where they created a monument near the shore to his memory.

Ver. 766. The place from which they set fail was named from that event Aphetæ. It is a town and port of Magnesia in sheffaly.

Ver. 88. Plutarch and Pliny affert that this mountain is fo high as to project its fhade, when the fun is in the fummer folftice, on the marketplace of the city Myrina. Unio. Hift.

tum.

north wind, which is ftill more contrary to his intended courfe." See an Effay on the original Genius and Writings of Homer.

Ver. 913. Dido is the Hypfipyla of Virgil. The latter, as Hoelzlinus fpeaks, is the archetype of the former.

Ver. 949. This mantle, which Pallas gave to Jafon, and the fimile of the star, to which he is compared, are beautiful fpecimens of our poet's talent for defcription. We fhall find him in the more descriptive parts of his poem, rifing greatly above that equal mediocrity which fome critics have afcribed to him.

Ver. 971. The fable of Thebes being built by the power of mufic is not in Homer, and therefore may be fuppofed to be of later invention. See Pope's Od. B. xi. 320.

ingenti tellurem proximus umbrâ Veftit Athos, nemorumque obfcurat imagine ponStat. Theh. Ver. 793. "The defcription of Venus enraged against the men of Lemnos for neglecting her temple, reprefents her (fays Mr. Spence in his Polymetis) rather as the goddess of jealousy than of love. There is no figure of her under this Ver. 982. The Teleboans, or Taphians (fo character, nor any defcription in any of the Ro- called from the island Taphos which they inhaman poets before the third age." Had the learn-bited) coming to Argos, ftole the oxen of Eleced author confulted Apollonius, he would have feen to whom Valerius was indebted for this defcription of Venus as the goddess of jealousy. The paffage is indifputably borrowed from our poet. So true is it what Mr. Gray has obferved of this writer, that had he confulted the Greek authors, they would have afforded him more inftruction on the very heads he profeffes to treat, than all the other writers put together. See Gray's 5th Letter to Mr. Walpole.

Yer. 826. The Lemnian women are here reprefented as favage as the Thyades, who delighted in bloody banquets. Upon this the Scho liast observes, that the Mænades and Bacchæ ufed to devour the raw limbs of animals which they had cut or torn afunder. In the island of Chios it was a religious cuftom to tear a man limb from Lmb by way of facrifice to Dionufus : the fame in Tenedos Hence we may learn one fad truth, that there is fcarce any thing fo impious and unnatural, as not at times to have prevailed. Bryant's Myth. vol. ii. p. 13.

tryon, the father of Alcmena: a battle enfued, in which himself and fons were flain.

Ver. 988. Hippodamia was the daughter of Enomaüs, king of Elis and Pifa. She was a princefs of great beauty and had many admirers.

race.

nomaus having been informed by the oracle, that he should be flain by his fon-in-law, endea voured to deter the fuitors from paying their addreffes to his daughter, by propofing a chariotThe terms were; that he who conquered him in the race fhould obtain his daughter, but that he who proved unfuccefsful fhould be put to death. Pelops, whom Hippodamia was most attached to, accepted the dangerous conditions, and contended with nomaüs. The plan which his daughter had concerted with Myrtilus, the charioteer, of loofening the pin of the wheel, fucceeded to her wish. The pin flew out, the chariot was overthrown, and victorious Pelops claimed the lady as his prize.

Ver. 997. Elara being pregnant by Jupiter, he, to avoid the jealousy of Juno, concealed her in a Ver. 852. There is a judicious note on this cavern of the earth, where Tityus was born: paffage, inserted in an elegant edition of our poet, who, from his being immersed in worldly cares, lately published at Oxford; which I fhall venture and from his centering all his affections on the to give the reader: "Licet Ventus Boreas Ar-earth, as if he had sprung from it, is fabled to be gonautis ad curfum continuandum fecundus effet, the fon of the earth." non tamen folverunt." Mihi perspectum eft nihil veri his ineffe. Non enim ventus Aquilo fecundus eft tendentibus in Pontum fed adverfum tenet. Hoc ergo Apollonius indicat. Minyas non folviffe illo mane, ex infulâ Lemno, quod Aquilo, qui ipfis in Pontum porrecturis adverfus erat, Baret. Weffeling. Obferv. p. 130.

