Ipfi etiam pavidi latitant penetralibus antri

Et Phonos, et Prodotes; nulloque fequente per

antrum,

Antrum horrens, fcopulofum, atrum feralibus

umbris,

Diffugiunt fontes, et retro lumina vortunt:
Hos pugiles Romæ per fæcula longa fideles
Evocat antiftes Babylonius, atque ita fatur.
Finibus occiduis circumfufum incolit æquor
Gens exofa mihi; prudens natura negavit
Indignam penitus noftro conjungere mundo:
Illuc, fic jubeo, celeri contendite greffu,
Tartareoque leves difflentur pulvere in auras
Et rex et pariter fatrapæ, fcelerata propago:
Et quotquot fidei caluere cupidine veræ,
Confilii focios adhibete, operifque miniftros.
Finierat, rigidi cupide paruere gemelli.

Interea longo flectens curvamine cœlos

155

160

165

154. Diffugiunt fontes, &c] There is great poetry and strength of imagination in fuppofing that Murther and Treafon often fly as alarmed from the inmoft receffes of their own horrid cavern, looking back, and thinking themselves purfued. "

156. Evocat antiftes Babylonius, &c.] The pope. The address is in imitation of Virgil, EN. i. 67. "Gens inimica mihi, &c."

165. Paruere gemeHi.] In paruere is a falfe quantity, yet very excufable amidft fo much good poetry and expreffion, efpecially from a youth of feventeen. But Milton might fairly defend himself, by reading u as the v confonant, for which there are authorities.

166.

Longo flectens curvamine cælos.] See COMUS, V. 1015. Where the Bow`p welkin flow doth BEND.

But

Defpicit ætherea dominus qui fulgurat arce,
Vanaque perverfæ ridet conamina turbæ,
Atque fui caufam populi volet ipfe tueri.

Effe ferunt fpatium, qua distat ab Afide terra Fertilis Europe, et fpectat Mareotidas undas; 171 Hic turris pofita eft Titanidos ardua Famæ

But Ovid has a like contexture, with a different idea. METAM. Vi. 64. Of a rainbow.

Inficere ingenti longum curvamine cœlum.

171. Mareotidas undas.] Mareotis is a large lake in Egypt, connected by many small channels with the Nile. See Ovid, METAM. ix. 772.

172. Hic turris pofita eft, &c.] The general model of this Tower of FAME is Ovid, METAM. xii. 39. But Milton has retouched and variegated Ovid's imagery. The reader fhall compare both poets.

ORBE locus MEDIO eft, inter terrafque fretumque,
Cæleftefque plagas, triplicis coNFINIA mundi;
Unde, quod eft ufquam, quamvis regionibus abfit,
Infpicitur; penetratque cavas vox omnis ad aures.
FAMA tenet, fummaque locum fibi legit in arce:
Innumerofque aditus, ac mille foramina tectis
Addidit, et nullis inclufit limina portis.
Nocte dieque patent: tota eft ex ÆRE SONANTI:
Totque fremit, vocefque refert, iteratque quod audit.
Nulla quies intus, nullaque filentia parte.

Nec tamen eft clamor, fed PARVÆ MURMURA VOCIS,
Qualia de pelagi, fi quis procul audiat, undis
Effe folent; qualemve fonum, cum Jupiter atras
Increpuit nubes, extrema tonitrua reddunt.
Atria turba tenent; veniunt leve vulgus, euntque.
Mixtaque cum veris paffim commenta vagantur
Millia rumorum, confufaque verba volutant.
E quibus hi vacuas implent fermonibus auras,
Hi narrata ferunt alio; menfuraque ficti
Crefcit, et auditis aliquid novus adjicit auctor,
Illic Credulitas, illic TEMERARIUS Error,
Vanaque Lætitia eft, confternatique Timores,
Seditioque repens, dubioque auctore SUSURRI, &c.

In the figure of his Fame, however, our author adverts to Virgil.
See the next Note. And Notes on v. 174. 175. 177. 207.

Ærea, lata, fonans, rutilis vicinior aftris
Quam fuperimpofitum vel Athos vel Pelion Offæ.
Mille fores aditufque patent, totidemque feneftræ,
Amplaque per tenues translucent atria muros: 176
Excitat hic varios plebs agglomerata fufurros;
Qualiter inftrepitant circum mulctralia bombis
Agmina mufcarum, aut texto per ovilia junco,
Dum Canis æftivum cœli petit ardua culmen. 180
Ipfa quidem fumma fedet ultrix matris in arce,
Auribus innumeris cinctum caput eminet olli,

Ibid. Titanidos.-] Ovid has TITANIDA Circen, METAM. xiv. 376. Again, xiii. 968. FAME is the filter of Cacus and Enceladus, two of the Titans, N. iv. 179.

