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STANZ. LVI.

The boast at the end of this Stanza is like that of Cato, in Lucan, Lib. II. 286.

CANTO XI. 18.

This fimile is taken from a beautiful one in Homer, Il. A. 422. E. 87, &c. and in Virg. Æn. II. 305, &c.

aut rapidus montano flumine torrens Sternit agros, fternit fata læta, boumque labores, Præcipitefque trahit fylvas; ftupet infcius alto Accipiens fonitum faxi de vertice Paftor.

See likewife Æn. XII. 523.

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"Like as a fire, the which in hollow cave," &c.

ignis,

Qui furtim pingui primùm fub cortice tellus
Robora comprendit, frondefque elapfus in altas
Ingentem Cælo fonitum dedit: inde fecutus
Per ramos victor, perque alta cacumina regnat,
Et totum involvit flammis Nemus, et ruit atram
Ad Calum picea craffus Caligine nubem.

Virg. Georg. II. 303.

CANTO

CANTO XII, 39, 41.

Mercury's rod is defcribed by Horace in the fame manner as here.

Tu pias lætis animas reponis

Sedibus; Virgâque levem coërces
Aurea turbam, fuperis Deorum

Gratus, et imis. Lib. I. Od. x, 17.

Tu potes Tigres comitefque Sylvas
Ducere, et rivos celeres morari.

Ceffit immanis tibi blandienti

Janitor aula

Cerberus, &c.

Lib. III. Od. XI. 13.

STANZ. XLV.

The manner of expreffion in the beginning of this Stanza has great beauty; and is borrowed from the Greeks, who use the fame very commonly. Thus, particularly, Theocritus in his first Idyllium, fpeaking of the old fisherman graven on the cup, fays, 1. 41.

Ο πρέσβυς, κάμνοντι τὸ καρτερὸν ἀνδρὶ ἐοικώς •
Φαίης κεν γυίων νὶν ὅσον θένος ἐλλοπιεύειν
Αἱ δέ δι ᾠδήκανι κατ' αυχένα πάντοθεν ἶνες,
Καὶ πολιῷ ωερ ἔονιι. τὸ δὲ πένος ἄξιον ἄβας.

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STANZ. LXIV.

Thomfon has a beautiful paffage like this in his Seafons. Summer, v. 1311, &c.

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See Ariofto, P. III. There is a pretty poem in Bourne, called, if I remember right, The Wreath; where this thought is well expreffed:

"And, as you fade,

Remind the maid,

That years, like days, muft end."

REMARKS

RE MARK S MAR

O N

MILTON.

THAT I may not pafs abruptly from Spenser to Milton, I fay, purely for the fake of introduction and connection,

That Milton, the favourite poet of this nation, has been, and I fuppofe will be, the fubject of effays, differtations, notes, &c.

That I have a mind to thrust myself in amongst thofe, who have laboured on this celebrated author;

ut

Me quoque principibus permixtum

That I fhall offer a few remarks upon him; and fo take a final leave of the English poets *.

* It appears however, that he did not fo closely keep to his purpose as here intended. The profpect of a new and valuable edition

X 2

I.

. PARADISE LOST,

BOOK I. 199.

or Typhon, whom the den

By ancient Tarfus held.

Typhon is the fame with Typhoeus. That the den of Typhoeus was in Cilicia, of which Ţarfus was a celebrated city, we are told by Pindar and Pomponius Mela. I am much mistaken, if Milton did not make ufe of Farnaby's note on Ovid, Me. V. 347. to which I refer the reader. He took antient Tarfus perhaps from Nonnus:

Ταρσος αειδομένη πρωΐοπολις·

which is quoted in Lloyd's Dictionary.

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edition of our great Epick Bard again called forth his critical attention; and hence, from his friend Dr. Newton's publication of Milton, we have been enabled to make fome confiderable addition to our Author's Remarks; refuming fuch only for this work, as were found there inferted under the name JORTIN. For Dr. Newton's Testimonies, as taken from his two prefaces to the poems of Milton, See the Advertisement prefixed to this volume.

Perhaps

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