THE ARGUMENT. ADAM enquires concerning celestial motions, is doubtfully answered, and exhorted to search rather things more worthy of knowledge: Adam assents, and still desirous to detain Raphael, relates to him what he remembered since his own creation, his placing in Paradise, his talk with God concerning solitude and fit society, his first meeting and nuptials with Eve, his discourse with the Angel thereupon; who after admonitions repeated departs. PARADISE LOST. BOOK VIII. THE angel ended, and in Adam's ear 1. The angel ended, &c.] In the first edition of this poem in ten books here was only this line, To whom thus Adam gratefully replied. says the poet, intent and bending towards him, still listened and imagined him still speaking. Η, και ο μεν φόρμιγγα συν αμβροσίη σχεθεν αυδή Τοιδ αμο τον λήξαντος και προύχοντο nagnra Παντες όμως ορθοισιν επ' ουασιν ηρεμε αυτές Κηληθμῷ τοιον σφιν ενελλιπε θελκτιν αοιδήν. The thought was originally Homer's, Iliad. ii. 41. This would have been too abrupt a beginning for a new book; and therefore in the second edition of the poem in twelve books, when the seventh book was divided into two, the author changed this line, and changed it very much for the better, into the four first lines as they stand at present, only preserving part of this verse in the last of the four, Then as new wak'd thus gratefully εμοι αυτη ή ηχη τούτων των λογων replied. βομβεί, και ποιεί μη δυνασθαι aλλwv axovεiv. Jortin. 2. So charming left his voice, &c.] Imitated probably from Apollonius i. 512. who elegantly describes the effect which the harp and voice of Orpheus had upon the Argonauts. When Orpheus had ended his song, they, -θεση δε μιν αμφιχυτ' αμφη. Lucian Somn. òtı your- -η φωνη των ακουσθέντων εναυλος. And Socrates in Plato's Crito. Kai Ev των 3. —still stood fix'd to hear ;] Stood from Stava (Italian) remained, continued. It is not his attitude which is here described, but his great attention. Richardson. What thanks sufficient, or what recompense Equal have I to render thee, divine Historian, who thus largely hast allay'd The thirst I had of knowledge, and vouchsaf'd Things else by me unsearchable, now heard 5. What thanks sufficient, &c.] The accounts which Raphael gives of the battle of angels and the creation of the world, have in them those qualifications, which the critics judge requisite to an episode. They are nearly related to the principal action, and have a just connexion with the fable. The eighth book opens with a beautiful description of the impression which this discourse of the archangel made on our first parents. Adam afterwards, by a very natural curiosity, enquires concerning the motions of those celestial bodies which make the most glorious appearance among the six days' works. The poet here, with a great deal of art, represents Eve as withdrawing from this part of their conversation to amusements more suitable to her sex. He well knew, that the episode in this book, which is filled with Adam's account of his passion and esteem for Eve, would have been improper for her hearing, and has therefore 5 10 15 15. When I behold this goodly frame, this world &c.] Milton, after having given so noble an idea of the creation of this new world, takes a most proper occasion to shew the two great systems, usually called the Ptolemaic and the Copernican, one making the earth, the other the sun, to be the centre; and this he does by introducing Adam proposing very judiciously the difficulties that occur in the first, and which was the system most obvious to him. The reply of the angel touches on the expedients the Ptolemaics invented to solve those difficulties, and to patch up their system, and then intimates that perhaps the sun is the centre, and so opens that system, and withal the noble improvements of the new philosophy; not however determining for one or the other: on the contrary, he exhorts our progenitor to apply his thoughts Of heav'n and earth consisting, and compute Their distance argues and their swift return Round this opacous earth, this punctual spot, Greater so manifold to this one use, rather to what more nearly concerns him, and is within his reach. Richardson. 19. And all her number'd stars,] Numbered by whom? by the Lord their Creator, and by him alone, Ps. cxlvii. 4. He telleth the number of the stars, he calleth them all by their names. Astronomers also tell their number, but it is of that small part only which they see and give names to. But neither is this the numbered meant in this place. Adam only would say they are not a few, but a vast number, numerous. Richardson. Numbered is the same here as numerous in vii. 621. 19. that seem to roll Spaces incomprehensible] That is, roll through spaces incomprehensible: when a body is at a vast distance and performs its circuit in a day, both 20 25 these circumstances considered together argue that it rolls through spaces incomprehensible. Pearce. 23. this punctual spot,] He had called this earth a spot, in ver. 17. he calls it here this punctual spot, a spot no bigger than a point, compared with the firmament and fixed stars: punctual is derived from punctum a point. 28. So many nobler bodies to create, Greater so manifold] As if he had said, So many nobler, so many greater; but he turns the words, So many nobler, Greater so many, manifold for the sake of the verse. 29. Manifold is probably used for the adverb manifoldly; so many nobler, so many times greater than the earth. E. |