965

970

Thy anger, unappeasable, still rages,
Eternal tempest never to be calm’d.
Why do I humble thus myself, and suing
For peace, reap nothing but repulse and hate?
Bid

go with evil omen, and the brand
Of infamy upon my name denounc'd?
To mix with thy concernments I desist
Henceforth, nor too much disapprove my own.
Fame if not double-fac'd is double-mouth'd,
And with contrary blast proclaims most deeds ;
On both his wings, one black, the other white,
Bears greatest names in his wild aery flight.
My name perhaps among the circumcis'd
In Dan, in Judah, and the bordering tribes,
To all posterity may stand defam’d,
With malediction mention'd, and the blot
Of falsehood most unconjugal traduc'd.
But in my country where I most desire,

975

980

973. On both his wings, one in his Lycidas he says, (unless it

, black, the other white, be a false print) Bears greatest names in his wild

So may some gentle Muse aery flight.]

With lucky words favour my destin'd I think Fame has passed for a

urn,

And as he passes turn, goddess ever since Hesiod deified

And bid fair peace be to my sable her: Egy.763.

shroud.

Where Muse in the masculine Φημη δ' ου τις παμπαν απoλλυται, ήν

for poet is very bold. Perhaps it τινα πολλοι Λαοι Φημιζoυσι. θεος νυ τις εσι και αυτη.

should be, Fama vero nulla prorsus perit, quam

Bears greatest names in his wide aery

Aight. quidem multi Populi divulgant, quippe dea quidem What Milton says of Fame's bearest et ipsa.

ing great names on his wings,

seems to be partly from Horace, Milton makes her a god, I know Od. ii. ii. 7. not why, unless secundum eos,

Illum aget penna

te solvi qui dicunt utriusque sexus par- Fama superstes. ticipationem habere numina. So

Jortin.

a

985

In Ecron, Gaza, Asdod, and in Gath,
I shall be nam’d among the famousest
Of women, sung at solemn festivals,
Living and dead recorded, who to save
Her country from a fierce destroyer, chose
Above the faith of wedlock-bands, my tomb
With odours visited and annual flowers;
Not less renown'd than in mount Ephraim
Jael, who with inhospitable guile
Smote Sisera sleeping through the temples nail'd.
Nor shall I count it heinous to enjoy
The public marks of honour and reward
Conferr'd upon me, for the piety
Which to my country I was judg'd to have shown.
At this who ever envies or repines,

995 I leave him to his lot, and like my own.

CHORUS.
She's gone, a manifest serpent by her sting
Discover'd in the end, till now conceald.

-my tomb

986.

Jael is celebrated in the noble With odours visited and annual song of Deborah and Barak, flowers;] What is said in Scrip- Judges v. and Deborah dwelt ture of the daughter of Jephthah, between Ramah and Beth-el in that the daughters of Israel went mount Ephraim. Judges iv. 5. yearly to lament her, seems to 995. At this who ever envies or imply that this solemn and perio- repines, dical visitation of the tombs of I leave him to his lot, and like eminent persons was an eastern

my own.] custom. Thyer.

Teucer to the Chorus in Sopho. So it is said afterwards of cles's Ajax, ver. 1038. Samson, The virgins also shall on feastful

Οσω δε μη σαδ' εσσιν εν γνωμη φιλα,

Κεινος σ' εκεινα στεργεσω, καγω ταδε, days Visit his tomb with flowers,

Cui autem hæc non sunt cordi, 988. Not less renown'd than in

Illeque sua amet, et ego mea. mount Ephraim

Calton. Jael)

1000

SAMSON.
So let her go, God sent her to debase me,
And aggravate my folly, who committed
To such a viper his most sacred trust
Of secresy, my safety, and my life.

CHORUS.
Yet beauty, though injurious, hath strange power,
After offence returning, to regain
Love once possess'd, nor can be easily
Repuls'd, without much inward passion felt
And secret sting of amorous remorse.

SAMSON.
Love-quarrels oft in pleasing concord end,
Not wedlock-treachery indang’ring life.

CHORUS.
It is not virtue, wisdom, valour, wit,

1005

1010

1003. Yet beauty, though inju- called the woman-hater. It may rious, hath strange power, &c.] be said indeed in excuse, that This truth Milton has finely ex

the occasion was very provokemplified in Adam forgiving Eve, ing, and that these reproaches and he had full experience of it

are rather to be looked upon as in his own case, as the reader a sudden start of resentment, may see in the note upon Para- than cool and sober reasoning. dise Lost, x. 940.

