Why should'st not thou like sense within thee feel 315 When I am present, and thy trial choose With me, best witness of thy virtue tried? So spake domestic Adam in his care And matrimonial love; but Eve, who thought 320 Thus her reply with accent sweet renew'd. If this be our condition, thus to dwell Sticks no dishonour on our front, but turns unite and collect it all when raised. 318. domestic Adam] This epithet seems to allude to what Adam had said in ver. 232. -nothing lovelier can be found And good works in her husband to promote. Domestic in his care, may signify here one who has a careful regard to the good of his family; and all this speech of Adam's was intended for the security of his wife. Pearce. 318. See note on Comus. 177. E. 320. Less attributed] That is, too little; an elegant Latinism. Richardson. 330. Sticks no dishonour on our front,] 325 330 Here is such a jingle and turn of the words, as we sometimes meet with in our author; he affronts us with his foul esteem, but his foul esteem sticks no dishonour on our front: but our author alludes to the etymology of the word affront: adfrontare, i. e. frontem fronti committere, as Skinner says. And I find Shakespeare using the word in its original signification. Cymbeline, act iv. -good my liege, There was a fourth man- And in Hamlet, act iii. Foul on himself; then wherefore shunn'd or fear'd Favour from heav'n, our witness from th' event. And what is faith, love, virtue unassay'd 335 340 describe him as in some degree displeased; but what extreme delicacy has our author shewn in choosing the word fervently to express it by? a term which though it implies some emotion, yet carries nothing in its idea inconsistent with that subserviency of the passions, which subsisted before the fall. In the two foregoing speeches he had made Adam address himself to her in the affectionate terms of Sole Eve, associate sole, and Daughter of God and man, immortal Eve; but here with great judgment he changes those endearing words for these more authoritative, O woman. I should think that Milton in this expression alluded to what our Saviour said to the Virgin Mary, Woman, what have I to do with thee, was not I satisfied, that he could not with his learning take these words in the vulgar mistaken sense, which our translation naturally leads ignorant O Woman, best are all things as the will Of all that he created, much less Man, But God left free the will, for what obeys 345 350 355 readers into, and must very well know that Tu amongst the Greeks is a term of great respect. Indeed throughout this whole conversation, which the poet has in every respect worked up to a faultless perfection, there is the most exact observance of justness and propriety of character. With what strength is the superior excellency of man's understanding here pointed out, and how nicely does our author here sketch out the defects peculiar in general to the female mind? and after all what great art has he shewn in making Adam, contrary to his better reason, grant his spouse's request, beautifully verifying what he had made our general an cestor a little before observe to the angel? viii. 546. &c. Thyer. 353. But bid her well be ware, and still erect,] It is very true, as Dr. Bentley observes, that erect requires the preceding word to be adjective like itself: but so is ware or wary, and so it is used, Matth. xxiv. 50. The Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not ware of; and 2 Tim. iv. 15. Of whom be thou ware also; and by our author himself in the Mask, Silence was took ere she was ware. And therefore be ware should not have been printed as one word, but as two; and then there could have been no mistake about it. Firm we subsist, yet possible to swerve, 360 And fall into deception unaware, Not keeping strictest watch, as she was warn'd. Were better, and most likely if from me Thou sever not: trial will come unsought. 365 370 Us both securer than thus warn'd thou seem'st, Go; for thy stay, not free, absents thee more; Go in thy native innocence, rely On what thou hast of virtue, summon all, For God towards thee hath done his part, do thine. 375 372. Go; for thy stay, not free, absents thee more;] It is related in the Life of Milton, that he went into the country in the Whitsuntide vacation, and married his first wife Mary, the daughter of Justice Powell, of Oxfordshire. She had not cohabited with him above a month, before she was very desirous of returning to her friends in the country, there to spend the remainder of the summer. We may suppose, that upon this occasion their con versation was somewhat of the same nature as Adam and Eve's; and it was upon some such considerations as this, that after much solicitation he permitted her to go, Go; for thy stay, not free, absents thee more. It is the more probable that he alluded to his own case in this account of Adam and Eve's parting, as in the account of their reconciliation it will appear that he copied exactly what happened to himself. Chiefly by what thy own last reasoning words So bent, the more shall shame him his repulse. 380 Thus saying, from her husband's hand her hand 385 nymph of the mountains, or Οίη δ' Αρτεμις εισι κατ' αρεος ιοχέαιρα, μανθον, |