And answers, oracles, portents and dreams, At first it may be, but long fince with woe 395 Nearer 1 join them with oracles and dreams? In answer to this I obferve, that the word portents in our poet is not only irregularly inferted, but excludes another fpecies of divination out of a place, where the authority of Cicero himself, and in this very paffage too, would make one expect to find it; which cannot be faid of portentis. And now perhaps a conjecture may appear not void of probability, that the poet dictated, And anfwers, oracles, prophets, nected with them. In Cicero we fomnia; and why might not Milton have figns and their interpreters, and here' figns and their interpretations; for this I take to be the meaning of anfwers. The barufpicum refponfa amongst the Romans are obvious authorities. 2. There are three fpecies of divination, diftinguish'd from the former by figns, in Cicero's first book on that fubject, viz. dreams, vaticinations or prophecies, and oracles. Carent autem arte ii, qui non ratione, aut conjectura, obfervatis ac notatis fignis, fed concitatione quadam animi, aut foluto liberoque motu futura præfentiunt; quod & fomniantibus fæpe contingit, & nonnunquam vaticinantibus per furorem &c. Cujus generis oracula etiam habenda funt. De Div. I. 18. Thefe three frequently occur together; as again in this first book. 51. Item igitur fomniis, vaticinationibus, oraculis &c. And again in de Nat. Deor. II. 65. Multa cernunt harufpices: multa augures provident: multa oraculis declarantur, multa vaticinationibus, multa fomniis, (and I will fairly add, tho' it may be thought to make against me) multa portentis. Here portents are join'd with oracula, vaticinationes, and and dreams. Calton. I have given this learned note at length, though I can by no means agree to the propos'd alteration. My greatest objection to it is, that I conceive Milton would not have inferted prophets between oracles and dreams, any more than Cicero would have inferted vates between oracula and fomnia. Cicero has faid oracula, vaticinationes, fomnia; and Milton in like manner would have faid by prefages and figns, and answers, oracles, prophecies, not prophets, and dreams. But I fuppofe the poet was not willing to ascribe prophecy to the Devil; he might think, and very juftly 400 Nearer acquainted, now I feel by proof, justly think, that it lay not within his fphere and capacity: and by portents he plainly understands fomething more than prefages and figns, as portenta are rank'd with monftra and prodigia in the beft Latin authors. The gentleman feems apprehenfive that his last quotation from Cicero may be turned against him and indeed that paffage and this reflect fo much light on each other, as would incline one to believe that Milton had it in mind as he was compofing. Multa cernunt harufpices: multa augures provident: these are the prefages and figns and anfwers: multa oraculis declarantur, multa vaticinationibus, multa fomniis, multa portentis: here portents are annumerated with oracles and dreams: quibus cognitis, multæ fæpe res hominum fententia atque utilitate parte (or as Lambin reads, ex animi fententia atque utilitate parta) multa etiam pericula depulfa funt: the fenfe of which is very well expreffed by the following line in Milton, Whereby they may direct their future life. in Man That fellowship in pain divides not Smart,] Our author here had his eye this line of the poet, Solamen miferis focios habuiffe doloris. Thyer. 402. Nor lightens ought each man's peculiar load.] I think it will not be caviling to fay, that each man's peculiar load fhould not be put in the mouth of Satan, who was no man, who had confeffed to Chrift that he was the unfortunate Arch-Fiend, and who speaks of himself. If Milton had been aware of it, he would have corrected it thus, Nor lightens ought each ones peculiar load, or in fome other manner. Befides, the word man is repeated here too often. Nor lightens ought each man's peculiar load. Small confolation then, were man adjoin'd: This wounds me moft (what can it lefs?) that man, Man fall'n fhall be reftor'd, I never more. Fortin. 404. This wounds me moft &c] D 4 Very Man fall'n fhall be reftor'd, I never more. To whom our Saviour fternly thus reply'd. Deservedly thou griev'ft, compos'd of lies From the beginning, and in lies wilt end; 405 Who boast'st release from Hell, and leave to come Comes to the place where he before had sat To all the host of Heav'n: the happy place 415 So So never more in Hell than when in Heaven. 420 425 Yet thou pretend'st to truth; all oracles 430 By thee are giv'n, and what confefs'd more true Among the nations? that hath been thy craft, By mixing fomewhat true to vent more lies. 417. Imparts to thee] In all the editions it is printed Imports to thee, but in the Errata of the first edition we are defired to read Imparts to thee. It is no wonder that the errors of the first edition are continued in the fubfequent ones, when thofe errors do not much difturb the fense: but even where they make downright nonsense of the paffage, they are still continued ; and we had à most remarkable inftance a little before in ver. 400. Never acquaintid for Nearer acquainted. Ambiguous 426. With all inflictions? but his patience won.] So Mr. Fenton points this paffage in his edition, and fo it fhould be pointed. And the verb won I think is not often used as a verb neuter, but I find it fo in Spenfer's Faery Queen. B. 1. Cant. 6. St. 39. And he the ftouteft knight that ever won. 434. But what have been thy an fwers, what but dark,] The oracles were often fo obfcure and dubious, 435 Ambiguous and with double sense deluding, To fly or follow what concern'd him most, 440 For dubious, that there was need of other oracles to explain them. Sed jam ad te venio, Sancte Apollo, qui umbilicum cer tum terrarum obfides, Unde fuperftitiofa primum fæva evafit vox fera, tuis enim oraculis Chryfippus totum volumen implevit, partim falfis, ut ego opinor, partim cafu veris, ut fit in omni oratione fæpiffime; partim flexiloquis, & obfcuris, ut interpres egeat interprete, & fors ipfa ad fortes referenda fit; partim ambiguis, & quæ ad dialecticum deferenda fint. Cicero De Div. II. 56. Calton. Milton in thefe lines about the Heathen oracles feems to have had in view what Eufebius fays more copiously upon this fubject in the fifth book of his Præparatio Evangelica. That learned father reafons in the very fame way about them, and gives many inftances from history of their delufive and double meanings. It may not perhaps be impertinent to mention Cræ one by way of illuftration. fus fending to confult the Delphic oracle about the fuccefs of his intended expedition against the Perfian received this anfwer, Κροίσο Αλων διαβας μεγαλω αργω καταλύσεις Crafus Halym penetrans magnam pervertet opum vim, which by the ambiguity of one word might either fignify the conqueft of the Perfian empire, or the ruin of his own: but he, as it was natural enough for an ambitious prince to do, conftruing it according to his own flattering hopes, was overcome and loft his kingdom. Thyer. 447. But from him or his Angels prefident] Utitur etiam eis Deus (Dæmonibus) ad veritatis manifeftationem per ipfos fiendam, dum divina myfteria eis per Angelos revelantur. The words are quoted from Aquinas (zda zdæ Quæft. 172. Art. 6.) but the opinion is as old at leaft as St. Auftin, whofe authority he |