Nor was he like those stars that, &c.

There are certain lambent flames, or ignes fatui, that dance about the mafts and rigging of fhips, which were formerly thought to portend good weather, if two of them appeared together; if only one, bad was to be expected. They are called by the Spaniards St. Hermi or St. Telmi. The Italians give them the names of St. Peter and St. Nicholas; and they were more particularly known to the antients under the denomination of Caftor and Pollux.

As wands of divination, &c.

The divining wand was a forked piece of hazel about a foot and an half long, as thick as one's finger, which being held in equilibre on the back of the hand, and carried very gently, inclined itself towards the earth by force of sympathy, in case of a mine or treasure being in that part hidden. There are other

ways of carrying it, and various uses, which we have not remarked, to which it may be applied. All these are at large set forth in a work printed at Amfterdam, 1613, intitled La Phyfique Occulte, ou traitè de la baguette divinatoire.

When past all offerings, &c.

Romulus having defeated the Cænienfes, who were allies of the incenfed Sabines, dedicated the fpoils of his victory in a temple, which he for that purpose erected, to Feretrian Jove, Feretria Jovi. The epithet is either derived from ferre to bear, as the plunder of a war was always borne hither in proceffion; or from ferire to facrifice, the Romans generally facrificing to Feretrian Jove, before they marched out against their enemies.

To fuppliant Holland, &c.

War was commenced against Holland in the year 1652, on account of the Dutch refufing to lower their topfails by way of salute to the British navy. It was haftened on by other circumftances, fuch as the act of navigation, &c. but in the course of it, the commerce of the republic of Holland was confiderably injured, fo that they fued for peace in very submissive terms. It was at length granted them in 1654, on their confenting to compliment our flag; to abandon the regal intereft, to which they were supposed to be well affected; and to lay down a large sum of money, by way of indemnifying the nation for her loffes.

The treaty of alliance which Cromwell entered into with France against the Spaniards, proved of the greatest service to that crown, fince by it Cromwell furnished thereto fix thousand men, who behaved always very gallantly, and turned the balance in its favor. When fuch heroic virtue, &c.

Dryden here elegantly attributes Cromwell's fucceffes, and the glory reaped under him by the British arms, to the many great virtues wherewith heaven had endowed him. Virtues," fays he, "fufficiently strong to influence in his favour even oppofing ftars, "which obeyed with reluctance, like the common people when "taxed."

We

He made us freemen, &c.

may be faid to have been made freemen of the Continent by the taking of Dunkirk, which was wrested from the Spaniards by the united forces of France and England, and delivered up to the latter in the beginning of 1658.

1

Altho' an Alexander, &c.

At this time Alexander VII. fat in the papal chair.

By his command we boldly, &c.

Our author feems not to have duly weighed the occasion of this compliment, fince our arms certainly did not cross the line during the protectorship. What is here then referred to, must be the defigns which Oliver entertained, of conquering the best part of the Spanish Weft-Indies. To which end he fitted out a powerful fleet under the direction of Penn, on board of which he embarked the largest body of land-forces ever feen in America. They mifcarried in the main part of their defign, yet they made themselves masters of Jamaica, a most valuable acquifition, which has ever fince re mained annexed to the British crown.

be, prefs'd down by his own weighty name,

Did, like the veftal under poils deceaje.

The Sabines being at war with the Romans, found means to furprize the citadel by corrupting Tarpeia the commandant's daughter, to open to them a postern-gate; and when they were entered, they threw their bucklers upon and fmothered her. It is faid they had confented, at her own request, to give her what they had upon their arms, their left arms being alfo adorned

with magnificent bracelets; and thus they pretended to perform their promise.

But firft the ocean as a tribute fent,

The giant prince of all her watry berd.

Cromwell died on Friday September 3d, 1658, a day remarkable for being the anniversaries of his victories at Worcester and Dunbar, as alfo for one of the most dreadful tempests that had ever happened in the memory of man. On the preceding Monday, being the 30th of August, there raged a more violent ftorm than had been known in this kingdom for twenty years before. When Wood tells us, it was certainly believed by the vulgar, that the Devil, with whom Oliver had made a compact, having summoned him to another world, he craved a reprieve of the fiend till Friday, and gave bond for his appearance. This is but a sorry pun, the bond here meant being Dennis Bond, a great partizan of the Protector's, who died that day.

