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selected to express the present character of Satan.-(Th.)

104. So Homer, Il. iii. 15:-
:-

σχεδόν ήσαν επ' αλληλοισιν ιόντες.

See Gier. Liber. xx. 31.

107. "The cloudy van." At first sight the idea conveyed by the word "cloudy' appears to contradict what was stated before (80, 82, 102) of the "splendour" of their appearance. But in fact there is no contradiction. That "splendour" was caused by the nature of the combatants themselves, who were spirits of fire, and by their burnished arms; and the cloudiness here is caused by the denseness of the moving masses, that threw, as it were, a shade about them. So Par. Reg. iii. 32, 36:

"The field, all iron, cast a gleaming brown, Nor wanted clouds of foot."

There is a passage in Homer (Il. iv. 274) which Milton, I think, must have recol· lected, and which illustrates this view:

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Οχθήσας δ' άρα είπε προς όν μεγαλήτορα θυμον, Such soliloquies at the beginning, and even in the midst of battles, are often used by the ancient poets to describe the workings of the mind; they fix the reader's attention, make the action more solemn, and give variety. See N.

115. " Realty" here means loyalty; reale. Italian, signifying loyal.—(P.)

118. "Boldest." This word is to be here taken in an ill sense, to signify an impudent, presumptuous display of courage. See Johnson's and Richardson's Dictionaries.

127. So Menelaus, when he espies his great enemy Paris stalking in front of the armed lines, steps forth to meet him. Il. iii. 21:

Τον δ' ώς ουν ενόησεν αρηϊφιλος Μενέλαος Ερχομενον προπαροιθεν όμιλον, μακρα βιβωντα. (Stil.)

135. "Fool." An ejaculation used on a similar occasion in Homer, Il. ii. 38: Νήπιος ! ουδε τα ηδη & ῥα Ζευς μήδετο έργα. See Tasso, c. iv. st. 2.--(N.)

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136. Read a semicolon after "arms." 137. See Matt. xxvi. 53.-(N.) 147. "Sect." The commentators imagine that Milton here intended a sneer at the loyalists of his time, who branded all the dissenters, of whom he was one, and who were the fewer in number, with the name of sectaries. I do not think he had any such petty design: but that he uses "sect" here (as he often uses words) in the signification of the Latin secta, which is opinion; and hence means a party, as "Cæsaris secta." See Facciolati.

150. "I for thee." Unluckily for thyself thou returnest.

160. "To win from me some plume." The meaning of this phrase is obviousto gain some memorial of victory. But the origin of it I cannot trace. Perhaps it refers to a custom in Hungary, where a plume in the bonnet, the distinguishing mark of the nobles, was only to be worn by him who slew, or at least defeated, his enemy; each additional victory giving a claim to wear an additional feather: hence our phrase, "It is a feather in his cap."

161. "Success." See note on ii. 9. That thy ill success may point out destruction to the rest of thy fellows.

167. "Minist'ring spirits." This is spoken in derision; spirits who are servants. Compare this passage with that of Virgil, Æn. ix. 615:-

"Desidiæ cordi; juvat indulgere choreis... O vere Phrygiæ, neque enim Phryges! ite per alta,

Dindyma, ubi assuetis biforem dat tibia cantum,

sinite arma viris, et cedite ferro."—(N.) Read a comma after "serve" before. 172. Somewhat like Il. xix. 107 :— Ψευστήσεις, ουδ' αυτε τέλος μυθω επιθήσεις. (Th.)

181. So Hor. ii. Sat. vii. 81:"Tu mihi qui imperitas aliis servis miser.. Quisnam igitur liber? sapiens; sibi qui imperiosus."

See Aristotle's Politics, b. i. c. 3 and 4.— (N.)

183. This is said by way of anticipation, or prolepsis.

187. So Ascanius, in Virgil, retorts his adversary's reproach, Æn. ix. 635, alluding to 599:

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"Bis capti Phryges hæc Rutulis responsa remittunt "-(N.)

189. "Saying" is here a monosyllable. He made the stroke while in the act of speaking. (N.)

