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NOTE II., ON v. 554.

The Latins, not having the same variety of participles as the Greeks, used those they had with the greater freedom.

1. The pres. part. active expressed an active past, as,—

"Inde Rubos fessi pervenimus, utpote longum

Carpentes iter." Hor. Sat. i. 5, 94.

2. The past part. of neuter verbs (for such it must be) was used as a pres. part., as fluxus, flowing, fleeting.

3. The past part. of deponents expressed the pres., or perhaps more properly habit, quality.

Interea, longum cantu solata labor m,

Arguto conjux percurrit pectine telas." Virg. Geor. i. 293.

4. The passive part. was used as an adj. in -bilis, or as the future in -dus. "Tum validos flexos incurvant viribus arcus." Virg. Æn. v. 500.

"Sed rex nihil jam i fectum Metello credens." Sall. Jug. lxxvi.

It is remarkable that all of these, except No. 2, are to be found in the English language; ex. gr. :—

1. "So saying, a noble stroke he lifted high." Par. Lost, vi. 189.

"Rising in clouded majesty, at length

Apparent queen unveiled her peerless light." Ib. iv. 607. 3. As the English has no deponent it uses the past part.

"And mutually participate, did minister." Coriol. i. 1.
"While I have decked the sea with drops full salt,
Under my burden groaned." Tempest, i. 2.
"If virtue no delighted beauty lack.” Othel. i. 3.

It sometimes expresses the past part. active, as,—

"Was the first man that leaped, cried Hell is empty." Temp. i. 2.

So when we say a well-read and well-spoken man, we express the habit or quality. It is the same in the French, Italian, and Spanish languages, as, 'un homme réfléchi.'

4.

"Joying together in unblamed delight." F. Q. vi. 2, 43.

"And unavoided is the danger now." Rich. II. ii, 1.

"In most admired disorder." Macb. iii. 4.

"Should seek a plaster by contemned revolt." K. John, v. 2.

We find 3 and 4 combined in the following passage :

"The quality of mercy is not strained (4) ;

It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven

Upon the place beneath. It is twice blessed (3):

It blesseth him that gives and him that takes."

Merch. of Ven. iv. 1.

It is merely a peculiarity of the English language to use the pres. as a past:

"In courtesy gives undeserving praise." Love's Lab. Lost, v. 2.

"Your discontenting father strive to qualify." Winter's Tale, iv. 3. The French however used to employ their déplaisant in a similar manner; otherwise we might suspect a printer's error in those lines.

The English language often cuts off the final n of its participles. Thus we have ago for agone, ope for open, got for gotten, broke and spoke for broken and spoken, etc. In Chaucer and our elder poets, these elided participles are very numerous. The same practice appears in the kindred Netherlandish or Dutch language. In a similar manner it elided the participles in -ed. Thus we have wet for wetted; quit for quitted; and we meet bloat, heat, graft, lift, etc. There is also a large class, as satiate, elate, compact, belonging to verbs derived from the Latin; but as these might be said to be formed direct from the Latin we will not dwell on them.

From the connection between the perfect tense and the participle, we find the former used at times for the latter. Thus we meet took, shook, rode, drove, ran, smote, forsook, rose, wrote, drank, etc., used as participles. We still use as such, struck, sat, held, and some others. Wordsworth has even bade. In like manner the participle is used for the perfect, as sunk, sung, hung, rung, etc.

251

BOOK II.

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 Hellgates, 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.

HIGH on a throne of royal state-which far
Outshone the wealth of Ormuz and of Ind,
Or where the gorgeous East with richest hand
Showers on her kings barbaric pearl and gold—
Satan exalted sat, by merit raised

1. High, etc. Milton may here have had in his mind the opening of the second book of Ovid's Metamorphoses.

2. the wealth, etc. Ormuz, an island in the Persian Gulf, was famous for its pearl-fishery; and it was well known from the narratives of the conquest of it by the Portuguese. By the wealth of Ind (i.e. India) may be principally meant the diamond-mines of Golconda; but the narratives of Sir Thomas Roe, Sir Thomas Herbert, and others, had given the most exalted notions of the wealth and magnificence of the Mogul sovereigns of India.

