67 PARADISE LOST. воок VIII. HE Angel ended, and in Adam's ear THE So charming left his voice, that he a while Thought him still speaking, still stood fix'd to hear; Then as new wak'd thus gratefully reply'd. 1. The Angel ended, &c.] In the firft edition of this poem in ten books here was only this line, To whom tbus Adam gratefully reply'd. This would have been too abrupt a beginning for a new book; and therefore in the fecond edition of the poem in twelve books, when the feventh book was divided into two, the author changed this line, and changed it very much for the better, into the four first lines as they ftand at prefent, only preferving part of this verfe in the laft of the four, Then as new wak'd thus gratefully reply'd. I What ετι προ Η, και ὁ μεν φορμιγγα συν αμ The thought was originally Homer's, θεια δε μιν αμφεχυτ' ομφη. Lucian Somn. ST! gov―n owrn Tay and Tay Evaux. And Socrates in Plato's Crito. xa ev qμos αυτή η ηχη τότων των λόγων βομο βε, και ποιες μη διαίς των αλο Jortin. λων αλγειν. 2. So charming left his voice, &c] Imitated probably from Apollonius 3. - fill food fix'd to hear ;] $12. who elegantly defcribes the Stood from Stava (Italian) remain'd, effect which the harp and voice of continued; not that Adam was in a Orpheus had upon the Argonauts. ftanding pofture, probably he fat as When Orpheus had ended his fong, at dinner, V. 433. Tis not his atthey, fays the poet, intent and bend- titude which is here described, but ing towards him, ftill liften'd and his great attention. Richardfon. imagin'd him ftill fpeaking. E 2 5. What Useless befides; reasoning I oft admire, 25 How nature wife and frugal could commit Such difproportions, with fuperfluous hand Greater fo manifold to this one use, For ought appears, and on their orbs impofe That better might with far lefs compaís move, than to coin a new one, efpecially fince this fignifies the fame as the other. 28. So many noble bodies to create, Greater fo manifold] As if he had faid, So many nobler, fo many greater; but he turns the words, So many nobler, Greater fo many, manifeld for the fake of the verse. 37. Of incorporeal Speed,] Not that it was truly fo, it fignifies only very great speed, fuch as Spirits might ufe. Speed almoft fpiritual, as he expreffes it a little afterwards, 30 35 Of within view. She stays as long as the Angel and her husband are difcourfing of things, which it might concern her and her duty to know: but when they enter upon abftruser points, then the decently retires. This is preferving the decorum of character: and fo Cephalus in Plato's Republic, and Scævola in Cicero's treatise De Oratore, stay only as long as it was fuitable for perfons of their character, and are made to withdraw when the difcourfe was lefs proper for them to hear. Eve's withdrawing is jufter and more beautiful than these inftances. She rises to go forth with lowlinefs, but yet with majefty and grace. What modefty and what dignity is here! Ovid fays of Venus relating a ftory to her belov'd Adonis, Met. X. 559. Of incorporeal speed, her warmth and light; So fpake our fire, and by his count'nance feem'd Entring on studious thoughts abftrufe, which Eve 40 Perceiving where fhe fat retir'd in fight, With lowliness majestic from her seat, 45 And grace that won who faw to wish her stay, De Sic ait, ac medijs interferit ofcula the Heathens fuppofed their Goddess of love to be. verbis. Delighted, or not capable her ear Of what was high: fuch pleasure she reserv❜d, 50 Adam relating, fhe fole auditrefs; Her husband the relator fhe preferr'd Before the Angel, and of him to ask Chose rather; he, fhe knew, would intermix Grateful digreffions, and folve high dispute 55 With conjugal careffes; from his lip Not words alone pleas'd her. O when meet now A pomp 59. With Goddefs-like demeanour forth fhe event, Not unattended,] In the turn of expreffion in these two lines Milton feems to allude to Homer's defcription of Helen. Iliad. III. 142. Ωρματ ̓ ἐκ θαλαμοιο, τερεν κατα 60 And given the fanction of an Arch-Angel to any particular fyftem of philofophy. The chief points in the Ptolemaic and Copernican hypothefis are defcribed with great conciseness and perfpicuity, and at the fame time dreffed in very pleafing and poetical images. Addifon δάκρυ χευσα, Ουκ οιη, ένα τηνε. Thyer. 70. This to attain,] To attain to 66. To ask or fearch &c.] The An- the knowledge of this hard question, Whether Heaven or Earth move, is gel's returning a doubtful answer to Adam's inquiries, was not only proof no concern or confequence to per for the moral reafon which the thee: N'importe (French) it matters poet afligns, but because it would not; fays Mr. Hume. Mr. Richardhave been highly abfurd to have fon understands it in the fame man And Raphael now to Adam's doubt propos'd To ask or fearch I blame thee not, for Heaven 65 Is as the book of God before thee fet, ner: his words are "To attain to "know whether the fun or the earth "moves is not of ufe to us." But I believe that they are both mistaken in the fenfe of this paffage, for I conceive it otherwise. This to attain is to be referred to what precedes and not to what follows; and accordingly there is only a colon before these words in Milton's own editions, and not a full ftop as in fome others. This to attain, that is to attain the knowledge of feafons, bours, or days, or months, or years, It imports not, it matters not, it 75 |