"Hung"

190.Which hung not." here is used, as pendere sometimes is, to signify remaining stationary overhead, as "aves pendent, nubila pendent."

193. "Ruin." In the primary sense of ruina, a swift and violent descent accompanied with injury.

194, 195. Compare Homer, Il. v. 308 : -αυταρ όγ' ήρως

Εστη γνυξ εριπων, και ερεισατο χειρι παχείη Γαιης

Hesiod (Scut. Herc. 421,) compares Cygnus to an oak, or towering cliff, falling when struck by a thunderbolt. But Spenser's description of the fall of the old dragon, Fairy Queen, I. xi. 54, is more to the point, though much inferior :"So down he fell, as an huge rocky clift,

Whose false foundation waves have washed away,

With dreadful poise is from the mainland rift." (St., Th.)

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203. "The vast of heaven." This is an elegant Latinism, similar to " locorum, strata viarum," (Virg. Æn. ii. and 1.) Shakspeare uses the words, "vast of night," Tempest, act i. sc. 2.

209-211. What daring figures are here! Every thing is animated. The very chariot-wheels are mad and raging; and how admirably do these rough verses bray the horrible discord they would describe! "Bray" was applied to any loud harsh noise. Fairy Queen, I. viii. 11 :— "He loudly bray'd with beastly yelling sound." Shakspeare, Hamlet, act i. :

"The kettle drum and trumpet thus bray out The triumph of his pledge."—(N., Johns.) 212-214. Bentley thinks that Milton was hurried away by poetic fury in this sublime passage to be regardless of propriety and syntax, as it is incorrect to say, "the hiss flew and vaulted," and proposes to read "with dismal hiss the fiery darts," &c. But Pearce observes, that there is a peculiar force sometimes in ascribing, as here, that to a circumstance of a thing, which more properly belongs to the thing itself; that to the "hiss,' which belongs to the "darts." "Hiss of darts" is a poetic way of speaking for hissing darts. So ii. 654: "A cry of hell hounds never ceasing barked," is the same as crying hell hounds never ceasing barked. So vii. 66: "As one whose drought still eyes the stream," for " who droughty eyes." So Virgil, Æn. iv. 132:

one

-"ruunt equites et odora canum vis," where what is proper to the dogs is said of their scent. Upton, in his Critical Observations on Shakspeare, says, the substantive is sometimes to be classically construed as an adjective, when governing

a genitive case; as Aristophanes, in Plut. 268 : Ω χρυσον άγγειλας επων, "O thou who tellest me a gold of words," for golden words. So Sydney's Arcadia, p. 2, "opening the cherry of her lips," for her cherry lips. See T.

223-227. The syntax of this obscure sentence, which the commentators have not noticed, I take to be, "Of how much greater power (than an individual angel, however mighty) to raise, &c. was army against army numberless (of such angels) warring: and they would have destroyed it, had not, &c."; such an ellipsis is necessary to explain "had not the eternal King overruled;" and is warranted by 670, 671. Milton, in imitation of the ancient classics, occasionally uses such an ellipsis.

232. Each single warrior, though led in fight, was as expert as a commanderin-chief. So the angels are celebrated, first for their numbers, then for their strength, and lastly for their expertness in war. (N.) But what strikes me as the main difficulty, the application of 'though" before, I do not find noticed. Does it mean that God limited their might, though so numerous, and individually powerful and experienced; or that, though so numerous, yet each individual was as powerful as a whole legion, and appeared as experienced as a leader?

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236. "The ridges of grim war." A metaphor taken from a ploughed field; the rows of men answer to the " 'ridges," which here mean the ranks and the files; the ranks are the rows from flank to flank, or from left to right; the files are from front to rear.-(R.) Homer often uses the words πολεμοιο γεφυρας, the bridges of the war, or battle, which are applied to the intervals between the lines." No thought of flight." So Il. xxiv. 216 :

– ούτε φοβου μεμνημένον ουτ' αλεωρης. 239. "Moment." In the Latin sense of momentum, that which gives a preponderance to one scale. So x. 45. The thought, which is afterwards more fully developed in the words, "in even scale the battle hung," is exemplified by a parallel passage in Homer, Il. xii. 433:Αλλ' εχον ώστε ταλαντα γυνη . . . . Ως μεν των επι ισα μαχη τετατο πτολεμος τε. (N.)

