Statius, Theb. V. 556.

tum squamea demum Torvus ad armorum radios, fremitumque virorum Colla movet.

STAN Z. XIII.

in either jaw Three ranks of iron teeth enranged were. Ovid. Met. III. 34. triplici ftant ordine dentes.

STAN Z. XLVI.

There grew a goodly tree him fair beside,
Great God it planted in that blessed sted

With his almighty hand, and did it call
The Tree of Life, the crime of our first father's fall.

Why does he call the Tree of Life, The crime of our firf father's fall ? *

CANTO

* The question fo proposed, while it incites attention, deserves an attempt at least to resolve it; and fummiffâ voce agerem, tantum ut Judex audiat. The line might be broken thus : The Tree of Life, the crime of our.

first farber's fall. They are not the words of the Almighty, but a reflection of the Poet; who, by metonymy, calls the Tree in question, “ The CRIMB,"— quafi caufa criminationis; i.e. the incentive, or moving cause of Adam's offence. Stephens, in his Thesaurus, Ling. Lat. says “ Crimen etiam dicitur, Ipfa criminatio, five criminum Accufatio :" and cites Cicero in Philipp. “ Hæreditatem mihi negásti obvenisse. Utinam hoc tuum crimen esset."

St. Paul

CANTO XII. 42.

Spenser thus concludes this Book:

Now strike your sails, &c.

And in the first Stanza of this Canto:

Behold, I see the haven nigh at hand.
This metaphor is often used by ancient poets.

Statius, Theb. XII. 809.

Et mea jain longo meruit ratis æquore portuni. Silv. IV. IV. 89.

Thebais optato collegit carbafa portu.

St. Paul to the Romans, C. VII. 7, 12, seems fully to meet the queftion. Tι ουν ερθμεν ; Ο νομG- αμαλια ; Μη γενολο αλλα την auaplocev 8κ εγνων ει μη δια νομα, την τε γαρ επιθυμιαν εκ ήδειν ει μη • Νομος ελεγεν Ουκ επιθυμησεις. Ωςε ο μεν νομος αγιος και η ενίολη «για, και δικαια, και αγαθη. See also v. 134

Alia, crimen, is also incitement, condition, accusation.
Virg. Æn. II. 97.

Hinc mihi prima mali labes : hinc
Criminibus terrere novis.

Milton, Par. Loft, I.

and the Fruit
Of that forbidden tree, whose mortal talle
Breughe death into the world, and all our woe, &c.

Virgil.

Virgil. Georg. IV. 116.
Atque equidem, extremo ni jam fub fine laborum
Vela traham, et terris feftinem advertere proram;

Where see Servius.
Juvenal, I. 149.

Utere velis :
Totos pande finus.
Sidonius, Carm. XXIV.

99.
Sed jam sufficit, ecce linque portum,
Ne te pondere plus premam faburra,

His in verfibus ancoram levato.
Epist. XVI.

Jam per alternum pelagus loquendi
Egit audacem mea cymba curfum;
Nec bipertito timuit fluento

FleEtere clavum.
Solvit antennas, &c.

Carm. II. 537.

At mea jam nimii propellunt carbafa flatus. Ovid, Art, Amat. I. 779.

Hic teneat noftras ancora jacta rates.
So Art. Amat. III. 784. Remed. 811.
Nemesian, Cyneget. 58.

talique placet dare lintea cura,
Dum non magna ratis, vicinis sueta moveri
Litoribus, tutofque finus percurrere remis

Nunc

Nunc primum dat rela Notis, portusque fideles

Linquit, et Hadriacas audet tentare procellas. Profe writers use the fame metaphor.

Speaking of a Nymph pursued by Faunus :

At last, when failing breath began to faint,
And saw no means to scape, of shame afraid,
She sat her down to weep for sore constraint;
And to Diana calling loud for aid,
Her dear besought, to let her die a maid.
The Goddess heard,

Somewhat like the story of Arethusa in Ovid,
Met. V. 618.
Fela labore fuga, Fer opem, deprendimur, inquam,
Armigera, Dictynna, tuæ :
Mota dea eft

As when a bear and tyger being met

In cruel fight on Lybick ocean wide, The' propriety of the phrase Lybick Ocean will not be perceived by every reader. By it he means the

I

Syrtes,

Syrtes, of which fee the description in Lucan,

IX. 303.

Syrtes, vel primam mundo Natura figurami
Cum daret, in dubio pelagi terræque reliquit, &c.

At last, when luft of meat and drink was ceas'd.
Homer, Il. I. 92.

'Aulano ewei wirinj TÚ G E Poor Vlo.
Sed poftquam potus et cibi defiderium exemerant.

Virgil, Æn. VIII. 184.
Poftquam exempta fames, et amor compressus edendi.

Night was far spent,
When of his piteous tale he end did make;
Whilst with delight of what he wisely (pake,
Those guests beguiled, did beguile their eyes
Of kindly fleep, that did them overtake.

In Homer, Odyff. 1.333. when Ulyffes had related his travels, the Poet adds:

Ως έφατ' • οι δ' άρα ταύλες ακήν έγένοντο σιωπή.
Kning pao do. I gcoulo xalà pézopa oxubevla.