390 Of Cambalu, seat of Cathaian Can, 395 on the sea coast, Mombaza, and side of the globe, rich Mexico Quilon, and Melind, all near the in North America the seat of line in Zanguebar, a great re- Montezume, who was subdued gion of the lower Ethiopia, on by the Spanish general Cortes, the eastern or Indian sea, and and Cusco in Peru in South subject to the Portuguese, and America, the richer seat of AtoSofala thought Ophir, another balipa, the last emperor, subkingdom and city on the same dued by the Spanish general sea, mistaken by Purchas and Pizarro, and yet unspoiled Guiothers for Ophir, whence So ana, another country of South lomon brought gold, to the realm America not then invaded and of Congo, a kingdom in the spoiled, whose great city, namely, lower Ethiopia on the western Manhoa, Geryon's sons, the Spashore, as the others were on niards from Geryon, an ancient the eastern, and Angola farthest king of Spain, call El Dorado or south, another kingdom south of the golden city, on account of Congo; Or thence from Niger its richness and extent. And flood, the river Niger that di- thus he surveys the four difvides Negroland into two parts, ferent parts of the world, but it to Allas mount, in the most must be confessed, more with western parts of Africa, the an ostentation of learning, than kingdoms of Almansor, the coun- with any additional beauty to tries over which Almansor was the poem. But Mr. Thyer is of king, namely, Fez, and Sus, opinion, that such little sallies Morocco, und Algiers, and Tre- of the muse agreeably enough misen, all kingdoms in Barbary. diversify the scene, and observes After Africa he comes to Eu- that Tasso, whose Godfrey is rope, On Europe thence, and no very imperfect model of a where Rome was to sway the regular epic poem, has in his world: the less is said of Eu- fifteenth Canto employed thirty rope as it is so well known. In or forty stanzas together in a spirit perhaps he also saw, he description of this sort, which could not see it otherwise, as had no necessary connection America was on the opposite with his general plan. 400 Turchestan-born ; nor could his eye not ken 410 Αχλυν δ' αν τοι απ' οφθαλμων ελο, Tev draer, Yet more, from mortal mists I purge thy eyes, And set to view the warring deities, Pope. And as Venus did likewise from those of Æneas, Æn. ii. 604. 409. -and yet unspoild Guiana. I suppose Milton alluded to the many frustrated voyages, which had been made in search of this golden country. This was the famous place that Sir Walter Raleigh was to have brought such treasures from. Thyer. 411. —but to nobler sights Michael from Adam's eyes the film remov'd, ] These which follow are nobler sights, being not only of cities and kingdoms, but of the principal actions of men to the final consummation of things. And to prepare Adam for these sights the angel removed the film from his eyes, as Pallas removed the mists from Diomedes' eyes, Iliad. v. 127. Aspice, namque omnem, quæ nunc obducta tuenti Mortales hebetat visus tibi, et hu mida circum Caligat, nubem eripiam. Now cast your eyes around; while I dissolve involve, make you see The shape of each avenging deity. Dryden. 415 Michael from Adam's eyes the film remov'd, eyes, Adam, now ope thine eyes, and first behold 420 menso And as the same angel (Mi. These passages the poet has imichael) did also from those of tated and improved ; as in what Godfrey, Tasso, cant. xviii. st. 93. follows of Adam's sinking down Drizza pur gli occhi à riguardar l'im. overpowered, and then being raised again by the hand gently Essercito immortal, ch'è in aria ac. by the angel, he has copied from colto: Daniel, x. 8, &c. I saw this great Ch' io dinanzi torrotti il nuuol denso vision, and there remained no Di vostra humanità, ch' intorno au. uolto strength in me~I was in u deep Adombrando t appanna il mortal sleep on my face, and my face senso, toward the ground. And behold Si che vedrai gli ignudi spirti in a hand touched me, which set me volto: upon my knees : or from Rev. i. E sostener per breue spalio i rai De l'angelichc forme anco potrai. 17. