Idolatrous. But when his purpose is Among them to declare his providence 445 To thee not known, whence hast thou then thy truth, In ev'ry province ? who, themselves disdaining At least in vain, for they shall find thee mute. Into the world to teach his final will, And sends his Spirit of Truth henceforth to dwell In pious hearts, and inward oracle To all truth requisite for men to know. So spake our Saviour; but the subtle fiend, Sharply thou hast insisted on rebuke, 456 ceas'd] Juv. Sat. vi. 554. 'Delphis oracula cessant.' Dunster. 450 455 460 465 470 475 And not enforc'd ofttimes to part from truth; Her dictates from thy mouth? most men admire And talk at least, though I despair to attain. To whom our Saviour with unalter'd brow. 478 Hard] Sil. Ital. iv. 605. · perque aspera duro Nititur ad laudem virtus interrita clivo.' Dunster. 480 485 490 495 487 atheous] Cicero, speaking of Diagoras, Atheos qui dictus est.' De Nat. D. i. 23. Atheal' is not uncommon in old English. Dunster. Todd. He added not; and Satan, bowing low His gray dissimulation, disappear'd Into thin air diffus'd: for now began Night with her sullen wings to double-shade 500 The desart; fowls in their clay nests were couch'd; And now wild beasts came forth the woods to roam. 498 gray dissimulation] See Ford's Broken Heart; ed. Weber, p. 'Lay by thy whining gray dissimulation.' 304. 499 thin] Virg. Æn. iv. 278. 'Et procul in tenuem ex oculis evanuit auram.' Shakesp. Temp. act iv. sc. 2. 'Are melted into air, into thin air.' Dunster. 500 Night] Nonnus ends the xxvth book of his Dionysiaca thus, Καὶ σκιερὴν ἐμέλαινεν ὅλην χθόνα σιγαλέη νυξ· Λαοὶ δ ̓ ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα χαμαιστρώτων ἐπὶ λέκτρων Εσπερίῃ μετὰ δόρπον ὀρειάδι κάππεσον ἐννῇ. 500 double-shade] Ov. Met. xi. 548. 'Duplicataque noctis imago est.' Dunster. 501 fowls] Beaumont's Psyche, c. xiii. st. 355, ed. 1648. 'Each gentle fair-condition'd bird and beast Hied them unto their nests and dens ... Only some ominous ravens, and screech owles prest PARADISE REGAINED. BOOK II. MEANWHILE the new-baptiz'd, who yet remain'd At Jordan with the Baptist, and had seen Him whom they heard so late expressly call'd Jesus, Messiah, Son of God declar'd, And on that high authority had believ'd, And with him talk'd, and with him lodg'd; I mean With others though in holy writ not nam❜d, 5 10 15 6 mean] See this expression in Harington's Ariosto, xxxi. 46. 'I mean Renaldo's House of Montalbane;' and st. 55. I mean the cruel Pagan Rodomont.' Newton. 13 shown] Virg. Æn. vi. 870. 'Ostendent terris hunc tantum fata.' Therefore as those young prophets then with care The city of palms, Ænon, and Salem old, 20 25 30 Where winds with reeds and osiers whisp'ring play, 35 35 23 broad] Broad' is not opposed to long, but means 'large;' in this sense it is often used by the old English poets; and thus their modern imitator, 'He knew her of broad lands the heir.' Marmion, c. ii. st. xxvii. The lake of Genezaret is eighteen miles long, and only five broad. 25 Jordan] Giles Fletcher's Christ's Victorie and Triumph, ed. 1632, p. 49: 'Or whistling reeds, that rutty Jordan laves.' A. Dyce. 27 no greater] Spenser in the beginning of Sheph. Cal. 'A shepherd's boy, no better do him call. Newton. 30 what] So first edition; in most others, 'that.' Newton. |