346 Albert S. Cook, 



Add Mantuan, Opera 1. 236 a: 



Fuit tremor usque in Tartara, et umbrae 

 Tartareae timuere omnes ne terra dehiscens 

 Concideret, Stygiasque domos ostenderet astris. 



Other passages are: Seneca, (Eel. 582-5; Sannazaro, Part. Virg. 1. 

 387-9. 



her. Cf. // self, 139, and its, 106. 



141. Truth and Justice. With evident allusion to Ps. 85. 10, 11, 

 where Mercy (144) is also mentioned. This was one of the Psalms 

 translated by Milton. Verse 11 of the Psalm is the Antiphon for the 

 .Second Nocturn of Christmas Day, in the Breviarj^ The same verse 

 was the text of the sermon by Dr. Thomas Goodwin at the opening 

 of Parliament, Jan. 27, 1659, when Richard Cromwell was installed 

 as Protector (cf. John Ker, The Psalms in Hist, and Biog., pp. 112—3). 

 In Piers Plowman (C. 21), after the description of the Harrowing 

 of Hell, ' Truth makes her covenant with Peace, and Righteousness 

 [justitia] kisses her reverently ' (Prothero, The Psalms in Human 

 Life). For the extensive use of Ps. 85. 10, 11 in literature, see 

 Hope Traver, The Four Daughters of God. 



Milton is also, no doubt, alluding to the 'Jam redit et Virgo ' of 

 Virgil, Eel. 4. 6 ; cf Pope, Messiah 18-20. On the departure of 

 Astrtea from earth, cf. Ovid, Met. 1. 149-50; Juvenal Sat. 6. 19 ff. 

 Cf Milton, Eleg. 4. 81-2; D.F.I. 50-51. 



144-5. The ed. of 1645 reads : 



Th'enameld Arras of the Rainbow wearing, 

 And Mercy set between. 



Ed. 1673 reads: 



Orb'd in a Rain-bow ; and like glories wearing- 

 Mercy will sit between. 



I follow ed. 1673, which manifestly offers the better reading. 



143. Orbed in a rainbow. Milton is no doubt here taking a hint 

 from pictures of the Virgin which exhibit her as completely sur- 

 rounded by the aureole, or glory, often represented as what is 

 called the mandorla, or vesica piscis. Orbed in a rainbow will then 

 mean invested with a ' glory ' of rainbow colors ; this gives point 

 to the ' glories ' attributed to Mercy. 



rainbow. Cf Ezek. 1. 28; Rev. 4. 3; 10. 1. 

 like. Similar. 



144. Mercy. Probably to be associated with Justice and Truth 

 in D.F.L 50-54, the emendation of Heskin in line 53 being accepted. 



