Dwelt from eternity, dwelt then in thee, The rising world of waters dark and deep, Escaped the Stygian pool;3 though long detained Taught by the heavenly Muse to venture down 6 Clear spring, or shady grove, or sunny hill, (1) Bright effluence, &c.—" Thou bright overflowing of that bright, uncreated, self-existent being."-Richardson. (2) Or hear'st thou rather-a pure Latinism-dost thou delight rather to be called? (3) Escaped the Stygian pool, &c.-i. e. having escaped from describing the burning lake in the first book, and Chaos and Night in the second book. (4) Through utter, &c.-i. e. through hell, and the great gulf between heaven and hell. (5) Hard and rare-difficult and seldom achieved. (6) Drop serene, &c.—In reference to the gutta serena," drop serene," or amaurosis, as it is now called, with which he was afflicted. (7) Brooks-Kedron and Siloam. (8) Nor sometimes forget-i.e. sometimes remember; nor being here, in imitation of the Latin idiom, equivalent to, and not. (9) Those other two-Milton speaks of two, and then names four.-Newton's explanation is," Though he mentions four, yet there are two whom he particularly 3 So were I equalled with them in renown, Of Nature's works, to me expunged and rased, SATAN'S MEETING WITH URIEL IN THE SUN.5 HE SOON Saw within ken a glorious angel stand, 6 The same whom John saw also in the sun: His back was turned, but not his brightness hid: desires to resemble; and those he distinguishes both with the epithet blind' to make the likeness more striking." He adds, "It seems therefore as if Milton had intended at first to mention only these two, and then currente calamo had added the two others." (1) Mæonides-Homer, so called from Mæonia, the supposed place of his birth. (2) And Tiresias, &c.-Dr. Pearce proposes to correct the false accent in this line, by making “Tiresias" and "Phineus" change places. (3) Thoughts that voluntary, &c.-This, it has been well observed, is perhaps one of the best definitions of poetry that could be framed. (4) And wisdom, &c.-i. e. and presented with wisdom, enfeebled and disparaged; or rather, perhaps, this is an instance of the nominative absolute, wisdom being, &c. (5)" Paradise Lost," book iii. "The figures introduced here," remarks Hazlitt, “have all the elegance and precision of a Greek statue; glossy and impurpled, tinged with golden light." (6) John saw" And I saw an angel standing in the sun." Rev. xix. 17. Of beaming sunny rays a golden tiar1 Circled his head; nor less his locks behind Glad was the Spirit impure, as now in hope His journey's end, and our beginning woe.3 In curls on either cheek played; wings he wore Who in God's presence, nearest to his throne, That run through all the heavens, or down to th' earth O'er sea and land. (1) Tiar-tiara, or diadem-the ornamental headdress of Eastern princes. (2) Illustrious-bright, glossy. (3) Our beginning woe-the first cause of woe to us-a Latinism. (4) Casts-casts in his mind, contrives a plan. (5) Stripling cherub, &c.—"A finer picture of a young angel," says Newton, "could not be drawn by the pencil of Raphael than is here by the pen of Milton." (6) Prime-first or highest dignity. (7) His habit succinct-i. e. his robe was tucked or looped up for freedom of action; he was prepared for motion. (8) Decent-as the Latin decens, graceful, comely. (9) His eyes, &c.-" Those seven, they are the eyes of the Lord, which run to and fro through the whole earth." Zech. iv. 10. SATAN'S ADDRESS TO THE SUN.1 O THOU! that, with surpassing glory crowned, Warring in Heaven against Heaven's matchless King. 6 (1) "Paradise Lost," book iv. "The opening of this speech to the sun," says Addison, "is very bold and noble. It is, I think, the finest ascribed to Satan in the whole poem." The consummate skill, too, with which the poet describes the conflict of passions in the mind of Satan is commended by the same judicious critic. (2) This new world-Satan has now alighted on earth, and from the top of Mount Niphates thus addresses the sun, which "sat high in his meridian tower." The ruined archangel, the mighty orb of day, the lone mountain-summit, each the greatest of its kind, present in their combination a magnificent picture. (3) Worse ambition-worse, because it led to daring impiety and its retribution. (4) What could be, &c.-i. e. what service could be less hard, &c. (5) I'sdained-I disdained. (G) So burdensome, &c.—i. e. it being so burdensome, &c. Then happy; no unbounded hope had raised Or from without, to all temptations armed. Nay, cursed be thou; since against his thy will PARADISE.1 So on he fares,2 and to the border comes With thicket overgrown, grotesque and wild, (1) "Paradise Lost," book iv. This beautiful description has been compared with the finest specimens of the same kind, as Homer's description of the gardens of Alcinous, and of Calypso's shady grotto, Ariosto's of the garden of Paradise, Tasso's of the garden of Armida, and Marino's of the garden of Venus, and though doubtless a general imitation of some of them, is thought greatly to exceed them all. In reference to Milton's power of delineating external scenery, Macaulay remarks ("Edinburgh Review," vol. xlii.):-"Neither Theocritus nor Ariosto had a finer or a more healthful sense of the pleasantness of external objects, or loved better to luxuriate amidst sunbeams and flowers, the song of nightingales, the juice of summer fruits, and the coolness of shady fountains. His poetry reminds us of the miracles of Alpine scenery. Nooks and dells, beautiful as fairyland, are embosomed in its most rugged and gigantic elevations. The roses and myrtles bloom unchilled on the verge of the avalanche." (2) Fares-from the Anglo-Saxon far-an, to go-goes. We have the same element in "thoroughfare "-i. e. through-go. (3) Champaign head, &c.-Open top or table-land of a steep hill, whose rough and prickly sides were covered with a wild growth of thickets and bushes. |