This evening from the fun's decline arriv'd Who tells of fome infernal Spirit seen Hitherward bent (who could have thought?) escap'd The bars of Hell, on errand bad no doubt: Such where ye find, seise fast, and hither bring. So faying, on he led his radiant files, Dazling the moon; thefe to the bow'r direct 795 In fearch of whom they fought: him there they found Squat like a toad, close at the ear of Eve, Affaying by his devilish art to reach The organs of her fancy', and with them forge Or if, infpiring venom, he might taint 796. and hither bring.] Dr. Bentley reads thither to the oppofit fide, the weft; where the parting fquadrons would meet after their half circuits; and accordingly (fays he) they brought Satan thither, to the western point, ver. 862. But there are twelve lines fince the weft was mention'd, and that was in another speech, at too great a distance for thither to be referred to it. It is not mention'd in this fpeech, and I fee no reafon why we may not understand these words with Mr. Richardson, bring hither, that is to me wherefoever I happen to be. blood arise 800 805 Like 804. Or if, infpiring venom, &c.] So Virg. Æn. VII. 351. where the ferpent, that the fury Alecto had flung upon Amata, creeps foftly over her, Vipeream infpirans animam — The conftruction is, Affaying to might thence raise Like gentle breaths from rivers pure, 810 815 Back 816. Fit for the tun] 'Tis commonly call'd a barrel: but Milton for the fake of his verfe, and perhaps for the fake of a lefs vulgar term, calls it a tun from the French tonneau, any cask or veffel. 819. So ftarted up in his own shape the Fiend. His planting himself at the ear of Eve under the form of a toad, in order to produce vain dreams and imaginations, is a circumftance that furprises the reader; as his ftarting up in his own form is wonderfully fine, both in the litteral defcription, and in the moral which is concealed under Back stept those two fair Angels half amaz'd 820 825 Yet thus, unmov'd with fear, accoft him foon. 830 The lowest of your throng; or if ye know, Your meffage, like to end as much in vain? Think not, revolted Spirit, thy fhape the fame, 835 Or undiminish'd brightness to be known, As when thou ftood'st in Heav'n upright and pure; And felt how awful goodness is, and saw 845 His But without any alteration may we not understand shape and brightness as in the accufative cafe after the verb think? Think not thy fhape the fame, or undiminish'd brightnefs to be known now, as it was formerly in Heaven. 845. Severe in youthful beauty, added grace] Virg. Æn. V. 344. Gratior et pulchro veniens in corpore virtus. 848. Virtue in her shape how lovely; &c.] What is faid here of feeing His luftre visibly impair'd; yet feem'd 850 855 Undaunted. If I must contend, said he, Virtue in her shape how lovely is manifeftly borrow'd from Plato and Cicero, Formam quidem ipfam & quafi faciem honefti vides, quæ fi oculis cerneretur, mirabiles amores (ut ait Plato) excitaret fapientiæ, Cic. de Off. I. 5. as what follows, Jaw and pin'd his lofs, is an imita tion of Perfius Sat. III. 38. Virtutem videant intabefcantque relicta. 858. went haughty on,] Satan is afterwards led to Gabriel, the chief of the guardian Angels, who kept watch in Paradife. His 860 |