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Nec me (crede mihi) terrent Semelëia fata,
Nec Phaetonteo fumidus axis equo :
Cum tu, Phœbe, tuo sapientius uteris igni°;
Huc ades, et gremio lumina pone meo."
Sic Tellus lasciva suos suspirat amores;

Matris in exemplum cætera turba ruunt :
Nunc etenim toto currit vagus orbe Cupido,

Languentesque fovet solis ab igne faces :
Insonuere novis lethalia cornua nervis,

Triste micant ferro tela corusca novo:
Jamque vel invictam tentat superasse Dianam,
Quæque sedet sacro Vesta pudica foco.
Ipsa senescentem reparat Venus annua formam,
Atque iterum tepido creditur orta mari,
Marmoreas juvenes clamant Hymenæe! urbes
per
Littus, lo Hymen! et cava saxa sonant.
Cultior ille venit, tunicaque decentior apta,
Puniceum redolet vestis odora crocum.

Egrediturque frequens, ad amoeni gaudia veris,
Virgineos auro cincta puella sinus:

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Votum est cuique suum, votum est tamen omnibus unum,
Ut sibi, quem cupiat, det Cytherea virum :

Nunc quoque septena modulatur arundine pastor,
Et sua, quæ jungat, carmina Phyllis habet.
Navita nocturno placat sua sidera cantu,
Delphinasque leves ad vada summa vocat:
Jupiter ipse alto cum conjuge ludit Olympo,
Convocat et famulos ad sua festa deos:
Nunc etiam Satyri, cum sera crepuscula surgunt,
Pervolitant celeri florea rura choro;
Sylvanusque sua cyparissi fronde revinctus,
Semicaperque deus, semideusque caper:
Quæque sub arboribus Dryades latuere vetustis,
Per juga, per solos, exspatiantur agros.
Per sata luxuriat fruticetaque Mænalius Pan ;
Vix Cybele mater, vix sibi tuta Ceres ;
Atque aliquam cupidus prædatur Oreada Faunus,
Consulit in trepidos dum sibi nympha pedes;
Jamque latet, latitansque cupit male tecta videri ;
Et fugit, et fugiens pervelit ipsa capi.
Di quoque non dubitant cœlo præponere sylvas,
Et sua quisque sibi numina lucus habet:
Et sua quisque diu sibi numina lucus habeto,
Nec vos arborea, Di, precor, ite domo.

Te referant miseris, te, Jupiter, aurea terris
Sæcla; quid ad nimbos aspera tela redis?

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More wisely than when you lent your chariot to Phaeton, and when I was consumed by the excess of your heat." He alludes to the speech or complaint of Tellus, in the story of Phaeton. See "Metam." ii. 272.-T. WARTON.

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Cevate and em Itan ang f verso, a vika he described the festivities of Christ

a man of Beica, de ústnet in which Thebes was situated; and its Mon here puzzles his readers with minute and

The meaning of the line is this: The Theban god Bacchus

ders if na mogena. Padar, the Theban poet.-T. WARTON.

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20

Addimus his artes, fusumque per intima Phœbum
Corda; favent uni Bacchus, Apollo, Ceres.
Scilicet haud mirum, tam dulcia carmina per te,
Numine composito, tres peperisse deos.
Nunc quoque Thressa tibi cælato barbitos auro
Insonat, arguta molliter icta manu;
Auditurque chelys suspensa tapetia circum3,
Virgineos tremula quæ regat arte pedes.
Illa tuas saltem teneant spectacula Musas,

Et revocent, quantum crapula pellit iners.

Crede mihi, dum psallit ebur, comitataque plectrum
Implet odoratos festa chorea tholos,

Percipies tacitum per pectora serpere Phoebum,
Quale repentinus permeat ossa calor;
Perque puellares oculos, digitumque sonantem,
Irruet in totos lapsa Thalia sinus.

Namque Elegia levis multorum cura deorum est,
Et vocat ad numeros quemlibet illa suos;
Liber adest elegis, Eratoque, Ceresque, Venusque,
Et cum purpurea matre tenellus Amor.
Talibus inde licent convivia larga poetis,

Sæpius et veteri commaduisse mero.

At qui bella refert 1, et adulto sub Jove cœlum,
Heroasque pios, semideosque duces,

Et nunc sancta canit superum consulta deorum,
Nunc latrata fero regna profunda cane;

Ille quidem parce, Samii pro more magistri,
Vivat, et innocuos præbeat herba cibos;
Stet prope fagineo pellucida lympha catillo,
Sobriaque e puro pocula fonte bibat.

Additur huic scelerisque vacans, et casta juventus,
Et rigidi mores, et sine labe manus :

Qualis, veste nitens sacra, et lustralibus undis,
Surgis ad infensos, augur, iture deos.

Hoc ritu vixisse ferunt post rapta sagacem
Lumina Tiresian, Ogygiumque Linon,
Et lare devoto profugum Calchanta, senemque
Orpheon, edomitis sola per antra feris ;

• Nunc quoque Thressa tibi, &c.

The Thracian harp. Orpheus was of Thrace.-T. WARTON.

s Auditurque chelys suspensa tapetia circum, &c.

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Mr. Warton has observed, that here is a reference to the mode of furnishing halls or state-apartments with tapestry, which had not ceased in Milton's time. Compare "Comus," v. 324.-TODD.

At qui bella refert, &c.

Ovid, Anacreon, Pindar, and Horace indulged in convivial festivity; and this also is an indulgence which must be allowed to the professed writer of elegies and odes: but the epic poet, who has a more serious and important task, must live sparingly, according to the dictates of Pythagoras. Milton's panegyrics on temperance both in eating and drinking, resulting from his own practice, are frequent.-T. WARTON.

