Our circuit meets full weft. As flame they part,
Half wheeling to the shield, half to the fpear. 785
From these, two ftrong and fubtle Spirits he call'd
That near him stood, and gave them thus in charge.
Ithuriel and Zephon, with wing'd speed

Search through this garden, leave unfearch'd no nook;
But chiefly where those two fair creatures lodge, 790
Now laid perhaps asleep fecure of harm.

which was very proper for an eaftern gate, as the finest ivory cometh from the east; India mittit cbur, Virg. Georg. I. 57. and houses and palaces of ivory are mention'd as inftances of magnificence in Scripture, as are likewife doors of ivory in Ovid, Met. IV. 185.

This

flame, but this fimile is better fuit-
ed to thofe beings, of whom the
Scripture fays, He maketh his angels
spirits, and his minifters a flame of
fire.

785. Half wheeling to the field,
half to the fpear.] Declinare
ad haftam vel ad fcutum. Livy. to

Lemnius extemplo valvas patefe- wheel to the right or left. Hume.

cit eburnas.

As all the Angels ftood in the ea-
ftern gate, their right hand was to
the north, to the pear; their left
hand to the fouth, to the field.
From these that wheel'd to the fpear
Gabriel calls out two: He himself
then was in that company. Shield
and fear for left hand and right,
while the men are fuppofed in
arms, gives a dignity of expreffion,
more than the common words have.

Bentley.

788. Ithuriel and Zephon,] Two
Angels having their names as in-
dication of their offices. Ithuriel in
Hebrew the difcovery of God. Zephon
in Hebrew a fecret or fearcher of
Hume.
fecrets.
796.- and

This evening from the fun's decline arriv'd

Who tells of fome infernal Spirit seen

Hitherward bent (who could have thought?) escap'd The bars of Hell, on errand bad no doubt:

Such where ye find, seise fast, and hither bring.

So faying, on he led his radiant files,

Dazling the moon; these to the bow'r direc

795

In fearch of whom they fought: him there they found Squat like a toad, close at the ear of Eve,

Affaying by his devilish art to reach

The organs of her fancy', and with them forge
Illufions as he lift, phantafms and dreams,

Or if, infpiring venom, he might taint

Th' animal spirits that from

796. and hither bring.] Dr. Bentley reads thither to the oppofit fide, the weft; where the parting fquadrons would meet after their half circuits; and accordingly (fays he) they brought Satan thither, to the western point, ver. 862. But there are twelve lines fince the weft was mention'd, and that was in another fpeech, at too great a diftance for thither to be referred to it. It is not mention'd in this fpeech, and I fee no reafon why we may not understand thefe words with Mr. Richardson, bring hither, that is to me wherefoever I happen to be.

pure

800

blood arife

805

Like

804. Or if, infpiring venom, &c.] So Virg. Æn. VII. 351. where the ferpent, that the fury Alecto had flung upon Amata, creeps foftly over her,

Vipeream infpirans animam-
Pertentat fenfus. Richardson.

The conftruction is, Affaying to
reach the organs of fancy, and fo
to work upon her by phantafms
and dreams; or (affaying) if he
might taint the animal fpirits,
which arise from pure blood as
and gentle airs from clear rivers,
and by tainting the animal fpirits

foft

Like gentle breaths from rivers pure, thence raise
At least diftemper'd, difcontented thoughts,
Vain hopes, vain aims, inordinate defires,
Blown up with high conceits ingendring pride.
Him thus intent Ithuriel with his fpear
Touch'd lightly; for no falfhood can indure
Touch of celestial temper, but returns
Of force to its own likeness: up he starts
Discover'd and furpris'd. As when a spark
Lights on a heap of nitrous powder, laid
Fit for the tun fome magazine to store
Against a rumor'd war, the fmutty grain
With fudden blaze diffus'd inflames the air:
So started up in his own fhape the Fiend..

810

815

Back

816. Fit for the tun] 'Tis commonly call'd a barrel: but Milton for the fake of his verfe, and perhaps for the fake of a lefs vulgar term, calls it a tun from the French tonneau, any cask or veffel.

819. So ftarted up in his own fhape

the Fiend. His planting himself at the ear of Eve under the form of a toad, in order to produce vain dreams and imaginations, is a circumftance that furprises the reader; as his ftarting up in his own form is wonderfully fine, both in the litteral defcription, and in the moral which is concealed under.

Back ftept those two fair Angels half amaz'd 820 So fudden to behold the grifly king;

Yet thus, unmov'd with fear, accoft him foon.

Which of those rebel Spirits adjudg'd to Hell Com'ft thou, escap'd thy prifon? and transform'd, Why fatst thou like an enemy in wait,

825

Here watching at the head of these that sleep?
Know ye not then, faid Satan fill'd with fcorn,
Know ye not me? ye knew me once no mate
For you, there fitting where ye durft not foar:
Not to know me argues yourselves unknown,
The loweft of your throng; or if

Why afk ye, and fuperfluous begin

ye know,

Your meffage, like to end as much in vain?

830

To whom thus Zephon, anfw'ring scorn with scorn.

it. His anfwer, upon his being difcover'd and demanded to give an account of himself, is conformable to the pride and intrepidity of his character. Zephon's rebuke, with the influence it had on Satan, is exquifitely graceful and moral. Addifon.

834. To whom thus Zephon,] Zephon is very properly made to anfwer him, and not Ithuriel, that each of them may appear as actors upon this occafion. Ithuriel with his fpear reftor'd the Fiend to

Think

his own fhape, and Zephon re-
bukes him. It would not have been
fo well, if the fame perfon had
done both.

835. Think not, revolted Spirit,
thy fhape the fame,
Or 'undiminish'd brightness to be

known,] Dr. Bentley judges rightly enough that the prefent reading is faulty; for if the words thy shape the fame are in the ablative cafe put abfolutely, it is neceffary that undiminish'd should follow brightness: and accordingly the

Daftar

Think not, revolted Spirit, thy fhape the fame, 835
Or undiminish'd brightnefs to be known,
As when thou ftood'ft in Heav'n upright and pure;
That glory then, when thou no more waft good,
Departed from thee; and thou resembleft now
Thy fin and place of doom obfcure and foul. 840
But come, for thou, be fure, fhalt give account
To him who fent us, whofe charge is to keep
This place inviolable, and these from harm.
So fpake the Cherub; and his grave rebuke,
Severe in youthful beauty, added grace
Invincible: abash'd the Devil ftood,

And felt how awful goodness is, and faw
Virtue' in her shape how lovely; faw, and pin'd
His lofs; but chiefly to find here observ❜d

845

His

But without any alteration may we not understand shape and brightnefs as in the accufative cafe after the verb think? Think not thy shape the fame, or undiminish'd brightnefs to be known now, as it was formerly in Heaven.

845. Severe in youthful beauty, added grace] Virg. Æn. V. 344. Gratior et pulchro veniens in corpore virtus.

848. Virtue in her shape how lovely &c. What is faid here of feeing