* 565

Fled and pursu'd tranverse the resonant fugue.
In other part stood one who at the forge
Lab'ring, two massy clods of ir'on and brass
Had melted, (whether found where casual fire
Had wasted woods on mountain or in vale,
Down to the veins of earth, thence gliding hot
To some cave's mouth, or whether wash'd by stream
From underground,) the liquid ore he drain'd

570

Into fit moulds prepar'd; from which he form'd
First his own tools; then, what might else be wrought
Fusil or grav'n in metal.

565.

two massy clods of ir'on and brass

Had melted, (whether found where casual fire Had wasted woods on mountain or in vale, Down to the veins of earth,-] From Lucretius, v. 1240.

Quod superest, as atque aurum,

ferrumque repertum est, Et simul argenti pondus, plumbique potestas;

Ignis ubi ingentes silvas ardore cremârat

Montibus in magnis.

But these verses want emendation. Plumbi potestas is nonsense. The stop should be placed thus:

After these,

573. After these,] As being the descendants of the younger brother, but on the hither side, Cain having been banished into a more distant country, a different sort, the posterity of Seth wholly dif ferent from that of Cain, from the high neighbouring hills, which was their seat, having their habitation in the mountains near Paradise, down to the plain descended, where the Cainites dwelt; by their guise just men they seemed, and all their study bent to worship God aright, the Scripture itself speaks of them as the worshippers of the true God, and know his works not hid,

Et simul argenti pondus, plumbi and Josephus and other writers

que, potestas

Ignis ubi ingentes &c. Argenti pondus plumbique, as in Virgil, argenti pondus et auri. Potestas ignis expresses the consuming power of fire. We have potentia solis in Virgil, and potestates herbarum. Jortin.

573. Fusil or grav'n] By melting or carving. Hume,

inform us that they were addicted to the study of natural philosophy, and especially of astronomy, (Joseph. Antiq. lib. i. c. 2.) nor those things last (in the first edition it is lost, but afterwards corrected among the errata) which might preserve, nor was it their last care and study to know those things which might preserve freedom and peace

But on the hither side, a different sort

576

From the high neighb'ring hills, which was their seat,
Down to the plain descended: by their guise
Just men they seem'd, and all their study bent
To worship God aright, and know his works
Not hid, nor those things last which might preserve
Freedom and peace to men: they on the plain
Long had not walk'd, when from the tents behold
A bevy of fair women, richly gay

In gems and wanton dress; to th' harp they sung
Soft amorous ditties, and in dance came on:

580

The men though grave, ey'd them, and let their eyes 585
Rove without rein, till in the amorous net

Fast caught, they lik'd, and each his liking chose ;
And now of love they treat, till th' evening star,
Love's harbinger, appear'd; then all in heat
They light the nuptial torch, and bid invoke

to men. Though this account
of the Sethites be in the general
agreeable to Scripture, yet the
particulars of their living in the
mountains near Paradise, and
of their descending thence into
the plain, and their corrupt-
ing themselves in that man-
ner with the daughters of Cain,
our author seems to have taken
from the oriental writers, and
particularly from the Annals of
Eutychius.

582. A bevy of fair women,] A bevy is a company, of the Italian beva, (says Hume,) a covey of partridges. It is a word used by Chaucer, and by Spenser likewise of a company of women, Faery Queen, b. ii.

A lovely bevy of fair ladies sat.
And b. iv. cant. x. st. 48.

590

A bevy of fair damsels close did lie. And b. v. cant. ix. st. 31.

A bevy of fair virgins clad in white.

And by Shakespeare, Henry
VIII. act i.

-none here he hopes,
In all this noble bevy, has brought
with her

One care abroad.

586. -till in the amorous net Fast caught, they lik'd,] Dr. Bentley finding first in the later editions, says that Milton must have given it fast: and so he did in both the editions published in his life time. Pearce.

588. till th' evening star,

Hymen, then first to marriage rites invok'd:
With feast and music all the tents resound.
Such happy interview and fair event

Of love and youth not lost, songs, garlands, flowers,
And charming symphonies attach'd the heart
Of Adam, soon inclin'd t' admit delight,
The bent of nature; which he thus express'd.
True opener of mine eyes, prime Angel blest,
Much better seems this vision, and more hope
Of peaceful days portends, than those two past;
Those were of hate and death, or pain much worse,
Here nature seems fulfill'd in all her ends.

