Et, tenues ponens radios, gaudere videtur
Officium fieri tam breve fratris ope.

"Desere," Phœbus ait, "thalamos, Aurora, seniles;
Quid juvat effoeto procubuisse toro?

Te manet Æolides" viridi venator in herba;
Surge, tuos ignes altus Hymettus habet."
Flava verecundo dea crimen in ore fatetur,
Et matutinos ocyus urget equos.
Exuit invisam Tellus rediviva senectam,
Et cupit amplexus, Phoebe, subire tuos;
Et cupit, et digna est: quid enim formosius illa,
Pandit ut omniferos luxuriosa sinus,

Atque Arabum spirat messes, et ab ore venusto
Mitia cum Paphiis fundit amoma rosis!
Ecce! coronatur sacro frons ardua luco,
Cingit ut Idæam pinea turris Opim;
Et vario madidos intexit flore capillos,
Floribus et visa est posse placere suis.
Floribus effusos ut erat redimita capillos,
Tænario placuit diva Sicana deo.
Aspice, Phoebe; tibi faciles hortantur amores,
Mellitasque movent flamina verna preces:
Cinnamea Zephyrus leve plaudit odorifer ala,
Blanditiasque tibi ferre videntur aves.
Nec sine dote tuos temeraria quærit amores
Terra, nec optatos poscit egena toros;
Alma salutiferum medicos tibi gramen in usus
Præbet, et hinc titulos adjuvat ipsa tuos:
Quod, si te pretium, si te fulgentia tangunt
Munera, (muneribus sæpe coemptus amor)
Illa tibi ostentat quascunque sub æquore vasto,
Et superinjectis montibus, abdit opes.

Ah, quoties, cum tu clivoso fessus Olympo
In vespertinas præcipitaris aquas,

"Cur te," inquit, "cursu languentem, Phoebe, diurno
Hesperiis recipit cærula mater aquis?

Quid tibi cum Tethy? Quid cum Tartesside lympha?
Dia quid immundo perluis ora salo?

Frigora, Phoebe, mea melius captabis in umbra;
Huc ades, ardentes imbue rore comas.

Mollior egelida veniet tibi somnus in herba;
Huc ades, et gremio lumina pone meo:

Quaque jaces, circum mulcebit lene susurrans
Aura per humentes corpora fusa rosas:
Nec me (crede mihi) terrent Semelëia fata,
Nec Phaetonteo fumidus axis equo :

Te manet Eolides, &c.

Cephalus, with whom Aurora fell in love as she saw him hunting on Mount Hymettus. And Cephalus is "the Attic boy," with whom Aurora was accustomed to hunt, "Il Pens." v. 124.-T. WArton.

Cum tu, Phoebe, tuo sapientius uteris igni ;
Huc ades, et gremio lumina pone meo.'
Sic Tellus lasciva suos suspirat amores;

Matris in exemplum cætera turba ruunt:
Nunc etenim toto currit vagus orbe Cupido,
Languentesque fovet solis ab igne faces :
Insonuere novis lethalia cornua nervis,

Triste micant ferro tela corusca novo:
Jamque vel invictam tentat superasse Dianam,
Quæque sedet sacro Vesta pudica foco.
Ipsa senescentem raparat Venus annua formam,
Atque iterum tepido creditur orta mari.
Marmoreas juvenes clamant Hymenæe! per urbes;
Littus, Io Hymen! et cava saxa sonant.
Cultior ille venit, tunicaque decentior apta,
Puniceum redolet vestis odora crocum.

100

105

Egrediturque frequens, ad amoni gaudia veris,

Virgineos auro cincta puella sinus:

110

Votum est cuique suum, votum est tamen omnibus unum,

Ut sibi, quem cupiat, det Cytherea virum ;

Nunc quoque septena modulatur arundine pastor,

Et sua, quæ jungat, carmina Phyllis habet.

Navita nocturno placat sua sidera cantu,
Delphinasque leves ad vada summa vocat:
Jupiter ipse alto cum conjuge ludit Olympo,
Convocat et famulos ad sua festa deos:
Nunc etiam Satyri, cum sera crepuscula surgunt,
Pervolitant celeri florea rura choro;
Sylvanusque sua cyparissi fronde revinctus,
Semicaperque deus, semideusque caper:
Quæque sub arboribus Dryades latuere vetustis,
Per juga, per solos, exspatiantur agros.
Per sata luxuriat fruticetaque Mænalius Pan;
Vix Cybele mater, vix sibi tuta Ceres;
Atque aliquam cupidus prædatur Oreada Faunus,
Consulit in trepidos dum sibi nympha pedes;
Jamque latet, latitansque cupit male tecta videri;
Et fugit, et fugiens pervelit ipsa capi.
Di quoque non dubitant cœlo præponere sylvas,
Et sua quisque sibi numina lucus habet:
Et sua quisque diu sibi numina lucus habeto,
Nec vos arborea, Di, precor, ite domo.
Te referant miseris, te, Jupiter, aurea terris
Sæcla; quid ad nimbos aspera tela redis?
Tu saltem lente rapidos age, Phoebe, jugales,
Qua potes, et sensim tempora veris eant;
Brumaque productas tarde ferat hispida noctes,
Ingruat et nostro serior umbra polo.

