Where day never shuts his eye, 980 Where the bee fucks, there fuck I. WARBURTON. Pindar in his fecond Olympic, and Homer in his fourth Odyffey, describe a happy ifland at the extremity of the ocean, or rather earth, where the fun has his abode, the sky is perpetually ferene and bright, the west wind always blows, and the flowers are of gold. This luxuriant imagery Milton has dreffed anew, from the claffical gardens of antiquity, from Spenfer's gardens of Adonis "fraught with pleasures manifold," from the fame gardens in Marino's L'ADONE, Ariofto's garden of Paradife, Taffo's garden of Armida, and Spenfer's Bowre of Bliffe. The garden of Eden is abfolutely Milton's own creation. WARTON. v. 978. Where day never huts his eye.] Compare SONNET TO THE NIGHTINGALE, V. 5. Thy liquid notes that close the eye of day. And fee various paffages from our elder poets, by whom this expreffion is used, in Mr. Warton's Note on IL PENS. V. 141. See alfo LYCIDAS, v. 26. Under the opening eye-lids of the morn. Where Mr. Warton exhibits, from MIDDLETON'S GAME AT CHESS, 1625, the phrafe," the opening eye-lids of the morn." The "eye-lids of the morning" is an expreffion, which Milton might probably adopt from a fublimer origin, and from more congenial poetry. See Joв, iii. 9. "Neither let it fee the dawn"ing of the day," or, as in the margin, "the eye-lids of the morning." Again, ch. xli. 18. "His eyes are like the eye-lids of the "morning." And Sophocles, ANTIGON. V. 103. Ἐφάνθης ποτ' ὦ χρυσίας Αμέρας βλέφαρον. Thus Dr. Henry More, in his PLATONICALL SONG, P. i. ft. 24. See Note fupr. at v. 349. There you may fee the eyelids of the morn With lofty filver arch displaid i'th' Eaft. And Crafhaw, in his TRANSLATION of Marino's Sofpetto d'Herode, ft. 64. Night hangs yet heavy on the lids of day. Again, in his MUSIC'S DUEL, v. 81. "the eye-lids of a blushing 66 day." EDITOR. v. 979. Up in the broad fields of the Sky.] It may be doubted whether from Virgil," Aeris in campis latis," EN. vi. 888. For at first he had written plain fields, with another idea. A level extent of verdure. WARTON. v. 980. There I fuck the liquid air.] Thus Ubaldo in Fairfax's TASSO, a good wifard, who dwells in the centre of the earth, All amidst the gardens fair Of Hesperus, and his daughters three but sometimes emerges, to breathe the purer air of mount Carmel. C. xiv. 43. And there in liquid ayre myself difport. WARTON. v. 981. All amidst the gardens fair Of Hefperus, and his daughters three.] The daughters of Hefperus the brother of Atlas, firft mentioned in Milton's manufcript as their father, had gardens or orchards which produced apples of gold. Spenfer makes them the daughters of Atlas, F. Q. ii. vii. 54. See Ovid, METAM. ix. 636. And Apollodor. BIBL. L. ii. §. II. But what ancient fabler celebrates thefe damfels for their skill in finging? Apollonius Rhodius, an author whom Milton taught to his scholars, ARGON. iv. 1396. ἄξον δ ̓ ἱερὸν πέδον ᾧ ἔνι Λάδων Εἰσέτι πε χθιζὸν παγχρύσεα ῥύετο μῆλα, ΕΣΠΕΡΙΔΕΣ πόπνυον, ΕΦΙΜΕΡΟΝ ΑΕΙΔΟΥΣΑΙ. Hence Lucan's virgin-choir, over-looked by the commentators, is to be explained, where he speaks of this golden grove, ïx. 360. fuit aurea filva, Divitiifque graves et fulvo germine rami; Et nunquam fomno damnatus lumina ferpens, &c. Euripides, our author's favourite Tragic poet, celebrates the daughters of Hefperus under the title of YMNNAEE KOPAÍ, HERC. FUR. V. 393. DUNSTER. See also HIPPOLYTUS, V. 750. Ανύσαιμι τῶν ΑΟΙΔΑΝ. And compare Mr. Egerton's Note on v. 759. ibid. ed. Ox. 1795, where Milton's, and many other beautiful references, to the gardens of the Hefperides, are noticed. EDITOR. v. 983. the golden tree.] Many fay that the apples of Atlas's garden were of gold: Ovid is the only ancient writer that fays the trees were of gold. METAM. iv, 636. WARTON. v. 984. Along the crifped Shades and bowres.] I fufpect we have here fomething of L'ARCHITECTURE DU JARDINAGE, in the Spruce Spring, the cedarn allies, the crifped Shades and bowers. But Milton had changed his ideas of a garden, when he wrote the PAR. LOST, where the brooks, but not the Shades, are crifped. In the T Revels the spruce and jocond Spring; There eternal Summer dwells, And Weft-Winds with mufky wing 985 TEMPEST, we have the "crifp channels" of brooks, A. iv. S. i. Perhaps in the fame fenfe as in PAR. L. B. iv. 237. "The crifped "brooks," which are faid to run with mazy error, v. 239. So, in the FIRST PART OF HENRY IV. A. i. S. iv. "The Severn hides "his crifped head in the hollow bank." Yet I will not deny, that the furface of water curled by the wind may be fignified. In TIMON OF ATHENS, "crifp heaven" may either imply "the "curled clouds," or curve, hollow, &c. A. iv. S. iii. Jonfon fays of