SILVARUM LIBER.

PSALM CXIV.

ΙΣΡΑΗΛ ὅτε παῖδες, ὅτ' ἀγλαὰ φῦλ' Ιακώβου
Αἰγύπτιον λίπε δῆμον, ἀπεχθέα, βαρβαρόφωνον,
Δὴ τότε μοῦνον την ὅσιον γένος υἷες Ιούδα.
Ἐν δὲ Θεὸς λαοῖσι μέγα κρείων βασίλευεν.
Εἶδε, καὶ ἐντροπάδην φυγάδ' ἐῤῥώησε θάλασσα
Κύματι εἰλυμένη ῥοθίῳ, ὁδ' ἄρ ̓ ἐστυφελίχθη
Ιρὸς Ιορδάνης ποτὶ ἀργυροειδέα πηγήν.
Ἐκ δ' ὄρεα σκαρθμοῖσιν ἀπειρέσια κλονέοντο,
Ως κριοὶ σφριγόωντες ευτραφερῳ ἐν ἁλων.
Βαιοτέραι δ ̓ ἅμα πάσαι ἀνασκίρτησαν ἐρίπναι,
Οἷα παραὶ σύριγγι φίλῃ ὑπὸ μητέρι ἄρνες.
Τίπτε σύγ', αἰνὰ θάλασσα, πέλωρ φυγάδ' ἐῤῥώησας
Κύματι εἰλυμένη ῥοθίῳ; τί δ' ἄῤ ἐστυφελίχθης

Ιρὸς Ιορδάνη ποτὶ ἀργυροειδέα πηγήν;
Τίπτ', ὅρεα, σκαρθμοῖσιν ἀπειρέσια κλονέεσθε,
Ως κριοὶ σφριγόωντες ευτραφερῷ ἐν ἁλων;
Βαιοτέραι τί δ' ἀῤ ὕμμες ἀνασκιρτήσατ', ἐρίπναι,
Οἷα παραὶ σύριγγι φιλῃ ὑπὸ μητέρι ἄρνες;
Σείεο, γαῖα, τρέουσα Θεὸν μεγάλ ̓ ἐκτυπέοντα,
Γαῖα, Θεὸν τρείουσ ̓ ὕπατον σέβας Ισσακίδαο,

"Ος τε καὶ ἐκ σπιλάδων ποταμοὺς χέε μορμύροντας,

Κρήνην τ' ἀέναον πέτρης ἀπὸ δακρυοέσσης.

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Philosophus ad regem quendam, qui eum ignotum et insontem inter reos forte captum inscius damnaverat, τὴν ἐπὶ θανάτῳ πορευόμενος, hæc subito misit :

Ω ΑΝΑ, εἰ ὀλέσης με τὸν ἔννομον, οὐδέ τιν' ἀνδρῶν
Δεινὸν ὅλως δράσαντα, σοφώτατον ἴσθι κάρηνον
Ρηϊδίως ἀφέλοιο, τὸ δ ̓ ὕστερον αὖθι νοήσεις,
Μαψιδίως δ ̓ αὖ ἔπειτα τεὸν πρὸς θυμὸν ὀδυρῆ,
Τοιόν δ ̓ ἐκ πόλιος περιώνυμον ἄλκαρ ὀλέσσας.

IN EFFIGIEI EJUS SCULPTOREM.

̓ΑΜΑΘΕΙ͂ γεγράφθαι χειρὶ τήνδε μὲν εἰκόνα
Φαίης τάχ ̓ ἄν, πρὸς εἶδος αὐτοφυὲς βλέπων.
Τὸν δ ̓ ἐκτυπωτὸν οὐκ ἐπιγνόντες, φίλοι,
Γελᾶτε φαύλου δυσμίμημα ζωγράφου.

a Milton sent this translation to his friend Alexander Gill, in return for an elegant copy of henderasyllables. Τ. WARTON.

b This Ode is on the death of Dr. John Goslyn, master of Caius college, and king's professor of medicine at Cambridge; who died while a second time vice-chancellor of that university, in October, 1626. Milton was now seventeen.-T. WARTON. Quem larva Pelidis, &c.