174. Quam fuperimpofitum vel Athos, &c.] Chaucer's HOUSE OF FAME ftands on a rock, higher than any in Spain. H. F. B. iii. 27. 175. Totidemque feneftræ.] From Chaucer, H. F. B. iii. 101. Imageries and tabernacles

I fawe, and FULL EKE OF WINDOWES
As flekis fallin in grete fnowes, &c.

But Chaucer feems to have mentioned the numerous windows as ornaments of the architecture of the House, rather than with Milton's allegorical meaning.

177. Not to copy Ovid too perceptibly, Milton adopts this comparifon from Homer, which is here very happily and elegantly applied. 11. ii. 469. "Huls μyár, &c." See PARAD. L. ii. 770.

Much the fame comparison is in PARAD. REG. iv. 15.

Or as a swarm of flies in vintage time

About the wine prefs, &c.

See alfo IL. xvi. 641.

I must however obferve, that Chaucer, in the fame argument, has the outline of the fame comparifon, H. F. iii. 431.

I heard a noife approchin blive,

That fareth as bees don in an hive
Against ther time of outflying, &c.

Queis fonitum exiguum trahit, atque leviffima captat
Murmura, ab extremis patuli confinibus orbis.
Nec tot, Ariftoride fervator inique juvencæ 185
Ifidos, immiti volvebas lumina vultu,
Lumina non unquam tacito nutantia fomno,
Lumina fubjectas late fpectantia terras.

190

Iftis illa folet loca luce carentia fæpe
Perluftrare, etiam radianti impervia soli:
Millenifque loquax auditaque visaque linguis
Cuilibet effundit temeraria; veraque mendax
Nunc minuit, modo confictis fermonibus auget.
Sed tamen a noftro meruifti carmine laudes
Fama, bonum quo non aliud veracius ullum, 195
Nobis digna cani, nec te memoraffe pigebit
Carmine tam longo; fervati fcilicet Angli
Officiis, vaga diva, tuis, tibi reddimus æqua.
Te Deus, æternos motu qui temperat ignes,
Fulmine præmiffo alloquitur, terraque tremente:
Fama files? An te latet impia Papistarum
Conjurata cohors in meque meofque Britannos,
Et nova fceptrigero cædes meditata läcobo?

201

Nec plura, illa ftatim fenfit mandata Tonantis, Et fatis ante fugax ftridentes induit alas, Induit et variis exilia corpora plumis;

205

Dextra tubam geftat Temesæo ex ære fonoram.
Nec mora, jam pennis cedentes remigat auras,
Atque parum eft curfu celeres prævertere nubes ;
Jam ventos, jam folis equos poft terga reliquit :
Et primo Angliacas, folito de more, per urbes 211
Ambiguas voces, incertaque murmura fpargit :
Mox arguta dolos, et deteftabile vulgat
Proditionis opus, nec non facta horrida dictu,
Authorefque addit fceleris, nec garrula cæcis 215

207. Dextra tubam geftat Temefæo ex ære sonoram.] Her brazen trumpet is from Chaucer, which is furnished by Eolus, H. F. B. iii. 547.

What did this Æolus, but he

Toke out his blake trompe of bras, &c.

Temefe is a city on the coaft of the Tyrrhene fea, famous for its brafs. See ODYSs.i. 183. "'Es TEMEZHN μstà XAAKON, &c." And Ovid, METAM. xv. 707. "Themefefque metalla." And, ibid. 52. Milton has the epithet from Ovid, MEDICAM, FAC. 41.

Et quamvis aliquis TEMES AA removerit ÆRA,

Nunquam Luna fuis excutietur equis.

Again, FAST. L. v. 441,

TEMES AQUE concrepat ÆRA.

And METAM. vii. 207.

208.

V. 45.

Te quoque, Luna, traho, quamvis TEMES AA labores
ERA tuos minuant.

Jam pennis cedentes remigat auras.] See AD J. ROUSIUM,

Vehique fuperum

In Jovis aulam REMIGE PENNA,

This metaphor first occurs in Efchylus, AGAMEMN. V. 53. Of vulturs. Πτερύγων ἐρεῖμοῖσι ἐρειπόμενοι.

Alarum remigiis remigantes.

For instances of the Remigium alarum, fee Heinfius on Ovid, ART. AMATOR. ii. 45. Drakenborch on Sil. Ital. xii. 98. Dante turns Oars into Wings. INFERN. C. XXVI. 121. "De remi facemo al."

Infidiis