115

120

125

130

35

140

More wisely than when you lent your chariot to Phaeton, and when I was consumed "by the excess of your heat." He alludes to the speech or complaint of Tellus, in the story of Phaeton. See "Metam." ii. 272.-T. WARTON.

ELEG. VI.

Ad CAROLUM DEODATUM ruri commorantem, qui cum Idibus Decemb. scripsisset, et sua carmina excusari postulasset solito minus essent bona, quod inter lautitias, quibus erat ab amicis exceptus, haud satis felicem operam Musis dare se posse affirmabat, hoc habuit responsum :

MITTO tibi sanam non pleno ventre salutem,
Qua tu, distento, forte carere potes.

At tua quid nostram prolectat Musa Camœnam,
Nec sinit optatas posse sequi tenebras ?

Carmine scire velis quam te redamemque colamque;
Crede mihi, vix hoc carmine scire queas:
Nam neque noster amor modulis includitur arctis,
Nec venit ad claudos integer ipse pedes.
Quam bene solennes epulas hilaremque Decembrem,
Festaque colifugam quæ coluere deum,
Deliciasque refers, hiberni gaudia ruris,

Haustaque per lepidos Gallica musta focos! P
Quid quereris refugam vino dapibusque poesin?

Carmen amat Bacchum, carmina Bacchus amat:
Nec puduit Phoebum virides gestasse corymbos,
Atque hederam lauro præposuisse suæ.
Sæpius Aoniis clamavit collibus, Euce!
Mista Thyoneo turba novena choro.

Naso Corallæis mala carmina misit ab agris;
Non illic epulæ, non sata vitis erat.

Quid nisi vina, rosasque, racemiferumque Lyæum,
Cantavit brevibus Tëia Musa modis?
Pindaricosque inflat numeros Teumesius Euan,
Et redolet sumtum pagina quæque merum;
Dum gravis everso currus crepat axe supinus,
Et volat Eleo pulvere fuscus eques.
Quadrimoque madens lyricen Romanus Iaccho,
Dulce canit Glyceran, flavicomamque Chloen.
Jam quoque lauta tibi generoso mensa paratu
Mentis alit vires, ingeniumque fovet.
Massica fœcundam despumant pocula venam,
Fundis et ex ipso condita metra cado.

Addimus his artes, fusumque per intima Phoebum
Corda; favent uni Bacchus, Apollo, Ceres.

Scilicet haud mirum, tam dulcia carmina per te,
Numine composito, tres peperisse deos.

85

P Haustaque per lepidos Gallica musta focos.

Deodate had sent Milton a copy of verses, in which he described the festivities of Christmas.-T. WARTON.

q Teumesius Euan.

Teumesus is a mountain of Boeotia, the district in which Thebes was situated; and its inhabitants were called Teumesii. Milton here puzzles his readers with minute and unnecessary learning. The meaning of the line is this:-"The Theban god Bacchus inspires the numbers of his congenial Pindar, the Theban poet."-T. WARTON.

Nunc quoque Thressa tibi cælato barbitos auro
Insonat, arguta mollitur icta manu;
Auditurque chelys suspensa tapetia circum,"
Virgineos tremula quæ regat arte pedes.
Illa tuas saltem teneant spectacula Musas,
Et revocent, quantum crapula pellit iners.
Crede mihi, dum psallit ebur, comitataque plectrum
Implet odoratos festa chorea tholos,

Percipies tacitum per pectora serpere Phoebum,
Quale repentinus permeat ossa calor;
Perque puelleres oculos, digitumque sonantem,
Irruet in totos lapsa Thalia sinus.

Namque Elegia levis multorum cura deorum est,
Et vocat ad numeros quemlibet illa suos;

Liber adest elegis, Eratoque, Ceresque, Venusque,
Et cum purpurea matre tenellus Amor.
Talibus inde licent convivia larga poetis,
Sæpius et veteri commaduisse mero.

t

At qui bella refert, et adulto sub Jove cœlum,
Heroasque pios, semideosque duces,

Et nunc sancta canit superum consulta deorum,
Nunc latrata fero regna profunda cane;
Ille quidem parce, Samii pro more magistri,
Vivat, et innocuos præbeat herba cibos;
Stet prope fagineo pellucida lympha catillo,
Sobriaque e puro pocula fonte bibat.

