Soft she withdrew, and like a Wood-Nymph light, Betook her to the groves, but Delia's felf and arguing with her, he ftill holds her by the hand, which. fhe gently withdraws, a little impatient to be gone, even while the is speaking. And then like a Wood Nymph light, Oread a nymph of the mountains, or Dryad a nymph of the groves, of the oaks particularly, or of Delia's train, the train of Diana, who is called Delia as fhe was born in the iland Delos, fhe betook her to the groves; but the furpafs'd not only Diana's nymphs, but Diana herfelf. But as this beautiful fimilitude is formed very much upon one in Homer, and its parallel in Virgil, it may be proper to quote them both in order to make the beauties of this better apprehended, Hom. Odyff. VI. 102. Οι δ' Αρτεμις εισι κατ' ερεθ ιοχέαιρα, Η κατα Τηΰγετον περιμηκετον, ελάφοισι Τη δε θ' άμα Νυμφαί, καραι Δια Αιγιόχοιο, Αγρονόμοι παίζοσι γεγηθε δε τε φρένα Λητω Πασάων δ' ύπερ ήγε κάρη έχει ηδε μέτωπα, Ρεια δ' αριζίωτη πέλεται, καλα δε τε πασαι Ως ἡγ' αμφιπολοίσι μετέπρεπε παρθένος αδμής. groves; A fylvan train the huntress queen furrounds, Her rattling quiver from her fhoulder founds: Fierce in the sport, along the mountain brow They bay the boar, or chafe the bounding roe: High o'er the lawn, with more majestic pace, Above the nymphs fhe treads with ftately grace; Diftinguifh'd excellence the Goddefs proves; Exults Latona as the Virgin moves. With equal grace Nausicaa trod the plain, And fhone tranfcendent o'er the beauteous train. Broome. Though not as she with bow and quiver arm'd, 390 The others are like Diana in their gate, but Eve furpaffes her, only the wears different enfigns, not a bow and quiver, but fuch gard'ning tools as art yet rude, guiltless of fire, bad form'd, before fire was as yet ftol'n from Heaven by Prometheus as the Ancients fabled, or fuch tools as Angels brought. 393. To Pales, or Pomona, thus adorn'd, Likeft fhe feem'd, &c] Thefe four verfes Dr. Bentley rejects, as the editor's manufacture. Let us examin his objections to them. For likelief (fays he) he meant likeft. So he did, and to the first edition gives it, as the Likeft Doctor might have feen, if he pleas'd, because the first edition was before him. He objects farther that Eve, who was before like the WoodNymphs and Delia, is here likeft to Pales, or Pomona, or Ceres; all unlike one another, and yet Eve is like them all. But he seems not to observe, that Eve is here compar'd to the latter three, upon a different account, than fhe was compar'd to the former. She was liken'd to the Wood Nymphs and Delia in regard to her gate; but now that Milton had mention'd her being arm'd with garden tools, he beautifully compares her to Pales, Pomona, and Ceres, all three Goddeffes like to each other in thefe circumftances, that they were handfome, that they prefided over gard'ning and cultivation of ground, and that they are ufually defcribed by the ancient poets, as carrying tools of gard'ning or husbandry in their hands: thus Ovid in Metam. XIV, 628. fays of Pomona, Nec jaculo gravis eft, fed aduncâ dextera falce. The Doctor objects again, and fays that Eve is not here faid to be like Pomona always, but when he fled Vertumnus, who would have ravilh❜d her. But Milton's meaning is, that he was like Pomona, not precisely at the hour when the fled Vertumnus, but at that time of her life when Likest she seem'd, Pomona when she fled Vertumnus made his addreffes to her, that is when she was in all her perfection of beauty, as defcrib'd by Ovid in the place above-cited. But the Doctor's greatest quarrel is with the latter part of thefe four verses: Ceres in her prime, fays he? What? have Goddeffes the decays of old age, and do they grow paft their prime? And yet it is very frequent with the old poets to defcribe their Gods as paffing from youth to old age. Juvenal fays in Sat. VI. 15. 395 Repeated, the word from, when other words are to be fupply'd in the fense, see II. 542. and VIII. 213. I have met with fome gentlemen, who thought that the laft of these verses ought to be read thus, -or to Ceres in her prime Yet virgin, or Proferpina from Jove. And this reading at first fight is very apt to please and perfuade one of its genuinnefs, because it frees the text from that hard expreffion, virgin of Proferpina: but when we confider the matter farther, it will be found that Milton could never have intended to compare Eve with Proferpina, because the had nothing to do with husbandry or gard'ning, on account of which only this comparifon is introduc'd. Pearce. 394. Likeft fhe feem'd,] So it is in Milton's first edition; in the fecond edition by mistake it is printed Likelieft, and this has been follow'd in all the editions fince, at leaft in all that I have feen. 395. Ceres in her prime, Yet virginof Proferpina from Jove,] This feems to be a Grecism, and tranflated from Theocritus (Idyl. II. Repeated, the to him as oft engag'd To be return'd by noon amid the bower, 136.) who fays wapberov ex daAaus for Virginem innuptam. 'Tis the fame turn of expreffion in both. So that Dr. Bentley was ftrangely mistaken in calling it a monster of an expreffion, and not buman language; it having an elegance fuperior in my opinion to the English phrafe "a virgin, not having yet con"ceived Proferpina who was begot "by Jove." Warburton. 401. To be return'd by noon amid the bower, And all things in beft order to invite &c.] Here seems to be a want of a verb before all things &c. Dr. Bentley therefore reads To be return'd by noon, and at the bower Have all things in beft order to invite. But if it be neceffary to infert the word bave, I would read thus with lefs alteration, 400 405 Thou hardly have faid amid the bower, but rather at the bower or in the bower; but amid the bower and all things is right. 404. O much deceiv'd, much failing, baplefs Eve, Of thy prefum'd return!] That is, much failing of thy prefum'd return. These beautiful apoftrophes and anticipations are frequent in the poets, who affect to speak in the character of prophets, and like men inspir'd with the knowledge of futurity. Thus Virgil to Turnus Æn. X. 501. Nefcia mens hominum fati fortifque futuræ, Et fervare modum rebus fublata Turno tempus erit, magno cum op- Oderit. O mortals! blind in fate, who never know And all things in beft order have To bear high fortune, or indure the low. The time shall come, when Turnus, but in vain, Shall with untouch'd the trophies of the flain; Shall Thou never from that hour in Paradife Found'ft either sweet repaft, or found repofe; 410 To intercept thy way, or fend thee back By fountain or by fhady rivulet 415 420 He fought them both, but wish'd his hap might find Eve Shall wish the fatal belt were far how little events anfwer our ex |