But I will hafte, and from each bough and brake, Beholding fhall confefs, that here on Earth She turns, on hofpitable thoughts intent What order, fo contriv'd as not to mix Tastes, not well join'd, inelegant, but bring 335 Tafte after tafte upheld with kindlieft change; Beftirs 326.and from each bough and brake, Each plant and jucieft gourd, ] Dr. Bentley would read branch inftead of brake, thinking that provifions are not to be gather'd from brakes: but bough, brake, plant, and gourd, exprefs here all the feveral kinds of things which produce fruits. The bough belongs to fruit trees; the plant is fuch as that which produces ftrawberries &c; the gourd includes all kinds that lie on the earth; and the brake is the fpecies between trees and plants; of this fort are (I think) the bushes which yield currants, black-berries, goofe-berries, rafberries &c. But if we read with the Doctor branch, it will be a fuperfluous word, because of bough which pre ́ceded it. Pearce. 331. So faying, with dispatchful looks &c.] The author gives us here a particular defcription of Eve in her domeftic employments. Though in this, and other parts of the fame book, the fubject is only the housewitry of our firft parent, it is fet off with fo many pleafing images and ftrong expreffions, as make it none of the leaft agreeable parts in this divine work. Addifen. 333. What choice to choofe] This fort of jingle is very ufual in Milton, as to move motion, VIII. 130. thoughts mif-thought, IX. 289. finn'd fin, XI. 427. and is not unuiual in the beft claffic authors, as in Terence, Andr. V. V. 8. Nam hunc fcio mea folide folum gavifurum gaudia: 340 Beftirs her then, and from each tender ftalk 345 From many a berry', and from sweet kernels prefs'd She tempers dulcet creams, nor these to hold and in Virgil, Æn. XII. 680. -hunc, oro, fine me furere ante furorem: Wants Phæacia, then Corcyra, now Corfu, under the dominion of the Venetians. The foil is fruitful in oil, wine, and most excellent fruits, and many more instances might be and its owner is made famous for his gardens celebrated by Homer. Hume. given. 338. Whatever Earth all-bearing mother] So the Greeks call her Пauuntop yn, and the Latins Omniparens terræ omniparentis alumnum, Virg. Æn. VI. 595. She gathered all manner of fruits which the Earth at that time afforded, or has fince produced in the nobleft and best cultivated gardens. 339.- or middle fhore &c.] Or on the borders of the Mediter ranean; in Pontus, part of Afia, or the Punic coaft, part of Africa, or where Alcinous reign'd, in a Grecian iland in the Ionian fea (now the gulf of Venice) anciently call'd 344-for drink the grape She crushes, inoffenfive muft,] By the word inoffenfive Milton intends to hint at the later invention of fermenting the juce of the grape, and thereby giving it an intoxicating quality. This he would fay was not the wine of Paradife. Thyer. Muft or new wine, fo we fpell it after the Latin muftum, and not mouft as it is in our author's own editions. 345-and meaths] Sweet drinks like meads. A word ufed by Chaucer, and perhaps deriv'd from bv. 348.-ber Wants her fit veffels pure, then ftrows the ground With rofe and odors from the fhrub unfum'd. 350 Mean while our primitive great fire, to meet Perfections; in himself was all his ftate, 355 As 348. her fit vefels pure,] We may fuppofe the fhells of nuts and rinds of fruits, as was hinted before, IV. 335 -and in the rind Still as they thirfted fcoop the Virgil has ufed a like expreffion, brimming ftrean. En. X. 314. Per tunicam Squallentem auro. Richardfon. As to' a fuperior nature, bowing low, 360 Thus faid. Native of Heav'n, for other place Be over, and the fun more cool decline. 370 Adam, I therefore came, nor art thou fuch 375 They came, that like Pomona's arbor fmil'd Stood to' entertain her gueft from Heav'n; no veil 378.-Pomona's arbor] The Goddefs of fruit-trees might well be fuppofed to have a delightful arbor, but that could not be more delightful in imagination, than this was in reality: See Ovid. Met. XIV. 623. &c. 380. Undeck'd fare with herself, This is fimplex munditiis indeed, beyond Horace's, an I makes an exceilen contrail to Ovid's defcription of th fine lady full drefs'd, --pars minima eft ipfa puella fui. It calls to mind that memorable faying, Induitur, formofa est; exuitur, ipfa forma eft. Drefs'd, he is beautiful; undrefs'd, the is beauty itself. With the fame elegance of exprefLon, defcribing Adam, he has faid, --in him.felf was all his fate. Alter'd 382. Of three that in mount Ida naked ftrove,] The judgment of Paris is very well known in prefering Venus to Juno and Minerva, that is beauty to power and wifdom; a different choice from that of young Solomon, who defired wisdom rather than riches and honor. 384-virtue-proof;] Proof is ufed in the old poets for armour, Shakelpear, Rom. & Jul. A&t I. And in ftrong proof of chastity well arm'd, From love's weak childish bow fhe lives unharm`d. 385. On whom the Angel Hail &c.] The natural majefty of Adam, and at the fame time his fubmillive behaviour to the fuperior |