242. Read a comma after "various;" for the syntax is, the war was sometimes a standing fight on the ground, and then again tormented all the air. In order to comprehend the full force of the word

"tormented" here, we must, I think, look to the root of the word, which is tormentum, an engine used in ancient warfare for the projection of destructive missiles.

245. Ην δ' αγων ισορροπος. Eurip. Supplic. 706.-(T.)

247. Though Abdiel foiled him before (190), yet Milton seems to think that Satan would have eventually proved an overmatch for him, had not the combat been broken off by the general engagement.— (N.)

250. See Samson Agon. 138.-(T.) 251. "Two-handed sway." In allusion to the two-handed sword used in the Gothic times.-(N.)

255. Tasso (vii. 82) mentions an adamantine shield; but Milton says, " tenfold adamant.”—(N.)

266. Read a comma after "adherents." 275. So in Tasso, ix. 64, Michael rebukes the infernal spirits who fought against the Christians.-(N.)

282. "Satan" properly means adversary. II. xx. 200:

Πηλείδη μη δη μ' επέεσσι γε, νηπυτιον ώς,
Ελπεο δειδιξεσθαι.-(Ν.)

285. Observe the peculiarity of construction here; the substantive "flight" is connected by the conjunction "or" with the infinitive "fall," both depending on "turned." There are similar instances in Milton, in imitation of the classics. Expunge the comma after "me," 286.

298. i. e. Can relate that fight, or to what conspicuous things on earth which may lift, &c. can liken it.-(N.)

306. So Shakspeare, Hen. V. :— "For now sits Expectation in the air.”—(T.) 313. The conjunction copulative is here omitted before "two planets," as is not unusual in rapid and impassioned descriptions. Some commentators think that the grandeur of this simile is tarnished by the introduction of the notion of the malignancy of the planets in a particular aspect. But I rather think that it is appropriately introduced to express the determined rancour of the combatants' hostility. The notion was ancient one, and made use of in poetry. Todd quotes Beaumont and Fletcher, Span. Curate, act i. sc. 1:

an

"Now they begin to burn like opposed meteors."

316-319. The meaning and prosaic construction of this difficult passage which the commentators have overlooked, is, I think, this:" They both together, each

with an arm next in power to the Almighty one, lifted up and imminent, (like the Latin imminens, hanging overhead ready to fall) aimed one stroke which might determine (i.e. bring the matter to a terminus or end) and need not repeat (i. e. renew or try it again) as not of power at once (i.e. as if there was not sufficient power in it at once to decide the combat.)" If the stroke had not such sufficient power at once, they should repeat it. But they intended such a blow as had this power to end the matter at once, at the first touch, and required no repetition. Latinisms run through the whole sentence; "determine" and "repeat" are to be taken here as neuter verbs; repetere in Suetonius is applied to the repetition of a blow. Suet. in Caligul. c. 58: "Cæteri vulneribus triginta confecerunt (scil. Caligulam), nam signum erat omnium, Repete." In Celsus it is the same as redire, b. iv. c. 14: "Cum morbi repetunt."

320-330. Milton, notwithstanding the vastness of his genius, has drawn to his aid all the helps he could find in the most approved authors. Homer and Virgil give their heroes swords of divine temper; and in 2 Maccabees xv. the Jewish hero receives a sword from Jeremiah the prophet, as the gift of God. Jeremiah also mentions the armoury of God, i. 25. But this sword of Michael seems to be copied from Arthegal's in Spenser's Fairy Queen, V. i. 10. There is a beautiful passage in the Iliad, iii. 363, where the sword of Menelaus in his combat with Paris breaks in pieces; and the line is so contrived that, as Eustathius observes, we not only see the action as it were, but fancy we hear the sound of the breaking:

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of the sword in two is very well expressed by half a verse. Milton carries on beauties of the same kind to the description of the wound, and the verses seem almost painful in describing Satan's pain. "Shared," divided; "griding," cutting; both used by Spenser in this sense."Discontinuous," separating the continuity of parts.-( Ad., N., T.)