Additur huic scelerisque vacans, et casta juventus,
Et rigidi mores, et sine labe manus:

Qualis, veste nitens sacra, et lustralibus undis,
Surgis ad infensos, augur, iture deos.

Hoc ritu vixisse ferunt post rapta sagacem
Lumina Tiresian, Ogygiumque Linon,
Et lare devoto profugum Calchanta, senemque
Orpheon, edomitis sola per antra feris;
Sic dapis exiguus, sic rivi potor Homerus
Dulichium vexit per freta longa virum,
Et per monstrificam Perseiæ Phoebados aulum,"
Et vada fœmineis insidiosa sonis;

Nunc quoque Thressa tibi, &c.

The Thracian harp. Orpheus was of Thrace.-T. WARTON.

• Auditurque chelys suspensa tapetia circum, &c.

70

Mr. Warton has observed, that here is a reference to the mode of furnishing halls or state-apartments with tapestry, which had not ceased in Milton's time. Compare "Comus," v. 324.-TODD.

At qui bella refert, &c. ·

Ovid, Anacreon, Pindar, and Horace indulged in convivial festivity; and this also is an indulgence which must be allowed to the professed writer of elegies and odes: but the epic poet, who has a more serious and important task, must live sparingly, according to the dictates of Pythagoras. Milton's panegyrics on temperance both in eating and drinking, resulting from his own practice, are frequent.-T. Warton.

u Et per monstrificam Perseia Phabados aulam.

Circe was the daughter of the Sun, and, as some say, of Hecate.-T. WARTON.

Perque tuas, rex ime, domos, ubi sanguine nigro
Dicitur umbrarum detinuisse greges.
Dis etenim sacer est vates, divumque sacerdos;
Spirat et occultum pectus, et ora, Jovem.
At tu, siquid agam, scitabere, (si modo saltem
Esse putas tanti noscere siquid agam)
Paciferum canimus cœlesti semine Regem,
Faustaque sacratis sæcula pacta libris ;
Vagitumque Dei, et stabulantem paupere tecto,

Qui suprema suo cum Patre regna colit;

Et subito elisos ad sua fana deos.

75

Stelliparumque polum, modulantesque æthere turmas,

85

Dona quidem dedimus Christi natalibus illa,

Te quoque pressa manent patriis meditata cicutis ;▾
Tu mihi cui recitem, judicis instar eris.

90

Illa sub auroram lux mihi prima tulit.

ELEG. VII.

ANNO ÆTATis 19.

NONDUM, blanda, tuas leges, Amathusia, noram,
Et Paphio vacuum pectus ab igne fuit.
Sæpe cupidineas, puerilia tela, sagittas,

Atque tuum sprevi, maxime, numen, Amor.
Tu, puer, imbelles, dixi, transfige columbas;
Conveniunt tenero mollia bella duci :

Aut de passeribus timidos age, parve, triumphos;
Hæc sunt militiæ digna tropaa tuæ.

In genus humanum quid inania dirigis arma?

Non valet in fortes ista pharetra viros.

10

Non tulit hoc Cyprius, neque enim deus ullus ad iras

Promptior, et duplici jam ferus igne calet.

Ver erat, et summæ radians per culmina villæ
Attulerat primam lux tibi, Maie, diem:

At mihi adhuc refugam quærebant lumina noctem,
Nec matutinum sustinuere jubar."

Astat Amor lecto, pictis Amor impiger alis;
Prodidit astantem mota pharetra deum:
Prodidit et facies, et dulce minantis ocelli,
Et quicquid puero dignum et Amore fuit.

▾ Te quoque pressa manent patriis meditata cicutis.

15

20

His English "Ode on the Nativity." This he means to submit to Deodate's inspection. "You shall next have some of my English poetry."

The transitions and connexions of this Elegy are conducted with the skill and address of a master, and form a train of allusions and digressions productive of fine sentiment and poetry. From a trifling and unimportant circumstance, the reader is gradually led to great and lofty imagery.-T. WARTON.

w At mihi adhuc refugam quærabant lumina noctem,
Nec matutinum sustinuere jubar.

Here is the elegance of poetical expression: but he really complains of the weakness of his eyes, which began early. He has "light unsufferable."-" Ode Nativ." v. 8.T. WARTON.