65

Evehitur ; præeunt submisso poplite reges,
Et mendicantum series longissima fratrum ;
Cereaque in manibus gestant funalia cæci,
Cimmeriis nati in tenebris, vitamque trahentes : 60
Templa dein multis subeunt lucentia tædis,
(Vesper erat sacer iste Petro) fremitusque canentum
Sæpe tholos implet vacuos, et inane locorum.
Qualiter exululat Bromius, Bromiique caterva,
Orgia cantantes in Echionio Aracyntho,
Dum tremit attonitus vitreis Asopus in undis,
Et procul ipse cava responsat rupe Cithæron.

His igitur tandem solenni more peractis,
Nox senis amplexus Erebi taciturna reliquit,
Præcipitesque impellit equos stimulante flagello, 70
Captum oculis Typhlonta, Melanchætemque ferocem,
Atque Acherontæo prognatam patre Siopen
Torpidam, et hirsutis horrentem Phrica capillis.
Interea regum domitor, Phlegetontius hæres
Ingreditur thalamos, neque enim secretus adulter

75 Producit steriles molli sine pellice noctes ; At vix compositos somnus claudebat ocellos, Cum niger umbrarum dominus, rectorque silentum,

58. The orders of mendicant ley proposes Care. Many of friarg.

Bentley's emendations are acute: 70. Præcipitesque impellit equos, but he did not understand Mil. &c.] See note on Comus, v. ton's manner, nor the genius of 553. And Ovid, Epist. Pont. ü. the English language, or rather 56.

the genius of the language of Sive pruinosi Noctis aguntur equi.

English poetry. Compare Eurip.

Ion, v. 1151. Schol. Pheniss. v. 3. And Sil. Italicus, xv. 285.

71. Captum oculis Typhlonta, -Nox atro circumdata corpus e- &c.] I believe Milton is the first mictu,

poet who has given names to Nigrantes invexit equos.

the horses of Night. Spenser Our author has “ Night's Car," describes the colour of her four Par. Lost, ix. 65. where Bent- horses, F. Q. i. v. 28. 20.

80

Prædatorque hominum, falsa sub imagine tectus
Astitit; assumptis micuerunt tempora canis,
Barba sinus promissa tegit, cineracea longo
Syrmate verrit humum vestis, pendetque cucullus
Vertice de raso, et, ne quicquam desit ad artes,
Cannabeo lumbos constrinxit fune salaces,
Tarda fenestratis figens vestigia calceis.
Talis, uti fama est, vasta Franciscus eremo

85

80. assumptis micuerunt tem- thongs of leather, crossed, or poris canis,

“ lattice-wise, which are usually Barba sinus promissa tegit,] worn by the Franciscan Friars This reminds us of Satan's ap- “ although they are dechaussez. pearance to our Saviour in the “ These are mentioned by Buform of an old man, in the wil- “ chanan, as a regular part of derness. Par. Reg. b. i. 497.

" the dress of the Franciscans.

“ Franciscan. [v. 47. p. 2. edit. -And Satan, bowing low His gray dissimulation, disappear'd.

“ ut supr.] 84. Satan is here_disguised

« -Longo sub syrrhate tasum like a cordelier, or Franciscan

“ Cerno caput, törtum funem, latum.

que galerim, friar.

“ Atque fenestratum soleas captare 86. Vasta Franciscus eremo, cothurnum. &c.] Francis Xavier, called the Apostle of the Indians, whom he

Again, v. 88. was sent to convert about the “ -Soleasque æstivum admittere 50

« lem. year 1542, by Ignatius Loyola. Among his many pretended mi

"Again, below, racles it is one, that, during this extraordinary progress, he

“ Soleæque fenestra reclusa. preached to the lions and other “ Milton seems to have adverted beasts of the wilderness. There “ to this poem, which is a severe is an old print of Saint Francis " and laboured satire on the in a desert taming lions.

" Franciscans. See also BuchaBut an unknown correspond- “ nan's Somnium, in the Fratres ent has thrown new light on the

“ Fraterrimi, where, as here, whole of the context. “ The “ S. Francis appears to the poet.

passage has properly nothing “Carm. xxxiv. to do with the Jesuit S. Francis

“ Cum mihi Franciscus, nodosa can « Xavier. The fenestrati calcei “ nabe cinctus,

are (not torn, or full of holes, “ Astitit ante tuum, stigmata nota " like Shakespeare's loop'd and

gerens : " window'd raggedness' in K.

“ In manibus sacra vestis erat, cum

“ fune galerus, “ Lear, but) the sandals, or soles, à Palla, fenestratus 'caldus, hasta, “ tied on the foot by straps, or

« liber.

90

Tetra vagabatur solus. per lustra ferarum,
Sylvestrique tulit genti pia verba salutis
Impius, atque lupos, domuit, Libycosque leones.

Subdolus at tali Serpens velatus amictu,
Solvit in has fallax ora execrantia voces;
Dormis nate? Etiamne tuos sopor opprimit artus ?
Immemor, O, fidei, pecorumque oblite tuorum !
Dum cathedram, venerande, tuam, diademaque triplex
Ridet Hyperboreo gens barbara nata sub axe,

95 Dumque pharetrati spernunt tua jura Britanni : Surge, age, surge piger, Latius quem Cæsar adorat, Cui reserata patet convexi janua cæli, Turgentes animos, et fastus frange procaces, Sacrilegique sciant, tua quid maledictio possit, Et quid Apostolicæ possit custodia clavis ; Et memor Hesperiæ disjectam ulciscere classem, Mersaque Iberorum lato vexilla profundo, Sanctorumque cruci tot corpora fixa probrosa, Thermodoontea nuper regnante puella.