This oblervation appears to be juft. Yet is it no unufual thing with the poets to put one wind for another. The moft judicious and accurate of the Roman poets is not exempt from errors of this kind. "The defcription of the departure of Ancas from Carthage is not only inconfiftent with truth and probability in this refpect, but contradictory to itself. He fails in the morning with a weft wind, which is very improperly called favourable; but before he is out of fight of Carthage, we find him purfuing his courfe with a

Ver. 1132. This is an oblique, but very fevere farcafm on Jafon.

Ver. 1161. That there was offspring appears from Homer's Il. B. vii.

And now the fleet arriv'd from Lemnos' fands,
With Bacchus' bleflings cheer'd the generous
bands.

Of fragrant wines the rich Eunæus fent
Eunæus, whom Hypfipyle of yore
A thousand measures to the royal tent;
To Jafon, fhepherd of his people bore.
These verses, says Mr. Pope, afford us the know-
ledge of fome points of history and antiquity; as
that Jafon had a fon by Hypfipyle; who fucceed-
ed his mother in the kingdom of Lemnos: that
Samos was anciently famous for its wines; and
that coined money was not in ufe at the time of

the Trojan war; but the trade of the countries, Here we find not a fingle family, but a whole carried on by exchange in brafs, oxen, flaves, &c. as appears by two lines farther:

The poets have not failed to avail themselves of this popular opinion. It is customary with them to reprefent fruits and flowers of every kind, as fpringing up and coming to perfection, in a manner that feemed to indicate the immediate agency of fome propitious deity.

Befides, Cybele was taken for the earth; on which account fhe was called the mother of the gods; for the earth gives birth to all things. Hence her worship was blended with feveral circumftances which bore a relation to the earth. Its fertility, therefore, at the inftant of the celebration of her festival, is fomething more than a poetical embellishment.

Ver, 1509. A river of Myfia, which empties itfelf into the Propontis. Near its banks, as fome affert, flood the tomb of Ægæus or Briareus.

Ver. 125. A mountain near Cios. Cios is the name of a river, and of a city in Mysia.

Ver. 1530. Thus Theocritus, fpeaking of the employments of the Argonauts, when they landed in the country of the Bebrycians, fays, Έννας τ' επόρνυν]ο, κ. τ. λ.

Id. 22.

Ver. 1626. Apollonius, within the compass of a very few lines, makes ufe of two different words to exprefs the fame animal, μúa dispos. The former, he tells us, is the more general appellation: ὅν [ οἷςρον] μύωτα βρων πλείωσι νομῆες. B. iii. 276.

The correfpondent names in Latin are afilus and
tabanus: afilus vulgò tabanus vocatur, says Servius.
-cui nomen afilo

Romanum eft, æftron Græci vertere vocantes.
Arcebis gravido pecori. Virg. Georg. iii.
Homer also speaks of this fly as being very per-
nicious to cattle:

Οἱ δ ̓ ἐφέσιο κατὰ μέγαρον, βόες ὡς ἀγελαῖα,
Τὰ; μέντ ἀιόλος οἶτρος ἐφορμηθεὶς ὁδόνησεν. Od. xxii. 299.
Confus'd, diftracted through the rooms they fling,
Like oxen madden'd by the breeze's fting.

