The spirit of Plato to unfold What worlds, or what vaft regions hold And of those Demons that are found that philofopher. And as Mr. Thyer obferves, the word unfphere alludes to the Platonic notion of different spheres or regions being af fign'd to fpirits of different degrees of perfection or impurity. The fame term is ufed in the Mask ver. 2. where those immortal fhapes. Of bright aerial spirits live inspher'd In regions mild of calm and ferene air.. 98. In fcepter'd pall] The fame as Horace calls palla honefta. De Arte poet. 278.. Poft hunc perfonæ pallaque repertor honefta 90 95 100 Or 99. Prefenting Thebes or Pelops line, Or the tale of Troy divine, ] These were the principal fubjects of the ancient tragedies; and he seems to allude particularly to the Septem contra Thebas of Efchylus, and the Phaniffe of Euripides, and the Antigone of Sophocles, and the Thebais of Seneca, which prefent Thebes; and to the Thyeftes of Seneca, and the Agamemnon of Æfchylus, which prefent. Pelopss line; and to the Troades of Euripides and of Seneca, and other tragedies which present the tale of Troy divine, therefore called divine because built by the Gods; for I think with Mr. Thyer, that divine is not to be join'd with tale, as many understand it :- and as Mr. Jortin notes,, it is called in Homer Ios ipn 104. Might age Or what (though rare) of later Such notes, as warbled to the string, And made Hell grant what love did seek. The ftory of Cambufcan bold, If to melancholy Or bid the foul of Orpheus fing &c. 107. Drew iron tears down Pluto's cheek,] fenfe of the following line of Seneca's upon Our author here very strongly expresses the the fame occafion, which I fuppofe he had in view. Herc. Fur. 578. Deflent et lacrymis difficiles Dei. Thyer. 109. Or call up him that left half told Chaucer and his Squire's tale, wherein CambufThe ftory of Cambufcan bold, &c] He means can is king of Sarra in Tartary, and has two fons Algarfife and Camball, and a daughter named Canace. This Tartar king receives a prefent from the king of Araby and Ind, of a That own'd the virtuous ring and glass, Where more is meant than meets the ear. Not trickt and frounct as fhe was wont a wondrous borse of brass that could tranfport 116. And if ought elfe great bards befide &c] Ariofto, and Spenfer more particularly, of whose allegorical poetry it may be faid with 377 115 T20 But great truth and propriety, that more is meant than meets the ear. And thus in these two little poems Milton makes his compliments to our greatest English poets, Johnson and Shakefpear, Chaucer and Spenfer. Regain'd. IV. 426. till morning fair Shakespear for the fame reafon fays of night, Come civil night, 123. Not trickt and frounct as fhe was wont But kercheft in a comely cloud, While rocking winds are piping loud, 125 Or usher'd with a shower still, With minute drops from off the eaves. Where the rude ax with heaved stroke drefs tricking. Mrs. Page in the Merry 130 135 140 While 125. But kercheft in a comely cloud,] Kerchef is a head-drefs from the French, couvre chef; a word used by Chaucer and Shakespear. Julius Cæfar, A&t 2. Sc. 3. 141. day's garish eye,] Garish, fplendid, gaudy. A word in Shakespear. Richard III. Act 4. Sc. 4. Wave at his wings in aery stream And as I wake, fweet mufic breathe To walk the studious cloysters pale, 150 155 And fweet mufic breathe &c] This thought is taken from Shakespear's Tempeft. branching elm far-proof, |