Where Servius : “ Deo, fecundum eos, qui dicunt atriufque fexus participationem habere numina : nam ait Calvus :

Pollentemque deum Venerem, &c." I believe Spenser had this place of Servius in his mind.

Herodotus, 1. 105. having said that a few Scythians spoiled the temple of Cælestial Venus, ['Oupavíns ’AQgodions] adds, that for their impiety, the GoD punilhed them : ενέσκηψε ο ΘΕΟΣ Sńmesav všrov. But Gronovius is of opinion that ο Θεός here means numen, το Θείον, without any particular reference to Venus. See his note.

Mother of laughter : Qinqueidós. Homer.

CANTO XI. 9.

not if a hundred tongues to tell, And hundred mouths, and voice of brass I had. From Virgil, Æn. VI. 625. who imitates Homer.

Spenser in this Canto enumerates the Sea Gods, and descendants from Neptune; and amongst them names

Astræus, that did shame
Himself with incest of his kin unken'd.

Compare Spenser's catalogue with Natalis Comes, II. 8. where you may find the story of Aftræus. I have met with two others of that name; one, a son of Terra and Tartarus, who was one of the Giants, mentioned by Hyginus; the other, a son of Silenus, in Nonnus Dionyf. And a third, the son of Crius and Eurubie, is found in Hefiod and Apollodorus.

Speaking of the sons of Oceanus and Tethys :

Of all which, Nereus, th' eldest and the best, : Did first proceed, than which none more upright, Ne more fincere in word and deed profeft;

Most void of guile, most free from foul despight, Doing hiinfelf, and teaching others to do, right.

From Hefiod, Ocoy. 233.

Νηρέα τ' αψευδέα και αληθέα γεναίο ΠάνθG",
Πρεσβύτατον παίδων " αυλαρ καλέισι Γέρονίου,
Ούνεκα νημερής τε και ήπια, έδε θεμιστέων
Λήθεται, αλλα δίκαια και ήπια δήνεα οίδεν.

Nereumque alienum a mendacio, et veracem genuit Pontus,
Maximum natu filiorum : fed vocant Senem,
Eò quod verus atque placidus: nec juris et æqui
Obliviscitur, fed justa et moderata judicia novit.

Nereus is called the aged in Homer, Hefiod, Æschylus, Virgil, Ovid, the Poet called Orpheus,

and

and Pausanias Lacon. Eustathiús on Homer, Il. A. 250. p. 116. Ed. Rom. Istoy ti wodowy ára é μυθG λέγει την γραίαν, καθά και τον Νηρέα γέρούλα. . Servius on Virgil, Georg. IV. 403. Fere omnes Dii marini fenes funt, albent enim eorum capita spumis aquarum, may also observę, that ypaūs means either an old woman, or froth, scum. Aristophanes plays upon the word, Plut. 1205.

We may

6 TAN 2. XIX.

-When Paris brought his famous prize,
The fair Tindarid [Tyndarid] lass, he him foretold
That her all Greece with many a champion bold

Should fetch again.
He speaks of Nereus. From Horace, L. I, Od. xv. Id

Pastor cum traheret, &c.

Long Rhodanus, whose fource springs from the skie.
Aditreths .

STANZ

XXI.

Great Ganges, and immortal Euphrates,
Deep Indus, and Mæander intricate,
Slow Peneus, and tempestuous Phafides,
Swift Rhene, and Alpheus still immaculate,
Oraxes, feared for great Cyrus? fate.
He makes the second syllable in Euphrates.short,
O 3

and

and gives him the pompous epithet immortal, which, after all, is but a botch. Slow is no epithet for Peneus. He is called Theffalus torrens, by Seneca, Herc. Fur. 288. By Phasides I suppose he means Phasis, who is called ulyas, tpaxcus, Bicic, divšeos, rapidus. Instead of Oraxes, it ought to be, as a friend also conjectured,

Araxes, feared for great Cyrus' fate. For Cyrus crossed the river Araxes to fight the Maffagetæ, of whom. Tomyris was queen. The þattle was fought near the river, and Cyrus was įhere worsted, and plain. So says Herodotus, I. 201, &c,

Speaking of a River-God:

And his beard all gray, Dewed with silver drops, that trickled down alway, Sophocles, Trachin. 14. of Achelous,

έκ δε δασκία γενειάδα

Κρενοί διερραίνουλο κρηναία ποτά. . Ovid, Faft. I. 375. of Proteus ;

Oraque cærulea tollens rorantia barba, Stațius, Theb. IX. 414. of Isinenus:

tumido de gurgite furgit Spumofum attollens apicem, lapfuque fonoro Pectora ceruleæ rivis manantia barbe.

Claudian,

Claudian, Conf. Pr. et Ol. 222. of the Tiber :

Distillant per peclus aquæ : frons hispida manat

Imbribus : in liquidos fontes se barba repeflit. Sidonius, Carm. II. 335. of the fame.

Dat fonitum mento unda cadens, licet hispida setis Suppofitis multum fedaret barba fragorem.

Like as the mother of the Gods, they say
In her great iron chariot wonts to ride,
When to Jove's palace she doth take her way;
Old Cybele, array'd with pompous pride,
Wearing a diadem embattled wide

With hundred turrets,
Virgil, Æn. VI. 784.

Qualis Berecynthia mater
Invehitur curru Phrygias turrita per urbes.

Speaking of a River Goddess :

Under the which her feet appeared plain,
Her silver feet.

αργυρόπεζα. .

S TAN Z.

XLVIII, &c.

The Nereids, according to Spenser, are,

Amphitrite, Agave, Actea, [it should be Aflæa] Autonoë, Alimeda, [it should be Halimede] Cymot hoë,

04

Cymodoce,