115

Ver. 115. Now gentle, &c.] The author's expreffion is here remarkably fweet and poetical.

Ζέφυρε πνείοντος είρσην.

Zephyro infpirante rorem. Flowers in the fpring we find were offered to Apollo, a juft tribute to the Sun, which brings them forth, and gives them their beauties. Moft flowers reprefent to us the irradiation of light, and in fome (all the bell flowers) the oeconomy is much to be obferved; for in every fingle flower we fhall find fix leaves, with an irradiation in the midft; and in fome more distinctly, that which enclofes the feed, divided into three parts in one, as may be feen, particularly in the lilly: than which no emblem can better point out to us, the fix planets moving around the fun, acted upon by his irradiation and power, or by the three agents fire, light, and fpirit, which though three in condition are yet one in fubftance.

It is to be remembred, that great ufe of flowers was made in the Jewish ceremonies, the famous candlestick, a reprefentative of the fyftem, amongst other things had flowers to fhew the irradiation of light, Exod. xxv. 31. See alfo 2 Chron. iv. §. and on the forehead of the highpriest, that well-known type of the great Irradiator, the light of the world, was placed a flower of gold (for fo the original word fignifies flower) nay, that pivine Light himfelf tells us, that he is the rofe of Sharon and the lilly of the

a

1

Το

valley, Cant. ii. 1. See note 60. ad fin. So that upon this view, it is no wonder that what was afcribed to the true Light, in emblem, was by idolaters affigned to their God, the material light.

Ver. 118. Saffron.] I rather tranflate the word Kpozor in this place faffron, than crocus (as Mr. Prior hath done) because the crocus with us may rather be called a spring, than a winter flower; nay, indeed it is the very first of the fpring flowers. The faffron is properly the autumnal crocus, which flourishes in October, about which time the festival of Carnean Apollo was celebrated. It was dedicated to Apollo for the fame reason that flowers in general were, as just now obferved, and indeed the crocus is particularly remarkable in the respect mentioned in the former note. The gardeners distinguish it thus; "It hath a flower confifting of one leaf, which is fhaped like a lilly, fiftulous underneath, the tube widened into fix fegments, and refting on the first stalk; the pointal rifes out of the bottom of the flower, and is divided into three headed and crefted capillaments; but the empalement afterwards turns to an oblong triangular point, divided into three cells, and is full of reddifh feeds." See Millar on the word crocus.. Thefe are the characters, which, without the terms of art, I obferved belonged to bell-flowers, emblems of the fix planets, fupported by the three agents, in which the light, or irradiation

is the ruler: and of this the crocus too was in its colour an emblem, which is a fecond reafon why it was facred to the God of light. Homer almost always defcribes the morning as clad in a faffron robe; nay, and calls her particularly, The faffron morn, with early blufhes fpread. See Ili. xi. ver. I. and Virgil follows his fteps clofely, raifing his Aurora from the croceum cubile, the faffron bed of Tithonus. By all which is meant no more than the fine colour which adorns the morning, and of which the faffron was a reprefentative, as an old poet, quoted by Spanheim, exprefly in

forms us,

See Excerpta à Grotio, p. 846.

The flower of the faffron, which inwove
Refembles the bright rays of Sol.

Rutilum folis jubar imitatur.

I

GROTIUS. And as it was thus in its colour an emblem of the bright folar light in irradiation, hence I prefume its name, which the excellent Spanheim hath well obferved is doubtlefs of Hebrew origin, coming from CReCM, which we find in the Cant. iv. 14. and which is indifputably derived of CRC, to roll round, to move round as in a circle, which the irradiation caufes the orbs to do, and whence comes 3 CReCB, a an orbit, circle, compass, as it is rendered Exod. xxvii. 5. Moreover as crocus is evidently derived from hence, fo I doubt not is circus, circulus, a circle, orbit, for CReC, crocus, and circus are very near in found, and letters, and mutually explain and confirm each other. Littletan fays, that circus is derived à Chald. 175. CReC, cir. cundare, to compafs about. Thus we have a fatisfactory account of the name, which explains the meaning of its colour, and appropriation to the folar light, and which is, at least, more near the matter, than the derivation given by the

