Multitudes like thyself, and thence be call'd 475 Than that smooth watry image: back I turn'd; 480 Cumque ego porrexi tibi brachia, porrigis ultro: Cum rifi, arrides: lacrymas quoque fæpe notavi Me lacrymante tuas. Ifta repercuffæ, quam cernis, imaginis umbra eft: Nil habet ifta fui: tecum venit que manetque; Tecum difcedet, fi tu difcedere poffis. 478. Under a platan ;] The plane tree fo named from the breadth of 485 Anima dimidium meæ. Od. I. III. U 4 492. Seis'd mine; I yielded, and from that time see So fpake our general mother, and with eyes 492. So pake our general mother, B. 2. Cant. 7. St. 16. But with glad thanks and unre proved truth. What a charming picture of love and innocence has the poet given us in this paragraph! There is the greatest warmth of affection, and yet the moft exact delicacy and decorum. One would have thought that a scene of this nature could not with any confiftency have been introduced into a divine poem, and yet our author has fo nicely and judiciously cover'd the foft defcription with the veil of modefty, that the pureft and chafteft mind can find no room for offente. The meek furrender and the half embracement are circumstances inimitable. An Italian's imagination would have huried him the length of 490 495 Both. ten or a dozen flanzas upon this occafion, and with its luxuriant wildness chang'd Adam and Eve into a Venus and Adonis. Thyer. 494. embracing] Milton fometimes fpells the word embrace after the French embraffer, and fometimes imbrace after the Italian imbracciare; but the former has now prevail'd univerfally. 499 as Jupiter &c.] As the Heaven fmiles upon the air, when it makes the clouds and every thing fruitful in the fpring. This feems to be the meaning of the allegory; for Jupiter is commonly taken for the Heaven or æther, and Juno for the air, tho' fome underftand by them the air and earth. However that be, the congress of Jupiter and Juno was accounted the great caufe of fruitfulness. Homer in the fourteenth book of the Iliad inlarges much upon the ftory of their loves, more than enough to give occafion to this fimile, Both of her beauty and fubmiffive charms On Juno fmiles, when he impregns the clouds 500 That shed May flow'rs; and prefs'd her matron lip With kiffes pure: afide the Devil turn'd For envy, yet with jealous leer malign Ey'd them askance, and to himself thus plain'd. Sight hateful, fight tormenting! thus these two Imparadis'd in one another's arms, 506 The like that fine one in the Pfalms of the clouds dropping fatnefs, Pfal. LXXV. 12. and it is faid May flow'rs to fignify that this is done in the fpring, as Virgil defcribes it. And then follows and prefs'd her matron lip, where the conftruction is Adam Smil'd with fuperior love, and prefs'd ber matron lip, the fimile being to be understood as included in a parenthefis. Her matron lip evidently fignifies her married lip, in diftinction from a maiden or a virgin lip, as Ovid Faft. II. 828. fpeaking of Lucretia then married, lays matron cheeks. Et matronales erubuere genæ. It implies that he was married to him, and that therefore their kiffes were lawful and innocent. It was the innocence of their loves that made the Devil turn afide for envy. 506. Imparadis'd in one another's arms, Imparadis'd has been remark'd as a word first coin'd by Milton. The happier Eden, fhall enjoy their fill 510 From their own mouths: all is not theirs it seems; 1 With more defire to know, and to reject To keep them low whom knowledge might exalt Equal with Gods: aspiring to be such, 526 They taste and die: what likelier can enfue? But firft with narrow fearch I must walk round This garden, and no corner leave unspy'd; 529 A chance but chance may lead where I may meet Some wand'ring Spi'rit of Heav'n by fountain fide, Short pleasures, for long woes are to fucceed. So faying, his proud step he scornful turn'd, But with fly circumfpection, and began 535 [roam. Through wood, through waste, o'er hill, o'er dale, his |