If we were wife, against fo great a foe With what is punish'd; whence these raging fires 210 Our purer effence then will overcome Their noxious vapor, or inur'd not feel, 215 Or chang'd at length, and to the place conform'd In 220. This horror will grow mild, 227. Counfeld ignoble cafe,] Not this darkness light,] 'Tis quite otium cum dignitate as Cicero Speaks, too much as Dr. Bentley fays, that but as Virgil ignobile otium, the darkness should turn into light: diis ignobilis oti. Georg. IV. 764 but light, I conceive, is an adjective here as well as mild; and the meaning is, This darkness will in time become eafy, as this horror will grow mild; or as Mr. Thyer thinks, it is an adjective used in the fame fenfe as when we fay It is a light night. It is not well exprefs'd, and the worfe as it rimes with the following line. 228. Mammon fpake.] Mammon's character is fo fully drawn in the first book, that the poet adds nothing to it in the fecond. We were before told, that he was the fint who taught mankind to raníack the earth for gold and filver, and that he was the architect of Pan demonium, In temper and in nature, will receive 220 Familiar the fierce heat, and void of pain; 225 Thus Belial with words cloth'd in reafon's garb demonium, or the infernal palace, 230 The pavement, than on the beatific vi- This deep world 233-and Chaos judge the ftrife:] The former vain to hope argues as vain The latter for what place can be for us 235 240 Within Heav'n's bound, unless Heav'n's Lord fupreme 234. The former vain to bope] That is to unthrone the king of Heaven, argues as vain the latter, that is to regain our own loft right. and his altar breathes Ambrofial odors and ambrofial flowers,] Dr. Bentley would 244. 245 By flowers, efpecially when flowers are, as here, diftinguifh'd from odors? But when the altar is faid to breathe, the meaning is that it Smells of, it throws out the smell of or (as Milton expreffes it IV. 265.) it breathes out the smell of &c. In this fenfe of the word breathe, an altar may be said to breathe flowers, Ambrofial odors from ambrofial and odors too as a diftinct thing; flowers, for by odors here Milton means the and asks how an altar can breathe smells of gums and fweet fpicy read from for and, fhrubs, By force impoffible, by leave obtain'd 250 Unacceptable, though in Heav'n, our state Our own good from ourselves, and from our own Free, and to none accountable, preferring Hard liberty before the eafy yoke Of fervile pomp. Our greatness will appear 255 Then most confpicuous, when great things of small, Useful of hurtful, profp'rous of adverse 260 We can create, and in what place fo e'er 265 And How oft amidst Thick clouds and dark &c.] Imita ted from Pfal. XVIII. 11, 13. He made darkness his fecret place; bis pavilion round about him were dark waters, and thick clouds of the skies The Lord alfo thundred in the Heavens, and the Highest gave his voice, bailftones and coals of fire. And from Pfal. XCVII. 2. Clouds and darkness are round about him, &c. Q 2 274. Our And with the majefty of darkness round Covers his throne; from whence deep thunders roar Muft'ring their rage, and Heav'n resembles Hell? As he our darkness, cannot we his light Imitate when we please? This desert foil Wants not her hidden luftre, gems and gold; 270 275 As For who can think fubmiffion? War then, War Open or understood must be refolv'd. Which was approv'd and confirm'd by the whole hoft of Angels. And council he propofes for the subject accordingly at the opening of the of their confideration, which way they would make choice of, II. 41. Whether of open war or covert guile, We now debate: Moloch fpeaks to the purpose, and declares for open war, ver. 51. My fentence is for open war: of wiles, More unexpert, I boast not, &. But Belial argues alike against war open or conceal'd, ver. 187. War |