Some diftant day, at eafe may we relate "Thefe ftrange events, and all our various fate. "Now fhall warm robes to clothe your limbs be "giv'n,

"We meet conducted by the hand of heav'n."

He said, and from the fhip rich vestments fent; Then to the facred fane of Mars they went. 1431 From fleecy flocks they drain'd the life-warm blood,

And all devoutly round the altar ftood;
This, of fmall ftones compos'd, was plac'd before
The lofty temple's double-folding door:
(Within the faue a flone of fable hue

Stood, where the Amazons their victims flew;
Who held it lawlefs, when they fojourn'd here,
To flay the fheep, or facrifice the iteer;
Inftead of thefe the full-fed, pamper'd fteed 144€
Was doom'd, a victim at this fane, to bleed.)
Thele rites difpatch'd, and hunger's rage reprefs'd,
Thus fon's fon the listening hoft addrefs'd:

1450

"Impartial Jove the race of man regards; "The bad he punishes, the just rewards: "As from a bloody ftepdame's rage of yore "He fav'd your fire, and bleft with ample ftore, "So he preferv'd you from the whelming deep, "And in this veffel will fecurely keep; "Whether for a in our ship ye fail, "Or to far Phthia court the favouring gale. "For this fam'd fhip of Pelion's pines was made, "And form'd by Argus, with Minerva's aid; "But forms had lafh'd her, ere, with hideous "shock, [rock. "She reich'd thofe ftraits, where rock encounters "Then lend your aid to gain the golden fleece, "And be our guides to bring it back to Greece. "Jove feems incens'd, and we this voyage take, ·་ Te footh his anger, and for Phrixus' lake."

Ardent he fpoke; but they defpair'd to find, eta of fo tractable a mind, 1461 To yield the fleece then Argus thus replies, Alarm'd and troubled at their bold emprife; Whate'er our powers can grant, or wishes gain,

1471

The fons of Greece fhall never afk in vain. But proud Aeta, cruel and fevere, 1lothe the yrant, and his power I fear; The fon his fire, fo fame relates, he boafts; Unnumber'd fubjects guard his ample coafts; For mighty ftrength he ftands renown'd afar, And voice terrific as the god of war. The golden prize a monftrous dragon keeps: Hard tafk to feize it, for he never fleeps. Earth on rough Caucafus a being gave To this fierce beaft near Typhaonia's cave, Where huge Typhous, as old ftories prove, Was ftruck by lightning from almighty Jove, • Wher fierce in arms against heaven's king he 'ftood;

From his head iffu'd warm corrupted blood; To Nyfa's hills, to Nyfa's plains he flies, 1480 And now beneath Serbonian marfhes lies.' He faid; diftrefs'd fo fad a tale to hear, On every countenance far pallid fear. When Peleus thus with confidence reply'd, And gave that courage which their fears deny'd:

Defpair not, friend; for we difdain to yield,

"Nor dread to meet Meta in the field. "We too are fkill'd in war, and draw our line "From godlike chiefs, and origin divine. "Incens'd fhould he the fleecy gold detain, 1490 "He'll afk, I truft, the Colchians aid in vain." Converting thus the chiefs their thoughts expreis'd,

1500

And, fated with repaft, reclin'd to reft.
With rifing morn the gently breathing gales
Play'd round the pine, and fill'd the fwelling fails;
The fwelling fails, expanded by the wind,
Soon left Aretias' barren shore behind;
And, fwiftly fkimming o'er the watery vaft,
The Philyræan ifle at eve they past; ·
Where Saturn firft fair Philyra survey'd,
When on Olympus he the Titans fway'd,
(Nurs'd by the fierce Curetes, yet a child,
Young Jove was hid in Cretan caverns wild)
Unknown to Rhea he the maid comprefs'd;
But foon to Rhea was the crime confefs'd;
Detected Saturn left his bed with speed,
And fprung all-vigorous as a mane-crown'd fteed.
Swift fled fair Philyra, abafh'd with fhame,
And to the hills of Theffaly fhe came:
Fam'd Chiron fprung from this embrace fo odd,
Ambiguous, half a horfe, and half a god.
From thence they fail by long Macronian ftrands,
And where Bechira's ample coaft expands;
Shores where Byzerians wander far and wide,
And fierce Sapirians, ftigmatiz'd for pride;
And, favour'd by the foft impelling wind,
Leave numerous coafts and lands unnam'd be-
hind:

