Hear what from Love unpractis'd hearts endure, Ye shady beeches, and ye cooling streams, Where stray ye, Muses, in what lawn or grove, Or else where Cam his winding vales divides? As in the crystal spring I view my face, NOTES. 15 20 25 first friends of our Poet, whose acquaintance with him began at fourteen or fifteen. Their friendship continued from the year 1703 to 1718, which was that of his death.-P. He was a man of the sweetest disposition, amiable manners, and universal benevolence. All parties, at a time when party violence was at a great height, joined in praising and loving him. One of the most exquisite pieces of wit ever written by Addison, is a defence of Garth against the Examiner, 1710.-Warton. Ver. 16. The woods shall answer, and their echo ring.] Is a line out of Spenser's Epithalamion.-P. Ver. 27. As in the crystal spring] This is one of those passages in VARIATIONS. Ver. 27. Oft in the crystal spring I cast a view, IMITATIONS. Ver. 15. nor to the deaf I sing,] "Non canimus surdis, respondent omnia sylvæ." Virg.-P. Ver. 23. Where stray ye, Muses, &c.] 66 Quæ nemora, aut qui vos saltus habuere, puellæ Naïades, indigno cum Gallus amore periret? Nam neque Parnassi vobis juga, nam neque Pindi Ulla moram fecere, neque Aonia Aganippe." Virg. out of Theocr.-P. Ver. 27. Virgil again, from the Cyclops of Theocritus, nuper me in littore vidi, But since those graces please thy eyes no more, NOTES. 30 35 40 which Virgil, by too closely copying Theocritus, has violated propriety; and not attended to the different characters of Cyclops and Corydon. The sea, which is a proper looking-glass for the gigantic son of Neptune, who also constantly dwelt on the shore, was certainly not equally adapted to the face of the little Land-shepherd. The same may be said of the cheese and milk, and numerous herds of Polypheme, exactly suited to his Sicilian situation, and the rude and savage state of the speaker, whose character is admirably supported through the whole eleventh Idyllium of Theocritus.-Warton. Ver. 35, 36. care,] The only faulty rhymes, care and sheer, perhaps in these poems, where versification is in general so exact and correct.— Warton. Ver. 39. Colin's] The name taken by Spenser in his Eclogues, where his mistress is celebrated under that of Rosalinda.-P. Ver. 42. Rosalinda's] This is the lady with whom Spenser fell violently in love, as soon as he left Cambridge and went into the North; it is uncertain into what family, and in what capacity. Her name is an Anagram, and the letters of which it is composed will make out her true name; for Spenser (says the learned and ingenious Mr. Upton, his best editor) is an anagrammatist in many of his names: thus Algrind transposed, is Archbishop Grindal; and Morel is Bishop Elmer. He is sup VARIATIONS. But since those graces meet my eyes no more, IMITATIONS. "Cum placidum ventis staret mare; non ego Daphnim, Ver. 40. bequeath'd in death, &c.] Virg. Ecl. ii. Et dixit moriens, Te nunc habet ista secundum.”—P. F But now the reeds shall hang on yonder tree, Oh! were I made by some transforming pow'r And yet my numbers please the rural throng, 45 50 55 60 See what delights in sylvan scenes appear! Descending Gods have found Elysium here. In woods bright Venus with Adonis stray'd; And chaste Diana haunts the forest-shade. Come, lovely Nymph, and bless the silent hours, When swains from sheering seek their nightly bow'rs; When weary reapers quit the sultry field, 65 And crown'd with corn their thanks to Ceres yield. Here bees from blossoms sip the rosy dew, But your Alexis knows no sweets but you. 70 O deign to visit our forsaken seats, The mossy fountains, and the green retreats! NOTES. posed to hint at the cruelty and coquetry of his Rosalind in B. 6. of the Fairy Queen, in the character of Mirabella.-Warton. IMITATIONS. Ver. 60. Descending Gods have found Elysium here.] Habitarunt Di quoque sylvas."-Virg. 66 Et formosus oves ad flumina pavit Adonis." Idem.-P. Where'er you walk, cool gales shall fan the glade; NOTES. 80 Ver. 73. Where'er you walk, &c.] Very much like some lines in Hudibras, but certainly no resemblance was intended: Where'er you tread, your feet shall set The primrose and the violet ; Nature her charter shall renew, And take all lives of things from you!-Bowles. Ver. 84. And headlong, &c.] Pope has carried the idea into extravagance, when he makes the stream not only "listening," but "hang listening in its headlong fall." Mr. Stevens in his MS. notes, quotes Lucan, in a passage where the image is precisely the same, though possibly Pope never saw it: -"de rupe pependit Abscissâ fixus torrens !" : But as it is here used, it is too hyperbolical, and only allowable in a very young writer. An idea of this sort will only bear just touching, if I may say so; the mind then does not perceive its violence if it be brought before the eyes too minutely, it becomes almost ridiculous. This is often the fault of Cowley. Oldham has a passage of the same stamp : 'For which the list'ning streams forgot to run, And trees lean'd their attentive branches down." How much more judiciously and poetically has Milton given the same idea? 66 Thirsis, whose artful strains have oft delay'd The huddling brook to hear his madrigal, And sweeten'd, &c."-Bowles. Ver. 79, 80. VARIATIONS. Your praise the tuneful birds to heav'n shall bear, So the verses were originally written. But the author, young as he was, soon found the absurdity which Spenser himself overlooked, of introducing wolves into England.-P. IMITATIONS. Ver. 80. And winds shall waft, &c.] Partem aliquam, venti, divûm referatis ad aures ?" Virg.—P. But see, the shepherds shun the noon-day heat, VARIATIONS. Ver. 91. Me love inflames, nor will his fires allay.-P. Ver. 88. Ye Gods, &c.] 66 IMITATIONS. Me tamen urit amor, quis enim modus adsit amori?” Virg.—P. 85 90 |