95. To many a youth, and many a maid, Dancing, &c.]

I think I have feen it fomewhere observed, that this line much expreffes the bounding of a dance. I will beg you to compare the feftive dance of Solomon's Courtiers, masked as Heathen Deities, in the revels celebrating his nuptials;

Here MANY A Phoebus, and here MANY A Mufe,Here MANY A Juno, MANY A Pallas here,

Here MANY A Venus, and Diana clear,

Here MANY A horned Satyr, MANY A Pan,
Here Wood-Nymphs, Flood-Nymphs, MANY A
Fairy Fawn,

With lufty frisks and lively bounds, &c. &c. p. 459.

125. There let Hymen oft appear

In faffron robe,]

Mr. Warton exhibits feveral inftances of our old poets' introducing Hymen in "his faffron coat." Sylvefter gives him robes of that colour:

In SAFFRON ROBES and all his folemn rites,
Thrice-facred HYMEN fhall with smiling chear
Unite in one two loving Turtles dear,
F

And

And chain with holy charms their willing hands, Whofe hearts are link'd in Love's eternal bands.

131. Then to the well-trod flage anon.]

p. 1213.

I have formerly thought the "anon" in this place a feeble expletive, or rather an intolerably aukward botch; and felt inclined to apply to it Bishop Newton's objections to verse 45.-But I begin to fufpect, that it is not without its effect in quick tranfitions of defcription: at least I am in a great degree reconciled to it, from fome paffages in Sylvefter's Du Bartas. At prefent I will only juft lay before you, from thence, the various chearful Paradifiacal delights of Adam in a state of Innocence;

Here he beneath a fragrant hedge reposes,
Full of all kinds of fweet all-coloured rofes;
ANON he walketh in a level lane,
On either fide befet with fhady plane ;-
ANON he stalketh, with an eafy ftride,
By fome clear river's lily-paved fide ;----

Mufing ANON through crooked walks he wanders, Round-winding rings, and intricate meanders

P. 180.

Anon is a moft frequent word with Sylvefter; perhaps more repeatedly used by him than any other, if we except ay for ever.-Milton has ufed anon with good effect in his greater poems. PAR. LOST.

i. 549.

136.

PAR. REG. i. 304.

foft Lydian airs,

Married to immortal verfe,]

This expreffion, of marrying words and mufic, is most abundant in Sylvester's Du Bartas. Thus, where the birds in Paradise are described accompanying with their fongs the hymns of the Angels;

Where thousand forts of birds both night and day,

MARRYING THEIR SWEET TUNES TO THE AN-.

GELS' LAYS,

Sung Adam's blifs, and their great Maker's praise.

And, where the Ifraelites are rejoicing after having paffed through the Red Sea;

They fkip and dance, and MARRYING ALL THEIR

VOICES

To timbrels, haut-boys, and loud cornets' noises, Make all the fhores refound, and all the coafts, With the fhrill praises of the Lord of Hofts.

And again;

But, when to the mufic choice

Of those nimble joints fhe MARRIES
The echo of her angel-voice,.

Then the praise and prize the carries,
Both from Orpheus and Amphion,

Shaming Linus and Arion.

P. 364.

P. 1206.

༣ བྷཱུ ཝ

IL PENSEROSO.

1. Hence vain deluding joys, &c.—]

Among the various works, which compose the folio edition of Sylvefter's Du Bartas, (as it is commonly called,) are the TROPHIES AND TRAGEDY OF HENRY THE GREAT, tranflated from the French of Piere Mathiew. The part termed the Tragedy, which defcribes the death of the King, opens with the following exclamation;

Hence, hence, FALSE PLEASURES, MOMENTARY JOYS!

Mock US no more WITH YOUR ILLUDING

TOYS!

A strange mishap, hatched in hell below,
Has plung'd us all in deepest gulf of woe;

Taught us that ALL WORLD'S HOPES AS DREAMS

DO FLY, &c.

F 3

p. 1084.

6. And