I of brute human, ye of human Gods. So ye shall die perhaps, by putting off Human, to put on Gods; death to be wish'd, Though threaten'd, which no worse than this can bring. And what are Gods that Man may not become As they, participating God-like food? The Gods are first, and that advantage use Th' offence, that Man should thus attain to know? Or is it envy, and can envy dwell 714. to put on Gods;] The Scripture expression as in 1 Cor. xv. 53. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 727. What can your knowledge hurt him, or this tree Impart against his will if all be his?] Dr. Bentley says that Milton had said Gods in all the argument before, and therefore designed here, What can your knowledge hurt them, or this tree Impart against their will, if all be theirs? But Milton had said God in ver. 692. and 700: and I think he 716 720 725 uses the singular number in the very next preceding sentence, ver. 722. who inclos'd Knowledge of good and evil in this tree? So that him and his here refer to him, who inclosed &c. Pearce. He seems to use both numbers promiscuously, sometimes speaking of God, sometimes of Gods; and I think we may observe that he generally speaks of Gods, when the sentiment would be too horrid, if it was spoken of God. 729. -can envy dwell In heav'nly breasts ?] Like that in Virgil, Æn. i. 11. Tantæne animis cœlestibus iræ ? In heav'nly breasts? these, these and many more He ended, and his words replete with guile 730 785 740 So savoury of that fruit, which with desire, Inclinable now grown to touch or taste, Solicited her longing eye; yet first Pausing a while, thus to herself she mus❜d. Great are thy virtues, doubtless, best of fruits, 745 Though kept from man, and worthy to be' admir'd, Gave elocution to the mute, and taught The tongue not made for speech to speak thy praise : Conceals not from us, naming thee the tree 739. Mean while the hour of monstrous. noon drew on, and wak'd An eager appetite,] This is a circumstance beautifully added by our author to the Scripture account, in order to make the folly and impiety of Eve appear less extravagant and VOL. II. 750 750. he also who forbids] As if it had not been God who had forbidden; but God was not now in all her thoughts. She afterwards professes herself ignorant of him, ver. 775. M 755 760 By thee communicated, and our want: Was death invented? or to us denied This intellectual food, for beasts reserv'd? For beasts it seems: yet that one beast which first. Hath tasted, envies not, but brings with joy Of virtue to make wise: what hinders then 777. Fair to the eye inviting to 770 775 780 tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one the taste, Of virtue to make wise:] Gen. iii. 6. The woman saw that the wise. Earth felt the wound, and nature from her seat Or fancied so, through expectation high 785 Of knowledge, nor was Godhead from her thought. 790 And knew not eating death: satiate at length, 793. And highten'd as with wine, &c.] That secret intoxication of pleasure, with all those transient flushings of guilt and joy, which the poet represents in our first parents upon their eating the forbidden fruit, to those flaggings of spirit, damps of sorrow, aud mutual accusations which succeed it, are conceived with a wonderful imagination, and described in very natural sentiments. Addison. 794. Thus to herself &c.] As our author had in the preceding conference betwixt our first parents described with the greatest art and decency the subordination and inferiority of the female character in strength of reason and understanding; so in this soliloquy of Eve's after tasting the forbidden fruit, one may observe the same judgment, in his varying and adapting it to the condition of her faller. nature. Instead of those little defects in O sovran, virtuous, precious of all trees In Paradise, of operation blest To sapience, hitherto obscur'd, infam'd, her intellectual faculties before 795 800 Serpent, to whom in her then notion of things she must think herself the most indebted? I do not doubt but Milton was sensible of this, but had he made Eve mention the Serpent, he could not have avoided too making her observe that he was slunk away, which might have given her some suspicions, and would consequently have much altered the scene which follows betwixt Adam and her. Thyer. 795. precious of all trees] The positive for the superlative; the most precious of all trees; as Virg. Æn. iv. 576. Sequimur te Sancte Deorum; and Hom. Iliad. v. 381. Aia biawy, &c. Richard son. 799. but henceforth my early care, Not without song, each morning, and due praise, Shall tend thee, &c.] I conceive the construction to be, not My early care and due praise shall tend thee, but My early care shall tend thee not without song and due praise; and therefore have added a comma after due praise to make the sense plainer. |