1023 "Our own begotten; and of our loins to bring Broke off the rest: so much of death her thoughts "Eve! thy contempt of life and pleasure seems "The penalty pronounc'd, doubt not but God i Virgil, En. Iv. 644: Interfusa genas, et pallida morte futura," "Macullsque tremeotes 1066 "To be forestall'd:' much more I fear lest death, “ I have in view, calling to mind with heed "Hath, unbesought, provided; and his hands "And teach us further by what means to shun i Ibis word was formerly used, as here, in the sense or hindered, prevented. So Cor iis, 1S2.—{Wart. ) "Of these fair-spreading trees: * which bids us seek "Or, by collision of two bodies, grind "The air attrite to fire; as late the clouds "Justling, or push'd with winds, rude in their shock, "Tine' the slant lightning; whose thwart flame driv'n down, "Kindles the gummy bark of fir or pine, "And sends a comfortable heat from far "Which might supply the sun. Such fire to use, "And what may else be remedy or cure "To evils which our own misdeeds have wrought, 66 Beseeching him; so as we need not fear 66 66 66 "Humbly our faults, and pardon beg? with tears toss Felt less remorse: they, forthwith to the place i "Locks of trees," Newton says, is a Latinism; " arboribusque comæ," Hor. iv. Od. Yii. 2; but Callender says it is a Homeric iigure, pus u+ixo^ou; 11. xxiii. 118. » The star of day, as in Lycidas: "So sinks the day-star in the ocean bed." So that this was spoken as if it was now day, whereas it was night before, 844.—(N,) There is here an allusion, perhaps, to Homer, 11. viii. 485: Εν δ' επεσ' ωκεανῳ λαμπρόν φαος ηελίοιο Ελκον νυκτα μελαιναν επί ζείδωρον αρουραν.(Stil.) s Dry, or withered, as in Lycidas, "with ivy never sere." This description is according to Yirgil's £n. i. 175:— "Soscepitque Ipnem folils, atqae arlda circom Nutriments dedit, rapuilque In fomite nanimam." "Or by collision," etc. Millon here plainly alludes to Lucretius's account of the origin or fire, v. 1091.—(H.) From the Saxon tynan, to light, to kindle, whence tinder.—(T.) So Virg. En. xi. ill, "Spargitur et tellus lachrymis."—"Frequenting," in the occasional sense of frequentans, filling. Repairing where he judg'd them, prostrate fell i These seven last verses being a repetition of the former (the mood and tense being changed) is an imitation or Homer and Virgil. This repetition has the air of simplicity and grandeur.—{Benl.) Benlley things "meek humiliation" is lastology, and proposes to read mee(. But Pearce says that "humiliation" here is not humility; it is the act of humbling themselves before God. We find "meek submission," xii. 597. BOOK XI. The Son of God presents to his Father the prayers of our first parents now repenting, and intercedes for them: God accepts them, but declares that they must no longer abide in Paradise; sends Michael with a band of Cherubim to dispossess them; but first to reveal to Adam future things: Michael's coming down. Adam shows to Eve certain ominous signs; he discerns Michal's approach; goes out to meet him the angel denounces their departure. Eve's lamentation. Adam pleads, but submits: the angel leads him np to a high hill; scls before him in vision what shall happen till the flood. Thus they, in lowliest plight, repentant stood 2 3 The stony from their hearts, and made new flesh Inspir'd, and wing'd for heaven with speedier flight 5 Not of mean suitors; nor important less Seem'd their petition, than when the ancient pair 6 Deucalion and chaste Pyrrha, to restore The race of mankind drown'd, before the shrine is Flew up, nor miss'd the way, by envious winds i As ver. 150, and x. 1099, it is said that they kneeled, and fell proitrate; "stood" here, and 14, does not refer to posture, or attitude, but the continuance of an act; or fixed attention. See ii. 55, 56, note; viii. 3. Stelit in Latin, and eσtηxi, in Greek, are often so used.—(P., Gr.) * Prwveniens, anticipating, preceding; the original meaning of prevent, from prævenire, to go before. 3 Eick. xi. 19, "1 will take the stony heart out of them, and give them an heart of flesh."-T.) That sighs inexpressible burst forth, which God's holy spirit of supplication and intercession inspired them with, and wafted up to heaven. See St. Paul, Rom. vii. 26.(H.) 8 This yet refers back to the flrst line; the intermediate lines to be taken parenthetically. * Ov. Mel. i. 388, etc. describes Deucalion and his wife Pyrrha, in order to restore mankind after the delug*. as praying at the shrinc of Themis, the goddess of justice. The poet could not have thought of a more apt similitude to illustrate his subject. Though Milton has often alluded to heathen mythology, yet he commonly applies it by way of similitude, and to suit the taste of educated readers; and his partiality for Ovid may result from the fact of Ovid's subjects having, many of them, such as the creation, the deluge, the foreshowing of the destruction of tho world by lire, etc., reference to Scripture history.—(N., D.) |