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66 Through the infinite host: 1 nor less for that
"The flaming Seraph fearless, though alone,

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Encompass'd round with foes, thus answer'd bold:
"O alienate from God, 0 spirit accurs'd,
'Forsaken of all good! I see thy fall
'Determin'd, and thy hapless crew involv'd
'In this perfidious fraud; contagion spread
'Both of thy crime and punishment: henceforth
66 6 No more be troubled how to quit the yoke
'Of God's Messiah; those indulgent laws
'Will not be now vouchsaf'd; other decrees
'Against thee are gone forth without recal :
'That golden sceptre, which thou didst reject,
'Is now an iron rod to bruise and break
'Thy disobedience.8 Well thou didst advise :
'Yet nor for thy advice, or threats, I fly
'These wicked tents devoted; lest the wrath
Impendent, raging into sudden flame,
'Distinguish not: for soon expect to feel
'This thunder on thy head, devouring fire!
'Then who created thee lamenting learn,

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3

66 6 When who can uncreate thee thou shalt know.'
"So spake the Seraph Abdiel, faithful found

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'Among the faithless—faithful only he;

Among innumerable false, unmov'd,

"Unshaken, unsedue'd, unterriiied,

"His loyalty he kept—his love—his zeal ;

"Nor number, nor example, with him wrought
"To swerve from truth, or change his constant mind,
"Though single. From amidst them forth he pass'd,
"Long way through hostile scorn, which he sustain'd
66 Superior, nor of violence fear'd aught;
"And, with retorted scorn, his back he turn'd

"On those proud towers to swift destruction doom'd.

1 The first two feet are trochees. So vi. 34.

* Psalm ii. 9: "Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron." See ii. 32T, note.

• See Numb. xvi. 26. See Eschyl. Prom. Vinct. 1051—1053; II. xv. 137. There is here an ellipsis, but I fly, lest, etc. See the same elliptical way of speaking, ii. 483.— («<., P., N.)

BOOK VI.'

Raphael continues to relate bow Michael and Gabriel were sent forth to battle against Satan and his angels. The first fight described: Satan and his powers retire under night: be calls a council; invents devilish engines, which, in the second day's fight, put Michael and his angels to some disorder; but they at length palling up mountains overwhelm bolh the force and machines or Satan: yet the tumult not so ending, God, on the third day, sends Messiah his Son, for whom he had reserved the glory of lhat victory he, in the power of his Father, coming to the place, and causing all his legions to stand still on either side, with his chariot and thunder driving into the midst of his enemies, pursues them unable to resist, towards the wall of heaven; which opening, they leap down with horror and confusion into the place of punishment prepared for them in the deep: Messiah returns with triumph to his Father.

7

"All night the dreadless angel, unpursu'd,

"Through heaven's wide champaign held his way; till Morn, Wak'd by the circling Hours, with rosy hand

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"Unbarr'd the gates of light.

"Within the mount of God,

2

There is a cave fast by his throne,

"Where light and darkness, in perpetual round,

3

Lodge and dislodge by turns; which makes through heaven

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1 The grand feature of this book is the battle of angels, for which the poet raised the reader's expectation, and prepared him by several passages in the preceding books. So inflamed was his imagination with this great scene of action, that, wherever he speaks of it, he rises, if possible, above himself; as when he mentions Satan in the beginning of the poem, i. 14, etc.; also in the infernal council, i. 128, etc.; so li. 165, etc. 988, etc. There are several other wonderfully sublime images on the same subject. In short the poet never mentions any thing of this battle but in such images of greatness and terror as are suitable to the subject. Those who examine Homer are surprised to find his battles still rising one above another, and improving in horror at the conclusion of the Iliad. Milton's fight of angels is wrought up with the same beauty. It is ushered in with such signs of wrath, as are suitable to Omnipotence incensed. The first engagement is carried on under a cope of fire occasioned by the flight of burning spears and arrows. The second is still more terrible, as it is filled with those artificial thunders which seem to make the victory doubtful, and produce consternation even in the good angels. This is followed by the tearing up of mountains and promontories; till, in the last place, the Messiah comes forth in the fulness of majesty and terror. The pomp of his appearance amidst the roarings of his thunders, the flashes of his lightnings, and the rattling of bis chariot wheels, is described with the utmost flights of human imagination.—(Ad.) * Homer, II. v. 749, represents the Hours as guarding the gates of heaven :Αυτομαται δε πυλαι μυκον ουρανου, ας εχου Ωραι

Της επιτέτραπται μέγας ουρανός, Ούλυμπος τε,
Η μεν ανακλίναι πυκινον νέφος, η επιθείναι. (Ν.)

