Ipfe caput nitidum cinctus rutilante corona, Jan. 23. 1646. 215 Ad JOANNEM ROUSIUM Oxonienfis Academiæ De libro Poematum amiffo, quem ille fibi denuo mitti poftulabat, ut cum aliis noftris in Bibliotheca publica reponet, Ode. Strophe 1. Gemelle cultu fimplica Emelle cultu fimplici gaudens liber, * Doctor Johnson obferves, that this poem is "written with the common but childish imitation of pastoral life." Yet there are fome new and natural country images, and the common topics are often recommended by a novelty of elegant expreffion. The paftoral form is a fault of the poet's times. It contains alfo fome paffages which wander far beyond the bounds of bucolic fong, and are in his own original style of the more fublime poetry. Milton cannot be a fhepherd long. His own native powers often break forth, and cannot bear the affumed disguise. John Roufe, or Ruffe, Mafter of Arts, fellow of Oriel college Oxford, was elected chief librarian of the Bodleian, May 9, 1620. He died in April, 1652, and was buried in the chapel of his college. He fucceeded to Thomas James, the first that held this office from the foundation. In painted glafs, in a window of the Provoft's Lodgings at Oriel college, are the heads of fir Thomas Bodley, James, and Roufe, by Van Ling. Roufe's portrait, large as life, a three quarters length, and coeval, is in the Bodleian library. He published an Appendix to James's Bodleian Catalogue, Oxon. 1636. 4to. In 1631, the University printed," Epiftola ad Johannem Cirenbergium, "ob Munditieque nitens non operofa; Quam manus attulit ་་ "ob acceptum Synodalium Epiftolarum Concilii Bafileenfis Aurópaqov, præfixa variorum carminibus honorariis in eundem Cirenber"gium. Oxon. 1631." In quarto. Where among the names of the writers in Latin, are Richard Busby of Christ Church, afterwards the celebrated Master of Westminster: Jafper Maine, and Thomas Cartwright, both well known as English poets, and of the fame college: and Thomas Mafters of New-college, author of the famous Greek Ode on the Crucifixion. The Dedication, to Cirenberg, is written by our librarian Roufe, who seems to have conducted the publication. In it he speaks of his Travels, and particularly of his return from Italy through Bafil. Not only on account of his friendship with Milton, which appears to have fubfifted in 1637, but because he retained his librarianship and fellowship through Cromwell's Ufurpation, we may suppose Rouse to have been puritanically inclined. See Notes on Sir Henry Wootton's LETTER prefixed to Comus, fupr. p. 119. However, in 1627, he was expelled from his fellow fhip; but foon afterwards, making his peace with the presbyterian Visitors, was reftored, Walker's SUFF. CLER. P. ii. p. 132. We are told alfo by Walker, that when the prefbyterian officers proceeded to fearch and pillage fir Thomas Bodley's cheft in the library, they quitted their defign, on being told that there was no money to be found there," by "Rouse the librarian, a confiding brother." Ibid. P. i. p. 143. See a religious letter of Dionyfia Fitzherbert, of Bristol, to Roufe, Bibl. Bodl. MSS. Mus. 169. Probably Milton might become acquainted with Roufe, when he was incorporated a Master of Arts at Oxford in 1635. Neale fays, the Affembly of Divines in 1645, recommended the new verfion of the Pfafms by Mr. Roufe, to be used instead of Sternhold's, which was grown obfoletè. HIST. PUR. vol. iii. 315. edit. 1736. But this was Francis Roufe originally of Broadgate-Hall Oxford, one of the affembly of Divines, the prefbyterian provost of Eton college, and an active inftrument in the Calviniftic vifitation of Oxford: whofe works were collected and published together at London, in 1657, under the title "Treatifes and meditations dedicated "to the Saints, and to the Excellent throughout the three kingdoms." His Pfalms appeared in 1641. Butler fays of thefe pfalms, "When "Rouse stood forth for his trial, Robin Wisdom [in Sternhold and Hopkins] was found the better poet." REMAINS, edit. 1754. p. 230. I know not if he was related to the librarian. Milton, at Rouse's request, had given his little volume of poems, printed in 1645, to the Bodleian library. But the book being loft, Roufe requested his friend Milton to fend another copy. In 1646, another was fent by the author, neatly but plainly bound, munditie nitens non operofa, in which this ade to Roufe, in Milton's own hand 4 D 2 writing, Juvenilis olim, Sedula tamen haud nimii poetæ ; writing, on one fheet of paper, is inferted between the Latin and English Poems. It is the fame now marked M. 168. Art. 8vo. In the fame library, is another fmall volume, uniformly bound with that laft mentioned, of a few of Milton's profe tracts, the first of which is of Reformation touching Church Difcipline, printed for T. Underhill, 1641. 