105

100

“ Consistently with the figure “founded the actions of the two “ here described by Milton, the "synonimous Saints, and attri“ vasta Franciscus eremo ought « buted the wonders of S. Fran“ to be the founder of the Order « cis Xavier to the Founder of “ of friars, $. Francis d'Assise. « the Franciscans." " And this was certainly his 92. Dormis nate?] This is “meaning. But although the Homer's, Evdus, 'Areios vis. n. ii. “ last S. Francis wrought many 560. See also Par. Lost, b. v. “ pretended miracles in the de- 672. “Sleep'st thou, companion “serts, and travelled into Syria " dear?". And Virgil, Æn. iv. “ to convert the Soldan of Baby. 560. “ Nate dea, potes hoc sub “ lon, and was at the siege of “ casu ducere somnos?" “ Damieta in the crusades, yet 95. See Mansus, v. 26. “ I cannot, with our author, ac- 101. See note on Lycidas, v.

cuse him of the impiety of con- 110. And Comus, v. 13. Com« verting the Lybian lions. So pare Par. Lost, b. ii. 725, 850, “ that at present I am inclined 871. b. iii. 485. And Revelations, “ to conjecture, that Milton, at ix. 1. xx. 1. " the age of seventeen, con- 105. Thermodoontea nuper reg

115

At tu si tenero mavis torpescere lecto,
Crescentesque negas hosti contundere vires ;
Tyrrhenum implebit numeroso milite pontum,
Signaque Aventino ponet fulgentia colle:
Relliquias veterum franget, flammisque cremabit; 110
Sacraque calcabit pedibus tua colla profanis,
Cujus gaudebant soleis dare basia reges.
Nec tamen hunc bellis et aperto Marte lacesses,
Irritus ille labor ; tu callidus utere fraude :
Quælibet hæreticis disponere retia fas est.
Jamque ad consilium extremis rex magnus ab oris
Patricios vocat, et procerum de stirpe creatos,
Grandævosque patres trabea, canisque verendos
Hos tu membratim poteris conspergere in auras,
Atque dare in cineres, nitrati pulveris igne
Ædibus injecto, qua convenere, sub imis.
Protinus ipse igitur quoscunque habet Anglia fidos
Propositi, factique, mone: quisquamne tuorum
Audebit summi non jussa facessere Papæ ?
Perculsosque metu subito, casuque stupentes,
Invadat vel Gallus atrox, vel sævus Iberus.
Sæcula sic illic tandem Mariana redibunt,
Tuque in belligeros iterum dominaberis Anglos.
Et, nequid timeas, divos divasque secundas
Accipe, quotque tuis celebrantur numina fastis.
Dixit, et adscitos ponens malefidus amictus,
Fugit ad infandam, regnum illætabile, Lethen.

Jam rosea Eoas pandens Tithonia portas,

120

125

180

nante puella.] The amazon, Thermodontiacus, Metam. ix. 189. Queen Elizabeth. She is admi- And Thermodoontiacus, xii. 611. rably characterised. Audetque vi- 127. The times of Queen Mary, ris concurrere virgo. Ovid has when popery was restored.

135

140

Vestit inauratas redeunti lumine terras;
Mæstaque adhuc nigri deplorans funera nati,
Irrigat ambrosiis montana cacumina guttis :
Cum somnos pepulit stellatæ janitor aulæ,
Nocturnos visus, et somnia grata revolvens.

Est locus æterna septus caligine noctis,
Vasta ruinosi quondam fundamina tecti,
Nunc torvi spelunca Phoni, Prodotæque bilinguis,
Effera quos uno peperit Discordia partu.
Hic inter cæmenta jacent, præruptaque saxa,
Ossa inhumata virum, et trajecta cadavera ferro;
Hic Dolus intortis semper sedet ater ocellis,
Jurgiaque, et stimulis armata Calumnia fauces,
Et Furor, atque viæ moriendi mille videntur,
Et Timor, exanguisque locum circumvolat Horror ;
Perpetuoque leves per muta silentia Mạnes
Exululant, tellus et sanguine conscia stagnat.
Ipsi etiam pavidi latitant penetralibus antri

145

150

ser.

135. Her black son Memnon. with its inhabitants is finely See Il Pens. v. 18. Aurora still imaged, and in the style of Spenweeps his untimely death at the siege of Troy.

148. -exanguisque locum cir138. Nocturnos visus, et somnia cumvolat Horror ;] Spenser, havgrata revolvens.) Doctor Newton ing described the personages that ingeniously conjectures resolvens. sate by the side of the high-way But the poet means, literally, leading to hell, adds this image rolling back. The Janitor of the to complete the dreadful group. starry hall drove away slumbers, F. Q. ii. vii. 2. and rolled back again into dark.

And over them sad Horror with grim ness the visions of the night.

hew 141. Nunc torvi spelunca Phoni, Did alwaies soar, beating his iron Prodotæque bilinguis.] See the wioges. personifications of Phonos Mur

Horror is personified in Par. der, and Prodotes Treason, in Lost, b. iv. 989. in the figure of Fletcher's Purple Island, c. vii. Satan. 69, 72. But Fletcher's poem