Inlightning her by day, as the by night This earth? reciprocal, if land be there, 145 As clouds, and clouds may rain, and rain produce in the other half which is turn'd away from the fun. 145. Her fpots thou feeft As clouds,] It feems by this and by another paffage V. 419. as if our author thought that the fpots in the moon were clouds and vapors: but the most probable opinion is, that they are her feas and waters, which reflect only part of the fun's rays, and absorb the reft. They cannot poffibly be clouds and vapors, because they are obferved to be fix'd and permanent. But (as Dr. Pearce obferves) Mr. Auzout in the Philofophical Tranfactions for the year 1666 thought that he had obferved fome difference between the fpots of the moon as they then appear'd, and as they are defcribed to have appear'd long before: and Milton, who wrote this poem about that time, might approve of Auzout's obfervation, though others do not. 150 For 150. Communicating male and fe male light,] The funs communicate male, and the moons female light. And thus Pliny mentions it as a tradition, that the fun is a masculine ftar, drying all things: on the contrary the moon is a loft and feminine ftar, diffolving humors: and fo the balance of nature is preferved, fome of the stars binding the elements, and others loofing them. Plin. Nat. Hift. Lib. 2. C. 100. Solis ardore ficcatur liquor; et hoc efse mafculum fidus accepimus, torrens cuncta forbenfque. E contrario ferunt lunæ femineum ac molle fidus, atque nocturnum folvere humorem. Ita penfari naturæ vices, femperque fufficere, aliis fiderum elementa cogentibus, aliis vero fundentibus. 155. Only to fine, yet fcarce to comtribute] The accent here upon contribute is the fame as upon attribute in ver. 107. The For fuch vaft room in nature unpoffefs'd Each orb a glimpse of light, convey'd fo far Light back to them, is obvious to dispute. But whether thus these things, or whether not, Rise on the earth, or earth rise on the fun, 155 160 Or The fwiftness of those circles attri- Raphael's mouth: for it is intimated búte: and upon attributed in ver. 12. With glory attributed to the high. But now a days we generally lay the accent differently. 157. this habitable,] An adjective ufed fubftantively earth is understood; as in VI. 78. this terrene. This habitable is pure Greek, Oneusvn, the inhabited, the earth. Richardfon. 158. Light back to them,] I think that Dr. Bentley very justly objects to the word Light here: for if the fix'd ftars convey only a glimpse of light to our earth, it is too much to fay that the returns back to them light in general, which implies more than a glimpse of it. The Doctor therefore would read Nought back to them: But this is not agreeable to the philofophy which Milton puts in in ver. 140. that our earth does fend out light from ber; and if fo, then fome of her light might be return'd back to the fix'd ftars. Suppose we fhould read Like back to them &c. i. e. only a glimpse of light, just as much and no more than the receives. Pearce. 159. But whether thus these things, or whether not, &c.] The Angel is now recapitulating the whole. He had argued upon the fuppofition of the truth of the Ptolemaic fyftem to ver. 122. Then he proposes the Copernican fyftem, and argues upon that fuppofition. Now he fums up the whole, But whether thus thefe things, or whether not, whether the one fyftem or the other be true, whether Heaven move or Earth, folicit not thyself about these matters, fear God and do thy duty. 162. - his flaming road] Elegantly applying to the road what belongs Or fhe from weft her filent course advance With inoffenfive pace that spinning sleeps she On her foft axle, while the paces even, ; 165 170 And bears thee foft with the smooth air along, Contented that thus far hath been reveal'd To whom thus Adam, clear'd of doubt, reply'd. How fully haft thou fatisfy'd me, pure 180 Intelligence of Heav'n, Angel ferene, And freed from intricacies, taught to live, The easiest way, nor with perplexing thoughts God hath bid dwell far off all anxious cares, 185 And not moleft us, unless we ourselves Seek them with wand'ring thoughts, and notions vain. But apt the mind or fancy is to rove Uncheck'd, and of her roving is no end, Till warn'd, or by experience taught, fhe learn, 190 193. That which before us lies in daily life,] Shadow'd from à verfe of Homer, fo much admir'd and recommended by Socrates, Οτι τοι εν μεγαροισι κακον τ'αγαθονζε τετυκ]αι. Bentley. 194. Is the prime wisdom; what is more, is fume, &c.] An excellent piece of fatir this, and a fine reproof of those men who have all fenfe but common fenfe, and VOL. II. Or whofe folly is truly represented in the ftory of the philofopher, who while he was gazing at the stars fell into the ditch. Our author in these lines, as Mr. Thyer imagins, might probably have in his eye the character of Socrates, who first attempted to divert his countrymen from their aery and chimerical notions about the origin of things, and turn their attention to that prime wisdom, the confideration of moral duties, and their conduct in focial life. F 204. -Now Or emptiness, or fond impertinence, And renders us in things that most concern may arife Of fomething not unfeasonable to ask 195 200 By fufferance, and thy wonted favor deign'd. 204. - now hear me relate My ftory,] Adam, to detain the Angel, enters upon his own history, and relates to him the circumstances in which he found himself upon his creation; as alfo his converfation with his Maker, and his first meeting with Eve. There is no part of the poem more apt to raise the attention of the reader, than this difcourse of our great ancestor; as nothing can be more furprifing and delightful to us, than to hear the fentiments that arofe in the first man while he was yet new and fresh from the hands of his Creator. The poet has interwoven every thing which is delivered upon this fubject in holy Writ with fo many beautiful imaginations of his own, that nothing can be conceived more juft and natural than this whole episode. And As our author knew this fubject could not but be agreeable to his reader, he would not throw it into the relation of the fix days works, but reserved it for a distinct episode, that he might have an opportunity of expatiating upon it more at large. Before I enter on this part of the poem, I cannot but take notice of two fhining paffages in the dialogue between Adam and the Angel. The firft is that wherein our anceftor gives an account of the pleasure he took in converfing with him, which contains a very noble moral. For while I fit with thee, I feem |