The kingdoms of the world, and all their glory.
This emp❜ror hath no son, and now is old,

Old and lascivious, and from Rome retir'd
To Capreæ an island small but strong
On the Campanian shore, with purpose there
His horrid lusts in private to enjoy,
Committing to a wicked favourite

All public cares, and yet of him suspicious,
Hated of all, and hating; with what ease,
Indued with regal virtues as thou art,
Appearing, and beginning noble deeds,

Might'st thou expel this monster from his throne
Now made a sty, and in his place ascending

90. This emp'ror &c.] This account of the emperor Tiberius retiring from Rome to the island Capreæ, and there enjoying his horrid lusts in private, and in the mean while committing the government to his wicked favourite and minister Sejanus, together with the character of this emperor, is perfectly agreeable to the Roman histories, and particularly those of Suetonius and Tacitus, who have painted this monster (as our author calls him) in such colours as he deserved to be described in to posterity.

90. This emp'ror hath no son, &c.] The accuracy of the poet in every particular of this account is well worth noticing. See the change in the conduct of Tiberius after the death of Drusus described by Dion Cassius, lvii. Tacitus, Annal. iv. 1. the increase of his vices with his age, Tacitus, Annal. vi. 51. Suetonius, Vit. Tiber. c. 44. the nature of his retreat at Capreæ,

90

95

100

Suetonius, c. 40. and Tacit. Annal. iv. 67. See also Suetonius, c. 42. and 43. and Tacit. Annal. vi. 1. his neglect of all public cares, Suetonius, c. 41. and the character and authority of Sejanus, Tacit. Annal. iv. 1. 2. 68. the suspicions of the emperor, Annal. vi. 1. Sueton. 61. Seneca, epist. lxxxiii. his being hated of all and hating, Sueton. 63, 66. Dunster.

101. —and in his place ascend

ing

A victor people free &c.] There should be no comma after victor according to the author's own correction; but yet I think all the editors have preserved the first mistaken pointing,

--and in his place ascending A victor, people free from servile yoke ?

For the meaning is not that our Saviour ascending a victor might free &c. but ascending might free a victor people, as the Romans are afterwards called, ver. 132. That people victor once &c.

A victor people free from servile yoke?

And with my help thou may'st; to me the power
Is giv'n, and by that right I give it thee.
Aim therefore at no less than all the world,
Aim at the high'est, without the high'est attain'd
Will be for thee no sitting, or not long,
On David's throne, be prophesied what will.

To whom the Son of God unmov'd replied.
Nor doth this grandeur and majestic show
Of luxury, though call'd magnificence,
More than of arms before, allure mine eye,

105

110

Much less my mind; though thou should'st add to tell
Their sumptuous gluttonies, and gorgeous feasts
On citron tables or Atlantic stone,

(For I have also heard, perhaps have read,)

All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them; for that is delivered unto me, and to whomsoever I will I give it. Luke iv. 6. Dunster.

114. Their sumptuous gluttonies, and gorgeous feasts,] The poet had here perhaps in his mind the account given by Suetonius, c. 13. of the sumptuous gluttonies of Vitellius, or the immense sums expended in this way by the famous Apicius; see Seneca's account of his end, De Consolat. ad Helv. c. 10. The gorgeousness of the Roman feasts is thus described by Manilius, 1. v. 507. -Triclinia templis Concertant; tectique auro jam vescimur aurum.

Dunster.

115. On citron tables or Atlan

115

tic stone,] Tables made of citron wood were in such request among the Romans, that Pliny calls it mensarum insania. They were beautifully veined and spotted. See his account of them, lib. xiii. sect. 29. I do not find that the Atlantic stone or marble was so celebrated: the Numidicus lapis and Numidicum marmor are often mentioned in Roman authors.

115. It was one of Cicero's charges against Verres that he had seized upon a beautiful citron table belonging to Q. Lutatius Diodorus. This citron wood, which grew upon Mount Atlas in Mauritania, was held by the Romans equally valuable with gold. See Martial, 1. xiv. ep. Ixxxix. and Varro de R. R. iii. 2. and Lucan, Pharsal. x. 144. Dunster.

