Rose like a steam of rich distill’d perfumes,
And stole upon the air, that even Silence
Was took ere she was ware, and wish'd she might
Deny her nature, and be never more
Still to be so displac'd. I was all ear,
And took in strains that might create a soul

560

have stream for steam. A manifest And in Shakespeare, but difoversight of the compositor. ferently expressed. Winter's

Solemn is used to characterize Tale, act iv. 8. S. Of hearing a the music of the nightingale, song. “All their other senses Par. L. iv. 648. “ Night's solemn “ stuck in their ears." And in

1." And she is called “the the Tempest, Prospero says, "No “solemn .nightingale,” vii. 435. “ tongues, all eyes." Compare T. Warton.

also Herrick's Hesperides, p. 21. Before these two lines were edit. 1648. 8vo. corrected as they are at present, When I thy singing next shall heare the author had written them thus, Ile wish I might turne ALL to eare. At last a sweet and solemn breathing This thought, and expression, sound

occurs first in Drummond's SonRose like a steam of slow distilld per. nets, 1616. Signat. D. 2. To the fumes.

nightingale. 557.-that even Silence &c.] We Such sad lamenting straines, that see in these three lines the luxuri

Night attends, ancy of a juvenile poet's fancy;

Become all care, starres stay to heare

thy plight, &c. there is something more correct

T. Warton. and manly in three words upon a like occasion in the Paradise

561.--that might create a soul Lost, iv. 604.

Under the ribs of death :]

The general image of creating a Silence was pleas'd.

soul by harmony is again from But in a young genius there should Shakespeare. But the particular always be something to lop and

one of a soul under the ribs of prune away. As Cicero says, De death, which is extremely groOrat. ii. 21. volo esse in adole- tesque, is taken from a picture scente, unde aliquid amputem. in Alciat's emblems, where a soul If there is not something re

in the figure of an infant is redundant in youth, there will be presented within the ribs of a something deficient in age.

skeleton, as in its prison. This 560. —-I was all ear.] So curious picture is presented by Catullus, of a rich perfume, Quarles. Warburton. carm. xiji. 13.

That might create a soul, that is, Quod tu cum olfacies, deos rogabis

says Mr. Sympson, recreate, aran Totum ut te faciant, Fabulle, nasum.

toursy: and Mr. Theobald pro

Under the ribs of death: but o ere long
Too well I did perceive it was the voice
Of my most honour'd Lady, your dear Sister.
Amaz'd I stood, harrow'd with grief and fear, 565
And O poor hapless nightingale thought I,
How sweet thou sing'st, how near the deadly snare!
Then down the lawns I ran with headlong haste,
Through paths and turnings often trod by day,
Till guided by mine ear I found the place,

570
Where that damn’d wizard hid in sly disguise
(For so by certain signs I knew) had met
Already, ere my best speed could prevent,
The aidless innocent Lady his wish'd prey,
Who gently ask'd if he had seen such two, 575
Supposing him some neighbour villager.
Longer I durst not stay, but soon I guess'd
Ye were the two she meant; with that I sprung
Into swift flight, till I had found you here,
But further know I not.

2. BROTHER.

O night and shades, How are ye join'd with hell in triple knot, Against th' unarmed weakness of one virgin

580

but I presume they knew not of And s. 8. the Ghost to Hamlet, the allusion just mentioned.

I could a tale unfold, whose lightest 563. Too well I did perceive] word In the Manuscript it is

Would harrow up thy soul. Too well I might perceive.

574. The aidless innocent Ludy] 565.-harrow'd with grief and At first he had written helpless, fear,] So in Shakespeare, Hamlet, but altered it, that word occurs act i. . 1. Horatio of the Ghost, ring again within a few lines it harrows me with fear and

afterwards. wonder.

585

Alone, and helpless! Is this the confidence
You gave me, Brother?

ELDER BROTHER.

Yes, and keep it still,
Lean on it safely; not a period
Shall be unsaid for me: against the threats
Of malice or of sorcery, or that power
Which erring men call Chance, this I hold firm,
Virtue may be assail'd, but never hurt, ,
Surpris'd by unjust force, but not inthrall’d;
Yea even that which mischief ineant most harm,
Shall in the happy trial prove most glory:
But evil on itself shall back recoil,
And mix no more with goodness, when at last
Gather'd like scum, and settled to itself,
It shall be in eternal restless change
Self-fed, and self-consum'd: if this fail,
The pillar'd firmament is rottenness,

590

595

584. Yes, and keep it still, &c.] and exalted sentiments of the This confidence of the Elder Stoics concerning the power of Brother in favour of the final virtue. Thyer. efficacy of virtue holds forth a 597. Self-fed, and self-convery high strain of philosophy, sum'd :) This image is wonderdelivered in as high strains of fully fine. It is taken from the eloquence and poetry. T. War- conjectures of astronomers conton.

cerning the dark spots, which 589. Virtue may be assaild, but from time to time appear on the never hurt,] Milton seems in this surface of the sun's body, and line to allude to the famous after a while disappear again, answer of the philosopher to a ty- which they suppose to be the rant, who threatened him with scum of that fiery matter, which death, Thou may'st kill me, but first breeds it, and then breaks thou canst not hurt me. And it thro' and consumes it. Warbure may be observed, that not only ton. in this speech, but also in many

598. The pillar'd firmament] others of this poem, our author See Paradise Regained, iv. 455. has made great use of the noble and the note there.

