The daughter of the sun? whose charmed cup 51 Whoever tasted, lost his upright shape, most important districts in South America, situate nearly adjoining to the peer's prototype: in the word mickle is a like indication of the numerous volcanoes in Peru, (mico, Michael,) and it is scarcely necessary to mention that the 33rd line points to the Spanish nation, as the immemorial colonists of that country. The sceptre of the 36th line is referable to the equator, the line of which would come duly to the hand of the peer, as having the prototype in question. The offspring of the peer shall be pointed out presently. (46) The fable of Bacchus and the Pirates, here mentioned, has already been explained in the beginning of the fourth volume, where the connection which the characters introduced into that fable, have with the moon, was fully shown; which connection must of course be considered as extending to the tides, as the phoenomena of the tides are well known to be intimately son And downward fell into a groveling swine. nected with those of the moon. Circe's Island (50) has already been shown to be the peninsula of South America, and her cup is to be referred I apprehend to the crater (ngaτe, a cup) of the volcanoes of that country, in the neighbourhood of which the peccary (or groveling swine, (53) the feeding upon whose flesh is above supposed to be the cause of a particular disease, is found in great abundance. (54) Vide figure 116, ante for a view of Bacchus, as connected with the moon, or with the tides. As to what regards him (as here representing the tides and so falling on Circe's Island, 50), it has relation to the same phænomena as are disguised in the Iliad under the fable of the restoration of Chryseis to Chryses, her father, who (as shown ante) represents South America in like manner as Circe does. (58) The most important character in this piece and the one that gives name to it, Comus, is now With ivy-berries wreath'd, and his blithe youth, 55 Had by him, ere he parted thence, a son Much like his father, but his mother more, Whom, therefore, she brought up and Comus named ; Who, ripe and frolic of his full-grown age, to be explained. His prototype is to be found in the Isle of Cuba, as will appear from a future figure; but it may be fit to mention at present, that that island as girt on its south side by a number of small islands, called Le Jardin de la Reine, in its general shape resembles a comb, as drawn in Fig. 182, and so gives origin to the name of Comus. (59) His full-grown age. This passage refers to the 21st. parallel of north latitude (21 being the period of full age) which in fact cuts through the centre of the Isle of Cuba. The 60th line has regard to the numerous sandy islands and vast Roving the Celtic and Iberian fields, At last betakes him to this ominous wood, 60 accumulation of sands in the neighbourhood of Cuba, which last as well by the currents as by the hurricanes which infest those seas, are liable to shift their position. (61) The ominous wood I take to be referable to the forests of timber with which the cluster of low sandy islands called Le Jardin de la Reine on the south side of Cuba are overgrown; among which islands the waters become stagnant and putrid, particularly at the eastern (orient 65) end of the island; the drinking-glass of Comus, as drawn in fig. 183, has its prototype in that same woody district of Le Jardin de la Reine, which on a comparison with the map will be seen to have the shape of such a glass; its being of crystal may possibly have relation to the promontory of Cape Crux by which the eastern end of the island adjoins to Le Jardin de la Reine; at which promontory the shape of the glass is terminated. |