Aspicit, et pingues donis Cerealibus agros,
Quodque magis doluit, venerantem numina veri
Sancta Dei populum, tandem suspiria rupit.
Tartareos ignes et luridum olentia sulphur ;
Qualia Trinacria trux ab Jove clausus in Ætna
Efflat tabifico monstrosus ob ore Tiphæus.
Ignescunt oculi, stridetque adamantinus ordo
Dentis, ut armorum fragor, ictaque cuspide cuspis.
Atque pererrato solum hoc lacrymabile mundo
Inveni, dixit, gens hæc mihi sola rebellis,
Contemtrixque jugi, nostraque potentior arte.
Illa tamen, mea si quicquam tentamina possunt,
Non feret hoc impune diu, non ibit inulta.
Hactenus et piceis liquido natat aëre pennis ;
Qua volat, adversi præcursant agmine venti,
Densantur nubes, et crebra tonitrua fulgent.
Jamque pruinosas velox superaverat Alpes,
Et tenet Ausoniæ fines: a parte sinistra
Nimbifer Appenninus erat, priscique Sabini,
Dextra veneficiis infamis Hetruria, nec non
Te furtiva, Tibris, Thetidi videt oscula dantem ;
Hinc Mavortigenæ consistit in arce Quirini.
Reddiderant dubiam jam sera crepuscula lucem,
Cum circumgreditur totam Tricoronifer urbem,
Panificosque Deos portat, scapulisque virorum

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,
Et mendicantum series longissima fratrum ;
Cereaque in manibus gestant funalia cæci,
Cimmeriis nati in tenebris, vitamque trahentes :
Templa dein multis subeunt lucentia tædis,
(Vesper erat sacer iste Petro) fremitusque canentum
Sæpe tholos implet vacuos, et inane locorum.
Qualiter exululat Bromius, Bromiique caterva,
Orgia cantantes in Echionio Aracyntho,
Dum tremit attonitus vitreis Asopus in undis,
Et procul ipse cava responsat rupe Citharon.

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-
mictu,

Nigrantes invexit equos.
Our author has "Night's Car,"
Par. Lost, ix. 65. where Bent-

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
Astitit; assumptis micuerunt tempora canis,
Barba sinus promissa tegit, cineracea longo
Syrmate verrit humum vestis, pendetque cucullus
Vertice de raso, et, ne quicquam desit ad artes,
Cannabeo lumbos constrinxit fune salaces,
Tarda fenestratis figens vestigia calceis.
Talis, uti fama est, vasta Franciscus eremo

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
His gray dissimulation, disappear❜d.

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,
Sylvestrique tulit genti pia verba salutis
Impius, atque lupos domuit, Libycosque leones.
Subdolus at tali Serpens velatus amictu,
Solvit in has fallax ora execrantia voces ;
Dormis nate? Etiamne tuos sopor opprimit artus ?
Immemor, O, fidei, pecorumque oblite tuorum!
Dum cathedram, venerande, tuam, diademaque triplex
Ridet Hyperboreo gens barbara nata sub axe,
Dumque pharetrati spernunt tua jura Britanni:
Surge, age, surge piger, Latius quem Cæsar adorat,
Cui reserata patet convexi janua cœli,

Turgentes animos, et fastus frange procaces,
Sacrilegique sciant, tua quid maledictio possit,
Et quid Apostolicæ possit custodia clavis;
Et memor Hesperiæ disjectam ulciscere classem,
Mersaque Iberorum lato vexilla profundo,
Sanctorumque cruci tot corpora fixa probrosæ,
Thermodoontea nuper regnante puella.

"Consistently with the figure,
"here described by Milton, the
"vasta Franciscus eremo ought
"to be the founder of the Order
"of friars, S. Francis d'Assise.
"And this was certainly his
"meaning. But although the
"last S. Francis wrought many
"pretended miracles in the de-
"serts, and travelled into Syria
"to convert the Soldan of Baby-
"lon, and was at the siege of
"Damieta in the crusades, yet
"I cannot, with our author, ac-

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;
Tyrrhenum implebit numeroso milite pontum,
Signaque Aventino ponet fulgentia colle:

Relliquias veterum franget, flammisque cremabit; 110
Sacraque calcabit pedibus tua colla profanis,
Cujus gaudebant soleis dare basia reges..

Nec tamen hunc bellis et aperto Marte lacesses,
Irritus ille labor; tu callidus utere fraude:
Quælibet hæreticis disponere retia fas est.
Jamque ad consilium extremis rex magnus ab oris
Patricios vocat, et procerum de stirpe creatos,
Grandævosque patres trabea, canisque verendos ;
Hos tu membratim poteris conspergere in auras,
Atque dare in cineres, nitrati pulveris igne
Edibus injecto, qua convenere, sub imis.
Protinus ipse igitur quoscunque habet Anglia fidos
Propositi, factique, mone: quisquamne tuorum
Audebit summi non jussa facessere Papæ ?
Perculsosque metu subito, casuque stupentes,
Invadat vel Gallus atrox, vel sævus Iberus.
Sæcula sic illic tandem Mariana redibunt,
Tuque in belligeros iterum dominaberis Anglos.
Et, nequid timeas, divos divasque secundas
Accipe, quotque tuis celebrantur numina fastis.
Dixit, et adscitos ponens malefidus amictus,
Fugit ad infandam, regnum illætabile, Lethen.
Jam rosea Eoas pandens Tithonia portas,

nante puella.] The amazon, Queen Elizabeth. She is admirably characterised. Audetque viris concurrere virgo. Ovid has

115

120

125

180

Thermodontiacus, Metam. ix. 189.
And Thermodoontiacus, xii. 611.

127. The times of Queen Mary, when popery was restored.