332. Bentley objects to "nectarous," because nectar was the drink of the gods; and proposes ichorous. Pearce replies, that this stream was not of nectarous humour only, but of nectarous humour sanguine, i. e. ichor; besides, ichorous would be a wrong substitute; for, from its derivation, xwp, the middle syllable of it should be long. Homer, v. 339, where Diomede wounds Venus, represents a pure thin kind of liquid, not blood, called ichor, which was not produced from earthly food, issuing from the wound. And though the pain was great, the wound soon closed. Il. v. 339:

· ρεε δ' αμβροτον αἷμα θεοιο, Ιχωρ, οίος περ τε ρέει μακάρεσσι θεοισιν Ου γαρ σιτον εδουσ', ου πίνουσ' αίθοπα οίνον, Τούνεκ' αναιμονες εισι, και αθανατοι καλέονται.

334. The following passage from Spenser, Fairy Queen, I. v. 9, is quoted by Church and Callender :

"The cruel steele so greedily doth bite

In tender flesh, that streames of blood down flow,

With which the armes that erst so bright did show

Into a pure vermillion now are dyde."

335. Thus the leaders of the Trojans rescue their chief, Hector, when struck down by Ajax; and convey him to his chariot which stood waiting for him beyond the range of the battle, Il. xiv. 428:

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362. Addison thinks Milton had his eye on Mars when wounded, Il. v. 860, raising a yell loud as ten thousand men in battle, and retiring from the field. Thyer quotes Fairy Queen, I. xi. 20:— "The piercing steele then wrought a wound full wide

That with the uncouth paine the monster loudly cry'd."

363. As Adam did not know Raphael's name, therefore he speaks of himself historically in the third person.-(B.)

365. "Adramelech." "And the Sepharvites burnt their children in the fire to Adramelech," 2 Kings xvii. i. e. when they were transplanted to Samaria by Shalmaneser.-(H.) "Asmadai," Asmodeus. See note on iv. 168.

368. "Plate" is the broad solid armour; "mail" is that composed of small pieces laid one over another like scales of fish or the feathers of fowl. See v. 284.(R.)

371. "The violence of Ramiel." So Æn. xi. 376: "violentia Turni," the violent Turnus.-(Up.)

386. "The battle swerved." So Hesiod, Theog. 711: Ekλivon μaxn.—(Th,)

391. "What stood" must be considered in opposition to what "lay overturned" in the preceding line; and then there is no impropriety in the words being the subject to "recoiled" and "fled."(N.)

399. "Cubic." Though, strictly, to have been cubic, it must have been as high as it was broad; yet by poetic license it here means four-square only, having that property of a cube to be equal in length on all sides.-(P.)

407. Hor. i. Sat. v. 9:

"Jam nox inducere terris Umbras......parabat."

(Th.) Shakspeare,

410. "Foughten field." Hen. V. :"As in this glorious and well foughten field." (T.)

413. "Cherubic waving fires," i. e. Cherubim like fires waving; these were the watches. The Cherubim were remarkable for their love and fidelity; hence, they are properly made here the sentinels.

415. So Agamemnon (Il. ix.) after his defeat summons a council by night. -(N.)

417. This speech is much admired. While it artfully flatters the pride of his followers, and holds out to them hopes of future success, it eminently marks his own

unbounded ambition and undaunted resolution, even in the midst of adversities. 432. So Prometheus, (Æsch. Prom. Vinct. 932,) comforts himself against Jupiter :

Τι δ' αν φοβοιμην, φθανειν οὐ μορσιμον.-(Th.) Read a comma after "contemned."

440. "Worse," to worse, a very unusual verb.

442. " absol.)

