Or in Dodona, and through all the bounds
Of Dorick land; or who with Saturn old
Fled over Adria to th' Hefperian fields,
And o'er the Celtick roam'd the utmost ifles.

520

All these and more came flocking; but with looks Down-caft and damp, yet fuch wherein appear'd Obfcure fome glimpse of joy, to' have found their chief Not in defpair, to' have found themfelves not loft 525 In lofs itfelf; which on his count'nance caft Like doubtful hue: but he his wonted pride Soon recollecting, with high words, that bore Semblance of worth, not fubftance, gently rais'd Their fainting courage, and difpell'd their fears : Then strait commands, that at the warlike found Of trumpts loud and clarions be uprear'd His mighty ftandard: that proud honour claim'd Azazel as his right, a Cherub tall;

530

535

Who forthwith from the glittering staff unfurl'd
Th' imperial enfign, which, full high advanc'd,
Shone like a meteor ftreaming to the wind,
With gems and golden luftre rich imblaz'd,
Seraphick arms and trophies; all the while.
Sonorous metal blowing martial founds:
At which the univerfal hoft upfent

540

most magnificent, and richest of all the oracles of Apollo, and of all the other gods.

L. 518 Dodona.] Lat. from the Gr. i. e. founding day and night; or, because it was built by Dodon, the fon of Javan, and grandfon of Japheth, the captain of a colony which first inhabited that part of Epirus, Gen. x. 4.

L. 520. The Adriatick fea,] now the gulf of Venice or Illyria, which feparates Greece and Illyricum from Italy. Saturn paffed over it when he fled into Italy, where he propagated the Phenician and Grecian idolatry, arts and fciences; for which he was entertained by Janus the king of it, and deified after his death.

L. 534. Azazel,] or Gnazazel; Heb. i. e. a goat going away, or fent away. The fcape-goat, which bore all the fins of the people into the wilderness, and died there, Liv. xvi. 10. A type of Chrift: But others take it for a devil; therefore Milton very pro perly makes him to be Satan's ftandard-bearer in chief.

A fhout, that tore hell's convave, and beyond
Frighted the reign of Chaos and old Night.
All in a moment through the gloom were seen
Ten thousand banners rife into the air
With orient colours waving with them rose
A foreft huge of fpears; and thronging helms
Appear'd, and ferried shields in thiek array,
Of depth immeasurable: anon they move
In perfect phalanx, to the Dorian mood

:

545

550

Of flutes, and foft recorders; fuch as rais'd
To height of nobleft temper heroes old
Arming to battle; and instead of rage,
Deliberate valour breath'd, firm and unmov'd
With dread of death to flight or foul retreat;

555

Nor wanting pow'r to mitigate and 'fuage,

With folemn touches, troubled thoughts, and chase

56

Anguish, and doubt, and fear, and forr'ow, and pain,
From mortal or immortal minds. Thus they
Breathing united force, with fixed thought
Mov'd on in filence to foft pipes, that charm'd
Their painful fteps o'er the burnt foil and now
Advanc'd in view, they stand, a horrid front
Of dreadful length and dazzling arms, in guise
Of warriors old with order'd spear and shield,
Awaiting what command their mighty chief
Had to impofe. He through the armed files.
Darts his experienc'd eye, and foon traverse
The whole, battalion views, their order due,
Their vifages and ftature as of gods;

Their number laft he fums. And now his heart
Diftends with pride, and hard'ning in his ftrength.
Glories for never fince created man,

565

570

L. 552. Heroes.] Lat. Gr. i. e. great and illuftrious men, renowned for their valour, wifdom, or virtuous deeds, for which they were deified and highly celebrated after death; as Jason, Achilles, Hercules, &c.

Met fuch embodied force, as nam'd with these
Could merit more than that fmall infantry
Warr'd on by cranes; though all the giant-brood
Of Phlegra with th' heroick race were join'd

That fought at Thebes and Ilium, on each side
Mix'd with auxiliar gods; and what refounds
In fable or romance of Uther's fon

Begirt with British and Armorick knights;
And all who fince, baptiz'd or infidel,
Joufted in Afpramont or Montalban,
Damafco, or Marocco, or Trebifond;

575

580

L. 578, Thebes] Lat. Gr. from the Phen. i. e. dirt, or mud; because it was covered with water, fnow, and dirt in the winter time. A famous city of Beotia in Greece, built by Cadmus, or at least the citadel of it, which was called Cadmea from him.

Ibid. Troy.] Ilium, Ilion, and Ilios; Lat. from the Gr. from Ilus the fourth king of Troy, who enlarged it, and gave it that name. It is called alfo Troy, from Tros, the fecond king; founded by EryЄthonius, about A. M. 2574. The city of Troy in Phrygia, in the Leffer Afia, three miles from the Egean fea, upon the river Xanthus, near mount Ida.

L. 580. Arthur.] Brit. i. e. a strong man. King Arthur was crowned, A. D. 516, and was a famous hero in old British history.

L. 581. British,] of Bretain, Heb. and Phen. i. e. the land of tin: or Brit, i. e. painted; because the old Phenicians dug tin out of Cornwall, &c. and the old Britons painted themselves with woad, c. to make themselves appear more terrible in war, as the Picts in Scotland did, and the wild Americans do to this day.

