Each shoulder broad, came mantling o'er his breast With regal ornament; the middle pair 28 Girt like a starry zone his wafte, and round So past Armida, look'd on, gaz'd on fo. Fairfax. 275. — on th' eastern cliff] For there was the only gate of Paradife, IV. 178. The good Angel enters by the gate, and not like Satan. 276.and to his proper shape returns] The word shape here (I fuppofe) occafion'd Dr. Bentley in his note on the former paffage to fay that Milton makes Raphael take the shape of a Phanix. But by returning to his proper hape Milton means only that he flood on his feet, and gather'd up his fix wings into their proper place and fituation. Pearce. Or as another ingenious perfon expreffes it, He feem'd again what he really was, a Seraph wing'd; whereas in his flight he appear'd what he was not, a Phoenix. 277-fix wings he wore, &c.] The Seraphim feen by Ifaiah, VI. 2. had the fame number of wings, Above it flocd the Seraphims, each one And had fix wings: but there the wings are difpofed differently. 284with feather'd mail, Sky tinctur'd grain.] Feathers lie one hort of another refembling the plates of metal of which coats of nail are compos'd. Sky color'd, dy'd in grain, to expreis beauty and durablenefs. Kichardjen. 285.-like Maia's fon he food, &c.] Raphael's defcent to the earth, with the figure of his perfon, is reprefented in very lively colors. Several of the French, Italian and English poets have given a loose to their imaginations in the defcription of Angels: But I do not remember to have met with any fo finely drawn and fo conformable to the notions which are given of them in Scripture, as this in Milton. After having fet him forth. in all his heavenly plumage, and reprefented him as alighting upon the earth, the poet concludes his defcription with a circumftance, which is altogether new, and imagin'd with the greatest ftrength of fancy. Bb3 -Like And fhook his plumes, that heav'nly fragrance fill'd Of Angels under watch; and to his state, 289 For en fome meffage high they guess'd him bound. Their glittering tents he pafs'd, and now is come Into That high thro' fields of air his flight fuftain, O'er the wide earth, and o'er the boundless main : Then grafps the wand that caufes Or in foft flumber feals the wake- Virgil has tranflated it almoft litterally, but with fome additions, Æn. IV. 238. Dixerat: ille patris magni parere parabat Imperio, et primum pedibus talaria nectit Aurea quæ fublimem alis, five æquora fupra, Seu terram, rapido pariter cum Tum virgam capit: hâc animas Dat fomnos adimitque et lumina Into the blissful field, through groves of myrrh, 295 Him And whether o'er the feas or earth But first he grafps within his aw- The mark of fov'reign pow'r, his magic wand: With this he draws the ghofts from hollow graves, With this he drives them down the Stygian waves; With this he feals in fleep the wakeful fight; And eyes, tho' clos'd in death, reftores to light. Dryden. Hic paribus primum nitens Cylle nius alis Conflitit, Æn. IV. 253. It is probable that the idea was first taken from the graceful attitudes of the antique ftatues of Mercury: but our author might have it more immediately from Shakespear's Hamlet, A&t III. A ftation, like the herald Mercury New-lighted on a Heaven-kiffing hill: as the image of the Angel's fhaking On Lebanon at firft his foot he fet, 288. ard to his flate, And to bis mefage high in honor rife ;] With the same refpect as the Mufes pay to Gallus in Vir If it is hard to determin (as Mr. Utque viro Phobi chorus affurrexerit omnis. 296.-pouring forth more fwert, Wild above rule or art; enormous blifs.] So the two fill edtB b 4 tions Him through the spicy foreft onward come Adam difcern'd, as in the door he fat Of his cool bow'r, while now the mounted fun 300 Shot down direct his fervid rays to warm Earth's inmoft womb, more warmth than Adam needs: And Eve within, due at her hour prepar'd For dinner favory fruits, of tafte to please True appetite, and not difrelish thirst Berry or grape to whom thus Adam call'd. 305 Of necta'rous draughts between, from milky ftream, Hate hither Eve, and worth thy fight behold Eastward among thofe trees, what glorious shape Comes this way moving; feems another morn 310 Ris'n on mid-noon; fome great beheft from Heaven Το ocet, as it was wild above rule or art. tions point this paffage: Dr. Bent- ing forth? which blifs was the more ley puts no stop after art: for want of which he has fall'n into a confiderable mistake: instead of pouring forth more fweet, he would have us read pouring forth profufe. He fays more feet than what? thing for the comparison is dropt. But the fenfe is, pouring fort what was the more fweet for being wild and above rule or art. : no Pearce. Or fhould there not be a comma only after art? and is not enormous blis the accufative cafe after pour 298 Him through the Spicy foreft] Raphael's reception by the guardian Angels; his paffing thro' the wildernels of fweets; his distant appearance to Adam, have all the graces that poetry is capable of beftowing. Addijon. 299.—as in the door he fat] So Abraham, Gen. XVIII. 1. jat in the tent-doar in the heat of the day when he was vifited by three Angels. From To us perhaps he brings, and will vouchsafe This day to be our guest. But go with speed, And what thy stores contain, bring forth, and pour Abundance, fit to honor and receive 315 Our heav'nly stranger: well we may afford 325 But |