70 Jactet, et Aufoniis plena theatra ftolis. Gloria Virginibus debetur prima Britannis; Extera, fat tibi fit, fœmina, poffe fequi. Túque urbs Dardaniis, Londinum, ftructa colonis, Turrigerum latè confpicienda caput, 75 arcendo accommodata, fub qua æftivo potiffimum tempore matronæ fpatiabantur." See alfo iv. viii. 75. Other proofs occur in Catullus, Martial, and Statius. Pompey's theatre and portico were contiguous. The words Aufoniis ftolis imply literally the Theatre filled with the ladies of Rome." But ftola properly points out a matron. See Note on Il Penf. v. 35. And Ovid, Epift. ex Pont. iii. iii. 52. Scripfimus hæc iftis, quarum nec vitta pudicos And Trift. ii. 252. "Quas ftola contingi, vittaque fumpta vetat? "At matrona poteft, &c." T. WARTON. Ver. 74. Turrigerum latè confpicienda caput,] So, in L'All v. 117. "Tower'd cities." See Marlowe and Chapman's Hero and Leander, edit. 1637, B. ii. "Tower'd courts. See also Par. Loft, B. i. 733. " Many a tower'd ftructure high." And the Note on ver. 5, El. iii. Thus Lucan, Turrigero vertice." TODD. cellarii, v. 3, and Par. Loft, B. iv. 1000. TODD. Ovid, De Arte Amand. Ver. 77. Non tibi tot calo &c.] lib. i. 55. "Tot tibi namque dabit formofas Roma puellas, "Hæc habet, ut dicas quicquid in orbe fuit: "Gargara quot fegetes Quot cœlum ftellas, &c." RICHARDSON. Endymioneæ turba miniftra deæ, 80 Quot tibi, confpicua formáque auróque, puellæ 85 Stat quoque juncofas Cami remeare paludes, Atque iterum raucæ murmur adire Scholæ. 90 Interea fidi parvum cape munus amici, Paucáque in alternos verba coacta modos *, Ver. 78. Endymioneæ &c.] Grotius, Silv. 1. iii. Epith. iii. "Endymioneas invadat Cynthia noctes." TODD. Ver. 89. - juncofas] The epithet is picturesque and appropriated, and exactly describes the river Cam: hence in Lycidas," his bonnet fedge." Jos. WARTON. Add alfo ver. 11. "Jam nec arundiferum mihi cura revisere Camum." But there is a contempt in defcribing Cambridge, and its river, by the expreffion the rushy marshes of Cam. Sce y. 13, 14. And Notes on Lycid. v. 105. T. Warton. Milton might be influenced, in his defcription of the Cam, by an expreffion in Theognis: Σπάρτην τ ̓ Εὐρώτα ΔΟΝΑΚΟΤΡΟΦΟΥ ἀγλαὸν ἄςυ. TODD. Ver. 92. The Roxana of Alabafter has been mentioned by Dr. Johnfon as a Latin compofition, equal to the Latin poetry of Milton Whoever but flightly examines it, will find it written in the style and manner of the turgid and unnatural Seneca. It was printed by the author himself at London, 1632. Yet it was written forty years before, 1592, and there had been a furreptitious edition. It is remarkable, that Mors, DEATH, is one of the perfons of the Drama. Jos. WARTON. I must add, that among the Dramatica poemata of Sir William Drury, one of the plays is called MORS, and Mors is a chief fpeaker. Duaci, 1628. 12mo. edit. 2. Firft printed 1620. See below, El. iii. 6. T. WARTON. See alfo feveral examples of Death exhibited as a perfon, in the note on Par. L. B. ii. 666. The learned Lord Monboddo pronounces this Elegy to be equal to any thing of the "elegiac kind, to be found in Ovid, or even in Tibullus.” T. WARTON. ELEG. II. Anno Ætatis 17. In obitum Præconis Academici Cantabrigienfis *. TE, qui, confpicuus baculo fulgente, folebas * The perfon here commemorated, is Richard Ridding, one of the University-Beadles, and a Mafter of Arts of Saint John's college, Cambridge. He figned a teftamentary Codicil, Sept. 23, 1626, proved the eighth day of November following. From Registr, Teftam. Cantabr. T. WARTON. Ver. 2. It was a custom at Cambridge, lately disused, for one of the beadles to make proclamation of convocations in every college. This is ftill in ufe at Oxford. T. WARTON. Ver. 5. Candidiora &c.] Ovid, Trist. iv. viii. 1. “Jam mea cygneas imitantur tempora plumas." T. WARTON. Ver. 6. Sub quibus accipimus delituiffe Jovem ;] Ovid, Epist. Heroid. viii. 68. "Non ego fluminei referam mendacia cigni, "Nec querar in plumis delituiffe Jovem." T. WARTON. Hæmonio juvenescere fucco, &c.] See Ver. 7. Ovid, Metam. vii. 264. "Illic Hæmonia radices valle refectas, Seminaque, florefque, et fuccos incoquit acres." And compare, below, Manf. v. 75. T. WARTON. Dignus, quem Stygiis medicâ revocaret ab undis Et celer à Phœbo nuntius ire tuo; 10 Alipes, æthereâ miffus ab arce Patris : Talis et Eury bates ante ora furentis Achillei 15 Rettulit Atridæ juffa fevera ducis. Magna fepulchrorum regina, fatelles Averni, Sæva nimis Mufis, Palladi fæva nimis, Quin illos rapias qui pondus inutile terræ ; Turba quidem eft telis ifta petenda tuis. Veftibus hunc igitur pullis, Academia, luge, Et madeant lachrymis nigra feretra tuis. 20 Ver. 10. Arte Coronides,] Coronides is Æfculapius, the for of Apollo by Coronis. See Ovid, Metum. xv. 624. But the particular allufion is here to Æfculapius reftoring Hippolitus to life, at the request of Diana, Faft. vi. 745. feq. Where he is called Coronides. T. WARTON. Ver. 13. Talis &c.] Thefe allufions are proofs of our author's early familiarity with Homer. T. WARTON. Ver. 17. Magna fepulchrorum regina,] A fublime poetical appellation for Death: and much in the manner of his English poetry. T. WARTON. Shakspeare, in his Venus and Adonis, calls Death the "king of graves." Venus is fpeaking of Death: "Now he adds honour to his hateful name: "She cleeps him king of graves, and grave for kings, Ver. 19. pondus inutile terræ ;] Homer, Il. xviii. 104. ἐτώσιον ἄχθος ἀρέρης. JOHN WARTON. Ver. 22. Et madeant lachrymis nigra feretra tuis.] Here |