Affecting all equality with God,

In imitation of that mount whereon
Meffiah was declar'd in fight of Heaven,
The Mountain of the Congregation call'd
For thither he affembled all his train,
Pretending fo commanded to confult
About the great reception of their king
Thither to come, and with calumnious art
Of counterfeited truth thus held their ears.

765

770

Thrones, Dominations, Princédoms, Virtues, Powers,

If these magnific titles yet remain

Not merely titular, fince by decree

Another now hath to himself ingrofs'd
All pow'r, and us eclips'd under the name

pleafed with the poet's imitation of Homer in this line. Homer mentions perfons and things, which he tells us in the language of the Gods are call'd by different names from thofe they go by in the language of men. Miiton has imitated him with his ufual judgment in this particular place, wherein he has likewife the authority of Scripture to justify him. Addifon. The fcholiafts and commentators upon Homer endevor to account for this manner of fpeaking feveral ways; but the most probable is, that he attributes thofe names

775

Of

which are in ufe only among the learned to the Gods, and those which are in vulgar ufe to men. However that be, this manner of fpeaking certainly gives a dignity to the poem, and looks as if the poets had converfed with the Gods themselves.

766. The Mountain of the Congre

gation call'd;] Alluding to what we quoted before from Ifa. XIV. 13. I will exalt my throne above the ftars of God; I will fit alfo upon the mount of the congregation, in the fides of the north.

772. Thrones

Of King anointed, for whom all this hafte
Of midnight march, and hurried meeting here,
This only to confult how we may best
With what may be devis'd of honors new

Receive him coming to receive from us
Knee-tribute yet unpaid, proftration vile,
Too much to one, but double how indur'd,
To one and to his image now proclam'd?

But what if better counfels might erect

780

785

Our minds, and teach us to caft off this yoke?
Will ye fubmit your necks, and choose to bend
The fupple knee? ye will not, if I trust
To know ye right, or if ye know yourselves

Natives and fons of Heav'n

poffefs'd before

790

By

By none, and if not equal all, yet free,

Equally free; for orders and degrees
Jar not with liberty, but well confist.
Who can in reafon then or right affume
Monarchy over fuch as live by right
His equals, if in pow'r and fplendor less,
In freedom equal? or can introduce
Law and edict on us, who without law
Err not? much lefs for this to be our Lord,

tions, as there is in Dr. Bentley's? And is not the paffage to be underfood thus, that No one poffefs'd Heaven before them, they were a fort of Aborigines? which notion Satan explains more at large in his following speech, ver. 859.

We know no time when we were

not as now;

Know none before us, felf-begot, felf-rais'd

By our own quick'ning pow'r, when fatal course

Had circled his full orb, the birth

mature

795

And

For government, though high,
and low, and lower,
Put into parts, doth keep in one
confent ;

Congreeing in a full and natural
close,

Like mufic:

and in Troilus and Crefsida, A& I.

Take but degree away, untune that ftring,

And hark what difcord follows. 799. much lefs for This to be our Lord, ] This paffage feems to me as inexplicable almoft

Of this our native Heav'n, ethe- as any in Milton. Dr. Bentley

real fons.

thinks it hard to find what for this relates to; and therefore reads fore think, or if we have no regard to the likeness of the letters, afpire, prefume, or other fuch word. Then the feries (he fays) will be this, Who can introduce law and edict on us? much less can he forethink, take it in his scheme or view, to become

And look for adoration to th' abufe

Of those imperial titles, which affert

800

Our being ordain'd to govern, not to serve.

Thus far his bold difcourfe without controll

Had audience, when
when among the Seraphim
Abdiel, than whom none with more zeal ador'd 805
The Deity', and divine commands obey'd,

Stood up, and in a flame of zeal fevere

The current of his fury thus oppos'd,

His

our Lord and mafter. Dr. Pearce Mr. Warburton ftill understands it fays, that the fentence is elliptical, otherwife. Who can in reason asand may be supply'd thus, much fume monarchy over those who lefs can he for this (viz. for our are his equals ? and introduce law being less in power and fplendor, ver. and edict upon them, when they 796.) in right affume to be our Lord. can conduct their actions rightly Mr. Richardfon understands it to without law? much less for this inbe spoken blafphemously and with troduction of law and edict clame contempt of the Meffiah, This the right of dominion. For he another, ver. 775. This King anoint- thought the giving of civil laws ed, ver. 777. And then the fenfe did not introduce dominion. will run after this manner, Who head was full of the ancient lecan then in juftice affume monarchy giflators, who gave laws to equals over equals? or can introduce a law and ftrangers, and did not pretend and edict upon us, who without law to the right of difpenfing them, are infallible? much less can be in- which is dominion. So he says troduce a law and edict for This (I before don't say what) to be our Lord and receive adoration from us. But then we must write This with a great letter, and we must not continue the note of interrogation at the end of the fpeech. If we should, I imagin we fhould be oblig'd to read much more instead of much less.

--

for orders and degrees Jar not with liberty &c.

This is good fenfe, but ftill the grammatical conftruction is not easy. I fuppofe it must be thus, much lefs for this (can he assume ver. 794.) to be our Lord.

O argument blafphemous, falfe and proud!
Words which no ear ever to hear in Heaven
Expected, leaft of all from thee, Ingrate,
In place thyself fo high above thy peers,
Canft thou with impious obloquy condemn

The juft decree of God, pronounc'd and sworn,
That to his only Son by right indued

With regal scepter, every foul in Heaven

Shall bend the knee, and in that honor due
Confess him rightful King? unjust, thou say'st,
Flatly unjust, to bind with laws the free,

And equal over equals to let reign,

One over all with unfucceeded power.

Shalt thou give law to God, fhalt thou difpute
With him the points of liberty, who made

819

815

820

Thee what thou art, and form'd the Pow'rs of Heaven Such as he pleas'd, and circumfcrib'd their being?