Sat simply chatting in a rustic row; Full little thought they then, That the mighty Pan Was kindly come to live with them below; Perhaps their loves, or else their sheep, Was all that did their silly thoughts so busy keep. When such music sweet IX. Their hearts and ears did greet, As never was by mortal finger strook, Divinely-warbled voice Answering the stringed noise, As all their souls in blissful rapture took: The air such pleasure loath to lose, 90 95 With thousand echoes still prolongs each heav'nly close. sacred writings. Mr. Bowle refers to Dante, Purgat. c. vi. v. 118. sommo Giove, Che fosti'n in terra per noi crocifisso. And says that this passage is literally adopted by Pulci, Morgant. Magg. c. ii. v. 2. T. Warton. 96. Divinely-warbled voice] Rather divinely-warbling. As all their souls in blissful rapture took. So in Par. Lost, ii. 554. Of the music of the milder angels. -Took with ravishment The thronging audience. -each heavenly close. So Shakespeare speaks of a musical close. K. Richard II. a. ii. s. 1. The setting sun, and music at the close, As the last taste of sweets is sweetest last. T. Warton. X. Nature that heard such sound, Beneath the hollow round Of Cynthia's seat, the airy region thrilling, Now was almost won To think her part was done, And that her reign had here its last fulfilling; She knew such harmony alone Could hold all heav'n and earth in happier union. XI. At last surrounds their sight A globe of circular light, 101 105 110 That with long beams the shame-fac'd night array'd; The helmed Cherubim, And sworded Seraphim, Are seen in glittering ranks with wings display'd, Harping in loud and solemn quire, With unexpressive notes to heav'n's new-born Heir. Such music (as 'tis said) Before was never made, XII. But when of old the sons of morning sung, 103. the airy region thrilling,] Piercing the air. So in Spenser, Faery Queen, b. i. cant. iii. st. 42. With thrilling point of deadly iron brand: and cant. vi. st. 6. thrilling shrieks: and in other places. 112. helmed] See Par. Lost, vi. 840. T.Warton. 115 120 116. With unexpressive notes] See Lycidas, ver. 176. 117. Such music as 'tis said.] See this music described, Par. Lost, vii. 558. seq. T. Warton. 119. But when of old the sons of morning sung,] As we read in Job xxxviii. 7. When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy. And the well-balanc'd world on hinges hung, And cast the dark foundations deep, And bid the welt'ring waves their oozy channel keep. XIII. Ring out ye crystal Spheres, Once bless our human ears, (If ye have pow'r to touch our senses so,) And let your silver chime Move in melodious time, 125 And let the base of heav'n's deep organ blow, And with your ninefold harmony 130 Make up full consort to th' angelic symphony. For if such holy song Inwrap our fancy long, XIV. Time will run back, and fetch the age of gold, And speckled Vanity Will sicken soon and die, And leprous Sin will melt from earthly mould, And hell itself will pass away, 135 And leave her dolorous mansions to the peering day. 140 125. Ring out ye crystal Spheres,] See the notes, P. L. iii. 482. E. 130. And let the base of heav'n's deep organ blow.] An idea catched by Milton from St. Paul's cathedral while he was a schoolboy. He was not yet a puritan. Afterwards he and his friends the fanatics would not have allowed of so papistical an establishment as an organ and choir, even in heaven. T. Warton. 131. And with your ninefold harmony] There being nine infolded spheres, as in Arcades, ver. 64. where see the note. XV. Yea Truth and Justice then Will down return to men, Orb'd in a rainbow; and like glories wearing Mercy will sit between, Thron'd in celestial sheen, 145 With radiant feet the tissued clouds down steering, And heav'n, as at some festival, Will open wide the gates of her high palace hall. But wisest Fate says no, This must not yet be so, XVI. The babe lies yet in smiling infancy, That on the bitter cross Must redeem our loss So both himself and us to glorify: Yet first to those ychain'd in sleep, 150 155 XVII. With such a horrid clang As on mount Sinai rang, While the red fire, and smouldring clouds out brake : The aged earth aghast, With terror of that blast, Shall from the surface to the centre shake; When at the world's last session, 160 The dreadful Judge in middle air shall spread his throne. XVIII. And then at last our bliss Full and perfect is, But now begins; for from this happy day Th' old Dragon under ground In straiter limits bound, Not half so far casts his usurped sway, And wroth to see his kingdom fail, Swinges the scaly horror of his folded tail. 157. With such a horrid clang] Clang is clangour. So of a multitude of birds, Par. Lost, vii. 422. -Soaring the air sublime 159. and smouldring clouds] A word that I find neither in Junius, nor Skinner, nor Bailey, but in Spenser and Fairfax. Faery Queen, b. i. cant. viii. st. 9. Inroll'd in flames, and smouldring dreariment: b. ii. cant. v. st. 3. The smouldring dust did round about him smoke: and Fairfax, xii. 46. 165 170 A mass of solid fire burning bright Roll'd up in smouldring fumes there bursteth out: and xiii. 61. And in each vein a smouldring fire there dwelt. 159. Spenser also has smouldry, F. Q. i. vii. 13. and iii. xi. 21. Smouldring or smouldry, hot, sweltering. Perhaps from the Anglo-Saxon, Smolt, hot weather. T. Warton. 172. Swinges the scaly horror of his folded tail.] These images are plainly copied from Spenser's description of the old dragon: and no wonder Milton was fond of it in his younger years, for he |