Ipfe caput nitidum cinctus rutilante corona, Jan. 23. 1646. 215 Ad JOANNEM ROUSIUM Oxonienfis Academia Bibliothecarium †, De libro Poematum amiffo, quem ille fibi denuo mitti poftulabat, ut cum aliis noftris in Bibliotheca publica reponet, Ode. GE Strophe 1. Emelle cultu fimplici gaudens liber, Doctor Johnfon obferves, that this poem is "written with the "common but childish imitation of paftoral life." Yet there are fome new and natural country images, and the common topics are often recommended by a novelty of elegant expreffion. The paftoral form is a fault of the poet's times. It contains alfo fome paffages which wander far beyond the bounds of bucolic fong, and are in his own original style of the more fublime poetry. Milton cannot be a fhepherd long. His own native powers often break forth, and cannot bear the affumed disguise. John Roufe, or Ruffe, Maßler of Arts, fellow of Oriel college Oxford, was elected chief librarian of the Bodleian, May 9, 1620. He died in April, 1652, and was buried in the chapel of his college. He fucceeded to Thomas James, the first that held this office from the foundation. In painted glass, in a window of the Provoft's Lodgings at Oriel college, are the heads of fir Thomas Bodley, James, and Roufe, by Van Ling. Roufe's portrait, large as life, a three quarters length, and coeval, is in the Bodleian library. He publifhed an Appendix to James's Bodleian Catalogue, Oxon. 1636. 4to. In 1634, the University printed," Epiftola ad Johannem Cirenbergium, "ob Munditieque nitens non operofa; Quam manus attulit "ob acceptum Synodalium Epiftolarum Concilii Bafileenfis Auraypa. Por, præfixa variorum carminibus honorariis in eundem Cirenbergium. Oxon. 1631." In quarto. Where among the names of the writers in Latin, are Richard Busby of Christ Church, afterwards the celebrated Master of Westminster: Jasper Maine, and Thomas Cartwright, both well known as English poets, and of the fame college: and Thomas Mafters of New-college, author of the famous Greek Ode on the Crucifixion. The Dedication, to Cirenberg, is written by our librarian Roufe, who feems to have conducted the publication. In it he fpeaks of his Travels, and particularly of his return from Italy through Bafil. Not only on account of his friendship with Milton, which appears to have fubfifted in 1637, but because he retained his librarianship and fellowship through Cromwell's Ufurpation, we may suppose Rouse to have been puritanically inclined. See Notes on Sir Henry Wootton's LETTER prefixed to CoмUS, fupr. p. 119. However, in 1627, he was expelled from his fellowship; but foon afterwards, making his peace with the prefbyterian Vifitors, was reftored, Walker's SUFF. CLER. P. ii. p. 132. We are told alfo by Walker, that when the prefbyterian officers proceeded to search and pillage fir Thomas Bodley's cheft in the library, they quitted their defign, on being told that there was no money to be found there, “by Roufe the librarian, a confiding brother." Ibid. P. i. p. 143. See a religious letter of Dionyfia Fitzherbert, of Bristol, to Roufe, Bibl. Bodl. MSS. Mus. 169. Probably Milton might become acquainted with Rouse, when he was incorporated a Master of Arts at Oxford in 1635. Neale fays, the Affembly of Divines in 1645, recommended the new verfion of the Pfafms by Mr. Roufe, to be used instead of Sternhold's, which was grown obfolete. HIST. PUR, vol. iii. 315. edit. 1736. But this was Francis Roufe originally of Broadgate-Hall Oxford, one of the affembly of Divines, the prefbyterian provoft of Eton college, and an active inftrument in the Calvinistic vifitation of Oxford: whofe works were collected and published together at London, in 1657, under the title "Treatifes and meditations dedicated "to the Saints, and to the Excellent throughout the three kingdoms." His Pfalms appeared in 1641. Butler fays of thefe pfalms," When "Roufe ftood forth for his trial, Robin Wisdom [in Sternhold and Hopkins] was found the better poet." REMAINS, edit. 1754. P. 230. I know not if he was related to the librarian. Milton, at Roufe's request, had given his little volume of poems, printed in 1645, to the Bodleian library. But the book being loft, Roufe requested his friend Milton to fend another copy. In 1646, another was fent by the author, neatly but plainly bound, munditie nitens non operofa, in which this ode to Roufe, in Milton's own hand 4 D 2 writing, Juvenilis olim, Sedula tamen haud nimii poetæ ; 46 writing, on one fheet of paper, is inferted between the Latin and English Poems. It is the fame now marked M. 168. Art. 8vo. In the fame library, is another fmall volume, uniformly bound with that laft mentioned, of a few of Milton's profe tracts, the first of which is of Reformation touching Church Difcipline, printed for T. Underhill, 1641. 