Sweet music's melting fall, but sweeter yet Paradise Lost, b. iv. ver. 641: "Sweet is the breath of morn," &c.: but see also Theocritus Idyll. . ver. 33: οὔτε γὰρ ὕπνος, Οὔτ ̓ ἔαρ ἐξαπίνας γλυκερώτερον, οὔτε μελίσσαις *Ανθεα, ὅσσον ἐμὶν μοῦσαι φίλαι. Ver. 64. The still small voice of gratitude] " After the fire, a still small voice,” 1 Kings, xix. 12. And in a rejected stanza of the Elegy: "Hark how the sacred calm that breathes around Bids every fierce tumultuous passion cease; Ver. 66. The venerable Margret see] Countess of Richmond and Derby; the mother of Henry the Seventh, foundress of St. John's and Christ's Colleges. GRAY. Pleas'd in thy lineaments we trace VII. 70 gem 75 "Lo! Granta waits to lead her blooming band, No vulgar praise, no venal incense flings; NOTES. Ver. 70. A Tudor's fire, a Beaufort's grace] The Countess was a Beaufort, and married to a Tudor: hence the application of this line to the Duke of Grafton, who claims descent from both these families. GRAY. Ver. 71. Thy liberal heart, thy judging eye] "Dryden alone escaped his judging eye.' Also: Pope's Prol. to the Sat. 246. "A face untaught to feign, a judging eye.” Pope's Epist. to Craggs, p. 289. Ver. 72. The flow'r unheeded shall descry] This allusion to the flower and the gem we meet with again in the Elegy. Ver. 73. And bid it round heav'n's altars shed] "Delubra, et aras cœlitum," Senecæ Agam. v. 392. "Cœloque educitur ara," Sil. Ital. xv. 588. "Araque Divorum," Manil. Astr. v. 18. Ver. 78. Not obvious, not obtrusive, she] "Not obvious, not obtrusive, but retired," Par. Lost, viii. 504. W.-And so in the 'Fool of Quality,' by Henry Brooke: "The maid who would achieve the whole laurel of conquest, must not be obvious or obtrusive,” vol. ii. p 275. Ver. 79. No vulgar praise, no venal incense flings] "No hireling she, no prostitute for praise," Pope's Epist. to Lord Oxford, ver. 36. W. Nor dares with courtly tongue refin'd She reveres herself and thee. With modest pride to grace thy youthful brow, The laureate wreath, that Cecil wore, she brings, And to thy just, thy gentle hand, Submits the fasces of her sway, While spirits blest above and men below Join with glad voice the loud symphonious lay. VIII. 80 85 "Thro' the wild waves as they roar, With watchful eye and dauntless mien, 90 Thy steady course of honour keep, Nor fear the rocks, nor seek the shore: NOTES. Ver. 82. She reveres herself and thee] Πάντων δὲ μάλιστ ̓ αἰσχύνει σαυτόν, Pythagora Aur. ver. 12. W.-And so Galen, De Curatione Morb. Animi:' Σù dà σauròv aidoð μá λίστα. Ver. 83. With modest pride to grace thy youthful brow] "Yielded with coy submission, modest pride," Par. Lost, iv. 310. Ver. 84. The laureate wreath, that Cecil wore, she brings] Lord Treasurer Burleigh was chancellor of the University in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. GRAY. Ver. 85. And to thy just, thy gentle hand] Milton's Par. Lost, b. iv. ver, 308, “gentle sway," from Horace, "lenibus imperiis," Epist. I. xviii. 44. W.-But the sentiment, as well as expression, was taken from Dryden, Threnod. August. 284: "And with a willing hand restores The fasces of the main." Ver. 88. Join with glad voice the loud symphonious lay] See Milton's Par. Lost, vii. 559. Ver. 89. Thro' the wild waves as they roar] "Well knows to still the wild waves when they roar." Comus, ver. 87. W. Ver. 93. The Star of Brunswick smiles serene] Pope, in his Essay on Criticism, has a similarly beautiful image, ver. 645: "The mighty Stagirite first left the shore, Spread all his sails, and durst the deep explore; He steer'd securely, and discover'd far, Led by the light of the Mæonian star.” Young, in his 'Universal Passion,' Sat. vii. ver. 169: "And outwatch every star, for Brunswick's sake." THE FATAL SISTERS. AN ODE. FROM THE NORSE TONGUE. To be found in the Orcades of Thormodus Torfæus; Hafnia, 1697, folio; and also in Bartholinus, p. 617. lib. iii. c. 1. 4to. Vitt er orpit fyrir valfalli, &c. In the eleventh century Sigurd, earl of the Orkney islands, went with a fleet of ships and a considerable body of troops into Ireland, to the assistance of Sictryg with the silken beard, who was then making war on his father-in-law Brian, king of Dublin: the earl and all his forces were cut to pieces, and Sictryg was in danger of a total defeat; but the enemy had a greater loss by the death of Brian their king, who fell in the action. On Christmas day (the day of the battle), a native of Caithness in Scotland, of the name of Darrud, saw at a distance a number of persons on horseback riding full speed towards a hill, and seeming to enter into it. Curiosity led him to follow them, till looking through an opening in the rocks, he saw twelve gigantic figures resembling women: they were all employed about a loom; and as they wove, they sung the following dreadful song; which when they had finished, they tore the web into twelve pieces, and (each taking her portion) galloped six to the north, and as many to the south. These were the Valkyriur, female divinities, servants of Odin (or Woden) in the Gothic mythology. Their name signifies Chusers of the slain. They were mounted on swift horses, with drawn swords in their hands; and in the throng of battle selected such as were destined to slaughter, and conducted them to Valkalla, the hall of Odin, or paradise of the brave; where they attended the banquet, and served the departed heroes with horns of mead and ale. Now the storm begins to lower, Iron sleet of arrowy shower Hurtles in the darken'd air. |