Solicitous and blank he thus began. 120 Princes, Heav'n's ancient Sons, ethereal Thrones, Demonian Spirits now, from th' element Each of his reign allotted, rightlier call'd Pow'rs of fire, air, water, and earth beneath, So may we hold our place and thefe mild feats 125 Without new trouble; fuch an enemy Is rifen to invade us, who no less Threatens than our expulfion down to Hell; fome of his notions of Spirits (as we obferved in a note upon the Paradife Loft I. 423.) fpeaks to the fame purpose, that there are many kinds of Demons, and of all forts of forms and bodies, fo that the air above us and around us is full, the earth and the fea are full, and the inmoft and deepeft receffes: πολλα δασμοιων γενη, και παοδαπα τας ιδέας και τα σω ματα ὡς είναι πλήρη μεν τον αέρα, τον τε ύπερθεν ήμων και τον περι ήμας πλήρη δε γαιαν και θαλατίαν, και τις μυχαιτατες και βυδίας [βυθίες] TO 8, p. 41. and he divides them into fix kinds, the fiery, the aery, the earthy, the watry, the fubterFaneous, and the lucifugous: TO διάπυρον, το αέριον, το χθόνιον, το έδραιον τε και ενάλιον, το υποχθόνιον, 130 Have το μισοφαές και δυσαισθητον. Ρ. 45. Edit. Lutet. Parif. 1615. But the Demons not only refided in the elements, and partook of their nature, but alfo prefided and ruled over them, as Jupiter in the air, Vulcan in the fire, Neptune in the water, Cybele in the earth, and Pluto under the earth. 130, in full frequence] Milton in his Hiftory of England, has faid, The affembly was full and frequent and in Paradife Loft I. 797. the council of Devils was frequent and full. Here the adjective is converted into a fubftantive, and in I. 128: and Shakefpeare ufes it in the fame manner. Timon Ad 5. Sc. 3. Tell Have found him, view'd him, tafted him, but find Far other labor to be undergone Than when I dealt with Adam first of Men, Though Adam by his wife's allurement fell, If he be man by mother's fide at least, 135 With more than human gifts from Heav'n adorn'd, And amplitude of mind to greatest deeds. 140 Tell Athens, in the frequence of degree, From high to low throughout. 136. If he be man by mother's fide at leaft,] The Tempter had no doubt of Chrift's being a man by the mother's fide: but the want of a comma in its due place after. man, hath puzzled both the fense and the conftruction. He is muft be understood at the end of the verfe, to fupport the fyntax. If he be man, by mother's fide at leaft [he is]. Calton. We have still preferved the pointing of Milton's own edition; for fome perhaps may choose to join the whole together, and understand it thus. Satan had heard him de Deceive ye to perfuafion over-fure Of like fucceeding here; I fummon all Or counsel to affift; left I who erft Thought none my equal, now be over-match'd. 145 So fpake th' old Serpent doubting, and from all With clamor was affur'd their utmost aid At his command; when from amidst them rofe The fenfualleft, and after Afmodai the following paffage in Tully's Tufc. Difp. II. 25. Hoc igitur tibi propone, amplitudinem et quafi quandam exaggerationem quam altiffimam animi, quæ maxime eminet contemnendis et defpiciendis doloribus, unam effe omnium rem pulcherrimam. Milton had a very happy talent in the choice of words, and indeed it is a very confiderable part of the poet's art. Let the reader but try to fubftitute any other word of the fame fignification in the place of amplitude in this verfe, and he will foon be convinc'd, that none can be found to fill it up with equal beauty and propriety. Thyer. 150. Belial, the diffoluteft &c.] I have heard thefe three lines ob -150 Set jected to as harsh and inharmonious, but in my opinion the very objection points out a remarkable beauty in them. It is true, they don't run very fmoothly off the tongue, but then they are with much better judgment fo contriv'd, that the reader is obliged to lay a particular emphafis, and to dwell as it were for fome time upon that word in each verfe which moft ftrongly expreffes the character defcrib'd, viz. diffoluteft, fenfualleft, flefblieft. This has a very good effect by impreffing the idea more ftrongly upon the mind, and contributes even in fome measure to increase our averfion to the odious character of Belial, by giving an air of deteftation to the very Set women in his eye, and in his walk, very tone of voice with which thefe verfes muft neceffarily be read. Thyer. 153. Set women in his eye, &c.] As this temptation is not mention'd, nor any hint given of it in the Gospels, it could not fo well have been propos'd to our Saviour, it is much more fitly made the fubject of debate among the wicked fpirits themselves. All that can be faid in commendation of the power of beauty, and all that can be alledged to depreciate it, is here fumm'd up with greater force and elegance, than I ever remember to have seen it in any other author. And the character of Belial in the Paradife Loft, and the part that he fuftains there, fufficiently fhow how properly he is introduced upon the prefent occafion. He is faid to be the flefblieft Incubus after Afomodai, or Afmadai, as it is written Paradife Loft VI. 365. or Afmodeus IV. 168. the luftful Angel, who loved Sarah the daughter 155 160 Skill'd Skill'd to retire, and in retiring draw 165 Women, mile in his Imagines Vol. II. p. 2. Ed. Græv. Ει δε κακεινη προσε βλέψετε σε, τις εσαι μηχανη αποσηναι αυτής; απάξει γαρ σε αναδησαμεν ενθα αν εθέλη, όπερ και η λιθο η ήρακλια δρα τον σίδηρον. But if the fair one once look upon you, what is it that can get you from her? She will draw you after her at pleasure, bound hand and foot, juft as the loadftone draws iron. We may obferve that Milton, by reftraining the comparifon to the power of beauty over the wifeft men and the moft ftoical tempers, hath given it a propriety, which is loft in a more general application. See a little poem of Claudian's on the Magnet. It is the 5th of his Eidyllia. Calton. As the magnetic, It fhould be the magnet, or the magnetic ftone: but Milton often converts the adjective, and ufes it as the fubftantive. Mr. Thyer wishes fome authority could be found to justify the omitting of this line, which in his F opinion |