pavement, than on the beatific vision! I shall also leave the reader to judge how agreeable the following sentiments are to the same character. This deep world Of darkness do we dread? How oft amidst, &c. Addison. 234. The former vain to hope] That is to unthrone the king of Heaven, argues as vain the latter, that is to regain our own lost right. Thick clouds and dark, &c.] Imitated from Psal. xviii. 11. 13. He made darkness bis secret place; his pavilion round about bim qvere dark quaters, and thick clouds of the skies. The Lord also thundered in the Heavens, and the Highest gave his voice, hailstones and coals of fire. And from Psal. xcvii. z. Clouds and darkness are round about him, &c. 273. What can Heaven shew more?] It is admirably suited to the character of an inferior Spirit, such as Mammon, to estimate greatness by magnificence. 274. Our torments also may in length of time Become our elements, &c.] Enforcing the same argument that Belial had urged before, ver. 217; and indeed Mammon's whole speech is to the same purpose as Belial's; the argument is improved and carried farther, only with such difference as is suitable to their different characters. 278. The sensible of pain] The sense of pain: an adjective used for a substantive. Hume. 279. To peaceful counsels.] There are some things wonderfully fine in these speeches of the infernal Spirits, and in the different arguments, so suited to their different characters: but they have wandered from the point in debate, as is too common in other assemblies. Satan had declared in i. 660. Open or understood must be resolv'd. Which was approved and confirmed by the whole host of Angels. We now debate: Moloch speaks to the purpose, and declares for open war, ver. 51. My sentence is for open war : But Delial argues against war open or concealed, ver. 187. War therefore, open or conceal'd, alike My voice dissuades ; &c. Mammon carries on the same arguments, and is for dismissing quite all thoughts of war. So that the question is changed in the course of the debate, whether through the inat.ention or intention of the author it is not easy to say. 281.with regard Of what we are and where.] It is with regard to our present condition and place. 285. as when hollow rocks retain, &c.] Virgil compares the assent given by the assembly of the Gods to Juno's speech, Æn. x. 96. to the rising wind, which our author assimilates to its decreasing murmurs. Hume. The conduct of both poets is equally just and proper. The intent of Juno's speech was to rouse and inflame the assembly of the Gods, and the effect of it is therefore properly compared by Virgil to the rising wind: but the design of Mammon's speech is to quiet and compose the infernal assembly, and the effect of this therefore is as properly compared by Milton to the wind falling after a tempest. 294-the sword of Michael] The words Michael, Raphael, &c. are sometimes pronounced as of two syllables, and sometimes they are made to consist of three. When they are to be pronounced as of three syllables, we have taken care to distinguish them in printing thus, Michaël, Raphaël. 302. A pillar of state;] Pillar is to be pronounced contractedly as of one syllable, or two short ones; and again in Book xii. 202, 203. The metaphor is plain and easy enough to be understood; we have the same expression in Shakepear, 2 Hen. vi. act i. Brave Peer of England, pillars of state. 305. Majestic though in ruin:] It is amazing how Dr. Bentley can sometimes mistake the most obvious passages. These words are to be joined in construction with his face, and not with princely counsel, as the Doctor imagined. 630. With Atlantean shoulders] A metaphor to express his vast capacity. Atlas was so great an astronomer, that he is said to have borne Heaven upon his shoulders. The whole picture from ver. 292 to the end of the paragraplı is admirable. 309. Or summer's noon-tide air,] Noon-tide is the same as noon-time, when in hot countries there is hardly a breath of wind stirring, and men and beasts, by reason of the intense heat, retire to shade and rest. This is the custom of Italy particularly, where our author lived some time. 309. while thus he spake.] Beelzebub, who is reckoned the second in dignity that fell, and is, in the first book, the second that awakened out of the trance, and confers with Satan on the situation of their affairs, maintains his rank in the book now before us. There is a wonderful majesty described in his rising up to speak. He acts as a kind of moderator between the two opposite parties, and purposes a third undertaking, which the whole assembly gives into. The motion he makes of detaching one of their bodies in search of a new world, is grounded upon a