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106. obnoxious: subject, liable.

III. steering directing their course; With radiant feet the tissued
clouds down steering.' - Ode on Nativity, 146.

118. at random: anyway or anyhow; carelessly diffused: passively
stretched upon the ground, sprawling.

'His limbs did rest
Diffused and motionless.'

Shelley's Alastor.

Spenser uses two phrases of similar import; 'Pour'd out in loosnesse on
the grassy ground.' — F. Q., I. vii. 7; 'carelessly displaid. '— F. Q., II.
v. 32. This use of 'diffused' is a Latinism.

'Publica me requies curarum somnus habebat,
Fusaque erant toto languida membra toro.'

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133. Chalybean-tempered steel: having the temper of steel wrought
by the Chalybes, an ancient Asiatic people dwelling south of the Black
Sea, and famous as workers in iron; hence, Lat. chalybs, steel, Gr.
xáλv. Dr. Masson accents Chalybean' on the third syllable; it seems
rather to have the accent here on the second.

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-
tion of the sixth day of the creation (P. L., vii. 463–466) it is said of the
lion,

'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.
145. Ramath-lechi: see Judges xv. 17.

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
The visual nerve, for he [Adam] had much to see.'

— 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.

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173. But thee: construe with him,' third line above: For him I reckon not in high estate But thee.'

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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,
Such fierce alarums both of hope and fear,
As I am sick with working of my thoughts.'

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.

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