From what highth fall'n, fo much the ftronger prov'd Can else inflict, do I repent or change, 95 Though chang'd in outward luftre, that fix'd mind, And high difdain from fenfe of injur'd merit, thefe words for the other; and other inftances perhaps may occur in the courfe of this work. Equal ruin hath join'd now, as equal hope join'd before; fomewhat like that in Ovid's Metamorphofis, I. 351. O foror, O conjux, O fœmina fola Quam commune mihi genus, et pa- In equal ruin cannot answer to in the 93. He with his thunder:] There is an uncommon beauty in this expreffion. Satan difdains to utter the name of God, tho' he cannot but acknowledge his fuperiority. So again ver. 257. That with the Mightieft rais'd me to contend, That durft dislike his reign, and me preferring, 100 And shook his throne. What though the field be loft? All is not loft; th' unconquerable will, 106 And study of revenge, immortal hate, And courage never to submit or yield, 105. What though the field be -- loft? All is not loft; &c.] This paffage is an excellent improvement upon Satan's fpeech to the infernal Spirits in Taffo, Cant. 4. St. 15. but feems to be exprefs'd from Fairfax his tranflation rather than from the original. We loft the field, yet loft we not our heart. 109. And what is elfe not to be overcome;] Here fhould be no note of interrogation, but only a femi-colon. The words And what elfe not to be overcome fignify Et fi quid fit aliud quod fuperari nequeat, 110 Who and if there be any thing elfe (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 ftudy of revenge, his immortal bate and courage never to fubmit or yield, and what befides efteems his glory, and that glory. is not to be overcome; thefe Satan he fays God never should extort from him. And then begins a new fentence according to all the best editions, To bow and fue for grace, &c-that were low indeed, &c that ftill referring to what went before; and by obferving this punctuation, Who from the terror of this arm fo late Doubted his empire; that were low indeed, That were an ignominy' and fhame beneath a This downfall; fince by fate the ftrength of Gods We may Irreconcileable to our grand foe, 199 115 129 A Who now triumphs, and in th' excefs of joy A Sole reigning holds the tyranny of Heaven. So fpake th' apoftate Angel, though in pain, Vaunting aloud, but rack'd with deep despair KAT 125 And prefent triumph of their adverfary in Heaven. this whole paffage, which has per- fuccefsfully,, notwithstanding the plex'd and confounded fo many readers and writers, is render'd plain and easy to be understood. 116. - 124. the tyranny of Heaven.] The poet fpeaking in his own perfon at ver. 42. of the fupremacy of the Deity calls it the throne and monarchy of God; but here very art fully alters it to the tyranny of Hea ven. Thyer. fince by fate &c.] For Satan fuppofes the Angels to fubfift by fate and neceffity, and he represents them of an empyreal, that is a fiery fubftance, as the Scripture itself doth; He maketh his Angels fpirits, and his minifters a flame 125. So Spake th' apoftate Angel, of fire. Pfal. CIV. 4. Heb. I. 7. tho' in pain, Satan difdains to fubmit, fince the Vaunting aloud, but rack'd with Angels (as he fays) are neceffarily deep defpair:] The fenfe of immortal and cannot be deftroy'd, the laft verfe rifes finely above that and fince too they are now im- of the former: In the firft verse it proved in experience, and may is only faid, that he spake though in hope to carry on the war more pain: In the laft the poet expreffes And him thus answer'd foon his bold compeer. Whether upheld by strength, or chance, or fate; 130 That with fad overthrow and foul defeat 135 Hath loft us Heav'n, and all this mighty host In horrible deftruction laid thus low, As far as Gods and heav'nly effences Can perish: for the mind and spi'rit remains 140 Here Here swallow'd up in endless mifery. But what if he our conqu'ror (whom I now Than such could have o'er-pow'r'd fuch force as ours) By right of war, whate'er his business be To undergo eternal punishment? 150 155 Whereto with speedy words th' Arch-Fiend reply'd. What Beelzebub means here is exprefs'd more at large afterwards by Satan, ver. 637. But he who reigns Monarch in Heav'n, till then as one fecure Fall❜n His torments are the torments which he hath appointed for us to fuffer. Many inftances of this way of fpeaking may be found in this poem. Pearce. 156. Whereto - To what he Sat on his throne, upheld by old had faid laft, which had startled repute, Confent or custom, &c. 150. whate'er bis business be] The bufinefs which God hath appointed for us to do. So in II. 70. Satan, and to which he thinks it proper to make a speedy reply. Speedy words are better applied here than a legs are always in Homer. 157.- to |