1511

And, failing fwiftly o'er the waves, survey,
Far on the Pontic main, an opening bay;
Then, Caucafus, thy hills were feen on high, 1520
That rear their rocky fummits in the sky;
Fix'd to these rocks Prometheus ftill remains,
For ever bound in adamantine chains:
On the rude cliffs a ravenous eagle breeds,
That on the wretch's entrails ever feeds.
The Grecians faw him. ere th' approach of night,
Soar high in air, loud hifling in his flight:
Around the fhip he flew in airy rings,
The fails all fhivering as he fhook his wings:
Not as a light aerial bird he foars,
But moves his pinions like well-polifh'd cars.
The ravenous bird now rufhing from the skies,
Sudden they heard Prometheus' piercing cries:
The heavens re-echoed to the doleful found,
While the fell eagle gnaw d the recent wound.
Till gorg'd with flesh the bird of Jove they spy'd
Again defcending from the mountain's fide.

1530

Night now approaching, near the land they drew,

1541

And Argus well his native country knew;
For, Phafis, thy wide-fpreading flood they gain,
And the last limits of the Pontic main.
At length arriv'd, fo many dangers past,
They furl the mainfail, and they lower the maft:
Their bending oars the mighty stream divide;
The ftream receives them on his foaming tide.
All on the left, in ancient rolls renown'd,
Rise Æa's walls, with glittering turrets crown'd;

They fnap, and grind their gnafhing teeth in vain.

Ver. 393. The ancient name of a priest was cahen, rendered mistakenly, xu, and canis. Hence the harpies, who were priests of Ur, are ftyled by Apollonius, the dogs of Jove. Iris, accofting Calais and Zetes, tells them, it would be a profana tion to offer any injury to thofe perfonages. The firens and harpies were of the fame vocation. Bryant's Myth. vol. ii.

Ver. 404. The word Strophades is derived from a Greek verb that fignifies to turn. Thefe iflands therefore were named Strophades, becaufe near them the fons of Boreas left off purfuing the harpies, and turned back to the houte of Phineus.

Ver. 437. This is very fimilar to a pallage in the Odyffey, B. xii. v. 71.

High o'er the main two rocks exalt their brow, The boiling billows thundering roll below; Through the vast waves the dreadful wonders

move,

It is obferved in the note on this paffage," that Homer, to render his poetry more marvellous, joins what has been related of the Symplegades to the defcription of Scylla and Charybdis.-The ftory of the dove being reported of the Symplegades might give him the hint of applying the crushing of the doves to Scylla and Charybdis." But we must remember that Argo paffed, in her return, through Scylla and Charybdis, and that Apollonius, as well as Homer, has mentioned thefe rocks by the name wλayzraí, erratic, which is fuppofed to be more strictly applicable to the Symplegades. If the Cyanean rocks were called Symplegades from their juftling together, and

that appearance was occafioned by the different views in which they were feen, fometimes in a direct line, and fometime, obliquely, why might not Scylla and Charybdis, for the fame reafon, be faid to juttle together, and confequently without impropriety be called haynaí, or erratic? Minerva, according to Apurioris, guided Argo through the Symplegades, but her courfe through Scylla and Charybdis was directed by Thetis, at the interceflion of Juno, agreeable to what Homer here mentions.

Ver. 448. The dove which returned to Noah with a leaf of olive, and brought the firft tidings that the waters of the deep were affuaged, was held in many nations as particularly facred: it Deity, an emblem of peace and good fortune. was looked upon as a peculiar meffenger of the Among mariners it was thought to be particu larly aufpicious; who, as they failed, used to let a dove fly from their fhips, to judge of the fuccefs of their voyage. The most favourable feafon for fetting fail was at the Heliacal rising of the feven ftars, near the head of Taurus; and they are, in confequence of it, called Pleiades. It was at their appearance that the Argonautics fet out upon their expedition. "Αμος δ' ἀντίλλον]ι τελείαδες. -Theoc. Id. xiii. 25. When first the pleafing Pleiades appear. And this was thought a fortu nauts, in a time of difficulty and danger, made nate time for navigation in general. The Argothe experiment of letting a dove fly, and formed from it a fortunate prefage. Bryant's Myth. vel. ii. 285.

It is indeed the opinion of many learned men, that the fcience of augury, or of predicting future events by the flight of birds, arofe from the dif miffion of the raven and the dove from Noah's ark at the time of the deluge. This fpecies of divination is undoubtedly very ancient: it is mentioned in many places of the Old Testament, and made a confiderable part of the religion of the heathen world.

according to the fable, is a paffage to the regions Ver. 479. Acherufia.] Is a cave, through which, below. Hercules is faid to have defcended through it to bring up Cerberus. Tokens of which exploit they fhow, fays Xenophon, even to this day. Near this fpot ftands the principal city of the Mariandyni, named from Hercules, Heraclea. Here, as our poet informs us, runs the river Acheron, so called from the abovementioned lake.

