A train of phantoms in wild order rofe,
And join'd, this intellectual scene compose.

10

I ftood, methought, betwixt earth, feas, and skies; The whole creation open to my eyes:

In

NOTES.

he was confirmed by the Abbé Barthelmy, at Paris, whose learned correfpondence with Mr. Stanley on this fubject I have read. At laft Mr. Stanley gave up this opinion, and was convinced that Boccace invented the tale Crefcembini and Muratori have men. tioned the Tefeide more than once. That very laborious and learned antiquary Apoftolo Zeno, fpeaks thus of it in his notes to the Bibliotheca of Fontanini, p. 50. t. i. Quefta opera pastorale (that is, the Ameto) che prende il nome dal paftore Ameto, ha data l'origine all egloga Italiana, non fenza lode del Boccacio, a cui pure la noftra lingua deve il ritrovamento della ottava rima (which was first used in the Teseide), e del poema eroico. Gravina does not mention this poem. Crefcembini gives this opinion of it, p. 118. t. i Nel medefimo fecolo del Petrarca, il Boccacio diede principio all' Epica, colla fua Tefeide, e col Filoftrato; ma nello ftile non accede la mediocrita, anzi fovente cadde nell' umile. The fashion that has lately obtained, in all the nations of Europe, of republishing and illustrating their old Poets, does honour to the good taste and liberal curiofity of the present age. It is always pleafing, and indeed ufeful, to look back to the rude beginnings of any art brought to a greater degree of elegance and grace.

Aurea nunc, olim fylveftribus horrida dumis.

Virg.

WARTON.

VER. 1. In that foft feafon, &c.] This poem is introduced in the manner of the Provençal Poets, whofe works were for the moft part Visions, or pieces of imagination, and conftantly defcriptive. From these, Petrarch and Chaucer frequently borrow the idea of their poems See the Trionfi of the former, and the Dream, Flower and the Leaf, &c. of the latter. The Author of this thereof chose the fame fort of exordium. POPE.

VER. 11. I flood,] This poem was elegantly tranflated into French by Madame du Boccage, who alfo wrote three poems of the epic kind: The Paradife, from Milton; the Death of Abel, from Gefner; and the Exploits of Columbus, in ten cantos.

In air felf-balanc'd hung the globe below,

Where mountains rife, and circling oceans flow;
Here naked rocks, and empty waftes were feen, 15
There tow'ry cities, and the forests green;

Here failing fhips delight the wand'ring eyes;
There trees, and intermingled temples rise :
Now a clear fun the fhining scene displays,
The tranfient landscape now in clouds decays,
O'er the wide Profpect as I gaz'd around,
Sudden I heard a wild promifcuous found,
Like broken thunders that at diftance roar,

20

Or billows murm'ring on the hollow shore :

Then gazing up, a glorious pile beheld,
Whofe tow'ring fummit ambient clouds conceal'd.
High on a rock of Ice the ftructure lay,

25

Steep its afcent, and flipp'ry was the way;

The

NOTES.

VER. 27. High on a rock of Ice] Milton, in his poem on the Fifth of November (Works, vol. ii. p. 506. v. 170.), has introduced a defcription of the Temple or Tower of Fame, copied from the 12th book of Ovid's Metamorphofis, v. 39. and from this vifion of Chaucer, with the addition of many circumftances and images.

WARTON.

It is fingular that Pope has made the time of his vifion in Spring. In Chaucer it is in December, and the rock of ice is in. troduced with more propriety than in Spring.

IMITATIONS.

VER. II. &c.] Thefe verfes are hinted from the following of Chaucer, Book ii.

"Tho' beheld I fields and plains,
"Now hills, and now mountains,

The wond'rous rock like Parian marble fhone,
And seem❜d, to distant sight, of solid stone.
Infcriptions here of various names I view'd,
The greater part by hoftile time fubdu'd;
Yet wide was spread their fame in ages past,
And Poets once had promis'd they should last.
Some fresh engrav'd appear'd of Wits renown'd;
I look'd again, nor could their trace be found.
Critics I faw, that other names deface,

And fix their own, with labour, in their place:

30.

3.6

Their

IMITATIONS.

"Now valeis, and now foreftes,

"And now unneth great bestes,

"Now rivers, now citees,

"Now towns, now great trees,

"Now shippes fayling in the fees."

POPE.

VER. 27. High on a rock of Ice, &c.] Chaucer's third book of

Their own, like others, foon their place refign'd,
Or disappear'd, and left the first behind.

Nor was the work impair'd by storms alone,
But felt th' approaches of too warm a fun ;
For Fame, impatient of extremes, decays
Not more by Envy than excess of Praife.

40

Yet part no injuries of heav'n could feel,
Like crystal faithful to the graving steel:

45

NOTES.

The

VER. 41. Nor was the work impair'd] Does not this use of the heat of the fun appear to be puerile and far-fetched conceit ? What connection is there betwixt the two forts of exceffes here

may ever laft.”

POPE

VER. 41. Nor was the work impair'd, &c.]

"Tho' gan I in myne harte caft,

"That they were molte away

for heate,

The rock's high fummit, in the temple's shade,
Nor heat could melt, nor beating storm invade.

Their names infcrib'd unnumber'd ages past

From time's first birth, with time itself fhall laft; 50
Thefe ever new, nor fubject to decays,

Spread, and grow brighter with the length of days.
So Zembla's rocks (the beauteous work of frost)
Rife white in air, and glitter o'er the coaft;
Pale funs, unfelt, at distance roll away,
And on th' impaffive ice the lightnings play;
Eternal fnows the growing mafs fupply,

Till the bright mountains prop th' incumbent fky:
As Atlas fix'd, each hoary pile appears,

The gather'd winter of a thousand

years.

On this foundation Fame's high temple stands;
Stupendous pile! not rear'd by mortal hands.
Whate'er proud Rome or artful Greece beheld,
Or elder Babylon, its frame excell'd.

NOTES.

55

бо

Four

mentioned? My purpose in animadverting fo frequently as I have done on this fpecies of false thoughts, is to guard the reader, especially of the younger fort, from being betrayed by the authority of fo correct a writer as Pope into fuch specious and falfe refinements of ftyle. For the fame reason the oppofition of ideas, in the three laft words of the following line, may be condemned:

"And legiflators feem to think in ftone."

WARTON.

VER. 53. So Zembla's rocks] A real lover of painting will not be contented with a fingle view and examination of this beautiful light. The images are diftinct, and the epithets lively and approwinter-piece; but will retutn to it again and again with fresh depriated, especially the words, pale, unfelt, impaffive, incumbent, gather'd. The reader may confult Thomfon's Winter, v. 905.

WARTON