d
themselves. To unsphere the spirit of Plato is to call him from the
sphere in which he abides in the other world, or, simply, to take in hand
for study his writings on immortality.

93-96. On the four classes of demons,--Salamanders, Sylphs, Nymphs,
Gnomes,--see Pope's Rape of the Lock. These demons are in complicity with
the planets and other heavenly bodies to influence mortals.

97-102. Thebes, Pelops' line, and the tale of Troy are the staple
subjects of the great Attic tragedians. It seems strange that the poet
finds no occasion to name Shakespeare here, as well as in L'Allegro.

104-105. Musaeus and Orpheus are semi-mythical bards, to whom is ascribed
a greatness proportioned to their obscurity.

105-108. See note on L'Allegro, 149.

109-115. Or call up him that left half-told. This refers to Chaucer and
to his Squieres Tale in the Canterbury Tales. It is left unfinished. Note
that Milton changes not only the spelling but the accent of the chief
character's name. Chaucer writes, "This noble king was cleped
Cambinskan."

120. Stories in which more is meant than meets the ear refer to
allegories, like the Fairy Queen.

121. Having thus filled the night with the occupations that he loves, Il
Penseroso now greets the morning, which he hopes to find stormy with wind
and rain.

122. civil-suited Morn: _i.e._ Morn in the everyday habiliments of
business.

123-124. Eos--Aurora, the Dawn--carried off several youths distinguished
for their beauty. the Attic boy is probably Cephalus, whom she stole from
his wife Procris.

125. kerchieft in a comely cloud. _Kerchief_ is here used in its original
and proper sense. Look up its origin.

126. The winds may be called rocking because they visibly rock the trees,
or because they shake houses.

127. Or ushered with a shower still. The shower falls gently, without
wind.

130. With minute-drops from off the eaves. After the rain has ceased, and
while the thatch is draining, the drops fall at regular intervals for a
time,--as it were, a drop every minute. Il Penseroso listens with
contentment to the wind, the rustling rain-fall on the leaves, and the
monotonous patter of the drops when the rain is over.

131. The shower is past, and the sun appears, but Il Penseroso finds its
beams flaring and distasteful. He seeks covert in the dense groves.

134. Sylvan is the god of the woods.

135. The monumental oak is so called from its great age and size.

140. Consciousl