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Jactet, et Ausoniis plena theatra stolis. Gloria Virginibus debetur prima Britannis; Extera, sat tibi sit, fœmina, posse sequi. Túque urbs Dardaniis, Londinum, structa colonis, Turrigerum latè conspicienda caput, Tu nimium felix intra tua moenia claudis

Quicquid formosi pendulus orbis habet. Non tibi tot cœlo scintillant astra sereno,

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Where says the old scholiast," Romæ erat Porticus Pompeia, soli arcendo accommodata, sub qua æstivo potissimum tempore matronæ spatiabantur." See also iv. viii. 75. Other proofs occur in Catullus, Martial, and Statius. Pompey's theatre and portico were contiguous. The words Ausoniis stolis imply literally the Theatre filled" with the ladies of Rome." But stola properly points out a matron. See Note on Il Pens. v. 35. And Ovid, Epist. ex Pont. iii. iii. 52.

"Scripsimus hæc istis, quarum nec vitta pudicos

"Contingit crines, nec stola longa pedes."

And Trist. ii. 252.

"Quas stola contingi, vittaque sumpta vetat? "At matrona potest," &c. T. WARTON.

Ver. 74. Turrigerum latè conspicienda caput,] So, in L'All. v. 117. "Tower'd cities." See Marlowe and Chapman's Hero and Leander, edit. 1637, B. ii. "Tower'd courts." See also Par. Lost, B. i. 733. Many a tower'd structure high." And turrigerum caput," in the Note on ver. 5, El. iii. Thus Lucan, of Rome, lib. i. 188. "Turrigero vertice." TODD.

66

Ver. 76.

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pendulus orbis] See In Obit. Procan

cellarii, v. 3, and Par. Lost, B. iv. 1000. TODD.

Ver. 77. Non tibi tot cœlo &c.] Ovid, De Arte Amand. lib. i. 55.

“Tot tibi namque dabit formosas Roma puellas,

"Hæc habet, ut dicas quicquid in orbe fuit :

66

Gargara quot segetes

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Quot cœlum stellas," &c. RICHARDSON.

Endymioneæ turba ministra deæ,

Quot tibi, conspicuæ formáque auróque, puellæ
Per medias radiant turba videnda vias.
Creditur huc geminis venisse invecta columbis
Alma pharetrigero milite cincta Venus;
Huic Cnidon, et riguas Simoentis flumine valles,
Huic Paphon, et roseam posthabitura Cypron.
Ast ego, dum pueri sinit indulgentia cæci,
Moenia quàm subitò linquere fausta paro;
Et vitare procul malefidæ infamia Circes
Atria, divini Molyos usus ope.
Stat quoque juncosas Cami remeare paludes,
Atque iterum raucæ murmur adire Scholæ.
Interea fidi parvum cape munus amici,

Paucáque in alternos verba coacta modos *.

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Ver. 78. Endymioneæ &c.] Grotius, Silv. 1. iii. Epith. iii. "Endymioneas invadat Cynthia noctes." TODD.

Ver. 89. -juncosas] The epithet is picturesque and appropriate, and exactly describes the river Cam hence in Lycidas, "his bonnet sedge." Jos. WARTON.

Add also ver. 11. "Jam nec arundiferum mihi cura revisere Camum." But there is a contempt in describing Cambridge, and its river, by the expression the rushy marshes of Cam. See v. 13, 14. And Notes on Lycid. v. 105. T. WArton.

Milton might be influenced, in his description of the Cam, by an expression in Theognis:

Σπάρτην τ' Ευρώτα ΔΟΝΑΚΟΤΡΟΦΟΥ ἀγλαὸν ἄστυ.

TODD.

Ver. 92. The Roxana of Alabaster has been mentioned by Dr. Johnson as a Latin composition, equal to the Latin poetry of Milton: Whoever but slightly examines it, will find it written in the style and manner of the turgid and unnatural Seneca. It was printed by the author himself at London, 1632. Yet it

was written forty years before, in 1592, and there had been a surreptitious edition. It is remarkable, that Mors, DEATH, is one of the persons of the Drama. Jos. WARTON.

