:

Hurl'd headlong to partake with us, shall curse
Their frail original, and faded bliss,

375
Faded so foon. Advise if this be worth
Attempting, or to fit in darkness here
Hatching vain empires. Thus Beelzebub
Pleaded his devilish counsel, first devis’d
By Satan, and in part propos’d: for whence, 380
But from the author of all ill, could spring
So deep a malice, to confound the race
Of mankind in one root, and Earth with Hell
To mingle and involve, done all to spite
The great Creator? But their spite still serves 385
His glory to augment.

The bold design
Pleas’d highly those infernal States, and joy

Sparkled
ter, when they have determind speakers when they are speaking:
upon the expedition, and are con- but that time and that place, which
fulting of a proper person to em- he or they are speaking of.
ploy in it, then he says things to

Pearce. magnify the difficulty and danger, 367. The puny habitants,] It is to make them more cautious in possible that the author by puny their choice.

might mean no more than weak or 362. -- here perhaps] Dr. Bent- little; but yet if we reflect how ley says that Milton must have given frequently he uses words in their it'there perhaps : but I think not: proper and primary signification, in ver. 360 it is this place, and it seems probable that he might intherefore Milton gave it here, that clude likewise the sense of the is in the place which I am speak. French (from whence it is deriv'd) ing of. Milton frequently uses not puis nè, born since, created long and here, not meaning a time or after us, place then present to him or his

406. - ibe

Sparkled in all their eyes; with full affent
They vote : whereat his speech he thus renews.

Well have ye judg’d, well ended long debate, 390
Synod of Gods, and like to what ye are,
Great things resolv’d, which from the lowest deep
Will once more lift us up, in spite of fate,
Nearer our ancient seat; perhaps in vicw
Of those bright confines, whence with neighb’ring arms
And

opportune excursion we may chance Re-enter Heav'n; or else in some mild zone Dwell not unvisited of Heav'n's fair light Secure, and at the brightning orient beam Purge off this gloom; the soft delicious air, 400 To heal the scar of these corrosive fires, Shall breathe her balm. But first whom shall we send In search of this new world? whom shall we find Sufficient? who shall tempt with wand’ring feet

The

396

406. the palpable obscure] It jective, as the ocean stream, I. 202. is remarkable in our author's itile, the bullion drofs, I. 704. Milton ofthat he often uses adjectives as fub- ten enriches his language in this Itantives, and substantives again as manner. adjectives. Here are two adjectives, the latter of which is used for a

- ere he arrive substantive, as again in ver. 409, Ibé happy ile ?] The earth, hangthe vast abrupt. And fometimes ing in the sea of air, like a happy, there are two substantives, the or fortunate iland, as the name is. former of which is used for an ad- And fo Cicero De Nat. Deor. II,

409,

The dark unbottom'd infinite abyss,

405 And through the palpable obscure find out His uncouth way, or spread his aery flight Upborne with indefatigable wings Over the vast abrupt, ere he arrive The happy ile? what strength, what art can then 410 Suffice, or what evasion bear him safe Through the strict senteries and stations thick Of Angels watching round? Here he had need All circumspection, and we now no less Choice in our suffrage; for on whom we send, 415 The weight of all and our last hope relies.

This said, he sat; and expectation held His look suspense, awaiting who appear'd To second, or oppose, or undertake The perilous attempt: but all fat mute, 420 Pond'ring the danger with deep thoughts; and each

In

left a

66. calls the earth quafi magnam in ecclefiaftical causes, p. 553, " Let quandam insulam, quam nos or

" him also forbear force bem terræ vocamus.

Ere he ar “ worse woe arrive him.” And rive the happy ile; so the word ar- Shakespear expresses himself in the rive is used by our author in the same manner 3 Hen. VI. A& V. Preface to the Judgment of Martin Bucer, p. 276. Edit. 1738. “ And those

powers, that the Queen he, if our things here below Hath rais'd in Gallia, have arriv'd “ arrive him where he is &c:" and our coaf. again in his Treatise of civil power

420. - but

In others count'nance read his own disinay
Astonish'd: none among the choice and prime
Of those Heav'n-warring champions could be found :
So hardy as to proffer or accept

425
Alone the dreadful voyage; till at last
Satan, whom now tranfcendent glory rais'd
Above his fellows, with monarchal pride
Conscious of highest worth, unmov'd thus (pake.

O Progeny of Heav'n, empyreal Thrones, 430 With reason hath deep silence and demur Seis'd us, though undismay'd: long is the way And hard, that out of Hell leads up to light; Our prison strong; this huge convex of fire, Outrageous to devour, immures us round i

435 Ninefold,

way

420. - but all fat mute,] Homer Jam nova progenies cælo demittioften uses words to the same effect, tur alto. Hume. when an affair of difficulty is proposed, such as sending a spy into

432. long is the the Trojan camp, or a single com

And hard, that out of Hell leads bat with Hector. Iliad. VII. 92.

up to light;] He had Virgil

in mind,' Æn. VI. 128. 25 €0x6" & diepe warles anny. Sed revocare gradum superasque εγε: ο 1ο σιωπη.

evadere ad auras, Aldater per avavecat ald, SHOAN δ' υποδεχθαι.

Hoc opus, hic labor eft.

But to return, and view the chear. 429. unmov'd] With any

of ful skies, those dangers which deterred others. In this the task, and mighty labor.

lies: Dryden. 430. O progeny of Heav'n] Virg.

as in wbat follows of the fire im

Ecl. IV. 7. ,

1

Ninefold, and gates of burning adamant
Barr'd over us prohibit all egress.cs :
These pass’d, if any pass, the void profound
Of unessential Night receives him next
Wide gaping, and with utter loss, of being 440
Threatens him, plung’d in that abortive gulf.
If thence he scape into whatever world,
Or unknown region, what remains him less
Than unknown dangers, and as hard escape?
But I should ill become this throne, O Peers, 445
And this imperial sovranty, adorn'd
With splendor, arm'd with pow'r, if ought propos'd.
And judg'd of public moment, in the Shape
Of difficulty or danger could deter

Me

ver. 439.

muring them round ninefold, and the interior furface which is holof the gates of burning adamant, he low: but the poets do not always alludes to what Virgil says in the speak thus exactly, but use them fame book, of Styx flowing nine promiscuously; and hence in Virgil times round the damn'd, and of cæli convexa and supera convexa in the gates of Hell.

several places. And what is here - novies Styx interfusa coercet.

the convex of fire is afterwards callid

the fiery concave, ver. 635. Porta adversa ingens folidoque a

438. —- the void profound] Inane damante columne. ver. 552. profundum, as Lucretius has it in

several places. 434. this huge convex of fire,] 439. Of unessential Night] Unes. This huge vault of fire, bending sential, void of being; darkness down on all fides round us. ' Convex approaching nearest to, and being is spoken properly of the exterior the best resemblance of non-entity. surface of a globe, and concave of

Hum. VOL. I.

R

450. – Wheros