To fave himself and houfhold from amidst 820 No fooner he with them of man and beaft in Ariftotle and other mafters of politics. 821. A world devote to universal arack.] Devote is ufed here and elsewhere as devoted: And in Milton's own editions it is universal rack, but we have printed it wrack to diftinguish it from rack the inftrument of torture; and we have Milton's authority for fo doing, for he has printed it fo himself in VI. 670, in both his editions: and now all Heav'n Had gone to wrack &c. It is probable that both words were originally of the fame extraction; but as the different fenfes have been fo long diftinguish'd by different fpelling, it is proper to preserve this diftinction in order to avoid ambiguity and confufion. And for the fame reason we fpelt differently wracking in II. 182. and racking in XI. 481. Rain day and night; all fut of the deep Broke up,] Gen. VII. 11. T fame day were all the fountains f the great deep broken up, and the w windows of Heaven are tranla dows of Heaven were open'd. The the cataracts in the Syriac and A bic verfions, and in the Septuagin and Vulgar Latin, which Mil here follows; and what they are, those will beft understand who have feen the fallings of waters, called Spouts, in hot countries, when the clouds do not break into drops, bu fall with terrible violence in a tr rent: and the great deep is the at abyfs of waters contain'd within the bowels of the earth, and in the fa. 829.- then fhall this mount Of Paradife &c.] It is the opini of many learned men, that Parade our author defcribes it in a very was deftroy'd by the deluge, and poetical manner. Pub'd by the berm flood, fo that it was before the flood became univerfal, and while it pour'd Of Heav'n fet open on the earth along like a vaft river; for rivers fhall pour when they meet with any thing 830 yond all bounds, till inundation rife Eract their paffage, divide themres and become borned as it were, I hence the ancients have comred them to bulls. c tauriformis volvitur Aufidus. Hor. Od. IV. XIV. 25. It gemina auratus taurino cornua vultu ridanus. Virg. Georg. IV. 371. Forniger Hefperidum fluvius regnator aquarum. Æn. VIII. 77. won the great river to the opening f, down the river Tigris or Eurates to the Perfian gulf: they ere both rivers of Eden, and Eurates particularly is called in Scripe the great river, the river Eurates, Ĝen. XV. 18. It is very obable that our author took the ft thought of pushing Paradise by e force of floods into the fea from omer, who defcribes the deftrucon of the Grecian wall by an inndation very much in the fame Detical manner, Iliad. XII. 24. των παντων όμοσε τοματ' έτραπε Φοίβος Απολλων, To To fave himself and houfhold from amidst Rain day and night; all font of the deep 820 825 Bo Broke up,] Gen. VII. 11. fame day were all the fountain of the great deep broken up, and the wis windows of Heaven are tranflad dows of Heaven were open'd. The the cataracts in the Syriac and An bic verfions, and in the Septuagi here follows; and what they st and Vulgar Latin, which Mil those will beft understand who have feen the fallings of waters, called Spouts, in hot countries, when the clouds do not break into drops, bat fall with terrible violence in a te abyfs of waters contain'd within the rent: and the great deep is the a bowels of the earth, and in the fe then shall this mont 829. Of Paradife &c.] It is the opinion of learned men, that Paradi many was deftroy'd by the deluge, and poetical manner. Pub'd by the bor our author describes it in a very flood, fo that it was before the flood became univerfal, and while it pour'd Of Heav'n fet open on the earth along like a vaft river; for river fall pour when they meet with any thing 830 yond all bounds, till inundation rife tract their paffage, divide themes and become borned as it were, hence the ancients have com-ed them to bulls. c tauriformis volvitur Aufidus. Hor. Od. IV. XIV. 25. It gemina auratus taurino cornua vultu Cridanus. Virg. Georg. IV. 371. Corniger Hefperidum fluvius regnator aquarum. Æn. VIII. 77. own the great river to the opening f, down the river Tigris or Eurates to the Perfian gulf: they ere both rivers of Eden, and Eurates particularly is called in Scripe the great river, the river Eurates, Ĝen. XV. 18. It is very obable that our author took the ft thought of pufhing Paradife by e force of floods into the fea from omer, who defcribes the deftrucon of the Grecian wall by an inndation very much in the fame etical manner, Iliad. XII. 24. Των παντων όμοσε τοματ' ετράπε Φοίβος Απόλλων, Το Enμap d'es Tax i« poor" ús Συνεχές, όφρα κε θάωον αλιπλο Those turn'd by Phoebus from their The weight of waters faps the yield- And to the fea the floting bulwarks fall: And half the skies defscend in fluicy To teach thee that God attributes to place He look, and iw the ark hull on the flood, S Which now abated; for the clouds were fled, Driv`n by a keen north-wind, that blowing dry |
