Might fuddenly inflict; that paft, return'd 345 By night, and list'ning where the hapless pair fun rofe in Aries, he fteers his courfe with joy &c.] In Milton's own editions, and in all the reft which I have seen till Mr. Fenton's and Dr. Bentley's it was falfely printed thus, which underflood Not inftant, but of future time. With joy &'c. 350 354 Thy But the fenfe evidently fhows that ver. 312. Thy trophies, which thou view'ft as not thine own; Thou art their author and prime architect : For Ino fooner in my heart divin'd, My heart, which by a secret harmony Still moves with thine, join'd in connexion sweet, That thou on earth hadft profper'd, which thy looks Now alfo evidence, but ftrait I felt 361 Though diftant from thee worlds between, yet felt That I must after thee with this thy fon, Such fatal confequence unites us three: Hell could no longer hold us in her bounds, 365 Nor this unvoyageable gulf obfcure Detain from following thy illuftrious track. To fortify thus far, and overlay With this portentous bridge the dark abyss. 370 What See more inftances of this IV. 129. 381. His quadrature, from thy or bicular world,] This world is orbicular or round; the empyreal Heaven is a quadrature or fquare. Our author had faid before, Book II. 1048. that it was undetermin'd Square or round, and fo it might be to What thy hands builded not, thy wisdom gain'd Antagonist of Heav'n's almighty king) Amply have merited of me, of all Th' infernal empire, that so near Heav'n's door to Satan viewing it at that distance: But here he follows the opinion of Gaffendus and others, who fay that the Empyréum or Heaven of Heavens is of a fquare figure becaufe the holy city in the Revelation is fo defcribid, Rev. XXI. 16. And the city lieth four-fquare, and the length is as large as the breadth. 380 390 Mine 383. 386.-for 1 glory in the name, 395 Mine with this glorious work, and made one realm Chiefly on Man, fole lord of all declar'd, Him first make sure your thrall, and lastly kill. 408.prevail,] So it is in the first edition, in the fecond it is prevails. 409. No detriment need fear ;] Here our author plainly alludes to the charge given by the Roman fenate to the fupreme magiftrate in times of danger providere nequid refp. detrimenti accipiat. Thyer. 409. and be ftrong] Satan go encourages Sin and Death in much 400 My the fame words as Mofes does Jofhua. Deut. XXXI. 7, 8. 412. Spreading their bane ;] Ovid's defcription of the journey of Envy Death's to Paradife, have a great to Athens, and Milton's of Sin and refemblance. But whatever Milton imitates, he adds a greatness to it; as, in this place, he alters Ovid's flowers, herbs, people and cities to ftars, planets and worlds. Ovid. Met. II. 791. Quacunque ingreditur,florentia pro- Polluit. Plenipotent on earth, of matchlefs might 405 So faying he difmifs'd them; they with speed 410 Their course through thickest constellations held, Spreading their bane; the blasted stars look'd wan, And planets, planet-ftruck, real eclipse Then fuffer'd. Th' other way Satan went down |