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evils and distempers, which dispersed themselves all over the world, and from that fatal moment have never ceased to afflict the human race. Hope was the only one remaining at the bottom

of the box.

Of Japhet

717

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when to th' unwiser son

The son of Japhet was Promotheus, who formed a man of clay, and stole fire from heaven to animate him, which so displeased Jupiter, that he commanded Hermes to bind him to the mountain Caucasus, and sent an eagle to gnaw and devour his liver as fast as it grew, which punishment continued till Hercules set him free. brought by Hermes,

Hermes, a title of Mercury.

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Jove, a title of Jupiter.

781 When Gabriel

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The arch-angel, chief of the guardian angels of Paradise.

782 Uzziel,

One of the guardian angels of Paradise.

788 Ithuriel and Zephon,

Guardian angels of paradise.

803 Illusions as he list, phantoms and dreams,

Dreams are either divine from the influence of the Holy Spirit, whereby several parts of divine revelation were communicated to holy men in their dreams; secondly, natural, from the confused thoughts of the daily affairs of life; thirdly, diabolical, from the suggestions of evil spirits, such was the first dream of Eve.

843.

and his grave rebuke Severe in youthful beauty,

The beauty of person, and the decency of behaviour of person add infinite weight to what is pronounced by any one. 'Tis the want of this that often makes the rebukes and advice of rigid persons of no effect, and leave a displeasure in the minds of those to whom they address; but youth and beauty, if accompanied with a graceful and becoming severity, is of force sufficient to raise, even in the most profligate, a sense of shame. "Wisdom shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver unto thee." Prov. iv. 9.

965 Back to th' infernal pit I drag thee chain'd,

An angel laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the devil, and Satan, and cast him into the bottomless pit, and set a seal upon him. Rev. xx. 2, 3.

981 Of Ceres

The goddess of corn and harvest.

987 Like Teneriffe

987

A high mountain in the Island of Teneriffe, one of the Canary Islands.

or Atlas unremov'd:

A chain of mountains in Africa. These mountains are so high that the ancients have supposed the heavens rested on its top, and that Atlas supported the world on his shoulders. The fable of Atlas supporting the heavens on his back, seems to arise from a king of the name who was fond of astronomy, and from his often frequenting

elevated places and mountains whence he might observe the heavenly bodies.

997 Hung forth in heaven his golden scales,

The constellation Libra (when the sun enters at the autumnal equinox) is expressed by the balance or scales in equilibrio, as the days and nights are then of the same lengh, and seem to observe an equilibrium like that instrument. 998 Betwixt Astrea and the Scorpion sign,

Astrea is called the goddess of justice, having the scales in her hand. Scorpio an autumnal sign.

999 Wherein all things created first he weigh'd

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Who weigh'd the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance? Isa. xl. 12.

1012 Where thou art weigh'd, and shown how light, Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. Dan. v. 27. Let us then upon all occasions submit with resignation to the divine appointments; first studying by daily meditation to learn the divine will, and then to obey it; remembering, that while the blessings which are promised to the obedient, are great, great also will be the punishment of the children of disobedience. By making the Holy Scriptures the subject of our daily meditations we shall there learn, what shall be the end of them that obey not the gospel of God; and be farther instructed in the means of avoiding that terrible end.

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END OF THE FOURTH BOOK.

BOOK V.

6.

Aurora's fan

Aurora, goddess of the morn: represented, by the poets, drawn in a rose-coloured chariot, and opening, with her rosy fingers, the gates of the east; pouring the dews upon the earth, and making the flowers grow. Her chariot is drawn

by white horses; and she is covered with a veil. Nox and Somnus fly before her; and the constellations of heaven disappear at her approach. 16 Mild, as when Zephyrus on Flora breathes,

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Zephyrus, the west wind: and Flora, the goddess of flowers.

Ambrosia;

his dewy locks distill'd

The food of the gods was called Ambrosia : it is said, the gods perfumed their hair with it. 153 These are thy glorious works,

160.

Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy great and adorable name? because thou only art holy; and, in thy presence, the holiness of all other beings disappear, as unworthy to be mentioned or remembered.

ye sons of light,

Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all Hosts. Psalms, cxlviii. 2.

P

166 Fairest of stars, last in the train of night Hesperus, the evening star.

The glittering stars,

By the deep ear of meditation heard,
Still, in their midnight watches, sing of him.

171 Thou Sun of this great world both eye and soul,
The sun is formed of such a determinate mag-
nitude, and placed at such a convenient distance,
as not to annoy, but only to refresh us; and
nourish the ground with its kindly warmth. If it
were larger, it would set the earth on fire; if
smaller, it would leave it frozen: if it were nearer
us, we should be scorched to death; if far from
us, we should not be able to live for want of heat.
Th' unwearied sun, from day to day,
Does his creator's pow'r display;
And publishes, to every land,

The work of an Almighty hand. →

175 Moon, that now meets the orient sun, now fly'st,
As when the moon, refulgent lamp of night,
O'er heaven's clear azure spreads her sacred light;
When not a breath disturbs the deep serene,
And not a cloud o'ercasts the solemn scene:
Around her throne the vivid planets roll,
And stars unnumber'd gild the glowing pole;
O'er the dark trees a yellower verdure shed,
And tip with silver ev'ry mountain's head;
Then shines the vale; the rocks in prospect rise;
A flood of glory bursts from all the skies;
The conscious swains, rejoicing in the sight,
Eye the blue vault, and bless the useful light.

ILIAD. VIII.

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