I must add, that among the Dramatica poemata of Sir William Drury, one of the plays is called MORS, and Mors is a chief speaker. Duaci, 1628. 12mo. edit. 2. First printed 1620. See below, El. iii. 6. T. WARTON.

See also several examples of Death exhibited as a person, in the note on Par. L. B. ii. 666. TODD.

* The learned Lord Monboddo pronounces this Elegy to be equal to any thing of the "elegiack kind, to be found in Ovid, or even in Tibullus." T. WARTON.

ELEG. II. Anno Etatis 17.

In obitum Præconis Academici Cantabrigiensis*.

TE, qui, conspicuus baculo fulgente, solebas
Palladium toties ore ciere gregem;
Ultima præconum, præconem te quoque sæva
Mors rapit, officio nec favet ipsa suo.
Candidiora licèt fuerint tibi tempora plumis,
Sub quibus accipimus delituisse Jovem ;
O dignus tamen Hæmonio juvenescere succo,
Dignus in Æsonios vivere posse dies;

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* The person here commemorated, is Richard Ridding, one of the University-Beadles, and a Master of Arts of Saint John's college, Cambridge. He signed a testamentary Codicil, Sept. 23, 1626, proved the eighth day of November following. From Registr. Testam. Cantabr. T. WARTON.

Ver. 2. It was a custom at Cambridge, lately disused, for one of the beadles to make proclamation of convocations in every college. This is still in use at Oxford. T. WARTON.

Ver. 5. Candidiora &c.] Ovid, Trist. iv. viii. 1. “Jam mea cygneas imitantur tempora plumas." T. WARTON.

Ver. 6. Sub quibus accipimus delituisse Jovem ;] Ovid, Epist. Heroid. viii. 68.

66 Non ego fluminei referam mendacia cygni,
"Nec querar in plumis delituisse Jovem."

Ver. 7.

Qvid, Metam. vii. 264.

T. WARTON.

Hæmonio juvenescere succo, &c.] See

"Illic Hamonia radices valle resectas,

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Seminaque, floresque, et succos incoquit acres."

And compare, below, Mans. v. 75. T. WARTON.

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Dignus, quem Stygiis medicâ revocaret ab undis

Arte Coronides, sæpe rogante deâ.

Tu si jussus eras acies accire togatas,

Et celer à Phoebo nuntius ire tuo;

Talis in Iliacâ stabat Cyllenius aulâ

Alipes, æthereâ missus ab arce Patris :
Talis et Eurybates ante ora furentis Achillei
Rettulit Atridæ jussa severa ducis.
Magna sepulchrorum regina, satelles Averni,
Sæva nimis Musis, Palladi sæva nimis,
Quin illos rapias qui pondus inutile terræ ;
Turba quidem est telis ista petenda tuis.
Vestibus hunc igitur pullis, Academia, luge,
Et madeant lachrymis nigra feretra tuis.

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Ver. 10. Arte Coronides,] Coronides is Esculapius, the son of Apollo by Coronis. See Ovid, Metam. xv. 624. But the particular allusion is here to Esculapius restoring Hippolitus to life, at the request of Diana, Fast. vi. 745. seq. Where he is called Coronides. T. WARTON.

Ver. 13. Talis &c.] These allusions are proofs of our author's early familiarity with Homer. T. WARTON.

Ver. 17. Magna sepulchrorum regina,] A sublime poetical appellation for Death: and much in the manner of his English poetry. T. WARTON.

Shakspeare, in his Venus and Adonis, calls Death the “king of graves." Venus is speaking of Death:

"Now she adds honour to his hateful name:

"She cleeps him king of graves, and grave for kings,
"Imperial supreme of mortal things." TODD.

Ver. 19.

pondus inutile terræ ;] Homer, Il. xviii. 104. ἐτώσιον ἄχθος αρούρης. JOHN WARTON.

Ver. 22. Et madeant lachrymis nigra feretra tuis.] Here seems to be an allusion to the custom of affixing Verses on the

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