Vestit inauratas redeunti lumine terras;
Moestaque adhuc nigri deplorans funera nati,
Irrigat ambrosiis montana cacumina guttis :
Cum somnos pepulit stellatæ janitor aulæ,
Nocturnos visus, et somnia grata revolvens.

Est locus æterna septus caligine noctis,
Vasta ruinosi quondam fundamina tecti,
Nunc torvi spelunca Phoni, Prodotæque bilinguis,
Effera quos uno peperit Discordia partu.
Hic inter cæmenta jacent, præruptaque saxa,
Ossa inhumata virum, et trajecta cadavera ferro;
Hic Dolus intortis semper sedet ater ocellis,
Jurgiaque, et stimulis armata Calumnia fauces,
Et Furor, atque viæ moriendi mille videntur,
Et Timor, exanguisque locum circumvolat Horror;
Perpetuoque leves per muta silentia Manes
Exululant, tellus et sanguine conscia stagnat.
Ipsi etiam pavidi latitant penetralibus antri

135. Her black son Memnon. See Il Pens. v. 18. Aurora still weeps his untimely death at the siege of Troy.

138. Nocturnos visus, et somnia grata revolvens.] Doctor Newton ingeniously conjectures resolvens. But the poet means, literally, rolling back. The Janitor of the starry hall drove away slumbers, and rolled back again into darkness the visions of the night.

141. Nunc torvi spelunca Phoni, Prodotæque bilinguis.] See the personifications of Phonos Murder, and Prodotes Treason, in Fletcher's Purple Island, c. vii. 69, 72. But Fletcher's poem was published in 1633. Milton's was written in 1626. This cave

135

140

145

150

with its inhabitants is finely imaged, and in the style of Spen

ser.

148.exanguisque locum circumvolat Horror;] Spenser, having described the personages that sate by the side of the high-way leading to hell, adds this image to complete the dreadful group. F. Q. ii. vii. 2.

And over them sad Horror with grim hew

Did alwaies soar, beating his iron winges.

Horror is personified in Par.
Lost, b. iv. 989. in the figure of
Satan.

His stature reach'd the sky, and on
his crest
Sat horror plum'd.

Et Phonos, et Prodotes; nulloque sequente per antrum,
Antrum horrens, scopulosum, atrum feralibus umbris,
Diffugiunt sontes, et retro lumina vortunt:
Hos pugiles Romæ per sæcula longa fideles
Evocat antistes Babylonius, atque ita fatur.

Finibus occiduis circumfusum incolit æquor
Gens exosa mihi; prudens natura negavit
Indignam penitus nostro conjungere mundo:
Illuc, sic jubeo, celeri contendite gressu,
Tartareoque leves difflentur pulvere in auras
Et rex et pariter satrapæ, scelerata propago:
Et quotquot fidei caluere cupidine veræ,
Consilii socios adhibete, operisque ministros.
Finierat, rigidi cupide paruere gemelli.

Interea longo flectens curvamine cœlos
Despicit ætherea dominus qui fulgurat arce,
Vanaque perversæ ridet conamina turbæ,
Atque sui causam populi volet ipse tueri.
Esse ferunt spatium, qua distat ab Aside terra
Fertilis Europe, et spectat Mareotidas undas

154. Diffugiunt sontes, &c.] There is great poetry and strength of imagination in supposing that Murder and Treason often fly as alarmed from the inmost recesses of their own horrid cavern, looking back, and thinking themselves pursued.

156. Evocat antistes Babylonius, &c.] The pope. The address is in imitation of Virgil, Æn. i. 67. "Gens inimica mihi, " &c."

165. -paruere gemelli.] In paruere is a false quantity, yet very excusable amidst so much good poetry and expression, espe

155

160

165

170

cially from a youth of seventeen. But Milton might fairly defend himself, by reading u as the v consonant, for which there are authorities.

166. longo flectens curvamine cœlos] See Comus, v.

1015.

Where the bow'd welkin slow doth bend.

But Ovid has a like contexture, with a different idea. Metam. vi. 64. Of a rainbow.

Inficere ingenti longum curvamine cœlum.

171.Mareotidas undas;] Ma

Hic turris posita est Titanidos ardua Famæ
Ærea, lata, sonans, rutilis vicinior astris

Quam superimpositum vel Athos vel Pelion. Ossæ.
Mille fores aditusque patent, totidemque fenestræ, 175
Amplaque per tenues translucent atria muros:
Excitat hic varios plebs agglomerata susurros;
Qualiter instrepitant circum mulctralia bombis

180

Agmina muscarum, aut texto per ovilia junco,
Dum Canis æstivum cœli petit ardua culmen.
Ipsa quidem summa sedet ultrix matris in arce,
Auribus innumeris cinctum caput eminet olli,
Queis sonitum exiguum trahit, atque levissima captat
Murmura, ab extremis patuli confinibus orbis.
Nec tot, Aristoride servato inique juvencæ
Isidos, immiti volvebas lumina vultu,

172. Hic turris posita est, &c.] The general model of this Tower of Fame is Ovid, Metam. xii. 39. Milton has retouched and variegated Ovid's imagery. In the figure of his Fame, however, our author adverts to Virgil. See the next note. And notes on v. 174, 175, 177, 207.

