which with the greater justice, let the critics and the ladies determine.-NEWTON.

112 Ver. 759.

That wisest and best men, full oft beguiled,

With goodness, &c.

Milton had reason to lament that excess of indulgence, with which he forgave and received again his disobedient and long-alienated wife; since their reunion not only disquieted his days, but gave birth to daughters, who seem to have inherited the perversity of their mother. These pathetic lines strike me as a forcible allusion to his own connubial infelicity.-HAYLEY.

113 Ver. 762. Are drawn to wear out miserable days. He makes the same reflection, in his Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce,' on two persons ill embarkt in wedlock. "What folly is it to stand combating and battering against invincible causes and effects, with evil upon evil, till either the best of our days be lingered out, or ended with some speeding sorrow!" b. i. 10.-TODD.

This passage from the above tract about invincible causes and effects confirms the observation with regard to the ill-assortment of Milton's first marriage.

114 Ver. 808. Mine and love's prisoner. These few words express the substance of Juliet's beautiful speech to Romeo:

'Tis almost morning; I would have thee gone;

And yet no farther than a wanton's bird;

Who lets it hop a little from her hand,

Like a poor prisoner in his twisted gyves;

And with a silk thread plucks it back again,
So loving-jealous of his liberty.

115 Ver. 825.

Such pardon therefore as I give my folly,
Take to thy wicked deed, &c.

Todd.

: These sentiments of self-condemnation are expressed with wonderful dignity: they reflect all the noble and resolute virtue of the poet's own highly-principled mind.-DUN

STER.

116 Ver. 840. Knowing, as needs I must, by thee betray'd? The same manner of speaking, as in 'Paradise Lost,' b. ix.

792:

And knew not eating death.

NEWTON.

117 Ver. 850. Thou know'st, the magistrates, &c. Judges xvi. 5- "And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said," &c. So exact is Milton in all the particulars of the story, and improves every incident.-NEWTON.

Compare the account, related by Sallust, of Cicero, who secured the harlot Fulvia to his interest; and through her means gained, by the force of promises, his intelligence of Catiline's machinations from Q. Curius, who was engaged in the conspiracy, and with whom Fulvia was criminally connected: "A principio consulatus sui, multa per Fulviam pollicendo, effecerat, ut Q. Curius (cui cum Fulvia stupri vetus consuetudo) consilia Catilinæ sibi proderet.”— TODD.

118 Ver. 857.

Was not behind, &c.

And the priest

The character of the priest, which makes a conspicuous figure here, is the poet's own addition to the scriptural account. It is obviously a satire on the ministers of the church.-Dunster.

119 Ver. 878. Loved thee, as too well thou knew'st. There is an inconsistency here with what Samson had said before : here he professes a violent affection for Dalila, as the sole motive of his marrying her; whereas he had before asserted that he was in a certain degree determined to it by hopes of finding occasion thereby to oppress the Philistines, ver. 234.

Manoah likewise says, that Samson pleaded "divine impulsion" for both his marriages, ver. 422. But Milton may be understood to have imagined Samson, in his marriage with Dalila, acting merely from inclination, and (as people, who do so, are apt to reason falsely in their own vindication) falsely attributing and ascribing it to divine impulse. This is consistent with what is said, ver. 532, where Samson describes himself "swollen with pride," that is, at his superior strength; and on that account, as it seems, deserted by God, and falling into the "snare of fair fallacious looks," &c. So that what he here says to Dalila is true; and the real motives of his marrying her were, that he "loved her," as he himself says, 66 too well."-DUN

STER.

120 Ver. 885. Being once a wife. Here seems again an allusion to the poet's own case, with reference to the cause of the parliamentarians against that of the king, to which his wife was attached.

66

121 Ver. 901. And varnish'd colours failing. See his 'Prose Works,' vol. i. p. 161, ed. 1698. Painting his lewd and deceitful principles with a smooth and glossy varnish in a doctrinall way, to bring about his wickedest purposes." I apprehend that Milton might employ the expression, in allusion to St. James's description of the tongue, which is called "the varnish of iniquity," as it should be rendered. See Wetstein in Jac. iii. 6.-Todd.

122 Ver. 914. Though sight be lost, &c. We have a similar sentiment in Cicero, Tusc. Quæst.' "Animo autem multis modis variisque delectari licet, etiam si non adhibeatur aspectus," l. v. c. 38.-Dunster.

123 Ver. 934. Thy fair enchanted cup, and warbling charms. Alluding, no doubt, to the story of Circe and the sirens:

but did not our author's fondness for Greek learning make him here forget that it is a little out of character to represent Samson acquainted with the mythology of that country? It seems the more odd, as the allusion to the adder, immediately following, is taken from Scripture.-THYER.

He might as well be supposed to know the story of Circe and the sirens, as of Tantalus, &c. before, v. 500; and there is no more impropriety in the one than in the other.NEWTON.

Mr. Thyer's observation is, however, just; and Dr. Johnson has not forgotten to notice the impropriety of all these allusions. Mr. Glasse, in his translation, and Mr. Penn, in his alteration, of this tragedy, have omitted these objectionable passages.-TODD.

124 Ver. 936. So much of adder's wisdom I have learn'd. The allusion is to Psalm lviii. 4, 5:-"They are like the deaf adder, that stoppeth her ear; which will not hearken to the voice of charmers, charming never so wisely."NEWTON.

125 Ver. 953. To tear thee joint by joint. Milton perhaps recollected blind Polymestor's desire of revenge upon Hecuba, in the play of that name by Euripides, v. 1125. ed. Barnes.-TODD.

126 Ver. 958. Cherish thy hasten'd widowhood. This sarcastical irony is very fine.

127 Ver. 973. On both his wings, one black, the other white. Milton, in his poem 'In Quint. Nov.' speaking of Fame, says,

Induit et variis exilia corpora plumis.

I do not recollect any instance of Fame having two wings of different colours assigned by any of the Roman poets.

Milton seems to have equipped his deity very characteristically, by borrowing one wing from Infamy, and another from Victory or Glory, as they are both described by Silius Italicus; where Virtue contrasts herself with Pleasure or Dissipation, 1. xv. 95 :—

atris

Circa te semper volitans Infamia pennis ;

Mecum Honor, et Laudes, et læto Gloria vultu,
Et Decus, et niveis Victoria concolor alis.

Ben Jonson, in one of his Masks, introduces Fama Bona attired in white, with white wings; and she terms herself "the white-wing'd maid."-DUNSTER.

128 Ver. 974. Bears greatest names in his wild aery flight. I think Fame has passed for a goddess ever since Hesiod deified her. Milton makes her a god, I know not why, unless secundum eos, qui dicunt utriusque sexus participationem habere numina. So, in his 'Lycidas,' he says, unless it be a false print,

So may some gentle Muse

With lucky words favour my destined urn,
And as he passes turn;

where Muse in the masculine for poet is very bold.
Perhaps it should here also be,

Bears greatest names in his wide aery flight.

What Milton says of Fame's bearing great names on his wings, seems to be partly from Horace, 'Od.' 11. ii. 7 :—

Illum aget penna metuente solvi

Fama superstes.

I apprehend that "wild" is full as applicable as

JORTIN.
"wide"

to the character and office of Fame: and thus Shakspeare,

129 Ver. 982. I shall be named, &c. See the Heraclida' of Euripides, v. 598.—Dunster.