L. 583. Joufts,] which was a very ancient diverfion, when the combatants mounted on horfeback, armed, adorned with feathers, and lances in their hands, run at one another in full gallop, one on one fide, and the other on the other fide of a low rail.

Ibid. Afpramont.] Lat. i. c. a rough, rocky mountain; a feigned

name in romances.

Ibid. Montalban ] Lat. i. e. a white mountain. A mountain diftant twelve miles from Rome in Italy; whereon the decifive combat was fought between the three Horatii on the fide of the Romans, and the three Curiatii, on that of the Albans.

L. 584. Damafcus.] For therein it is faid that Cain and Abel, the firft heroes, fought for life and death, Gen. iv. 8.

Ibid. Marocco.] Heb. i. e. weft; or Arab, i. e. a government; Gr. i. e. black; because it is weft from Canaan, and the people are black. The Romans call it Mauritania, i. e. the country of the Mauri, whom we call Moors and Blacks.

Ibid. Trebifond.] or Trabifond; by the Greeks, Trapeza, i. e. a four-footed fool; because it refembles that. The capital city of

Or whom Biferta fent from Africk shore,
When Charlemain with all his peerage fell
By Fontarabia. Thus far thefe beyond
Compare of mortal prowefs, yet observ'd
Their dread commander: he, above the rest
In fhape and gefture proudly eminent,
Stood like a tow'r; his form had yet not loft
All her original brightness, nor appear'd
Lefs than archangel ruin'd, and th' excefs
Of glory' obfcur'd: as when the fun new rifen
Looks through the horizontal mifty air
Shorn of his beams; or from behind, the moon,
In dim eclipfe, difaftrous twilight sheds
On half the nations, and with fear of change,
Perplexes monarchs. Darken'd fo, yet fhone

585

590

595

Cappadocia, and the feat of a Turkish governor, near the Euxine fea. L. 585. Afric,] for African, from Africa; Arab. i. e. an ear of corn; because it is very fruitful in corn in the vallies; or from Ifrifki, or Ifrifkifk, an Arabian prince. The Tartars and Indians call it Magrib, and Algrib, i. e. the weft, on account of its situation in refpect to them. Its ancient names were, Olympia, Oceana, Efchatia, Coryphe, Hefperia, Eria, Ortygia, Ammonia, Ethiopia, Ophiufa, Cephenia, Cyrene, Lybia.

L. 586. Charlemain.] Fr. i. e. Charles the Great. In the Teut. and Sax. it fignifies strong, ftout, valiant. A mighty hero, a valiant and pious prince, born A. D. 742. He was king of France, and made emperor of Germany A. D. 800. Crowned at Rome by Pope Leo III. with the title of Cafar Auguftus, and the two-headed eagle, to fignify the Roman and German empire, which he poffeffed in great part.

L. 587. Font arabia.] Span. from the Lat. i. e. a rapid ftream. A very strong fort and city on the frontiers of Spain and Biscay, on the mouth of the river Ridoffa, near St. Sebastian, and well fortified on the borders of France, which hath frequently befieged it, but in vain. Obf. This expedition and fall of Charles the Great, with his nobles at Fontarabia, related by Mr. John Turpin, is entirely falfe and fabulous. But poets do not regard exactness of hiftory nor chronology, provided a fiction may help them out, and please their readers.

L. 589. he above the reft, &c.] What a noble defcription is here of Satan's perfon! and how different from the common and ridiculous reprefentations of him, with horns and a tail, and cloven feet! and yet Taffo hath so described him, Canto IV.

Above them all th' archangel: but his face

600

Deep fears of thunder had entrench'd, and care

Sat on his faded cheek, but under brows

Of dauntlefs courage, and confiderate pride

Waiting revenge; cruel his eye, but cast
Signs of remorfe and paffion to behold

605

The fellows of his crime, the followers rather,

(Far other once beheld in bliss), condemn'd

610

615

620

For ever now to have their lot in pain ;
Millions of fpirits for his fault amere'd
Of heav'n, and from eternal fplendours flung
For his revolt; yet faithful how they food,
Their glory wither'd: as when heaven's fire
Hath fcath'd the foreft-oaks, or mountain-pines,
With finged top their ftately growth, though bare,
Stands on the blafted heath. He now prepar'd
To speak; whereat their doubled ranks they bend
From wing to wing, and half inclose him round
With all his peers: attention held them mute.
Thrice he affay'd, and thrice, in spite of scorn,
Tears, fuch as angels weep, burst forth at last
Words interwove with fighs found out their way:
O myriads of immortal fpi'rits, O powers
Matchlefs, but with th' Almighty; and that ftrife
Was not inglorious, though th' event was dire,
As this place teftifies, and this dire change,
Hateful to utter but what pow'r of mind,
Foreseeing or prefaging, from the depth
Of knowledge past or prefent, could have fear'd,
How fuch united force of gods, how fuch
As ftood like these could ever know repulse;
For who can yet believe, though after loss,

625

630

That all these puiffant legions, whofe exile

Hath emptied heav'n, fhall fail to re-afcend,

And

L. 633. Hath emptied heav'n.] It is conceived that a third part of the angels fell with Satan, according to Rev. xii, 4. E

VOL. I.