Tardior haud solito Saturnus, et acer ut olim Stringit et armiferos æquali horrore Gelonos 40 45 50 Trux Aquilo, spiratque hyemem, nimbosque volutat. 55 Rex maris, et rauca circumstrepit æquora concha Sed neque, Terra, tibi sæcli vigor ille vetusti 63. Hyacinth the favourite boy of Phoebus, Adonis of Venus. Both, like Narcissus, converted into flowers. 64. Terra datum sceleri celavit 60 See El. v. 77. And Comus, v. -In her own loins -And th' unsought diamonds Conscia, vel sub aquis gemmas. Sic denique in ævum Ibit cunctarum series justissima rerum; Donec flamma orbem populabitur ultima, late De Idea Platonica quemadmodum Aristoteles DICITE, sacrorum præsides nemorum deæ, Memoria mater, quæque in immenso procul Would so imblaze the forehead of the deep, &c. 64. Probably he recollected Horace, Od. iii. iii. 49. Aurum irrepertum, et sic melius situm, Cum terra celat. E. *This poem is replete with fanciful and ingenious allusions. It has also a vigour of expression, a dignity of sentiment, and elevation of thought, ra.ely found in very young writers. + I find this poem inserted at full length, as a specimen of unintelligible metaphysics, in a scarce little book, of universal burlesque, much in the manner of Tom Brown, seemingly published about the year 1715, and entitled, "An Essay towards the "Theory of the intelligible world 65 5 Quis ille primus, cujus ex imagine 10 15 20 25 Non hunc silente nocte Pleïones nepos Ter magnus Hermes, ut sit arcani sciens, At tu, perenne ruris Academi decus, (Hæc monstra si tu primus induxti scholis) Ad Patrem.* NUNC mea Pierios cupiam per pectora fontes - Irriguas torquere vias, totumque per ora 27. -Pleiones nepos] Mercury. Ovid, Epist. Heroid. xv. 62. Atlantis magni Pleionesque nepos. 29. Non hunc sacerdos novit Assyrius,] Sanchoniathon, the eldest of the profane historians. His existence is doubted by Dodwell, and other writers. 33. Ter magnus Hermes,] Hermes Trismegistus, an Egyptian philosopher, who lived soon after Moses. See Il Pens. v. 88. "With thrice-great Hermes, &c." 35. At tu, perenne, &c.] You, Plato, who expelled the poets from your republic, must now bid them return, &c. See Plato's Timæus and Protagoras. Plato and his followers communicated their notions by emblems, fables, 30 35 symbols, parables, allegories, and a variety of mystical representations. Our author characterises Plato, Par. Reg. b. iv. 295. The next to fabling fell and smooth conceits. * According to Aubrey, Milton's father, although a scrivener, was not apprenticed to that trade: he was bred a scholar and of Christ Church, Oxford, and that he took to trade in consequence of being disinherited. Milton was therefore writing to his father in a language which he understood. Aubrey adds, that he was very ingenious, and delighted in music, in which he instructed his son John. MS. Ashm. ut supr. See note on v. 66. below. Volvere laxatum gemino de vertice rivum ; Nil magis humanam commendat origine mentem, 5 10 15 20 Carmen amant superi, tremebundaque Tartara carmen 25 And made Hell grant what love did seek. And below, of Orpheus, v. 54. where see the note. 25. Phœbades,] The priestesses of Apollo's temple at Delphi, who always delivered their oracles in verse. Our author here recollected the Ion of Euripides. To Phemonoe, one of the most celebrated of these poetical ladies, the Greeks were indebted for hexameters. Others found |