Beyond the Indian mount; or faery elves, Sits arbitress, and nearer to the earth 785 Wheels her pale course; they, on their mirth and dance Intent, with jocund music charm his ear; At once with joy and fear his heart rebounds. Reduced their shapes immense, and were at large, 790 795 of India, or, according to others, in Ethiopia.' LEMPRIERE. See above 575. Indian mount, the Imaus. 784. Virg. Æn. vi. 454. • Aut videt, aut vidisse putat." N. 785. arbitress: witness, spectatress. Hor. Epod. v. 49. rebus meis Non infideles arbitræ Nox et Diana." N. Arbiter pugnæ, Od. iii. 20. Carmina nearer to the earth. 'In allusion to the superstitious notion of witches and fairies having great power over the moon. vel cælo possunt deducere Lunam.' Virg. Ecl. viii. 69.' N. 790. at large: at liberty, without restraint. 797. frequent and full: So we have in Latin frequens senatus, a full house.' N. 798. consult, for consultation: accented on the last syllable, as usual with Milton in substantives: so exíle' 632.aspéct' ii. 301.procéss' 297: analogy would require the accent on the first, to distinguish it from the verb: as in convérse v., converse n,, concert v., cóncert n. : THE ARGUMENT. The consultation begun, Satan debates whether another battle be to be hazarded for the recovery of heaven: some advise it, others dissuade a third proposal is preferred, mentioned before by Satan, to search the truth of that prophecy or tradition in heaven concerning another world, and another kind of creature, equal, or not much inferior, to themselves, about this time to be created. Their doubt, who shall be sent on this difficult search; Satan their chief undertakes alone the voyage, is honoured and applauded. The council thus ended, the rest betake them several ways, and to several employments, as their inclinations lead them, to entertain the time till Satan return. He passes on his journey to hell-gates; finds them shut, and who sat there to guard them; by whom at length they are opened, and discover to him the great gulf between hell and heaven; with what difficulty he passes through, directed by Chaos, the Power of that place, to the sight of this new world which he sought. PARADISE LOST. BOOK II. HIGH on a throne of royal state, which far To that bad eminence: and, from despair 5 2. The wealth of Ormus and of Ind: 'i. e. diamonds, a principal part of the wealth of India where they are found, and of the island Ormus (in the Persian gulf) which is the mart for them.' Br. PEARCE. 'I do not observe that it was known by that name either to the Greeks or Romans. It is, it seems, a very barren island, and not above 9 miles in circumference; and yet, while the Portuguese held it, was exceeding rich, being the place where all the trade of the Indies was then transacted. It is said to be but a poor place now.' MASSEY. 3. the gorgeous East. The distinction is not between the wealth of the West and of the East; but between three sorts of riches, all in the East, diamonds, pearls, and gold; and thus these three are joined in v. 634. In pearl and diamond and massy gold." BP. PEARCE. 4. Virgil, Æn. ii. 504. 'Barbarico postes auro spoliisque 'superbi;' and viii. 685. • Hinc ope barbaricâ variisque Antonius armis |