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NOT E S

O N

MOSCH U S.

NOTES ON MOSCH U S.

IDYLLIUM the FIRST.

EE SPENSER'S Fairy Queen, book iii. c. 6. ft. 11.

SEE

LINE 3.

If any one a wandering CUPID fee.

I will rife now, and go about the city in the streets, and in the broad ways, I will feek him whom my foul loveth: I fought him, but I found him not. The watchmen that go about the city, found me: to whom I said, Saw ye him whom my foul loveth?' Cant. iii. 2, 3.

LINE 14.

Smooth are his words, his voice as honey sweet.

The words of his mouth are fofter than butter, having war in his heart; his words were smoother than oil, and yet be they very fwords.' Pfalm lv. 22.

For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honey-comb, and her mouth is fmoother than oil. But her end is bitter as wormwood, fharp as a two-edged fword.' Prov. v. 3, 4.

HESKIN quotes a rhyming diftich to the fame purpose:

Mel in ore, verba lactis;

Fel in corde, fraus in factis.

0 3

LINE

LINE 90.

ev'n to ACHERON, and the infernal King.

It is probable that MOSCHUS had still the Proverbs of SOLOMON • Her feet go down to death: her steps take hold on

in his eye.
hell.' Prov. v. 5.

LINE 21.

A clue to trace the motions of his mind.

• Left thou shouldest ponder the path of her life, her ways are

6 moveable, that thou canst not know them.' Prov. v. 6.

IDYLLIUM the SECOND.

ΟΝ
ON infpecting two very ancient MSS. (fays URSINUS) one

belonging to the Vatican, the other to the Medicean Library, I observed that the Idyllium entitled EUROPA was ascribed to MOSCHUS.

HESKIN.

Some critics have thought it the property of THEOcritus. But its ftyle and manner afford fufficient evidence to the contrary, putting the authority of MSS. out of the queftion. The antiquity of this fable is proved (says Madam DACIER) by the picture of EUROPA carried off by JUPITER, in the 35th Ode of ANACREON.

ΣΙΝΕ 60.

In fculptur'd gold the beauteous IO fhone.

The reader is referred to OVID, Metam. b. i. for the fable of Io.

LINE 80.

and now each lovely maid

Cull'd with fair hands the flowerets of the glade.

CLAUDIAN

CLAUDIAN (Rape of PROSERPINE, b. ii.) hath imitated this paffage, in his defcription of PROSERPINE gathering flowers with her virgin-companions.

LINE 135.

In rapid bounds he bore her to the beach.

In defcribing the Rape of EUROPA, OVID has closely copied MOSCHUS, Mętam. b. ii.

In Sir JOHN MOORE's Poetical Trifles, we have these sprightly ftanzas:

Next, in a milk-white bull's disguise,

At fair EUROPA's feet he lies:

Borne on his back fhe quits the shore,

And trembling bears the boarse waves roar.

To be at fea, a pick-a-pack,

Riding upon a white bull's back,

Was droll enough; but 'twas more odd
To fee the bull chang'd to a God!
Her tongue in vain prepar'd to chide,
Her Smiling eyes her tongue bely'd;
Pity began her heart to move,
His fault was only-too much love.
What could he do?—No fuccour nigh,
No friend to help, no foe to pry,

JOVE gain'd his pardon; and, 'tis said,
Found all his trouble overpaid.

LINE 136.

She, turning to her dear companion-train.

Though MosCHUS is not remarkable for his judgment, his fuperiority to CLAUDIAN is very confpicuous, on comparing their different manner of defcribing fimilar events. AS EUROPA is carried off, in this place, her companions are filent in aftonishment: but while PROSERPINE is hurried away (by PLUTO in CLAUDIAN) DIANA makes a fpeech-a great part of which must have been loft in air.

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