But I in armes— Do rather choofe my flitting houres to spend, And to be lord of thofe that riches have, Then them to have myself and be their fervile felave.] Cyrus told Craefus that he had his treasures too; for I make my friends rich (faid he) and reckon them both as treasures and guards. Xenoph. pag. 584. edit. Hutchinson: where the learned editor mentions a like faying of Alexander, who being asked where his treasures were: answered, Here, pointing to his friends. And Ptolomy the fon of Lagus, faid, that it more became a king to make others rich, than to be rich himself. See Plutarch's apothegms. And Canto x. 20. Ol' aquila portar ne l'unghia torta Suole, o colombo, o fimile altro augello. XXXVI. Some fcumd the droffe-] Milton had his favourite Spenfer in his thoughts, when he described Mammon and the rest of the hellish fiends employed about the building of Pandæmonium. See Par. L. i. 704. A fecond multitude, With wondrous art, founded the mafly ore, Severing each kind, and feumd the bullion drofs. Founded, i. e, melted-the bullion-drofs, i. e. the droffy ore then melted in the furnace; which Spenfer calls the molten ore. Milton either miftakes the word bullion, or with great poetical latitude, and abusively uses it for a melted mass; when 'tis always used for a confolidated mass. for ufing words catachreftically, as grammarians See Billon, in Menage. But poets have a licence love to speak. And every one did fwincke, and every one did fweet, When Thetis came to Vulcan fhe found him thus fwincking and fweating, Tòr d'cupidportaIl. o. 372. Compare Callim. in Dian. ver. 49. &c. Virg. viii. 445, &c. XXXVII. Their ftaring eyes fparkling with fervent fire.] Plato de Repub. L. x. fpeaking of the infernal toret ignei afpectu. mentors calls them, aygiadauga idi, feroces XL. He brought him through a darksome narrow strayt.] i. e. Street, Strata viarum.-The letters answer to the rhime. Ibid. As if the higheft God defy he would.] Spenfer among the faults escaped in the print, inftead of the orders it should be that in pag. 283. of his quarto edition. We must therefore alter the into that either in this verse, or in St. 42. For nothing might abash the villein bold And the fierce carle commanding to forbeare. And he himself was all of YRON mould.] So the 1ft Ariofto ii. 50. rupted. Disdayne XLVII. to another lady; he does not fay to whom: but in his fhield he bears the head of the Fairy queen. LI. LII. Not fuch as earth out of her fruitful womb But direful deadly black both leafe and bloom.] 'Tis not unlikely that Spenfer imaged the direful deadly and black fruits, which this infernal garden bears, from a like garden, which Dante defcribes, Infern. C. xiii. Non frondi verdi, ma di color fofco, This garden or grove is mentioned likewife in Taenarias etiam fauces, alta oflia Ditis, There mournful Cypreffe grew- TETRA i. e. tetrum folanum, deadly night- and Thofe that were low themselves held others hard, S. I. III. Hunc atque hunc fuperare laboret? Sic feftinanti femper locupletior obftat. XLIX. nations, he uses them promifcuously, according to the licence of poetry, as is more particularly mentioned in a note on B. ii. C. 9. St. 21. This paffage gave me a deal of trouble and I con And fayre Philotime she rightly hight] μía. I fulted every botanist, I could think of, whether had rather the poet had given it, there was any fuch plant or tree, as the Samnitis; but could not get the leaft information or hint about it. Upon confidering Spenfer's manner of confounding neighbour nations and countries, and his manner likewife of altering proper names, I am fixed myself, with refpect to my rightly interpreting this place: but leave it however to the reader's further examination and jugd This paffage I criticized upon in a letter to Mr. Weft concerning a new edition of Spenfer: I there faid, that which-with, was used according to the Latin Idiom, quacum: but as Spenfer never writes in this manner any where else, I fomewhat now question, whether 'tis not the printer's idiom; and thus the error refembling truth, may eafily impofe upon us. But there are yet more corruptions gotten into the context: no school-boy is ignorant of the death of Socrates; I fhall therefore make no citations on this fubject, fo well known already. The Athenians ufually put to death their ftate criminals with poifon mixed with the cold juice of hemlock, which mixture they called vor, Cicuta, becaufe that was the chief ingredient in this mixture: fo Socrates and Theramenes were put to death. And Cicuta bad, With which th' unjust Atheniens made to dy Thus all is eafy, and the corruption eafily accounted for, by fuppofing a blotted copy fent to the printer: Socrates was put to death by drinking the juice of the Cicuta; fo Plato and Xenophon tell us; and Xenophon likewife tells us very particularly how