Book II. CIDER. 123 Did not the Arctic tract fpontaneous yield Intensely fervent, which each hour they crave, 245 Of freezing nofe, and quick-decaying feet? Nor less the sable borderers of Nile, 259 temperature of the fummer air in Spitzbergen. At the noon of July zoth, he fays, in lat. 80° 30′, long. 3° 26', the mercury food at 37; at midnight, at 331. In lat. 80° 41', long. 2° 12', on July 16th at noon, at 49; at midnight, 48.-This, he obferves, was the greatest degree of warmth he found there. 244. A cheering purple berry-] The Juniper tree abounds in many of the countries within the Arctic Circle, as Greenland, Norway, Lapland, &c.Of the Juniper berries, the natives make various kinds of drinks. "The four drink "of the Laplanders," fays a northern traveller, confifts of an infufion of Juniper berries and of a grain like lentils. It grows there in great abundance, as do Juniper trees. Of that grain they also make brandy, "which has the fame effect as that diftilled from grapes; and their common drink is as ftrong as French wine, Our beer was more acceptable to them, than our meat. They drank freely of it, and were also pleased with the brandy we gave them; yet they preferred "their own four drink to either our brandy or beer."-See Travels through the most Northern Parts of Europe, by a Gentleman employed by the North-Sea Company of Copenhagen to make Dif coveries. Of freezing nofe, or quick-decaying feet.] Mr. Pennant, in his introduction to his Artic Zoology, fpeaking of the late attempts of the Ruffians to colonife Spitzbergen and other Arctic iflands, obferves that "few of the Ruffians die from the severity of the cold, but are often frost-bitten, fo. as to lose their toes and fingers.". 251. Nor lefs the fable borderers of Nile, &c.] Egypt lies between the 20th and 32d degrees of North latitude, but being fituated between two ridges of mountains, with a fandy foil which R & throws Nor who Taprobane manure, nor they Whom funny Borneo bears, are ftor'd with streams Egregious, Rum, and Rice's fpirit extract: throws back the reflection of the fun's rays, it is confiderably more fultry than other countries under the fame parallel of latitude. The contrast which our Poet here exhibits in his two descriptions of the inhabitants of the Polar region, and thofe of the torrid Zone, reminds us of that part of the third GEORGIC, where Virgil, having very beautifully defcribed the wandering life of the African fhepherds, makes an immediate tranfition to his admired defcription of the Scythian winter. At non qua Scythiæ gentes, &c. G. iii. 349. Upon which paffage Dr. Warton, in his very excellent notes on the Georgics, juftly obferves, that "This variety, this magic art of conveying the reader from one climate to another, conftitutes one of the "greatest beauties of poetry." 252. Nor who Taprobane manure- ·] The island of Ceylon, a confiderable fpice-ifland belonging to the Dutch, was well known to the ancients, and is described by Ptolemy, under the name of Taprobane. It lies in the Indian Ocean between five and ten degrees of north latitude. Milton calls it the utmost Indian ifle TAPROBANE. It is alfo mentioned by Ovid, Aut ubi TAPROBANEN Indica cingit aqua. P. L. iv. 75. PONT. L. i. Ep. v. 80. Manure is here used in the fame fenfe as in the following paffage of Milton; on which one of his commentators obferves that "the word manuring is not" there "to be understood in its common sense, but, as working with hands, from the French manœuvrer, We must be risen, Borneo, one of the Sunda iflands, and, before our late difcoveries, reckoned the largest island in the known world, lies immediately under the line, being fituated between feven degrees north, and four degrees fouth latitude." Rice's Spirit extract-] 254. Arrack is made from rice, fyrup of fugar, and the juice of the cocoatree fermented together and then diftilled.The art of making Arrack was BOOK II. CIDER. For here, expos'd to perpendicular rays, 125 255 eyes, In vain they covet fhades and Thrafcias' gales, 260 More happy they, born in Columbus' world, 265 Carybbes, and they, whom the Cotton-plant With downy-sprouting vefts arrays! Their woods Bow with prodigious nuts, that give at once was originally established at Goa, and, as the Abbè Raynal obferves, is one of thofe branches of trade, of which the industry of the Dutch has deprived the Portuguefe. 256. Thrafcias-] Milton has introduced this wind (fo called by the Greeks, because it blew upon them northward from Thrace) into his account of the winds which he describes as producing ftorms in the world after the fall of man. Boreas and Cæcias, and Argeftes loud, And THRASCIAS 267. whom the Cotton-plant In downy-fprouting vefts arrays-] Cotton is the produce of the Cotton-tree, which grows in the Eaft and Weft Indies; and in Africa. Virgil speaks of the Nemora Ethiopum, MOLLI CANENTIA LANA. GEORGIC. ii. 120. Celefial ers ay ply the pump, ft, till the wide breach is clos'd; erful, unfatigu'd, still move ker, then alone concern'd, owl forbids their pleasing work. rding thou art bent, thy hopes as when et cliff, with fudden fhock-] 280 to have been borrowing from his own Splendid a well-fraught fhip re, or through the Ægean deep ill cruizing near hore, with hideous crush harybdis (dangerous rocks!) anding, whence the shatter'd oak, - unable to withstand, in at the gaping fide aves gufh with impetuous rage helming; horrors feize eath in their eyes appears, lave, they pump, they fwear, they pray. ginal place, is excellent, and cannot be too much at have been fpared; as well as the defcription of a fucker, which precedes it. Are Hardly di With lif Delights 285 Cider it is drun from Vi arable la ne al BOOK II. CIDER. 127 Are frustrate, should'st thou think thy pipes will flow 285. muft twice endure the fun's eye, 290 Kind ftrengthening heat, twice winter's purging cold-] Cider of a prime quality fhould be kept two years in cafk, before it is drunk, or bottled.- -Philips's manner of telling us this is borrowed from Virgil's firft GEORGIC, V. 47, where he recommends letting arable land lie fallow two years, that it may have four plowings. Illa feges demum votis refpondet avari With lifted colours gay, or, azure, gules-] DRYDEN. We cannot well pafs by this paffage, without remarking the great juft nefs and beauty of this fimile. On which laft paffage the Commentators have obferved that Milton alluded to the three primary colours.-Philips has specified them. That |