And earth's base built on stubble. But come let's on. Against th’ opposing will and arm of heaven

600 May never this just sword be lifted up; But for that damn'd magician, let him be girt With all the grisly legions that troop Under the sooty flag of Acheron, Harpies and Hydras, or all the monstrous forms 605 'Twixt Africa and Ind, I'll find him out, And force him to restore his purchase back, Or drag him by the curls to a foul death, Curs'd as his life.

602. But for that. damn'd Such as those which Carlo and magician, let him be girt, &c.] Ubaldo meet, in going to Compare P. R. iv. 626. et seq. Armida's enchanted mountain, T. Warton.

in Fairfax's Tasso, c. xv. 51. 605. Harpies and hydras, or

All monsters which hot Africke forth all the monstrous forms.] Or spoils doth send the metre. Yet an anapæst may 'Twixt Nilus, Atlas, and the southern be admitted in the third part,

cape,

Where all there met. see v. 636. 682. Although this last is not an anapæst. But any Milton often copies Fairfax, and foot of three syllables may be not his original. T. Warton. admitted in this place of an 607. -io restore his purchase iambic verse, if the licence be back,] He had written at first not taken too frequently. Hurd.

to release his new got prey. Harpies and hydras are combination in an enumeration 608. -to a foul death, of monsters, in Sylvester's Du Curs'd as his life. Bartas, p. 206. fol. ut supr. In the Manuscript, and in the And th' ugly Gorgons, and the edition of 1637, it is Sphinxes fell,

and cleave his scalp Hydraes and harpies gan to yawne

Down to the hips : and yel.

T. Warlon. and he has preserved the same 605. -or all the monstrous image in his Paradise Lost, forms] In Milton's Manuscript, speaking of Moloch, vi. 361. and the edition of 1637 it is, Down cloven to the waist, with shat

ter'd arms or all the monstrous bugs ; which

And uncouth pain fled bellowing: word was in more familiar use formerly, and hence bugbear. and no wonder he was led to it

605. —all the monstrous forms by his favourite romances, and 'Twixt Africa and Ind,] his favourite plays. Jonson has

610

SPIRIT.

Alas! good vent'rous Youth,
I love thy courage yet, and bold emprise ;
But here thy sword can do thee little stead;
Far other arms, and other weapons must
Be those that quell the might of hellish charms:
He with his bare wand can unthread thy joints,
And crumble all thy sinews.

the same image in the Fox, act the same, Paradise Lost, xi. 642. iii. s. 8.

Spenser uses the word, Faery O that his well driv'n sword

Queen, b. ii. cant. 3. st. 35. Had been so covetous to have cleft me

-whose warlike name down

Is far renown'd through many a bold Unto the navel.

emprise. And Shakespeare in Macbeth, And Fairfax, cant. ii. st. 77. act i. s. 2.

If you achieve renown by this emTill he unseam'd him from the nave prise. to th' chops.

611. But here thy sword can do I know Mr. Warburton reads thee little stead; &c.] Virgil, Æn. here

ii. 521. -from the nape to th' chops,

Non tali auxilio, nec defensoribus

istis and supports it very ingeniously;

Tempus eget: but if any alteration were necessary, I should rather read See Æn. vi. 290. Tasso, cant. xv.

st. 49. Richardson. Till he unseam'd him from the chops to th' nave.

Before the poet had corrected

this line, he had written, Nay Shakespeare carries it so far as to make Coriolanus cleave

But here thy steel can do thee small

avail. men down from head to bot. Coriolanus, act ii. s. 6.

613. Be those that quell the -his sword, (death's stamp)

might of hellish charms:) ComWhere it did mark, it took from face pare Shakespeare's K. Richard to foot.

III. act iji, s. 4. But notwithstanding these in

With devilish plots

Of damned witchcraft; and that have stances, I believe every reader

prevail'd will agree that Milton altered

Upon my body with their hellish the passage much for the better charms. in the edition of 1645.

T. Warton. Or drag him by the curls to a foul 614. He with his bare wand

death, Curs'd as his life.

can unthread thy joints,

And crumble all thy sinews.] 610. —und bold emprise ;] See He had written at first,