Theramenes was thus put to death, Ex. Irog. BC. C. The ramenes was a Philofoper, and an admirer of Critias; who afterwards becoming one of the thirty tyrants that harraffed the Athenian state, he was defervedly refifted by Theramenes; which Critias could not bear fo he profecuted him, and unjustly had him put to death: when Theramenes drank the poifon; what was left at the bottom of the cup he flung out (after the manner of the sport they formerly ufed, called Cottabus) calling upon by name his once deareft, and now deadliest BELAMY: (obferve by the bye Spenfer's word dearest, which takes in both fignifications: fee Critical Obfervations on Shakespeare, pag. 327:) Kài ixí y άodσ ἀναγκαζόμενος τὸ κώνειον ἔπιε, τὸ λειπόμενον ἔφασαν ἀποκολλαβίσαντα ειπειν αυτὸν, Κριτία τῦτ ̓ ἴσω τῷ καλῷ. Tandem quum mortem obire cogeretur Theramenes, et cicutam biberet; proditum eft, id, quod reliquum erat in poculo, fic ipfum ejeciffe, ut refonaret, fimulque dixiffe, Hoc pulcro illi Critiae propinatum efto. This Spenfer calls pouring out his life and laft philofophy to the fair Critias his dearest belamy. The fame ftory is told by Valerius Maximus, and by Cicero, Tufc. Difput. i. 40. In confirmation of this eafy correction, let me obferve, that Cicero joins these two philofophers together, as both unjustly put to death, and both after the fame manner: Vadit in eundem carcerem atque in eundem paucis poft annis fcyphum SoCRATES; eodem fcelere judicum, quo tyrannorum THERAMENES. Cic. Tuf. Difp. i. 40. fed quid ego SOCRATEM aut THERAMENEM, praeftantes viros virtutis et fapientiae gloriâ commemero? Ibid. 42. LIII. LIV. LV. The gardin of Proferpina this hight.] This is taken from Claudian, where Pluto comforts Proferpina, Lib. ii. 290. Compare Virg. vi. 136. Eft etiam lucis arbor praedives opacis, Their fruit were golden apples gliftring bright, - but they from hence were STOLD. i. e. procured by fealth. He goes on and fays, that the Hefperian apples, which Hercules with bold conqueft gain'd, originally came from this garden of Proferpina, and being THERE planted, [there, viz. where the daughters of Atlas lived] did bring forth fruit of gold.-This is the conftruction: the ftory is, that the daughters of Hesperus, the brother of Atlas, had orchards in the fouthern parts of Africa, which produced apples of gold. Spenfer calls them daughters of Atlas ; and he has the authority of Servius, whole commentary on Virg. iv. 484, the reader (if he pleases) may confult at his leifure. Ovid tells us, that Perfeus vifited Atlas, who had trees with branches of gold, that bore golden fruit; but fearing the fulfilling of an oracle, which foretold that a fon of Jupiter fhould rob him of his precious fruit, he fortified his orchards with ftrong enclosures, and fet a watchful dragon to guard them. Arboreae Arboreae frondes, auro radiante virentes, x auro ramos, ex auro poma tegebant. As nothing is more perplex aad contradictory than ancient mythology, fo 'tis no wonder that this fabulous story should be fo variously related by various mythologists and poets. If the reader has a mind to exercife his critical skill in reconciling, or correcting authors, he may confult the Schol. on Statius, ii. 281. Apollodorus, Hyginus, Fulgentius, & Hef. Osoy. ver. 215. See too Salmaf. Plin. exercit. p. 372, 373. I could wish that the reader would confult the two engravings in Spanh. de Ufu et Præft. Numifmatum: the one of Hercules attacking the ferpent; the other, when he has conquered it. This ferpent was named Lado, according to Apollonius, iv. 1396. ἶξον δ ̓ ἱερὸν πέδον, ἔνι Λάδων Pervenere autem facrum campum, in quo Lado Hefperides adminiftrabant, fuaviter canentes. 'Tis not to be fuppofed that Milton in his Paradife Loft should forget this ftory, fo applicable to his own poem, confidering too his fondnefs for introducing mythological tales: Others, whofe fruit burnifhd with golden rind If true, here only) and of delicious taste. Milton likewife in his Mafk alludes to this Hippomenes won the race and his mistress. Atalanta, through craft, by throwing a golden apple at her feet (three of which fort were given for this intent by Venus) whenever she was likely to get the start of him. Hippomenes was of Oncheftos, a city of Boeotia, fo he fays of himself Namque mihi genitor Megareus Oncheftius Ov. Met. x. 605. He is called likewife Aonius Juvenis, Ibid. 589. Euboea is an island near Boeotia; fome fay formerly joined to it, but afterwards by inundations and earthquakes rent from it, as Sicily was from Italy. But Spenfer confounds neighbour countries and nations, as I mentioned above. The reader may fee the story in Ovid, Met. x. Fab. xi. where Venus fays fhe gave Hippomanes three golden apples gathered from her golden tree in her garden of Cyprus. Virgil fays the apples were gathered from the gardens. of the