rom a fat meadow ground; or fleecy flock, wes and their bleating lambs over the plain, heir booty; fcarce with life the fhepherds fly, 650 ut call in aid, which makes a bloody fray; With cruel torneament the fquadrons join; Where cattel paftur'd late, now scatter'd lies With carcaffes and arms th' infanguin'd field Deferted: Others to a city ftrong

655

-ay fiege, incamp'd; by battery, fcale, and mine, ffaulting; others from the wall defend

With dart and javelin, ftones and fulphurous fire;
On each hand flaughter and gigantic deeds.
In other part the fcepter'd heralds call

Part arable and tilth, whereon were

sheaves

New reap'd, the other part sheepwalks and folds.

not this Homer's defcription a
ttle contracted? ver. 550 &c.
Εν δ' ετίθει τεμενΘ- βαθυληΐον
ενθα δ' εειθό
Ημων, οξείας δρεπανας εν χερσιν
έχοντες.

Δράγματα δ' αλλα μετ' όγμον
επήτριμα τίτλον έραζε,
Anλa S'aμanλoSETUPES EV EXλE-
δανοισι δεοντο.

Another field rose high with waving
grain ;

With bended fickles ftand the reaper-train.

660

To council in the city gates: anon

Gray-headed men and grave, with warriors mix'd,
Affemble, and harangues are heard, but foon
In factious oppofition, till at last

Along the ftreet the new-made brides
are led,
With torches flaming, to the nup.
tial bed:
The youthful dancers in a circle
bound

To the foft flute, and cittern's fil-
ver found.

And in like manner the driving away of the sheep and oxen from forage, and the battel which thereupon enfues may be compared with the fol

τωρα καλα

Aggerrar dier xeres d'empr лоботи.

Οι δ' ώς εν επιθοντο πολυτελια

For waez Sesli, "LERY WESTαεFibe xafnerth Βαλές αερσιπόδων μετεκιαίν TIX' SO`İTTOY arta Sixò:70. Στησάμενοι δ' εμάχοντο μέχρι ποταμοιο παρ' όχθας.

In arms the glitt'ring fquadron ris
round,

Rufh fudden; hills of slaughter hetp
the ground,
Whole flocks and herds lie bleeding
on the plains,
And, all amidst them, dead, the
fhepherd fwains.
The bellowing oxen the beege
hear,

They rife, take horse, approach,

meet the war;

They fight, they fall, befide de
filver flood,
The waving filver feem'd to ha

with blood.

The reprefentation of the city be fieg'd here in Milton,

Others to a city ftrong

ng paffage in Homer: ver. 527 Lay fiege, incamp'd; &c.

of middle age one rifing, eminent

wife deport, fpake much of right and wrong, of justice, of religion, truth and peace, nd judgment from above: him old and young

370

Exploded and had feis'd with violent hands,
Had not a cloud defcending fnatch'd him thence 670
Unfeen amid the throng: fo violence
Proceeded, and oppreffion, and fword-law
Through all the plain, and refuge none was found,
Adam was all in tears, and to his guide
Lamenting turn'd full fad; O what are these,
Death's minifters, not men, who thus deal death
Inhumanly to men, and multiply

675

Ten thoufandfold the fin of him who flew
His brother: for of whom fuch maffacre
Make they but of their brethren, men of men? 650
But who was that juft man, whom had not Heaven
Rescued, had in his righteousness been lost?

To whom thus Michael.

remonstrated likewife against the wickedness of mankind, and denounc'd the heavy judgment of God upon them, Jude 14. Bebold the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his Saints, to execute judgment upon all &c: which the poet alludes to more plainly afterwards, ver. 704.

that God would come To judge them with his Saints.

683. To whom thus Michael. Thefe

are the product] The accent upon the word product is to be varied predu or product, according as you

Thefe are the product

pronounce the word Michael with two or three fyllables.

688. Such were thefe giants

of high renown;] Gen.VI There were giants in the earth in th days; and alfo after that, when the fons of God came in unto the daugher. of men, and they bare children to them: the fame became mighty men, which were of old, men of renown. Some commentators understand by the word which we tranflate giants, m of large bulk and ftature; others conceive them to be no more then robbers and tyrants: Our author

includes

Of thofe ill mated marriages thou faw'ft;

Where good with bad were match'd, who of themselves bhor to join; and by imprudence mix'd,

686

roduce prodigious births of body' or mind. uch were these giants, men of high renown;

or in those days might only shall be' admir'd,
nd valor and heroic virtue call'd;
To overcome in battel, and subdue
Tations, and bring home spoils with infinite
Man-flaughter, fhall be held the highest pitch
Of human glory, and for glory done
Of triumph, to be ftil'd great conquerors,
Patrons of mankind, Gods, and fons of Gods,
Deftroyers rightlier call'd and plagues of men.
Thus fame fhall be achiev'd, renown on earth,

ncludes both interpretations, and
eaves the choice to the reader, pro-
digious births of body or mind.

691. To overcome in battel, &c.]
This character drawn more mafterly
In Parad. Reg. III. 71.
They err who count it glorious &c.
Warburton.

694. and for glory done
Of triumph, to be fil'd great con-
querors,] Milton had faid be-
fore that it shall be held the higheft
pitch of glory, to fubdue nations and
bring home their poils: and here he

690

695

And

adds (for this I take to be his fenfe) that it fhall be held the highest pitch of triumph for that glory obtain'd, to be fil'd great conquerors. So that though I approve of Dr. Bentley's changing done into won, I cannot agree to his altering Of triumph to Or triumph. Pearce.

This is one of the most difficult paffages. I am not fatisfied with the conjectures of either of thefe learned men, and fee no other way of underftanding it but this. To overcome, to fubdue, to spoil, fhall be held the highest pitch of glory, and shall be A a 2

dong