576

From the high neighb'ring hills, which was their feat,
Down to the plain defcended: by their guise
Juft men they seem'd, and all their study bent
To worship God aright, and know his works
Not hid, nor thofe things last which might preferve
Freedom and peace to men: they on the plain 580
Long had not walk'd, when from the tents behold
A bevy of fair women, richly gay

In gems and wanton drefs; to th' harp they fung
Soft amorous ditties, and in dance came on:
The men though grave, ey'd them, and let their eyes
Rove without reign, till in the amorous net 586
Faft caught, they lik'd, and each his liking chose;
And now of love they treat, till th' evening ftar,
Love's harbinger, appear'd; then all in heat

pofterity of Seth wholly different from that of Cain, from the high neighboring bills, which was their feat, having their habitation in the mountains near Paradife, down to the plain defcended, where the Cainites dwelt: by their guife ja men they feem'd, and all their fudy bent to worship God aright, the Scripture itself fpeaks of them as the worshippers of the true God, and know his works not hid, and Jofephus and other writers inform us that they were addicted to the study of natural philofophy, and efpecially of aftronomy (Jofeph. An

They

tiq. Lib. 1. c. 2.) nor those things laft (in the first edition it is loft, but afterwards corrected among the Errata,) which might preferve, nor was it their last care and ftudy to know thofe things which might preferve, freedom and peace to men. Tho' this account of the Sethites be in the general agreeable to Scripture, yet the particulars of their living in the mountains near Paradise, and of their defcending thence into the plain, and there corrupting themselves in that manner with the daughters of Cain, our author feems to have taken from

the

They light the nuptial torch, and bid invoke
Hymen, then first to marriage rites invok'd:

With feaft and mufic all the tents refound.
Such happy interview and fair event

590

595

Of love and youth not loft, fongs, garlands, flowers,
And charming fymphonies attach'd the heart
Of Adam, foon inclin'd t' admit delight,
The bent of nature; which he thus exprefs'd.
True opener of mine eyes, prime Angel blest,
Much better feems this vifion, and more hope
Of peaceful days portends, than those two paft; 600
Those were of hate and death, or pain much worse,
Here nature feems fulfill'd in all her ends.

To whom thus Michael. Judge not what is best By pleasure, though to nature seeming meet,

the oriental writers, and particularly from the Annals of Eutychius.

582. A bevy of fair women,] A bevy is a company, of the Italian beva (fays Hume) a covey of partridges. It is a word ufed by Chaucer, and by Spenfer likewife of a company of women, Fairy Queen, B. 2. Cant. 9. Stan. 34.

A lovely bevy of fair ladies fat.
And B. 4. Cant. 10. St. 48.
A bevy of fair damfels close did lie.
And B. 5. Cant. 9. St. 31.

Created,

And by Shakespear, Henry VIII.
A& I.
None here he hopes,
In all this noble bevy, has brought

with her One care abroad. 586. till in the amorous net Faft caught, they lik'] Dr. Bentley finding firft in the later editions, fays that Milton must have given it faft: and fo he did in both the editions publifh'd in his life-time.

Pearce. 588.till th' evening ftar, &c.]

A bevy of fair virgins clad in white. See the note on VIII. 519.

614. For

Created, as thou art, to nobler end

605

Holy and pure, conformity divine.

610

Those tents thou faw'ft so pleasant, were the tents
Of wickedness, wherein fhall dwell his race
Who flew his brother; ftudious they appear
Of arts that polish life, inventors rare,
Unmindful of their Maker, though his Spirit
Taught them, but they his gifts acknowledg'd none.
Yet they a beauteous ofspring shall beget;

For that fair female troop thou faw'ft, that feem'd
Of Goddeffes, fo blithe, fo fmooth, fo gay,

Yet empty of all good wherein confifts
Woman's domestic honor and chief praise;
Bred only and completed to the taste
Of luftful appetence, to fing, to dance,

614. For that fair female troop thou faw'] The conftruction is not, as fome may apprehend, For that fair female troop (which) thou fawft; but thou faw'ft that fair female troop, that feem'd &c. which is a fufficient proof of the pofterity of Cain begetting a beauteous ofspring.

621. To thefe that fober race of men, &c.] As we read in Gen. VI. 2. The fons of God far the daughters of men, that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chofe. It is now generally agreed

615

To

that this paffage is to be understood of the fons of Seth, the worshippers of the true God, making matches with the idolatrous daughters of wicked Cain; and Milton very rightly puts this conftruction upon it here, though elsewhere he seems to give into the old exploded conceit of the Angels becoming enamour'd of the daughters of men. See III. 463. and the note there, and likewife V. 447. and Parad. Reg. II. 178 &c.

627. The world erelong a world of tears muft weep.] Dr. Bent

ley

To drefs, and troll the tongue, and roll the eye.
To these that fober race of men, whose lives
Religious titled them the fons of God,
Shall yield up all their virtue, all their fame
Ignobly, to the trains and to the smiles
Of these fair atheists, and now fwim in joy,
Erelong to swim at large; and laugh, for which
The world erelong a world of tears must weep.

To whom thus Adam of fhort joy bereft.
O pity' and shame, that they who to live well
Enter'd fo fair, fhould turn afide to tread
Paths indirect, or in the mid way faint!
But ftill I fee the tenor of Man's woe
Holds on the fame, from Woman to begin.
From Man's effeminate flackness it begins,

would therefore read a flood of tears:

620

625

630

Said

The world erelong a world of tears muft weep.

ley obferves that this world and world is a jingle, and that a world of tears is a low expreflion. He For fwimming in joy and fwimming as Milton fpeaks in ver. 757. But at large are oppos'd to each other, if this verfe be blameable on this as are likewife laughing and weeping a world of tears. Pearce. account, yet our poet has ufed the As the fenfe is fo much improv'd by fame way of speaking in IX. 11. this pointing, we cannot but prefer

That brought into this world a world it to Milton's own, which was thus:

of woe,

I think that the foregoing part of this fentence should be pointed thus,

and now fwim in joy, Erelong to fwim at large; and laugh, for which

Said th' Angel, who should better hold his place 635
By wisdom, and fuperior gifts receiv'd.
But now prepare thee for another scene.

640

He look'd, and faw wide territory spread Before him, towns, and rural works between, Cities of men with lofty gates and towers, Concourfe in arms, fierce faces threatning war, Giants of mighty bone, and bold emprise; Part wield their arms, part curb the foaming steed, Single or in array of battel rang'd

Both horfe and foot, nor idly muft'ring ftood; 645 One way a band felect from forage drives

A herd of beeves, fair oxen and fair kine

638. He look'd, and faw wide territory Spread &c.] The next vifion is of a quite contrary nature, and filled with the horrors of war. Adam at the fight of it melts into tears, and breaks out in that paflionate speech,

O what are thefe, Death's minifters, not men &'c.Addifon.

642.-emprife;] An old word for enterprise. It is ufed in the Mask.

Alas! good ventrous Youth, I love thy courage yet, and bold emprife.

645.-nor idly muft'ring ftood;] One can't perceive the pertinence of this without fuppofing that it hinted

From

at the circumftances of the landarmy at that time. Warburton.

So it was alter'd for the better in 651.-which makes a bloody fray;] the fecond edition; it was tacks a bloody fray in the first edition; which is not fo plain and intelligible,

660. In other part the fcepter'd be

ralds call &c.] It may be noted here once for all, that in this vifionary part Milton has frequently had his eye upon his mafter Homer, and feveral of the images which are represented to Adam are copies of the defcriptions on the fhield of Achilles, Iliad. XVIII. His eyes he open'd, and beheld a field,

Part