8 This thought of making light and darkness lodge and dislodge by turns is in Hesiod, Theog. 748:

- οθι νυξ τε και ημέρα αμφις ιούσαι

Αλλήλας προσεειπον, αμειβόμεναι μεγον ουδόν

"Grateful vicissitude, like day and night :
"Light issues forth, and at the other door
"Obsequious darkness enters, till her hour

"To veil the heaven; though darkness there might well
"Seem twilight here and now went forth the Morn,
"Such as in highest heaven, array'd in gold

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:

Empyreal; from before her vanish'd Night,

1

"Shot through with orient beams; 1 when all the plain,
"Cover'd with thick embattled squadrons bright,
"Chariots, and flaming arms, and fiery steeds,

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Reflecting blaze on blaze, first met his view.2
"War he perceiv'd, war in procinct;3 and found
Already known what he for news had thought
"To have reported: gladly then he mix'd
"Among those friendly powers, who him receiv'd
"With joy, and acclamations loud; that one,
"That of so many myriads fall'n, yet one
"Return'd not lost. On to the sacred hill

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4

They led him high applauded, and present "Before the seat supreme; from whence a voice, 28 "From midst a golden cloud, thus mild was heard :

Χαλκεον η μεν εσω καταβήσεται, η δε θύραζεν

Έρχεται, ούτε ποτ' αμφοτέρας δόμος εντός εέργει. (Ν.)

1 This expression, which some hare censured, is, says Seward, (Ed. of Beaumont and Fletcher) not only highly poetical but just; the rays of light do literally shoot through the darkness. So Prudentius, Hymn ii. 6:—

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Thus, in Psalm xci.: "The arrow that flielh by day," is the power of the sunbeams; a phrase employed by Lucretius, i. 148:—

"Non radii solis, neqae lucida tela die!."—(T., Wart.)

* Though Homer and other poets have many passages descriptive of the splendour of arms, Todd thinks Milton had the following passages in view, (i Maccabees vi. 39): "Now when the sun shone upon the shields of gold and brass, the mountains glistened therewith, and shined like lamps of fire." This passage is not very apposite. I do not think he had any one passage particularly in view: but from the variety of objects, as well as the pomp of diction and the uncommon harmony of numbers, I imagine the following beautiful passage in Homer is more to the point, II. xiii. 340:

οσσε το αμερ δεν

Αυγή χαλκείη κορυθων απο λαμπομενάων,

Θωρήκων τε νεοσμήκτων, σακέων τε φαείνων,
Ερχομένων αμύδες.

The Roman soldiers were said to be in procinclu, when their loose garments were girded up in readiness for battle. "Procinct" is hence figuratively applied to a state of full readiness for action. See Facciolati.

"They led and present." This is a remarkable instance of a peculiarity of construction (the first of two verbs coupled by the conjunction being in the past time historically, and the second in the present, as if the narrator wished to bring before the reader's imagination the picture of an existing event) of which Homer and the best classic authors furnish parallels.

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"Servant of God, well done!' well hast thou fought "The better fight, who single hast maintain d,

66 6

Against revolted multitudes, the cause

“Of truth, in word mightier than they in arms;
"And for the testimony of truth hast borne
"Universal reproach, far worse to bear
"Than violence: 2 for this was all thy care,
"To stand approv'd in sight of God, though worlds
"Judg'd thee perverse. The easier conquest now
"Remains thee; aided by this host of friends,
"Back on thy foes more glorious to return,
"Than scorn'd thou didst depart; and to subdue
"By force, who reason for their law refuse-3
"Right reason for their law, and for their king
66 6 'Messiah, who by right of merit reigns.

"Go, Michael, of celestial armies prince;
"And thou in military prowess next,
"Gabriel! Lead forth to battle these my sons
"Invincible; lead forth my armed Saints,
"By thousands and by millions, rang'd for fight;
"Equal in number to that godless crew
"Rebellious: them, with fire and hostile arms,
"Fearless assault; and, to the brow of heaven
666 Pursuing, drive them out from God and bliss,
"Into their place of punishment,5—the gulf

1 The translation of the Greek ευy. So in the Battle of the Giants, Bacchus, for his great services, was styled by Jupiter, jutot, (hence Evius)- v. Abdiel, in Hebrew, means, "Servant of God." Dunster says Ihe poet had in recollection Matt. xxv. 21 ; Rom. i. 1; and l Tim. vi. 11.

* This sentiment is so very natural, that every proud and honest person must see its justice. Beaumont and Fletcher, Beggar's Bush, act ii. sc. iii.

