Regions of forrow, doleful shades, where peace 65 Still urges, and a fiery deluge, fed : 4 70 0 72. In utter darkness,] Dr. Bent- Till to the bridge's utter gate I ley reads outer here and in many other places of this poem, because it is in Scripture, το σκοτο το εξ ωτεροκ: But my dictionaries tell me that utter and outer are both the fame word, differently spell'd and pronounc'd. Milton, in the argument of this book, says in a place of utter darkness, and no where throughout the poem does the poet ufe outer. came. Thyer. 74. As from the center thrice to th' utmost pole.] Thrice as far as it is from the center of the earth (which is the center of the world according to Milton's system, IX. 103. and X. 671.) to the pole of the world; for it is the pole of the universe, far beyond the pole of the earth, which is here call'd the utmost pole. It is observable Spenser justifies the present read- that Homer makes the feat of ing by frequently using the word Hell as far beneath the deepest utter for outer, as in Fairy Queen, pit of earth, as the Heaven is B. 2. Cant. 2. St. 34. Pearce. above the earth, O how unlike the place from whence they fell! 75 Long after known in Palestine, and nam'd Beelzebub. To whom th' Arch-Enemy, 80 And thence in Heav'n call'd Satan, with bold words Breaking the horrid filence thus began. If thou beeft he; but O how fall'n! how chang'd Bis patet in præceps tantum tenditque fub umbras, Quantus ad æthereum cæli fufpetus Olympum. Æn. VI. 577. And Milton thrice as far, As far remov'd from God and light of Heaven, As from the center thrice to th' utmost pole: From ferrea turris, and borrisono ftridentes cardine portæ of Virgil, in comparison with this description by Milton, concluding with that artful contraft, O how unlike the place from whence they fell! 81. Beelzebub.] The lord of flies, an idol worshipped at Ecron, a city of the Philiftines, 2 Kings I. 2. He is called prince of the Devils, Mat. XII. 24. therefore defervedly here made second to Satan himself. Hume. 82. And thence in Heav'n call'd Satan,] For the word Satan As if these three great poets had. stretched their utmost genius, and vied with each other, who should extend his idea of the depth of Hell farthest. But Milton's whole description of Hell as much exceeds theirs, as in this single cir- in Hebrew signifies an enemy: he cumstance of the depth of it. And is the enemy by way of eminence, how cool and unaffecting is the the chief enemy of God and Man. ταρταρον περοεντα, the σιδηραι αιτε πύλαι κι χαλκεον δ of 84. If thou beeft be; &c.] The Homer, and the lugentes campi, the thoughts in the first speech and de From him, who in the happy realms of light 85 i Join'd with me once, now misery hath join'd १० From 84. but O how fall'n! how chang'd description of Satan, who is one whom he speaks, and goes on to of the principal actors in this declare his proud unrelenting mind. poem, are wonderfully proper to Richardfon. give us a full idea of him. His pride envy and revenge, obstinacy despair and impenitence, are all of them very artfully interwoven. In short, his first speech is a complication of all those passions, which discover themselves feparately in several other of his speeches in the poem. Addison. The change and confufion of these enemies of God is most artfully express'd in the abruptness of the beginning of this speech: If thou art he, that Beelzebub - He ftops, and falls into a bitter reflection on their present condition, compared with that in which they lately were. He attempts again to open his mind; cannot proceed on what he intends to say, but returns to those sad thoughts; still doubting whether 'tis really his associate in the revolt, as now in misery and ruin; by that time he had expatiated on this (his heart was oppress'd with it) he is assured to From him,] He imitates Ifaiah and Virgil at the fame time. Ifa. XIV. 12. How art thou fallen, &c. and Virgil's Æn. II. 274. Hei mihi qualis erat! quantum mutatus ab illo ! 86. Cloth'd with transcendent brightness didst outshine Myriads though bright!] Imitated from Homer, Odyff. VI. 110. where Diana excels all her nymphs in beauty, though all of them be beautiful. 'Pια δ' αριγνωτη πέλεται, καλαι Bentley. δε τε πασαι. 91. In equal rain:] So it is in all the editions. And equal ruin is Dr. Bentley's emendation, which Dr. Pearce allows (and I believe every body must allow) to be just and proper; it being very easy to mistake one of thefe From what highth fall'n, so much the stronger prov'd The force of those dire arms? yet not for those, 1, 95 Though chang'd in outward luftre, that fix'd mind, And high disdain from sense of injur'd merit, i these words for the other; and other instances perhaps may occur in the course of this work. Equal ruin hath join'd now, as equal bope join'd before; fomewhat like that in Ovid's Metamorphofis, I. 351. O foror, O conjux, O fæmina sola Quam commune mihi genus, et pa- In equal ruin cannot answer to in the in conftruction it follows after hazard, and not after join'd. 93: He with his thunder:] There is an uncommon beauty in this expreffion. Satan disdains to utter the name of God, tho' he cannot but acknowledge his superiority. So again ver. 257. all but less than he Whom thunder hath made greater. 94.-yet not for those, This is the alto sdegno of the Italians, from whom no doubt he had it. Thyer. 105.---what That with the Mightiest rais'd me to contend, .. 100 His utmost pow'r with adverse pow'r oppos'd In dubious battel on the plains of Heaven, And shook his throne. What though the field be loft? All is not lost; th' unconquerable will, 106 And study of revenge, immortal hate, ! And courage never to submit or yield, And what is else not to be overcome; That glory never shall his wrath or might 105.- What though the field be All is not loft; &c.] This passage is an excellent improvement upon Satan's speech to the infernal Spirits in Tasso, Cant. 4. St. 15. but feems to be express'd from Fairfax his tranflation rather than from the original. We loft the field, yet loft we not our heart. 109. And what is else not to be overcome;] Here should be no note of interrogation, but only a semi-colon. The words And what elfe not to be overcome fignify Et fi quid fit aliud quod fuperari nequeat, 4 110 Who and if there be any thing else (befides the particulars mention'd) which is not to be overcome. Pearce. 110. That glory &c.] That refers to what went before; his unconquerable will and study of revenge, his immortal hate and courage never to submit or yield, and what befides is not to be overcome; these Satan esteems his glory, and that glory he says God never should extort from him. And then begins a new sentence according to all the beft editions, To bow and fue for grace, &c - that were low indeed, &c that still referring to what went before; and by observing this punctuation, |