163

with Such Delay

well pleas'd they Slack their Course,

the North-East Winds are Contrary to Thofe whose Course is from the Cape to Mozambic, and So On; but they bring the Arabian Perfumes with them, which well Recompence the Forc'd Delay.

167

though with them better pleas'd

than Afmodeus

who was Driv'n from his Mistress by the Smell, and Hurry'd Far off, and there Fast Bound. Tob. VIII.

177 All Path of Manor Beast that paft that way neither Man nor Beast who fhould Travel This way could get Forward.

179 which when the Arch-Fellon faw when he saw the way was perplex'd and Impracticable, and that there was but One Gate and That on t'other fide, he Difdain'd the Ordinary Way of Ent'ring.

181 at One Slight Bound

Bound from Bondir (Fr.) to Leap, and Slight, not because 'twas no great Height, but 'twas Easy to Him.

the Fortifications made about Paradife to no purpose are of the Same Kind as the Sword the Sybil bids Eneas draw to defend himself against

against the Ghofts in his Defcent into Hell; but when he was presently after going to make use of it she tells him it would be to no pur pose. Æn. VI. 260, 292.

Throughly, Quite, Intirely. VI. 325.

183

Prowling

to Prole, or Prowle is to Look out in order to Pilfer, from the old French word Prayeler, to go upon the Prey.

193

Lewd Hireling's

Profane, Impious Hirelings. Milton ufes the word Lewd (as generally all Others) in the Senfe they were Understood Anciently.

196 Sat like a Cormorant ;

a very Voracious Sea-Fowl; Greedily Looking for Prey.

ibid.

-yet not true Life

Thereby regain'd

Immortality he had not Loft; the Life he could be fuppos'd to Regain was Happiness, and Innocence by Repentance. fuch a Life as is mention'd, v. 317, 318. This is the only True Life.

200

what Well us'd had been the Pledge

of Immortality.

L

the

the Token, the Gage, the Warrant of Immortality.

the Well-Ufing of This Tree by Satan had been to Reflect on the Immortal Happiness to be Attain'd by Repentance and Future Obedience; the only Defirable Immortality; His was Eternal Death.

a Spirit So Sagacious, the Wifeft Persevering Angel Little knows, in Comparison of the perfect Wisdom of God, to make the Utmoft Use of all the Good which is in View.

203

but Perverts Beft things

to Worft Abuse, or to their Meanest Ufe. Things are Perverted, not only when their Main End is Fruftrated in the Worft manner, but when made Subfervient to the Meanest

Purposes (which they are however fitted for) Preferably to the Moft Noble. As of Two Evils the Leaft becomes a Good, of two Goods the Leaft being Chofen becomes an Evil; 'tis the Cafe Here. This Tree was us'd for Profpect, and it's Heighth was proper for that Purpose, but That was not it's Best Use, the Ufe Intended; 'twas to have given Immortality; to Use it for Profpect only was to Pervert it, as to make that Profpect Subfervient to Death was its Worst Abuse.

What

What a Picture is here! Satan Boldly Perching on the Tree of Life, He had no Regard to its Dignity, but finding it most Convenient for his Accurfed Purpofe Us'd it accordingly. the Poet's Reflection on This Noble Incident fo Finely Imagin'd, is Proper, Natural, and Beautiful.

210

Eden ftretch'd her Line from Auran Eastward to the Royal Tow'rs to where the Tow'rs were afterwards built.

212 of great Seleucia, built by Grecian Kings, Seleucia on the Tygris, now Bagdad, built by Seleucus Nicanor, Immediate Succeffor of Alexander the Great in That Part of his Conquefts.

214 Telaffar

as Auran and Seleucia are in Mefopotamia.

218 and all Amid them

in the very Midft, in that Precife Central Point.

219

Blooming Ambrofial Fruit

the Tree of Life, as thofe v. 148. had Bloffoms and Fruit at the Same time the Tree Bloom'd Fruit, not only as Thofe with Us producing it from its Bloffom, but 'twas Always Bloffoming and Ripening into Fruit; Ambrofial Fruit. Ambrofia was the Meat of the Poet's Heaven, as Nectar was its Drink.

L 2

225

a more pure Earth as propereft for Such a Garden. This Mountain is the fame defcribed, 132, &c. See the Word Mould us'd in the fame Senfe, V. 321.

236

if Art could tell,

Milton's Imagination had a Picture which He Difpairs of Communicating to his Readers in its full Beauty, but does what he Can for them; They, if they are Equally Expert at This Kind of Painting may have One, if not in All respects the fame, as Fine; 'tis worth their Utmoft Endeavours to Try. Paradife and it's Inhabitants, and How they are Employ'd! 'tis Enchanting! 'tis Beyond Expreffion! All the poffible Beauties of Earth, Water, Air; of Animals, their Form, Colour, Motion, Voice; all the Majesty and Sweetness, of Either Sex of the Humane Kind, in Innocence, Joy and Love; Adoring ' and Loving God, Raptur'd with his Pre⚫ fence, and Accompany'd and Serv'd by Angels as Brethren.'

the Poet has wrought This Picture with the Utmoft Skill and Diligence. He begins, v. 132. by giving the Profpect of the Mount of Paradife as approaching to it; and Regaling