And his who gave them breath, but higher sung, Of moral prudence, with delight received Those ancient, whose resistless eloquence 260 205 Shook the arsenal, and fulmined over Greece 270 To Macedon and Artaxerxes' throne: To sage Philosophy next lend thine ear, From Heaven descended to the low-roof'd house 275 These here revolve, or, as thou lik'st, at home, Till time mature thee to a kingdom's weight: These rules will render thee a king complete Within thyself, much more with empire join'd. To whom our Saviour sagely thus replied: Think not but that I know these things, or think I know them not; not therefore am I short Of knowing what I ought: he, who receives of Mitylene in Lesbos, an island of the Eolians. Dorian: the odes of Pindar. 259. Melesigenes. Milton here follows the opinion of some, that Homer was born near the Meles, a river of Asia Minor, near Smyrna. 261. Tragedy was termed lofty by the ancients, from its style, but at the same time not without a reference to the elevated buskin which the actors wore. 262. Chorus or Iambick. The two constituent parts of the ancient tragedy were the dialogue, written in Iambick measure, and the Chorus, which consisted of various measures. The character here given by our author of the ancient tragedy, is very just and noble; and the English reader cannot form a better idea of it in its highest beauty and perfection, than by reading our author's "Samson Agonistes."-NEWTON. 271. As Pericles and others fulmined over Greece to Artaxerxes' throne, against the Persian king. so Demosthenes was the orator particularly who fulmined over Greece to Macedon, against Philip; especially when he was besieging Olynthus, a tributary city of Athens. Hence some 280 285 of his orations are called "Philippics" and others Olynthiacs." 278. Old and new. The academick sect of Philosophers, like the Greek comedy, had its three epochs-old, middle, and new. Plato was at the head of the old academy, Arcesilas of the middle, and Carneades of the new.-DUNSTER. 283. These rules: Rather, their rules; or the word these may refer to line 264to the brief sententious precepts. 285. To whom, &c. This answer of our Saviour is as much to be admired for solid reasoning, and the many sublime truths contained in it, as the preceding speech of Satan is for that fine vein of poetry which runs through it. And we may observe in general, that Milton has quite, throughout this work, thrown the ornaments of poetry on the side of error, whether it was that he thought great truths best expressed in a grave, unaffected style, or intended to suggest this fine moral to the reader-that simple, naked truth will always be an over-match for falsehood, though recommended by the gayest rhetorick and adorned with the most bewitching colours.—THYER. Light from above, from the fountain of light, 290 The next to fabling fell, and smooth conceits; 295 A third sort doubted all things, though plain sense: But virtue join'd with riches and long life; By him call'd virtue; and his virtuous man, Wealth, pleasure, pain or torment, death and life, 300 305 310 And in themselves seek virtue, and to themselves 315 Of mortal things. Who therefore seeks in these True wisdom, finds her not; or, by delusion, Far worse, her false resemblance only meets, 320 Wise men have said, are wearisome: who reads (And what he brings what need he elsewhere seek?) 325 Deep versed in books, and shallow in himself, And trifles for choice matters, worth a sponge; 330 As children gathering pebbles on the shore. 293. The first: Socrates. The next: Plato, whom our author, in one of his Latin poems, terms "fubulator maximus." 296. A third sort: Scepticks, the disciples of Pyrrho. Others: the Platonicks and Peripateticks. 299. In corporal pleasure he: Epicurus. 327. Deep versed, &c. Knowledge is proud that he has learn'd so 329. Worth a sponge. As the sponge is used for blotting out, so worth a sponge literally means not worth preserving. That solace? All our law and story strew'd With hymns, our psalms with artful terms inscribed, 335 That pleased so well our victors' ear, declare That rather Greece from us these arts derived; The vices of their deities, and their own, Their gods ridiculous, and themselves past shame. (Such are from God inspired, not such from thee,) So spake the Son of God: but Satan, now Since neither wealth nor honour, arms nor arts, 340 345 350 355 360 365 370 What dost thou in this world? The wilderness For thee is fittest place; I found thee there, And thither will return thee: yet remember What I foretell thee: soon thou shalt have cause 375 341. Personating: To celebrate loudly; | orators of Athens. Yet at the same time from the Latin persona. 346. Will far be found, &c. Undoubtedly these were Milton's own sentiments, though delivered in an assumed character. It must, however, be observed, that Christ is here answering Satan's speech, and counteracting his exquisite panegyrick on the philosophers, poets, and i I can conceive that Satan's speech, which here he means to confute, and which no man was more able to write than himself, came from the heart. The writers of dialogue in feigned characters have great advantage.-J. WARTON. 354. Statists: Statesmen. Which would have set thee in short time with ease Or heaven write aught of fate, by what the stars In their conjunction met, give me to spell; Attend thee, scorns, reproaches, injuries, Violence and stripes, and lastly cruel death: A kingdom they portend thee; but what kingdom, 380 385 390 Nor when; eternal sure, as without end, Without beginning; for no date prefix'd So saying, he took, (for still he knew his power Brought back the Son of God, and left him there, As daylight sunk, and brought in lowering Night, Wherever, under some concourse of shades, 395 400 Whose branching arms thick intertwined might shield 405 From dews and damps of night his shelter'd head; But, shelter'd, slept in vain; for at his head The tempter watch'd, and soon with ugly dreams Disturb'd his sleep. And either tropick now 'Gan thunder, and both ends of heaven; the clouds, 410 Fierce rain with lightning mix'd, water with fire 415 Environ'd thee; some howl'd, some yell'd, some shriek'd, 415. Four hinges: That is, from the four cardinal points,-the word cardo, in Latin, meaning "a hinge," upon which any thing turns. 420 419. Or torn up sheer. This magnificent description of a storm thus raised by Satan in the wilderness, is so admirable and striking, that it need not be enlarged upon.-BRYDGES. Sat'st unappall'd in calm and sinless peace! Of thunder, chased the clouds, and laid the winds, Clear'd up their choicest notes in bush and spray, Fair morning yet betides thee, Son of God, Was distant; and these flaws, though mortals fear them And harmless, if not wholesome, as a sneeze 427. Amice Gray: From the Latin amicio, to clothe. The combination amice | gray, is from what is called graius amictus, a gray habit worn by ecclesiastics and pilgrims. 432. And now the sun, &c. "There is, in this description, all the bloom of Milton's youthful fancy."-THYER. "It is impossible to forbear remarking that this description exhibits some of the finest 425 430 435 440 445 450 455 460 465 lines which Milton has written in all his poems."-J. WARTON. 449. In wonted shape: That is, in his own proper shape, and under no disguise. 467. Did I not tell thee, &c. Here is something to be understood: the thing told, we may suppose to be what Satan had before said, iii. 351— -Thy kingdom though foretold By prophet or by angel, unless thou Endeavour, as thy father David did Thou never shalt obtain. |