ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THE NOTES. Abbott, Abbott's Shakespearian Grammar (1888); C., Comus; Cent. Dict., The Century Dictionary; Class. Dict., — any good Classical Dictionary will serve, but perhaps Gayley's Classic Myths will best suit the needs of secondary students; F. Q., Spenser's Faerie Queene; Il P., Il Penseroso; L'Al., L'Allegro; Lyc., Lycidas; Nat., On the Morning of Christ's Nativity; New Eng. Dict., The New English Dictionary; P. L., Paradise Lost; P. R., Paradise Regained; R. of L., Shakspere's Rape of Lucrece; S. A., Samson Agonistes; Schmidt, Schmidt's Shakespeare-Lexicon (1886); Stand. Dict., The Standard Dictionary; V. and A., Shakspere's Venus and Adonis. The following abbreviations of the names of Shakspere's plays will be easily understood: A. Y. L., Cor., Cymb., Ham., Hen. V., 2 Hen. VI., 3 Hen. VI., Hen. VIII., Lear, L. L. L., Macb., M. N. D., M. of V., Much Ado, M. W., Oth., R. and J., Rich. II., Rich. III., T. A., Temp., T. G. of V., T. N., T. of S., W. T. The references to Shakspere's works are all to the "Globe" edition; those to Milton's works are to Masson's "Library Edition." NOTES. L'ALLEGRO. L'Allegro and Il Penseroso, owing to their close relation in form and matter, should be read together. Although they were not printed until 1645, they seem to have been written much earlier, probably about 1632 or 1633, at Horton, where Milton had retired from Cambridge after taking his M.A. degree. The titles are from the Italian, and imply "the cheerful man" and "the thoughtful man." Much discussion has arisen among editors and critics as to the import of these poems, which the want of space prevents us from considering. Perhaps, after all, it will be best for the student to work out his own theory of the matter, and then correct and supplement it by consulting the Introduction to this and the standard editions. Milton, in the composition of these poems, seems to have been indebted for a few slight hints and suggestions, in addition to those pointed out in the notes, to some verses entitled The Author's Abstract of Melancholy, prefixed to Burton's Anatomy of Melancholy, and to a song beginning " Hence, all you vain delights," in Fletcher's play of The Nice Valour. 1 2. Cerberus. Who was Cerberus? In classical mythology Erebus was the spouse of Night, but Milton, in order to have Melancholy inspire horror and repulsion, invented the present genealogy. 13. Stygian cave. The den of Cerberus was on the further bank of the Styx, the chief river of the nether world, and in front of it were landed all the shades ferried over by Charon. Browne takes Stygian here in the sense of "detested." For Styx, cf. P. L. ii. 577; also Stygian darkness, C. 132. 14. Shapes. Cf. Il P. 6, C. 207. When we note the indefiniteness of the images in this line, we recall that marvelous description of Death in P. L. ii. 666–673, and Coleridge's remark in his Lectures and Notes on Shakspere (Bohn ed.), p. 91: "The grandest efforts of poetry are 59 where the imagination is called forth, not to produce a distinct form, but a strong working of the mind, still offering what is still repelled, and again creating what is again rejected; the result being what the poet wishes to impress, namely, the substitution of a sublime feeling of the unimaginable for a mere image." In the present line the alliteration is also suggestive. 1 5. Uncouth. Radically it means "not known, not familiar, strange, and hence perplexing, filling the soul with dismal apprehensions' (Schmidt); elsewhere (Lyc. 186, P. L. v. 98, vi. 362) Milton seems to have had in mind both the radical and the derived meanings of the word. For the latter, see Cent. Dict. 1 6. Brooding. If taken literally, with an allusion in jealous wings to "the watch which fowls keep when they are sitting" (Warburton), we should expect her instead of his, but brooding rather means "overshadowing," and his is then accounted for by supposing that Milton had in mind the classical Erebus (Hales). Of what is Darkness jealous? 17. Night-raven. Probably the ill-omened raven is meant, although it is not a night bird. Cf. Much Ado ii. 3. 84. 19. Ragged. Rugged, uneven. Though used but once in Milton's poetry, the word is elsewhere not infrequently found as an epithet for rocks; cf. Isaiah ii. 21, T. G. of V. i. 2. 121, etc. 1 10. Cimmerian desert. "She [the ship] came to the limits of the world, to the deep-flowing Oceanus. There is the land and the city of the Cimmerians, shrouded in mist and cloud, and never does the shining sun look down on them with his rays, neither when he climbs up the starry heavens, nor when again he turns earthward from the firmament, but deadly night is outspread over miserable mortals." — Odyssey xi. 13-19 (Butcher and Lang). They were "known afterwards as a historical people, figuring round and near the Black Sea (whence the name Crimea)" (Masson). Dark is added for emphasis. What means has Milton employed in the first ten lines to give us such a repugnant picture of Melancholy? 1 11. Fair and free. Almost a set phrase among poets to denote beauty and grace in women. In this case, however, free may mean "free from care"; cf. 13, also Oth. iii. 3. 340. Why do we have a different meter here? 1 12. Yclept. Called; see Lounsbury, Hist. of Eng. Lang., pp. 387-390. 1 15. Two sister Graces. See Class. Dict. for the names and attri butes of the three Graces. The parentage here (14-16) given is found in a comment by Servius on Æneid i. 720 (Keightley), while the one that follows (17-24) is, perhaps, Milton's own invention. 1 16. Ivy-crowned Bacchus. 1 17. Or whether, etc. rather frequent in Milton. See Class. Dict.; cf. C. 54-55. Note the change in construction here, As some sager sing. If, as seems probable, this alternative genealogy is the invention of Milton, the present phrase seems to be a device for modestly recommending it to others, has yet discovered who these sager poets are. at any rate no one How do you parse sager ? 1 18. Frolic. Frolicsome; cf. C. 59. Breathes is used transitively. 1 20. A-Maying. For the explanation of this form, consult the New Eng. Dict., s.v. A, prep. This is one of the many allusions in English prose and poetry to the May festivities, for an account of which see Chambers, Book of Days. 2 22. Fresh-blown roses, etc. Cf. T. of S. ii. 1. 174. 2 24. Buxom, blithe, and debonair. Distinguish; note word origins. Observe the different arrangement of the words in Thomas Randolph's Aristippus (1635): "To make one blithe, buxome, and deboneer" (quoted by Todd). 2 26-28. Jest, etc. Consult a good dictionary and write a note on these lines, explaining Milton's nice distinctions. Wreathed is a transferred epithet; wanton here means "playful." Look up etymology of wanton. 2 28. Nods and becks, etc. Do you suppose Milton thought out this combination, or did he remember the line quoted by Warton from Burton's Anatomy of Melancholy? "With becks, and nods, and smiles again." 2 29. Hebe. See Class. Dict. ; cf. C. 290. 2 31. Derides. Subject? 2 32. Laughter, etc. Addison thought this "a very poetical figure of laughter"; cf. Cymb. i. 6. 68-69. 2 33. Come, and trip it, etc. Cf. Temp. iv. 1. 44-47, C. 143-144, 960-962; contrast Il P. 37 et seq. Fantastic, because the movements of the dance are to be whimsical and capricious. How many different functions has the pronoun it, and which one of these is here illustrated? 2 36. Mountain-nymph. "I suppose Liberty is called the mountain nymph, because the people in mountainous countries have generally preserved their liberties longest, as the Britons formerly in Wales, and the inhabitants in the mountains of Switzerland at this day" (Newton). "Or does he refer to the absence of conventional restraints and general |