Sic dapis exiguus, sic rivi potor Homerus
Dulichium vexit per freta longa virum,
Et per monstrificam Perseiæ Phœbados aulam ",
Et vada fœmineis insidiosa sonis ;

Perque tuas, rex ime, domos, ubi sanguine nigro
Dicitur umbrarum detinuisse greges.
Dis etenim sacer est vates, divumque sacerdos;
Spirat et occultum pectus, et ora, Jovem.
At tu, siquid agam, scitabere, (si modo saltem
Esse putas tanti noscere siquid agam)
Paciferum canimus cœlesti semine Regem,
Faustaque sacratis sæcula pacta libris ;
Vagitumque Dei, et stabulantem paupere tecto,
Qui suprema suo cum Patre regna colit ;
Stelliparumque polum, modulantesque æthere turmas,
Et subito elisos ad sua fana deos.

Dona quidem dedimus Christi natalibus illa,
Illa sub auroram lux mihi prima tulit.

Te quoque pressa manent patriis meditata cicutis';
Tu mihi, cui recitem, judicis instar eris.

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ELEG. VII.

ANNO ETATIS 19.

NONDUM, blanda, tuas leges, Amathusia, noram,
Et Paphio vacuum pectus ab igne fuit.
Sæpe cupidineas, puerilia tela, sagittas,

Atque tuum sprevi, maxime, numen, Amor.
Tu, puer, imbelles, dixi, transfige columbas;
Conveniunt tenero mollia bella duci :

Aut de passeribus timidos age, parve, triumphos;
Hæc sunt militiæ digna tropæa tuæ.

In genus humanum quid inania dirigis arma?
Non valet in fortes ista pharetra viros.

Non tulit hoc Cyprius, neque enim deus ullus ad iras
Promptior, et duplici jam ferus igne calet.

Ver erat, et summæ radians per culmina villæ
Attulerat primam lux tibi, Maie, diem :

At mihi adhuc refugam quærebant lumina noctem,
Nec matutinum sustinuere jubar".

a Et per monstrificam Perseia Phabados aulam.

Circe was the daughter of the Sun, and, as some say, of Hecate.-T. WARTON.

▾ Te quoque pressa manent patriis meditata cicutis.

His English "Ode on the Nativity." This he means to submit to Deodate's inspection. "You shall next have some of my English poetry."

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The transitions and connexions of this Elegy are conducted with the skill and address of a master, and form a train of allusions and digressions productive of fine sentiment and poetry. From a trifling and unimportant circumstance, the reader is gradually led to great and lofty imagery.-T. WARTON.

w At mihi adhuc refugam quærebant lumina noctem,

Nec matutinum sustinuere jubar.

Here is the elegance of poetical expression: but he really complains of the weakness of

Astat Amor lecto, pictis Amor impiger alis;
Prodidit astantem mota pharetra deum :
Prodidit et facies, et dulce minantis ocelli,

Et quicquid puero dignum et Amore fuit.
Talis in æterno juvenis Sigeius Olympo

Miscet amatori pocula plena Jovi;

Aut, qui formosas pellexit ad oscula nymphas,
Thiodamantæus Naide raptus Hylas.
Addideratque iras, sed et has decuissse putares;
Addideratque truces, nec sine felle, minas:
Et," Miser, exemplo sapuisses tutius," inquit:
"Nunc, mea quid possit dextera, testis eris:
Inter et expertos vires numerabere nostras,

Et faciam vero per tua damna fidem.
Ipse ego, si nescis, strato Pythone superbum
Edomui Phœbum, cessit et ille mihi ;
Et quoties meminit Peneidos, ipse fatetur
Certius et gravius tela nocere mea.
Me nequit adductum curvare peritius arcum,
Qui post terga solet vincere, Parthus eques :
Cydoniusque mihi cedit venator, et ille'
Inscius uxori qui necis auctor erat.
Est etiam nobis ingens quoque victus Orion',
Herculeæque manus, Herculeusque comes.
Jupiter ipse licet sua fulmina torqueat in me,
Hærebunt lateri spicula nostra Jovis.
Cætera, quæ dubitas, melius mea tela docebunt,
Et tua non leviter corda petenda mihi :
Nec te, stulte, tuæ poterunt defendere Musæ,

Nec tibi Phoebæus porriget anguis opem a."
Dixit; et, aurato quatiens mucrone sagittam,
Evolat in tepidos Cypridos ille sinus.
At mihi risuro tonuit ferus ore minaci,

Et mihi de puero non metus ullus erat :
Et modo qua nostri spatiantur in urbe Quirites,
Et modo villarum proxima rura placent.

his eyes, which began early. He has "light unsufferable,"
T. WARTON.

Cydoniusque mihi, &c.

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"Ode Nativ." v. 8.

Perhaps indefinitely, as the "Parthus eques," just before. The Cydonians were famous for hunting, which implies archery. If a person is here intended, he is most probably Hippolytus. Cydon was a city of Crete. But then he is mentioned here as an archer. Virgil ranks the Cydonians with the Parthians for their skill in the bow, "En." xii. 852. -T. WARTON.

Y Et ille, &c.

Cephalus, who unknowingly shot his wife Procris.-T. WARTON.

2 Est etiam nobis ingens quoque victus Orion.

Orion was also a famous hunter.-T. WARTON.

a Nec tibi Phabæus porriget anguis opem.

"No medicine will avail you not even the serpent, which Phoebus sent to Rome to cure the city of a pestilence." Ovid, "Metam." xv. 742.-T. WARTON.

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