1 Most of these parallels are selected from those given in the Elwin-Courthope edition of Pope, Gilbert Wakefield's edition of Pope's Homer, and Mary Leather's article, Pope as a Student of Milton, in Englische Studien, xxv. 398-410; some I have myself noted. None of the Iliad or Odyssey parallels can be explained by similarities between Homer and Milton; most of the passages, indeed, owe nothing to Homer but are original with Pope.

In adamantine chains shall Death be bound.

Arm'd in adamantine chains.

In War and Discord's adamantine chain.
In adamantine chains.

For spirits, freed from mortal laws, with ease
Assume what sexes and what shapes they please.
For Spirits, when they please,
Can either sex assume, or both...
.... in what shape they choose.

Dipped in the richest tincture of the skies.
And colours dipt in heaven...
Sky-tinctured grain.

Four knaves in garbs succinct.

A Priest succinct in amice white.

His vest succinct then girding round his waist.
Aside they lay
Their garments, and succinct the victims slay.
His habit fit for speed succinct.

Fate urged the shears, and cut the sylph in twain, (But airy substance soon unites again).

Rape of the Lock, iii. 151-2.

("See Milton, lib. vi. 330, of Satan cut asunder by the Angel Michael": Pope's note.)

(Of a church in each case.)

And wings of seraphs shed divine perfumes.
And shook his plumes, that heavenly fragrance fill'd
The circuit wide. [Said of an angel.]

Low-brow'd rocks hang nodding o'er the deeps.
Under ebon shades and low-brow'd rocks.

Oblivion of low-thoughted care.
With low-thoughted care.

Messiah, 47.

Song by Person of Quality, 18.
Iliad, xiii. 452.

P. L. i. 48.

Rape of the Lock, i. 69–70.

P. L. i. 423-8.

Ib. ii. 65.

P. L. v. 283-5.

Ib. iii. 41.
Dunciad, iv. 549.
Odyssey, xiv. 83.

Odyssey, xvii. 199–200.
P. L. iii. 643.

Ib. iv. 43.

P. L. ix. 501-2.

Sonnet, "How soon hath Time," 1-2, 12.

Eloisa to Abelard, 20.
Odyssey, v. 553.
Comus, 429.

Imitation of Martial, 1-2.
Horace's Epistles, II. ii. 76.
Dunciad, iv. 6.

Eloisa to Abelard, 24.
Penseroso, 42.

Ib. 144.

Penseroso, 159–60.

Ib. 163.
Penseroso, 133.
Ib. 218.

P. L. v. 286-7.

Ib. 244.
Allegro, 8.

Ib. 298.
Comus, 6.

The chequer'd shade.

In the chequer'd shade.

In the chequer'd shade.

Or in the golden cowslip's velvet head.
O'er the cowslip's velvet head.

0

But vindicate the ways of God to man.
And justify the ways of God to men.

Yonder argent fields above. [Of the firmament.]
Those argent fields. [Of the moon.]

Favoured man by touch ethereal slain.
With touch ethereal of Heaven's fiery rod.

Next his grim idol smeared with human blood.
Dropping with Infants' blood, and Mothers' tears.
First, Moloch, horrid king, besmear'd with blood
Of human sacrifice, and parents' tears ..
Their children's cries uuheard, that pass'd through fire
To his grim idol.

Ye little stars! hide your diminish'd rays.
All the stars Hide their diminish'd heads.

And bring all Paradise before your eye.
And bring all Heaven before mine eyes.

To make men happy, and to keep them so.
What makes a nation happy, and keeps it so.

To wholesome solitude, the nurse of sense:
Where Contemplation prunes her ruffled wings.
And Wisdom's self
Oft seeks to sweet retired solitude,
Where, with her best nurse, Contemplation,
She plumes her feathers, and lets grow her wings,
That... Were all-to ruffled.

And opes the temple of Eternity.
That opes the palace of Eternity.

P. L. i. 392-6. (The second case was pointed out by Pope.)

Daughter of Chaos and eternal Night.
Dread Chaos, and eternal Night.
I sung of Chaos and eternal Night.

Here pleas'd behold her mighty wings outspread.
With mighty wings outspread.

Lamentation of Glumdalclitch, 48.
Comus, 898.

In clouded Majesty here Dulness shone.
The Moon, Rising in clouded majesty.

To Mr. Gay, 7.
Dunciad, iv. 125.
Allegro, 96.

(Pointed out by Pope.)

He roll'd his eyes that witness'd huge dismay.
Round he throws his baleful eyes,
That witness'd huge affliction and dismay.

Essay on Man, i. 16.

P. L. i. 26.

Ib. i. 41.

P. L. iii. 460.

Ib. iii. 68.
Samson, 549.

To see themselves fall endlong into beasts.
And downward fell into a grovelling swine.
(Of Circe's guests in each case.)

Ib. iii. 266.
Dunciad, iv. 142.