What can be then lefs in me than defire To fee thee and approach thee, whom I know To all mankind: why should I? they to me I loft not what I loft, rather by them 385 390 I gain'd what I have gain'd, and with them dwell If not disposer; lend them oft And duration of the war they were going upon, is called by Homer sya on a great fign, Iliad. II. 308. What were the Lacedæmonians profited before, (faith Cicero De Div. II. 25.) or our own countrymen lately by the oflents and their interpreters? which, if we must believe them to be signs fent by the Gods, why were they fo obfcure? Quid igitur aut oftenta, aut eorum interpretes, vel Lacedæmonios olim, vel nuper noftros adjuverunt? quæ fi figna Deorum putanda funt, cur tam obfcura fuerunt? This paffage of Cicero will lead us to the fenfe of the next word, which very naturally follows prefages and figns, and is con D 3 nected And answers, oracles, portents and dreams, 395 Envy they fay excites me, thus to gain At first it may be; but long fince with woe nected with them. In Cicero we have figns and their interpreters, and here figas and their interpretations; for this I take to be the meaning of answers. The harufpicum refponfa amongft the Romans are obvious authorities. 2. There are three fpecies of divination diftinguifh'd from the former by figns, in Cicero's firft book on that fubject, viz. dreams, vaticinations or prophecies, and oracles. Carent autem arte ii, qui non ratione, aut conjectura, obfervatis ac notatis fignis,fed concitatione quadam animi, aut foluto liberoque motu futura præfentiunt; quod & fomniantibus fæpe contingit, & nonnunquam vaticinantibus per furorem &c. Cujus generis oracula etiam habenda funt. De Div. I. 18. These three frequently occur together; as again in this first bock.51. Item igitur fomniis, vaticinationibus, oraculis &c. And again in de Nat. Deor. II. 65. Multa cernunt harufpices: multa augures provident: multa oraculis declarantur, multa vaticinationibus, multa fomniis, (and I will fairly add, tho' it may be thought to make against me) multa portentis. Here portents are join'd with oracula, vaticinationes, and Nearer fomnia; and why might not Milton And anfwers, oracles, prophets, and dreams. I have given this learned note at length, though I can by no means agree to the propos'd alteration. My greatest objection to it is, that I conceive Milton would not have inferted prophets between oracles and dreams, any more than Cicero would have inferted vates between oracula and fomnia. Cicero has faid oracula, vaticinationes, fomnia; and Milton in like manner would have faid by prefages and figns, and anfwers, oracles, prophecies, not prophets, and dreams. But I fuppofe the poet was not willing to afcribe prophecy to the Devil; he might 400 Nearer acquainted, now I feel by proof, The think, and very juftly think, that it lay not within his fphere and capacity: and by portents he plainly understands fomething more than prefages and figns, as portenta are rank'd with monftra and prodigia in the best Latin authors. gentleman feems apprehenfive that his laft quotation from Cicero may be turned against him: and indeed that paffage and this reflect so much light on each other, as would incline one to believe that Milton had it in mind as he was compofing. Multa cernunt harufpices: multa augures provident: these are the prefages and figns and anfwers: multa oraculis declarantur, multa vaticinationibus, multa fomniis, multa portentis: here portents are annumerated with oracles and dreams: quibus cognitis, multæ fæpe res hominum fententia atque utilitate parte (or as Lambin reads, ex animi fententia atque utilitate parte) multa etiam pericula depulfa funt: the fenfe of which is very well expreffed by the following line in Milton, Whereby they may direct their future life. in That fellowship in pain divides not Smart,] Our author here had his eye this line of the poet, Solamen miferis focios habuiffe doloris. Thyer. 402. Nor lightens ought each man's peculiar load.] I think it will not be caviling to fay, that each man's peculiar load fhould not be put in the mouth of Satan, who was no man, who had confeffed to Chrift that he was the unfortunate Arch-Fiend, and who fpeaks of himfelf. If Milton had been aware of it, he would have corre&ed it thus, Nor lightens ought each ones peculiar load, or in fome other manner. Befides, the word man is repeated here too often. 94 Nor lightens ought each man's peculiar load. Small confolation then, were man adjoin'd: This wounds me moft (what can it lefs?) that man, Man fall'n fhall be reftor'd, I never more. Fortin. 404. This wounds me moft &c] D 4 Very Man fall'n fhall be reftor'd, I never more. To whom our Saviour sternly thus reply'd. Deservedly thou griev'ft, compos'd of lies From the beginning, and in lies wilt end; 405 Who boast'ft release from Hell, and leave to come Comes to the place where he before had fat To all the host of Heav'n: the happy place 415 Sq Şo never more in Hell than when in Heaven. 420 Wilt thou impute to' obedience what thy fear What but thy malice mov'd thee to misdeem To be a liar in four hundred mouths ; For lying is thy fuftenance, thy food. 430 By thee are giv'n, and what confefs'd more true 417. Imparts to thee] In all the editions it is printed Imports to thee, but in the Errata of the first edition we are defired to read Imparts to thee. It is no wonder that the errors of the first edition are continued in the fubfequent ones, when thofe errors do not much disturb the fenfe: but even where they make downright nonfenfe of the paffage, they are ftill continued; and we had a most remarkable inftance a little before in ver. 400. Never acquainted for Nearer acquainted. 426. With all inflictions? but his patience won.] So Mr. Fenton points this paffage in his edition, and fo it fhould be pointed. And the verb von I think is not often used as a verb neuter, but I find it fo in Spenfer's Faery Queen. B. 1. Cant. 6. St. 39. And he the stouteft knight that ever won. 434. But what have been thy an jwers, what but dark,] The oracles were often fo obfcure and dubious, |