117. And this empyreal substance cannot fail,
118. Since through experience of this great event
119. In arms not worse, in foresight much advanc'd,
120. We may with more successful hope resolve
121. To wage by force or guile eternal war,
122. Irreconcilable to our grand foe,

123. Who now triumphs, and, in th' excess of joy 124. Sole reigning, holds the tyranny of heaven.' 125. So spake th' apostate angel, though in pain,

decree of what he calls fate, and consoles himself by the reflection of his having a God-like nature.

117. "Empyreal," [from Gr. εμπυρος : ev and πυρ=fire.] refined beyond aerial substance. "Since by fate:" a full sense is concluded at "downfall." "Since," which is repeated in 118, appears intended to usher in a reason for some project conceived in Satan's mind, which, however, is suppressed, apparently to heighten the picture of his perturbation. Ordo "Since we, irreconcilable to our grand foe, not worse (than before) in arms, (though) much advanced in foresight, may, through (by means of) experience of this great event, resolve, with more successful hope, to wage eternal war by force or guile." In using the word empyreal," Milton no doubt had in view the passage from Psalm civ. 4-"He maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire."

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123. "Triumphs." Triumphus=a procession allowed to Generals by the Senate after the conquest of an enemy of importance; in it were led the captives and trophies taken from the enemy; τρόπαιον = a trophy, from rрéлw-to turn; signifying primarily a trunk of a tree with the branches lopped off, to express symbolically the distressed state of the enemy, and erected in the spot where they had been turned to flight.

124. "Tyranny." The Greeks employed the word Túpavvoc tyrannus, tyrant, to all who usurped sovereign. power, and, from the general cruelty of all such, the word in our language signifies, secondarily, a person of insolent and cruel bearing.

125. "So spake." The expressions rise in strength, and present a vivid picture of Satan's impotence and punish

126. Vaunting aloud, but rack'd with deep despair: 127. And him thus answer'd soon his bold compeer: 128. "O prince, O chief of many-throned powers, 129. That led th' embattled seraphim to war

130. Under thy conduct, and in dreadful deeds
131. Fearless endanger'd heaven's perpetual King,
132. And put to proof his high supremacy,

133. Whether upheld by strength, or chance, or fate;
134. Too well I see, and rue the dire event,
135. That with sad overthrow, and foul defeat,
136. Hath lost us heaven, and all this mighty host
137. In horrible destruction laid thus low,
138. As far as gods and heavenly essences

139. Can perish: for the mind and spirit remain
140. Invincible, and vigour soon returns,

ment. He speaks, though in pain; and vaunts aloud, though "racked with deep despair."

129. "Seraphim" and Cherubim. Angels of the heavenly orders. On Seraphim, see Grammar, page 39. Ordo and paraphrase: "O chief, that (who) under thy conduct led the Seraphim (in battle array) embattled to war; and (who) fearless, by dreadful deeds, endangered the perpetual King of Heaven; and (who), as regards his supremacy, put to proof (made experiment) whether it was upheld by strength, or chance, or fate."

131. Perpetual." This word here only regards the past; and, as such, is more appropriate than "eternal,” which regards the future too, and signifies" for ever." Had the fiend used "eternal," he could not consistently have insinuated the existence of danger to God's kingdom.

134. Ordo: "Too well I see and rue the dire event, that (which event) hath lost (for) us Heaven with (by means of, or accompanied by) sad overthrow and foul defeat, and (which event) hath laid thus low all this mighty host in horrible destruction, (destroyed) as far as gods and heavenly essences can perish."

139. "For the mind." There appears an ellipsis here, of which examples abound in all languages and in every species of composition. The connexion requires something

141. Though all our glory extinct, and happy state 142. Here swallow'd up in endless misery.

143. But what if he our Conqueror (whom I now 144. Of force believe almighty, since no less

145. Than such could have o'erpower'd such force as ours,) 146. Have left us this our spirit and strength entire 147. Strongly to suffer and support our pains, 148. That we may so suffice his vengeful ire, 149. Or do him mightier service as his thralls 150. By right of war, whate'er his business be, 151. Here in the heart of hell to work in fire, 152. Or do his errands in the gloomy deep; 153. What can it then avail, though yet we feel 154. Strength undiminish'd, or eternal being 155. To undergo eternal punishment ?"

