Pagina-afbeeldingen
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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

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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
Illufions as he lift, phantafms and dreams,

Or if, infpiring venom, he might taint
Th' animal spirits that from pure

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

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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 —
Pertentat fenfus. Richardfon.

The conftruction is, Affaying to
reach the organs of fancy, and fo
to work upon her by phantafms
and dreams; or (affaying) if he
might taint the animal fpirits,
which arife from pure blood as foft
and gentle airs from clear rivers,
and by tainting the animal fpirits

might

thence raise

Like gentle breaths from rivers pure,
At least distemper'd, discontented thoughts,
Vain hopes, vain aims, inordinate defires,
Blown up with high conceits ingendring pride.
Him thus intent Ithuriel with his fpear
Touch'd lightly; for no falfhood can indure
Touch of celeftial temper, but returns
Of force to its own likeness: up he starts
Discover'd and furpris'd. As when a spark
Lights on a heap of nitrous powder, laid
Fit for the tun fome magazine to store
Against a rumor'd war, the smutty grain
With fudden blaze diffus'd inflames the air:
So started up in his own shape the Fiend.

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815

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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
So fudden to behold the grisly king;

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Yet thus, unmov'd with fear, accoft him foon.
Which of those rebel Spirits adjudg'd to Hell
Com'ft thou, escap'd thy prifon? and transform'd,
Why fatft thou like an enemy in wait,
Here watching at the head of these that sleep?
Know ye not then, faid Satan fill'd with scorn,
Know ye not me? ye knew me once no mate
For you, there fitting where ye durft not foar:
Not to know me argues yourselves unknown,

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The lowest of your throng; or if ye know,
Why ask ye, and superfluous begin

Your meffage, like to end as much in vain?
To whom thus Zephon, anfw'ring fcorn with scorn.

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Think not, revolted Spirit, thy fhape the fame, 835 Or undiminish'd brightness to be known,

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As when thou ftood'st in Heav'n upright and pure;
That glory then, when thou no more waft good,
Departed from thee'; and thou refembleft now
Thy fin and place of doom obfcure and foul. 840
But come, for thou, be fure, fhalt give account
To him who fent us, whofe charge is to keep
This place inviolable, and these from harm.
So fpake the Cherub; and his grave rebuke,'
Severe in youthful beauty, added grace
Invincible: abafh'd the Devil ftood,

And felt how awful goodness is, and saw
Virtue' in her shape how lovely; faw, and pin'd
His lofs; but chiefly to find here observ❜d

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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

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Undaunted. If I must contend, said he,
Best with the best, the fender not the fent,
Or all at once'; more glory will be won,
Or lefs be loft. Thy fear, faid Zephon bold,
Will fave us trial what the leaft can do
Single against thee wicked, and thence weak.
The Fiend reply'd not, overcome with rage;
But like a proud fteed rein'd, went haughty on,
Champing his iron curb: to strive or fly
He held it vain; awe from above had quell'd
His heart, not else dismay'd. Now drew they nigh
The western point, where those half-rounding guards
Juft met, and closing stood in squadron join'd,

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

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