And stripes, and arbitrary punishment Inflicted? and what peace can we return, Untam'd reluctance, and revenge though slow, May reap his conqueft, and may leaft rejoice 335 340 Nor will occafion want, nor fhall we need With dang'rous expedition to invade Heav'n, whofe high walls fear no affault or fiege, 345 Егг Per pice torrentes atraque vora- Annuit, et totum nutu tremefecit To feal his facred vow, by Styx The lake with liquid pitch, the And Phlegethon's innavigable And the black regions of his He faid; and fhook the fkies Dryden. As Err not) another world, the happy feat Of some new race call'd Man, about this time. In pow'r and excellence, but favor'd more 350 Of him who rules above; fo was his will 355 Pronounc'd among the Gods, and by an oath, In As Virgil had imitated Homer, High Heav'n with trembling the Iliad. I. 528. Η, και κυανέησιν επ οφρύσι γευσε dread fignal took, And all Olympus to the center fhook. Pope. All the three poets, we fee, men AusCoras Sapa Haruption the fhaking of Heaven, only carlo avan] KeetC ar abavator peyar δ' ελέλιξεν Ολυμπον. He spoke, and awful bends his fable brows; Shakes his ambrofial curls, and gives the nod, The ftamp of fate, and fanction of the God; Milton attributes that effect to the oath, which Homer and Virgil afcribe to the nod of Jupiter: but the circumftance of the nod feems to be rightly omitted in this place, becaufe God is not here giving his affent to any one's petition, which is the cafe in Homer and Virgil, but only pronouncing his will among the Angels. 360.-this In his own ftrength, this place may lie expos'd, 360 To waste his whole creation, or poffefs All as our own, and drive, as we were driven, The puny habitants, or if not drive, Seduce them to our party, that their God 365 May prove their foe, and with repenting hand 360.- this place may lie expos'd, The utmoft border of his kingdom, left To their defense who hold it: ] It has been objected, that there is a contradiction between this part of Beelzebub's fpeech, and what he fays afterwards, fpeaking of the fame thing and of a meffenger proper to be fent in fearch of this new world, ver. 410. what ftrength, what art can then Suffice, or what evasion bear him fafe Through the ftrict fenteries and ftations thick Hurl'd Of Angels watching round a How can this earth be faid to lie expos'd &c, and yet to be ftrictly guarded by station'd Angels? The objection is very ingenious: but it is not faid, that the earth doth lie expos'd, but only that it may lie expos'd: and it may be confider'd, that the defign of Beelzebub is dif ferent in thefe different speeches ; in the former, where he is encouraging the affembly to undertake an expedition against this world, he fays things to leffen the diffi culty and danger; but in the lat ter, Hurl'd headlong to partake with us, fhall curfe ! Their frail original, and faded blifs, Faded fo foon. Advife if this be worth Attempting, or to fit in darkness here 375 By Satan, and in part propos'd: for whence, #380 ter, when they have determin'd upon the expedition, and are confulting of a proper perfon to employ in it, then he fays things to magnify the difficulty and danger, to make them more cautious in their choice. 362. — bere perhaps] Dr. Bentley fays that Milton muft have given it there perhaps but I think not: in ver. 360 it is this place, and therefore Milton gave it here, that is in the place which I am speak ing of. Milton frequently ufes now and here, not meaning a time or place then prefent to him or his וויי. 385 Sparkled fpeakers when they are fpeaking; but that time and that place, which he or they are speaking of. Pearce. 367. The puny babitants,] It is poffible that the author by puny might mean no more than weak or little; but yet if we reflect how frequently he ufes words in their proper and primary fignification, it feems probable that he might include likewife the fenfe of the French (from whence it is deriv'd) puis nè, born fince, created long after us. **** 406.- the Sparkled in all their eyes; with full affent They vote: whereat his speech he thus renews. Of those bright confines, whence with neighb❜ring arms 396 Re-enter Heav'n; or else in fome mild zone Dwell not unvifited of Heav'n's fair light Secure, and at the brightning orient beam Purge off this gloom; the foft delicious air, To heal the fear of these corrofive fires, 400 Shall breathe her balm. But first whom shall we fend In fearch of this new world? whom fhall we find Sufficient? who fhall tempt with wand'ring feet |