Darkness defends between till morning watch ; 215 -no interdict is crazy, broken with age and Defends the touching of these viands disabled. Richardson. pure. The pot was crased is in ChauAnd so Spenser uses it, Faery cer. See Lye's Junius upon the Queen, b. iv. cant. ii. st. 32. word crasie. Himself to save, and danger to 216. - not the readiesl way, defend. &c.] It is remarkable, that And so polite a writer as Sir here Milton omits the moral William Temple, in the con- cause (though he gives the poclusion of his Essay upon the etical) of the Israelites wandercure of the gout" by Moxa, ing forty years in the wilderspeaking of wine says, that ness, and this was their poltron “the use of it pure was in some mutiny on the return of the places defended by customs or spies. He omitted this with « laws." judgment, for this last speech 210. And craze their chariot of the angel was to give such wheels :] Bruise or break them a representation of things, as in pieces. Craze, from the might convey comfort to Adam: French ecraser, to bruise or otherwise the story of the brazen break. So i. 311. the chariot serpent would have afforded nowheels are said to have been ble imagery. Warburton. broken, though Exod. xiv. 25. • 216. not the readiest way,] it is only said they were For Exod. xiii. 17, 18. It came taken off, so that the chariots to pass when Pharaoh had let the were driven heavily. Milton, people go, that God led them not who perfectly understood the through the way of the land of original, has therefore the Philistines, although thut was pounded this taking off to be That was the nearest breaking ; though that may way from Egypt to Canaan, mean no more, than wbat we and was a journey of not above do when we say such a one three days, as Philo says; others ex near. 920 Lest ent’ring on the Canaanite alarm’d 230 say of ten. But certainly it was theocracy would have afforded no great way, for the sons of some noble observations. WarJacob went it often to and fro. burton. See Bishop Patrick. For God Milton speaks of the civil and said, Lest peradventure the peo- the ritual, that is, the judicial ple repent, when they see war, and the ceremonial, precepts and they return to Egypt. But delivered to the Jews ; but why God led the people about, through did he omit the moral law conthe way of the wilderness of the tained in the Ten Command. Red Sea. ments ? Possibly his reason 227. -whose gray top] might be, because this was -Gelidus canis cum montibus supposed to be written origihumor nally in the heart of man, and Liquitur. Virg. Georg. i. 43. therefore Adam must have been Hume. perfectly acquainted with it: but, But this epithet was more pro- however, I think this should per and peculiar to Sinai at that have been particularly mentime, as it was covered with tioned, as it was published at clouds and smoke. See Exod. xix. this time in the most solemn 230, &c. 245, &c.] By these manner by God from Mount passages, Milton seems to have Sinai ; and as it was thought understood no more of the Jew. worthy to be written with his ish institution than he saw in own finger upon two tables of the small Presbyterian systems; stone, when the rest were conotherwise the true idea of the veyed to the people by the 235 240 To civil justice, part religious rites 245 250 writing and preaching of Moses, to God &c. as a mediator between God and 242. -of whose day he shall them. Greenwood. foretel, 237. That Moses might report] And all the prophets &c.] Dr. Bentley would read 'may Acts iii. 22, 24. For Moses truly report. said unto the fathers, A prophet 238. —he grants what they shall the Lord your God raise up besought] In the first edition unto you of your brethren, like it was thus, he grants them their unto me--yea, and all the prodesire, but in the second it was phets from Samuel, and those altered to this, he grants what that follow after, as many as they besought: I suppose that the have spoken, have likewise foreconstruction might be plainer told of these days. in what follows, Instructed that . 255 The records of his covenant, over these 255. Sev’n lamps as in a zodiac went onward in all their journeys. representing But if the cloud were not takes The heav'nly fires : ] up, then they journeyed not, till That the seven lamps signified the day that it was taken up. the seven planets, and that there. For the cloud of the Lord was fore the lamps stood slopewise, upon the tabernacle by day, and as it were to express the ob- fire was on it by night, in the liquity of the zodiac, is the sight of all the house of Israel, gloss of Josephus, from whom throughout all their journeys, probably our author borrowed Exod. xl. 34, fc. Thus it was it. Joseph. Antiq. lib. iii. c. 6 in all places wherever they and 7.jand De Bell. Jud. lib. v. came: and this is what Milton c. 5. See likewise Mede's Dis- says in short, the cloud was course 10, upon the seven arch- over the tent by day, and the angels. Mr. Hume quotes like- fire (called here a fiery gleam) wise the Latin of Philo to the by night, when they journeyed same purpose: Mysticè cande- not. He takes no notice how it labrum hoc septifidum imago was when they did, which this erat sphæræ septilustris, sive text (for the infinite beauty of septem planetarum. Taberna- it we have given it at length) culum typus mundi. Sanctum explains: the cloud was then sanctorum, typus cæli empyrei taken up; how then ? the Lord beatorum. See Cornelius a La- went before them by day in a pide upon Exod. xxv. 31. pillar of a cloud to lead them 258. Save when they journey,] ihe way, and by night in a pillar Then a cloud covered the tent of fire to give them light, to go by of the congregation, and the glory day and night, chap. xiii. 21. of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Other armies pitch their ensigns And Moses was not able to enter when they encamp, and lift them into the tent of the congregation up when they march. So does because the cloud abode thereon, the Lord of Hosts leading forth and the glory of the Lord filled his people. But what ensigns ! the tabernacle. And when the how sublime! Milton seems too cloud was taken up from over the concise here. Richardson. tabernacle, the children of Israel Promis'd to Abraham and his seed: the rest 260 270 Inlightner of my darkness, gracious things , Thou hast reveal'd, those chiefly which concern Just Abraham and his seed: now first I find Mine eyes true opening, and my heart much eas'd, Erewhile perplex'd with thoughts what would become Of me and all mankind; but now I see 276 His day, in whom all nations shall be blest, Favour unmerited by me, who sought Forbidden knowledge by forbidden means. This yet I apprehend not, why to those Among whom God will deign to dwell on earth So many and so various laws are given ; So many laws argue so many sins 280 27). Here Adam interpos'd.] Gen. iii. 5. Your eyes shall be These interpositions of Adam opened, &c. have a very good effect, for 277. His day,] An allusion otherwise the continued nar- to that of our Saviour, John viii. ration of the angel would ap- 56. Your father Abraham rejoiced pear too long and tedious. to see my day; and he saw it, 274. Mine eyes true opening,] and was glad. For that was a false promise 283. So many laws argue so many which the Serpent had made, sins] This scruple of our first |