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/. 230. p. 68. Ruling thrm by perfuafion as thou mean'Ji.~\
Alluding to thofe charming lines,
i. 221.
Yet held it more humane, more heavenly, firft
By winning words to conquer willing hearts,
And make perfuafion do the work of fear. Newton.
I. 239. p. 69. pure the air, and light the foil ;]
Attica being a mountainous country, the foil was light, and the
air fharp and pure; and therefore faid to be productive of lharp wits.
TEy ewtfao-.av txv cpxv ev airra> xo.Tf^ws'a, ot povi/u)TaTtf; avJpaj
oia-ei. Plato in Timaeo. p. 24. Vol. 3. Ed. Serr. " Athenis tenue
" ccelum, ex quo acutiores etiam putantur Attici." Cicero, De
Fa to, 4.
1. 244. p. 69. the olive grove of Academe, ~\
Nt-wton.
The Academy is always defcribed as a woody, fhady, place. Dio-
genes Laertius calls it irpoac-ttov AA2I2AE2 ; and Horace fpeaks of the
sylvas Academi, 2 Epift. ii. 45. But Milton diiringuifhes it by
the particular name of the olive grove of Academe, becaufe the olive
was particularly cultivated about Athens, being facred to Minerva the
goddefs of the city : he has befides the exprefs authority
phanes, Nun. 1001.
A^X' } AxaJtyxiav narituv, l-rto rate fjt,o(tai* aTroQ^u;.
of AriHo-
Sed in Academiam defcendens fub facris olivis fpatiaberis.
Newton.
This whole defcription of the Academe is infinitely charming. Bp.
Newton has juftly obferved that " Plato's Academy was never more
" beautifully defcribed." " Cicero," he adds, " who has laid the
" fcene of one of his dialogues (De Fin. L. v.) there, and who had
" been himfelf on the fpor, has not painted it in more lively co-
" lours."
/. 245. p. 69. where the Attic bird
Trills her thick-warbled notes &c. "J
Philomela, who according to the fables, was changed into a nightin-
gale, was the daughter of Pandion king
of Athens. Hence the
nightingale is called Atthis in Latin, quafi Attica avis ; thus Martial,
L. i. Ep. 54.
Sic ubi multifona ferret facer Atthide lucus, &c. Newton.