So under fiery cope together rush'd Both battles main, with ruinous assault 215 Resounded, and had earth been then, all earth From his strong hold of heav'n high over-rul'd 220 225 230 235 None of retreat, no unbecoming deed That argued fear; each on himself relied, Of victory deeds of eternal fame Were done, but infinite; for wide was spread the files are implied. The ranks are the rows of soldiers from flank to flank, from side to side, from the left to the right; the files are from front to rear. Richardson. 236. -no thought of flight,] So Homer, Iliad. xi. 71. Ουδ' έτεροι μνωοντ' ολοοιο φοβοιο. And Iliad. xxiv. 216. ουτε φοβου μεμνημένον, ουτ' αλε 239. As only in his arm the mo- Αλλ' εχον, ώστε ταλαντα γυνη Ως μεν των επι ισα μαχη τετατο πτο λεμος τε. As when two scales are charg'd with doubtful loads So stood the war, 240 till Hector's match With fates prevailing turn'd the scale of fight. Pope. And in several particulars he has had his eye upon Homer, and commonly exceeds his master. Homer says that the Greeks and Trojans fought like burning fire: Ως οἱ μὲν μαρναντο, δέμας πυρος αιθο- It would be entering into too minute a detail of criticism to mention every little circumstance that is copied from Homer; and where he does not directly copy from Homer, his style and colouring is still very much in Homer's manner; and one may see plainly that he has read him, even where he does not imitate him. Wonderful as his genius was, he could hardly have drawn the battles of the angels so well without first reading those in the Iliad; and Homer taught him to excel Homer. 242. That war and various, sometimes on firm ground A standing fight, then soaring &c.] A standing fight, then soaring on main wing Of fighting seraphim confus'd, at length 245 Saw where the sword of Michael smote, and fell'd 250 The syntax and sense is; The war was sometimes a standing fight on the ground, and sometimes the war soaring on main wing tormented all the air. Pearce. 244. Tormented all the air;] Here Milton takes the same liberty of applying the word torment, which the Latin poets did before him in using the term vexare. So Marino describing Neptune raising a storm, Adon. cant. i. st. 123. -e d'Aquiloni Col fulmine dentato (emulo a Gioue) Tormentando la terra, il mar com moue. Thyer. So Spenser in the Morning Muse 247. and met in arms The poet seems almost to have forgotten how Satan was foiled 255 by Abdiel in the beginning of the action: but I suppose the poet did not consider Abdiel as equal to Satan, though he gained that accidental advantage over him. Satan no doubt would have proved an overmatch for Abdiel, only for the general engagement which ensued, and broke off the combat between them. 251. with huge two-handed sway &c.] It shows how entirely the ideas of chivalry and romance had possessed him, to make Michael fight with a two-handed sword. The same idea occasioned his expressing himself very obscurely in the following lives of his Lycidas, v. 130. But that two-handed engine at the door Stands ready to smite once, and smite no more. Warburton. 255. Of tenfold adamant,] In other poets the angels are armed A vast circumference: At his approach Author of ev'il, unknown till thy revolt, Of thy rebellion? how hast thou instill'd Thy malice into thousands, once upright And faithful, now prov'd false? But think not here in adamant, and in Tasso there is particular mention of an adamantine shield, cant. vii. st. 82. Scudo di lucidissimo diamante. 262. Author of evil, &c.] These speeches give breath as it were to the reader after the hurry of the general battle; and prepare his mind, and raise his expectation the more for the ensuing combat between Michael and Satan. It is the practice likewise of Homer and Virgil, to make their heroes discourse before they fight; it renders the action more solemn, 260 265 270 275 and more engages the reader's 275. Hence then, and evil go Thou and thy wicked crew ; there mingle broils,] Imitated from Tasso, where Michael in like manner rebukes the infernal spirits who fought against the Christians, cant. ix. st. 64. Itene maledetti al vostro regno, Regno di pene, e di perpetua morte: Thy offspring, to the place of evil, hell, Thou and thy wicked crew; there mingle broils, Or some more sudden vengeance wing'd from God 280 So spake the prince of angels; to whom thus The Adversary. Nor think thou with wind Of aery threats to awe whom yet with deeds Thou canst not. Hast thou turn'd the least of these To flight, or if to fall, but that they rise Unvanquish'd, easier to transact with me 285 290 That thou should'st hope, imperious, and with threats I fly not, but have sought thee far and nigh. Le vostre guerre, et i trionsi vostri. Go hence you curst to your appointed lands, The realms of death, of torments, and of woes, And in the deeps of that infernal lake Your battles fight, and there your triumphs make. Fairfax. 282. The Adversary.] Not as any enemy in fight may be called, but in a sense peculiar to him, Satan being his name, and Satan in Hebrew signifying the adversary. VOL. I. 295 |