I, WHO ere-while the happy garden sung, Thou Spirit, who led'st this glorious Eremite Against the spiritual foe, and brought'st him thence And unrecorded left through many an age, 7 waste] Spens. Fairy Queen, i. i. 32. 'Far hence, quoth he, in wasteful wilderness,' Dunster. 14 summ'd] Drayton's Polyolbion. Song xi. "The muse from Cambria comes, with pinions summ'd and sound.' 15 VOL. II. 9 Todd. 25 30 Now had the great Proclaimer, with a voice More awful than the sound of trumpet, cry'd Repentance, and heaven's kingdom nigh at hand 20 To all baptiz'd: to his great baptism flock'd With awe the regions round, and with them came From Nazareth the Son of Joseph deem'd, To the flood Jordan; came, as then obscure, Unmarkt, unknown; but him the Baptist soon Descry'd, divinely warn'd, and witness bore As to his worthier, and would have resign'd To him his heavenly office, nor was long His witness unconfirm'd: on him baptiz'd Heaven open'd, and in likeness of a dove The Spirit descended, while the Father's voice From heaven pronounc'd him his beloved Son. That heard the adversary, who, roving still About the world, at that assembly fam'd Would not be last, and, with the voice divine Nigh thunder-struck, th' exalted man, to whom Such high attest was giv'n, a while survey'd With wonder; then, with envy fraught and rage, Flies to his place, nor rests, but in mid air To council summons all his mighty peers, Within thick clouds and dark ten-fold involv'd, A gloomy consistory; and them amidst With looks aghast and sad he thus bespake. 42 consistory] Virg. Æn. iii. 677. 'Concilium horrendum.' Thyer. 42 gloomy consistory] See Dante Il Paradiso, xxix. 66. 'Omai dintorno a questo consistoro Puoi contemplare assai.' 35 40 O ancient Powers of air and this wide world, (For much more willingly I mention air, This our old conquest, than remember hell, How many ages, as the years of men, 45 50 55 This universe we have possess'd, and rul'd To be infring'd, our freedom, and our being, 60 For this ill news I bring, the woman's seed, 65 His birth to our just fear gave no small cause,✯ Things highest, greatest, multiplies my fear. Lucret. i. 565, 57 circling] So P. L. vi. 3. vii. 342, Circling years.' Dunster. 67 youth's full flow'r] Hom. Il. iv. 484, ns &v0os. ævi contingere florem. iii. 771, ætatis tangere florem. 406, primævæ flore juventæ. Sil. Ital. xvi. Before him a great prophet to proclaim 82 crystal] Crystal' was a favourite expression among our elder poets for bright.' It occurs nearly twenty times in Milton. It is often used, when no allusion to 'crystal' as a substance is meant, as in Shakesp. Hen. VI. p. i. act i. sc. 1. ‘Brandish your crystal tresses in the sky.' Dekker's Satiromastix, Sig. K. 4, ed. 1602, 'Bow their crystal knees.' Ye see our danger on the utmost edge Of hazard, which admits no long debate, But must with something sudden be oppos'd, 95 (Not force, but well-couch'd fraud, well-woven snares,) Ere in the head of nations he appear Their king, their leader, and supreme on earth. I, when no other durst, sole undertook The dismal expedition to find out And ruin Adam, and the exploit perform'd 100 Will waft me; and the way found prosp'rous once He ended, and his words impression left 94 edge] Shakesp. All's Well, &c. Act iii. sc. 3. 97 well-woven] Sil. Ital. iii. 233. Newton. 105 110 115 |