securities, God's dear love, remaining

"Your friend, as much to command as any of longer date,

"Henry Wotton."

_Postscript._

"Sir: I have expressly sent this my footboy to prevent your departure
without some acknowledgment from me of the receipt of your obliging
letter; having myself through some business, I know not how, neglected
the ordinary conveyance. In any part where I shall understand you fixed,
I shall be glad and diligent to entertain you with home-novelties, even
for some fomentation of our friendship, too soon interrupted in the
cradle."

The Latin phrase, _ipsa mollities_, may be translated,--it is the very
perfection of delicacy. The Italian words below mean,--My dear Henry,
thoughts close, face open.

1. Before the starry threshold of Jove's court. The attendant spirit not
only announces himself as a dweller in heaven, but he specifies his
particular function among the celestials: he is doorkeeper in the house
of God.

3. insphered. Compare Il Penseroso 88.

7. Confined and pestered. _Pester_ has its primitive meaning, to clog or
encumber. In this pinfold here. _Pinfold_ is probably not connected with
the verb to pen, but is a shortened form of poundfold, and means,
literally, an enclosure for stray cattle.

10. After this mortal change: after this life on earth, which is subject
to death.

11. Amongst the enthroned gods. Make but two syllables of _enthroned_,
and accent the first.

The long sentence ending with line 11 is very loose in construction: the
_and_ in line 7 is a cooerdinate conjunction, but does not connect
cooerdinate elements.

13. To lay their just hands on that golden key. Compare Lycidas 110.

16. these pure ambrosial weeds. Ambrosial has its proper
meaning,--pertaining to the immortals.

20. by lot 'twixt high and nether Jove. Neptune drew lots with Jupiter
and Pluto. To Jupiter fell the region of the upper air, to Pluto the
lower world, and to Neptune the sea. The ancient poets sometimes spoke of
Jupiter and Pluto as the upper and the lower Jove.

25. By course commits to several government: in due order he assigns the
islands to his tributaries, giving them an island apiece.

27. But this Isle is so large that he has to divide it.

29. Consider quarters to mean nothing more than divides. his blue-haired
deities. The epithet is conventional, taken from the Greek poets, and