My bow and thunder, my almighty arms Gird on, and fword upon thy puiffant thigh; Pursue these fons of darkness, drive them out, 715 There let them learn, as likes them, to defpife He faid, and on his Son with rays direct 720 And thus the filial Godhead andw'ring fpake. As is moft juft; this I my glory' account, That thou in me well pleas'd, declar'ft thy will The Pfalm here meant is the XLVth, ver. 3. & 4. Gird thy fwerd upon thy thigh, meft mighty, with thy giery and thy majeffy and in thy majefty ride prosperously &c. 714. and word upon thy pu fant thigh;] A great man obferv'd to me, that the fentence falls in this place, and that it may my blifs. 725 Scepter be improv'd by reading and pointing the whole paffage thus, -bring forth all my war, My bow and thunder, my almighty arms; And gird my word upon thy puiffant thigh. O Friends, why come not on thefe victors proud? Ere while they fierce were coming; and when we, To entertain them fair with open front 611 And breaft (what could we more?) propounded terms Of compofition, ftrait they chang`d their minds, Flew off, and into ftrange vagaries fell, 616 As they would dance; yet for a dance they seem'd To whom thus Belial in like gamesome mood. 620 620. To whom thus Belial] Whoever remembers the character of Belial in the first and fecord books, and Mr. Addifon's remarks upon it, will easily fee the propriety They of making Belial reply to Satan upon this occafion and in this por tive manner, rather than Belasbub, or Moloch, or any of the evil Angels. 635. Rage They show us when our foes walk not upright. To match with their inventions they prefum'd So eafy', and of his thunder made a scorn 630 A while in trouble: but they stood not long; arms Against fuch hellish mischief fit to' oppofe. Of pleasure fituate in hill and dale) 635 640 Light as the lightning glimpse they ran, they flew; Scepter and pow'r, thy giving, I affume, For ever, and in me all whom thou lov'ft: Image of thee in all things; and fhall foon, 730 735 Arm'd with thy might, rid Heav'n of these re bell'd, To their prepar'd ill manfion driven down, 24 732. Thu fhalt be all in all, &c.] We may fill obferve that Milton generally makes the divine perfons talk in the ftile and language of Scripture. This paffage is manifellly taken from 1 Cor. XV. and 28. Then cometh the end when he fhall have delivered up the king dom to God: And when all things, fhall be fubdued unto him, then fell the Son alfo himself be fubj.& anto bim that put all things under him, that God may be all in all. And immediately afterwards when it is faid I in thee 737-rid Heav'nof theferebell'd,] For ever, and in me all whom Of thefe rebellious, of thefe who have rebell'd; a remarkable expreffion. thou lov'it: this is plainly in allufion to feveral expreffions in John XVII. That they all may be one, as thou Father art in me, and I in thee, that they allo may be one in us. ver. 21. In them, and thou in me, that they may 746. So faid, he o'er bis feepter beaving, rofe &c.] The defcription of the Meffiah's going out against the rebel Angels is a fcene of the fame fort with Hefiod's Ju To chains of darknefs, and th' undying worm, That from thy juft obedience could revolt, Whom to obey is happiness entire. 740 Then shall thy Saints unmix'd, and from th'impure Far feparate, circling thy holy mount Unfeigned Halleluiahs to thee fing, Hymns of high praise, and I among them chief. 745 From the right hand of glory where he fat, |