).

111. _Many a baron bold_. Cf. _L'Allegro_, 119: "throngs of knights
and barons bold."

The reading in the MS. is,

"Youthful knights, and barons bold,
With dazzling helm, and horrent spear."

112. _Their starry fronts_. Cf. Milton, _Ode on the Passion_, 18:
"His starry front;" Statius, _Theb._ 613: "Heu! ubi siderei vultus."

115. _A form divine_. Elizabeth. Wakefield quotes Spenser's eulogy of
the queen, _Shep. Kal._ Apr.:

"Tell me, have ye seene her angelick face,
Like Phoebe fayre?
Her heavenly haveour, her princely grace,
Can you well compare?
The Redde rose medled with the White yfere,
In either cheeke depeincten lively chere;
Her modest eye,
Her Majestie,
Where have you seene the like but there?"

117. "Speed, relating an audience given by Queen Elizabeth to Paul
Dzialinski, ambassador of Poland, says: 'And thus she, lion-like
rising, daunted the malapert orator no less with her stately port and
majestical deporture, than with the tartnesse of her princelie
checkes'" (Gray). The MS. reads "A lion-port, an awe-commanding
face."

121. "Taliessin, chief of the bards, flourished in the sixth century.
His works are still preserved, and his memory held in high veneration
among his countrymen" (Gray).

As Hales remarks, there is no authority for connecting him with
Arthur, as Tennyson does in his _Holy Grail_.

123. Cf. Congreve, _Ode to Lord Godolphin_: "And soars with rapture
while she sings."

124. _The eye of heaven_. Wakefield quotes Spenser, _F. Q._ 1. 3. 4,

"Her angel's face
As the great eye of heaven shined bright."

Cf. Shakes. _Rich. II._ iii. 2: "the searching eye of heaven."

_Many-colour'd wings_. Cf. Shakes. _Temp._ iv. 1: "Hail,
many-colour'd messenger;" and Milton, _P. L._ iii. 642:

"Wings he wore
Of many a colour'd plume sprinkled with gold."

126. Gray quotes Spenser, _F. Q._ Proeme, 9:

"Fierce warres and faithful loves shall moralize my song."

128. "Shakespeare" (Gray). Cf. _Il Penseroso_, 102: "the buskin'd
stage;" that is, the tragic stage.

129. _Pleasing pain_. Cf. Spenser, _F. Q._ vi. 9, 10: "sweet pleasing
payne;" and Dryden, _Virg. Ecl._ iii. 171: "Pleasing pains of love."

131. "Milton" (Gray).

133. "The succession of poets after Milton's time" (Gray).

135. _Fond_. Foolish. See on _Prog. of Poesy_, 46.

On the couplet, cf. Dekker, _If this be not a g