Ver. 493. This river, which rifes in Cappadocia, and empties itfelf into the Euxine, took its name from the beds of falt through which it

runs.

Strabo. Tournefort fays, this country is fo full of foffil falt, that it is to be found in the high roads and ploughed lands.

Ver. 498. This river, fays Strabo, after having received many others, runs through Themifcyra, formerly inhabited by the Amazons, and then falls into the Euxine fea.

Ver. 502. It is commonly believed, that the ancient Chalybes were the defcendents of fubal; for they are celebrated by the ancients for their extraordinary kill in working of iron, and mak

ing of fteel armour; whence they are faid to have had their name. Univ. Hift. Strabo is of opinion, that they are the fame whom Homer mentions by the name of avis. For he joins them with the Paphlagonians, aud characterizes them thus, dv àgyes isì ywvidan. Chalybes nudi ferrum

Ver. 505. A promontory, fo named from Geretes, a neighbouring river which ran through the country of the Chalybes. A temple was erected here to Jupiter the Hofpitable.

Ver. 530. Pliny informs us, that the bird called the Pheafant, derives its name from this river, whole banks they frequented in great abundance and that they were first brought over into Greece by the Argonauts Argiva primum funt transportata carinâ;

Ante mihi notum nil nifi nomen erat.

Mart.

Ver. 535. Tarchon, which, according to the learned and ingenious Mr. Bryant, fignifies a hill with a tower, or temple on it, was in later times rendered Trachon; from whence the region Trachenitis received its name. This word, it seems, was ftill further fophifticated by the Grecks, and exprelled Apanav, Dragon: from whence, in a great measure, arofe the notion of treasures being guarded by dragons. The gardens of the Hefperides, and the golden fleece at Colchis, were intrufted to a fleepless ferpent. The dragons are reprefented as fleeplefs; because in towers there were commonly lamps burning, and a watch maintained. The eyes of the dragon were windows in the uppermoft part of the building, through which the fire appeared. Pryant's Myth. Ver. 553. All the countries which lie on the Borth and north-eaft parts of the Euxine, the region of the Colchis, and the country at the foot of Caucafus, were of oid efteemed Scythia, and thefe the Greeks looked upon to be the bounda nes, northward, of the habitable world.

Ver. 556. The region termed A., above Colchis, was a name peculiarly given by the Amonians to the places where they refided. Among the Greeks the word grew general; and Ai was made to fignify any land. But among the Egyptians, as well as among thofe of Colchis Pontica, it was used for a proper name of their country. It was owing to this, that the name given to the chief perfon of the country was Aïates. Bryast's Myth.

Ver. 646. It was the common opinion of the ancients, that the Hamadryads lived and died together with their trees, and therefore were extremely grateful to thofe, who at any time preferved them, The Scholiaft tells a remarkable tory to this purpose: A perfon called Rhocus, obferving a beautiful oak ready to fall, ordered it to be fet upright and fupported. The nymph of the tree appeared to him, and bade him, in return, ak whatever he pleased. She being exceedingly handfome, Rhacus defired he might be entertamed as her lover: which the promised, and accordingly fent a bee to fummon him. But the

Hymn. ad Ap. 47.

Ver. 671. Almoft all the principal perfons, whofe names occur in the mythology of Greece and Italy, are reprefented as fhepherds. It is reported of the mufes, that they were of fhepherdextraction, and tended flocks, which they intrufted to their favourite Ariftæus; the fame whom Virgil ftyles Paftor Ariftæus. Bryant.

Ver. 685 Jupiter is frequently reprefented under the character of Pluvius, or the difpenfer of rain, both by poets, painters, and ftatuaries. For it was his province, as chief ruler of the air, to direct not only the thunders and lightnings, but the rain. Virgil has given us a noble description of the Jupiter Pluvius in the following defcrip

tion:

-cum Jupiter, horridus auftris, Torquet aquotam hiamem, et cœlo cava nubila rumpit. En. ix. 670.-Spence's Polym.

Ver. 693. For thefe Etefian winds, the history of which the poet has just given us, blew northeast, and consequently in a direction the most unfavourable for them who were failing up the Euxine.

Ver. 735. This ftorm feems to have been copied by Virgil. Æn. i. by Lucan, Ovid, and Valerius Flaccus.

Ver. 813. The great outlines of Jafon's character are piety, humanity, and valour. The fentimeat before us is replete with philanthropy, and prejudices us highly in favour of the hero of the poem.

