If we were wife, against fo great a foe 210 With what is punish'd; whence these raging fires Will flacken, if his breath stir not their flames. Our purer effence then will overcome Their noxious vapor, or inur'd not feel, Or chang'd at length, and to the place conform'd 220. This horror will grow mild, this darkness light,]"Tis quite too much as Dr. Bentley fays, that the darkness fhould turn into light: but light, I conceive, is an adjective here as well as mild; and the meaning is, This darknefs will in time become eafy, as this horror will grow mild; or as Mr. Thyer thinks, it is an adjective ufed in the fame fenfe as when we fay, It is a light night. It is not well exprefs'd, and the worfe as it rimes with the following line. 215 In 227. Counsel'd ignoble cafe,] Not otium cum dignitate as Cicero fpeaks, but as Virgil ignobile otium. Studiis ignobilis oti. Georg. IV. 764. 228. Mammon Spake.] Mammon's character is fo fully drawn in the firft book, that the poet adds nothing to it in the fecond. We were before told, that he was the firft who taught mankind to ranfack the earth for gold and filver, and that he was the architect of Pan In temper and in nature, will receive Familiar the fierce heat, and void of pain; This horror will grow mild, this darkness light, 220 Of future days may bring, what chance, what change 225 Thus Belial with words cloth'd in reafon's garb, We war, if war be beft, or to regain Pandemonium, or the infernal palace, where the evil Spirits were to meet in council. His fpeech in this book is every way fuitable to fo depraved a character. How proper is, that reflection, of their being unable to tafte the happiness of Heaven were they actually there, in the mouth of one, who while he was in Heaven, is faid to have had his mind dazled with the outward pomps and glories of the place, and to have been more in The tent on the riches of the pavement, than on the beatific vifion! I fhall, alfo leave the reader to judge how agreeable the following fentiments are to the fame character. This deep world Of darkness do we dread? How oft amidst &c. Addifon. 233-and Chaos judge the ftrife:] Between the king of Heaven and us, not between Fate and Chance, as Dr. Bentley supposes. Pearce. 234. The The former vain to hope argues as vain The latter for what place can be for us 235 Within Heav'n's bound, unless Heav'n's Lord fupreme Stand in his presence humble, and receive 240 Our envied fovran, and his altar breathes. 245 Qur fervile offerings? This must be our task 234. The former vain to hope] That is to unthrone the king of Heaven, argues as vain the latter, that is to regain our own loft right. By flowers, especially when flowers are, as here, diftinguifh'd from odors? But when the altar is faid to breathe, the meaning is that it Smells of, it throws out the smell of, or (as Milton expreffes it IV. 265.) it breathes out the smell of &c. In this fenfe of the word breathe, an altar may be faid to breathe flowers, and odors too as a distinct thing; for by odors here Milton means the and asks how an altar can breathe fmells of gums and sweet spicy 244.- and his altar breathes Ambrofial odors and ambrofial flowers,] Dr. Bentley would read from for and, Ambrofial odors from flowers, ambrofial fhrubs, By force impoffible, by leave obtain'd 250 Our own good from ourfelves, and from our own 255 Of fervile pomp, Our greatnefs will appear Then most confpicuous, when great things of small, Useful of hurtful, profp'rous of adverse We can create, and in what place so e'er 260 Thrive under ev'il, and work eafe out of pain hrubs, fee VIII. 517. Not unlike Flowers and odors fweetly fmell'd. 263. 265 And How oft amidst Thick clouds and dark &c.] Imitated from Pfal. XVIII. 11, 13. He made darkness his fecret place; bis pavilion round about him were dark waters, and thick clouds of the 254. Live to ourselves,] Hor. fkies- The Lord alfo thundred in Epift. I. XVIII. 107. Ut mihi vivam Quod fupereft ævi. and Perfeus, Sat. IV. 52. Tecum habita. the Heavens, and the Highest gave his voice, bailftones and coals of fire. And from Pf. XCVII. 2. Clouds and darkness are round about him, &c. 274. Our And with the majesty of darkness round 270 Covers his throne; from whence deep thunders roar 275 As For who can think fubmission? Which was approv'd and confirm'd Whether of open war or covert guile, We now debate: Moloch fpeaks to the purpose, and declares for open war, ver. 51. My fentence is for open war: of wiles, More unexpert, I boast not, &c. But Belial argues alike against war open or conceal'd, ver. 187. War |