Evehitur; præeunt submisso poplite reges,
Et mendicantum series longissima fratrum;
Cereaque in manibus gestant funalia cæci,
Cimmeriis nati in tenebris, vitamque trahentes :
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 Citharon.

His igitur tandem solenni more peractis, Nox senis amplexus Erebi taciturna reliquit, Præcipitesque impellit equos stimulante flagello, 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 Producit steriles molli sine pellice noctes; At vix compositos somnus claudebat ocellos, Cum niger umbrarum dominus, rectorque silentum,

58. The orders of mendicant friars.

70. Præcipitesque impellit equos, &c.] See note on Comus, v. 553. And Ovid, Epist. Pont. iii. 56.

Sive pruinosi Noctis aguntur equi. And Sil. Italicus, xv. 285.

-Nox atro circumdata corpus a-
mictu,

Nigrantes invexit equos.
Our author has "Night's Car,"
Par. Lost, ix. 65. where Bent-

60

65

70

75

ley proposes Care. Many of Bentley's emendations are acute: but he did not understand Milton's manner, nor the genius of the English language, or rather the genius of the language of English poetry. Compare Eurip. Ion, v. 1151. Schol. Phœniss. v. 3.

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

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

80. —assumptis micuerunt tem-
poris canis,

Barba sinus promissa tegit,] This reminds us of Satan's appearance to our Saviour in the form of an old man, in the wilderness. Par. Reg. b. i. 497.

-And Satan, bowing low
His gray dissimulation, disappear'd.

84. Satan is here disguised like a cordelier, or Franciscan friar.

86. Vasta Franciscus eremo, &c.] Francis Xavier, called the Apostle of the Indians, whom he was sent to convert about the year 1542, by Ignatius Loyola. Among his many pretended miracles it is one, that, during this extraordinary progress, he preached to the lions and other beasts of the wilderness. is an old print of Saint Francis in a desert taming lions.

There

But an unknown correspondent has thrown new light on the whole of the context. "The

passage has properly nothing "to do with the Jesuit S. Francis "Xavier. The fenestrati calcei are (not torn, or full of holes, "like Shakespeare's loop'd and "window'd raggedness' in K. "Lear, but) the sandals, or soles,

"tied on the foot by straps, or

80

85

"➡Soleæque fenestra reclusæ, "Milton seems to have adverted "to this poem, which is a severe "and laboured satire on the "Franciscans. See also Bucha"nan's Somnium, in the Fratres "Fraterrimi, where, as here, "S. Francis appears to the poet. "Carm. xxxiv,

"Cum mihi Franciscus, nodosa can"nabe cinctus,

"Astitit ante tuum, stigmata nota

66

gerens:

"In manibus sacra vestis erat, cum "fune galerus,

"Palla, fenestratus calécus, hasta,

"liber.

90

95

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,
Dumque pharetrati spernunt tua jura Britanni:
Surge, age, surge piger, Latius quem Cæsar adorat,
Cui reserata patet convexi janua cœli,
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.

100

105

"founded the actions of the two "synonimous Saints, and attri"buted the wonders of S. Fran"cis Xavier to the Founder of "the Franciscans."

92. Dormis nate?] This is Homer's, Evdus, 'Argtos vis. Il. ii. 560. See also Par. Lost, b. v. 672. "Sleep'st thou, companion "dear?" And Virgil, Æn. iv. 560. "Nate dea, potes hoc sub "casu ducere somnos?"

95. See Mansus, v. 26.

101. See note on Lycidas, v. 110. And Comus, v. 13. Compare Par. Lost, b. ii. 725, 850, 871. b. iii. 485. And Revelations, ix. 1. xx. 1.

105. Thermodoontea nuper reg

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
Edibus 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,

nante puella.] The amazon, Queen Elizabeth. She is admirably characterised. Audetque viris concurrere virgo. Ovid has

115

120

125

180

Thermodontiacus, Metam. ix. 189.
And Thermodoontiacus, xii. 611.

127. The times of Queen Mary, when popery was restored.

Vestit inauratas redeunti lumine terras;
Moestaque 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 Manes
Exululant, tellus et sanguine conscia stagnat.
Ipsi etiam pavidi latitant penetralibus antri

135. Her black son Memnon. See II Pens. v. 18. Aurora still weeps his untimely death at the siege of Troy.

138. Nocturnos visus, et somnia grata revolvens.] Doctor Newton ingeniously conjectures resolvens. But the poet means, literally, rolling back. The Janitor of the starry hall drove away slumbers, and rolled back again into darkness the visions of the night.

141. Nunc torvi spelunca Phoni, Prodotæque bilinguis.] See the personifications of Phonos Murder, and Prodotes Treason, in Fletcher's Purple Island, c. vii. 69, 72. But Fletcher's poem was published in 1633. Milton's was written in 1626. This cave

135

140

145

150

with its inhabitants is finely imaged, and in the style of Spen

ser.

148. -exanguisque locum circumvolat Horror;] Spenser, having described the personages that sate by the side of the high-way leading to hell, adds this image to complete the dreadful group. F. Q. ii. vii. 2.

And over them sad Horror with grim hew

Did alwaies soar, beating his iron winges.

Horror is personified in Par.
Lost, b. iv. 989. in the figure of
Satan.

His stature reach'd the sky, and on
his crest
Sat horror plum'd.