20 Of hornets arm'd, no sooner found alone, His god-like presence, and from some great act With this heav'n-gifted strength? O glorious Put to the labour of a beast, debas'd 25 30 35 [strength Lower than bondslave! Promise was that I 33 captiv'd] 'And captiv'd kings.' Ross's Mel Heliconium, p. 55. Israel captiv'd.' Cowley's Davideis, lib. ii. p. 84. 53 strength] Ovidii Met. xiii. 363. In what part lodg'd, how easily bereft me, 50 55 60 65 Light the prime work of God to me's extinct, 70 And all her various objects of delight Annull'd, which might in part my grief have eas'd, Of man or worm, the vilest here excel me; 'Tu vires sine mente geris.' Jortin. To daily fraud, contempt, abuse, and wrong. Within doors, or without, still as a fool In power of others, never in my own; Scarce half I seem to live, dead more than half. 80 Irrecoverably dark, total eclipse Without all hope of day! O first created beam, and thou great Word, 85 And silent as the moon, 90 95 $7 silent] Mediæque silentia lunæ.' Stat. Theb. ii. 58. 'tacito sub lumine Phœben.' Sil. Ital. xv. 566. Mr. Todd quotes Dante Inferno, c. 1. ‘Mi ripingeva là dove 'l sol tace.' Mr. Dyce cites Shirley's Bird in a Cage, act iii. sc. 2. As silent as the moon.' 89 cave] Claudiani Cons. Stilickonis, iii. 268. Concepit luna cavernis.' Iliados Epitome, ed. Korten, ver. 875. Luna Cava.' Lucret. iv. 392. Ætheriis adfixa cavernis.' ✓ That she might look at will through every pore? Buried, yet not exempt By privilege of death and burial 100 From worst of other evils, pains, and wrongs, 105 But made hereby obnoxious more To all the miseries of life, Life in captivity Among inhuman foes. But who are these? for with joint pace I hear 110 Perhaps my enemies, who come to stare CHOR. This, this is he; softly a while, 115 100 a living death] Consult the note, in Mr. Todd's edition, or the frequent use of this expression, from Petrarch, and Shakespeare, and the old English Poets. 102 a moving grave] 'A living grave.' Sidney's Arcadia, p. 352. A walking grave.' Sir R. Howard's Vestal Virgin, 1665. 118 diffus'd] 'Sits diffus'd.' Heywood's Troy, p. 314. Mr. Thyer quotes Ovid ex Ponto, iii. 3. 7. Fusaque erant toto languida membra toro.' With languish'd head unpropp'd, O'er-worn and soil'd; Or do my eyes misrepresent? can this be he, 120 125 Irresistible Samson? whom unarm'd [withstand; No strength of man or fiercest wild beast could Who tore the lion, as the lion tears the kid, Ran on imbattled armies clad in iron, And, weaponless himself, 130 Made arms ridiculous, useless the forgery Chalybean temper'd steel, and frock of mail Adamantean proof; But safest he who stood aloof, 135 When insupportably his foot advanc'd, lonite Fled from his lion ramp, old warriors turn'd 140 133 Chalybean] Virg. Georg. i. 58. Ov. Fast. iv. 405. Newton. 131 Adamantean] Johnson thinks this word peculiar to Milton. Perhaps he coined it from Ovid. Met. vii. 104. Todd. 136 insupportably] Spens. F. Q. i. vii. 11. he gan advance With huge force, and insupportable main.' Thyer. |