366 Albert S. Cook, 



234. fettered. ' Bound to return to the grave at a certain 

 time '(L.). Verity compares Com. 434—5 : 



unlaid ghost, 

 That breaks his magic chains at curfew time. 



slips to his several grave. There is the same confusion be- 

 tween this and the preceding hue — ' infernal jail ' 'and 'several grave ' 

 — as in Shakespeare, to whom Milton is doubtless here indebted. 

 Thus Haml. 1. 1. 115-6: 



The graves stood tenantless, and the sheeted dead 

 Did squeak and gibber in the Roman streets ; 



M.N.D. 3. 2. 382, 384: 'churchyards,' 'wormy beds.' Cf. M.N.D. 

 5. 1. 387-9; 2 Hen. VI 1. 4. 22; J.C. 2. 2. 18; Macb. 2. 3. 84; 

 3. 4. 71; Haml 1. 4. 48-51; 1. 5. 125; 3. 2, 407. 



235. yellow-skirted. In Hesiod, Thcog. 358, the Oceanid Teles- 

 tho is yellow-skirted {y.{}oxintn'Koi). Such nymphs of rivers and 

 brooks would naturally cause flowers to bud and blossom (cf. 

 Orph. H. 51 ; Virgil, Eel. 2. 45—6) ; hence perhaps the suggestion 

 of a flower-colored robe. 



fays. Fairies are frequently identified or associated in English 

 poetry with nymphs. Cf. Spenser, Shcp. Cal., June 25—32 : 



Here no night-ravenes lodge, more black then pitche. 

 Nor elvish ghosts, nor gastly owles doe flee. 



But frendly Faeries, met with many Graces, 

 And lightfoote Nymphes, can chace the lingring Night 

 With Heydeguyes and trimly trodden traces. 

 Whilst systers nyne, which dwell on Parnasse hight, 

 Doe make them musick for their more delight : 

 And Pan himselfe, to kisse their christall faces, 

 Will P3'pe and daunce when Phoebe shineth bright: 

 Such pierlesse pleasures have we in these places. 



Chambers, in his notes on Midsummer Night's Dream, in the Arden 

 Shakespeare, quotes several passages bearing on this identification. 

 Thus (p. 149), Nash, Terrors of the Night {Works, ed. Grosart, 3. 

 223) : ' The Robin-good-fellows, Elfs, Fairies, Hobgoblins of our latter 

 age, which idolatrous former days and the fantastical world of Greece 

 ycleped Fauns, Satyrs, Dryads, and Hamadryads, did most of their 

 merry pranks in the night.' He also has (p. 139): James the First, 

 Dcemonologia 3. 5 : ' That fourth kind of spirites, which b}' the Gen- 

 tiles was called Diana and her wandring court, and amongst us 



