Had not th' eternal King omnipotent From his ftrong hold of Heav'n high over-rul'd ftrength like a legion, and though led in fight was as expert as a commander in chief. So that the Angels are celebrated firft for their number, then for their firength, and laftly for their expertness in war. 236. The ridges of grim war:] A metaphor taken from a plough'd field; the men anfwer to the ridges, between whom, the intervals of the ranks, the furrows are. The ridges of grim, fierce frightful looking, war; that is the ranks of the army, the files are implied. The ranks are the rows of foldiers from flank to flank, from fide to fide, 230 235 240 Were from the left to the right; the files - ούτε φοβο μεμνημόύον, στι 239. As only in his arm the moment lay Of victory:] As if upon his fingle arm had depended the whole 004 weight Were done, but infinite; for wide was fpread weight of the victory. The mo. Αλλ' έχον, ώτε ταλανία γυνη As when two scales are charg'd with doubtful loads So ftood the war, till Hector's matchless might With fates prevailing turn'd the fcale of fight. Pope. And in feveral particulars he has had his eye upon Homer, and commonly exceeds his master. Ho mer fays that the Greeks and Tiojans fought like burning fire: Ως δε μεν μαριανής, δέμας που Iliad. XIII. 673. 245 Pro But how much ftronger is it in Tormented all the air; all air It would be entring into too mi nute a detail of criticism to mention every little circumftance that is copied from Homer; and where he does not directly copy from Homer, his ftile and coloring is ftill very much in Homer's manner; and one may fee plainly that he has read him, even where he does not imitate him. Wonderful as his drawn the battels of the Angels fo genius was, he could hardly have the Iliad; and Homer taught him well without first reading those in to excel Homer. 242. That war and various, fometimes on firm ground The fyntax and fenfe is; The war A ftanding fight, then faring &c.] was fometimes a ftanding fight on the ground, and fometimes the war foaring on main wing tormented all the air. Pearce. 244. Tormented all the air;] Here Milton takes the fame liberty of applying Prodigious pow'r had shown, and met in arms 249 Saw where the fword of Michael fmote, and fell'd applying the word torment, which the Latin poets did before him in ufing the term vexare. So Marino deferibing Neptune raising a storm, Adon. Cant. 1. St. 123. e d'Aquiloni Wide 251. with huge two-handed fway &c.] It shows how entirely the ideas of chivalry and romance had poffeffed him, to make Michael fight with a two-handed fword. The fame idea occafion'd his expreffing himself very obfcure Col fulmine dentato (emulo a ly in the following lines of his Ly Gioue) Tormentando la terra, il mar com cidas, But that two-handed engin at the door Stands ready to fmite once, and fmite no more. Thefe are the laft words of Peter predicting God's vengeance on his church by his miniftry. The making him the minifter is in imitation of the Italian poets, who in their fatiric pieces against the church always make Peter the minifter of vengeance. The twohanded engin is the two-handed Gothic fword, with which the painters draw him. Stands ready at the door was then a common phrafe to fignify a thing imminent. To fmite once and fmite no more fignifies a final deftruction, but alludes to Peter's fingle ufe of Wide wafting; fuch deftruction to withstand He hafted, and oppos'd the rocky orb Of tenfold adamant, his ample shield, A vaft circumference: At his approach 255 Or captive dragg'd in chains, with hostile frown 260 Author of ev'il, unknown till thy revolt, his fword in the cafe of the High Prieft's fervant. Warburton. 255. Of tenfold adamant, ] In other poets the Angels are armed in adamant, and in Taffo there is particular mention of an adamantin fhield, Cant. 7. St. 82. Scudo di lucidiffimo diamante: But Milton's is ftronger, of tenfold adamant. 262. Author of evil, &c.] These fpeeches give breath as it were to the reader after the hurry of the general battel; and prepare his mind, and raise his expectation the 265 Mifery, uncreated till the crime 270 Of thy rebellion? how haft thou inftill'd Thy ofspring, to the place of evil, Hell, 275 Or fome more fudden vengeance wing'd from God Precipitate thee with augmented pain. So fpake the prince of Angels; to whom thus The Adverfary. Nor think thou with wind 280 |