555

That draw the litter of close-curtain'd sleep;
At last a soft and folemn-breathing found
Rofe like a steam of rich diftill'd perfumes,
And stole upon the air, that even Silence
Was took ere she was ware, and wifh'd fhe might
Deny her nature, and be never more,

Still to be fo difplac'd. I was all ear,

560

Mr. Bowle's conjecture drowfie-freighted, that is, charged or loaded with drowsiness.

We are to recollect, that Milton has here transferred the horses and chariot of NIGHT to SLEEP. And fo has Claudian, BELL. GILD. 213.

Humentes jam Noctis EQUOS, Letheaque SOMNUS
Frena regens, tacito volvebat fydera cursu.

And Statius, THEB. ii. 59.

-SOPOR obvius illi

NOCTIS agebat EQUOS.

555. At laft a foft and folemn-breathing found Rofe like a fteam of rich-diftill'd perfumes,

And ftole upon the air.] Shakespeare's TWELFTH NIGHT has here been alleged. The idea is ftrongly implied in thefe lines of Jonfon's VISION of DELIGHT, a Mafque prefented at Court in the Christmas of 1617. Vol. vi. 21.

Yet let it like an odour rife

To all the fenses here;

And fall like fleep upon their eyes,

Or muficke in their eare.

But the thought appeared before, where it is exquifitely expreffed, in Bacon's ESSAYES. "And because the breath of flowers is farre "fweeter in the aire, where it COMES and GOES LIKE the WAR46 BLING of MUSICKE." Of GARDENS. Ess. xlvi. Milton means the gradual encrease and diffufion of odour in the process of diftilling perfumes: for he had at firft written "flow-diftill'd."

In the edition of 1673, we have STREAM for STEAM. A manifeft overfight of the compofitor.

555. SOLEMN is used to characterise the mufic of the nightingale, PARAD. L. iv. 648." Night's folemn bird." And fhe is cal led" the folemn nightingale," vii. 435.

557-That even Silence, &c.] "SILENCE was pleased," at the nightingale's fong, PARAD. L. iv. 604. The conceit in both paffages is unworthy the poet.

And

And took in ftrains that might create a foul
Under the ribs of death: but O ere long
Too well I did perceive it was the voice
Of my most honour'd Lady, your dear Sifter.
Amaz❜d I stood, harrow'd with grief and fear. 565
And O poor hapless nightingale thought I,
How sweet thou fing'ft, how near the deadly fnare!
Then down the lawns I ran with headlong hafte,
Through paths and turnings often trod by day,
Till guided by mine ear I found the place,
Where that damn'd wifard, hid in fly disguise,
(For fo by certain figns I knew) had met
Already, ere my best speed could prevent,
The aidless innocent Lady his wifh'd prey;
Who gently afk'd if he had seen such two,
Suppofing him fome neighbour villager.
Longer I durft not stay, but foon I guess'd
Ye were the two she meant; with that I sprung
Into fwift flight, till I had found you here,

560.

570

575

I was all ear.] So Catullus, of a rich perfume,

CARM. xiii. 13.

Quod tu cum olfacies, deos rogabis

TOTUM ut te faciant, Fabulle, NASUM.

There is the fame thought, in Jonfon's UNDERW. Vol. vi. 451.

Come with our voices let us war,

And challenge all the spheres,
Till each of us be made a star,

And all the world TURN EARS.

And in Shakespeare, but differently expreffed. WINTER'S TALE,
A. iv. S. iii. Of hearing a fong.
"ALL their OTHER SENSES
"ftuck in their EARS." And in the TEMPEST, Profpero fays,
"No tongues, ALL EYES." Compare alfo Herrick's HESPE-
RIDES, p. 21. edit. 1648. 8vo.

When I thy finging next fhall heare
Ile wish I might turne ALL to eare.

See above, at v. 297.

But further know I not.

Sec. Br. O night and fhades,

How are ye join'd with Hell in triple knot,
Against th' unarmed weakness of one virgin,
Alone, and helplefs! Is this the confidence
You gave me, Brother?

El. B. Yes, and keep it still,

Lean on it fafely; not a period

Shall be unfaid for ine: against the threats
Of malice or of forcery, or that power
Which erring men call Chance, this I hold firm,
Virtue may be affail'd, but never hurt,
Surpris'd by unjust force, but not inthrall'd;
Yea even that which mischief meant moft harm,
Shall in the happy trial prove moft glory:
But evil on itself shall back recoil,

And mix no more with goodness, when at last
Gather'd like fcum, and fettled to itself,

18d

585

590

595

It fhall be in eternal restless change

Self-fed, and felf-consumed: if this fail,

The pillar'd firmament is rottenness,

And earth's bafe built on ftubble. But come, let's on.

