Progreffive, retrograde, or standing still,
In fix thou seeft, and what if sev'nth to these
The planet earth, so stedfast though she seem,
Infenfibly three different motions move?
Which else to several spheres thou must ascribe,
Mov'd contrary with thwart obliquities,
Or fave the fun his labor, and that swift
Nocturnal and diurnal rhomb fuppos'd,
Invisible else above all ftars, the wheel
Of day and night; which needs not thy belief,
If earth industrious of herself fetch day
Traveling east, and with her part averse
From the fun's beam meet night, her other part
Still luminous by his ray. What if that light
Sent from her through the wide transpicuous air,
To the terrestrial moon be as a star

obferved in the note on VII. 619. that when Milton uses a Greek word, he frequently fubjoins the English of it, as he does here, the wheel of day and night. So he calls the primum mobile and this primum mobile in the ancient aftronomy was an imaginary fphere above those of the planets and fixed ftars; and therefore faid by our author to be fuppos'd and invifible above all ftars. This was conceived to be the firft mover,

130

135

140

Inlight

and to carry all the lower fpheres round along with it; by its rapidity communicating to them a motion whereby they revolved in twentyfour hours. Which needs not thy belief, if earth &c. But there is no need to believe this, if the earth by revolving round on her own axis from west to east in twenty-four hours (traveling eaft) enjoys day in that half of her globe which is turn'd towards the fun, and is cover'd with night

Inlightning her by day, as the by night

This earth? reciprocal, if land be there,
Fields and inhabitants: Her spots thou feeft

145

As clouds, and clouds may rain, and rain produce
Fruits in her foften'd foil, for fome to eat
Allotted there; and other funs perhaps

With their attendent moons thou wilt descry
Communicating male and female light,
Which two great fexes animate the world,
Stor'd in each orb perhaps with fome that live.

in the other half which is turn'd away from the fun.

$45.

Her Spots thou feeft

As clouds,] It feems by this and by another paffage V. 419. as if our author thought that the spots in the moon were clouds and vapors: but the most probable opinion is, that they are her feas and waters, which reflect only part of the fun's rays, and abforb the reft. They cannot poffibly be clouds and vapors, because they are obferved to be fix'd and permanent. But (as Dr. Pearce obferves) Mr. Auzout in the Philofophical Tranfactions for the year 1666 thought that he had obferved fome difference between the fpots of the moon as they then appear'd, and as they are defcribed to have appear'd long before: and Milton, who wrote this poem about that time, might approve of Auzout's obfervation, though others do not.

150

For

150. Communicating male and fe

male light,] The funs communicate male, and the moons female light. And thus Pliny mentions it as a tradition, that the fun is a masculine ftar, drying all things: on the contrary the moon is a loft and feminine ftar, diffolving humors: and fo the balance of nature is preferved, fome of the stars binding the elements, and others loofing them. Plin. Nat. Hift. Lib. 2. C. 100. Solis ardore ficcatur liquor; et hoc effe mafculum fidus accepimus, torrens cuncta forbenfque. E contrario ferunt lunæ femineum ac molle fidus, atque nocturnum folvere humorem. Ita penfari naturæ vices, femperque fufficere, aliis fiderum elementa cogentibus, aliis vero fundentibus.

155. Only to fine, get fcarce to contribute] The accent here upon contribute is the fame as upon attribute in ver. 107. The

For fuch vaft room in nature unpoffefs'd
By living foul, defert and defolate,
Only to fhine, yet fcarce to contribúte

Each orb a glimpfe of light, convey'd fo far
Down to this habitable, which returns

Light back to them, is obvious to difpute.
But whether thus these things, or whether not,
Whether the fun predominant in Heaven
Rife on the earth, or earth rife on the fun,
He from the eaft his flaming road begin,

155

160

Or

The swiftness of thofe circles attri- Raphael's mouth: for it is intimated

búte:

and upon attributed in ver. 12. With glory attributed to the high. But now a days we generally lay the accent differently.

157.this babitable,] An adjective used fubftantively: earth is understood; as in VI. 78. this terrene. This habitable is pure Greek, Oxen, the inhabited, the earth,

Richardfon. 158. Light back to them,] I think that Dr. Bentley very juftly objects to the word Light here: for if the fix'd ftars convey only a glimpse of light to our earth, it is too much to fay that the returns back to them light in general, which implies more than a glimpse of it. The Doctor therefore would read Nought back to them: But this is not agreeable to the philofophy which Milton puts in

in ver. 140. that our earth does fend out light from her; and if so, then back to the fix'd ftars. Suppose we fome of her light might be return'd thould read Like back to them &c. i. e. only a glimpse of light, just as much and no more than the receives. Pearce.

159. But whether thus these things, or

whether not, &c.] The Angel is now recapitulating the whole. He had argued upon the fuppofition of the truth of the Ptolemaic fyftem to ver. 122. Then he proposes the Copernican fyftem, and argues upon that fuppofition. Now he fums up the whole, But whether thus thefe things, or whether not, whether the one fyftem or the other be true, whether Heaven move or Earth, folicit not thyfelf about these matters, fear God and do thy duty.

162.

bis flaming road] Elegantly applying to the road what belongs

Or fhe from weft her filent course advance...

With inoffenfive pace that spinning fleepsi

On her foft axle, while fhe paces even, 165
And bears thee soft with the smooth air along,
Solicit not thy thoughts with matters hid,
Leave them to God above, him serve and fear;
Of other creatures, as him pleases best,
Wherever plac'd, let him difpofe: joy thou 170
In what he gives to thee, this Paradise

And thy fair Eve; Heav'n is for thee too high
To know what paffes there; be lowly wife:
Think only what concerns thee and thy being;
Dream not of other worlds, what creatures there 175
Live, in what state, condition or degree,

Contented that thus far hath been reveal'd

Not of Earth only but of highest Heaven.

To whom thus Adam, clear'd of doubt, reply'd.

How fully haft thou fatisfy'd me, pure

180

Intelligence of Heav'n, Angel ferene,
And freed from intricacies, taught to live,

The easiest way, nor with perplexing thoughts
To interrupt the fweet of life, from which

God hath bid dwell far off all anxious cares, 185
And not moleft us, unless we ourselves

Seek them with wand'ring thoughts, and notions vain.
But apt the mind or fancy is to rove
Uncheck'd, and of her roving is no end;

Till warn'd, or by experience taught, fhe learn, 190
That not to know at large of things remote
From ufe, obfcure and subtle, but to know
That which before us lies in daily life,
Is the prime wisdom; what is more, is fume,