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Deferving Paradife! if ever, then,

Then had the fons of God excufe to' have been
Enamour'd at that fight; but in those hearts
Love unlibidinous reign'd, nor jealousy

Was understood, the injur'd lover's Hell.

450

Thus when with meats and drinks they had fuffic'd, Not burden'd nature, fudden mind arose

In Adam, not to let th' occafion pass

Giv'n him by this great conference to know

Of things above his world, and of their being 455 Who dwell in Heav'n, whofe excellence he faw Tranfcend his own fo far, whofe radiant forms

and by Virgil, Georg. II. 528.

et focii cratera coronant.

447. Then had the fons of God ex

cufe &c.] The doubling of the then adds great force and emphafis; if ever, then, then had the fons of God excufe &c. and this is faid in allufion to that text, Gen. VI. 2. The fons of God faw the daughters of men, that they were fair, and they took them wives of all that they chofe, as if the fons of God there fignified Angels. See note on III. 463.

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Poftquam exempta fames epulis,
menfæque remotæ.

Virg. Æn. I. 216.
Poftquam exempta fames et amor
compreffus edendi.
En. VIII. 184.

Our author fays the fame thing,
but at the fame time infinuates a

fine moral of the true end of eating and drinking, which is to fatisfy but not to burden nature; and this fort of temperance he not only

451. Thus when with meats and recommends as in the beginning of

drinks they bad juffic'd,

Not burden'd nature,

this book and XI. 530. &c, but
remarkably practis'd himself.
455. above

Divine effulgence, whofe high pow'r so far
Exceeded human, and his wary speech
Thus to th' empyreal minifter he fram'd.
Inhabitant with God, now know I well
Thy favor, in this honor done to Man,
Under whofe lowly roof thou haft vouchfaf'd
To enter, and these earthly fruits to taste,
Food not of Angels, yet accepted so,

460

465

As that more willingly thou couldst not seem

At Heav'n's high feats to' have fed: yet what compare?
To whom the winged Hierarch reply'd.
O Adam, one Almighty is, from whom

All

455.above his world,] This is the reading in Milton's own editions, and not above this world as Mr. Fenton and Dr. Bentley have caus'd it to be printed.

456.-wboje excellence &c.] Excellence is a general word; and he branches the excellence of Angels into two particulars, their radiant forms (which were the effulgence of the Deity) and their high power.

Pearce. 467. yet what compare?] His peech was wary; and he was afraid to ask the Angel directly of the different conditions of Men and Angels; but yet intimates his defire to know by queftioning whether there was any comparifon between them.

468. To whom the winged Hierarch

reply'd.] Raphael's behaviour is every way fuitable to the dignity of his nature, and to that character of a fociable Spirit, with which the author has fo judiciously introduced him. He had received inftructions to converfe with Adam, as one friend converfes with another, and to warn him of the enemy who was contriving his de.. ftruction: accordingly he is reprefented as fitting down at table with Adam, and eating of the fruits of Paradife. The occafion naturally leads him to his difcourfe on the food of Angels. After having thus enter'd into converfation with Man upon more indifferent fubjects, he warns him of his obedience, and Cc3

makes

47°

475

All things proceed, and up to him return,
If not deprav'd from good, created all
Such to perfection, one firft matter all,
Indued with various forms, various degrees
Of fubftance, and in things that live, of life;
But more refin'd, more fpiritous, and pure,
As nearer to him plac'd or nearer tending
Each in their feveral active fpheres affign'd,
Till body up to spirit work, in bounds
Proportion'd to cach kind. So from the root
Springs lighter the green ftalk, from thence the leaves
More aery, laft the bright confummate flower 481
Spirits odorous breathes: flow'rs and their fruit,
Man's nourishment, by gradual scale sublim'd,

To

commiffioned to difcourfe to him. Green wood.

makes a natural tranfition to the ters, upon which the other was history of that fallen Angel, who was employ'd in the circumvention, of our first parents. Addijon...

I would have it obferved in what

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471.

-created all

Such to perfection, one firft matter all, &c.] That is, created all a beautiful manner Milton brings good, good to perfection, not abfoon the execution of thofe orders,lutely fo, but perfect in their difwhich Raphael had received from ferent kinds and degrees; and all God. To avoid all appearance confifting of one firft matter, which of harfhnefs or abruptnefs, which firit matter is indued, (indutus) clothmight have feemed, if the Angel ed upon, with various forms, &c. had immediately entered upon his errand, the poet makes ufe of Adam's curiofity to introduce the fubject, and puts fuch wary and modeft queftions into his mouth, as naturally led to thofe high mat

his

475. But more refin'd, more spi

ritous, and pure,

As nearer to him plac'd or nearer tending &c.] So Spenfer in Hymn of heavenly Beauty, speaking

To vital spirits aspire, to animal,
To intellectual; give both life and sense,
Fancy and understanding; whence the foul
Reason receives, and reafon is her being,
Difcurfive, or intuitive; difcourfe

Is ofteft yours, the latter most is ours,
Differing but in degree, of kind the fame.
Wonder not then, what God for you

faw good

485

490

If I refuse not, but convert, as you,
To proper substance: time may come, when Men
With Angels may participate, and find
No inconvenient di'et, nor too light fare;
And from these corporal nutriments perhaps
Your bodies may at last turn all to spirit,

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495.

Improv'd

mistaken here in his metaphyfics, as he was before in his phyfics. fpirit is by no means obferving the This notion of matter refining into fuppofe, he meant it as a combounds proportion'd to each kind. I

body changed into a fpiritual body, as in 1 Cor. XV. and perhaps borrow'd it from fome of his fyitems of divinity. For Milton, as he was too much of a materialist in his philofophy, fo was too much of a fyftematift in his divinity.

ment on the doctrin of a natural

482. Spirits odurous] We muft take notice in reading this verfe, that Spirits is here a word of two C c 4 fyllables,

Improv'd by tract of time, and wing'd ascend
Ethereal, as we, or may at choice
Here or in heav'nly Paradifes dwell;
If ye be found obedient, and retain
Unalterably firm his love entire,

Whofe progeny you are.

Mean while enjoy

Your fill what happiness this happy state

Can comprehend, incapable of more.

To whom the patriarch of mankind reply'd.

O favorable Spirit, propitious guest,

500

505.

Well haft thou taught the way that might direct Our knowledge, and the fcale of nature set

From center to circumference, whereon

510

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