Their wines of Setia, Cales, and Falerne,

Chios and Crete, and how they quaff in gold,
Crystal and myrrhine cups imboss'd with gems

And studs of pearl, to me should'st tell who thirst 120

And hunger still; then embassies thou show'st
From nations far and nigh; what honour that,
But tedious waste of time to sit and hear
So many hollow compliments and lies,
Outlandish flatt'ries? then proceed'st to talk
Of th' emperor, how easily subdued,
How gloriously; I shall, thou say'st, expel
A brutish monster: what if I withal
Expel a Devil who first made him such?
Let his tormentor conscience find him out;
For him I was not sent, nor yet to free
That people victor once, now vile and base,

124. So many hollow compli

ments and lies Outlandish flatteries?] Possibly not without an allusion to the congratulatory_embassies on the Restoration. Dunster.

130. Let his tormentor conscience find him out;] Milton had in view what Tacitus and Suetonius have related. Tacitus, Ann. vi. 6. Insigne visum est earum Caesaris litterarum initium ; nam his verbis exorsus est: Quid scribam vobis P. C. aut quomodo scribam, aut quid omnino non scribam hoc tempore, Dii me Deæque pejus perdant quam perire quotidie sentio, si scio. Adeo facinora atque flagitia sua ipsi quoque in supplicium verterant. Suetonius, Tiber. 67. Postremo semet ipse pertæsus talis epistolæ principio tantum non summam malorum suorum professus est: Quid scribam &c. where perhaps it should be, tali epistolæ principio. Jortin.

132. That people victor once, now vile and base, &c.] This description of the corruption and

125

130

decline of the Roman empire, in this and the following ten lines, is at once concisely fine, and accurately just. The expression peeling their provinces might be suggested by the answer of Tiberius to some provincial governors, who urged him to require an increase of tribute, boni pastoris esse tondere pecus, non deglubere. Sueton. Tiber. 32. nugiodai poV TA πρόβατα, αλλ' ουκ αποξυρεσθαι, βου

oua. Dion Cassius, lvii. As to their provinces being exhausted by lust and rapine it is notorious. Some idea of their exactions and oppressions may be gained from Cicero's Orations, In Verrem, and In L. Pisonem, c. 35, 40. See also his oration De Provinciis Consularibus, c. 3, 4, 6. and Justin, 1. xxxviii. c. 7. Aulus Gellius, 1. xv. c. 12. and Livy, 1. xxix. 17. See also Cic. In Pisonem, c. 25. for a description of that insulting vanity, a Roman triumph. As to that connexion between luxury, cruelty, and effeminacy, which the poet de

Deservedly made vassal, who once just,

Frugal, and mild, and temp'rate, conquer'd well,
But govern ill the nations under yoke,

Peeling their provinces, exhausted all
By lust and rapine; first ambitious grown
Of triumph, that insulting vanity;

Then cruel, by their sports to blood inur'd
Of fighting beasts, and men to beasts expos'd,
Luxurious by their wealth, and greedier still,
And from the daily scene effeminate.

What wise and valiant man would seek to free
These thus degenerate, by themselves inslav'd,
Or could of inward slaves make outward free?

scribes, v. 139-142. it has been
often remarked in all ages. See
Athenæus, p. 525. ed. Casaub.
and p. 625. and Tacit. Hist. ii. 31.
Columella, 1. i. miramur gestus
effæminatorum &c. and Seneca,
Proœm. Controvers. Torpent ecce
ingenia desidiosæ juventutis, &c.
mark the effeminacy of the Ro-
mans in their time. In their
cruel beast-fights there was a
great variety. Sometimes, by
bringing water into the amphi-
theatre, even sea-monsters were
introduced to combat with wild
beasts. So Calphurnius, ecl. vii.
64.

Nec nobis tantum sylvestria cernere

monstra

Contigit, æquoreos ego cum certan

tibus ursis

Spectavi vitulos.

Dunster.

140. Of fighting beasts, and men to beasts expos'd,] The fighting beasts are a poor instance of the Roman cruelty in their sports, in comparison of the gladiators,

135

140

145

who might have been introduced so naturally, and easily here, only by putting the word gladiators in place of the other two, that one may very well be surprised at the poet's omitting them. See Seneca's seventh epistle. Calton.

141. Luxurious by their wealth, and greedier still,] So Manilius, iv. 10.

Luxuriamque lucris emimus, luxuque rapinas.

Dunster.

145. Or could of inward slaves make outward free?] This noble sentiment Milton explains more fully, and expresses more diffusively in his Paradise Lost, xii. 90.