Thyer. 1008. Love-quarrels oft in

These reflections are the more pleasing concord end,] Terence, severe, as they are not spoken Andria iii. iii. 23.

by Samson, who might be sup

posed to utter them out of pique Amantium iræ, amoris integratio est.

and resentment, but are delivered 1010. It is not virtue, &c.] by the Chorus as serious and imHowever just the observation portant truths. But by all acmay be, that Milton in his Para- counts Milton himself had sufdise Lost seems to court the fa- fered some uneasiness through vour of the female sex, it is very the temper and behaviour of two certain, that he did not carry the of his wives; and no wonder same complaisance into this per- therefore that upon so tempting formance. What the Chorus here an occasion as this he indulges says outgoes the very bitterest his spleen a little, depreciates satire of Euripides, who was the qualifications of the women,

1015

1020

Strength, comeliness of shape, or amplest merit
That woman's love can win or long inherit;
But what it is, hard is to say,
Harder to hit,
(Which way soever men refer it,)
Much like thy riddle Samson, in one day
Or sev’n, though one should musing sit.
If

any of these or all, the Timnian bride
Had not so soon preferr'd
Thy paranymph, worthless to thee compar'd,
Successor in thy bed,
Nor both so loosely disallied
Their nuptials, nor this last so treacherously
Had shorn the fatal harvest of thy head.
Is it for that such outward ornament
Was lavish'd on their sex, that inward gifts
Were left for haste unfinish’d, judgment scant,
Capacity not rais'd to apprehend
Or value what is best
In choice, but oftest to affect the wrong
Or was too much of self-love mix’d,
Of constancy no root infix'd,
That either they love nothing, or not long ?

Whate'er it be, to wisest men and best

1025

?

1030

and asserts the superiority of the Read to the wisest mun. See the men, and to give these sentiments following expressions, -in his the greater weight puts them way, -draws him awry. Meainto the mouth of the Chorus. dowcourt.

1020. Thy paranymph,] Bride- We have such a change of the mạn. But Samson's wife was

number in the Paradise Lost, ix. given to his companion, whom he 1183. had used as his friend. Judg. xiv.

-in women overtrusting 20.

Lets her will rule; restraint she will Richardson.

not brook, 1034. —to wisest men and best]

And left to herself, &c. VOL. III.

U

1035

1040

Seeming at first all heav'nly under virgin veil,
Soft, modest, meek, demure,
Once join'd, the contrary she proves, a thorn
Intestine, far within defensive arms
A cleaving mischief, in his way to virtue
Adverse and turbulent, or by her charms
Draws him

awry

inslav'd
With dotage, and his sense deprav'd
To folly and shameful deeds which ruin ends.
What pilot so expert but needs must wreck
Imbark'd with such a steers-mate at the helm ?

Favour'd of heav'n who finds
One virtuous rarely found,
That in domestic good combines :
Happy that house his way to peace is smooth:
But virtue which breaks through all opposition,
And all temptation can remove,

1045

1050

arms

and we justified it there by a rizes the women in general, like similar instance from Terence. them too he commends the vir1038. --far within defensire tuous and good, and esteems a

good wife a blessing from the A cleaving mischief,]

Lord. Prov. xviii. 22. Whoso The words a cleuving mischief al- findeth a wife, findeth a good thing, lude to the poisoned shirt sent to and obtaineth favour of the Lord. Hercules by his wife Deianira. xix. 14. A prudent wife is from Meadowcourt.

the Lord. Ecclus. xxvi. 1, 2. The idea is rather that of an Blessed is the man that hath a adversary, who, having rushed virtuous wife, for the number of within his antagonist's shield, his days shall be double. A virgrapples with him and cleaves tuous woman rejoiceth her husto his side. We would willingly band, and he shall fulfil the years save Milton, if possible, from the of his life in peace, &c. This is reproach of so many ill-placed much better than condemning allusions to classic mythology. all without distinction, as JuveE.

nal and Boileau have done, the 1046. Farour'd of heav'n who former in his sixth, and the latfinds &c.] If Milton like Solo- ter in his tenth satire. mon and the Son of Sirach sati.