Safest and seemlieft by her husband stays, 270 As one who loves, and fome unkindness meets, With sweet austere composure thus reply'd. Ofspring of Heav'n and Earth, and all Earth's Lord, That such an enemy we have, who feeks Our ruin, both by thee inform'd I learn, 275 And from the parting Angel over-heard, As in a fhady nook I ftood behind, Juft then return'd at shut of evening flowers. 270.— the virgin majefty of Eve, The Ancients us'd the word virgin with more latitude than we, as Virgil Eclog. VI. 47. calls Pafiphae virgin after fhe had had three children, and Ovid calls Medea Adultera virgo. Ovid. Epift. Hypfip. Jaf. 133. It is put here to denote beauty, bloom, fweetnefs, modefty, and all the amiable characters which are ufually found in a virgin, and these with matron majefty; what a picture! Richardfon. It is probable that Milton adopted this adjective fenfe of the word virgin from the Italian virginale, which is an epithet very frequent in their poets when describing beauty, modelty, &c. Thyer. 278. Just then return'd at fout of evening flowers] What a Το natural notation of evening is this! and a proper time for her, who had gone forth among her fruits and flowers, VIII. 44. to return. But we muf not conceive that Eve is fpeaking of the evening laft paft, for this was a week ago. Satan was caught tempt ing Eve in a dream, and йed out of Paradife that night, and with this ends book the fourth. After he had fled out of Paradife, he was ranging round the world feven days: but we have not any account of Adam and Eve excepting only on the first of thofe days, which begins with the beginning of book the fifth, where Eve relates her dream; that day at noon the Angel Raphael comes down from Heaven; the Angel and Adam difcourfe together till evening, and they part at the end of book the To God or thee, because we have a foe 280 His fraud is then thy fear, which plain infers 285 Thy equal fear that my firm faith and love Can by his fraud be shaken or feduc'd; Thoughts, which how found they harbour in thy breast, Adam, misthought of her to thee fo dear? To whom with healing words Adam reply'd. 290 Daughter of God and Man, immortal Eve, eighth. There are fix days therefore paft in filence, and we hear no more of Adam and Eve, till Satan had ftolen again into Paradise. 282. His violence thou fear not,] Adam had not faid fo exprefly, but had implied as much in inlarging particularly upon his fly affault, ver. 256. &c. 289. Adam, mifthought of ber to thee fo dear? Dr. Bentley fays that these words exprefs Adam's affection to her, and not hers to him, as the fenfe requires: He therefore to thee fo true? But Milton gave it dear, and made Eve here allude to what Adam had faid of her reads in ver. 227. --to me beyond 291. Daughter of God and Man, immortal Eve,] As Eve had called Adam Ofspring of Heav'n and Earth, as made by God out of the duft of the Earth; fo Adam calls Eve Daughter of God and Man, as made by God out of Man; and acknowledges her to be immortal, as the had faid herself, ver. 283. that they were not capable of death or pain; but only fo long as fhe was entire from fin and blame: integer vitæ, fcelerifque purus. Hor. Od. I. XXII. 1. For fuch thou art, from fin and blame entire: Not diffident of thee do I diffuade Thy abfence from my fight, but to avoid Th' attempt itself, intended by our foe. 295 For he who tempts, though' in vain, at least asperses From thee alone, which on us both at once 312.while fhame, thou looking on,] Milton often ufes the nominative cafe abfolute, as the Greeks do; which whether it should be call'd a cafe abfolute, or an ellipfis, we leave to the Grammarians to determin. Jortin. 314 and rais'd unite.] Would 300 305 310 More unite and add vigor to wisdom, watchfulness, and every virtue mention'd before. If this be not the meaning, it must be understood thus, Would raise the utmost vigor, and unite and collect it all when rais'd. 318. domeftic Adam] This epi thet More wife, more watchful, ftronger, if need were Would utmost vigor raise, and rais'd unite. With me, best witness of thy virtue try'd? So fpake domestic Adam in his care And matrimonial love; but Eve, who thought How are we happy, still in fear of harm? 325 Sticks thet feems to allude to what Adam Domeftic in his care, may fignify here had faid in ver. 232. nothing lovelier can be found In woman, than to study houfhold good, And good works in her husband to promote. one who has a careful regard to the good of his family; and all this fpeech of Adam's was intended for the fecurity of his wife. Pearce. 320. Less attributed] That is, too little; an elegant Latinifm. K 4 Richardfon. 330. Sticks Sticks no difhonor on our front, but turns 330 Foul on himself; then wherefore fhunn'd or fear'd By us? who rather double honor gain From his furmife prov'd falfe, find peace within, Favor from Heav'n, our witness from th' event. And what is faith, love, virtue unaffay'd 335 Alone, without exterior help sustain’d? Let us not then suspect our happy state 330. Sticks no difhonor on our front,] Here is fuch a jingle and turn of the words, as we fometimes meet with in our author; He affronts us with bis foul efteem, but his foul efteem flicks no dishonor on our front: but our author alludes to the etymology of of the word affront: adfrontare, i. e. frontem fronti committere, as Skinner fays. And I find Shakespear ufing the word in its original fignification. Cymbeline, Act. IV. -Good my liege That he, as 'twere by accident, may 340 And |