331 Not long divifible; and from the gash Forthwith almoft painful in defcribing Satan's Ιχωρ διόσπερ τε ρέει μακάρεσσι pain, deep entring bar'd All his right fide: then Satan first knew pain, θεοισι. Homer's Gods when wounded bled Ichor, different from human blood, And writh'd him to and fro con- ous wound Pass'd through him. 329. The griding fword with dif continuous wound] Difcontinuous wound is faid in allufion to the old definition of a wound, that it feparates the continuity of the parts, vulnus eft folutio continui: And griding is an old word for cutting, and ufed in Spenfer, as in Fairy Queen, B. 2. Cant. 8. St. 36. That through his thigh the mortal fteel did gride. 332. A fream of nectarous humor ifuing flow'd Sanguin,] Here's an odious blunder. Nectar is the drink of the Gods; and was Satan's humor or blood a proper drink? But the next line shows what the author dictated, A fream of ichorous humor issuing flow'd. Bentley. I fhould have thought that an attentive reader could not have miss'd obferving that the ftream which Milton fpeaks of was not of nectarous humor only, but of nectarous humor fanguin, that is, converted into what celeftial Spirits bleed: and what is that but the fame which Homer exprefles by one word Ichor? If this was the poet's meaning, the Doctor's objection is wide of the mark. Befides, if nectarous was wrong, yet ichorous would not feem to be right, because the middle fyllable of it should be long, according to the profody of the word from which it is deriv'd. Pear cz. The paffage wherein Satan is deSanguin, fuch as celeftial Spirits fcribed as wounded by the fword may bleed. The whole diftich is word for word taken from a verfe in Homer, VOL. I, of Michael is in imitation of Homer. Homer tells us that upon Diomedes wounding the Gods, there flow'd from the wound an PP 1.ber, Forthwith on all fides to his aid was run 335 340 Yet Yet foon he heal'd; for Spi'rits that live throughout Vital in every part, not as frail man In entrails, heart or head, liver or reins, Cannot but by annihilating die; 345 Nor in their liquid texture mortal wound Τον δ' αρ' ετάροι Χερσιν αειραζες φερον εκ πους, οφρ' εκεθ' ιππος Dueas, of of OTTIDE μans nde πολέμοιο Ετασαν, ηνιοχονζε και αρματα ποικιλ' εχοντες &c. much more loofe and redundant than our expreffive author. Hume. 344. for Spirits that live throughout &c.] Our author's reafon for Satan's healing fo foon is better than Homer's upon a like occafion, as we quoted it just now. And we fee here Milton's notions of Angels. They are vital in every part, and can receive no mortal wound, and cannot die but by an nihilation. They are all eye, all ear, all fenfe and understanding; and can affume what kind of bodies they pleafe. And these notions, if not true in divinity, yet certainly are very fine in poetry; 350 Affume, as likes them beft, condense or rare. Mean while in other parts like deeds deferv'd Memorial, where the might of Gabriel fought, 355 And with fierce enfigns pierc'd the deep array Of Moloch furious king; who him defy'd, And at his chariot wheels to drag him bound Threaten'd, nor from the Holy One of Heaven Refrain'd his tongue blafphemous; but anon 360 Down cloven to the wafte, with shatter'd arms And uncouth pain fled bellowing. On each wing Uriel and Raphaël his vaunting foe, 362. And uncouth pain fled belloring.] I question not but Milton in his defcription of his furious Moloch flying from the battel, and bellowing with the wound he had received, had his eye on Mars in the Iliad; who upon his being wounded is reprefented as retiring out of the fight, and making an outcry louder than that of a whole army when it begins the charge. Homer adds that the Greeks and Trojans, who were engaged in a general battel, were terrify'd on each fide with the bellowing of this wounded deity. The reader will eafily observe, how Milton has kept all the horror of this image, without running into the ridicule of it. Addifon. With uncouth pain fled bellowing. Though with Spenfer; but Milton, no doubt, in this particular application of it had in view the following lines, Fairy Queen, B. 1. Cant. 11. St. 20. The piercing steel there wrought a wound full wide, That with the uncouth pain the monfter loudly cry'd." Thyer. 363. Uriel and Raphael] The fpeaker here is Raphael; and it had been improper to mention himself as a third person, and tell his own exploits; but that Adam knew not his name. Had he known it, he must have said Uriel and I; which he car'd not to do. Bentley. 363. Uriel and Raphaël bis vaunting foe,] Dr. Bentley and Uncouth is a word very common Mr. Thyer are of opinion, that a word Though huge, and in a rock of diamond arm'd, 365 Two potent Thrones, that to be less than Gods Disdain'd, but meaner thoughts learn'd in their flight, Mangled with ghaftly wounds through plate and mail, Nor stood unmindful Abdiel to annoy The atheist crew, but with redoubled blow Ariel and Arioch, and the violence Of Ramiel fcorch'd and blasted overthrew. word is left out in this line, and that the fenfe and the measure would be improv'd by reading it thus, Uriel and Raphael, each his vaunting foe. 365. Adramelech,] Hebrew, Mighty magnificent king, one of the idols of Sepharvaim, worshipped by them in Samaria, when tranfplanted thither by Shalmanefer. And the Sepharvites burnt their children in the fire to Adramelech, 2 Kings XVII. 31. Afmadai, the luftful and destroying Angel Afmodeus, mention'd Tobit III. 8. who robbed Sara of her seven husbands; of a Hebrew word fignifying to deftroy. Hume. 368. -plate and mail.] Plate is the broad folid armour. Mail is 370 |