Sarpedon, who was slain by Patroclus, disguised in the armour of Achilles. At his death his father wept a shower of blood. See Iliad. xvi.-T. WARTON.

4 Si triste fatum, &c.

"If enchantments could have stopped death, Circe, the mother of Telegonus by Ulysses, would have still lived; and Medea, the sister of Ægialus or Absyrtus, with her magical rod." Telegonus killed his father Ulysses, and is the same who is called "parricida" by Horace.-T. WARTON.

Absyrtus is called "Egialius" by Justin, Hist. lib. xliii. cap. 3, speaking of Jason and Eetes :-"Filiam ejus Medeam abduxerat, et filium Ægialium interfecerat."-TODD.

↑ Machaon.

Machaon, the son of Esculapius, one of the Grecian leaders at the siege of Troy, and a physician, was killed by Eurypylus.-T. WARTON.

Philyreie, &c.

Chiron, the son of Philyra, a preceptor in medicine, was incurably wounded by Hercules, with a dart dipped in the poisonous blood of the serpent of Lerna.-T. WARTON. h Nec tela te, &c.

Esculapius, who was cut out of his mother's womb by his father Apollo. Jupiter struck him dead with lightning, for restoring Hippolytus to life.-T. WARTON.

JAM pius extrema veniens Iacobus ab arcto,
Teucrigenas populos, lateque patentia regna
Albionum tenuit; jamque inviolabile fœdus
Sceptra Caledoniis conjunxerat Anglica Scotis:
Pacificusque novo, felix divesque, sedebat
In solio, occultique doli securus et hostis:
Cum ferus ignifluo regnans Acheronte tyrannus,
Eumenidum pater, æthereo vagus exul Olympo,
Forte per immensum terrarum erraverat orbem,
Dinumerans sceleris socios, vernasque fideles,
Participes regni post funera mosta futuros:
Hic tempestates medio ciet aëre diras,
Illic unanimes odium struit inter amicos,
Armat et invictas in mutua viscera gentes;
Regnaque olivifera vertit florentia pace:
Et quoscunque videt puræ virtutis amantes,
Hos cupit adjicere imperio, fraudumque magister
Tentat inaccessum sceleri corrumpere pectus;
Insidiasque locat tacitas, cassesque latentes
Tendit, ut incautos rapiat; ceu Caspia tigris
Insequitur trepidam deserta per avia prædam
Nocte sub illuni, et somno nictantibus astris:

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I have formerly remarked, that this little poem, as containing a council, conspiracy, and expedition of Satan, may be considered as an early and promising prolusion of Milton's genius to the 'Paradise Lost.'-T. WARTON.

Talibus infestat populos Summanusi et urbes,
Cinctus cæruleæ fumanti turbine flammæ.
Jamque fluentisonis albentia rupibus arva
Apparent, et terra deo dilecta marino,

Cui nomen dederat quondam Neptunia proles;
Amphitryoniaden qui non dubitavit atrocem,
Equore tranato, furiali poscere bello,
Ante expugnatæ crudelia sæcula Troja.

At simul hanc, opibusque et festa pace beatam,
Aspicit, et pingues donis Cerealibus agros,
Quodque magis doluit, venerantem numina veri
Sancta Dei populum, tandem suspiria rupit
Tartareos ignes et luridum olentia sulphur;
Qualia Trinacria trux ab Jove clausus in Ætna
Efflat tabifico monstrosus ab ore Tiphoeus.
Ignescunt oculi, stridetque adamantinus ordo
Dentis, ut armorum fragor, ictaque cuspide cuspis.
Atque," Pererrato solum hoc lacrymabile mundo
Inveni," dixit; "gens hæc mihi sola rebellis,
Contemtrixque jugi, nostraque potentior arte.
Illa tamen, mea si quicquam tentamina possunt,
Non feret hoc impune diu, non ibit inulta."
Hactenus; et piceis liquido natat aëre pennis:
Qua volat, adversi præcursant agmine venti,
Densantur nubes, et crebra tonitrua fulgent.