Hefperides, Tum canit Hefperidum miratam mala puellam. Virg. Ecl. Compare Theocrit. Idyll. iii. 40. Here alfo fprung that goodly golden fruit With which Acontius got his lover trew, Whom he had long time fought with fruitleffe fuit. Obferve here a playing with found, a jingling pun; which Spenfer is not fo delicately nice as to avoid, when it comes fairly in his way, Here fprung that golden FRUIT with which Acontius got Cydippe, whom long time he fought with FRUITLESSE Juit. As bad as this pun may appear, the great Milton borrowed it, ix. 647. Serpent, we might have fpar'd our coming hither Fruitless to me, though fruit be here to excess. But 'twas not with an apple of gold, that Acontius got his lover trew: this feems our poet's own story, and seems to have translated Apollonius, mythology; which he often varies and changes as cited above. All amidst the gardens fair Of Hefperus and his daughters three Might not all this wonderful tale be eafily accounted for, if we fuppofe this Hefperus, or Atlas, to have had three fair daughters, and fine groves of oranges [aurea mala] and to have guarded them all very strictly? And thofe, with which th' Euboean young man wan Swift Atalanta, when through craft he her out-ran. And thofe golden apples likewife hence began, viz. from the garden of Proferpina, with which just as he pleases. The whole story of the loves of Acontius and Cydippe, may be seen, elegantly told, in the Epiftles of Ariftænetus (as they are named) Lib. i. Epift. x. where the apple is called, uno puññor, malum Cydonium, an orange, citron, or quince: but this apple is there faid to be gathered from the gardens of Venus. The infcription written upon the apple was, MA THN APTEMIN AKONΤΙΩΙ ΓΑΜΟΥΜΑΙ. Cydippe took up the apple, and reading, the fwore the would marry Acontius, without knowing the thus fwore, being unwaringly betray'd by this ambiguous infcription. 0002 Poftmodo Poftmodo nefcio quâ venisse volubile malum Epift. Heroid. xx. 209. So I would read, and not DOCTIS, nor DUCTIS. Here eke that famous golden apple grew, The which emongst the gods falfe Ate threw. Jupiter ('tis faid) invited all the gods and goddefles to banquet at the wedding of Peleus and Thetis, excepting only the mifchievous godders DISCORD, [Hygin. xcii. Exceptá Eride, id eft, Difcordia. See too Servius, Virg. i. 31.] who being angry at this negle, threw a golden apple among the goddefes with this infcription, Let it be given to the fairest: Juno, Minerva and Venus, all claimed this goiden prize: and Paris was chosen to determine the difpute, who was then a thepherd on mount Ida: and because these three goddeffes met on mount Ida, the poet calls them the Idaean ladies. Compare B. iv. C. 1. St. 19 and 22. LVII. Saw many damned wights In thofe fad waves, which direfull deadly ftancke, Plonged continually of cruell fprights.] He fays, fad waves, alluding to the etymology of Cocytus: Cocytus, namd of lamentation loud Heard on the rueful ftream. Milt. ii. 579. The conftruction is, He faw many damned creatures continually plunged by cruel sprights in thofe fad waves, which flank deadly-of is a prepofition. And this kind of fynchyfis is frequently ufed by Spenfer. Perhaps in faying these waves ftank fo direful deadly, he alludes to the ancient vulgar opinion concerning the ftate of the uninitiated, that they lie Copópw in caeno. See Plato's Phaedo, Sect. 13. And Ariftophanes, Who writ his Frogs, to ridicule the ceremonies and notions of these myfteries, has the fame expreffion, ver. 145. Εἶτα ΒΟΡΒΟΡΟΝ πολὺν, Και σκὰρ ἀὲν τῶν· ἐν δὲ τύτῳ κειμένες— LIX. Lo Tantalus I here tormented lye, OF WHOM high fove wont whylome feafted be.] "Tis not improbable but this reading was owing to the copy being blotted; Jupiter admitted Tantalus to the banquets of the immortals : for great and good men (till known to be otherwife) were faid to be often admitted to feaft with the gods; fo Peleus, Hercules, &c. and likewise Ixion and Tantalus, while they preferved their characters. Hence Epictetus fays [Ench. xv.] WOTE BEING TWO SEND Uμs, Lo Tantalus I here tormented lye Ουτος ὁ πρὶν μακάρεσσι συνέσιος, ὗτος ὁ νηδὲν Κράσις ἀει χέιλευς ἐςὶ ταπεινοτέρη. Hic Tantalus quondam beatorum conviva; hic qui ventrem SAEPE nectareo impleverat potu, jam guttam mortalem defiderat: nam invidus humor femper labio eft inferior.-Jupiter and the reft of the gods once were feafted by Tantalus, who cut in pieces his fon Pelops, and ferved him up as a choice difh. See Servius, Virg. Georg. iii. 7. If Spenfer alluded to this ftory, he would not have faid, Of whom high Jove wont whylome feafted be. Some fay, for this impious feaft and murder of his own fon, that he was punished in hell. But Spenfer does not allude to this story at all, but to another, which is, that being admitted to the feaft of the gods, he betrayed the hea |