Tears, such as angels weep, burst forth; at last 620 Words interwove with sighs found out their way. 625 630 O myriads of immortal spirits, O powers Matchless, but with th' Almighty, and that strife Was not inglorious, though th' event was dire, As this place testifies, and this dire change Hateful to utter: but what power of mind, Foreseeing or presaging, from the depth Of knowledge past or present, could have fear'd, How such united force of gods, how such As stood like these, could ever know repulse? For who can yet believe, though after loss, That all these puissant legions, whose exile Hath emptied heav'n, shall fail to reascend Self-rais'd, and repossess their native seat? For me, be witness all the host of heaven, If counsels different or danger shunn'd By me have lost our hopes: but he, who reigns Monarch in heaven, till then as one secure Sat on his throne, upheld by old repute, Consent, or custom, and his regal state Put forth at full, but still his strength conceal'd, Which tempted our attempt, and wrought our fall. Henceforth his might we know, and know our own, So as not either to provoke, or dread New war, provok'd; our better part remains 635 640 645 620 Tears] Compare Xenoph. Anabas. 1. iii. 2. 'Evvhyayev inκλησίαν τῶν ἀυτοῦ στρατιωτῶν, καὶ πρῶτον μὲν ἐδάκρυε πολὺν χρόνον ἑστὼς, οἱ δε ὁρῶντες ἐθαύμαζον καὶ ἐσιώπων, εἶτα ἔλεξε τάδε. 642 tempted] Sylvester's Du Bartas, p. 827. 'She dared, and did attempt to tempt me too.' Todd. To work in close design, by fraud or guile, Space may produce new worlds, whereof so rife 650 There went a fame in heaven, that he ere long Intended to create, and therein plant A generation, whom his choice regard Should favour equal to the sons of heaven: He spake and to confirm his words outflew 655 660 665 669 vault of heav'n] Doctor Pearce approves Bentley's conjecture, 'walls of heaven,' and says the emendation is good. But I must differ from the opinions of both critics, and consider that this reading would much impair the beauty of the passage. 'Clashed on their sounding shields the din of war, Hurling defiance toward the vault of heaven,' which collected and reverberated the clash of the shields. There stood a hill not far, whose grisly top Belch'd fire and rolling smoke; the rest entire Shone with a glossy scurf, undoubted sign That in his womb was hid metallic ore, 670 675 The work of sulphur. Thither, wing'd with speed, From heaven; for ev'n in heaven his looks and thoughts In vision beatific. By him first Ransack'd the centre, and with impious hands 687 Rifled] v. Ovid Met. i. 138. 'Itum est in viscera terræ, Quasque recondiderat, Stygiisque admoverat umbris, 685 690 695 700 In strength and art are easily outdone A various mould, and from the boiling cells To many a row of pipes the sound-board breathes. With golden architrave; nor did there want Nor great Alcairo such magnificence 706 A various mould] 'capacious moulds.' Bentl. MS. 714 Doric pillars] See Marlowe's Hero and Leander, p. 81. 'There findest thou some stately Doric frame.' See Hall's Satires, ed. Singer, p. 133. 705 710 715 720 Their kings, when Egypt with Assyria strove Stood fixt her stately highth, and straight the doors, Within, her ample spaces, o'er the smooth 725 730 735 740 742 crystal battlements] See Beaumont's Psyche, cxx. 110. 'Much higher than the proudest battlement of the old heavens.' See Don Quixote, vol. 3. p. 156, (trans. Shelton, 12mo. 1731.) I saw a princely and sumptuous palace, whose walls and battlements seemed to be made of transparent crystal; and Miltoni Sylv. p. 323 (ed. Todd, ver. 63.) 'ventum est Olympi, et regiam crystallinam.' |