With these that never fade the Spirits elect 360 Bind their refplendent locks inwreath'd with beams; But (as Dr. Pearce replies) Milton's words do not neceffarily imply fo much; the river might only fometimes roll over them, to water them. And yet (fays Dr. Pearce) I am rather inclined to think, that the poet here by over means through or among. So Mr. Jortin understands Rolls o'er for rolls through or by; and obferves that Horace uses the verb præterire in much the fame manner, Od. IV. vii. S. "et decrefcentia ripas "Flumina prætereunt," roll by and within their banks. But if we understand the paffage as it is expreffed, there is no kind of abfurdity in it; for we frequently fee grafs, and weeds, and flowers, growing under water: And we may therefore fuppofe the finest flowers to grow at the bottom of the river of bliss, or rather the river to roll over them fometimes, to water them. The author feems to intend much the fame thing that he has expreffed in B. iv. 240, where, fpeaking of the brooks in Paradise, he fays they "Ran nectar, vifiting each plant, and fed "Flowers worthy of Paradise." And as there they are flowers worthy of Paradife, fo here they are worthy of Elysium, the region of the Bleffed: and he makes use of the fame expreffion in L'Allegro. And then as to his calling it amber stream, it is only on account of its clearness and tranfparency, and not at all on account of its colour, that he compares it to amber. The clearness of amber was proverbial among the Ancients; Callimachus, in his hymn to Ceres, ver. 29, has aλixτpivov dwg; and, in like manner, Virgil fays of a river, Georg. iii. 522. "Purior electro campum petit amnis." NEWTON. Ver. 360. With thefe that never fade] "With thefe flowers," as Dr. Newton rightly supposes; not, "with these crowns,” according to Dr. Pearce, or, " with this amarant," according to Dr. Bentley. Thus Drummond speaks of Heaven, Poems 1616. Part fecond. "But there flowers do not fade, trees grow not olde." TODD. Now in loose garlands thick thrown off, the bright Pavement, that like a fea of jasper shone, Impurpled with celestial roses smil'd. 364 Then, crown'dagain, their golden harps they took,. Harps ever tun'd, that glittering by their fide Like quivers hung, and with preamble sweet Of charming fymphony they introduce Ver. 363. jafper cafts divers colours, most fimilitude to the fea. and the green (the most esteemed) has Ruæ. de Gem. 1. 2, c. 1. HUME. Milton, I dare fay, intended no allufion whatever to the feagreen colour of the jasper, but only borrowed it from its general brightness, and on account of the use of it in Scriptural defcripCompare alfo Exod. xxiv. 10. tions. See Rev. xxi. 11, 18. DUNSTER. It is probable that Milton had in remembrance the defcription of Spenfer, Faer. Qu. ii. xii. 62. -"through the waves one might the bottom fee, "All par'd beneath with jafper fhining bright, "That feem'd the fountaine in that fea did fayle upright." TODD. Ver. 364. Impurpled with celeftial rofes fmil'd.] A word very familiar with Spenfer, from the Italian imporporato. See Faerie Qu. iii. vii. 17. "Oft from the forrest wildings he did bring, "Whofe fides empurpled were with fmyling red." THYER. Ver. 365. Then, crown'd again, their golden harps they took, Harps ever tun'd, &c.] In the preceding part of the defcription, the choral Angels are palpably active perfons of the drama; and we can fcarcely avoid attributing a measure, i. e. a movement regulated by musick, to their folemn adoration, ver. 351. Here the measure, I fuppofe, was intended to ceafe; and the heavenly Chorus prepare to fing their epode or stationary fong, i. e. their angelick hymn, to which Milton, who was him Their facred fong, and waken raptures high; Eternal King; the Author of all being, 375 Amidst the glorious brightness where thou sit'st Thron'd inacceffible, but when thou shad'st self a great master of mufick, prefixes the -"preamble fweet "Of charming fymphony." DUNSTER, Ver. 369. and waken raptures high;] Mr. Wakefield has noticed the obligation of Gray to this expreffion, in his Elegy: "Or wak'd to extafy the living lyre;" as alfo the original phrafe in Lucretius, ii. 412. Mufæa mele, per chordas organici quæ "Mobilibus digitis expergefacta figurant." TODD. Ver. 372. Thee, Father, firft they fung &c.] This hymn feems to be composed somewhat in the spirit and manner of the hymn to Hercules in the 8th book of the Æneid: But is as much fuperiour as the subject of the one tranfcends that of the other. NEWTON. Ver. 377. Thron'd inacceffible, but when thou hadst] The word but here is the fame as except, unless; inacceffible but when thou shad'ft, that is, then only acceffible, when thou shad'st &c. Perhaps Milton had in view what Ovid fays of Phœbus when his fon Phaeton came to him, Met. ii. 39. -“circum caput omne micantes "Depofuit radios, propiúfque accedere juffit." PEARCE, I rather conclude that these ideas were fuggefted by the 33d. chapter of Exodus, ver. 18, and the following paffage which ends thus, “Thou shalt fee my back parts, but my face shall not be feen," GREENWOOD. The full blaze of thy beams, and, through a cloud Drawn round about thee like a radiant shrine, Dark with exceffive bright thy fkirts appear, 380 Ver. 380. Dark with excessive bright thy skirts appear,] Miltou has the fame thought of darkness occafioned by glory, B. v. 599. "Brightness had made invisible." This also explains his meaning here: The excefs of brightness had the effect of darkness, invifibility. What an idea of glory! The fkirts only not to be looked on by the beings nearest to God, but when doubly or trebly shaded by a cloud and both wings. What then is the full blaze! RICHARDSON. In like manner Taffo, defcribing the Almighty in Heaven, Gier. Lib. C. ix. ft. 57. "Quivi ei cofi nel fuo fplendor s' involve, "Che o' abbaglian la vitta anco i più degni." The fame thought is in Spenfer's Hymn of Heavenly Beauty, but more languidly expreffed: "With the great glory of that wondrous light Milton's idea is not only poetical in an high degree, but strictly and philofophically juft. Extreme light, by overcoming the organs of fight, obliterates all objects, so as in its effect exactly to resemble darkness. After looking for fome time at the fun, two black spots, the impreffion which it leaves, feem to dance before our eyes. Thus are two ideas, as opposite as can be imagined, reconciled to the extremes of both; and both, in fpite of their opposite nature, brought to concur in producing the fublime. BURKE, Milton, in this fublime addrefs to the Father, has been perhaps indebted to the following paffages in Marino's Gerufalemme Diftrutta, C. vii. ft. 4. "Ma quel ciel d'ogni ciel del gran monarca Yet dazzle Heaven, that brightest Seraphim Approach not, but with both wings veil their eyes. Thee next they fang of all creation first, Begotten Son, Divine Similitude, In whose conspicuous countenance, without cloud Made visible, the Almighty Father shines, 386 Whom else no creature can behold; on thee Imprefs'd the effulgence of his glory abides, Transfus'd on thee his ample Spirit refts. He Heaven of Heavens and all the Powers therein "Tranfcende i fenfi, gl' intelletti eccede, And ft. 9. "Dentro gli abiffi d' una luce denfa, "E dell' immenfo incomprehenfibil feno "Oceano di gloria egli difpenfa." J. C. WALKER. Ver. 382. Approach not,] So Ovid, Met. ii. 22. Ibid. but with both wings veil their eyes.] So they are reprefented in Ifaiah's vifion of the throne of God; Ijaiah, vi. 2. HUME. Ver. 383. of all creation firft,] So, in Col. i. 15. "The first born of every creature," or of all creation, wάong xTioNG: And Rev. iii. 14. "The beginning of the creation of God." NEWTON. Ver. 387. Whom elfe no creature can behold;] No creature can otherwife behold the Father but in and through the Son. See John i. 18, and xiv. 9. NEWTON. |