Of Tarfus, bound for the ifles Of Javan or Gadire With all her bravery on, and tackle trim, 715 femblance of a ship, as Shakspeare fays, in all her trim; with all her pennants out, and flags and ftreamers flying. Thus Milton paints Dalila. This was an image familiar with the poets of that time. Thus, in Beaumont and Fletcher's Wit without Money: She fpreads fattens as the king's fhips do canvas." NEWTON. Thus it is faid in Barnabe Rych's Roome for a Gentleman, &c. 4to. 1609. "When a lady is out of the new fashion, she is like a Shippe that is out of trim; fhee will neur fteare well." fol. 30. a. And compare Parrot's Springes for Woodcocks, 12mo. 1613. Epigr. 89. Lib. 1. “When Miftris Win did first her wastcoat weare, Todd. Ver. 715. Of Tarfus,] There is frequent mention in Scrip- í ture of the hips of Tarshish, which Milton, as well as fome commentators, might conceive to be the fame as Turfus, in Cilicia: bound for the ifles of Javan, that is, Greece; for Javan or Ion, the fourth fon of Japhet, is faid to have peopled Greece and Ionia, or Gadire, Tadipa, Gades, Cadiz. NEWTON. Ver. 717. With all her bravery on, and tackle trim, Sails fill'd, &c.] Gray has alfo drawn a beautiful comparison of a ship in gallant trim, in his Bard, v. 71, &c. I beg leave to introduce to the reader's notice a fimilar description, of remarkable elegance, in Giles Fletcher's Chrifl's Victorie, B. ii. ft. 35. "Like as a ship, in which no ballance lies, 720 Courted by all the winds that hold them play, Samf. My Wife! my Traitress: let her not come near me. Chor. Yet on fhe moves, now ftands and thee fix'd, "To laugh awhile at her so proud array ; "Her waving ftreamers loosely fhe lets play, 725 eyes "And flagging colours fhine as bright as smiling day." Where embraves is decorates, as bravery in the text is finery or ornament; in which fenfe the word is commonly used by our old poets. TODD. Ver. 719. Courted by all the winds] This precife expreffion is applied to Eve in the Adamo of Pona, p. 41. "Seruita dall' aure, corteggiata da' venti &c." TODD. Ver. 720. An amber fcent &c.] A favourite perfume with the Ladies, in the feventeenth century. Thus in Jonfon's Neptune's triumph, Proteus thus addreffes the Ladies, "Why doe you fmell of Amber-gris ?" And in Herrick's addrefs To his Miftreffes, 1648, p. 18. "Put on your filks; and piece by piece And even with the beaus of the times, as in Sylvefter's Du Bart. 1621, p. 311. "Soft carpet-knights all fenting mufk and amber." TODD. Ver. 726. Yet on fhe moves, &c.] Like Ifmene in the Antigone of Sophocles, v. 532. Καὶ μὴν πρὸ πυλῶν ἥδ' Ισμήνη About to have spoke; but now, with head declin'd, Νεφέλη δ ̓ ὀφρύων ὑπερ, αἱματόεν Ρέθος αἰσχύνει, Τέγ[εσ ̓ εὐῶπα παρειὰν. 730 Mr. Jortin and Mr. Thyer both concurred in the fame obfervation, and therefore it is more likely to be true. NEWTON. Ver. 727. Il. viii. 206. but now, with head declin'd, Like a fair flower &c.] Probably from Homer, Μήκων δ ̓ ὡς, ἑτέρωσε κάρη βάλεν, ὅτ ̓ ἐνὶ κήπῳ Καρπῷ βριθομένη νοτίησί τε εἰαρινῇσιν. Dryden, in his Aureng-zebe, has almost literally copied Milton, "Your head declin'd, as hiding grief from view, "Droops, like a rofe furcharg'd with morning-dew.” Phineas Fletcher is fond of this claffical allufion. See his Purp. Iland, c. xi. ft. 30, and particularly ft. 38. "So have I often feen a purple flower, "Fainting through heat, hang down her drooping head, &c." Carew has alfo a fimilar comparison : "As lillies, overcharg'd with rain, they bend "Their beauteous heads, &c." TODD. Ver. 729. And words addrefs'd &c.] This verfe is printed imperfect in moft of the editions, "And words addrefs'd feem tears diffolv'd." that being wanted which is in the first edition, "And words addrefs'd feem into tears diffolv'd." Mr. Jortin conjectured it fhould be fo read, without feeing the firft edition. NEWTON. [Enter] Dalila. Dal. With doubtful feet and wavering refolution I came, ftill dreading thy displeasure, Samfon, Which to have merited, without excufe, 735 I cannot but acknowledge; yet, if tears 740 To lighten what thou suffer'st, and appease Thy mind with what amends is in my power, 745 Though late, yet in fome part to recompenfe My rash, but more unfortunate, misdeed. Samf. Out, out, Hyæna! thefe are thy wonted arts, Ver. 732. With doubtful feet &c.] The fcene between Samfon and Dalila is drawn up with great judgement, and particular beauty. One cannot conceive a more artful, foft, and persuasive, eloquence than that which is put into the mouth of Dalila; nor is the part of Samfon lefs to be admired for that ftern and refolute firmness which runs through it. What also gives both parts a great additional beauty is their forming fo fine a contraft to each other. THYER. Ver. 748. Out, out, Hyæna!] The hyæna is a creature fomewhat like a wolf, and is faid to imitate a human voice fo artfully as to draw people to it, and then devour them. So Solinus, the tranfcriber of Pliny, cap. 27. "Multa de ca mira: And arts of every woman falfe like thee, And reconcilement move with feign'd remorfe, Her husband, how far urg'd his patience bears, 755 His virtue or weakness which way to affail: Then with more cautious and inftructed skill Again tranfgreffes, and again fubmits ; primum, quod fequitur ftabula pastòrum, et auditu affiduo addifcit vocamen, quod exprimere poffit imitatione vocis humanæ, ut in hominem aftu accitum nocte fæviat." A celebrated tragick writer makes ufe of the fame comparison, Orphan, A. ii. "Tis thus the false hyæna makes her moan, "To draw the pitying traveller to her den; "Your fex are fo, fuch falfe diffemblers all, &c." Milton applies it to a woman, but Otway to the men; which with the greater justice let the criticks and the ladies determine. NEWTON. An old dramatick writer has in different places of his play entitled The Cobler's Prophecie, 1594, compared both fexes to the hyæna. I find another reflection of this kind in Greene's Neuer too late, 1616, pt. 2d. "She weepes with the crocodile, and fmiles with the hiena, and flatters with the panther." But Milton feems to have had in mind B. Jonfon's For, A. iv. S. vi. "Out, thou chameleon harlot! now thine eyes Ver. 748. these are thy wonted arts,] From Ovid: "Credidimus lacrymis, an et hæ fimulare docentur ? Ver. 750. Almoft the whole of the paragraph is clofely copied, or imitated, by Dryden in his Aureng-zebe, A. ii. S. i. TODD. |