Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

Mistress, Od. 28. calls That, not only Hyacinthin but Purple which four Verfes before is faid to be Black. So Cant. vii. 5. the Hair of thine Head like Purple.

[blocks in formation]

Clufter in the Saxon tongue fignifies a Bunch of Grapes; which Adam's hair on each fide fomewhat resembled, that is,'twas not Streight, nor Long, 'twas Manly, or Manlike, because I Cor. xi. the Sexes are thus Distinguish'd, Long Hair is a Glory to the Woman, but to the Man a Shame.

305

Golden Treffes

Fair, Bright, Yellowish Locks, the Colour of the Hair of Venus, Helena, &c. much esteem'd by the Ancients, and in Later times, as agreeing Admirably with, and commonly an Indication of a Beautiful Skin. So v. 496. the Flowing Gold.

308

Subjection

which imply'd

the Vail of her Long Hair, v. 305. fignify'd As much. as in the Chapter juft now quoted, (and which Milton could not fail of having in his View on this Occafion) 1 Cor. xi. 10. for this Caufe (the Woman's having been Created for the Man) ought the Woman to have Power on her Head. Power, that is, a Co

vering,

vering, in fign that the is in the Power of her Husband, as the Marginal Note to That Paffage Teftifies; Alluding to the Custom of the Ancients; the Bride was brought to her Spouse Veil'd.

313

Dishonest Shame

Dishonest, in the Latin Signification; Disho nourable, Reproachful, Unfeemly, Difgraceful.

314

Honor Dishonorable

the Distinction fhewn to Thofe Parts is in Reallity a Difhonour; a Token of our Fall from a State of Happy Innocence when no fuch Regard was paid to them.

321

the Lovelyeft Pair

[ocr errors]

that Ever fince in Loves Embraces met, Adam the Goodlyeft Man of Men fince borne His Sons, the Fairest of her Daughters Eve. that is to fay, Lovelier than any Pair that ever fince, &c. Adam Goodlier than any Man fince, Eve Fairer than any of her Daughters. So Horace, Sat. 1. 1. 100.

at hunc Liberta fecuri

Divifit Medium fortiffima Tyndaridarum. He calls this Freed Woman the most Valiant of all the Daughters of Tyndarus, as if She was one of them, inftead of more, Valiant than any of them. See a like Inftance in Homer, Il. B. 673.

Adam

Adam was the most Noble Figure of a Man, as Eve was more Beautiful and Lovely than any of her Sex, None Equal to Them have Since been Seen, How much Soever Admired or Celebrated for their Beauty.

though the Words are very Intelligible, This place more needs to be Expounded than most of the Difficult places in Milton, to Understand an Author is to have a Clear and Diftinct Idea, the Same That Author Has, and would communicate. What Images were Intended to be fet before us? their Stature was Tall (v. 288.) not Equally muft be fuppos'd: He had Bright Black Hair, She fair Yellow; Both Curl'd, tho' His, 'parted A-top, hung not below his Shoulders, 'Her's to her Waift; and let us Suppose it in • Loose Natural Wavings playing about her Face, &c. their Skins must be Imagin'd Such as is Natural with their Several Colour'd Hair, His Brown, Ruddy and Manly, but Clear, not Thick; or call it Warm and Tranfparent; Hers the Lovelieft Carnation that Can be Imagin'd, a Bright, Soft, Pearly White, Vary'd in proper Degrees with Blewish and Rofy Tincts, the Fineft Ivory ftain'd with 'the juice of Pomgranate - No; More Beautiful by far; Cool but not Cold, Warm but far from Hot. their Complexions cannot be well Conceiv'd but with Pittorefque Eyes; Neither can their Forms by one who is not Acquainted with Antique Sculpture, nor by

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

Him that Is Intirely; the Apollo of the Belvedere, the Antinois, the Meleager, the Venus of Medicis, with the Body, and part ' of the Thighs of a more Ancient, and more Exquifite Statue of that Goddess (judg'd to 'be of Phidias) in the Collection of the Great Duke, &c. These will help our Imagination 'as to their Limbs, and their Harmony One ' with Another, but let us ftill Imagine the First of the Human Race were not only of 'more Excellent Forms than any Since, but more Excellent than any of their Defcendants, even the Beft of the Greek Sculptors, 'were able to Reprefent; tho' the Utmost of • Humane Wit and Skill was profeffedly Employ'd to produce the Most Exalted Forms, that could be Conceiv'd to be in a Humane, " in a Divine Body. Or if they could give us the Life-less Figures in Brafs or Marble, the 'Animated Beauty, and That which arifes 'from the Conftant Variety of Attitudes, 'Lights, Shaddows, and Reflections are utterly Inexpreffible.

[ocr errors]

'A Greater Difficulty is ftill behind, and That is the Features, but More the General Airs of the Faces of our Progenitors: Let us try what Affiftance we can have from the Antique; but They had no fuch Cha*racters. Let us try Rafaelle, Guido, Coreggio, Parmeggiano, or whatever Other Modern has Excell'd in the Beauty and Airs of Heads; and Then a Lively Pittorefque Imagination

with Poetical Good Senfe will furnish the 'Poffeffors of Thefe Qualities with Something, for their Own Ufe Only, but beyond what they Can poffibly Communicate. Others 'must be contented with what they can get. • Whatever Thefe Images are they should be before us whenever Milton introduces thefe • Prime of Humane Race, these Prototypes, thefe Originals, of God's Own Hand.

[ocr errors]

it is not to be doubted but that Adam was Created as in the Age of a Man in his Per'fection, the Engaging Charms of Youth with the Force and Maturity of Manhood; he 'must then have had Something of a Beard; ' Befides 'tis One Characteristick of the Sex. • Milton has taken no Notice of it, perhaps 'because the Statues of the Gods or Men I have spoken of as Helps to Conceive pro perly on This Occafion have none; Perhaps because Rafael and others have painted him 'Without one; Perhaps because Hair hanging down to the Shoulders, and which he thought was a Beauty (he wore his Own fo) 'would not Look well with more on his Upper Lip and Chin, not tho' it was such a Beard as Anacreon gives to Bathyllus, a Juft' appearing Peachy Down; and perhaps be'cause the Scripture, which he for the most part Scrupulously follows, mentions None 'it cannot be thought he Forgot it; be That as it will, We are at Liberty to do for Our felves as we think fit: Suppofe then the

[ocr errors]

<

« AnteriorContinuar »