69 



■iib Graham says, that " this image surpasses that of Catullus : 



hits UiiQjii , . : ,.: ■lornii^.asiJ '.:o -x-ioo 



tti <ifim' " Flos in septis, secretis nascitur hortis," 



in point of appropriate elegance, but it may, perhaps, be allowed to 

 be inferior to Gray's !" But he treats with scorn the idea that it is 

 an imitation from Gray. For why ? an imitator would in this in- 

 stance, probably, have chosen " Strews fragrance" instead of " Strews 

 withered leaves!" 



Macpherson says to a star, " the waves come around thee with 

 joy ; they bathe thy lovely hair !" 



But Homer had written before him of a star that was bathed in 



the ocean, \e\siisvoQ coKsavoio, and Virgil of the morning star, per- 



fusus Lucifer unda. — ^En. viii. 589; a passage which Scaliger alleges 



to be sweeter than ambrosia. Profecto ne ambrosia quidem dulcior 



est. — Poetices, Lib. v. p. 572. 



So bathed in ocean, with a vivid ray. 

 Flames the refulgent star that leads the day. 



Pitt. u-'^ 



io iiiiii fijjiiio 



r , So sinks the day-star in the ocean bed. 



And yet anon repairs his drooping head, ■'*'^' ^^'■ 



i>v-^Ui: .'1 ; ( And tricks his beams, and with new spangled ore, 



^.',,\ ,, .^ -,. i' Flames in the forehead of the morning sky. 



Milton's Lycidas. 



^neas thrice invokes the manes of Deiphobus, " magtia manes 

 ter voce vocaviJ" — ^n. vi. 506. And Macpherson makes his 

 heroes say, " we thrice called the ghosts of our fathers." He ap- 

 pears like the God in Virgil to have rejoiced in the number three ; 

 " Numero Deus impare gaudet ;" — Eel. viii. 75, for he says, " Tren- 

 more sighed thrice over the hero — thrice the winds of the night 

 roared around — and Cairbar thrice stroked his beard!" 



