University of Virginia Library


70

Upon Act the fourth.

Dardanian House] from Dardanus the son of Jupiter and Electra, the founder of Troy, from whom as also the region about was call'd Dardauia.

Tethis] the Wife of Oceanus, the Ladies of the Sea, were the Sea Nymphs who attended upon her.

Thetis] was the Wife of Peleus, and the Mother of Achilles, a great Sea-Goddesse also, and could vary shapes at her pleasure.

See Ovid. Met. lib. 11.

Peleus] The Father of Achilles.

Nereus] The Son of Oceanus and Thetis, a Sea God, father to the Sea Nymphs of whom they were call'd Nereids.

The ruine, Pest, and Plague] she was the cause of the ruine and utter overthrow of famous Troy, and the losse of many noble Greecians, she was

------ Trojæ & patriæ Communis Erinnys.
Virg. Common Erinnys both to Greece and Troy.

Thy Husbands] Menelaus her former, from whom Paris ravish'd her, and Paris to whom she had been married.

Nuptial Taxes] It was the Custome of the Romans to use torches at their Weddings, from which a certain clammy liquor like Tar issued out; they were called Tedas from the tree Teda. They were five in number, which represented Jupiter, Juno, Venus, Suadela and Lucina, which were called the Nuptial or Conjugal powers, for the help they afforded the new married Couple.

Being Venus gift] See Note 18. Act. 1.

O Paris hand that thus so lightly stroke] Who had not wholly slain Achilles. For Achilles being drawn into Troy under the prext of marrying Polyxena was, slain by Paris.


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A gay troop of Children] Some say she had 15, some say 22, others 50.

I only her call Childe] She had also Cassandra living, but she was not her companion, being the Priestess of Apollo, and so as it were none of hers. And therefore she was to be free from the lot, as not to have been accounted as among the spoyle, but she was alotted to Agamemnon.

Achilles Arms] That was to Vlysses, who had the Armour of Achilles in possession, being to him alotted by the Greeks, from Ajax Telamonius, which so enraged him that he slew himself.

Ovid. Met. 13.