COMMENTTARY NOTES TO ALCON 

2 For caelicolum regi cf. Vergil, Aeneid III.21. 
3 Gentili alludes to the tradition that Joseph was an old man. 
5 For vaga…murmura cf. Statius, Thebais VI.562. 
6 The poem is addressed to Prince Johannes von Weickard of Augsburg, “of whom little is known, but it is possible that he may have been High Master in the court of Ferdinand IV” (Pallant, p. 138). We may probably assume that he had befriended the refugee Gentilis, or at least was a position to do so.
8 Krain (Carniola) was the district of Austria where the Gentilis fled in 1575, to escape the attentions of the Inquisition.
9 Cf. Vergil, Aeneid IV.121, saltusque indagine cingunt. “Surrounding a whole thicket with a net or a rope with muticoloured feathers was the commonest ancient hunting method” (Pallant, p. 138). Or perhaps Gentili is referring to the use of beaters.
11 Ne linque laborem comes from ib. III.160. 
12 For meritos…honores cf. the commentary note on Psalm CVI.2 of the 1584 series. 
16 Pallant (p. 138) noted the echo of Vergil, Eclogue iii.84, Pollio amat nostrum, quamvis est rustica, Musam.
20 For horrida dumis cf. ib. viii.348. 
23 Tyrian purple dye (frequently a distinction of royalty) is frequently mentioned in classical poetry, as at Ovid, Fasti II.107, induerat Tyrio bis tinctam murice pallam. 
28f. Cf., perhaps, Tibullus I.viii.30, Ut foveat molli frigida membra sinu. 
30 Pallant (p. 139) compared the refrain of Vergil, Eclogue viii, incipe Menalios mecum, mea tibia, versus.
32 These especially soft and luxurious fabrics from Miletus are mentioned by Vergil, Georgics III.306 and IV.334 (noted by Pallant, p. 139) 
33 Gentili was evidently thinking of Ovid, Metamorphoses VI.127f.: 

36 As frequently in his metaphrases of the Psalms, Gentili calls the Hebrew prophets vates. Here he is of course alluding to Messianic prophecies in the Old Testament. 
39 He will bestow on the word broken clouds, as opposed to constant and unbroken ones. 
40f. Cf. Lucan III.150, ocius avertat diri mala semina belli. 
42 Cf. Vergil, Aeneid IV.699, Stygioque caput damnaverat Orco. 
43 Cf. Vergil, Eclogue iv.31, pauca tamen suberunt priscae vestigia fraudis (noted by Pallant, p. 139).
45 The idea of “golden centuries” is familiar from other Augustan poetry (particularly Aeneid VI.792, VII.324), but Gentili is of course primarily playing with the old idea of equating the prophecies of Vergil’s fourth Eclogue with Messianic prophecies in Scripture. Pallant (p. 139) specifically compared Eclogue iv. 46f.:

47 Cf. Vergil, Aeneid VIII.116, paciferaeque manu ramum praetendit olivae (noted by Pallant, p. 140).
48f. Pallant (p. 140) compared Vergil, Eclogue iv.29f.:

50f. She also compared ib. 24f.:

53 Advice opposite to that given at Vergil, Eclogue iii.93, o pueri (fugite hinc!), latet anguis in herba. Pallant (p. 140) compared Eclogue iv. 24f., occidet et serpens, et fallax herba veneni / occidit.
56 Pallant (p. 140) compared ib. 22, nec magnos metuent armenta leones. 
66 For gelidus ros cf. Vergil, Georgics II.202. Cf. also Vergil’s description of early morning at ib. III.324-6 (and also the similar one at Eclogue viii.14f.): 

67 Cf. Eclogue v.38, pro molli viola, pro purpureo narcisso.
70 Cf. Eclogue iv.22f.: ipsae lacte domum referent distenta capellae / ubera (noted by Pallant p. 140).
73f. Pallant (p. 140) compared ib. 53f.:

75 She also noted the echo of ib. 60, Incipe, parve puer, risu cognoscere matrem.
77 Cf. Eclogue ii.45f. (noted by Pallant, pp. 140f.): 

82 As in his metaphrases of the Psalms, Gentili calls the angels dei.
86f. Cf. Eclogue v.13f. (noted by Pallant, p. 141): 

4 The sad day is Good Friday.
5 Cf. Vergil, Aeneid VI.128f.: 

9 Cava…nube is used of such a concealing cloud at Aeneid I.516, V.810, X.686, and XI.593, and by such other classical poets as Ovid, Metamorphoses V.251. 
11 Satan is the author of the veil that hides the sun, and takes pleasure in his disruption of the natural order
14 Gentili was perhaps thinking of Seneca, Hercules Furens 125 - 7: 

17 The two Marys sought out Christ’s tomb (here described as a shrine, but as a cave at line 54), scarcely the Temple. 
21f. Pallant (p. 141) compared Mark 16:8, At illae exeuntes, fugerunt de monumento: invaserat enim eas tgermor et pavor et nemini quidquam dixerunt. Timebant enim.
28 Pallant (p. 141) compared Vergil, Aeneid IV.553, tantos illa suo rumpebat pectore questus.
35 For numinis followed by a form of ira cf. Vergil, Georgics IV.453, Ovid, Epistulae ex Ponto II.i.47, Fasti I.483, Metamorphoses II.659, IV.8, VI.3113, X.239, and Tristia V.iv.17. 
38f. The idea may be that by His resurrection Christ turns the tables on the soldiery who invaded the Garden of Gesthemane. 
42f. Herod Antipas and Caiaphas the High Priest.
45 Gentili was conceivably thinking of Ovid, Amores I.vii.6, saeva vel in sanctos verbera ferre deos! 
46 For tormenti genus cf. Vergil, Aeneid VIII.487 (also at the beginning of the line). 
49 Possibly suggested by Catullus lxiv.289, recto proceras stipite laurus.
51 Golgotha. 
56 Probably the aureaque…insignia are the orb and scepter, emblems of kingship.
57 - 62 The resurrected Christ is described as a Roman triumphator, riding victorious in his chariot and dragging his enchained captive behind him. Immediately after a Roman triumph, the principal captives were strangled.
58 For ex aere catenas cf. Ovid, Metamorphoses 176. 
61 For sumere vires at line-end cf. Horace, Epistulae I.xviii.85. 
62 Pallant (p. 142) glossed in amnem…suum as “i. e. the Underword, Hell.” More precisely, by the sort of routinized Renaissance contamination of the Christian and Graeco-Roman visions of the Underworld (cf. Gentili’s use of Dis two lines above and Cicitia in line 72 for a couple of examples of this phenomenon), the amnem is the Styx.
66 Just as the Trojans were an invisum genus to Juno (Vergil, Aeneid I.28). For furialibus…malis cf. Aeneid VII.375 and Seneca, Thyestes 94.
69 Cf., perhaps, Statius Thebais I.185, augurium seros dimisit ad usque nepotes? (Posterity is also called seri nepotes by Vergil, Georgics II.58, Ovid, Epistulae ex Ponto III.ii.35, and Propertius III.i.35).
80 For labentibus annis cf. Vergil, Aeneid II.14, Ovid, Tristia IV.x.27, and Statius, Silvae IV.i.31.
85 For aeternum…aevum cf. Ovid, Metamorphoses VII.200. 
87 For victricibus armis cf. Vergil, Aeneid III.54, Ovid, Metamorphoses XIV.573, and Propertius IV.i (a).47.
88f. Pallant (p. 143) compared Vergil, Eclogue iv.17, pacatamque reget patriis virtutibus orbem.