More wise, more watchful, stronger, if need were So spake domestic Adam in his care 320 Thus her reply with accent sweet renew'd. If this be our condition, thus to dwell In narrow circuit straiten'd by a foe, Subtle or violent, we not indued Single with like defense, wherever met, 325 How are we happy, still in fear of harm? But harm precedes not fin: only our foe Tempting affronts us with his foul esteem Of our integrity: his foul esteem Sticks thet seems to allude to what Adam Domestic in his care, may signify here one who has a careful regard to the good of his family; and all this nothing lovelier can be found speech of Adam's was intended for In woman, than to study houshold the security of his wife. Pearce. good, 320. Less attributed] That is, too And good works in her husband to little ; an elegant Latinism. promote. Richardson had said in ver. 232. • K 4 330. Sticks Sticks no dishonor on our front, but turns 330 peace within, Favor from Heav'n, our witness from th' event. And what is faith, love, virtue unaffay'd 335 Alone, without exterior help sustain'd? Let us not then suspect our happy state Left so imperfect by the Maker wise, As not secure to single or combin’d. Frail is our happiness, if this be fo, 340 And 330. Sticks no dishonor on our front,] 334. - our witness from th' event.) Here is such a jingle and turn of the The Spirit bearing witness with our words, as we sometimes meet with spirit, Rom. VIII. 16. in our author; He affronts us with bis foul esteem, but his foul esteem sticks 335. And what is faith, love, vir. no dishonor on our front : but our tue unassay'd author alludes to the etymology of Alone, without exterior help fala of the word affront: adfrontare, i. e. tain'd?] What merit is there in frontem fronti committere, as Skin any virtue till it has stood the ner says. And I find Shakespear test alone, and without other affif tance ? using the word in its original fignification. Cymbeline, Adt. IV. Paulum sepultæ diftat inertiz Good my liege Celata virtus. Hor. Od.IV.IX. 29. Your preparation can affront no less Richardfon. Than what you hear of. 339. As not secure to fingle or come And afterwards, A& V. bin’d.] As not to be secure There was a fourth man to us single or together. That gave th' affront with them. 342. To whom thus Adam ferventi And in Hamlet, Act III. reply'd. That he, as ’twere by accident, may O Woman,) What Eve had just here now faid required fome reprimand Affront Ophelia. from Adam, and it was necesiary to describe power: And Eden were no Eden thus expos’d. To whom thus Adam fervently reply'd. O Woman, best are all things as the will Of God ordain' them; his creating hand Nothing imperfect or deficient left 345 Of all that he created, much less Man, Or ought that might his happy state secure, Secure from outward force; within himself The danger lies, yet lies within his Against his will he can receive no harm. 350 But God left free the will, for what obeys Reason, describe him as in some degree dif- our translation naturally leads ignopleas’d; but what extreme delicacy rant readers into, and must very well has our author shown in choosing know that run amongst the Greeks the word fervently to express it by? is a term of great respect. Indeed a term which tho'it implies fome throughout this whole conversation, emotion, yet carries nothing in its which the poet has in every respect idea inconfiftent with that subser- worked up to a faultless perfection, viency of the passions, which sub- there is the most exact observance of filted before the fall . In the two fore- juftness and propriety of character. going speeches he had made Adam With what strength is the superior address himself to her in the affectio- excellency of man's understanding nate terms of Sole Eve, associate fole, here pointed out, and how nicely and Daughter of God and Man, im- does our author here sketch out the mortal Eve; but here with great defects peculiar in general to the judgment he changes those indearing female mind? and after all what words for these more authoritative, great art has he shown in making O Woman. I should think that Mil- Adam contrary to his better reason ton in this expression alluded to what grant his spouse's request, beautifully our Saviour said to the Virgin Mary, verifying what he had made our Woman what have I to do with thee, general ancestor a little before obwas not I satisfied, that he could not serve to the Angel : VIII. 546. &c. with his learning take these words Thyer. in the vulgar mistaken sense, which 353. But Sticks no dishonor on our front, but turns 330 And 340 330. Sticks no dishonor on our front,] 334. -Our witness from tb'event.) Here is such a jingle and turn of the The Spirit bearing witness with our words, as we sometimes meet with spirit, Rom. VIII. 16. in our author; He affronts us with his faul esteem, but his foul esteem flicks 335. And what is faith, Love, vir. no dishonor on our front : but our tue una lay'd author alludes to the etymology of Alone, without exterior help falof the word affront : adfrontare, i.e. in any virtue till it has ftood the tain'd?) What merit is there frontem fronti committere, as Skinner says. And I find Shakespear test alone, and without other afila tance ? using the word in its original fignification. Cymbeline, A&. IV. Paulum sepultæ diftat inertiz Good my liege Celata virtus. Hor. Od. IV. IX. 29. Your preparation can affront no less Richardon. Than what you hear of. 339. As not secure to fingle or comAnd afterwards, A& V. bin'd.] As not to be secure There was a fourth man to us single or together. That gave th'affront with them. 342. To whom thus Adam feruently And in Hamlet, Act III. reply'd. That he, as 'twere by accident, may O Woman,) Whr juft here now said requirr Affront Ophelia. from Adam, And Eden were no Eden thus ext": To whom thus Adam fervently reply'd. describe him as in some degree dis- og ree - in were over Cound, scribed carrying Dandry in in Metam. .574, uit, fed adunca *s again, and says here said to be like ys, but when soe fled 60 would have ravish'd Jilton's meaning is, that Pomona, not precisely at the fied Vertur of her lil |