Then lighted from his gorgeous throne, for now Of hideous length: before the cloudy van, 105 110 O Heav'n! that such resemblance of the Highest Should 111. Abdiel that fight indur'd not,] A foliloquy upon fuch an occafion Virg. Æn. II. 407. is only making the perfon think aloud. And as it is obferved by a Non tulit hanc fpeciem furiatâ very good judge in thefe matters, mente Chorobus. this ufe of foliloquies by the epic poets, who might fo much more eafily than the dramatic defcribe the workings of the mind in narrative, feems to be much in favor of the latter in their use of them, however the modern critics agree (as I think they generally do agree) in condemning them as unnatural, tho' not only frequent, but generally the most beautiful parts in the beft plays ancient and modern; and I believe very few, if any, have been wrote without them. 115.- where Should yet remain, where faith and reälty 115 Remain not: wherefore should not strength and might So pondering, and from his armed peers 115. where faith and reality] The author (fays Dr. Bentley) would not have faid realty but reality, and therefore the Doctor prefers fealty, which is undoubtedly a proper word, but not neceffary here. For realty feems not to mean in this place reality in oppofition to Show; but loyalty, for the Italian dictionaries explain the adjective reale by loyal. Befides where is the difference between faith, and fealty or fidelity? Pearce. 119.trufting in th' Almighty's aid,] We may remark the piety of the good Angel; and in 125 His daring foe, at this prevention more Incens'd, and thus fecurely him defy'd. 130 Proud, art thou met? thy hope was to have reach'd The highth of thy afpiring unoppos'd, The throne of God unguarded, and his fide Abandon'd at the terror of thy power Or potent tongue: fool, not to think how vain Have rais'd inceffant armies to defeat Thy folly; or with folitary hand Reaching beyond all limit, at one blow 135 140 Unaided could have finish'd thee, and whelm'd All are not of thy train; there be who faith Prefer, and piety to God, though then 145 Seem'd in thy world erroneous to diffent From all: my fect thou feeft; now learn too late How few fometimes may know, when thousands err. Whom the grand foe with scornful eye askance Thus anfwer'd. Ill for thee, but in wish'd hour 150 Of my revenge, first fought for thou return'ft From flight, feditious Angel, to receive Thy merited reward, the first assay Of this right hand provok'd, fince first that tongue Infpir'd with contradiction durft oppose 147. my feet thou feeft; &c] The ufe of the word fet in this place feems a little forc'd and fingular; and I can't help thinking but Milton brought it in in order to fneer the Loyalists of his time, who branded all diffenters, of whom he was one, with the opprobrious name of Sectaries. This alfo accounts for the word few in the next line, inafmuch as it fuited Milton's particular view better to establish a general maxim than to apply it merely to the fingle cafe of Abdiel. Thyer. 148. How few fometimes may know,] Thefe few here are ftill too many. To come up to the point he fhould I 155 fuppofe the good Angel faid few, though one was particularly intended, as it is more modeft and lefs affuming to himself, and for the reafon hinted above, intimating that A third part of the Gods, in fynod met 160 From me fome plume, that thy fuccefs may show that the Sectaries, tho' fewer in number, yet were more in the right than their oppofers. 161. that thy fuccefs may show Thy fuccefs, thy ill fuccefs; the word fuccefs is ufed in the fame fense, II. 9. Richardfon. 161.—that thy fuccefs may show Deftruction to the reft:] Bentley fays, a detestable fault: it should be inftruction. Mr. Pope fays fuccefs ironicé. I don't know what this means. The text is right, and the meaning is, that thy fuccefs may fhow thy fellows the road to deftruction, or the way to deftroy their enemies. Warburton. VOL. I. 165 |