project devised by Satan, and cursorily proposed by him in the following lines of the first book. Space may produce new worlds, &c. ver. 650. The reader may observe how just it was not to omit in the first book the project upon which the whole poem turns: as also the prince of the fallen Angels was the only proper person to give it birth, and that the next to him in dignity was the fittest to second and support it. There is besides, I think, something wonderfully beautiful, and very apt to affect the reader's imagination, in this ancient prophecy or report in Heaven, concerning the creation of Man. Nothing could show more the dignity of the species, than this tradition which ran of them before their existence. They are represented to have been the talk of Heaven, before they were created. Virgil, in compliment to the Roman Commonwealth, makes the heroes of it appear in their state of pre-existence; but Milton does a far greater honour to mankind in general, as he gives us a glimpse of thein even before they are in being. Addison. 332. Vouchrafd] Milton constantly writes this verb voutsafe, and this is rather of a softer sound, but the other seems inore agreable to the etymology of the word. 350- this place may lie expos'd The utmost border of his kingdom, left To their defence who hold it :] It has been objected, that there is a contradiction between this part of Beelzebub's speech, and what he says afterwards, speaking of the same thing and of a messenger proper to be sent in search of this new world, ver. 410. -what strength, what art can then Through the strict senteries and stations thick How can this earth be said to lie exposed, &c. and yet to be strictly guarded by stationed Angels? The objection is very ingenious: but it is not said that the earth doth lie exposed, but only that it may lie exposed: and it may be considered, that the design of Beelzebub is different in these different speeches; in the former, where he is encouraging the assembly to undertake an expedition against this world, he says things to lessen the difficulty and danger; but in the latter, when they have determined upon the expedition, and are consulting of a proper person to employ in it, then he says things to magnify the difficulty and danger, to make them more cautious in their choice. 406.-the palpable obscure] It is remarkable in our author's stile, that he often uses adjectives as substances, and substantives again as adjectives. Here are two adjectives, the latter of which is used for a substantive, as again in ver. 409, the vast abrupt. And sometimes there are two substantives, the former of which is used for an adjective, as the ocean stream, i. 202. the bullion dross, i. 704. Milton often enriches his language in this manner. 409.-ere be arrive The happy isle ?] The earth hanging in the sea of air, like a happy, or fortunate island, as the name is. Ere he arrive the happy isle; so the word arrive is used by our author in the Preface to the Judgment of Martin Bucer, p. 276. Edit. 1738. "And he, if our things here below arrive him where he is,' Er and again in his Treatise of Civil Power in Ecclesiastical Causes, p. 553, "Let him also forbear force-fest a worse woe arrive him." Shakespear expresses himself in the same manner, 3 Hen. vi. ac v. those powers, that the Queen Hath rais'd in Gallia, have arriv'd our coast. 429.- -unmov'd] With any of those dangers which deterred others. 430. O progeny of Heav'n,] Virg. Ecl. iv. 432.-long is the way 7. And hard, that out of Hell leads up to light;] He had Virgil in mind, n. vi. 128. But to return, and view the chearful skies, Dryden. In this the task, and mighty labour lies: as in what follows of the fire immuring them round ninefold, ard of the gates of burning adamant, he alludes to what Virgil says in the same book, v. 439, 552, of Styx flowing nine times round the damn'd, and of the gates of Hell. 434-this huge convex of fire,] This huge vault of fire, bending down on all sides round us. Convex is spoken properly of the exterior surface of a globe, and concave of the interior surface which is hollow: but the poets do not always speak thus exactly, but use them promiscuously; and hence in Virgil cœli convexa and supera convexa in several places. And what is here the convex of fire is afterwards called the fiery concave, ver. 635. 439. Of unessential Night] Ünessential, void of being; darkness approaching nearest to, and being the best resemblance of non-entity. Hume. 454-Wherefore do I assume, &c.] Our author has here caught the spirit of Homer in that divine speech of Sarpedon to Glaucus, Iliad. xii. 310. Why boast we, Glaucus, our extended reign, Where Xanthus' streams enrich the Lycian plain, Pope. |