rom a fat meadow ground; or fleecy flock, wes and their bleating lambs over the plain, heir booty; fcarce with life the fhepherds fly, 650 ut call in aid, which makes a bloody fray; With cruel torneament the fquadrons join; Where cattel paftur'd late, now scatter'd lies With carcaffes and arms th' infanguin'd field Deferted: Others to a city ftrong 655 -ay fiege, incamp'd; by battery, fcale, and mine, ffaulting; others from the wall defend With dart and javelin, ftones and fulphurous fire; Part arable and tilth, whereon were sheaves New reap'd, the other part sheepwalks and folds. not this Homer's defcription a Δράγματα δ' αλλα μετ' όγμον Another field rose high with waving With bended fickles ftand the reaper-train. 660 To council in the city gates: anon Gray-headed men and grave, with warriors mix'd, Along the ftreet the new-made brides To the foft flute, and cittern's fil- And in like manner the driving away of the sheep and oxen from forage, and the battel which thereupon enfues may be compared with the fol τωρα καλα Aggerrar dier xeres d'empr лоботи. Οι δ' ώς εν επιθοντο πολυτελια For waez Sesli, "LERY WESTαεFibe xafnerth Βαλές αερσιπόδων μετεκιαίν TIX' SO`İTTOY arta Sixò:70. Στησάμενοι δ' εμάχοντο μέχρι ποταμοιο παρ' όχθας. In arms the glitt'ring fquadron ris Rufh fudden; hills of slaughter hetp They rife, take horse, approach, meet the war; They fight, they fall, befide de with blood. The reprefentation of the city be fieg'd here in Milton, Others to a city ftrong ng paffage in Homer: ver. 527 Lay fiege, incamp'd; &c. of middle age one rifing, eminent wife deport, fpake much of right and wrong, of justice, of religion, truth and peace, nd judgment from above: him old and young 665 And rifing folemn, each his fentence fpoke. The defcription of the fhield of Achilles is certainly one of the finest pieces of poetry in the whole Iliad, and our author has plainly fhown his admiration and affection for it by borrowing fo many fcenes and images from it; but I think we may fay that they do not like other copies fall fhort of the originals, but generally exceed them, and receive this additional beauty, that they are most of them made repre. fentations of real histories and matters of fact. 661. To council in the city gates:] For there affemblies were anciently held, and the judges used to fit, Gen. XXXIV. 20. Deut. XVÍ. 18. XXI. 19. Zech. VIII. 16. 665. Of middle age one rifing.] Enoch faid to be of middle age, because he was tranflated when he was but 365 years old; a middle age then. Gen. V. 23. Richardfon. 668. And judgment from above:] It appears from holy Writ, that he was not only a good man, and walked with God, Gen. V. 24. but that he A a 370 Exploded and had feis'd with violent hands, 675 Ten thoufandfold the fin of him who flew To whom thus Michael. remonstrated likewife against the wickedness of mankind, and denounc'd the heavy judgment of God upon them, Jude 14. Bebold the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his Saints, to execute judgment upon all &c: which the poet alludes to more plainly afterwards, ver. 704. that God would come To judge them with his Saints. 683. To whom thus Michael. Thefe are the product] The accent upon the word product is to be varied predu or product, according as you Thefe are the product pronounce the word Michael with two or three fyllables. 688. Such were thefe giants of high renown;] Gen.VI There were giants in the earth in th days; and alfo after that, when the fons of God came in unto the daugher. of men, and they bare children to them: the fame became mighty men, which were of old, men of renown. Some commentators understand by the word which we tranflate giants, m of large bulk and ftature; others conceive them to be no more then robbers and tyrants: Our author includes Of thofe ill mated marriages thou faw'ft; Where good with bad were match'd, who of themselves bhor to join; and by imprudence mix'd, 686 roduce prodigious births of body' or mind. uch were these giants, men of high renown; or in those days might only shall be' admir'd, ncludes both interpretations, and 691. To overcome in battel, &c.] 694. and for glory done 690 695 And adds (for this I take to be his fenfe) that it fhall be held the highest pitch of triumph for that glory obtain'd, to be fil'd great conquerors. So that though I approve of Dr. Bentley's changing done into won, I cannot agree to his altering Of triumph to Or triumph. Pearce. This is one of the most difficult paffages. I am not fatisfied with the conjectures of either of thefe learned men, and fee no other way of underftanding it but this. To overcome, to fubdue, to spoil, fhall be held the highest pitch of glory, and shall be A a 2 dong |