156. Whereto with speedy words the arch-fiend replied: 157. "Fall'n cherub, to be weak is miserable,

158. Doing or suffering; but of this be sure,
159. To do aught good never will be our task,
160. But ever to do ill our sole delight,
161. As being the contrary to his high will
162. Whom we resist. If then his providence
163. Out of our evil seek to bring forth good,
164. Our labour must be to pervert that end,
165. And out of good still to find means of evil,
166. Which oft-times may succeed, so as perhaps

like the following, to be supplied:-"They cannot perish altogether."

141. "Though all." Though all our glory (were) extinct, and (though) our happy state here (were) swallowed up. 144. "Of force." Through force, against my will, of "Since." This clause arises out of the mention of the word " Almighty, since no less than such,” i. e. Almighty power.

necessity..

157. "To be weak is miserable." The construction is essentially Latin, and difficult of understanding to a mere English scholar. Doing or suffering," agree with some noun, the subject of the verb "to be." The whole of this speech has the aspect of a fiend-like malignity.

167. Shall grieve him, if I fail not, and disturb
168. His inmost counsels from their destined aim.
169. But see! the angry Victor hath recall'd
170. His ministers of vengeance and pursuit
171. Back to the gates of heaven: the sulphurous hail,
172. Shot after us in storm, o'erblown, hath laid
173. The fiery surge, that from the precipice
174. Of heaven received us falling; and the thunder,
175. Wing'd with red lightning and impetuous rage,
176. Perhaps hath spent his shafts, and ceases now
177. To bellow through the vast and boundless deep.
178. Let us not slip th' occasion, whether scorn
179. Or satiate fury yield it from our foe.

180. Seest thou yon dreary plain, forlorn and wild,
181. The seat of desolation, void of light,
152. Save what the glimmering of these livid flames
153. Casts pale and dreadful Thither let us tend
154. From off the tossing of these fiery waves;
185. There rest, if any rest ean harbour there;
156. And, reassembling our afflicted powers.
187. Consult how we may henceforth most offend
158. Our enemy, our own loss how repair,

169. “Hath recalled his ministers." There would appear a contradiction between this statement and that in the end of the Sixth Book, wherein the victory over the fallen spirits is ascribed to the Messiah alone, whose superiority, however, Satan would naturally be unwilling to acknowledge.

176. His shafts." Its. i. e. the shafts of the thunder. 178. Not slip." Omit; fail to avail ourselves, de. 179. It." The occasion, opportunity.

152. "Save." Except that much light (which).

183. “Tend." Direct our course; tendere cursum Virgil.

155. There rest." Let us rest; and, reassembling our afflicted powers, (let us) consult how we may offend our enemy, and how (we may) repair our own boss. &e. de.

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186. Aficted." Ruined, destroyed: literally, by dashing one thing against another (af-digere).

189. How overcome this dire calamity,

190. What reinforcement we may gain from hope,
191. If not, what resolution from despair."
192. Thus Satan talking to his nearest mate,
193. With head up-lift above the wave, and eyes
194. That sparkling blaz'd; his other parts besides
195. Prone on the flood extended long and large,
196. Lay floating many a rood; in bulk as huge
197. As whom the fables name of monstrous size,
198. Titanian, or Earth-born, that warr'd on Jove;
199. Briareos or Typhon, whom the den

200. By ancient Tarsus held; or that sea-beast
201. Leviathan, which God of all his works

193. Ordo: " With head uplift and (with) eyes that (which) sparkling blaz'd; his other parts extended lay floating," &c. &c.

195. "Prone." Lying flat.

196. "Many a rood." Virgil represents a giant as covering nine acres, Eneid vi. 596:

"In bulk as huge." This is loose composition. What does huge qualify? Satan, or parts? If the former, it is placed awkwardly, and too far from the qualified word; if the latter, the meaning is, That the remaining parts (all but the head) were equal in size to Briareus.

197. "As whom." As huge as (he was) whom, &c. &c. 198. "Titanian." The sons of Titan were of gigantic stature; they made war on Jupiter, by whom they were subdued. See Lempriere's Classical Dictionary.

199. "Briareos." A famous giant who had one hundred hands. See Homer's Iliad, i. 402 :

Ωχ ̓ Ἑκατόγχειρον καλέσασ ̓ ἐς μακρὸν Ολυμπον,
Ον Βριάρεων καλέουσι Θεοί, ἄνδρες δέ τε πάντες
Αἰγαίων· ὁ γὰρ αὖτε βίῃ οὗ πατρὸς ἀμείνων.

200. "Tarsus." A celebrated city of Cilicia, in Asia Minor, on the river Cydnus. It was the birth-place of St. Paul, Acts xxii. 3.

201. "Leviathan." From the context it would appear that Milton contemplated the whale