On the dry beach they rais'd the leafy bed, The fires they kindled, and the tables spread. Ver. 1556. This ftory is told with great fimplicity and elegance by our poet's rival and contemporary, Theocritus, Id. 13. Nor has his faithfal imitator, Valerius Flaccus, neglected to embelith his poem with the fame ftory. The learned editor of Theocritus published in 2 vols. at Oxford, portions out to each poet his fhare of merit in the This fimile is common to the poets: Virgil' following words: "Egregiè quidèm Valerius Flaccus Herculis vehementem & repentinam perturbatio- Coluthus, and Tryphiodoras have made use of it. Ver. 1676. It was ufual with the ancients to nem depingit: qui, vesperi reverfus, Hylam ad place one vaft ftone upon another for a religious fociorum menfas, in littore conftructas, non depre- memorial. The ftones thus placed they poifed fo bendit. Nihil nifi dictionem Virgilianum caftam, teretem, fimplicem, pro turgidulâ illâ, & duriufcu- equally, that they were effected with the leaft exlá, defidero. Conferatur & Hercules Apollonii make them vibrate. These were called rocking Rhodii: quem credibile eft omnes intendiffe nerTos, ut in fimili materiâ poetam coævum fupera-ing, as being moved by the wind, and the admiftones. Of fuch an one Apollonius is here speakret. Pulchrum profectò illud Herculis, a manu abietem abjicientis. At fortaffis, ad fummum, fimpliciora Theocriti & luculentiora fatebere, & miDas frequentata circumftantiis & elaborata."

Not. ad V. lv. Id. 13. Ver. 1568. Hercules arriving at the country of the Dryopians, a people of Epirus, applied to their prince Theodamas for refreshment. Upon his refufal, he unyoked one of the oxen with which he was ploughing, and facrificed it. Theodamas attempting to redrefs this grievance by force of arms, was killed, and his fon Hylas was carried off by the conqueror. Some attribute this exploit to the rapacity of Hercules, others to his defire of civilizing an inhofpitable people. Callimachus, fpeaking of the rapacity of Hercules, fays, Οὐ γὰρ ὅγε Φρυγίη περ ὑπὸ δρυὶ γυῖα θεωθείς Παύσατ ̓ ἀδηφαγίας· ἐτὶ οἱ πάρα νηδὺς ἐκείνη Τῇ πεῖ ἀροτριόων συνήντετο Θειοδάμανι.

In Dian. 159. Ver. 1576. Thus Callimachus, in his hymn to Diana, celebrates her as encircled with a choir of nymphs:

ternal force! a breath or wind would fometimes

ration of spectators. Bryant.

Ver. 1746. The coaft of Bebrycia: the ancient name of Bithynia, a country of Asia Minor, near Troas, bounded on the north by the Euxine fea.

Orpheus has given us, at the beginning of his poem, a catalogue of the heroes that accompanied Jafon to Colchis. Apollonius has followed his example. And he has shown himself a judicious imitator of Homer, by diverfifying and enlivening his narration with an account of the family, character, and birth-place of his Argonauts. He conftantly inferts fome little hiftory or anecdote, which may ferve to impress their names on our memory, and to intereft us in their future fortunes. He has contrived to throw the utmost variety into the voyage, by defcribing particularly the fituation of the coafts, and the customs and manners of the inhabitants. The launching of Argo, the episode of Hypfipyla, the night-adventure of the Dolians, the ftory of Hylas, the facrifices and fimiles, are feverally possessed of such distinguished merit, as cannot fail to give the reader favourable idea of our poet's taste and genius.

BOOK II.

THE ARGUMENT.

This book contains the combat between Amycus and Pollux; the former of whom is flain. A battle enfues between the Argonauts and Bebrycians, in which the Argonauts come off conquerors. They fail to Salmydeffus, a city of Thrace, where they confult Phineus, a foothfayer, on the fuccefs of their expedition. He promifes, if they would deliver him from the Harpies, to direct them fafely to Colchos. His request is granted, and he gives them inftructions. The ftory of Paræbius, Cyrene and Ariftaus. They fail through the Symplegades, and thence to the ifland Thynia, where they land. Apollo, who here appears to them, is rendered propitious by facrifice. The course of the river Acheron is defcribed. They land on the coaft of the Mariandyni, and are hofpitably entertained by Lycus, the king of that country. Here Idmon is killed by a wild boar, and here Tiphys dies. Ancæus is appointed pilot in his ftead. They fail by the monument of Sthenelus, whose ghoft is released by Proferpine, and gratified with the fight of the Argonauts. At the island of Mars they meet the fons of Phrixus, who had juft before heen fhipwrecked. They are kindly received by the Argonauts, who take them on board. Sailing by Mount Caucafus they come in fight of the cagle that preys on the entrails of Prometheus. The end of their voyage.

