Delphi and the eminences of Parnassus, is a road to the grotto of Corycium, which has its name from the nymph Corycia, and is by far the most remarkable which I have seen. One may walk a great way into it without a torch. 'Tis of a considerable height, and hath several springs within it; and yet a much greater quantity of water distils from the shell and roof, so as to be continually dropping on the ground. The people round Parnassus hold it sacred to the Corycian nymphs and to Pan." Line 319. Delphic mount.] Delphi, the seat and oracle of Apollo, had a mountainous and rocky situation on the skirts of Parnassus. Line 327. Cyrenaic shell.] Cyrene was the native country of Callimachus, whose hymns are the most remarkable example of that mythological passion which is assumed in the preceding poem, and have always afforded particular pleasure to the author of it, by reason of the mysterious solemnity with which they affect the mind. On this account he was induced 400 NOTES TO HYMN TO THE NAIADS. to attempt somewhat in the same manner, solely by way of exercise; the manner itself being now almost entirely abandoned in poetry. And as the mere genealogy, or the personal adventures of heathen gods, could have been but little interesting to a modern reader, it was therefore thought proper to select some convenient part of the history of nature, and to employ these ancient divinities as it is probable they were first employed; to wit, in personifying natural causes, and in representing the mutual agreement or opposition of the corporeal and moral powers of the world: which hath been accounted the very highest office of poetry. INSCRIPTIONS.18 I. FOR A GROTTO. To me, whom in their lays the shepherds call II. FOR A STATUE OF CHAUCER AT WOODSTOCK. SUCH was old Chaucer; such the placid mien The language of our fathers. Here he dwelt III. WHOE'ER thou art whose path in summer lies Sprinkle fresh water from the brook, and strew |