None," no odds being, (case

447. "Nisroch," a god of the Ninevites, in whose temple Sennacherib was assassinated by his two sons, 2 Kings xix. His speaking afterwards of pain as the greatest of evils, the doctrine of Hieronymus and others, was suitable to the deity of the effeminate Assyrians.-(N.)

455. 66 Against unpained, impassive." Against those who feel no pain, and cannot suffer from external causes.

468. i.e. Deserves as great a debt as we would owe for our entire deliverance.

472. "Which" is the nominative to "surveys," 476; but as it is so many lines before the verb, he throws in another nominative expressing the same thing, "whose eye."-(N.) I rather think "which" is the nominative to is understood. Which of us is there who beholds, and whose eye so superficially surveys? &c. I have noticed already the frequent suppression of the substantive verb in Milton, in imitation of the ancient classic poets.

479. "Spume," froth, foam. He uses 66 foam," 512.

482. "These" refers to "materials," as does "which," 484. Ariosto, (Orl. Fur. ix. 28,) and Spenser, (Fairy Queen, I. vii. 13,) somewhat in the same way describe cannon, and attribute the invention to the devil." The deep," though generally used for hell, is here only used in opposition to "surface," 472, and is the same as "deep under ground," 478. -(N.)

514. "Concocted and adusted," i. e. purified and made quite dry by heat, (adustus.) By mistake "adjusted" has been printed in the text of this edition for "adusted;" and a comma has been placed after "part," 516.

517. The stone may have been mentioned here as what they used for "balls;" or perhaps to express more distinctly that the metal of which the "engines" and "balls" were made, was enclosed in, and mixed with a stony substance in the mine.-(P.)

521. "Conscious night." Ovid. Met.

XV. :

Quorum nox conscia sola est."—(H.) 526. Virg. Æn. v. 113:—

"Et tuba commissos medio canil æquore ludos." (N.)

527. "Panoply," (wavonλia,) complete armour, covering the body from head to foot.

528. "Dawning hills." A beautifully figurative expression, as the dawn first appears from above the hills, and they seem to bring the rising day. See viii. 520.-(N.)

533. Because they had a large train of artillery to draw, which they were anxious to conceal; hence "slow but firm.”—(N.) 537. So Sil. Ital. Punic. Bell. v. 98:"Arma, viri, capite arma, viri; dux instat uterque

Ambobus velox virtus, &c."—(Bo.)

539. "A cloud he comes." This metaphor is used in many languages to express a great multitude. Heb. xii. 1: "a cloud of witnesses." Hom. Il. iv. 274: νεφος πεξων. Virg. Æn. viii. 793: "nimbus peditum."—(N.)

541. "Sad," (tristis,) grave, sullen, resolute.

542. Thus the leader in the Iliad, ii. 382, directs his warriors in the same way:

Ev μεν τις δορυ θηξασθώ, εν δ' ασπιδα θεσθώ, Εν δε τις ίπποισι δειπνον δότω ωκυπόδεσσι, Εν δε τις άρματος αμφις ιδων, πολέμοιο μεδέσθω Ως κε πανημέριοι στυγερῳ κρινώμεθ' Αρηϊ, Ου γαρ παυσωλή γε μετεσσεται, ουδ' ηβαιον μη νυξ ελθουσα διακρινει μένος ανδρων. "Adamantine coat." Hor. i. Od. vi –

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"Martem tunica tectum adamantina." 548. "Impediment." The Latin impedimentum, baggage, in reference to the enemies' artillery.—(N.)

553. "Training," drawing in train, from the term train of artillery.—(N.) "Impaled," encircled.

568. Though this scoffing has been censured as below the dignity of the subject, yet Homer has instances of it. In the 16th book of the Iliad, when Meriones, a Cretan, had nimbly stepped aside to evade the spear of Æneas, Æneas jokes on his dancing powers, the Cretans being famous dancers. So when Patroclus strikes down from the chariot Hector's charioteer, he scoffs at his exhibition as a diver. Here these insulting malignant sneers are quite suited to the character of the devils.-(N., Gil.)

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