TENTS o'er the beach Bebrycia's king had fpread,, Which fome fair nymph, who had her flame avow'd,

ΙΟ

And stalls ere&ed where fat oxen fed.
To genial Neptune a Bithynian dame
Bore the fierce tyrant, Amycus his name,
Proudeft of men; who this hard law decreed,
That from his realm no ftranger fhould recede,
Till firft with him compell'd in fight to wield
The dreadful gauntlet in the lifted field.
Unnumber'd guefts his matchlefs prowess flew :
Stern he accosts fwift Argo's valiant crew,
Curious the reafon of their courfe to fcan,
Who, whence they were; and scornful thus began:
"Learn what 'tis meet ye knew, ye vagrant hoft;
"None that e'er touches on Bebrycia's coaft,
"Is thence by law permitted to depart,
"Till match'd with me he prove the boxer's art.
"Choose then a chief who can the gauntlet wield,
"And let him try the fortune of the field:
"Should ye contemptuous fcorn my fix'd decree,
"Know, your proud hearts fhall yield to fate and

Thus fpoke the chief with infolent disdain,
And rous'd refentment in the martial train;
But Pollux moft his vaunting words provoke,
Who thus a champion for his fellows, spoke :
"Threat not, whoe'er thou art, the bloody fray;
"Lo, we obfequious thy decrees obey!
"Unforc'd, this inftant, to the lifts I go,
"Thy rival I, thy voluntary foe."
Stung to the heart with this fevere reply,
On him he turn'd his fury-flaming eye:
As the grim lion, pierc'd by fome keen wound,
Whom hunters on the mountain-top furround;
Though clofe hemm'd in, his glaring eye-balls
glance

On him alone who threw the pointed lance.
The Greek fript off his mantle richly wrought,
Late from the Lemnian territory brought,

30

40

The pledge of hofpitable love beftow'd:
His double cloak, with clafps of fable hue,
Bebrycia's ruler on the greenfward threw,
And his rough fheep-hook of wild olive fhade,
Which lately flourish'd in the woodland spade.
Then fought the heroes for a place at hand
Commodious for the fight, and on the ftrand
They plac'd their friends, who faw, with wonder-
ing eyes,

The chiefs how different, both in make and size ;
For like Typheus' race the tyrant flood
Enormous, or that mifcreated brood
Of mighty monsters, which parturient earth,
Incens'd at Jove, brought forth, a hideous birth. 50
But Pollux fhone like that mild ftar on high,
Whofe rifing ray illumes fair evening's fky.
Down spread his cheek, ripe manhood's early fign,
And in his eye-balls beam'd the glance divine.
But like a lion, glorying in his might,
Stood Jove's puiffant fon, prepar'd for fight.
His arms he pois'd, advancing in the ring,
To try if ftill they kept their priftine fpring;
If pliant ftill, and vigorous as before,
Nor rigid grown with labouring at the oar..
Trial like this the haughty king disdain'd:
Aloof and filent Amycus remain'd.
Full on his foe his vengeful eyes he turn'd,
For blood he thirfted, and for conquest burn'd.
With that his fquire Lycoreus, full in view,
Two pair of gauntlets in the circle threw,
Of barbarous fashion, harden'd, rough and dry'd.
Then thus the king with infolence and pride:
"Lo, two ftout pair; the choice I leave to thee;
"(No lot appoints them) choose, and blame not

"6 me.

"Bind them fecure, and after trial tell,
"How greatly I in either art excel,

60

70

130

The griding fword at once his head divides,
And on his fhoulders hang the parted fides.
Mimans, Itymoneus of giant Gize,