The world erelong a world of tears must weep. faint! 630 66 Ver. 627. The world erelong a world of tears muft weep.] Dr. Bentley obferves, that the world and world is a jingle; and that a world of tears is a low expreffion. He would therefore read a flood of tears:" as Milton speaks in v. 757. But if this verse be blameable on this account, yet our poet has ufed the same way of fpeaking in B. ix. 11. "That brought into this world a world of woe." I think that the foregoing part of this fentence should be pointed thus; "and now fwim in joy, "Erelong to fwim at large; and laugh, for which "The world erelong a world of tears must weep." For fwimming in joy, and fwimming at large, are opposed to each other; as are likewise laughing, and weeping a world of tears. PEARCE. As the fenfe is fo much improved by this pointing, we cannot but prefer it to Milton's own; which was thus: "and now fwim in joy "(Erelong to fwim at large) and laugh; for which Ver. 632. NEWTON. the tenour of Man's woe This Holds on the fame, from Woman to begin.] is an ungallant jingle on Man's woe, and IVoman. I should hope it may be attributed, not to the perfonal feelings of the poet, but to the quaint taste of the times. See Auftin's Hæc Homo, 12mo. 1639, p. 163. "And this will offend none but fuch as will have them [women] derived from woe, and call them wo-men; because they thinke it was long of them wee fell." Again, p. 164. Holds on the fame, from Woman to begin. From Man's effeminate flackness it begins, Said the Angel, who should better hold his place By wisdom, and fuperiour gifts receiv'd. But now prepare thee for another scene. 636 He look'd, and faw wide territory spread Before him, towns, and rural works, between; Cities of men with lofty gates and towers, 640 Concourse in arms, fierce faces threatening war, Giants of mighty bone and bold emprise; Part wield their arms, part curb the foaming fteed, Single or in array of battle rang'd 644 Both horfe and foot, nor idly muftering stood; "How ill did hee his Grammar skan, "That call'd a Woman woe to man!" TODD. Ver. 642. Giants of mighty bone and bold emprife;] Drayton, in his Mofes's birth &c. 1630, calls the giant Anak "big-bon'd, terrible, and dread." See alfo the Mir. for Magistrates, ed. 1610, p. 640. "The Britaine big-bon'd, bold, not borne to yeeld." Emprife is enterprise. The whole expreffion, bold emprife, occurs in Comus, and is repeatedly used by Spenfer. But perhaps Ariofto is the original, Orl. Fur. C. i. ft. 1. "Le cortefie, l'audaci imprefe, io canto." TODD. Ver. 645. nor idly mustering ftood;] One cannot perceive the pertinence of this, without fuppofing that it hinted at the circumstances of the land-army at this time. WARBURTON. Their booty; scarce with life the fhepherds fly, But call in aid, which makes a bloody fray; 651 With cruel tournament the squadrons join; Where cattle paftur'd late, now scatter'd lies With carcaffes and arms the enfanguin'd field, Deferted: Others to a city ftrong 655 Lay fiege, encamp'd; by battery, scale, and mine, Ver. 651. 660 which makes a bloody fray;] So it was altered for the better in the fecond edition: It was "tacks a bloody fray" in the first edition; which is not fo plain and in Ver. 660. In other part the Scepter'd heralds call &c.] It may be noted here once for all, that, in this visionary part, Milton has frequently had his eye upon his mafter Homer; and feveral of the images, which are reprefented to Adam, are copies of the defcriptions on the shield of Achilles, Iliad xviii. "His eyes he opened, and beheld a field, "Part arable and tilth, whereon were fheaves "New reap'd, the other part sheep-walks and folds." Is not this Homer's description a little contracted? ver. 550 &c. Το council, in the city-gates; anon Gray-headed men and grave, with warriours μων, οξείας δρεπάνας ἐν χερσὶν ἔχοντες· Δράγματα δ' άλλα μετ' ἔ[μον ἐπῆριμα πέπλον ἔραζε, Αλλα δ ̓ ἀμαλλοδετηρες ἐν ἐλλεδανοισι δέοιτο. Ἐν δὲ νομὸν ποίησε περικλυτος Αμφι[υήεις Ἐν καλῇ βήσσῃ μέζαν οἰῶν ἀρδεννάων, Σταθμός τε, κλισίας τε, κατηρεφέας ιδι ηκές. Is not the vifion of marriages, "They light the nuptial torch, &c." a most beautiful and exact copy of Homer? ver. 491, &c. Νύμφας δ ̓ ἐκ θαλάμων, δαΐδων ὑπολαμπομηνάων, Κῦροι δ' ὀρχησῆρες ἐδίνεον, ἐν δ ̓ ἄρα τοῖσιν Αύλοι, φόρμιγγες τε βοήν ἔχον And in like manner the driving away of the sheep and oxen from forage, and the battle which thereupon enfues, may be compared with the following paffage in Homer, ver. 527, &c. Οι μὲν τὰ προϊδόντες ἐπέδραμον, ὦκα δ ̓ ἔπειτα Στησάμενοι δ' ἐμάχοντο μάχην πολεμεῖο παρ όχθας. The representation of the city befieged here in Milton, the reader will find to be a very great improvement upon that in Homer, ver. 509, &c. Τὴν δ ̓ ἑτέρην πόλιν ἀμφὶ δύο σφαζοὶ εἱατο λαῶν As the council in Milton, feems to be of much more importance than in Homer, ver. 503, &c. Affemble, and harangues are heard; but soon, In factious oppofition; till at last, Of middle age one rifing, eminent 665 In wife deport, fpake much of right and wrong, Κήρυκες δ' ἄρα λαὸν ἐρήλυον οἱ δὲ γέροντες Τοῖσιν ἔπειτ ̓ ἤΐσσον, ἀμοιβηδὶς δ ̓ ἐδίκαζον. The defcription of the shield of Achilles is certainly one of the finest pieces of poetry in the whole Iliad; and Milton has plainly fhown his admiration and affection for it, by borrowing fo many scenes and images from it: but I think we may say that they do not, like other copies, fall fhort of the originals, but generally exceed them; and receive this additional beauty, that they are most of them made reprefentations of real hiftories, and matters of fact. NEWTON. Ver. 661. To council, in the city-gates;] For there affemblies were anciently held, and the judges ufed to fit, Gen. xxxiv. 20, Deut. xvi. 18, xxi. 19, Zech. viii. 16. NEWton. Ver. 665. Of middle age one rifing,] Enoch, faid to be of middle age, because he was tranflated when he was but 365 years old; a middle age then. Gen. v. 23. RICHARDSON. Ver. 668. And judgement from above:] It appears from Holy Writ, that he was not only a good man, and walked with God, Gen. v. 24; but that he remonstrated likewise against the wickedness of mankind, and denounced the heavy judgement of God upon them, Jude 14: "Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his Saints to execute judgment upon all, &c." which the poet alludes to more plainly afterwards, ver. 704. "that God would come "To judge them with his Saints." NEWTON. |