Jam præfuiffes Palladio gregi

Lætus, fuperftes; nec fine gloria:
Nec puppe luftraffes Charontis
Horribiles barrathri receffus.

At fila rupit Persephone tua

Irata, cum te viderit artibus,

Succoque pollenti, tot atris

Faucibus eripuiffe mortis.

35

Colende Præfes, membra precor tua

40

Molli quiefcant cefpite, et ex tuo

Crefcant rofæ, calthæque bufto,

Purpureoque hyacinthus ore.

Sit mite de te judicium

aci,

Subrideatque Ætnæa Proferpina;

Interque felices perennis

Elyfio fpatiere campo.

45

fua munera. Æn. xii. 391. feq. It should be remembered, that the word Alumnus is more extenfively, favourite, votary, &c.

In Milton's Latin poems, it is often difficult to afcertain the names of perfons and places. To fhew his learning, he frequently clouds his meaning by obfcure or obfolete patronymics, and by the fubftitution of appellations formed from remote genealogical, hiftorical, and even geographical, allufions. But this was one of Ovid's affectations.

1

In Quintum Novembris *.

J

Anno Ætatis 17.

A M pius extrema veniens Iäcobus ab arcto,
Teucrigenas populos, lateque patentia regna
Albionum tenuit, jamque inviolabile fœdus
Sceptra Caledoniis conjunxerat Anglica Scotis:
Pacificufque novo, felix divefque, sedebat
In folio, occultique doli fecurus et hoftis :
Cum ferus ignifluo regnans Acheronte tyrannus,
Eumenidum
pater, æthereo vagus exul Olympo,
Forte per immenfum terrarum erraverat orbem,
Dinumerans fceleris focios, vernafque fideles,
Participes regni poft funera mæfta futuros:
Hic tempeftates medio ciet aere diras,
Illic unanimes odium ftruit inter amicos,
Armat et invictas in mutua vifcera gentes;
Regnaque olivifera vertit florentia pace:
Et quofcunque videt puræ virtutis amantes,
Hos cupit adjicere imperio, fraudumque magifter

ΙΟ

15

I have formerly remarked, that this little poem, as containing a council, confpiracy, and expedition of Satan, may be confidered as an early and promifing prolusion of Milton's genius to the PARADISE LOST.

15. Regnaque olivifera vertit florentia pace.] Olivifer is an Ovidian
epithet, FAST. iii. 151.

Primus OLIVIFERIS Romam deductus ab arvis.
And in the IBIS, "OLIVIFERA Sicyone," v. 317.

Tentat inacceffum fceleri corrumpere pectus;
Infidiafque locat tacitas, caffefque latentes
Tendit, ut incautos rapiat, ceu Cafpia tigris
Infequitur trepidam deferta per avia prædam

Nocte fub illuni, et fomno nictantibus aftris.
Talibus infeftat populos Summanus et urbes,
Cinctus cæruleæ fumanti turbine flammæ.
Jamque fluentifonis albentia rupibus arva
Apparent, et terra Deo dilecta marino,
Cui nomen dederat quondam Neptunia proles;
Amphitryoniaden qui non dubitavit atrocem,
Æquore tranato, furiali pofcere bello,

Ante expugnatæ crudelia fæcula Trojæ.

At fimul hanc, opibufque et fefta Afpicit, et pingues donis Cerealibus

20

25

30

pace beatam,

agros,

Quodque magis doluit, venerantem numina veri

23. Populos Summanus et urbes.] SUMMANUS is an obfolete and uncommon name for Pluto, or the god of ghofts and night, which Milton most probably had from Ovid, FAST. vi. 731.

27. Cui nomen dederat quondam Neptunia proles.] "Albion a giant, "fon of Neptune, who called the [this] ifland after his own name, "and ruled it forty four years. Till at length paffing over into Gaul, "in aid of his brother Leftrygon, against whom Hercules was hafting "out of Spain into Italy, he was there flain in fight, &c." Milton's HIST. ENGL. B. i. PROSE-WORKS, ii. 2.

31. At fimul banc opibusque et festa pace beatam, &c.] The whole context is from Ovid's ENVY, METAM. ii. 794.

Tandem Tritonida confpicit arcem,

Ingeniifque, OPIBUSQUE, ET FESTA PACE, virentem:
Vixque tenet lachrymas, &c.

Sancta

35

Sancta Dei populum, tandem fufpiria rupit
Tartareos ignes et luridum olentia fulphur;
Qualia Trinacria trux ab Jove claufus in Ætna
Efflat tabifico monftrofus ob ore Tiphæus.
Ignefcunt oculi, ftridetque adamantinus ordo
Dentis, ut armorum fragor, ictaque cufpide cufpis.
Atque pererrato folum hoc lacrymabile mundo 40
Inveni, dixit, gens hæc mihi fola rebellis,
Contemtrixque jugi, noftraque potentior arte.
Illa tamen, mea fi quicquam tentamina poflunt,
Non feret hoc impune diu, non ibit inulta.
Hactenus et piceis liquido natat aëre pennis;
Qua volat, adverfi præcurfant agmine venti,
Denfantur nubes, et crebra tonitrua fulgent.
Jamque pruinofas velox fuperaverat Alpes,
Et tenet Aufoniæ fines: a parte finiftra
Nimbifer Appenninus erat, prifcique Sabini, 50
Dextra veneficiis infamis Hetruria, nec non
Te furtiva, Tibris, Thetidi videt ofcula dantem;
Hinc Mavortigenæ confiftit in arce Quirini.
Reddiderant dubiam jam fera crepuscula lucem,
Cum circumgreditur totam Tricoronifer urbem,

46

55. He defcribes the proceffion of the Pope to Saint Peter's church at Rome, on the eve of Saint Peter's day.

Panificofque

61

Panificofque Deos portat, fcapulifque virorum 56.
Evehitur; præeunt fubmiffo poplite reges,
Et mendicantum feries longiffima fratrum;
Cereaque in manibus geftant funalia cæci,
Cimmeriis nati in tenebris, vitamque trahentes:
Templa dein multis fubeunt lucentia tædis,
(Vefper erat facer ifte Petro) fremitusque canentum
Sæpe tholos implet vacuos, et inane locorum.
Qualiter exululat Bromius, Bromiique caterva,
Orgia cantantes in Echionio Aracyntho,
Dum tremit attonitus vitreis Afopus in undis,
Et procul ipfe cava refponfat rupe Cythæron.

65

His igitur tandem folenni more peractis, Nox fenis amplexus Erebi taciturna reliquit, Præcipitefque impellit equos ftimulante flagello, Captum oculis Typhlonta, Melanchætemque fe

rocem,

58. The orders of mendicant friars.

71

70. Præcipitefque impellit equos, &c.] See Note on Comus, v. 554. And Ovid, EPIST. PONT. iii. 56.

Sive pruinofi Noctis aguntur equi.

And Sil. Italicus, xv. 285.

Nox atro circumdata corpus amictu,
Nigrantes invexit equos.

Compare Euripid. JoN. v. 1151. Schol. PHOENISS. v. 3.

71. Captum oculis Typblonta, &c.] I believe Milton is the first poet who has given names to the horfes of Night. Spenser describes the colour of her four horfes, F. Q i. v. 28. 20.

Atque