Seem'd their petition, than when th' ancient pair 10

In fables, old, lefs ancient yet than these,
Deucalion and chafte Pyrrha, to restore

The race of mankind drown'd, before the fhrine
Of Themis ftood devout. To Heav'n their prayers
Flew up, nor mifs'd the way, by envious winds 15
Blown vagabond or fruftrate: in they pass'd

Dimen

from thence may illuftrate his fubje& as well as from any thing elfe, efpecially fince it is one of the first things that we learn at school, and is made by the Ancients fuch an effential part of poetry, that it can hardly be feparated from it; and no wonder that Milton was ambitious of fhowing fomething of his reading in this kind, as well as in all others.

It is a familiar expreffion with the 16. Blown vagabond or fruftrate:] ancient poets, to fay of fuch requests as are not granted, that they are dispersed and driven away by the winds. Thus Virgil, Æn. XI. 794

Audiit, et voti Phoebus fuccedere partem

Mente dedit: partem volucres dif-
perfit in auras.

Sterneret ut fubitâ turbatam morte
Camillam,

Annuit oranti: reducem ut patria
alta videret,

Non dedit; inque notos vocem ver-
tere procellæ.

Apollo heard, and granting half,
his pray'r,
Shuffled in winds the reft, and tofs'd
in empty air.

He

Dimenfionless through heav'nly doors; then clad
With incenfe, where the golden altar fum'd,
By their great interceffor, came in fight
Before the Father's throne: them the glad Son
Prefenting, thus to intercede began.

.20

25

See, Father, what first fruits on earth are sprung From thy implanted grace in Man, these fighs And pray'rs, which in this golden censer, mix'd With incenfe, I thy priest before thee bring, Fruits of more pleasing favor from thy feed Sown with contrition in his heart, than those Which his own hand manuring all the trees Of Paradife could have produc'd, ere fall'n

By fouthern tempefts to the feas is borne. Dryden.

And it is in allufion to this manner of fpeaking, that Milton fays here of the prayers of our first parents, that they were not by envious winds blown vagabond or fruftrate. By en vious winds, as in Ovid. Met. X. 642. Detulit aura preces ad me non in

vida blandas.

17. Dimensionless through heav'nly doors;] As thefe prayers were of a spiritual nature, not as matter that has dimenfions, meafure and proportion, they pafs'd through

Richardfon.

As Heaven gates are described (VII. 205, &c.) as ever-during, and moving let forth and let in the King of Glory, on golden-hinges, and opening wide to it might be wonder'd how these prayers could pafs thro' them withfon I fuppofe the poet added the out their opening, and for this reaepithet dimenfionless. And as he glanc'd before at the Heathen manner of expreffion in saying that their prayers were not by envious winds blown vagabond or fruftrate, so here he may intend a remote reflection upon that other notion of the Heathens contained in the fable of Me

From innocence. Now therefore bend thine ear. 30. To fupplication, hear his fighs though mute;

35

Unskilful with what words to pray, let me
Interpret for him, me his advocate
And propitiation; all his works on me
Good or not good ingraft, my merit those
Shall perfect, and for these my death fhall
Accept me, and in me from these receive
The smell of peace tow'ard mankind; let him live
Before thee reconcil'd, at least his days

pay.

Number'd, though fad, till death, his doom, (which I To mitigate thus plead, not to reverse)

To better life fhall yield him, where with me

4I

All

too long, we only refer the reader
to the places.
Thyer.

33.

me his advocate And propitiation;] The conftruction of the whole paffage is this, Let me interpret for him unskilful with what words to pray for himfelf, me his advocate and propitiation, the very words of St. John, 1 Ep. II. 1, 2. We have an advocate with the Father, Jefus Chrift the righteous, and he is the propitiation for our fins.

38. The fmell of peace toward man

kind;] The peace offering is favor unto the Lord. So Levit. III. frequently call'd an offering of a fweet

5.

Heylin. 44. Made

All my redeem'd may dwell in joy and blifs,
Made one with me as I with thee am one.

50

To whom the Father, without cloud, ferene. 45 All thy request for Man, accepted Son, Obtain; all thy request was my decree: But longer in that Paradife to dwell, The law I gave to nature him forbids: Those pure immortal elements that know No grofs, no unharmonious mixture foul, Eject him tainted now, and purge him off As a diftemper, grofs to air as grofs, And mortal food, as may dispose him best For diffolution wrought by fin, that first Distemper'd all things, and of incorrupt Corrupted. I at first with two fair gifts Created him endow'd, with happiness And immortality: that fondly loft, This other ferv'd but to eternize woe; Till I provided death; fo death becomes

55

60

His

grofs to air as großs,] Grofs is to be join'd in construction with him and not with distemper; and therefore the comma after distemper fhould be carefully preferved, as in Milton's own editions, and not be plac'd after dif

temper

His final remedy, and after life

Try'd in fharp tribulation, and refin'd

By faith and faithful works, to second life,

Wak'd in the renovation of the just,

65

Refigns him up with Heav'n and Earth renew'd.

But let us call to fynod all the Bleft

[hide

Through Heav'n's wide bounds; from them I will not My judgments, how with mankind I proceed,

70

As how with peccant Angels late they saw,
And in their state, though firm, stood more confirm'd.

He ended, and the Son gave fignal high
To the bright minister that watch'd; he blew
His trumpet, heard in Oreb fince perhaps
When God defcended, and perhaps once more
To found at general doom. Th' angelic blast
Fill'd all the regions: from their blissful bowers
Of amarantin shade, fountain or fpring,
By the waters of life, where'er they fat
In fellowships of joy, the fons of light

temper grofs, as in Dr. Bentley's edition.

74. His trumpet, heard in Oreb fince perhaps &c.] For the law was given on mount Oreb with the noife of the trumpet, Fxod. XX. 18. and at the general judgment, VOL. II.

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