523

"Bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh, myself
"Before me : Woman is her name; of man
"Extracted: for this cause he shall forego
"Father and mother, and to his wife adhere;
"And they shall be one flesh, one heart, one soul."
"She heard me thus ; and though divinely brought,
"Yet innocence, and virgin modesty,

2

"Her virtue, and the conscience of her worth,
"That would be woo'd and not unsought be won,'
"Not obvious, not obtrusive, but retir'd,
"(The more desirable) or, to say all,

"Nature herself, though pure of sinful thought,
"Wrought in her so, that, seeing me, she turn'd:
"I follow'd her; she what was honour knew,

66

And, with obsequious majesty, approv'd

"My pleaded reason. To the nuptial bower
"I led her blushing like the morn : all heaven,
"And happy constellations, on that hour
"Shed their selectest influence; 5 the earth
"Gave sign of gratulation, and each hill;
"Joyous the birds; fresh gales and gentle airs
"Whisper'd it to the woods, and from their wings
"Flung rose, flung odours from the spicy shrub,
"Disporting; till the amorous bird of night
"Sung spousal, and bid haste the ev'ning-star
"On his hill top to light the bridal lamp:

66

"

Thus have I told thee all my state, and brought

My story to the sum of earthly bliss,

"Which I enjoy ; and must confess to find

i Gen. il. 23, 24. This is a proof that his sleep was a trance, in which he (aw everj thing. Milton's monosyllabic lines often possess great force and beauty. See ii. 631, 950.—(H., N.)

« Conscienlia, here, as in our English version of the Bible, Heb. X. 2; 1 Cor. Till. T, means, consciousness.—(P.)

» So Shakspearo :—

"She's beautiful, and Ihereroro to be woo'd;

She Is a woman, therefore to be won."—(T.)

Milton's is an elegant comparison in the Eastern style; the bride of Solomon being likened to the morning, Cant. vi. 10: "Who is she that looketh forth as the morning?" (T.) Burke, in his usually matchless style, has applied this comparison, in his Essay on the French Revolution, to the young queen, afterwards beheaded.—"Just risen above the horizon, glittering like the morning star, full of life, and splendour, and Joy." 5 See Il. xiv. 347.-(r.)

6 Milton writes here in classical language. The evening star was the signal among the ancients to light their lamps and torches in order to conduct the bride home to the bridegroom. Catullus, "vesper adest, juvenes consurgite," etc. See ii. 588.-“ Hill top" is a classical expression for above the hills. See Virg. En. il. 801. Eel. viii. 30. So Spenser, Fairy Queen, I. ii. 1 :—

-"Phoebus' fiery oar

In haste was climbing up the eastern hill."-(N.)

559

"In all things else delight indeed, but such

"As, us'd or not, works in the mind no change,

"Nor vehement desire; these delicacies

"I mean of taste, sight, smell, herbs, fruits, and flowers,
"Walks, and the melody of birds: but here,
"Far otherwise! transported I behold,

66

Transported touch—here passion first I felt,
"Commotion strange! in all enjoyments else
"Superior and unmov'd—here only weak

66

Against the charm of beauty's powerful glance.
"Or nature fail'd in me, and left some part
"Not proof enough such object to sustain ;
"Or, from my side subducting, took perhaps
"More than enough: at least on her bestow'd
"Too much of ornament; in outward show

66

Elaborate, of inward, less exact.

"For well I understand, in the prime end
"Of nature, her the inferior in the mind
"And inward faculties, which most excel;
"In outward also her resembling less

"His image who made both,8 and less expressing
"The character of that dominion giv'n
"O'er other creatures: yet when I approach
"Her loveliness, so absolute & she seems
"And in herself complete; so well to know
"Her own, that what she wills to do or say,
"Seems wisest, virtuousest, discreetest, best:
"All higher knowledge in her presence falls

66

Degraded; wisdom in discourse with her

"Loses discount'nanc'd, and like folly shows :
"Authority and reason on her wait,

"As one intended first, not after made
"Occasionally; and, to consummate all,
"Greatness of mind, and nobleness, their scat
.“Build in her loveliest, and create an awe
"About her, as a guard angelic plac'd."

