Dum sibi præreptum queritur Damona, neque altam 10 15 begins with a liquid (as above), a double consonant, as 'Euriquē Zephyrique, G. i. 371, or with the letters, as 'Chloreaque Sybarimque,' Æn. xii. 363. Mr. Nettleship, in his Excursus at the end of the third volume of Conington's Virgil, points out that in this respect Virgil has strictly followed Homer. 8 exemit] 'released' from the task of repeating his lament. Prof. Masson well translates the passage, 'compelling even the midnight Into the sound of his woe.' 'Luctibus' is probably the ablative, that being the usual construction in the Augustan age; but the dative is used by later writers. Cf. Tac. Ann. xiv. 48, 'ut morti eximeretur.' 9 bis] i.e. in 1638 and 1639. The Epitaphium Damonis was written towards the end of the latter year, and Diodati seems to have died in the summer of 1638 (Masson, Life of Milton, vol. i. p. 776). 13 Dulcis amor Muse] See in the Argument the words 'animi causa profectus peregre.' Milton here refers to his second visit to Florence in the beginning of 1639, which lasted two months. Of the first he thus speaks in the Defensio Secunda pro populo Anglicano: 'Illic multorum et nobilium sane et doc The torum hominum familiaritatem statim contraxi, quorum privatas academias assidue frequentavi.' Among these friends were Carlo Dati and Francini (1. 137), the former of whom addressed to him the Latin letter inscribed 'Joanni Miltoni Londiniensi, &c.'; the latter the complimentary Italian ode beginning 'Ergimi all' etra o Clio.' 'private academies' were literary societies for the mutual acquaintance and friendship of learned men, for admission to which each member had to give some 'proof of his talent or learning,' as Milton tells us in the Reason of Church Government. He probably there recited some of his early Latin poems, which won for him the encomiums above referred to (Masson, vol. i. pp. 719 foll.). 15 assueta sub ulmo] i.e. at his father's house at Horton; possibly the dilectas villarum ulmos' mentioned in the seventh of the Prolusiones Oraioria, delivered at Cambridge. Elms still form a prominent feature in the scenery about Horton. Warton compares the 'accustomed oak,' Il Penseroso, 60. For the postposition of -que, cf. Propert. II. xvi. II, 'ferratam Danaes transiliamque domum ; ' Tibull. I. iii. 55, 'Messalam terra dum sequiturque mari.' Ite domum impasti, domino jam non vacat, agni. Ite domum impasti, domino jam non vacat, agni. Solvere post Daphnin, post Daphnin dicere laudes, Ite domum impasti, domino jam non vacat, agni. 23] Hor. Od. I. xxiv. 15: 'Non vanæ redeat sanguis imagini, Quam virga semel horrida Nigro compulerit Mercurius gregi' (l. 25). For 'aurea' cf. Hom. Od. x. 277, where Hermes is called χρυσόῤῥαπις. Lucian has the same simile, αὐτὸς . ὥσπερ τι αἰπόλιον ἀθρόους αὐτοὺς τῇ ῥάβδῳ σοβων. 25 silentum] used absolutely of the dead in Virg. Æn. vi. 432. The ' ignavum pecus' is from G. iv. 168, where it has quite a different application. Keightley notes the expression 'pecus as 'strange, but its use here is justified by 'gregi' in the passage from Horace quoted above. 27 nisi me, &c.] i.e. 'if I do not lose my power of utterance.' See Virg. E. ix. 54 for the superstition that if a wolf saw a man first, the latter became dumb. 20 25 30 35 28] Cf. Lycidas, 14. Warton quotes Ovid, Trist. III. iii. 45. 31] Cf. Virg. E. v. 78-80, where Daphnis, the great pastoral hero, is promised divine honours equal to those paid to Bacchus and Ceres. 33 priscamque fidem, &c.] the faith of the old and the loyal' (Masson), i.e. the good old-fashioned rustic faith. Keightley questions the correctness of this use of 'pium' as a substantive. It certainly sounds somewhat harsh in connexion with 'fidem,' but the expression itself may be paralleled by the 'honestum,' 'utile,' &c., so common in Cicero's philosophical treatises, which are imitations of the Greek τὸ καλόν, &c. 37 modo] probably an adverb of time = 'now.' It is more commonly Hærebit lateri comes, ut tu sæpe solebas Ite domum impasti, domino jam non vacat, agni. Molle pyrum et nucibus strepitat focus, et malus Auster Ite domum impasti, domino jam non vacat, agni. Ite domum impasti, domino jam non vacat, agni. employed with past tenses than with 39 feta pruinis] Virg. Æn. i. 51, 'loca feta furentibus Austris.' 43 sopire diem) like 'condere soles,' Virg. E. ix. 52. 46] Todd comp. 'eating cares,' L'Allegro, 135, and 'curis mordacibus,' Lucan, Phars. ii. 681. 48 nucibus] probably 'chestnuts,' sc. 'castaneis.' Cf. Virg. E. ii. 52. 49 miscet cuncta] 'blurs all the landscape.' (See also Masson's Translation.) Cf. Virg. G. i. 359, Æn. iv. 160. 51] Lucan, Phars. iii. 423, 'medio cum Phœbus in axe est.' 40 45 50 55 There is a slight confusion between the notion of midday and that of the earth's turning on its axis; 'medio' implying that the revolution is half completed. 