And this imperial sovranty, adorned With splendour, armed with power, if aught proposed And judged of public moment, in the shape Of difficulty or danger, could deter Me from attempting. Wherefore do I assume 450 Refusing to accept as great a share Of hazard as of honour, due alike To him who reigns, and so much to him due 455 High honoured sits? Go, therefore, mighty Powers, 460 More tolerable; if there be cure or charm Through all the coasts of dark destruction seek 465 None shall partake with me." Thus saying, rose Prudent, lest, from his resolution raised, 457. Intend, much the same as attend to. 470 But they 475 464. Coasts, used now of the sea line, but in Milton's day more generally in the meaning country. There is nothing in the origin of the word to make the expression "sea-coast" tautological 470. Erst, at first. 472, 473. Note the distinction between winning and earning. Of thunder heard remote. Towards him they bend Nor failed they to express how much they praised 480 His own for neither do the spirits damned Lose all their virtue; lest bad men should boast Their specious deeds on earth, which glory excites, 485 Thus they their doubtful consultations dark Ascending, while the north wind sleeps, o'erspread 490 495 Of creatures rational, though under hope Of heavenly grace, and, God proclaiming peace, 500 Among themselves, and levy cruel wars, Wasting the earth, each other to destroy: 505 The Stygian council thus dissolved; and forth In order came the grand infernal Peers: 496-505. This reflection of Milton's may have been called forth by the impossibility of the Puritan leaders coming to any good understanding after the death of Cromwell. He may have felt that had they shown a firm united front, the Restoration would not have come. 507. See i. 618. Midst came their mighty Paramount, and seemed Than Hell's dread Emperor, with pomp supreme, 510 A globe of fiery Seraphim enclosed, 515 With deafening shout returned them loud acclaim. 520 Thence more at ease their minds, and somewhat raised By false presumptuous hope, the rangèd powers Disband, and wandering each his several way Leads him perplexed, where he may likeliest find 525 Truce to his restless thoughts, and entertain The irksome hours, till his great chief return. As at the Olympian games, or Pythian fields; 530 508. Paramount. Lord Paramount was a legal term meaning supreme lord. The adjective-it was originally an adverbial phrase -is here used as a noun. 509. Alone the antagonist of Heaven; seemed in himself alone to be a sufficient antagonist for God. 511. Imitated state; imitated from the state of Heaven. 513. Horrent, a Latinism, cf. abhorrent. 517. Alchymy. A mixed metal imitating gold, much used for making trumpets. The word is not in common use after the seventeenth century. 518. By herald's voice explained. After the trumpets the heralds proclaimed the results of the conclave. 530. Olympian games, the greatest of the national games, which were so much of a help to Greek unity. Pythian fields. The Pythian games were also national, but of less fame. Part curb their fiery steeds, or shun the goal 535 Prick forth the aery knights, and couch their spears, Till thickest legions close; with feats of arms From either end of Heaven the welkin burns. 540 Through pain up by the roots Thessalian pines, 545 And Lichas from the top of Eta threw Free virtue should enthral to force or chance. Their song was partial; but the harmony 550 (What could it less, when spirits immortal sing?) Suspended Hell, and took with ravishment 532. Fronted brigads. Brigads is a specific word (see i. 675) used with a general meaning; fronted, presumably, means drawn up in line. 538. Weikin, the heavens, the region of clouds. 539. Typhoan. Typhoeus was one of the Titans. See i. 198. 542. Alcides. Hercules, the grandson of Alcaeus, died of a poisoned robe sent him on his marriage in Echalia, by a former wife, who was ignorant of the mischief she was doing. In his agony he seized Lichas, who had brought the robe, and hurled him into the Euboean sea. The common version represents him as ascending Mount Eta afterwards, and there mounting his funeral pyre. 551. It may not be superfluous to point out that free virtue is the object of enthral. 552. Partial, inclined too much to their own side. 554. Suspended, caused a stop, a silence. The thronging audience. In discourse more sweet 555 In thoughts more elevate, and reasoned high 560 565 570 Might yield them easier habitation, bend Four ways their flying march, along the banks 575 Into the burning lake their baleful streams : Heard on the rueful stream; fierce Phlegeton, 580 555-565. Milton would seem to have little respect for such discussions, if we could judge from this passage. Yet he inserted in his poem discussions on the same and kindred topics, e. g., iii. 92–343, which have generally been regarded as blemishes. 568. Obdured, hardened; obdurate. 575. Four infernal rivers. These four rivers, with their characteristics, come from classical mythology. Cf., e. g., Qvid, Metam. xiv., or Virgil, Æn. vi. 580. Rueful, the word was stronger than to-day. 581. Torrent, an adjective, cf. horrent, 513. |