Aspicit, et pingues donis Cerealibus agros, 35 40 45 50 55 sera crepuscula lucem,] Ovid, Metam. i. 219. -Traherent cum sera crepuscula lucem. 55. He describes the procession of the Pope to Saint Peter's church at Rome, on the eve of Saint Peter's day. Evehitur; præeunt submisso poplite reges, 60 65 70 His igitur tandem solenni more peractis, Nox senis amplexus Erebi taciturna reliquit, Præcipitesque impellit equos stimulante flagello, Captum oculis Typhlonta, Melanchætemque ferocem, Atque Acherontæo prognatam patre Siopen Torpidam, et hirsutis horrentem Phrica capillis. Interea regum domitor, Phlegetontius hæres Ingreditur thalamos, neque enim secretus adulter Producit steriles molli sine pellice noctes; At vix compositos somnus claudebat ocellos, Cum niger umbrarum dominus, rectorque silentum, 58. The orders of mendicant friars. -70. Præcipitesque impellit equos, &c.] See note on Comus, v. 553. And Ovid, Epist. Pont. iii. 56.. Sive pruinosi Noctis aguntur equi. And Sil. Italicus, xv. 285. -Nox atro circumdata corpus a- Nigrantes invexit equos. 75 ley proposes Care. Many of Bentley's emendations are acute: but he did not understand Milton's manner, nor the genius of the English language, or rather the genius of the language of English poetry. Compare Eurip. Ion, v. 1151. Schol. Phæniss. v. §. 71. Captum oculis Typhlonta, &c.] I believe Milton is the first poet who has given names to the horses of Night. Spenser describes the colour of her four horses, F. Q. i. v. 28. 20. Prædatorque hominum, falsa sub imagine tectus 80. —assumptis micuerunt temporis canis, Barba sinus promissa tegit,] This reminds us of Satan's appearance to our Saviour in the form of an old man, in the wilderness. Par. Reg. b. i. 497. -And Satan, bowing low 84. Satan is here disguised like a cordelier, or Franciscan friar. 86. Vasta Franciscus eremo, ` &c.] Francis Xavier, called the Apostle of the Indians, whom he was sent to convert about the year 1542, by Ignatius Loyola. Among his many pretended miracles it is one, that, during this extraordinary progress, he preached to the lions and other beasts of the wilderness. is an old print of Saint Francis in a desert taming lions. There "The But an unknown correspondent has thrown new light on the whole of the context. "passage has properly nothing "to do with the Jesuit S. Francis "Xavier. The fenestrati calcei are (not torn, or full of holes, "like Shakespeare's loop'd and "window'd raggedness' in K. "Lear, but) the sandals, or soles, "tied on the foot by straps, or 6 80 85 "thongs of leather, crossed, or lattice-wise, which are usually "worn by the Franciscan Friars 66 although they are dechaussez. "These are mentioned by Bu"chanan, as a regular part of "the dress of the Franciscans. "Franciscan. [v. 47. p. 2. edit. "ut supr.] "Soleæque fenestra reclusæ. "Milton seems to have adverted "to this poem, which is a severe "and laboured satire on the "Franciscans. See also Bucha"nan's Somnium, in the Fratres "Fraterrimi, where, as here, "S. Francis appears to the poet. "Carm. xxxiv. "Cum mihi Franciscus, nodosa can"nabe cinctus, "Astitit ante tuum, stigmata nota 66 gerens: "In manibus sacra vestis erat, cum "fune galerus, "Palla, fenestratus calceus, hasta, "liber. 90 Tetra vagabatur solus per lustra ferarum, Turgentes animos, et fastus frange procaces, "Consistently with the figure, cuse him of the impiety of con"verting the Lybian lions. So "that at present I am inclined " to conjecture, that Milton, at "the age of seventeen, con .95 100 105 "founded the actions of the two "synonimous Saints, and attri"buted the wonders of S. Fran"cis Xavier to the Founder of "the Franciscans." 92. Dormis nate ?] This is Homer's, Evdes, ‘Asguos vis. Il. ii. 560. See also Par. Lost, b. v. 672. "Sleep'st thou, companion "dear?" And Virgil, En, iv. 560. "Nate dea, potes hoc sub "casu ducere somnos?" 95. See Mansus, v. 26. 101. See note on Lycidas, v. 110. And Comus, v. 13. Compare Par. Lost, b. ii. 725, 850, 871. b. iii. 485. And Revelations, ix. 1. xx. 1. 105. Thermodoontea nuper reg At tu si tenero mavis torpescere lecto, Crescentesque negas hosti contundere vires; Relliquias veterum franget, flammisque cremabit; 110 Nec tamen hunc bellis et aperto Marte lacesses, nante puella.] The amazon, Queen Elizabeth. She is admirably characterised. Audetque viris concurrere virgo. Ovid has 115 120 125 180 Thermodontiacus, Metam. ix. 189. 127. The times of Queen Mary, when popery was restored. |