Met ever, and to shameful silence brought, Yet gives not o'er, though desperate of success, He brought our Saviour to the western side Of that high mountain, whence he might behold 25 That screen'd the fruits of the earth and seats of men On each side an imperial city stood, 35 35 40 The city which thou seest, no other deem Than great and glorious Rome, queen of the earth 45 31 septentrion] See Drayton's Polyolbion, Song 10, p. 844, ed. 8vo. 'From the septentrion cold.' 35 seven] Virg. Georg. ii. 535. 'Septemque una sibi muro circumdedit arces.' Newton. 45 queen] Rutilii Itin. i. 47. 'Exaudi, regina tui pulcherrima mundi.' Dunster. In the Ode to Rome, falsely attributed to Erinna, that city is termed 'Satogov avaσσa.' ver. 2. A. Dyce. So far renown'd, and with the spoils enrich'd Thence to the gates cast round thine eye, and see Prætors, proconsuls to their provinces Hasting, or on return, in robes of state; In various habits on the Appian road, Or on th' Emilian; some from farthest south, 56 gods] Some editions read incorrectly' God.' 66 turms] Virg. Æn. v. 560. 'Equitum turmæ.' Newton. falls, 71 Nilotic] Martial Ep. vi. 80. 'Nilotica tellus.' Dunster. The realm of Bocchus to the Black-moor sea; Dusk faces with white silken turbans wreath'd: To Rome's great emperor, whose wide domain 75 80 And long renown, thou justly may'st prefer 85 90 The rest are barbarous, and scarce worth the sight, All public cares, and yet of him suspicious; 72 Black-moor] Hor. Od. ii. vi. 3. Ubi Maura sempe. 35 95 Estuat unda. Dunster. Appearing and beginning noble deeds, Might'st thou expel this monster from his throne, 100 Now made a stye, and, in his place ascending, A victor people free from servile yoke? And with my help thou may'st; to me the power 105 110 Much less my mind; though thou should'st add to tell Their sumptuous gluttonies and gorgeous feasts 115 115 citron tables or Atlantick stone] Citron wood grew on Mount Atlas, and was held by the Romans as valuable as gold. Martial Ep. xiv. 89. Accipe felices Atlantica munera, sylvas.' Atlantick stone, the Commentators say, was never heard of; nor can they explain the meaning of the expression: had the mantle therefore of Bentley descended on me, I should read and gorgeous feasts On citron tables or Atlantic, stor'd.' I can find no account of Atlantic marble in the learned work of Cariophylus de Ant. Marmoribus.-Since writing the above, I believe that I have detected the true meaning of Atlantic stone, which has escaped the Commentators. Pliny mentions that the woods of Atlas were eagerly searched by the Romans for citron wood and ivory. Hist. Nat. lib. v. c. i. 1. vol. i. p. 366, ed. Brot. 'quàm luxuriæ, cujus efficacissima vis sentitur atque maxima, cùm ebori citroque silvæ (For I have also heard, perhaps have read,) 125 exquirantur.' Diod. Siculus joins them, lib. v. c. xlvi. vol. iii. p. 355, ed. Bip. ' τά δε θυρώματα τοῦ ναοῦ θαυμμαστὰς ἔχει τὰς κατασκευὰς ἐξ ἀργύρου καὶ χρυσοῦ καὶ ἐλέφαντος, ἔτι δὲ θύους δεδημιουργημένας; so the author of the Apocalypse, xvii. 12. πᾶν ζύλον θυΐνον, καὶ πᾶν σκῖνος ἐλεφάντινον; Suidas and Pausanias also mention them together. We may, therefore, consider Atlantick stone' to be a learned and poetical way for naming the Ebor Atlanticum; and Pliny also says, that the forests in Mauritania were filled with elephants, lib. v. c. i. 1. vol. i. p. 364, the same forests which afforded the citron wood. Should 'stone' be still thought a singular expression for ivory, it may be observed, that 'fossil ivory' might have been sought for; and that Pliny, lib. xxxvi. c. xxix. 18, vol. vi. p. 230, mentions a mineral ivory, which he calls a stone. 115 Citron tables, &c.] Citrus arbor in Atalante Mauritaniæ monte nascitur, ex qua olim faciebant lectos fores et mensas, quas eboreis pedibus fulcientes feminæ, viris contra margaritas regerebant. Cato in ea, quam habuit, oratione, ne quis consul bis fieret: Dicere possum, quibus villæ atque ædes ædificatæ atque expolitæ maximo opere, citro, atque ebore, atque pavimentis Panicis stent.' Aus. Popmæ Not. in Fragm. Varronis, ed. Bipont. p. 349. 119 myrrhine] Plinii N. Hist. lib. xxxv. c. xlvi. vol. vi. p. 172. 'Quoniam eò pervenit luxuria, ut etiam fictilia pluris constent quam murrhina.' |