Of fiery darts in flaming volies flew,

And flying vaulted either hoft with fire.
So under fiery cope together rush'd

Both battels main, with ruinous affault
And inextinguishable rage; all Heaven
Refounded, and had Earth been then, all Earth
Had to her center fhook. What wonder? when
Millions of fierce encountring Angels fought
On either fide, the least of whom could wield
These elements, and arm him with the force
Of all their regions: how much more of
Army' against army numberless to raise
Dreadful combuftion warring, and disturb,
Though not destroy, their happy native feat;

Shakespear, the fubftantive is fometimes to be construed adjectively when governing a genitive cafe. Aristophanes in Plut. 268. xuσου αίγειλας επων. O thou rubo telleft me a gold of words, that is golden words. Sir Philip Sidney's Arcadia, p. 2. opening the cherry of her lips, that is cherry lips. So here the hifs of darts is hiffing darts.

214. And flying vaulted either hoft

with fire. Our author has frequently had his eye upon Hefied's giant-war as well as upon Homer, and has imitated feveral paffages; but commonly exceeds

power

215

220

225

Had

his original, as he has done in this
particular. Hefiod fays that the
Titans were overfhadowed with
darts, Theog. 716.

-κατα δ' εσκίασαν βελέεσσι
Τιτηνάς,

but Milton has improved the hor-
ror of the defcription, and a badı
of darts is not near fo great and
dreadful an image as a fiery cope or
vault of flaming darts.

229.-though number'd fuch &c.] Each legion was in number like an army, each fingle warrior was in

ftrength

Had not th' eternal King omnipotent
From his ftrong hold of Heav'n high over-rul'd
And limited their might; though number'd such
As each divided legion might have seem'd 230
A numerous hoft, in ftrength each armed hand
A legion, led in fight yet leader feem'd
Each warrior fingle as in chief, expert
When to advance, or ftand, or turn the sway
Of battel, open when, and when to close
The ridges of grim war: no thought of flight,
None of retreat, no unbecoming deed
That argued fear; each on himself rely'd,
As only in his arm the moment lay
Of victory: deeds of eternal fame

ftrength like a legion, and though led in fight was as expert as a commander in chief. So that the Angels are celebrated firft for their number, then for their strength, and laftly for their expertness in war.

236. The ridges of grim war:] A metaphor taken from a plough'd field; the men anfwer to the ridges,

between whom, the intervals of the ranks, the furrows are. The ridges of grim, fierce frightful looking, war; that is the ranks of the army, the files are implied. The ranks are the rows of foldiers from Hank to flank, from fide to fide, from

235

240 Were

the left to the right; the files are from front to rear. Richardfon.

236.-no thought of flight,] So Homer, Iliad. XI. 71. Ουδ' ετεξοι μνωοντ' ολοοιο φοβοιο. None foop'd a thought to bafe inglorious flight. Pope. And Iliad. XXIV. 216.

ούτε φοβε μεμνημένον, επ αλευρής.

239. As only in his arm the moment lay

Of victory: As if upon his fingle arm had depended the whole

Were done, but infinite; for wide was spread
That war and various, fometimes on firm ground
A ftanding fight, then foaring on main wing
Tormented all the air; all air feem'd then
Conflicting fire: long time in even scale
The battel hung; till Satan, who that day

weight of the victory. The ma-
ment, the weight that turns the ba-
lance, as the word fignifies in La-
tin. Ter. Andr. I. V. 31. Dum in
dubio eft animus, paulo momento
huc vel illuc impellitur: And as he
has employ'd here the metaphor
of the weight, fo of the feale, a
little afterwards-long time in even
Scale The battel hung-ufing as a
metaphor what Homer makes a
fimile of, Iliad. XII. 433.

Αλλ' έχον, ώσε ταλαντα γυνη
Ως μεν των επι ισα μαχη τετατο

245

Prodi

But how much stronger is it in
Milton, that the war

Tormented all the air; all air
feem'd then

Conflicting fire!

It would be entring into too minute a detail of criticism to mention every little circumftance that is copied from Homer; and where he does not directly copy from Homer, his ftile and coloring is still very much in Homer's manner; and one may fee plainly that he has read him, even where he does not imitate him. Wonderful as his genius was, he could hardly have drawn the battels of the Angels fo well without firft reading thofe in the Iliad; and Homer taught him to excel Homer.

242. That war and various, fometimes on firm ground

A ftanding fight, then foaring &c.] The fyntax and fenfe is; The war was fometimes a standing fight on the ground, and fometimes the war foaring on main wing tormented all the air. Pearce.

244. Tormented all the air;] Here Milton takes the fame liberty of applying

-Prodigious pow'r had shown, and met in arms
No equal, ranging through the dire attack
Of fighting Seraphim confus'd, at length

Saw where the fword of Michael fmote, and fell'd
Squadrons at once with huge two-handed fway
Brandish'd aloft the horrid edge came down

Wide wafting; fuch deftruction to withstand
He hafted, and oppos'd the rocky orb

255

Of tenfold adamant, his ample fhield,
A vast circumference: At his approach
The great Arch-Angel from his warlike toil
Surceas'd, and glad as hoping here to end
Inteftin war in Heav'n, th' arch-foe fubdu'd
Or captive dragg'd in chains, with hoftile frown 260
And vifage all inflam'd first thus began.

Author of ev'il, unknown till thy revolt,

Unnam'd in Heav'n, now plenteous, as thou seest

Thefe acts of hateful ftrife, hateful to all,

Though heaviest by just measure on thyfelf
And thy adherents: how haft thou disturb'd
Heav'n's bleffed peace, and into nature brought

255. Of tenfold adamant,] In other poets the Angels are armed in adamant, and in Taflo there is particular mention of an adamantin fhield. Cant. 7. St. 82. Scudo di lucidiffimo diamante: But Milton's is stronger, of tenfold ada

mant.

262. Author of evil, &c.] Thefe fpeeches give breath as it were to the reader after the hurry of the general battel; and prepare his mind, and raife his expectation the

265

Mifery,

more for the enfuing combat be-
tween Michael and Satan. It is
the practice likewife of Homer and
Virgil, to make their heroes dif-
courie before they fight; it renders
the action more folemn, and more
engages the reader's attention.

275. Hence then, and evil go with
thee along.
Thy ofspring, to the place of evil,
Hell,

Thou and thy wicked,crew; there

mingle broils,] Imitated from