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(For to thy merit various names belong:

But none like lov'd Carnean glads my song :
For fo my country celebrates the God,
Who, thrice remov'd, here fix'd his firm abode.
From Sparta firft, where firft the name was fung
Carnean, Theras led the chofen throng:

Great Theras, from a race of antient heroes sprung:
Recover'd Battus then from Thera's fhore,
Thee and thy colony, bright Phœbus, bore;
In Lybia rais'd a temple to thy name,
And rites establish'd to record thy fame,

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Ver. 101. Carnean, &c.] The poet tells us, that of all the names wherewith Apollo was dignified, none pleafed him fo well as that whereby he was peculiarly adored, and known in his own country; of whofe honour he fhews himfelf always very jealous, omitting no opportunity, like a found patriot, to celebrate either its praife, or that of his prince. Apoils, we are told, was called Carnean from the feaft celebrated to his honour, first at Sparta, and then at Cyrene; which was held in fo great veneration, that children born on that day, were called Carneada. Many reafons are given for the name (which fee in Potter's antiquities, vol. 1. p. 408) but none fatisfactory. Macrobius too appears to have ftrained the matter, when he tells us, that Apollo was called Kagues, or xaroperos ofatus YOS, vel quod, cum omnia ardentia confumantur, hic fuo calore candens femper novus conftat, p 240. The true derivation is given by Huct, in his Demonftra. Evangelica, who obferves, that "the word Kag is derived from the Hebrew, KaRN, a born. The reader will immediately recollect what was faid concerning horns, ver. 85. and the obfervation at the end, which this of M. Huet confirms; and it is obfervable that

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Callimachus, immediately after the defcription and account of the altar of horns composed by Apollo, celebrates the founder of his city Battus, who under the auspices of this God, founded Cyrene, and inftituted the rites of Carnean Apollo, who, as the light, performed all the works of nature, and to whom therefore flowers, &c. were prefented. See line 113.

Ver. 104.] The author here gives us an hiftorical detail of the removal of the colony, under the aufpices of Apollo, which firft was fettled at Sparta, thence tranfplanted by Theras (who he tells us was the feventh from Oedipus) to Thera. or Theraa, an ifland of the Egean fea, which had its name from this hero Theras, according; to Heredetus. And 3dly, by Battus conducted to Lybia, who built the city Cyrene, &c. as mentioned in the text. The author calls him AproTEANS, which we are informed was his original name, that of Battus having been given him by the oracle, when he confulted it (as obferved note. 92.) he calls him ouλos, recovered, in allufion to what is recorded in that note, of his regaining or recovering his fpeech. Concerning the bulls, horned beafts offered to Apollo. See note 85.

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Which annual in his city are renew'd,

When bulls innumerous ftain thy fhrines with blood.

Io, Carnean, all-ador'd, we bring

The choiceft beauties of the painted fpring,

Now gentle Zephyr breaths the genial dew,

That gives each flower its variegated hue :

But on thy altars, when ftern winter comes,

The fragrant faffron breaths its rich perfumes.

115

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

Ζεφυξε πνείοντος πέρσην

Zephyro infpiranti rorem. owers in the fpring we find were offered to a jutt bute to the Sun, which brings them forth, and gives them their beauties. Moft Aowers represent to us the irradiation of light, and in foute all the bell flowers; the economy is much to be obferved; for in every fingle flower we fhall find fix leaves, with an irradiation in the midst ; and in fome more diftinctly, 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 few ceremonies, the famous candlestick, a repr fentative of the fyftem, amongst other things had flowers to fhew the irradiation of light, Exod. xxv. 31. See alfo 2 Chron. iv. 5. 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 a flower) nay, that pivine Light himself tells us, that he is the role of Sharon and the lilly of the

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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, th. material light

Ver. 118. Saffron.] I rather tranflate the word Kpozor in his pl. ce faffron, tha crocus (as Mr. Prior hach done, because the crocus with us may ather be called a fpring, than a winter flower; nay, indeed it is the very firft of the fpring flowers. The faff on is properly the au unna crocus, which flourishs in October, about which time the festival of Carnean Apollo was celebrated. It was dedicated to Apollo tor the fame reason that flowers in general were, as just now obferved, and indeed he crocus is particularly remarkable in the refpect mentioned in the former note. The gardeners diftinguish it thus; It hath a flower confifting of one leaf, which is fhaped like a lilly, fitulous underneath, the tube widened into fix fegments, and refting on the firft ftalk; the pointal rifes out of the bottom of the flower, and is divided into three headed and crested 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 G 2

is

To thee eternal fires inceffant rise,

And on thy fhrine the living coal ne'er dies.

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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 Jaffron robe; nay, and calls her particularly, The faffron morn, with early blufhes fpread. See Ili. xi. ver. 1. 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 faffren was a representative, as an old poet, quoted by Spanheim, exprefly in

forms us,

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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 bath well obferved is doubtlefs of Hebrew origin, coming from CReCM, which we find in the Cant. iv. 14. and which is indifputably derived of CReC, to roll round, to move round as in a circle, which the irradiation caufes the orbs to do, and whence comes 1 CReCB, 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 cach other. Littleton fays, that circus is derived à Chald. 75. CRC, circundare, to compafs about. Thus we have a fatisfactory account of the name, which explains the meaning of its coleur, and appropriation to the folar light, and which is, at least, more near the matter, than the derivation given by the

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fcholiaft, who tells us, that it was called Kpoxos, capa To ev xpues baλew, which feems very far from the fenfe or found of the word. I obferved, that it was mentioned in the Canticles, as one of thofe aromatic fweets, thofe divine and heavenly graces, which are in the church the spouse of Chrift. In Chrift himfelf 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 rett faffron was burnt and offered to him in the incenfe, as the Hebrew Rabbis and writers inform us: Hence the idolaters might ufe 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 δι τα εν ΚΥΡΗΝΗ Ριδα, &c.

Διαφεξόπως δε Η τ8 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 subject 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 velure of the crocus. The faffron morn with rofy blushes spread, &c.

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WHEN the glad hours bring round the folemn day,
On which Carnean rites his people pay,

With joy the God beholds the choir advance,
Brown Lybian dames, and warriors, to the dance.

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 afhes 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 lofs to understand; nor fhall we wonder at this univerfal cuftem 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 aman, the perpetual fire, was obferved by the Greeks as well as themfelves. The Perfiars lenity in this Inftance then is not furprizing, fince he himflf not orly 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 ftill 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 everlasting 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 object of devotion to the Geberrs, lies about 10 Engli miles N. E. by E. from the city of Baku, on dry rocky land. There are feveral 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 iflues a blue flame, in colour and gentlenefs not unlike a lamp that burns with spirits, but femingly more pure. The Indians affirm, that this flame has continued ever fince the food, and they believe it will last 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 firs only, but for those of others, and they continue the longer time, in propertion 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 thofe 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."

.

Not yet the Dorian colony poffest

The plenteous foil, by fruitful Cyrne blest,

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 tranfplanted: 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 Myrtusa. 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 laft abodes;.
But wander'd thro' Azilis, horrid foreft,
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'it
her, &c.

The reader will cafily 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 brass,
Victorious in the Pythian race,
Great Teleficrates his praife

My foul delights to found in nobleft 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.

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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 rising,

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 foc destroy'd. Strophe

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