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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

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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 cælos] 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
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,

reotis is a large lake in Egypt, connected by many small channels with the Nile. See Ovid, Metam. ix. 772.

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, Æn. 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 fenestra,] From Chaucer, H. F. b. iii. 101.

Imageries and tabernacles

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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 läcobo?

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 Temesæo 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.

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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

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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.

Adhuc liquentis imbre turgebant salis,

Quem nuper effudi pius,

Dum mosta charo justa persolvi rogo

Wintoniensis Præsulis.

Cum centilinguis Fama, proh! semper mali

Cladisque vera nuntia,

Spargit per urbes divitis Britanniæ,

Populosque Neptuno satos,

Cessisse morti, et ferreis sororibus,

Te, generis humani decus,

Qui rex sacrorum illa fuisti in insula
Quæ nomen Anguillæ tenet.
Tunc inquietum pectus ira protinus
Ebulliebat fervida,

Tumulis potentem sæpe devovens deam:

Nec vota Naso in Ibida

Concepit alto diriora pectore;
Graiusque vates parcius

Turpem Lycambis execratus est dolum,
Sponsamque Neobolen suam.

At ecce diras ipse dum fundo graves,
Et imprecor neci necem,

Audisse tales videor attonitus sonos

14. Quæ nomen Anguilla tenet.] Ely, so called from its abundance of eels. Mr. Bowle cites Capgrave, "Locus ille sive "cænobium a copia anguilla"rum Hely modo nuncupatur." Vit. Sanct. f. 141. b. Capgrave wrote about 1440.

20. Archilochus, who killed Lycambes by the severity of his iambics. Lycambes had espoused his daughter Neobule to Archi

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lochus, and afterwards gave her to another. See Ovid's Ibis, v. 54.

22. Neobolen is substituted without authority for Neobulen. In making the last syllable of temere v. 29. short, Milton is justified not only by analogy, but by the only authority which can be produced, and as such to be admitted, that of Seneca Hippo. 392. and 1244. Symmons.

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