Ver. 861. Milton thus defcribes Adam's hair : -hyacinthine locks Round from his parted forelock manly hung Cluft'ring.

B. iv. 303.

The circumftance of the hair hanging like bunches of grapes has been justly admired. But it is literally tranflated from the defcription of Apollo's hair in the Greek poet.

χρύσεοἱ δὲ παρειάων ἑκατερές

Πλοχμοί ΒΟ ΤΡΥΟΕΝΤΕΣ επιῤῥώοντο κιόνιο

The word Borpuéves could hardly be rendered into English by any other word than by clustering. Warton's Obferv.

Ver 857. Thus Hefiod in Scuto, fpeaking of Hercules,

- δέ τις αυτοῦ

*Έτλη ἐς ενα ιδών χεδὸν ἐλθεῖν.

There was probably, in the old pictures of Apollo, a certain brightness beaming from his eyes, and perhaps diffufed all over his face; in the fame manner, as the body of the principal figure is all luminous and refplendent in the famous nativity of Correggio, of the transfiguration by Raphael. What made me then fufpect this, was the ancient poets fpeaking so often of the brightness of Apollo's face, and the beaming fplendours of his eyes. Virgil does not only com pare his Æneas (under whom is generally fuppoica to be meant Auguftus) to Apollo for beauty: but, in another place, he seems to call Au guftus himself (who was really very beautiful) by the name of this god. Spence's Polym.

Ver. 771. Virgil has adopted this comparifon, where he reprcients Cloanthus's fhip as moved forward by Portunus:

Et pater ipfe manu Portunus euntem Impulit illa noto citius volucrique fagittâ Ad terram fugit, et portu fe condidit alto.

An. v. 241. Ver. 900. Nothing was deemed by the ancients more eflential to the beauty of a young perfon (and Apollo was always represented a youth) than fine long hair. Hence the epithets crinitus and incenfus are fo often given to Apollo. crinitus Apollo,

Nube fedens. Virg. En ix. 638. fic tibi fint intenfi, Phabe, capilli. Tibull. Ver. 946. They are called by our poet in this place, and by The critus, Id. xii 27. Νισαίοι Μεγαρπες ; from Nifa, which, as the Scholiath informs us, was the name of their dock. It was fo named from Nilus, fon of Pandion, and king of this people.

The Megarenfians, going out to plant a colony in Heraclea, were driven by diflrefs of weather into the river Acheron, which from the protection it afforded them, they called Soönautes.

Sæpe Cytoriaco deducit pectine crines.

Ver. 1204. The Greeks, who would fain deduce every thing from their own language, imagined, that by the term Amazon was fignified a perfon without a breast. From this wrong etymology proceed all the abfurdities with which the hiftory of this extraordinary people abounds. They were in general Cuthite colonies from Egypt and Syria; and as they worshipped the fun, they were called Azones, Amazones, Alazones which are names of the fame import. The most noted were those, who fettled near the river Thermodon, in the region of Pontus.

Quales Theïciæ, cum flumina Thermodontis Pullant, et pictis bellantur Amazones armis. En. xi. 658. Ver. 1229. The Amazons worshipped the deity from whom they received their name; viz. Azon and Amazon, the fame as Ares, the fun. They worshipped alfo Harmen, the moon; which the Grecians changed to a feminine, Harmonia. So that by y "Agros xai 'Apμoxing is meant the children of the fun and moon. Bryant's Myth.

Ver 1251. It is remarked of this people, that they are uncommonly addicted to laughter and buffoonery. Some have accounted for the abfurd cuitom, here alluded to, from this caufe. But it is difficult to affign a reafon for the many abfurd cuftoms which different nations have adopted. It has been recorded by grave hiftorians, that the ancient Spaniards and the Americans follow the practice of the Fibareneans.

Ver. 1260. Xenophon gives us the most authentic accounts of this people in the fifth book of his Anabafis. He tells us, that they do thole things in private, which others do in public that they talk to themfelves, laugh by themselves, and dance alone, as if they were fhowing their skill in public. Savage and indecent as the custom, alluded to by our poet, may feem, Strabo afcribes the fame barbarities to the Irifh, and Cæfar makes the fame obfervations on the ancient Britons.

Ver. 1269 Thus Pomponius Mela, 1. i. c. 19. Reges fuffrageo deligunt, vinculifque et ar&iffima cuftodia tenent; atque ubi culpam pravè quid imperando meruere, inediâ totius die afficiunt.

Ver. 1301. This cymbal, or crotalum, was made, the Scholiaft tells us, by Vulcan; Hercule