52] From Theocr. Id. i. 16, where the goatherd refuses to accept Thyrsis' invitation to sing, for fear of disturbing Pan during his midday siesta. 53] A partial reminiscence of Virg. Æn. i. 167. 'Sibi' is probably to be taken after 'nota,' but is not wanted in the sentence. 56 Cecropios] = Atticos. Virg. G. iv. 177. For 'Attic salt' cf. Mart. Epigr. III. xx. 9, lepore tinctos Atticos sales.' Hic serum expecto; supra caput imber et Eurus 60 Ite domum impasti, domino jam non vacat, agni. 65 Ite domum impasti, domino jam non vacat, agni. 60 serum] Livy, vii. 8, 'serum erat diei.' Neither Ovid nor Virgil appears to have used the word as a noun in this sense. 61 agitata crepuscula silvæ] = silva per crepusculum agitata. Keightley explains it of 'the twilight or doubtful light caused by the foliage,' and refers to the 'shadows brown' of Il Penseroso, 134, and the 'chequered shade' of L'Allegro, 96. Symmons quotes also from Cowper, Task, B. i. 347 'so sportive is the light, Shot through the boughs, it dances as they dance, Shadow and sunshine intermingling quick.' 64] Keightley well observes that the land' cracks æstu not situ (Virg. G. i. 72),' but he is wrong in supposing that 'seges' cannot mean the ground itself, since it is distinctly used in this sense by Virgil in G. i. 47 and iv. 129. In the former passage 'seges' is the land after ploughing, but before any seed is sown, and in the latter it is the soil with reference to its future produce. Here however the addition of 'alta' (which must mean tall) seems to force us to I 70 translate 'seges' 'a field of standing corn,' which will not make any sense with 'fatiscit.' Masson's translation, 'the tall corn sickens with mildew,' does not accurately render the Latin verb. 65] For the 'marriage' of the vine with larger trees, see the passages cited on Lycidas, 40; also P. L. v. 215 foll. 'Uva' here must be the vine itself, as in Virg. G. ii. 60, 'fert uva racemos.' It is difficult to see the force of Keightley's objection to its being 'joined with "racemo," which is a part of it.' The latter is of course a modal ablative, or else the ablative absolute. 67] Referred to on Lycidas, 125. 69] 'Tityrus' &c. are all from Virgil's Eclogues. Milton may or may not have had particular acquaintances of his in view under these names' (Masson). 71] Partly imitated from Gallus' invitation to Lycoris, Virg. E. x. 42; the original is in Theoc. v. 33. 'Illita,' which means 'smeared' or 'spread on the surface,' does not accurately express the idea of moss growing among grass. Perhaps consita, or intersita (omitting 'hic'), would have been better. 'Hic Zephyri, hic placidas interstrepit arbutus undas :' Ista canunt surdo, frutices ego nactus abibam. Ite domum impasti, domino jam non vacat, agni. Mopsus ad hæc-nam me redeuntem forte notarat(Et callebat avium linguas, et sidera Mopsus,) 'Thyrsi, quid hoc?' dixit, 'quæ te coquit improba bilis? 'Aut te perdit amor, aut te male fascinat astrum ; 'Saturni grave sæpe fuit pastoribus astrum, 'Intimaque obliquo figit præcordia plumbo.' 'Ite domum impasti, domino jam non vacat, agni. Mirantur nymphæ, et 'Quid te, Thyrsi, futurum est? 73] 'Surdo canere' was a proverb. Cf. Virg. E. x. 8, 'non canimus surdis;' Propert. Iv. viii. 47, 'cantabunt surdo.' Langhorne ludicrously misunderstands the latter part of this line, when he translates it 'I cut my shrubs (!) and careless walked away.' 76] So in Virg. Æn. iii. 360, Æneas addresses Helenus, 'qui sidera sentis, Et volucrum linguas et præpetis omina pennæ;' and in x. 176 Asilas is named as the seer 'cui sidera parent Et linguæ volucrum.' Keightley is probably right in observing that 'ăvium' should be long by position, as 'āriete' &c. in Virgil. As an instance most closely resembling the one in the text, cf. Virg. G. i. 482, 'fluviorum Eridanus.' rex 75 80 Greek -ωρ; but he thinks Virgil was ignorant of this reason, since he never indulges in the license except in arsi. Hogg has done the same in his version of Lycidas, 208. fascinat] said of the evil eye in witchcraft, Virg. E. iii. 103. For the supposed influence of the stars, see on Lycidas, 138. 79] Warton quotes Propert. IV. i. 84, 'et grave Saturni sidus in omne caput,' as showing that this planet was considered to be generally noxious; although there is no apparent reason why shepherds should be specially affected by it. Possibly the Saturnine melancholy and gloom (see opening lines of Il Penseroso) may be intended by way of contrast to the joyous ideal of pastoral life. 80 obliquo] partly continues the allusion contained in 'fascinat,' the notion being that of a sidelong envious glance. Cf. 'obliquo oculo,' Hor. Ep. 1. xiv. 37. ‘Plumbo,' because lead was Saturn's metal in alchemy. 82 nymphæ et] cf. Virg. E. iii. 6; et,' &c. For the hiatus G. i. 4, 'pecori quid te futurum est] There seems to be no authority for this use of the verb 'esse' with the ablative. |