Изображения страниц
PDF
EPUB

499

a Surging Maze

Surging from Surgens (Lat.) Rifing, a Maze, Intricate. He was not Prone, Waving, as Serpents are Now, but Rifing from his Tail in Circles, One above Another.

Ibid.

bis Head

Crefted Aloft, and Carbuncle his Eyes;
with Burnight Neck of Verdant Gold,
Erect

Amidt bis Circling Spires, that on the Grass
Floted Redundant:

Pleafing was his Shape, and Lovely. Crefted, Crifta (Lat.) is a Comb as of a Cock, or a Tuft of Feathers, as Some Birds have on their Heads, Thence an Ornament on the Head as That on a Helmet is call'd a Crest (See IV. 989) Thus This Serpent's Head was Crested. a Carbuncle is fo Nam'd (for So the Word Signifies Carbunculus, from Carbo, (Lat.) from its Refemblance to a Burning Coal; Such were his Eyes; his Neck a Bright Grafs Green, Smartly Touch'd up (as the Painters fay) with Gold. his Body rifing in Circling Spires, Circles One above Another, Leffening as they rife, and ending in a Point. These Spires Floated Swiftly and in Abundance, More than Enough: A moft Wonderfully Natural Defcription of a Serpent Thus Erect, not Nocent Yet, as v. 186.

[blocks in formation]

505

not Thofe that in Illyria Chang'd

Hermione and Cadmus,

Cadmus Son of Agenor King of the Phænicians, and Harmonia the Daughter of Mars and Venus were turn'd into Serpents for having Slain One Sacred to Mars. She is alfo call'd Hermione by Some Authors, as particularly by Apollon. Rhodius, and the Ancient Scholiaft on Horace. Cadmus & Hermione in Angues converfi funt, nam Hermione filia Martis & Veneris. Milton has chofen the Lefs known Name, Perhaps because it was So, but Probably as more Sonorous.

the Serpents are Here faid to have Wrought the Change, and very Poetically; for as the Serpentine Nature prevail'd, They Seem'd to have Subdu'd the Humane. Ovid taught Milton This Bold Description in his History of This Transformation (Metam. IV.) Hermonia, (Hermione) Seeing Cadmus becoming a Serpent,

Teque bis ait exue Monftris

fays fhe. Diveft your Self of This Monster. the Idea This Naturally gives is of a Serpent coming to Change him. So the Nile is faid to Change the Sea. Lucan. I. 684.

Qua Mare Lagai Mutatur gurgite Nili. the River pouring with great Violence into it, the Sea So far became Nile. and it might be faid to the Sea, if it would again be it Self, Exue Te boc Nilo. the Learned Well know

how

how Free the Ancients, Greek and Latin, have been with the Verb to Change.

506

in Epidaurus

or the God

Efculapius the God of Phyfick, Son of Apollo, and worship'd in Epidaurus; he turn'd Himfelf into a Serpent, and came to Rome with the Ambaffadors that were fent for him on account of a Great Plague then at Rome. See Livy, L. XI. 13.

507

-nor to which Transform'd Ammonian Jove or Capitoline were seen, Hee with Olympias, This with Her who bore

Scipio

nor Thofe Serpents to which were Seen Transform'd, i. e. made themselves Vifible under That Shape, Jupiter, &c. Jupiter Ammon and Jupiter Capitolinus, One the pretended Father of Alexander, Converfing with his Mother Olympias in That form; the Other of Scipio Africanus Begot in the Same manner.

516 Tortuous.

Crooked, Twisted.

522 then at Circean Call the Herd Difguis'd. Men turn'd into Beafts by Circe.

564

Speakable of Mute,
Ee 3

Capable

Capable of Speech. the word Speakable is Here us'd in an Active Sence, as Hor. Od. II. 14. 6.

Places illacrymabilem

Plutona tauris:

'tis frequently So us'd among the Ancients. Milton has done the like, v. 359. VII. 58.

613

the Spirited Sly Snake; the Cunning Serpent, Naturally So, but Now Otherwise Affifted, by an Infernal Spirit within him.

624 Bearth. in the two firft Authentick Editions 'tis Thus Written, tho' corrupted Afterwards to Birth. it Signifies Fruitfulness, from Bearan the Saxon word to Bring forth; from whence the Old Word Bearne.

641 To Boggs and Mires,

So 'tis in the First Editions. 'tis Through Boggs, &c. in Some Others. the Change is not Milton's. Another Corruption.

643 into Fraud.

See the Note on VII. 143.

653 Sole Daughter of his Voice

a Hebraifm of which, fee many Examples in the Note on v. 176. to thofe add Job viii. 30. but why Sole Daughter, his Voice had Other Offfpring? 'tis true, but not of That Sort, not

a Pro

a Prohibition, not an Interdiction, This was the Only One, IV. 428, 433. VIII. 334, &c.

673 Stood in Himself Collected, while each Part, Motion, each Act won Audience ere the Tongue,

A

Somtimes in Highth began, as no Delay of Preface brooking through his Zeal of

Right.

So Standing, Moving, or to Highth Upgrown

the Tempter all Impaffiond Thus began. While Each Part, Head, Hands, &c. Each Motion, Thofe which happen as he prepares himself to speak, Such as turning Himself towards the Audience, Looking Round him, &c. Each Act, Such as are proper to him as an Orator, Gathering up his Robe, Extending his Hand, Raifing himself to his Utmoft Highth, &c. juft So the Serpent Standing on his Rear not Prone, as v. 497. Moving, Fluctuating Difturb'd, (668) to Highth Upgrown, in Act Rais'd, (669) Impaffion'd began. What Milton Means by Each Part of an Orator, (of his Perfon) is Beautyfully Explain'd in his Description of Beelzebub on a Like Occafion, II. 301, &c. and Rafaelle in his Carton of St. Paul Preaching had the Same Idea Standing, Moving, and to Highth Upgrown; Each Part, Motion, Action, for You fee All These Plainly in the Picture though Immoveable, All Engage the Attention of his E e 4 Audience.

« ПредыдущаяПродолжить »