Jamque pruinosas velox superaverat Alpes,
Et tenet Ausoniæ fines; a parte sinistra
Nimbifer Apenninus erat, priscique Sabini,
Dextra veneficiis infamis Hetruria, necnon
Te furtiva, Tibris, Thetidi videt oscula dantem;
Hinc Mavortigenæ consistit in arce Quirini.
Reddiderant dubiam jam sera crepuscula lucem,
Cum circumgreditur totam Tricoronifer urbem,
Panificosque deos portat, scapulisque virorum
Evehitur; præeunt submisso poplite reges,
Et mendicantum series longissima fratrum';
Cereaque in manibus gestant funalia cæci,
Cimmeriis nati in tenebris, vitamque trahentes:

Templa dein multis subeunt lucentia tædis

(Vesper erat sacer iste Petro), fremitusque canentum
Sæpe tholos implet vacuos, et inane locorum.

J Summanus.

"Summanus" is an obsolete and uncommon name for Pluto, or the god of ghosts and night, "summus Manium," which Milton most probably had from Ovid, "Fast." vi. 731.-T. WARTON.

* Cum circumgreditur, &c.

He describes the procession of the Pope to St. Peter's church at Rome, on the eve of St. Peter's day.-T. WARTON.

'The orders of mendicant friars.-T. WARTON.

Qualiter exululat Bromius, Bromiique caterva,
Orgia cantantes in Echionio Aracyntho,
Dum tremit attonitus vitreis Asopus in undis,
Et procul ipse cava responsat rupe Citharon.
His igitur tandem solenni more peractis,
Nox senis amplexus Erebi taciturna reliquit,
Præcipitesque impellit equos stimulante flagello,
Captum oculis Typhlonta, Melanchætemque ferocem,
Atque Acherontæo prognatam patre Siopen
Torpidam, et hirsutis horrentem Phrica capillis.
Interea regum domitor, Phlegetontius hæres,
Ingreditur thalamos, neque enim secretus adulter
Producit steriles molli sine pellice noctes;
At vix compositos somnus claudebat ocellos,
Cum niger umbrarum dominus, rectorque silentum,
Prædatorque hominum, falsa sub imagine tectus
Astitit; assumtis micuerunt tempora canis ;
Barba sinus promissa tegit; cineracea longo
Syrmate verrit humum vestis, pendetque cucullus
Vertice de raso; et, ne quicquam desit ad artes,
Cannabeo lumbos constrinxit fune salaces,
Tarda fenestratis figens vestigia calceis.

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Talis, uti fama est, vasta Franciscus eremo
Tetra vagabatur solus per lustra ferarum,
Silvestrique tulit genti pia verba salutis
Impius, atque lupos domuit, Libycosque leones.
Subdolus at tali Serpens velatus amictu,

Solvit in has fallax ora execrantia voces:

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"Dormis, nate? Etiamne tuos sopor opprimit artus?
Immemor, O, fidei, pecorumque oblite tuorum!

Dum cathedram, venerande, tuam, diademaque triplex,

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Ridet Hyperboreo gens barbara nata sub axe;
Dumque pharetrati spernunt tua jura Britanni:

Surge, age; surge, piger, Latius quem Cæsar adorat,
Cui reserata patet convexi janua cœli,

Turgentes animos, et fastus frange procaces;
Sacrilegique sciant, tua quid maledictio possit,

Cannabeo lumbos constrinxit fune salaces,

Tarda fenestratis figens vestigia calceis.

Talis, uti fama est, vasta Franciscus eremo, &c.

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Francis Xavier, called "the Apostle of the Indians," whom he was sent to convert, about the year 1512, by Ignatius Loyola: he encountered a variety of perils in the Eastern deserts, which he traversed in a short black gown of canvas or sackcloth. At Goa the people observing that his shoes were patched or worn out, offered him new: but such was his mortification, that he could not be persuaded "ut veteres calceos permutaret novis," &c. Here we have Milton's "calcei fenestrati." Among his many pretended miracles, it is one, that during this extraordinary progress, he preached to the lions and other beasts of the wilderness. But an unknown correspondent has thrown new light on the whole of the context. "The passage has properly nothing to do with the Jesuit S. Francis Xavier. The 'fenestrati calcei' are the sandals, or soles, tied on the foot by straps, or thongs of leather, crossed, or lattice-wise, which are usually worn by the Franciscan friars."-T. WARTON.