Ver. 480. After Mr. Dunfter's Note. See alfo Drummond again, in a beautiful Song : "Methought through all the neighbour woods a noife BOOK II. Ver. 164. After Mr. Dunfter's Note. Compare Randolph, Poems, 1640, p. 50. "Smoothing the brow, "And making that look amorous, which but now And Lovelace's Lucasta, 1659, p. 67. "Old Ocean Smooths his fullen furrow'd front." Ver. 168. See alfo Browne's Brit. Paft. 1616, B. i. S. i. "The adamant and beauty we discouer "To be alike; for beauty draws a louer, "The adamant his iron." Ver. 184. In wood or grove, by mossy fountain fide, In valley or green meadow, to way-lay Some beauty rare, Calisto, &c.] So, in the beau tiful Canzone of Lorenzo de' Medici, entitled Trionfo di Bacco e Arianno: Ver. 189. The word fcape is alfo thus explained in "Thefe My Ladies Looking Glaffe, by Barnabe Rich, 1616. kind of harlots are very fecret in all their carriages, and will make choice of fuch friends (as neere as they can) as fhall conceale all their efcapes, and maintaine their reputations in the of the world." eye P. Ver. 292. At the end of the Notes, read Shakspeare, vol. i. xxxvii. Ver. 355. Nymphs of Diana's train,] Compare P. Fletcher's Purple If. 1633. c. x. ft. 30. " Choice Nymph, the crown of chafte Diana's train, Ver. 416. After Mr. Dunfter's Note. See alfo Marston's Scourge of Villanie, 1598. Sat. 1o. Lib. 3. Ver. 115. Without being able to offer any further explanation of the Atlantick ftone, I venture to add, however, that marble tables appear to have been in ufe among the Romans, by the old fcholiaft's remark on Hor. Serm. I. vi. 116; and that they were called "Delphicæ menfæ." Still perhaps it cannot be fuppofed that the poet alluded to these. Ver. 268. Sylvefter afcribes to Cicero (not indeed in a very happy manner) what Milton afcribes to Demofthenes. See Du Bart. 1621, p. 263. "whofe thundring eloquence "Yeelds thoufand ftreames, whence, rapt in admiration, "The rareft wits are drunk in every nation!” Ver. 350. At the end of the Note, for confpicuous read per. Spicuous. SAMSON AGONISTES. Ver. 19. See also Poems at the end of Shakspeare's Poems, 8vo. Printed by Tho. Cotes: "An allegoricall allufion of melancholy thoughts to bees. Come, you warmes of thoughts, and bring, "To this crazie hive of mine, "Not your hony, but your fting; "Naked I my heart refigne." Ver. 345. I have feen it often afferted that the verb duel is of Milton's coinage. It occurs, however, in Baron's romance, The Cyprian Academy, and by his ufing it I fuppofe it to have been not uncommon : "We come not hither to debate, but to combate, not to cavill, but to duel, &c." p. 23. ed. 1648. The fpeakers are two champions. VOL. VI. F f Ver. 404. We may also compare the following paffages in an old drama, entitled The Hiftory of the tryall of Cheualry, &c. 4to. Lond. Printed by Simon Stafford, &c. No date. "Pearst with the volley of thy battring words." Again: "if thou lov'dft to have thy foldiers fight, "Or hearten the spent courages of men, "Pembrooke could vse a ftile inuincible: "Lov'dft thou a towne, I'de teach thee how to woo her, "With words of thunder-bullets wrapt in fire, "Till with thy cannon battry the relent, &c." Ver. 1619. The word cataphracts had been before employed in English poetry. See Lifle's Faire Æthiopian, 4to. 1631, p. 150. "The archers follow nimble, and armed light "And after them came other bowes, and flings, &c. "And troopes of CATAPHRACTS before him ride.” Ver. 1755. In a letter of Howell to Mr. E. P. at Paris, dated in 1646, he writes, "Much notice is taken that you go on there too fast in your acquests." See his Fam. Letters, edit. 1737, P. 405. LYCIDAS. St. Michael's Mount, p. 9. It was an observation of that elegant scholar, Mr. Headley, that Spenfer had introduced this romantick place, probably for the first time, into our poetry. See Shepherd's Calend. July, where Morrel fays to Thomalin, "In euill howre thou hentft in hond, "For facred unto Saints they ftond, Ver. 22. my fable fhroud.] This expreffion occurs in Sylvefter's Du Bartas, 1621, p. 991. "Cover'd with Occurs. a fable Shroud." In the fame volume, p. 114, "fable tomb'' Whether fable shrouds were customary at this period, I am unable to fay. It is remarkable that a modern poet has adopted the phrafe, Will. and Margaret, ft. ii. "And clay-cold was her lilly hand, Place a comma after thee. Ver. 113. Ver. 158. Sonnet by Drummond : the monftrous world;] So, in a "And Proteus' monftrous people in the deep." L'ALLEGRO. Ver. 56. Through the high wood echoing fhrill:] So, in Browne's Brit. Paft. 1616, B. ii. S. ii. "The Hamadryades their hunting ended, "And in the high woods left the long-liu'd harts &c.” Ver. 134. Warble his native woodnotes wild, is Taffo's "bofcarecce inculte avene," Gier. Lib. c. vii. ft. 6. Remarks on fome of the ancient English poets, p. 126. Curfory Ver. 141. The fame rhymes occur alfo in Sylvester's Du Bartas, 1621, p. 610. "Though it have fuch curious cunning, "Gentle touch, and nimble running, "That on lute &c." IL PENSEROSO. Ver. 19. After Mr. Warton's Note. Lovelace feems to allude to the fame print, in his Lucafta, 1659, p. 9. "Methought she look'd all ore bepatch'd with stars, Ver. 30. 1625. p. 11. ARCADES. who by fecret fluce Stole under feas] So, in Lifle's Du Bartas, edit. "And thou, O Heauen, thy felfe draw'ft all the fecret fluces "Of thy fo mighty pooles &c." COMUS. Origin of Comus, p. 227. That Milton might be indebted to the Comus of Erycius Puteanus, is the opinion alfo of the learned editor of Ruggles's Ignoramus, in 1787; which he subjoins to a curious Note in the 55th page of his entertaining volume. Ver. 157. And my quaint habits breed aftonishment,] That is, in "ftrange habits," as Mr. Warton has obferved; in which fenfe quaint is often used by Spenfer. Milton, I obferve, in the Preface to his Hift. of Mofcovia, repeats the phrafe in Comus :"Long ftories of abfurd fuperftitions, ceremonies, quaint habits, &c." Ver. 238. In the note read, "If thou have hid.” Ver. 241. The note of admiration after sphere has been dropped at the prefs. Ver. 461. The context renders it not improbable, that Milton had here alfo his favourite Petrarch in view, Canzone fettima : "Santi penferi, atti pietofi e cafti, Ver. 467. To Mr. Warton's illuftration from Plato may be added a paffage in Marton's Scourge of Villanie, 1598, B. ii. Sat. 6, pointed out by the late Mr. Headley : "For that fame radiant fhine, "That luftre wherewith Nature's nature deck'd "Our intellectual parts, that gloffe is foyled "With ftayning fpots of vile impiety, "And muddy dirt of fenfualitie." |