Ibid. Titanidos] Ovid has Titanida Circen, Metam. xiv. 376. Again, xiii. 968. Fame is the sister of Cacus and Enceladus, two of the Titans, En. iv. 179.

174. Quam superimpositum vel Athos, &c.] Chaucer's House of Fame stands on a rock, higher than any in Spain. H. F. b. iii. 27.

175. totidemque fenestræ,] From Chaucer, H. F. b. iii. 101.

Imageries and tabernacles

185

I sawe, and full eke of Windowes
As flekis fallin in grete snowes, &c.

But Chaucer seems to have men-
tioned the numerous windows as
ornaments of the architecture of
the House, rather than with Mil-
ton's allegorical meaning.

177. Not to copy Ovid too perceptibly, Milton adopts this comparison from Homer, which is here very happily and elegantly applied. Il. ii. 469. « Ηυτε μυσ

&c." See Par. Reg. iv. 15.

Or as a swarm of flies in vintage time
About the wine press, &c.

Sce also Il. xvi. 641.

Chaucer, in the same argument, has the outline of the same comparison, H. F. iii. 431. I heard a noise approchin blive, That fareth as bees don in an hive Against ther time of outflying, &c.

Lumina non unquam tacito nutantia somno,
Lumina subjectas late spectantia terras.
Istis illa solet loca luce carentia sæpe
Perlustrare, etiam radianti impervia soli :
Millenisque loquax auditaque visaque linguis
Cuilibet effundit temeraria; veraque mendax
Nunc minuit, modo confictis sermonibus auget.

Sed tamen a nostro meruisti carmine laudes
Fama, bonum quo non aliud veracius ullum,
Nobis digna cani, nec te memorasse pigebit
Carmine tam longo; servati scilicet Angli
Officiis, vaga diva, tuis, tibi reddimus æqua.
Te Deus, æternos motu qui temperat ignes,
Fulmine præmisso alloquitur, terraque tremente:
Fama siles? An te latet impia Papistarum
Conjurata cohors in meque meosque Britannos,
Et nova sceptrigero cædes meditata Iacobo ?
Nec plura, illa statim sensit mandata Tonantis,
Et satis ante fugax stridentes induit alas,
Induit et variis exilia corpora plumis;

Dextra tubam gestat Temesæo ex ære sonoram.
Nec mora, jam pennis cedentes remigat auras,

200. The voice of God is preceded by thunders and earthquakes. This is in the style of Paradise Lost.

207. Dextra tubam gestat Temesœo ex ære sonoram.] Her brazen trumpet is from Chaucer, which is furnished by Eolus, H. F. b. iii. 347.

What did this Eolus, but he
Toke out his blake trompe of bras,

&c.

190

195

200

205

the Tyrrhene sea, famous for its brass. See Odyss. i. 183. And Ovid, Metam. xv. 707. Milton has the epithet from Ovid, Medicam. Fac. 41.

Et quamvis aliquis Temesca removerit æra.

208.-jam pennis cedentes remigat auras,] See Ad J. Rousium, v. 45.

-Vehique superam
In Jovis aulam remige penna.

Temese is a city on the coast of This metaphor first occurs in

210

215

Atque parum est cursu celeres prævertere nubes;
Jam ventos, jam solis equos post terga reliquit:
Et primo Angliacas, solito de more, per urbes
Ambiguas voces, incertaque murmura spargit :
Mox arguta dolos, et detestabile vulgat
Proditionis opus, nec non facta horrida dictu,
Authoresque addit sceleris, nec garrula cæcis
Insidiis loca structa silet; stupuere relatis,
Et pariter juvenes, pariter tremuere puellæ,
Effoetique senes pariter, tantæque ruinæ
Sensus ad ætatem subito penetraverat omnem.
Attamen interea populi miserescit ab alto
Æthereus pater, et crudelibus obstitit ausis
Papicolum; capti pœnas raptantur ad acres :
At pia thura Deo, et grati solvuntur honores;
Compita læta focis genialibus omnia fumant;
Turba choros juvenilis agit: Quintoque Novembris 225
Nulla dies toto occurrit celebratior anno.

220

In obitum Præsulis Eliensis.*

Anno Etatis 17.

ADHUC madentes rore squalebant genæ,

Et sicca nondum lumina

Eschylus, Agamemn. v. 53. Of tention had been excited by the

vultures.

Πτερυγων ερετμοισι ερεσσομενοι. Alarum remigiis remigantes. For classical instances of the Remigium alarum, see Heinsius on Ovid, Art. Amator, ii. 45. Drakenborch on Sil. Ital. xii. 98. Dante turns Oars into Wings. Infern. C. xxvi. 121. " De' remi "facemmo ale."

220. Attamen interea, &c.] We are disappointed at this abrupt ending, after curiosity and at

introduction of the goddess Fame with so much pomp. But young composers are eager to dispatch their work. Fame is again exhibited in the next poem, written also at seventeen.

Nicholas Felton, Bishop of Ely, died Octob. 5, 1626, not many days after Bishop Andrewes, before celebrated. Felton had been also. Master of Pembroke Hall.