106. obnoxious: subject, liable. III. steering directing their course; With radiant feet the tissued 118. at random: anyway or anyhow; carelessly diffused: passively 'His limbs did rest Shelley's Alastor. Spenser uses two phrases of similar import; 'Pour'd out in loosnesse on 'Publica me requies curarum somnus habebat, 133. Chalybean-tempered steel: having the temper of steel wrought 134. Adamantean proof: having the strength of adamant. 136. insupportably: irresistibly. 139. his lion ramp: his leap or spring as of a lion. In the descrip- 'now half appeared The tawny lion, pawing to get free His hinder parts, then springs, as broke from bonds, And rampant shakes his brinded mane.' 144. foreskins: uncircumcised Philistines. 147. Azza: Gaza. Deut. ii. 23. See Judges xvi. 3. The form Azzah is used 148. Hebron, seat of giants old: for Hebron was the city of Arba, the father of Anak, and the seat of the Anakims. - Josh. xv. 13, 14. 'And the Anakims were giants, which come of the giants.' - Num. xiii. 33. Newton. 149. No journey of a sabbath-day: Hebron was about thirty miles distant from Gaza; a sabbath-day's journey was but three-quarters of a mile. 150. Like whom: Atlas. 157. complain: directly transitive, in the sense of lament, bewail. 163. visual beam: ray of light, the condition of seeing. 'the air, No where so clear, sharpen'd his visual ray.' P. L., iii. 620. 'then [Michael] purged with euphrasy and rue — P. L., xi. 415. 165. Since man on earth: a Latinism like Post urbem conditam, of frequent occurrence in Milton's poetry; 'Never since created man.'P. L., i. 573; ‘After the Tuscan mariners transformed.' — Comus, 48. 169. pitch: usually pertains to height; here to depth. 172. the sphere of fortune: a constantly revolving globe. 173. But thee: construe with him,' third line above: For him I reckon not in high estate But thee.' ... 181. Eshtaol and Zora: see Josh. xix. 41. 185. tumours: perturbations, agitations; so tumor is used in Latin: 'Cum tumor animi resedisset; 'Erat in tumore animus.' 190. superscription: a continuation of the metaphor in preceding line. 191-193. In prosperous days they swarm: perhaps from Milton's own experience after the Restoration. — Masson. 207. mean: moderate, as compared with his physical strength. 208. This: i.e. wisdom. 209. drove me transverse: a continuation of the metaphor in 198So in P. L.,' iii. 488: 200. 'A violent cross wind from either coast Blows them transverse ten thousand leagues away Into the devious air.' 212. pretend they ne'er so wise: claim they to be never so wise; the idea of falseness is not in the word 'pretend' as in its present use. 219. The first I saw at Timna: Judges xiv. 221. The daughter of an infidel: Milton probably had his first wife, Mary Powell, in his mind, whose family was infidel to his own political creed. 222. motioned: proposed. 223. intimate: inward, inmost. 228. fond: foolish. 229. vale of Sorec: a valley (and stream) between Askelon and Gaza, not far from Zorah. - Judges xvi. 4. 230. specious good appearing. 235, 236. vanquished with a peal of words: a metaphor drawn from the storming of a fortress. A similar metaphor is found in '1. Henry VI.,' III. iii. 79, 80: 'I am vanquished; these haughty words of hers Have battered me like roaring cannon-shot.' 237. provoke: to call forth, to challenge. Lat. provocare. 241. That fault I take not on me: 'with an occult reference, perhaps, to the conduct of those in power in England after Cromwell's death, when Milton still argued vehemently against the restoration of the Stuarts.'Masson. 247. ambition: used literally, going about in the service of some object, canvassing. Lat. ambitio. 248. spoke loud: proclaimed. 253. Etham: Judges xv. 8, 9. 257. harass: ravaging. 258. on some conditions: Judges xv. 11-13. 263. a trivial weapon: the jawbone of an ass. Judges xv. 15. 268-276. But what more oft: a plain reference to the state of England, and to Milton's own position there, after the Restoration. — Masson. 271. strenuous: ardently maintained. Newton quotes a similar sentiment from the oration of Æmilius Lepidus, the consul, to the Roman people, against Sulla: 'Annuite legibus impositis; accipite otium cum servitio; ' - but for myself—'potior visa est periculosa libertas quieto servitio.' 278. How Succoth: Judges viii. 4–9. 282. how ingrateful Ephraim: Judges xi. 15–27. 287-289. sore battle: the battle fought by Jephthah with Ephraim. Judges xii. 4-6. 291. mine: my people. 297, 298. For of such doctrine: 'Observe the peculiar effect of contempt given to the passage by the rapid rhythm and the sudden introduction of a rhyme in these two lines.' - Masson. 305. They ravel more, still less resolved: they become more confused, and ever less disentangled. 327. careful step: 'careful' is used subjectively; a step indicating that Manoa was full of care, deeply concerned. Chaucer so uses 'dredeful': 'With dredeful foot thanne stalketh Palamoun.' - Knight's Tale, 1479. 333. uncouth: literally, unknown; strange, with the idea of the disagreeable. 334. gloried: a participial form derived from the noun. 335. informed: directed. 343. Angels': I have followed Keightley in making 'Angels' a genitive. 345. Duelled: it was an individual fight on the part of Samson. 354. as that; this use of 'as' after 'so' and 'such' is not uncommon in Shakespeare and Bacon, and the later literature. 'I feel such sharp dissension in my breast, 364. miracle: wonder, admiration. -1 Henry VI., V. v. 86. 373. Appoint: 'Do not you arrange or direct the disposition of heavenly things.' — Keightley. 383. Of Timna: Judges xiv. 394. my capital secret: a play on the word 'capital' is, no doubt, designed; chief secret and the secret of his strength depending upon his hair. 433. That rigid score: rigorous account or reckoning. 434. This day: Judges xvi. 23. 453. idolists: idolaters. 455. propense: disposed. 466. provoked: called forth, challenged. 499, 500. a sin that Gentiles: supposed to be an allusion to Tantalus, who divulged the secrets of the gods. 503. but act not take not a part in thy own affliction; 'thy' is objective in afflicting thyself. 505. self-preservation bids: i.e. that thou do so. 509. his debt: debt to him. 516. what offered means: those offered means which. 528. blazed: trumpeted abroad. 531. affront: a front to front encounter. but once in Shakespeare: The word occurs as a noun 'There was a fourth man in a silly habit, That gave the affront with them.' — Cymb., V. iii. 87. i.e. faced or confronted the enemy (Rolfe). 533. venereal trains: snares of Venus, or love. 537. me an ethical dative? or it may be the usual dative. 539. Then turned me out ridiculous: an object of ridicule, a laughing-stock. 549. rod: ray of light. 552. turbulent: used causatively. 563-572. Now blind, disheartened: almost literally autobiographic. 569. robustious: Masson explains 'full of force'; but 'vain monument of strength' in the following verse, does not seem to support this explanation. 581. caused a fountain: Judges xv. 18, 19. 590-598. All otherwise: this pathetic passage is quite literally autobiographic, if 'race of shame' be excepted; but even this might be understood, in Milton's case, to be used objectively. 599. suggestions: the word has a stronger meaning than at present: inward promptings. 'why do I yield to that suggestion Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair And make my seated heart knock at my ribs Against the use of nature?'-Macbeth, I. iii. 34. 604. how else: elsewise, otherwise. 612. all his (torment's) fierce accidents: all the fierce things which fall to, or happen to, body or mind. 613. her the mind's. 615. answerable: corresponding. |