They dreaded worse than hell: so much the fear Wrought still within them; and no less desire 295 To found this nether empire, which might rise Which when Beelzebub perceiv'd, than whom, grave Aspéct he rose, and in his rising seem'd A pill'ar of state; deep on his front engraven And princely counsel in his face yet shone, 294. the sword of Michaël] The words Michael, Raphael, &c. are sometimes pronounced as of two syllables, and sometimes they are made to consist of three. When they are to be pronounced as of three syllables, we shall distinguish them in printing thus, Michaël, Raphaël. 302. A pillar of state;] Pillar is to be pronounced contractedly as of one syllable, or two short ones; and again in book xii. 202, 203. The metaphor is plain and easy enough to be understood; and thus James, and Peter, and John are called pillars in Gal. ii. 9. And so Shakespeare, 2 Hen. VI. act i. 300 305 Brave peers of England, pillars of the stute. 306. With Atlantean shoulders] A metaphor to express his vast capacity. Atlas was so great an astronomer, that he is said to have borne heaven on his shoulders. The whole picture from ver. 299. to the end of the paragraph is admirable! Richardson. 309. Or summer's noon-tide air,] Noon-tide is the same as noontime, when in hot countries there is hardly a breath of wind stirring, and men and beasts, by reason of the intense heat, retire to shade and rest. This is the custom of Italy particularly, where our author lived some time. Thrones and Imperial Pow'rs, Offspring of Heaven, Ethereal Virtues; or these titles now Must we renounce, and changing style be call'd Beyond his potent arm, to live exempt 309. Thomson's Seasons, Summer, 630. 311 315 -What if we find While nature lies around deep-lull'd just it was not to omit in the in noon. E. 309. —while thus he spake.] Beelzebub, who is reckoned the second in dignity that fell, and is, in the first book, the second that awakens out of the trance, and confers with Satan upon the situation of their affairs, maintains his rank in the book now before us. There is a wonderful majesty described in his rising up to speak. He acts as a kind of moderator between the two opposite parties, and proposes a third undertaking, which the whole assembly gives into. The motion he makes of detaching one of their body in search of a new world is grounded upon a project devised by Satan, and cursorily proposed by him in the following lines of the first book. Space may produce new worlds, &c. ver. 650. It is on this project that Beëlzebub grounds his proposal, first book the project upon which the whole poem turns: as also that the prince of the fallen angels was the only proper person to give it birth, and that the next to him in dignity was the fittest to second and support it. There is besides, I think, something wonderfully beautiful, and very apt to affect the reader's imagination in this ancient prophecy or report in heaven, concerning the creation of man. Nothing could shew more the dignity of the species, than this tradition which ran of them before their existence. They are represented to have been the talk of heaven, before they were created. Virgil, in compliment to the Roman commonwealth, makes the heroes of it appear in their state of pre-existence; but Milton does a far greater honour to mankind in general, as he gives us a glimpse of them even before they are in being. Addison. From heav'n's high jurisdiction, in new league In strictest bondage, though thus far remov'd His captive multitude: for he, be sure, In highth or depth, still first and last will reign His empire, and with iron sceptre rule Us here, as with his golden those in heaven. Vouchsaf'd or sought; for what peace will be given And stripes, and arbitrary punishment 327. and with iron sceptre rule Us here, as with his golden those in heaven.] 329. What sit we then projecting peace and war?] What seems to be used here like the Latin Quid, which signifies both what and why. 332. Vouchsaf'd] Milton constantly writes this verb voutsafe, and this is rather of a softer sound, but the other seems more agreeable to the etymology of the word. 332. for what pace will be given 320 325 330 335 To us enslav'd, but custody se vere? --and what peace can we return But to our pow'r hostility and hate?] In both these passages there is an unusual construction of the particle but; it seems to put custody severe &c. in the one, and hostility and hate &c. in the other on the foot of peace. There are some very few instances where the Latins have used nisi (except, or but) in a like construction. One is in Plautus's Menæchmi Prol. 59. Ei liberorum, nisi divitiæ, nihil erat. Richardson. But to our pow'r hostility and hate, Heav'n, whose high walls fear no assault or siege, 340 345 Of some new race call'd Man, about this time 350 In pow'r and excellence, but favour'd more What creatures there inhabit, of what mould, In his own strength, this place may lie expos'd, To waste his whole creation, or possess 360.—this place may lie expos'd The utmost border of his king dom, left To their defence who hold it :] It has been objected, that there is a contradiction between this part of Beelzebub's speech, and what he says afterwards, speak ing of the same thing and of a messenger proper to be sent in search of this new world, ver. 410. —what strength, what art can then 355 360 365 in the former, where he is encouraging the assembly to undertake an expedition against this world, he says things to lessen the difficulty and danger; but in the latter, when they have determined upon the expedition, and are consulting of a proper person to employ in it, then he says things to magnify the difficulty and danger, to make them more cautious in their choice. 362. here perhaps] That is, Suffice, or what evasion bear him safe in the place which I am speaking Through the strict senteries and stations thick Of angels watching round? How can this earth be said to lie exposed &c. and yet to be strictly guarded by stationed angels? The objection is very ingenious but it is not said that the earth doth lie exposed, but only that it may lie exposed: and it may be considered, that the design of Beelzebub is different in these different speeches; of. Milton frequently uses now and here, not meaning a time or place then present to him or his speakers when they are speaking; but that time and that place, which he or they are speaking of. Pearce. 367. The puny habitants,] The author by puny might mean no more than weak or little; but yet if we reflect how frequently he uses words in their proper and primary signification, it seems |