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The dark unlearn'd these Tapers onely light.
COMMENTS UPON THE First ACT.
Th'Inconstant Gods] It may be meant the Inconstant Goddesse Fortune, who was the Servant of the Gods, to whom was attributed the disposal of all sublunary things, she was painted with the horn of plenty in one hand, and a wheel in the other, by which was meant, her disposal of all earthly riches and the inconstancy of them:
Volat mobiles alisNec ulli prestat velox fortuna fidem.
Fortune flies with swift wings, nor doth
With any, fickle she, keep faith.
Sen. in Hippol.
She was painted, also blindfolded, as bestowing her favours either impartially, or promiscuously as Senec. in Hippol.
Res humanas ordine nulloFortuna regit, spargitq; manu
Munera Cæcâ.
Humane affaires w'thout order Fortune guides:
And with a blind hand all her gifts divides.
Or else,
------ Faciles dare summa deos, eademq; tueri Difficiles. ------The Gods are prone great things to send,
But backward the same to defend.
The Great work of the Gods above] Neptune and Apollo, who induing humane shapes, were hired by Laomedon, to build the Walls of Troy, which being finished, he deny'd them their promis'd reward: The Gods angry at his perfidiousness and perjury afflicted the City, Neptune with inundations, Apollo with a pestilence: Laomedon Consulting the Oracle, it was answer'd, that the Gods could not be appeased, without they chose a Trojan Virgin by lot yearly, and exposed her to be devoured by a monstrous Whale: After many had run this fatal Chance, it fell at last on Hesione, Laomedons daughter, Hercules coming thither by chance, and seeing the Virgin bound to a rock, bargains with Laomedon to set her at liberty, and slay the Monster for his Horses begotten of divine seed: Hercules perform'd his part, but Laomedon denying him his reward, he returns afterwards with an army and sacked Troy, taking Priamus then a Child prisoner, but having slain Laomedon, he sets Priamus at liberty to enjoy his fathers Realm. Thus Ovid. Met. 11.
Cumq; Triden tigero tumidi genetore profundi
Mortalem induitur formam, Phrygiæq; Tyranne
Ædificat muros, pacto pro mœnibus auro, &c.
By Sands Translated thus. ------ Apollo,
Who with the father of the tumid main
Indues a mortal shape: and entertain
Themselves for unregarded Gold to build
The Phrygian Tyrants walls. That work fulfill'd
The King their promised reward denies, &c.
To whose assistance Came] Rhesus King of Thrace, whose horses had they drunk of the River Xanthe by Troy, (as the Oracle delivered) Troy had been invincible, but he was slain, and his horses taken before they came thither by Ulysses and Dromedes.
And those that neer first see] Memnon with his Eastern Troops the Son of Tithon and Aurora Priamus's Nephew: slain by Achilles, whose ashes were converted to fowles.
Ovid. Met. 13. ------ Cum Memnonis arduus altoCorruit igne rogus: ------
Atra favilla volat: glomerataq; Corpus in unum
Densatur, faciemq; Capit—&c.
Sands Translat. ------ When greedy flame, devour'd the funeral pile,
The flying, dying Sparkles joyntly grow
Into one body. Colour, form, life, spring
To it from fire, which levity doth wing,
First like a fowl, forthwith a Fowl indeed, &c.
Those too where with the Sea Tigris] The Troops that came with Memnon, about the Perfic Gulfe, where the swift river Tigris disimbokes it self.
And she that neighboured] Penthesilea, Queen of the Amazons, slain by Achilles. See note third, upon the 5 Act.
Cassandra] Priamus's daughter, whom Phœbus loving, Sued for her maidenhead, which she promised him on Condition that he would indue her with the gift of Prophesie, or foretelling things to come; which having granted her, She would no[illeg.] to her promise, which the deceived God seeing ad[illeg.] his former gift, that whatsoever she foretold, though never so true, should not, be Credited: Nor did the Trojans believe what she predicted till afterwards they found it true to their sorrow.
Tunc etiam fatis aperit Cassandra futurisOra, dei jussu, non unquam Credita Teucris.
Virg. Æn. 2. Cassandra then, these future fates foretold,
Whom Trojans ne're believ'd, so Phœbus would.
Ogleby interpret.
With Child I this] Hecuba when she was with- Child of Paris, dreamed that she was delivered of a fire-brand,
Tis by my fire brand]which proved true, in that he was the Cause of Troys destruction.
Diomedes] King of Ætolia, the Constant Companion of Ulysses in all his exploites: In stealing the horses of Rhesus and the Palladium of Troy, which could not be Conquer'd whilst that remained there.
False Sinon] He by whose Craft, the wooden horse was admitted into Troy, out of whose belly came the hidden Greeks, who surpriz'd the City by that Stratagem.
The murther of the King] Priamus slain by Pyrrhus at the Altar of Jupiter Hercius, which was in the Court, between the Entrance and the Hall, where the Kings use to be Crowned.
Helenus's wife] Andromach, who after Pyrrhus had taken Hermione from Orestes, was given to Helenus, who was Priamus's Son, and a great Prophet; So that the time is here anticipated by the Author.
Another doth Antenors Crave] Theano. Antenor was a Trojan Prince, who after Troys overthrow, fled to the Venetians: he built Padua.
In Imitation of mourners, as the manner of the Preficæ was, to knock their breasts, tear their dishevell'd tresses, and lament with groans and ejulations.
Ida's direful King] Paris, whose residence was on mount Ida, where whilst he kept sheep, the three Goddesses Juno, Pallas, Venus, presented themselves to him, making him the arbitrator of their strife for the Golden Ball, which he, despising the profer'd wisdom of Pallas, the Riches of Juno, adjudged to Venus, who had promis'd him the fairest Beauty in the world, which was Helena, whom she gave him in reward for his arbitration.
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