To whom thus Michael. Judge not what is best By pleasure, though to nature seeming meet, Created, as thou art, to nobler end

Holy and pure, conformity divine.

Those tents thou saw'st so pleasant, were the tents
Of wickedness, wherein shall dwell his race
Who slew his brother; studious they appear
Of arts that polish life, inventors rare,
Unmindful of their Maker, though his Spirit
Taught them, but they his gifts acknowledg'd none.
Yet they a beauteous offspring shall beget ;
For that fair female troop thou saw'st, that seem'd
Of goddesses, so blithe, so smooth, so gay,
Yet empty of all good wherein consists
Woman's domestic honour and chief praise;

614. For that fair female troop thou saw'st,] The construction is not, as some may apprehend, For that fair female troop (which) thou sawest; but thou sawest that

595

600

605

610

615

fair female troop, that seemed &c. which is a sufficient proof of the posterity of Cain begetting a beauteous offspring.

Bred only and completed to the taste

Of lustful appetence, to sing, to dance,

To dress, and troll the tongue, and roll the eye.
To these that sober race of men, whose lives
Religious titled them the sons of God,
Shall yield up all their virtue, all their fame
Ignobly, to the trains and to the smiles
Of these fair atheists, and now swim in joy,

Ere long to swim at large; and laugh, for which
The world ere long a world of tears must weep.

To whom thus Adam of short joy bereft.
O pity' and shame, that they who to live well

621. To these that sober race of men, &c.] As we read in Gen. vi. 2. The sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. It. is now generally agreed, that this passage is to be understood of the sons of Seth, the worshippers of the true God, making matches with the idolatrous daughters of wicked Cain; and Milton very rightly puts this construction upon it here, though elsewhere he seems to give into the old exploded conceit of the angels becoming enamoured of the daughters of men. See iii. 463. and the note there, and likewise v. 447. and Par. Reg. ii. 178, &c.

627. The world ere long a world of tears must weep.] Dr. Bentley observes that this world and world is a jingle, and that a world of tears is a low expression. He would therefore

620

625

speaks in ver. 757. But if this verse be blameable on this account, yet our poet has used the same way of speaking in ix. 11.

That brought into this world a world of woe.

I think that the foregoing part of this sentence should be pointed thus,

and now swim in joy, Ere long to swim at large; and laugh, for which

The world ere long a world of tears must weep.

For swimming in joy and swimming at large are opposed to each other, as are likewise laughing and weeping a world of tears. Pearce.

As the sense is so much improved by this pointing, we cannot but prefer it to Milton's own, which was thus:

-and now swim in joy (Ere long to swim at large) and laugh; for which

The world ere long a world of tears

Enter'd so fair, should turn aside to tread
Paths indirect, or in the mid way faint!
But still I see the tenor of Man's woe

630

Holds on the same, from Woman to begin.
From Man's effeminate slackness it begins,
Said th' Angel, who should better hold his place
By wisdom and superior gifts receiv'd.
But now prepare thee for another scene.

He look'd, and saw wide territory spread
Before him, towns, and rural works between,
Cities of men with lofty gates and towers,
Concourse in arms, fierce faces threat'ning war,
Giants of mighty bone, and bold emprise;

635

640

Part wield their arms, part curb the foaming steed,
Single or in array of battle rang'd

Both horse and foot, nor idly must'ring stood;
One way a band select from forage drives
A herd of beeves, fair oxen and fair kine
From a fat meadow ground; or fleecy flock,
Ewes and their bleating lambs over the plain,
Their booty; scarce with life the shepherds fly,

645

650

638. He look'd and saw wide territory spread &c.] The next vision is of a quite contrary nature, and filled with the horrors of war. Adam at the sight of it melts into tears, and breaks out in that passionate speech,

-O what are these, Death's ministers, not men &c.

Addison. 642. —emprise ;] An old word

for enterprise. It is used in the Mask.

Alas! good vent'rous youth, I love thy courage yet, and bold emprise.

645. -nor idly must'ring stood;] One cannot perceive the pertinence of this without supposing that it hinted at the circumstances of the land-army at that time. Warburton.