"A good man bears a contumely worse

Than he would do an injury "—(N.)

« "Beason." Alluding to the word >oyo;.—(N.) I suppose in allusion to John I. J: "In the beginning was the word;" 0 oyoj, which we translate the word, also means

reason.

4 As Satan seduced one-third of the angels, so God only sends another third against him, reserving the remaining third probably for duty about the sovereign throne. See v. 655.—(Gr.)

« This passage has been pronounced by some learned commentators as the most Indefensible in the whole poem. The commission of driving the rebels out of heaven is given, say they, on the authority of Scripture, (Bev. xii.) to Michael; and yet Messiah is made to execute it. In my judgment the passage is quite defensible. Milton assimilates, for our better comprehension, things in heaven to things on earth, and here represents God, like an earthly monarch, authorizing the commander of his armies to drive the enemy out of his dominions, furnishing him with all the means apparently necessary for (he purpose. (God, be it remembered, though all-prescient, does not, through the poem, use his foreknowledge for the prevention of events. He lays down general laws, allowing particular events to take their course.) The general proceeds to battle, which lasts two days with various success. The Monarch allowed this advisedly: at last, wishing to prevent the universal havoc that would ensue from this protracted warfare, and wishing to give bis Son a signal triumph over those who rebelled against

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1

"Of Tartarus, which ready opens wide
"His fiery chaos to receive their fall.'

"So spake the Sovran Voice, and clouds began
"To darken all the hill, and smoke to roll
"In dusky wreaths reluctant flames, the sign
"Of wrath awak'd! Nor with less dread the loud
"Ethereal trumpet from on high 'gan blow: 3
"At which command the Powers militant
"That stood for heaven, in mighty quadrate join'd
"Of union irresistible, mov'd on

4

"In silence their bright legions,6 to the sound
"Of instrumental harmony, that breath'd
"Heroic ardour to adventurous deeds,
"Under their god-like leaders, in the cause
"Of God, and his Messiah." On they move
"Indissolubly firm nor obvious hill,

"Nor straitening vale, nor wood, nor stream, divides
"Their perfect ranks; for high above the ground
"Their march was, and the passive air upbore

"Their nimble tread.7 As when the total kind

bis authority (see 670, etc/), furnishes him with adequate power, and commands him to go and decide the conflict. The Almighty, as furnishing Michael with only half his force, or a number equal to Satan's, wished to show Satan that these were enough to defeat his aim; and his words to Michael are to be taken in the ordinary way of giving a commander ample orders, or permission, and expressing a confidence in the faithful discharge of his duty. As Milton's hero is Christ, he is justified in using that vaguelyworded passage in Scripture, which does not contain an indispensable article of faith, to give him additional glory, i.e. the glory of defeating Satan in heaven, as be did afterwards on earth. The passage is this: "There was war in heaven; Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and bis angels, and prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven." This passage states merely that Satan did not prevail against Michael. Milton shows that he did not (655, etc.). Tbo passage does not slate by whom he was driven out of heaven; Milton was therefore justiJ lied in supplying the omission and attributing this deed to his hero.

1 In the old English authors which is as often applied to a person as who.—"Chaos," a place of confusion, or even, strictly speaking, hell. See note on i. 1002.—(P., N.) 1 In this description the poet manifestly alludes to that of God descending upon Mount Sinai, Exod. xix. 16, etc. Newton says "reluctant" here means, slow and unwilling to break forth. This is not correct: it is used in the classical sense to signify the same as reluctant, violently struggling against, working to break through the smoke and gloom; reluctant signifying more than luctant.—(D.) I think Dunster right. See Senec. in Hercul. æt. 1728; Virg. Georg. iv. 300; Ovid, 2 Am. El. ii. 12. I have accordingly expunged, after "wreaths," the comma which is in all the editions, for "flames" is not in apposition to "wreaths," but governed by "roll."

» Began to blow. The omission of the sign of the infinitive mood is an ancient poetical license, and is frequent in Chaucer. So Par. Beg. iv. 410: "And either tropic now 'gan thunder." So Fletcher, Purp. Isl. ix. 38:

"His glittering arms, drost all with lierle hearts,
Seemed burn In cbaste desire."-(T.)

This mode of construction is sometimes in familiar use, as, I taw,
and so.

"Quadrate," square.

I knew a man do so

See i. 591; II. iii. 8.

• See Tasso, Gier. Liber, i. 75; Fairy Queen, IV. vii. 22.—(T.)

7 Homer (II. v. 778) compares the smooth gliding motion of two goddesses through the air to the flight of doves:

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