Zephyr in his MASQUES, vol. vi. p. 26. The rivers run as Smoothed by his hand, Only their heads are crifped by his stroke. In the prefent inftance, the meaning of crifped is plainly to be feen by the context. WARTON. v. 986. the rofy-bofom'd Hours:] Gray, ODE ON SPRING: Lo! where the rofy-bofom'd Hours, &c. See Mr. Wakefield's Note on the paffage, in which the highest tribute is paid to the merit of CoMUS. Gray's POEMS, &c. p. 4. printed for Kearfley, 1786. EDITOR. ญ. 988. "That there eternal Summer dwells." The Errata of Milton's own edition, 1673, direct That to be omitted. This is not attended to by Tonfon, ed. 1695. That is omitted by Tickell and Fenton, and filently re-adopted by doctor Newton. I retain the poet's own laft correction. WARTON. That is omitted in Tonfon's edition of 1713, but not in his edition of 1705. EDITOR. Ibid. There eternal Summer dwells.] So Fletcher, FAITHFUL SHEP. A. iv. S. i. p. 163. On this bower may ever dwell Spring and Summer. Again, ibid. p. 134. -There the Month of May Is ever dwelling, all is young and green, &c. WARTON. Compare R. Niccols's defcription of the Bower of Bliffe, THE CUCKOW, 1607, p. 10. For there eternal Spring doth ever dwell, Ne they of other feafon ought can tell. EDITOR. v. 989. And Weft-Winds with mufky wing &c.] So, in the approach to Armida's garden in Fairfax's TASSO. C. xv. 53. The windes breath'd spikenard, myrrhe, and balme around. Again, C. xviii. 15. The aire that balme and nardus breath'd vnseene. Milton often imitates Fairfax's verfion of Taffo, without any reference to the original. See before, v. 605. I will add a remarkable instance, PARAD. L. B. v. 285.. -Like Maia's fon he stood And shook his plumes, that heav'nly fragrance fill'd So Fairfax, C. i. 14. On Libanon at firft his foote he fet, And fhooke his wings with roarie May-dewes wet. Pria ful Libano monte ei fi ritenne, E fi librò sù l' adeguate penne. WARTON. Compare Sylvefter, Du BART. ed. fupr. p. 171. of the climate of Eden, which "Zephyr fils with musk and amber smels." And p. 172. "Zephyr did fweet musky fighes afford." EDITOR. v. 990. alleys fling, &c. In a poein by H. Peacham, the Period of Mourning, in Memorie of Prince Henry, &c. Lond. 1613. NUPT. HYMN. i. ft. 3. of the vallies. And every where your odours fling. So, in PAR. L. viii. 517. "Flung rofe, flung odours." WARTON. v.991. Nard and Caffia's balmy fmells.] Compare P.L. B. v. 292. through groves of myrrhe, And flouring odours, caffia, nard, and balme, A wilderness of fweets.- WARTON. v. 992, humid bow.] So, in PAR. LOST, B. iv. 150. "Fair evening cloud, or humid bow." EDITOR. v. 993. Blow is here actively used, as in B. and Fletcher's LOVER'S PROGRESS, A. ii. S. i. vol. v. p. 380. The wind that blows the April-flowers not fofter. For thefe, Favonius here fhall blow New flowers, which you fhall fee to grow. WARTON. v. 995. Than her purfled fearf can fhew.] Statius dresses Iris in a fearf, or fimilar garment, THEB. X. 81. Orbibus ACCINGI folitis jubet Irin. Purfled is fringed, or, embroidered. Fr. Pourfile. Thus in PIERS I was ware of a woman worthlyich clothed 1 And drenches with Elyfian dew Purfilid with pelure the finest upon erthe. And in Chaucer, MONK'S PROLOGUE. I fee his fleves purfilid at the hande With grys, and that the finest in the lande. 1000 See also Spenfer, F. Q. i. ii. 13. and ii. iii. 26. EDITOR. v. 996. And drenches with Elyfian dew, &c.] As in PARAD. L. B. xi. 367. The Angel fays to Adam, -Let Eve, for I have drench'd her eyes, Here fleep below. That is, with the dews of fleep, not with tears. Again, by drench, where it may be conftrued equivocally, understand a foaking, not a draught, B. ii. 73. if the fleepy drench Of that forgetful lake benumm not still. In the fame fenfe, SONN. xxi. 5. To day deep thoughts refolve with me to drench In mirth.. And in MACBETH, A, i. S. vii, 0 when in fwinifh fleep Their drenched natures lie as in a death. WARTON. v.997.-if your ears be true.] Intimating that this SONG, which follows, of Adonis, and Cupid and Pfyche, is not for the profane, but only for well purged ears. See Upton's SPENSER, Notes on B. iii. C. vi. HURD. See Note on ARCADES, V. 72. So the Enchanter, above, at v. 784, has "neither EAR nor foul to apprehend" fublime mysteries. His EAR no less than his foul, was impure, unpurged, and unprepared. WARTON. v. 998. Beds of hyacinth and rofes, Where young Adonis oft repofes.] Drayton, Mus. ELYS. NYMPH. iv. vol. iv. p. 1481, OI could with this place was ftrew'd with roses, WARTON. See L'ALLEGRO, V. 22, and Marlowe's PASSIONATE SHEPHERD, V. 9. There will I make thee beds of roses. EDITOR. v. 1001. See Spenfer's ASTROPHEL, ft. 48. WARTON. V. 1002. Affyrian Queen.] Venus is called the Allyrian th' |