Nor The Muse shall fing, and what fhe fings fhall laft.) Scarce could the Goddefs from her nymph be known, But by the crefcent and the golden zone. She scorn'd the praise of beauty, and the care; A belt her waist, a fillet binds her hair; 165 170 175 A painted NOTES. VER. 162. Queen ANNE. VER. 171. Dr. Warton fays, "that Johnson seems to have paffed too fevere a cenfure on this epifode of Lodona, and that a tale in a descriptive poem has a good effect." Johnson does not object to a tale in a descriptive poem, he objects only to the tritenefs of fuch a tale as this. VER. 175. IMITATIONS. "Nec pofitu variare comas; ubi fibula veftem, Ovid. 180 A painted quiver on her fhoulder founds, As from the God fhe flew with furious pace, 185 199 And NOTES. VER.179.] From the fourth book of Virgil, who copied it from Homer's beautiful figure of Apollo, Iliad, b. i. ver. 46. But, as Dr. Clark finely and acutely obferves, even Virgil has loft the, IMITATIONS, VER. 185, 188. "Ut fugere accipitrem penna trepidante columbæ, VER. 193, 196. "Sol erat a tergo: vidi præcedere longam Ante pedes umbram; nifi fi timor illa videbat. Moft of the circumftances in this tale are from Ovid. beauty Ovid. And now his fhorter breath, with fultry air, 195 Faint, breathlefs, thus fhe pray'd, nor pray'd in vain; "Ah Cynthia! ah-tho' banish'd from thy train, "Let me, O let me, to the fhades repair, 201 205 My native fhades-there weep, and murmur there." She faid, and melting as in tears fhe lay, In a foft, filver ftream diffolv'd away. The filver stream her virgin coldness keeps, For ever murmurs, and for ever weeps ; Still bears the name the hapless virgin bore, And bathes the foreft where fhe rang'd before. In her chaste current oft the Goddess laves, And with celeftial tears augments the waves. 210 Oft NOTES. beauty and the propriety of the original. Homer fays, the arrows founded in the quiver because the step of the God was hafty and irregular, as of an angry perfon. Irati defcribitur inceffus, paulo utique inæquabilior. WARTON. VER. 207. Still bears the name] The River Lodon. VER. 210. And with celeftial tears, &c.] The idea of " augmenting the waves with tears,' was very common among the carliest English Poets; but perhaps the most ridiculous use ever made of this combination, was by Shakespeare. Speaking of the drowned Ophelia, Laertes fays: "Too much of water hadit thou, poor Ophelia, And therefore I forbid my tears יין 215 Oft in her glass the mufing fhepherd spies Not Neptune's felf from all her streams receives Nor all his stars above a lustre show, Like the bright beauties on thy banks below; 220 225 230 NOTES. Where VER. 211. Oft in her glass, &c.] Thefe fix lines were added after the first writing of this poem. And in truth they are but puerile and redundant. POPE. WARTON. VER. 227. Very ill expreffed; efpecially the river's fwelling the lays. WARTON. Where Jove, fubdu'd by mortal paffion still, Might change Olympus for a nobler hill. Happy the man whom this bright Court approves, His Sov'reign favours, and his country loves: Happy next him, who to these shades retires, 236 Whom Nature charms, and whom the Muse inspires: He gathers health from herbs the forest yields, 240 With VARIATIONS. VER. 233. It flood thus in the MS. And force great Jove, if Jove's a lover ftill, VER. 235. Happy the man, who to these shades retires, But doubly hay, if the Muse infpires! Bleft whom the fweets of home-felt quiet please ; POPE. NOTES. VER. 237. Happy next him, &c.] Dr. Warton obferves, that this paffage resembles one in Phillips's Cyder. The paffage is this: He to his labour hies, Gladfome, intent on fomewhat that may eafe Foffils, and minerals, &c. or elfe his thoughts Are exercis'd with speculations deep, Of good, and juft, and meet, and th' wholesome rules The moral life; &c. |