at Mid day opes a Prefence which Heaven's Eye Stands off and Points at?

311 Beheft

Crafhaw.

an Old Anglo-Saxon word, it fignifies Command, or Order.

314 -What thy Stores contain, bring forthWhether Milton Intended it or No (Why Not?) Here is a juft Image of the Several Parts the Hufband and Wife are to Act; He is Lefs Wife in Houfhold Affairs, Thofe are left to Her Management. Adam Here bids his Spouse go to her Stores, She tells him there is Small Occafion for Such, v. 322. but haftens to the Trees, &c. the Proper Place.

316

well may wee afford

Our Givers their Own Gift;

Adam is Now Acting in his Proper Sphere, exciting Her to Piety, to make her Grateful Acknowledgment to Heaven, from whence came all their Good; not to the Angel, only as a Servant of their Common Benefactor, for He knew that

One Celestial Father gives to all.

v. 403.

321 Earths Hallowd Mould, Mould is Fine Earth as of a Garden, (IV. 226.) and Hallow'd is Confecrated, made Holy, Ho

lied.

322 of God Infpir'd,

the Account of Man's Creation, Gen. i. is without any Breathing Life into Him any more than the reft of the Animals, That comes after, Chap. ii. 7. We believe Milton Here intended Eve to carry her Complement higher, and to mean his Superior Faculties. IV. 297.

326

each Bough and Break,

each Plant and Juiciest Gourd

from every Tree, Bush, or Whatever Plant, whether Low Standing, or Creeping on the Ground, as all of the Gourd or Melon kind; that is, from whatever brings Fruit.

Break is Spelt as Here in the Best Editions, though 'tis Undoubtedly Wrong; 'tis always Brake in Other places of this Poem, in the Mask, &c. a Brake is a Bufhy Cluster like Fern, &c.

328

as Hee

Beholding fhall confefs that Here on Earth We cannot forbear Obferving this Housewifely Vanity of Eve. She is for fhewing How she can Entertain, rather than How Grateful fhe is to Heaven. Milton has made her Thoughts turn All That way, as it immediately follows. but it was in Obedience to her Husband; He had bid her do her Utmost (v. 313.) and She Did; All This is Agreeable

to

to what the fays. IV. 367. God is Thy Law, Thou Mine.

333 What Choice to Chufe for Delicacie Beft, Choice here fignifies Beft, as v. 327, 368. to Chufe Choice is then to Chufe the moft Excellent. 'tis a Gingle indeed, and an Oddness of Style, as to Move Motion. VIII. 130. to Think Thoughts. IX. 289. to Sin Sin XI. but Herein Milton has the Example of Spencer, as in his Shepherd's Calender, November, at the End. to Enjoy Joys. These are Grecifms and Latinifms.

338 Whatever Earth all-bearing Mother yields in India Eaft or Weft, or Middle Shoare in Pontus, or the Punic Coast, or where Alcinous reign'd,

Middle Shore, Europe; 'tis fo with respect to the East and West Indies, Pontus is in Afia, the Punic or Carthaginian Coast is Africa.

the Gardens of Alcinous were Celebrated by Homer, and famous Confequently among the Ancients. What Milton fays Here is, that Eve provided an Entertainment of the Choiceft Fruits which the Earth has Since Afforded, or the Nobleft Gardens.

345

Inoffenfive Mouft

Mouft, or Muft. New Wine Unfettled, Unrefin'd, but not as Ours Offenfive.

or, as we commonly fay, Meads, or fuch Sweet Drinks the Senfe of the whole Paffage is. She Crushes the Grape, and this New Wine is Good. Grateful Liquors are prefs'd from many kinds of Berries, and from Sweet Kernels, Sweet Creams.

348 Fit Vessells

What These were is not Intimated, the Cocoa or other Nut-Shells of a Large kind may be Suppos'd; or Some which Themselves might Contrive; or the Angels might Instruct them to Make what was for their Purpose, or Bring

them Such.

349

Odours from the Shrub Unfum'd. Odours are Effluvia, Exhal'd, from Flowers, or whatever is Sweet Scented. These Effluvia are a Sort of Vapour, Smoak or Fume, from Fumus [Lat] Smoak. the Shrub is Un-fum'd when robb'd of What gave it's Agreeable Scent, it's Flowers for Inftance; Which are Themselves Poetically call'd Odours; the Effect for the Caufe. Eve then by plucking Off the Flowers to Strew the Ground, Unfum'd the Plants from which the pluck'd them; the Un-Odour'd them.

356

Befmear'd

This is not a very Poetical Word. but Virgil has us'd the Like

per Tunicam Squallentem auro. Æn. X. 314. Milton has follow'd Him even in what he could not but know he had been Blam'd for by Aul. Gell. and Macrob. Another like Word Immediately follows agape; but That, as well as This, is Judicioufly Chofen, tho' Virgil had never given an Example; As they are Apply'd they Better give the Image Intended than more Polite Words. the First are Often Befmear'd with Filth tho' Now with Gold; the Others See with their Mouths Open, their Eyes (as Shakespear fays) have No Speculation. Thoughtless Creatures. You fee the Image, or are alfo fet agape.

365

Voutfafe with Us

two Onely, who yet by Sov'ran Gift poffefs This fpacious Ground, in yonder fhadie

Boure to Reft,

Thou who haft forfaken, to Vifit Us, the Heavenly Hoft, Condefcend to remain awhile, in a Sort of Solitude, with Us Two Only; but yet we are Such as on whom God has beftow'd a Vaft Empire. So it follows, the Angel's Reply Clears the Senfe.

377