By Fontarabbia. Thus far these beyond 590 595 Shorn of his beams, or, from behind the moon, 600 Of dauntless courage, and considerate pride The fellows of his crime, the followers rather Of Heaven, and from eternal splendours flung 605 610 615 591. His form had yet not lost. It did later; namely, his own particular form, from which he could change to others. See i. 428 and Introd., p. xxv.-xxxiii. 601. Intrenched, dug into. 603. Considerate, thoughtful. 609. Amerced, primarily fined; here punished by the loss of. With all his peers; attention held them mute. Of knowledge, past or present, could have feared New war provoked. Our better part remains 620 625 630 635 640 645 What force effected not; that he no less 629. Feared how; feared that was more common even in Milton's day. 636. Different, differing; hence vacillating. 645. Better part, still used, although obsolescent, for "better course of conduct." 646. Close, closed; secret. 647. What force, etc.; object of to work. At length from us may find, who overcomes Space may produce new worlds; whereof so rife Full counsel must mature. But these thoughts For who can think submission? War then, war He spake; and, to confirm his words, out-flew There stood a hill not far, whose grisly top 650. Rife, of common report. 651. A fame, a rumor. 650 655 660 665 670 652. The Universe had actually been created since Satan had been cast out of heaven. The time now, it must be remembered, is eighteen days after the angels had been expelled from heaven. See vi. 871; i. 50. The six days of creation are said by Raphael in Book vii. to have followed immediately the expulsion of the rebels. And in Book iv., which, in time, follows directly the four succeeding books (see Introd., p. xxv.), Adam and Eve speak as though they had been in the Garden some time. The account of Creation is, however, deferred by Milton to Book vii. 653. Generation, race; offspring, as in "generation of vipers." 656. Eruption, bursting forth. 660. Peace is despaired. One of Milton's un-English constructions, as in the next lines. 670. Grisly, horrible. Belched fire and rolling smoke; the rest entire Shone with a glossy scurf, undoubted sign That in his womb was hid metallic ore, The work of sulphur. Thither, winged with speed, 675 From Heaven; for even in Heaven his looks and. Ransacked the centre, and with impious hands For treasures better hid. Soon had his crew 690 675. Brigad. The word has, and had in the seventeenth century, a technical meaning. In common speech, however, it meant only a large body. 677. Forerun. to go before. Forerunner is common; the verb means merely 678. Mammon has not been already mentioned in the list of chiefs, but comes to notice later in ii. 229-283, where he follows Belial in speaking to the assembled powers of Hell. Like Belial, Mammon was not the name of a heathen god it was a Chaldaic word for riches. But the Saviour's words in Matt. vi. 24 have given it a universal personification, which Milton develops in the lines here succeeding. 688. Better hid, a rather severe ellipsis which cannot be readily expanded into a grammatical construction. 690. Admire, wonder. Who boast in mortal things, and wondering tell 695 700 Severing each kind, and scummed the bullion dross; A third as soon had formed within the ground 705 A various mould, and from the boiling cells By strange conveyance filled each hollow nook; As in an organ, from one blast of wind, To many a row of pipes the sound-board breathes. 710 Rose like an exhalation, with the sound Of dulcet symphonies and voices sweet, Were set, and Doric pillars overlaid With golden architrave; nor did there want 715 Cornice or frieze, with bossy sculptures graven; The roof was fretted gold. Not Babylon 694. Babel. Either the famous tower, or the later Babylon. Memphian: see note on 1. 307. 711. The building by music has been a favourite idea with poets from the time of Amphion to Tennyson's King Arthur. 714. Doric, the name of one of the divisions of the Greek people (see note on 1. 508): hence one of the styles of Greek architecture. 715. The architrave is the part of a pillared structure resting immediately upon the columns. 716. The frieze comes immediately above the architrave, and is often ornamented with figures or otherwise. Lastly, under the roof, comes the projecting cornice. Bossy, embossed, in high relief. |