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead; and he laid Lift up thine eyes, and in the air his right hand upon me, saying behold The sacred armies, how they mus. unto me, Fear not. t'red be, 414. -purg'd with euphrasy That cloud of lesh in which for times and rue] Cleared the organs of of old his sight with rue and euphrasy All mankind wrapped is, I take from thee, or eye-bright, so named of its And from thy senses their thick mist clearing virtue. Hume. unfold, Rue was used in exorcisms, That face to face thou may'st these and is therefore called herb of spirits see, And for a little space right well sus grace. Shakespeare, Richard IŤ. tain act iii. sc. 7. See too Hamlet, Their glorious light, and view thuse act iv. sc. 7. angels plain. Fairfax. 425 Th' effects which thy original crime hath wrought he open'd, and beheld a field, 430 427. Nor sinn'd thy sin,] So commonly pronounced in greenin Exod. xxxii. 30. Ye have sord and sord of bacon, which sinned a great sin. 1 John v. 16. may justify Milton in spelling it If any man see his brother sin a sord. Some think it is missin. And the same manner of printed for sod, turf, of the Belspeaking has prevailed among gic sode, Italian terra soda of the best classic authors as well solidum or solum: and Mr. Fenas in Scripture. Yet from that ton has caused it to be printed sin derive. The word sin is by sod, as Dr. Bentley has very afmistake omitted in Milton's se- fectedly swers. cond edition, by which the verse 434. A sweaty reaper from his becomes lame and defective. tillage brought &c.] It may be 429. His eyes he open'd, and proper to compare this account beheld a field, &c.] In this great with the sacred history, to which review which Adam takes of all it alludes, Gen. iv. 2, &c. And bis sons and daughters, the first Abel was a keeper of sheep, but objects he is presented with ex Cain was a tiller of the ground. hibit to him the story of Cain And in process of time it came to and Abel, which is drawn toge- pass, that Cain brought of the ther with much closeness and fruit of the ground an offering propriety of expression. That unto the Lord. And Abel, he curiosity and natural horror, also brought of the firstlings of his which arises in Adam at the flock, and of the fat thereof. The sight of the first dying man, is poet adds, that Cain took the touched with great beauty. Ad- fruits unculled, as came to hand, dison. whereas Abel selected the choicest 433. -of grassy sord;] That and best of his flock; and in this is, of turf. The proper word some interpreters have conseems to be swerd, but to be cor- ceived the guilt of Cain to conrupted into sword or sord as it is sist. The poet too makes them 435 440 First fruits, the green ear, and the yellow sheaf, 445 offer both upon the same altar, talked with Abel his brother : and for the word brought in Scrip- il came to pass, when they were in ture (which Milton likewise re the field, that Cain rose up against tains) is understood of their Abel his brother, and slew him. bringing their offerings to some The poet makes Cain to smite common place of worship: and him into the midriff or diaphragm, this altar he makes of turf, of a nervous muscle separating the grassy sord, as the first altars are breast from the belly, with a stone, represented to be, and describes supposing it the most natural the sacrifice somewhat in the and the most ready instrument manner of Homer. The Scrip at hand; and so Cowley, David ture says only, that the Lord had i. and in his note 16: but howrespect unto Abel, and to his offer- ever he makes his blood to be ing; but unto Cain and to his spilled, as the Scripture partioffering he had not respect : the cularly mentions the blood of poet makes this respect unto Abel. Abel's offering to be a fire from Groan'd out his soul with gushing heaven consuming it; and herein blood effus'd. he is justified by the authority of the best commentators Jewish Undantique animam diffundit in and Christian; and there are Virg. Æn, x. 908. several instances of such accept- This is very properly made the ance in Scripture. Cain's was first vision, and is so much ennot so accepted, for (says the larged upon, as it is of Adam's poet) his was not sincere. And immediate descendants. Cain was very wroth And Cain arma cruore. |