3. Or where, etc. He probably, as we shall see, means Tartary, the realm of Zinghis Khan and of Timûr or Tamerlane, including perhaps Persia. See Note at end of this Book.

4. barbaric, i.e. Asiatic. In the Latin sense. So Barbaria (Hor. Ep. i. 2,7) is i.q. Asia.

To that bad eminence; and, from despair
Thus high uplifted beyond hope, aspires
Beyond thus high, insatiate to pursue

Vain war with Heaven, and, by success untaught,
His proud imaginations thus displayed:

"Powers and Dominions, deities of Heaven-
For since no Deep within her gulf can hold
Immortal vigour, though oppressed and fallen,
I give not Heaven for lost; from this descent
Celestial virtues rising will appear

More glorious and more dread than from no fall,
And trust themselves to fear no second fate-
Me though just right, and the fixed laws of Heaven,
Did first create your leader, next free choice,
With what besides, in counsel or in fight,

Hath been achieved of merit, yet this loss
Thus far at least recovered hath much more
Established in a safe unenvied throne,
Yielded with full consent.

The happier state

6. from despair, i.e. from a state of despair.

10

20

8. to pursue. He uses the inf. here in an unusual manner for the gerund, in pursuing.

9. success. In the classic sense of event, either good or ill.

12. For, etc., sc. I call you thus. As Monboddo justly observed, vv. 12-17 are parenthetic, and we have therefore so printed them.—hold, i.e. retain. 15. virtues, i.e. powers: see on i. 320.

24. happier, i.e. more fortunate, more exalted, felicior.

1.

"High above all a cloth of state was spread,

And a rich throne, as bright as sunny day,

3.

4.

21.

On which there sat, most brave embelished

With royal robes and gorgeous array,

A maiden Queen, that shone as Titan's ray." F. Q. i. 4, 8.—Th.

"It did pass

The wealth of the East and pomp of Persian kings." Ib. iii. 4, 23.-N. "Like a rude and savage man of Inde

At the first opening of the gorgeous East."

Love's Lab. Lost, iv. 3.-C.

"Barbarico postes auro spoliisque superbi." En. ii. 504.—N.
"E ricco di barbarico ornamento

In abito regal splender si vede." Tasso, Ger. Lib. xvii. 10.— Th.
"Molto egli oprò col senno e con la mano." Id. ib. i. 1.— K.

In Heaven, which follows dignity, might draw
Envy from each inferior; but who here
Will envy whom the highest place exposes
Foremost to stand against the Thunderer's aim
Your bulwark, and condemns to greatest share
Of endless pain? Where there is then no good
For which to strive, no strife can grow up there
From faction; for none sure will claim in Hell
Precedence, none whose portion is so small
Of present pain that with ambitious mind
Will covet more. With this advantage then
To union and firm faith and firm accord,
More than can be in Heaven, we now return
To claim our just inheritance of old,
Surer to prosper than prosperity

Could have assured us; and by what best way,
Whether of open war or covert guile,
We now debate; who can advise may speak."

He ceased, and next him Moloch, sceptred king,
Stood up, the strongest and the fiercest Spirit
That fought in Heaven, now fiercer by despair.
His trust was with the Eternal to be deemed
Equal in strength, and rather than be less
Cared not to be at all. With that care lost
Went all his fear; of God, or Hell, or worse
He recked not, and these words thereafter spake :

33. none, i.e. there is none.

30

40

50

43. next him, i.e. beside him, close by him; or immediately after him.—king. This is the translation of Moloch.'

46. was, i.e. had been.

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48. care. This subst. is, by a figure common in the classic writers, included in the preceding verb.-lost. This part. belongs to fear in the next line. 50. recked, i.e. cared. Reck and reckon are akin. Reckless (ruchlos, G.) is abandoned, profligate.-thereafter, i.e. in accordance with these sentiments.

40.

43.

"It now behoves us to advise

Which way is best to drive her to retire,

Whether by open force or counsel wise,

Areed, ye sons of God! as best ye can devise." F. Q. vii. 6, 21.-T.
Οἱ δ ̓ ἐπανέστησαν, πείθοντό τε ποιμένι λαῶν
Σκηπτούχοι βασιλήες. Π. ii. 85.-Κ.

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