I 20

When

fcholiaft, who tells us, that it was called Kponos παρὰ τὸ ἐν κρυες θαλλειν. which feems very far from the fenfe or found of the word. I obferved, that it was mentioned in the Canticles, as one of those aromatic sweets, thofe divine and heavenly graces, which are in the church the spouse of Chrift. In Chrift himself the true light, is a garden of fweets, his merits, prayers and interceffions are as the incenfe made of all manner of perfumes and fpices after the art of the apothecary. See Exod. xxx. 35. And therefore amongst the reft faffron was burnt and offered to him in the incenfe, as the Hebrew Rabbis and writers inform us : Hence the idolaters might use it amongst the other perfumes, which compofed their incenfe to Apollo. And at Cyrene particularly, the faffrom was remarkable for its fragrancy and odour; as Theophraftus informs

us. Ευοσμοτα τα δε τα εν ΚΥΡΗΝΗ Ροδα, &c.

Διαφερονίως δε Η τε ΚΡΟΚΟΥ. "The roses at Cyrene are very fragrant, whence the ointment of rofes is moft fweet: nay, even the odour of the violets and other flowers there, is excellent and divine but more especially that of the faffron." I have, I fear, already enlarged too much on this matter, but not fo much as the fubject requires, wherefore to make up for the many particulars obfervable of this plant, I muft refer the reader to the learned Spanheim's note on this place, and alfo to the ingenious Mr. Merrick on Tryphiodorus, note 448. We may juft obferve, by the bye, that the blushes of the rofe are given to the morning, as well as the golden veflure of the crocus. The faffron morn with rofy blushes spread, &c.

oil, but a fire fed with coals upon the altar: his expreffion is remarkable and cannot well be expreffed in our language, the cinder never feeds or confumes the yesterday's coal; for it is obfervable, that the cinders or alhes do as it were feed upon and eat away the fire. Why a perpetual fire was kept up in the temple of the God of light, we cannot be at a loss to understand; nor fhall we wonder at this univerfal cuftom amongst all nations, Perfians, Greeks, Romans, Indians, &c. when we confider its origin, and that moreover, it was reclaimed to himself by the true light, and ordered to be kept in his temple. "The fire fhall ever be burning upon the altar: it fhall never go out." Levit. vi. 13. Eufebius informs us, from Theophraftus, "that the rite of burning perpetual fire to the Gods, had been in their worship from time immemorial." Amongst the Perfians, if at any time the facred fire went out, they fhewed fuch a regard to it, that they would not rekindle it but with flame lighted up by the Sun-beams. This circumftance in Apollo's worship, which is not often mentioned, will very well explain a piece of hiftory, which at firft fight feems a little unaccountable, viz." that when Dates the Perfian burnt and deftroyed without mercy, fo many of the Grecian temples, he fpared thofe in Delos, where Apollo and Diana were principally worshipped." It is generally agreed, that Apollo is the fame with the Perfian's Mithras. And the paffage before us proves, that what with the Perfians was the grand point of his worship, the aug awao, the perpetual fire, was obferved by the Greeks as well as themfelves. The Perfians lenity in this Inftance then is not furprizing, fince he himself not only worshipped the fame God, but in the Jame manner. For Mithras, Apello, and the folar light were all one and the fame. I fhall fubjoin a curious account of the method of preferving the everlasting fire near Baku, from the travels of a modern (Mr. Hanway) no lefs esteemed for his accuracy, than his ingenuity, humanity, and excellence of heart.