Against the oppofing will and arm of heaven

May never this juft fword be lifted

up;

600

This thought, and expreffion, occurs firft in Drummond's SonNETS, 1616. Signat. D. 2. To the nightingale.

Such fad lamenting ftraines, that Night attends,

Become ALL EARE, ftarres stay to heare thy plight, &c.

584. Yes, and keep it ftill, &c.] This confidence of the ELDER BROTHER in favour of the final efficacy of virtue, holds forth a very high strain of philosophy, delivered in as high strains of eloquence and poetry.

597. Milton is fond of felf in compound. See other inftances, in PARAD. L. vii. 242. 154. V. 860. 254. 860. ix. 1188.183.607. ii. 130. x. 1016. viii. 572. vii. 510. xi. 93.203. i. 634. iii. 130.

But

But for that damn'd magician, let him be girt
With all the grifly legions that troop

Under the footy flag of Acheron,

Harpyes and Hydras, or all the monstrous forms
'Twixt Africa and Ind, I'll find him out,
And force him to return his purchase back,
Or drag him by the curls to a foul death,
Curs'd as his life.

602. But for that damn'd magician, let him be girt With all the grisly legions that troop

605

Under the footy flag of Acheron, &c.] Compare PARAD. REG. B. iv. 626.

605.

-He all unarm'd

Shall chase thee with the terrour of his voice

From thy Demoniac holds, poffeffion foul,

Thee and thy legions, yelling fhall they fly, &c.

All the monftrous forms

'Twixt Africa and Ind.-] Such as those which Carlo and Ubaldo meet, in going to Armida's enchanted mountain, in Fairfax's TASSO, C. xv.

51.

All monsters which hot Africke forth doth fend

"Twixt Nilus, Atlas, and the fouthern cape,
Were all there met.-

Milton often copies Fairfax, and not his original.

605. Harpyes and Hydras, or all the monftrous forms.] Or fpoils the metre. Yet an anapaeft may be admitted in the third part, fee v. 636. 682. Although this last is not an anapaeft. But any foot of three fyllables may be admitted in this place of an iambic verse, if the licence be not taken too frequently. H.

Harpies and Hydras are a combination in an enumeration of monfters, in Sylvefter's Du BARTAS, p. 206. fol. ut fupr.

And th' vgly Gorgons, and the Sphinxes fell,
Hydraes and Harpies gan to yawne and yel.

608. Or drag him by the curls to a foul death,
Curs'd as his life.-] In Lawes's edition, 1637.
And cleave his fcalpe

Down to the hipps.

Here fays Peck," Curls upon a bald pate are a good joke," But he should at least have remembered a paffage in the Pfams, "The "HAIRY SCALP of fuch a one as goeth on ftill in his wicked"nefs." It is true, that we have in Shakespeare's Two GENTLEMEN OF VERONA, A. iv. S. i. YOL. I.

D d

By

Spir. Alas! good ventrous Youth,

I love thy courage yet, and bold emprise;
But here thy fword can do thee little ftead;
Far other arms and other weapons must

Be thofe that quell the might of hellish charms:
He with his bare wand can unthread thy joints,
And crumble all thy finews.

E. B. Why prithee, Shepherd,

How durft thou then thyself approach fo near,
As to make this relation?

Spir. Care, and utmost shifts

610

615

620

How to fecure the Lady from surprisal,
Brought to my mind a certain fhepherd lad,
Of small regard to fee to, yet well skill'd
In every virtuous plant, and healing herb,
That spreads her verdant leaf to th' morning ray:

By the BARE SCALP of Robin Hood's fat frier.

That is, frier Tuck's fhaven crown. And in KING RICHARD ii.
A. iii. S. ii.

White beards have arm'd their thin and HAIRLESS SCALPS
Against thy majesty.

610. And bold emprife.] Enterprise. PARAD. L. xi. 641.
Giants of mighty bone, and BOLD EMPRISE.

613. Be those that quell the might of hellish charms.] Compare Shakespeare's KING RICHARD iii. A. iii. S. iv.

With devilish plots

Of damned witchcraft; and that have prevail'd
Upon my body with their HELLISH CHARMS.

614. He with his bare wand can unthread thy joints,

And crumble all thy finews.-] So in Profpero's commands

to Ariel, TEMP. A. iv. S. ult.

622.

Go, charge my goblins, that they grind their JOINTS
With dry convulfions, fhorten up their SINEWS
With aged cramps.-

To th' morning ray.] See Note on LYCID. V. 142. And add Carew, p. 69. edit. 1651.

Mark how the bashful morn in vain

Courts the amorous marigold, &c.

He