With piteous crie, that anie would have fmarted.

644

Now, when the floathfull fit of lifes sweete reft
Had left the heavie Shepheard, wondrous cares
His inly grieved minde full fore oppreft;
That balefull forrow he no longer beares
For that Gnats death, which deeply was impreft;
But bends what ever power his aged yeares
Him lent, yet being fuch, as through their might
He lately flue his dreadfull foe in fight.

By that fame river lurking under greene, 1.
Eftfoones he gins to fashion forth a place; 650
And, fquaring it in compaffe well beseene, ́✨
There plotteth out a tombe by measured space:
His yron-headed fpade tho making cleene,
To dig up fods out of the flowrie graffe,
His worke he shortly to good purpose brought,
Like as he had conceiv'd it in his thought. 656

An heape of earth he hoorded up on hie,
Enclofing it with banks on everie fide,
And thereupon did raife full bufily
A little mount, of greene turffs edifide;

Ver. 660.

660

edifide;] Built. See

the note on this word, F. Q. i. i. 34. TODD.

And on the top of all, that paffers by
Might it behold, the toomb he did provide
Of smootheft marble stone in order fet,
That never might his luckie scape forget.

The Rofe engrained in pure scarlet die;
The Lilly fresh; and Violet belowe;

The Marigolde; and cherefull Rosemarie;

665

The Spartan Mirtle, whence fweet gumb does flowe;

The purple Hyacinthe; and fresh Coftmarie; 670 And Saffron, fought for in Cilician foyle;

And Lawrell, th' ornament of Phoebus toyle.

Fresh Rhododaphne; and the Sabine flowre, Matching the wealth of th' auncient Frankin

cence;

4

Ver. 669. The Spartan Mirtle,] "Spartica Myrtus," which, whatever it be, is not Spartan. Spenfer adds, "whence fweet gumb does flowe;" which is an infertion of his own. JORTIN.

Dr. Jortin adds the conjecture of a friend, that it should be "Bacchica" or "Bacchia Myrtus," as the Myrtus was facred to Bacchus; which is illuftrated by a reference to Athenæus, and by paffages from Euripides and Ariftophanes. The reader, who confults Heyne, will find Aftartica, Parthiea, Memphica, Nilotica, &c. to have been propofed as the epithet. Heyne's emendation, however, is merely Spartanaque instead of et Spartica. TODD. Ver. 673. the Sabine flowre Matching the wealth &c.] A ftrange translation

And pallid Yvie, building his owne bowre; 675
And Box, yet mindfull of his olde offence;
Red Amaranthus, luckleffe paramour;
Oxeye ftill greene; and bitter Patience;
Ne wants there pale Narciffe, that, in a well
Seeing his beautie, in love with it fell.

680

And whatfoever other flowre of worth,
And whatfo other hearb of lovely hew,
The ioyous Spring out of the ground brings
forth,

To cloath her felfe in colours fresh and new;
He planted there, and reard a mount of earth,
In whofe high front was writ as doth enfue.

To thee, Small Gnat, in lieu of his life faved, The Shepheard hath thy deaths record engraved.

688

of "Herbaque thuris opes prifcis imitata Sabinis. [Sabina.]" Herba Sabina prifcis Romanis pro ture adolebatur: Scaliger. JORTIN.

Ver. 676. And Box, yet mindfull of his olde offence ;] "Et Bocchus Libyæ Regis memor." Thus any thing may be made out of any thing. JORTIN.

I may not difmifs the learned reader with Dr. Jortin's pleafantry on Spenfer, without citing alfo the obfervation of Heyne on Bocchus: “ Quod aliunde non conftat, ex hoc loco difcimus, florem fuiffe BOCCHI NOMINE infignitum. Rex ille Mauritaniæ facile hunc honorem confequi potuit Juba Regis beneficio, quem cum de aliis rerum naturis tum de plantis fcripfiffe ex Plinio tenemus, &c." TODD.

PROSOPOPOIA:

OR

MOTHER HUBBERDS TALE.

BY ED. SP.

DEDICATED TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE,

THE LADIE COMPTON AND MOUNTEGLE.

1591.