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© 1995,1996 Untangle Incorporated

Last Updated:Tuesday, February 06, 1996

Note 20

Cowper's version is less elegant, but truer to the original:
"He ceased, and under his dark brows the nod

Vouchsafed of confirmation. All around

The sovereign's everlasting head his curls

Ambrosial shook, and the huge mountain reeled."

It may interest our readers to see how this passage appears in another famous version, that which was issued under the name of Tickell, contemporaneously with Pope's, and which, being by many attributed to Addison, led to the quarrel which ensued between Addison and Pope:

"This said, his kingly brow the sire inclined;

The large black curls fell awful from behind,

Thick shadowing the stern forehead of the god;

Olympus trembled at the almighty nod."

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