345 By which th' Aufonian light might be restor❜d! To builde, with levell of my loftie ftyle, 349 XXVI. Who lift the Romane greatnes forth to figure, But him behooves to vew in compaffe round 355 Or where colde Boreas blowes his bitter ftormes. Rome was th' whole world, and al the world was Rome; }: And if things nam'd their names doo equalize, XXV. 13. To builde, with levell of my loftie style, That which no hands can evermore compyle.] It was from this paffage I conceive that Milton drew the admired expreffion relating to Lycidas: "He knew "Himself to fing, and BUILD the lofty rhime:" and not immediately from the Latin carmina condere, as Dr. Newton would induce us to believe; or with any reference to the Greek, 'Adidas 'EПYPгZE, cited by Dr. Hurd. TODD. When land and fea ye name, then name ye Rome; 361 And, naming Rome, ye land and fea comprize: For th' auncient plot of Rome, difplayed plaine, The map of all the wide world doth containe. XXVII. Thou that at Rome aftonifht doft behold 365 The antique pride, which menaced the skie, These haughtie heapes, these palaces of olde, Thefe wals, these arcks, these baths, these temples hie; Iudge, by these ample Ruines vew, the rest The which iniurious Time hath quite outworne, Since of all workmen helde in reckning best; 371 Yet thefe olde fragments are for paternes borne : Then alfo marke, how Rome, from day to day, Repayring her decayed fashion, Renewes herselfe with buildings rich and gay; That one would iudge, that the Romaine Dæ mon 376 Doth yet himselfe with fatall hand enforce, XXVII. 12. the Romaine Dæmon] Demon is Platonick. So Milton's Attendant Spirit in Comus was called, in his manufcript, Demon. See my note on the opening of Comus. T. WARTON. XXVII. 14. pouldred] Reduced to duf. See the note, F. Q. iii. ii. 25. TODD. XXVIII. He that hath feene a great oke drie and dead holde, 381 But halfe difbowel'd lies above the ground, Shewing her wreathed rootes, and naked armes, And on her trunke all rotten and unfound 385 Onely fupports herselfe for meate of wormes; And, though the owe her fall to the firft winde, Yet of the devout people is ador'd, And, manie yong p'ants fpring out of her rinde; Who fuch an oke hath feene, let him record 390 That fuch this Cities honour was of yore, And mongst all Cities florifhed much more. ... XXIX. All that which Aegypt whilome did devise; Was wont this auncient Citie to adorne, And the heaven it felfe with her wide wonders fill. 400 All that which Athens ever brought forth wife; All that which Afrike ever brought forth ftrange; All that which Afie ever had of prife; Was here to fee. O mervelous great change! Rome, living, was the worlds fole ornament; And, dead, is now the worlds fole moni And from a ftalke into an eare forth-growes, Which eare the frutefull graine doth fhortly bring; And as in feafon due the husband mowes 410 The waving lockes of thofe faire yeallow heares, Which bound in fheaves, and layd in comely rowes, 415 Upon the naked fields in ftalkes he reares: } Which th' husbandman behind him chanft to fcater. XXXI. 420 That fame is now nought, but a champian wide, Where all this worlds pride once was fituate. A No blame to thee, whofoever doft abide By Nyle, or Gange, or Tygre, or Euphrate; Ne Afrike thereof guiltie is, nor Spaine, 425 Nor the bolde people by the Thamis brincks, Nor the brave warlicke brood of Alemaine, Nor the borne fouldier which Rhine running drinks: Thou onely caufe, O Civill Furie, art! Which, fowing in th' Aemathian fields thy fpight, 430 Didft arme thy hand against thy proper hart; To th' end that when thou waft in greatest hight To greatnes growne, through long profperitie, Thou then adowne might'ft fall more horriblie. XXXII. Hope ye, my Verses, that pofteritie 335 So meane Harpes worke may chalenge for her meed? If under heaven anie endurance were, These moniments, which not in paper writ, 440 But in porphyre and marble doo appeare, Might well have hop'd to have obtained it. Nath'les my Lute, whom Phoebus deignd to give, Cease not to found thefe olde antiquities: 445 |