Not

"Thefe opinions, with a few alterations, are still maintained by fome of the pofterity of the Indians and Perfians, who are called Geberrs or Gaurs, and are very zealous in preferving the religion of their ancestors, particularly in regard to their veneration for the element of fire. What they call the everlafling fire near Baku, before which thefe people offer their fupplications, is a phænomenon of a very extraordinary nature, in fome meafure peculiar to this country, and therefore deferving a particular defcription. The objec of devotion to the Geberrs, lies about 10 English miles N. E. by E. from the city of Baku, on dry rocky land. There are several antient temples built with ftone, fuppofed to have been all dedicated to fire, most of them are arched vaults, not above 10 to 15 feet high. Among others there is a little temple in which the Indians now worfhip: near the altar about three feet high is a large hollow cane, from the end of which ifucs a blue flame, in colour and gentlenefs not unlike a lamp that burns with fpirits, but fecmingly more pure. The Indians affirm, that this flame has continued ever fince the flood, and they believe it will laft to the end of the world; that if it was refifted, or fuppreffed in that place,. it would rife in fome other. Here are generally forty or fifty of thefe poor devotees, who come on a pilgrimage from their own country, and fubfift upon wild cellery, and a kind of Jerufalem artichokes, which are very good food, with other herbs and roots found a little to the northward. Their bufinefs is to make expiation, not for their own fins only, but for those of others, and they continue the longer time, in proportion to the number of perfons for whom they have engaged to pray. They mark their foreheads with faffron, and have a great veneration for a red cow; they wear very little cloathing, and those who are of the most diftinguished piety, put one of their arms upon their heads, or fome other part of their body, in a fixed pofition, and keep it unalterably in that attitude."

125

But

Ver. 125. Not yet, &c.] The author in the foregoing lines has informed us, that the colony, which now conftituted his country, was thrice transplanted: and here he tells us, that they had not yet arrived at the place, which was watered by the fountain Cyre or Cyrne, that is, where the city Cyrene now ftands, but wandered in the defart places of Azilis, a' part of Lybia, when Apollo ftanding on the top of Myrtufa, a mountain in Lybia, fhewed them to his bride Cyrene, the daughter of Hypfeus (whence he calls her Hypfeis) who was more particularly famous for her conqueft over the lion, which laid waste the country of Eurypylus, and which she flew on this very mountain Myrtufa. Mr. Prior tranflates the paffage thus,

-Nor had yet thy votaries

From Greece tranfplanted touch'd Cyrene's banks,

And lands determin'd for their last abodes; But wander'd thro' Azilis, horrid forest, Difpers'd; when from Myrtufa's craggy brow Fond of the maid aufpicious to the city, Which muft hereafter bear her favour'd name, Thou gracious deign'ft to let the fair one view Her typic people: thou with pleasure taught'st her, &c.

The reader will eafily fee Mr. Prior's error, which yet the beauty of his poetry will atone for his following lines are built wholly on a miftake, and therefore I omit them: and as I know not of any better commentary on this paffage, I have fubjoined a tranflation of the 9th Pythian ode of Pindar, where is a full account of Cyrene's exploits and Apollo's amour.

Strophe 1.

Glowing bright with fhield of braís,
Victorious in the Pythian race,
Great Teleferates his praife

My foul delights to found in noblest lays.
Ye Graces aid your poet's fong,
And boldly bear the ftrain along,
Spread, fpread the blifs, the glory wide
Of brave Cyrene's garland and her pride.

That father, with induftrious care,
Each female virtue taught the fair:
But fhe-a nobler task approving,

Scorn'd the loom's enervate toys:
Far from female trains removing,

Talking banquets, lazy joys: With the bow, the quiver arming, To the field triumphant flew, Where the favage race alarming, Thefe her darts unerring flew, O'er the hills Aurora rifing,

E'er equipp'd the maid beheld, Sleeps emollient blifs defpifing,

Early haft'ning to the field:

No hoftile beafts her father's realms annoy'd, She purg'd each foreft, and each foe destroy'd., Strophe