1 See Samson Agonisles, 1025.—(N.)

* It seems that here the image of God in man was the dominion given him over the other creatures. This does not agree with 440; but he sometimes varies hit hypothesis as may best suit his subject.—(TA.)

3 See note 421.

The number of superlatives here without the conjunction, or, as it is by grammarians called, the asyndaton construction, is evidently designed to fix the attention; the necessarily slow motion of the verse, loo, serves lhat purpose: the word "virtuousest," too, is artfully introduced; it is an unusual superlative of the word virtuous, and must be considered as a classical imitation; piissimus being found in some of the old Latin poets for maxime piut. So piousesl and virtuousest may be poetically used for most pious, and most virtuous.

595

To whom the angel with contracted brow: "Accuse not nature, she hath done her part : "Do thou but thine; and be not diffident "Of wisdom; she deserts thee not if thou "Dismiss not her, when most thou need'st her nigh, "By attributing overmuch to things

"Less excellent, as thou thyself perceiv'st.

1

For, what admir'st thou? what transports thee so?
"An outside! fair, no doubt, and worthy well
"Thy cherishing, thy honouring, and thy love;'
"Not thy subjection: weigh with her thyself;
"Then value: oft-times nothing profits more
"Than self-esteem, grounded on just and right,
"Well manag'd of that skill the more thou know'si,
"The more she will acknowledge thee her head,
"And to realities yield all her shows :
"Made so adorn 2 for thy delight the more,
"So awful, that with honour thou may'st love
"Thy mate, who sees when thou art seen least wise.
"But if the sense of touch, whereby mankind

"Is propagated, seem such dear delight

66

Beyond all other, think the same vouchsaf'd

"To cattle, and each beast; which would not be
"To them made common, and divulg'd, if aught
"Therein enjoy'd were worthy to subdue
"The soul of man, or passion in him move.
"What higher in her society thou flnd'st
"Attractive, human, rational, love still;
"In loving thou dost well, in passion not,
"Wherein true love consists not love refines
"The thoughts, and heart enlarges; hath his seat
"In reason, and is judicious; is the scale
"By which to heavenly love thou may'st ascend,
"Not sunk in carnal pleasure; for which cause,
Among the beasts no mate for thee was found."
To whom thus, half-abash'd, Adam replied:

66

3

4

1 He uses these three words which are in the Marriage Service agreeably to Scripture, Ephes. v. 28, 29; l Pet. iii. 7.—(N.)

* By poetic license for adorned. So Ital. adorno for adornato. So iii. 627, "fledge" for fledged; ix. 901, "devote" for devoted.—(N.)

So Spenser, Fairy Queen, III. v. 2, and Hymn of Love, 190; but there is no doubt that both these admired poets had in view the relined theory of love of the divine Plato, and that Milton in particular, in what he says here, had his eye especially upon that passage, where ihe scale by which we must ascend to heavenly love is both mentioned and described, Plat. Conviv.—(TA.) See c. ii. or "Life of Milton" (prefixed to this ed.) at the end.

1. e. Pure love chooses proper qualities in the object.—(P.)

634

1

"Neither her outside form'd so fair, nor aught
"In procreation common to all kinds,
"(Though higher of the genial bed * by far,
"And with mysterious reverence I deem,)
"So much delights me, as those graceful acts,
"Those thousand decencies that daily flow

66 From all her words, and actions mix'd with love
"And sweet compliance, which declare unfeign'd
"Union of mind, or in us both one soul :
"Harmony to behold in wedded pair

"More grateful than harmonious sound to th' ear;
"Yet these subject not: * I to thee disclose
"What inward thence I feel, not therefore foil'd,
"Who meet with various objects, from the sense
"Variously representing; yet, still free,

66 Approve the best, and follow what I approve.
"To love, thou blam'st me not; for love, thou say'st,
"Leads up to heaven; is both the way and guide:
"Bear with me then, if lawful what I ask :

66

"Love not the heavenly spirits? and how their love
Express they? by looks only? or do they mix
"Irradiance? virtual, or immediate touch?"
To whom the angel, with a smile that glow'd
Celestial rosy red, love's proper hue,

Answer'd: "Let it suffice thee that thou know'st
"Us happy; and, without love, no happiness.