4to. Marked F. 56. Th. In the first blank leaf, in Milton's own hand writing is this infcription, never before printed. "Doc"tiffimo viro proboque librorum æftimatori Johanni Roufio, Oxoni"enfis Academiæ Bibliothecario, gratum fibi hoc fore teftanti, Jo"annes Miltonus opufcula hæc fua, in Bibliothecam antiquiffimam atque celeberrimam adfcifcenda, libens tradit: tanquam in memo"riæ perpetuæ famam, emeritamque, uti fperat, invidiæ calumniæque vacationem, fi veritati bonoque fimul eventui fatis fit litatum. "Sunt autem De Reformatione Angliæ, Lib. 2. De Epifcopatu "Prælatico, Lib. 1. De ratione Politiæ Ecclefiafticæ, Lib. 1. "Animadverfiones in Remonftrantis Defenfionem, Lib. I. - - Apolo"gia, Lib. 1. Doctrina et difciplína Divortii, Lib. 2.-Judicium Buceri de Divortio, Lib. 1. Colafterion, Lib. 1.-Scripturæ loca "de Divortio, inftar Lib. 4. Areopagitica, five de libertate "Typographiæ oratio.-De Educatione Ingenuorum epiftola *."POEMATA LATINA, ET ANGLICANA SBORSIM." About the year 1720, these two volumes, with fome other small books, were haftily, perhaps contemptuously, thrown afide as duplicates, either real or pretended and Mr. Nathanniel Crynes, an efquire beadle, and a diligent collector of fcarce English books, was permitted, on the promife of fome future valuable bequests to the library, to pick out of the heap what he pleafed. But he, having luckily many more grains of party prejudice than of tafte, could not think any thing worth having that bore the name of the republican Milton; and therefore thefe two curiofities, which would be invaluable in a modern auction, were fortunately fuffered to remain in the library, and were foon afterwards honourably reftored to their original places. — 1. Gemelle cultu fimplici gaudens liber, Fronde licet gemina, &c.] We fhould read FRONTE, according to the Bodleian manufcript, and the fenfe required by the context. But yet FRONDE appears in every edition hitherto published. Milton's volume of Poems 1645, has a double front or title-page; both feparate and detached from each other, the one, at the beginning, prefixed to the Latin, and the other, about the middle, to the English poems. Hence the volume is Liber gemellus, a double book, as con * Tractate of Education to Hartlib, fifting Dum vagus Aufonias nunc per umbras, Nunc Britannica per vireta lufit, Infons populi, barbitoque devius Indulfit patrio, mox itidem pectine Daunio Vicinis, et humum vix tetigit pede: Antiftrophe. Quis te, parve liber, quis te fratribus Subduxit reliquis dolo? Cum tu miffus ab urbe, Docto jugiter obfecrante amico, Illuftre tendebas iter 10 15 Cærulei patris, fifting of two diftinct parts, yet cultu fimplici, under the form and appearance, the babit, of a fingle book. 4. Quam manus attulit Juvenilis olim.] Doctor Newton retains QUAM, from the former editions. But the true reading is QUEM, agreeing with liber. For Milton is alluding to his firft donation, of the volume that was loft. 9. Infons populi.-] Guiltless as yet of engaging in the popular difof thefe turbulent times. putes 10. —Mox itidem pectine Daunio.] His Italian Sonnets. 16. Dolo jugiter obfecrante amico.] Hence it appears, that Roufe had importuned Milton to give the volume that was loft, to the library. I fuppofe it was prefented immediately on its publication in 1645. 18. Thamefis ad incunabula.] The Thames, or Ifis, rifes not very many miles west of Oxford about Creeklade in Glocefterfhire. Unless he means the junction of Tame and Ifis, fuppofed to produce Thamefis, at Dorchester near Oxford. Fontes 20 Fontes ubi limpidi Aonidum, thyafufque facer, Temporum lapfus redeunte cœlo, Strophe 2. Modo quis deus, aut editus deo, Et relegatas fine fede Mufas Jam pene totis finibus Angligenum ; Immundasque volucres, Unguibus imminentes, Figat Apollinea pharetra, Phineamque abigat peftem procul amne Pegaseo? 25 30 35 29. Tollat nefandos civium tumultus, &c.] I fear Milton is here complaining of evils, which his own principles contributed either to produce or promote. But his illuftrations are so beautiful, that we forget his politics in his poetry. 35. Immundafque volucres. &c.] He has almost a fimilar, allufion in the REASON OF CHURCH GOVERNMENT, &c. He compares Prelacy to the Python, and adds, " till like that fen-born ferpent the be fhot "to death with the darts of the fun, the pure and powerful beams of "God's word." PROSE-WORKS, i. 74. Antiftrophe. |