He for God only, fhe for God in him: ear muft judge this alteration to be much for the worfe. For valor he and contemplation form'd, For foftnefs fhe and fweet attrac tive grace. 299. He for God only, fe for God in him:] The author gave it thus, fays Dr. Bentley, He for God only, fhe for God and him. The oppofition demonftrates this, and ver. 440, Eve (peaks to Adam, O thou for whom And from whom I was form'd -- Dr. Pearce approves this reading of Dr. Bentley, and to the Proof which he brings, adds X. 150. 300 Cluftring, Euftathius interprets hyacinthin locks by black locks, and Suidas by very dark brown; and Milton in like manner means brown or black locks, diftinguishing Adam's hair from Eve's in the color as well bable the hyacinth among the Anas in other particulars. It is procients might be of a darker color than it is among us. 303. Clufiring,] His hair hung cluftring, or like bunches of grapes, as hers was like the young fhoots or tendrils of the vine. They are oppos'd, you fee, the one to the other. The circumftance of the hair hanging like bunches of grapes, as the ingenious Mr. Warton obferves, has been justly admir'd; but it is literally tranflated from this defcription of Apollo's hair in Apollonius Rhodius. Argon. Lib. 2. ver. 678. χλεύσεοι δε παρειπων εκάτερθε Πλοχμοι βοτρυοεντες επερρώοντο κιοντι. Aurei ab utraque gena Cincinni racemantes affultabant eunti. The word βοτρυοντες could hardly be rendered into English by any other word than by cluftring. 303- bis fhoulders bread:) Broad fhoulders are always affign'd to the ancient heroes; in Homer they have supas wes, in Virgil latos bumeris. But I wonder that Milton has given no indication phat 1 Cluftring, but not beneath his shoulders broad: 305 As an indulgent loose to his fancy; fince the most lavish imagination could not poffibly carry too high the charms of Woman, as the first came out of the hands of her heavenly Maker. But as a picture of this kind would have been too light and gay for the graver turn of Milton's plan, he has very artfully mentioned the charms of her directed the reader's attention more perfon in general terms only, and particularly to the beauty of her mind. Moft great poets have labor'd in a particular manner the delineation of their beauties (Ariofto's Alcina, Taffo's Armida, and Spenfer's Belpheebe) and 'tis very probable that the portrait of Eve would have rival'd them all, if the chafte correctness of our author's Mufe had not restrain'd him. As the vine curls her tendrils, which imply'd Nor those mysterious parts were then conceal'd, the taste of the Ancients in other things, fo likewife in this particular. He must certainly have preferred this to all other colors, or he would never have bestowed it upon Eve, whom he defign'd as a pattern of beauty to all her daughters. And poffibly he might at the fame time intend à compliment to his wife; for I remember to have heard from a gentleman who had feen his widow in Chefhire, that fhe had hair of this color. It is the more probable, that he intended a compliment to his wife in the drawing of Eve; as it is certain, that he drew the portrait of Adam not without regard to his own perfon, of which he had no mean opinion. 307. which imply'd Subjection,] The poet manifeftly alludes to St. Paul's first Epistle to the Corinthians, Chap. XI. Doth not even nature itself teach you (fays the Apoftle) that if a man have 310 315 With long hair, it a fhame unto him? and therefore Milton gives Adam locks, that hung cluftring, but not beneath his fhoulders broad. But if a woman have long hair (continues the Apostle) it is a glory to her, for her hair is given her for a covering or veil as it is render'd in the margin: and therefore our author gives Eve very long hair, he wore her golden treffes as a veil down to the flender waste. And this long hair the Apostle confiders as an argument and token of her fubjection, a covering, a veil, in fign that the is under the power of her husband; and for the fame reafon the poet fays that it imply'd fubjection: such excellent ufe doth he make of the facred Writings. The poet adds that this fubjection was requir'd by him with gentle fway, and yielded by her, but it was beft receiv'd by him, when yielded with coy fubmiffion, modeft pride, and feet reluc tant amorous delay, which is ex prefs'd With shows instead, mere fhows of feeming pure, So pass'd they naked on, nor fhunn'd the fight prefs'd with more elegance than that admir'd paffage in Horace, which no doubt Milton had in his thoughts, Od. II. XII. 26. -facili fævitia negat Quæ pofcente magis gaudeat eripi, Interdum rapere occupat. 314. bonour dishonorable,] He alludes to 1 Cor. XII. 23. And thofe members of the body which we think to be lefs honorable, upon these we befow more abundant honor. But the honor paid to thofe parts is really a dishonor, a token of our fall, and an indication of our guilt. Innocent nature made no fuch diftinction. Sin-bred, how have ye troubled &c. Should we not read, Sin-bred, how have you troubledfor what is he speaking to befides Shame ? 323. Adam the goodliest man of men &c.] Thefe two lines are cenfured by Mr. Addifon, and 320 Under are totally rejected by Dr. Bentley, as implying that Adam was one of his fons, and Eve one of her daughters: but this manner of expreffion is borrow'd from the Greek lan guage, in which we find fometimes the fuperlative degree ufed inftead of the comparative. The meaning therefore is, that Adam was a goodlier man than any of his fons, and Eve fairer than her daughters. So Achilles is faid to have been ωκυμορώτατος αλλων Iliad. I. 5o5. that is more fhort-liv'd than others. So Nireus is faid to have been the handfomeft of the other Grecians, Iliad. II. 637. τός καλλις ανηρ ύπο Ιλιον ήλθε, Των αλλων Δαναών, 325 330 Under a tuft of fhade that on a green of the Tyndaridæ, but more brave than any of them. And as Dr. Pearce obferves, fo Diana is faid by one of the poets to have been comitum pulcherrima, not one of her own companions, but more handfome than any of them. And I believe a man would not be corrected for writing falfe English, who should fay the most learned of all others, inftead of mere learned than all others. 337. Nor gentle purpofe, &c.] This alfo from Spencer, Faery Queen, B. Cant. 8. St. 14. 3. He 'gan make gentle purpofe to his dame. B. 1. Cant. 2. St. 30. 335 Wanted, |