"Whatever pure thou in the body enjoy'st,

66

(And pure thou wert created,) we enjoy

"In eminence; and obstacle find none

"Of membrane, joint, or limb, exclusive bars :
"Easier than air with air, if spirits embrace,

"Total they mix, union of pure with pure

66

Desiring; nor restrain'd conveyance need,

"As flesh to mix with flesh, or soul with soul.

66

"But I can now no more: the parting sun,

Beyond the earth's green cape and verdant isles,
Hesperian sets,* my signal to depart.

"Be strong, live happy, and love! but, first of all,

» /. e. Spirits not only mix total, but at a distance, without approaching one another as the human body to mix with body, and soul with soul must.—(P.)

"Cape," is Cape de Verd, the most western point of Africa, off which lie the Cape de Verd Islands, called here the "verdant isles."—"Hesperian sets," i. e. sets westward, from Hesperus, the evening star, appearing there. He very properly closes the discourse with those moral reflections which were designed to make a lasting impression on Adam. —(N.) See Apollon. Argon, iii. 1190:-

"Him, whom to love is to obey; and keep

"His great command: take heed lest passion sway
Thy judgment to do aught which else free will
"Would not admit : 2 thine, and of all thy sons,
"The weal, or woe, in thee is plac'd; beware! *
"I in thy persevering shall rejoice,

"And all the blest.

Stand fast! to stand, or fall,
"Free in thine own arbitrement it lies.
"Perfect within, no outward aid require;

66

And all temptation to transgress repel."

So saying, he arose; whom Adam thus
Follow'd with benediction: "Since to part,4
"Go, heavenly guest, ethereal messenger,
"Sent from whose sov'reign goodness I adore!
"Gentle to me and affable hath been

"Thy condescension, and shall be honour'd ever
"With grateful memory: thou to mankiud
"Be good and friendly still, and oft return!"
So parted they; the angel up to heaven

653 From the thick shade, and Adam to his bower."

Ηέλιος μεν απωθεν ερεμνην νετο γαιαν

Εσπέριος, νέκτας υπερ ακρίας Αθιοπηων. - (Τ.)

1 I. e. Not to eat of the forbidden fruit.

« Is used here in the Latin sense, admillere sometimes signifying to commit, as Tar. Heautonlim. act v. sc. 2:

3 En. xii. 59:

"Quid ego taulum scclerls admisi miser ?"—(N.)

"In te domus omnis inclinata recumbit."—(N.)

"Benediction" here is not blessing, but thanks, as Par. Reg. iii. 187; to "bless God" is a common religious phrase for to thank God. "Since to part," by the ellipsis of "it is necessary." So de, it must be, is often understood in Greek. As he is just departing, Adam uses brevity of speech.—(P., Monbod.)

5 From him whose goodness. The antecedent is often omitted by Milton, in imitation of the Greeks.

6 When the angel rose to depart, Adam followed him from the bower where they had been conversing to a shady walk that led to it, and here they parted.— Bower" here means his inmost bower, or place of rest, iv. 738.—(N.) Compare the parting of Jupiter and Thetis, in the first Iliad :

:

Τω γ' ως βουλευσαντε διετμαγον· η μεν έπειτα
Εις αλα αλτο βαθειαν, απ' αιγληεντος Ολύμπου
Ζευς δε τον προς δωμα, και (Τ.)