As winds for halcyons, &c.

The halcyon is faid to pitch its nest upon the surface of the fea, and there to hatch its young, when a continued calm prevails. Plutarch, who afferts this story, as fact, tells us, that he has seen several of this bird's nefts, formed like boats, and curiously conftructed of fish-bones. Many naturalifts confirm the veracity of this account, and the curious Sir Thomas Brown admits it as a truth.

ASTREA REDUX. A Poem on the happy Reftoration and Return of his facred Majefty CHARLES II. 1660.

STREA REDUX, or the Return of Justice, may be very

A properly to the era of the

now the nation was freed from the factions that had so long diftracted, and threatened her with anarchy and destruction; while law, order, and fubordination began to flow once again quietly in their antient and proper channels.

An horrid ftillness firft invades the ear,

And in that filence we the tempeft fear.

This distich was laid hold of by the wits of the times, and among others by Capt. Alexander Radcliff in his news from Hell, who ridicules it thus:

"Laureta, who was both learn'd and florid,

"Was dama'd long fince for filence horrid:

"Nor had there been fuch clutter made,
"But that this filence did invade :

Invade! and fo't might well,-that's clear:
"But what did it invade ?.

The ambitious Swede, &c.

an ear."

Charles X. named also Gustavus, and nephew to the great Guftavus Adolphus, a man of an excellent education, trained to arms, in which he delighted, and well beloved by the people, fucceeded to the crown of Sweden at the age of twenty-eight years, the famous Queen Christina having abdicated in his favor. This happened in 1654, and the Polish ambaffador at Stockholm protesting against his fucceffion, was told by the queen, "That her cousin could prove his right to the Swedish crown by

thirty thousand witneffes." A war fucceeded between Poland and Sweden, in which Charles was for the most part successful, having in the course of it also, the different powers of Austria, France, the republics of England and Holland, to contend with. He died of a fever at Gottenburgh in 1660, having reigned ten years, and leaving behind him the character of a very able commander. The peace of Sweden was restored a few months after his death by the treaties of Copenhagen and Oliva.

We figh'd to hear the fair Iberian bride,
Muft grow a lilly to the lilly's fide, &c.

In the year 1659, Cromwell being dead, a peace was concluded between Spain and France, in which the marriage with the Infanta of Spain, was agreed upon; and tho Charles II. was there in perfon, little or no regard was paid to his interest. The poet in this, and part of the following page laments, that almost every State but that of England should be restored to ease. Sweden, fays he, obtained a peace by the death of her ambitious mo narch. The feuds between France and Spain were miraculously terminated, and their friendship cemented by a marriage. But for our parts heaven till still continued to deny us the restoration of our king, for which all ranks of people groaned; and we seemed as it were abandoned by providence.

The facred purple then and Scarlet gown,
Like fanguine die to elephants was fhovin.

Such a general anarchy prevailed at this time, that no authority could avail against the headstrong commonality. The facred purple and scartet gown, fays the poet, opposed against their

progrefs, had no more effect than if they had been fhewn to an elephant.

Thus when the bold Typhæus, &c.

See the giant's war, in the first book of Ovid's Metamorphofis.

Blind as the Cyclop, &c.

Polyphemus, of whom may be found a beautiful defcription in the third book of the Æneid.

As fouls reach heaven, while, &c.

This line alludes to the extafies affected by some visionaries.

But thofe that 'gainst fiff gales laveering go.

To laveer, is a naval term derived from the Danish, and fignifies to change the direction often in a course.

And all at Word fter, &c.

Bailey, Johnson's Dict.

At the battle of Worcester, which was fought near the city of that name on the 3d of September, 1651, the king's army was totally routed. He made his efcape meanly disguised, and was several times near falling into the hands of the rebels,

Thus banish'd David, &c.

For explanation of these lines, fee the first of Samuel from the 16th to the 26th chapter.

Well might the antient poets then confer,

On night the bonor'd name of counfellor.

Night is by feveral antient authors called counsellor, on account of its ftillness and folemnity.

The name of great his famous grandfire gain'd.

Charles II. was grandfon by the mother's fide to Henry IV. of France.

Thefe lines refer to the ceremonies ufed by fuch heathens as efcaped from fhipwreck, to which the king's variety of fortune is not inelegantly compared. Alga Marina, or fea-weed, was generally strewed about the altar, and a lamb facrificed to the winds,