Of Daphne by Orontes, and th' infpir'd Caftalian fpring, might with this Paradife Girt with the river Triton, where old Cham, Young Bacchus from his stepdame Rhea's eye; 275 280 285 Saw And fad Proférpin's wrath, them and thofe emotions of envy, in tosaffright; which he is represented. There but not as it is commonly used at lines which follow, wherein they is a fine fpirit of poetry in the this time, as in Cato, So Pluto feis'd of Proferpin convey'd. are defcribed as fitting on a bed of 293. Truth, wifdom, fan&titude fe- Whence true authority in men ;] The middle verfe ought to have been put thus in a parenthesis; for the true authority in men arifes not from filial freedom, but from their having truth, wisdom, and sancti tude Saw undelighted all delight, all kind Of living creatures new to fight and ftrange. Godlike erect, with native honor clad In naked majesty seem'd lords of all, 290 And worthy feem'd; for in their looks divine "The image of their glorious Maker fhone, tude fevere and pure, that is ftrict holiness; which are qualities that give to magiftrates true authority, that proper authority which they may want who yet have legal authority. This is Milton's meaning: and for explaining the word Levere, he inferts a verse to show that he does not mean fuch sa Janelitude or holiness as is rigid and auftere, but fuch as is plac'd in Filial freedom; alluding to the fcriptural expreffions, which reprefent good Chriftians as free and as the Yons of God: on which foundation our obedience (from whence our fanctitude arifes) is a filial, and ́not a flavish one; a reverence ra 295 He ther than a fear of the Deity. For foftness foe and fweet attractive grace,] The curious reader may pleafe to obferve upon thefe two charming lines, how the num bers are varied, and how artfully be and be are placed in each verfe, fo as the tone may fall upon them, and yet fall upon them differently. The author might have given both exactly the fame tone, but every car He for God only, fhe for God in him : ear muft judge this alteration to be much for the worse. For valor he and contemplation form'd, For foftnefs fhe and fweet attrac tive grace. 299. He for God only, fhe for God in bim:] The author gave it thus, fays Dr. Bentley, 300 Cluftring, Καλ' δε καρτα Back from his brows a length of His hyacinthin locks defcend in wavy curls. Broome. Euftathius interprets hyacinthin locks by black locks, and Suidas by very dark brown; and Milton He for God only, fhe for God and in like manner means brown or him. black locks, diftinguishing Adam's hair from Eve's in the color as well as in other particulars. It is probable the hyacinth among the Ancients might be of a darker color than it is among us. 303. Cluftring] His hair hung cluftring, or like bunches of grapes, as her's was like the young fhoots or tendrils of the vine. They are oppos'd, you fee, the one to the other. 303. his fhoulders broad:] Broad fhoulders are always affign'd to the ancient heroes; in Homer they have sugeas wuss, in Virgil latos bumeros. But I wonder that Milton has given no indication that Adam had a beard; not the leaft down or bloffom on his chin, the firft access to manhood; which the Greek and Latin poets dwell on, as the principal part of manly beauty: L Cluftring, but not beneath his shoulders broad: She as a veil down to the flender waste Her unadorned golden treffes wore beauty and our Spenfer, B. 2. Cant. 12. St. 79. and B. 3. Cant. 5. St. 29. Bentley. His beard is a particular that the poet could not have forgot, but I fuppofe he purpofely omitted it, because Raphael and the principal painters always represent him without one; I believe no one remembers ever to have seen a good print or picture of him with one, and Milton frequently fetches his ideas from the works of the greatest mafters in painting. 304. She as a veil down to the flender wafte Her unadorned golden treffes &c.] In like manner Marino paints his Venus. Adon. Cant. 8. St. 47. Onde a guifa d'un vel dorato, e folto Celando il bianco feu trà l'onde loro 305 As could not poffibly carry too high the charms of Woman, as the first came out of the hands of her heavenly Maker. But as a picture of this kind would have been too light and gay for the graver turn of Milton's plan, he has very artfully mentioned the charms of her perfon in general terms only, and directed the reader's attention more particularly to the beauty of her mind. Moft great poets have la bor'd in a particular manner the delineation of their Beauties (Ariofto's Alcina, Taffo's Armida, and Spenfer's Belphabe) and 'tis very probable that the portrait of Eve would have rival'd them all, if the chafte correctness of our author's Mufe had not restrain'd him. Thyer. 305. golden treffes] This fort of hair was moft admir'd and celebrated by the Ancients, I fup In mille minutiffimi rufcelli pelli. The poet has, I think, fhowed great judgment and delicacy in avoiding in this place the entring into a circumftantial defcription of Eve's beauty. It was, no doubt, a very tempting occafion of giving an indulgent loofe to his fancy; fince the moft lavish imagination VOL. I. kin and finer complexion. It would be almoft endlefs to quote paffages to this purpose in praise of Helen and the other famous beauties of antiquity, Venus herself, the Goddefs of beauty, is described of this color and complexion; and therefore is ftiled golden Venus, Xpoon Apedin by Homer, and Venus aurea by Virgil. As Milton had Dd the As the vine curls her tendrils, which imply'd Nor those mysterious parts were then conceal❜d, the taste of the Ancients in other things, fo likewife in this particuHe must certainly have preferred this to all other colors, or he would never have beftow'd it upon Eve, whom he defign'd as a pattern of beauty to all her daughters. And poffibly he might at the fame time intend a compliment to his wife; for I remember to have heard from a gentleman who had feen his widow in Chefhire, that fhe had hair of this color. It is the more probable, that he intended a compliment to his wife in the drawing of Eve; as it is certain, that he drew the portrait of Adam not without regard to his own perfon, of which he had no mean opinion. 310 315 With long hair, it is a fhame unto him? And therefore Milton gives Adam locks, that bung cluftring, but not beneath his shoulders broad. But if a woman have long hair (continues the Apoftle) it is a glory to her, for her hair is given her for a covering or veil as it is render'd in the margin: and therefore our author gives Eve very long hair, he wore ber golden treffes as a veil down to the fender wafte. And this long hair the Apoftle confiders as an argument and token of her subjection, a covering, a veil, in fign that the is under the power of her husband; and for the fame reafon the poet fays that it imply'd fubjection: fuch excellent use doth he make of the facred Writings. The poet adds which imply'd that this fubjection was requir'd by Subjection,] The poet manifeftly him with gentle fway, and yielded alludes to St. Paul's first Epistle to by her, but it was beft receiv'd by the Corinthians, Chap. XI. Doth him, when yielded with coy fubmifnot even nature itself teach you (fays fion, modeft pride, and fweet reluc the Apoftle) that if a man have tant amorous delay, which is ex 307. prefs'd |