NOTES

ON THE

ODES.

CLASS THE FIRST.

Page 27.

ODE VI.

I From the desart bade thee come,] Num. ch. 23.

The Poet has here, and in what follows, beautifully availed himself of the Divine Historian.

29. Ambition shuns the dreaded Dame,

And pales his ineffectual flame ;] See Hamlet.

ib. Wealth sighs her triumphs to behold, And offers all his sums of gold;

She in her chariot seen to ride,] See Characteristicks vol ii. p. 252.

ODE VIII.

Page 42. 'Twas thus, O poor enamour'd maid,] Vide Musaeum καθ' Ηρω και Λεανδρον.

44. The Queen of arts ?-With giant-stride]

See the account, which is given in the second book of Thucydides, of the plague at Athens. Amongst many

other extraordinary circumstances are the following: το μεν γαρ ετος, εκ πανων μαλιςα δη εκεινο ανοσον ες τας αλλας ασθένειας ετυγχανεν ον ει δε τις και προεκαμνε τις ες τ8το παλα απεκρίθη. -Τα γας όρνεα, και τετραποδα, ὅσα ανθρωπων ἁπλεθαι, πολλών αλαφων γιγνομένων, η 8 προσγει, η γευσάμενα διεφθειρεία.

ib. Sister of pale-ey'd Grief and Care,] According to the Table of Cebes, Αθυμια is the sister of Οδυρμος.

ODE XVI.

Page 81. Aghast the purple tyrant stood,

With awe beheld thy glowing charms,
Forgot the cursed thirst of blood,

And long'd to grasp thee in his arms;] Al

luding to the story of Damon and Pythias.

ODE XVII.

Page 84. Since Taste with absolute domain,] By Taste, is here meant the modern affectation of it. 85. And thou, blest Bard! around whose sacred brow,]

Dr. Akenside.

ODE XVIII.

Page 86. Or her's who yonder shines from far
Fair as the morning's silver star,

gerald.

In youth's soft prime and beauty's pride,
On Shannon's flower-enamell'd side,
By shepherds, in each amorous tale,
Yclept the Lily of the vale.] Miss Fitz-

ODE XIX.

Page 90. PALEMON asks thy kindly aid;] Author of Clarissa.

ODE XXIII.

Page 103. The Author of this admirable Ode was born, about the year 1720, at a small village near Cameron, on the banks of the Eden. Having been bred to the practice of surgery, he served some time on board a ship of war, and in that capacity was present at the siege of Carthagena. On the peace of Aix-la-Chapelle, he quitted the navy, and obtaining a diploma, repaired as a physician to Bath. His success however in this situation falling short of his hopes, he at once relinquished the profession, and devoted himself entirely to the pen, upon which he depended for his future subsistence. His novels were popular and his history productive, but his travels written in ill-humor and ill-health decreased his reputation. Of all his works this Ode is the best. He died on a second excursion to Italy for the recovery of his health at Leghorn, October 21, 1771.

ib. The vanquish'd were baptiz'd with blood."] Charlemagne obliged four thousand Saxon prisoners to embrace the Christian religion, and immediately after they were baptized ordered their throats to be cut. Their prince Vitikind fled for shelter to Gotrick king of Denmark.

Page. 105. On desart isles 'twas he that rais'd

Those spires that gild th' Adriatic wave,] Although Venice was built a considerable time before the aera here assign'd for the birth of Independence, the Republic had not yet attained to any great degree of power and splendor.

ib. To burst th' Iberian's double chain;] The Low Countries were not only oppress'd by grievous tax. ations, but likewise threatened with the establishment of the inquisition, when the seven provinces revolted, and shook off the yoke of Spain.

ib. On Uris' rocks in close divan,] Alluding to the known story of William Tell and his associates, the fathers and founders of the confederacy of the Swiss

cantons.

ib. Arabia's scorching sands he crost,] The Arabs, rather than resign their independency, have often abandoned their habitations, and encountered all the horrors of the desart.

106. And many a Tartar hord forlorn, aghast,

He snatch'd from under fell Oppression's wing ;] From the tyranny of Jenghis-Khan, Timur-Bec, and other eastern conquerors, whole tribes of Tartars were us'd to fly into the remotest wastes of Cathay, where no army would follow them.

ib. Even now he stands on Calvis' rocky shore,

And turns the dross of Corsica to gold.] The noble stand made by Paschal Paoli and his associates against the usurpation of the French King, must endear them to all the sons of liberty and independence.