4to. Marked F. 56. Th. In the firft blank leaf, in Milton's own hand writing is this infcription, never before printed. "Doc"tiffimo viro proboque librorum æftimatori Johanni Roufio, Oxoni"enfis Academiæ Bibliothecario, gratum fibi hoc fore testanti, Joannes Miltonus opufcula hæc fua, in Bibliothecam antiquiffimam atque celeberrimam adfcifcenda, libens tradit: tanquam in memo"riæ perpetuæ famam, emeritamque, uti fperat, invidiæ calumniæ. que vacationem, fi veritati bonoque fimul eventui fatis fit litatum. "Sunt autem De Reformatione Angliæ, Lib. 2.- De Epifcopatu "Prælatico, Lib. 1. - De ratione Politiæ Ecclefiafticæ, Lib. 1. "Animadverfiones in Remonftrantis Defenfionem, Lib. 1.— Apolo"gia, Lib. 1. Doctrina et difciplina Divortii, Lib. 2.-Judicium "Buceri de Divortio, Lib. 1. Colafterion, Lib. 1.-Scripturæ loca "de Divortio, inftar Lib. 4. Areopagitica, five de libertate Typographiæ oratio. De Educatione Ingenuorum epistola *.— "POEMATA LATINA, ET ANGLICANA SEORSIM." About the year 1720, these two volumes, with fome other small books, were haftily, perhaps contemptuously, thrown afide as duplicates, either real or pretended and Mr. Nathanniel Crynes, an efquire beadle, and a diligent collector of scarce English books, was permitted, on the promife of fome future valuable bequests to the library, to pick out of the heap what he pleafed. But he, having luckily many more grains of party prejudice than of tafte, could not think any thing worth having that bore the name of the republican Milton; and therefore these two curiofities, which would be invaluable in a modern auction, were fortunately fuffered to remain in the library, and were foon afterwards honourably restored to their original places. -- 1. Gemelle cultu fimplici gaudens liber, Fronde licet gemina, &c.] We should read FRONTE, according to the Bodleian manufcript, and the fenfe required by the context. But yet FRONDE appears in every edition hitherto published. Milton's volume of Poems 1645, has a double front or title-page; both separate and detached from each other, the one, at the beginning, prefixed to the Latin, and the other, about the middle, to the English poems. Hence the volume is Liber gemellus, a double book, as con * Tractate of Education to Hartlib. fifting Dum vagus Aufonias nunc per umbras, Nunc Britannica per vireta lufit, Infons populi, barbitoque devius Indulfit patrio, mox itidem pectine Daunio Vicinis, et humum vix tetigit pede: Antistrophe. Quis te, parve liber, quis te fratribus Subduxit reliquis dolo? Cum tu miffus ab urbe, Docto jugiter obfecrante amico, Illuftre tendebas iter Thamefis ad incunabula Cærulei patris, 10 15 fifting of two diftinct parts, yet cultu fimplici, under the form and appearance, the habit, of a fingle book. 4. Quam manus attulit Juvenilis olim.] Doctor Newton retains QUAM, from the former editions. But the true reading is QUEM, agreeing with liber. For Milton is alluding to his firft donation, of the volume that was loft. 9. Infons populi.-] Guiltless as yet of engaging in the popular difputes of these turbulent times. 10. Mox itidem pectine Daunio.] His Italian Sonnets. 16. Dolo jugiter obfecrante amico.] Hence it appears, that Roufe had importuned Milton to give the volume that was loft, to the library. I fuppofe it was prefented immediately on its publication in 1645 18. Thamefis ad incunabula.] The Thames, or Ifis, rifes not very many miles west of Oxford about Creeklade in Glocefterfhire. Unless he means the junction of Tame and Ifis, fuppofed to produce Thamefis, at Dorchefter near Oxford. Fontes Fontes ubi limpidi 20 Aonidum, thyafufque facer, Orbi notus per immenfos Temporum lapfus redeunte cœlo, Strophe 2. Modo quis deus, aut editus deo, Priftinam gentis miferatus indolem, (Si fatis noxas luimus priores, 25 Mollique luxu degener otium) Almaque revocet ftudia fanctus, 30 Et relegatas fine fede Mufas Jam pene totis finibus Angligenum; Immundafque volucres, Unguibus imminentes, Figat Apollinea pharetra, 35 Phineamque abigat peftem procul amne Pegaseo ? 29. Tollat nefandos civium tumultus, &c.] I fear Milton is here complaining of evils, which his own principles contributed either to produce or promote. But his illuftrations are fo beautiful, that we forget his politics in his poetry. 35. Immundafque volucres. &c.] He has almost a fimilar allufion in the REASON OF CHURCH GOVERNMENT, &c. He compares Prelacy to the Python, and adds, "till like that fen-born ferpent fhe be fhot "to death with the darts of the fun, the pure and powerful beams of “God's word.” PROSE-WORKS, i. 74. Antistrophe. |