[31]. separate: separated, set apart: 'the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.'—Acts xiii. 2.
[35]. under task: under a prescribed task.
[41]. Eyeless, in Gaza, etc.: Thomas De Quincey, in his paper entitled 'Milton vs. Southey and Landor,' remarks: 'Mr. Landor makes one correction by a simple improvement in the punctuation, which has a very fine effect. . . . Samson says, . . .
Ask for this great deliverer now, and find him
Eyeless in Gaza at the mill with slaves.
Thus it is usually printed, that is, without a comma in the latter line; but, says Landor, 'there ought to be commas after eyeless, after Gaza, after mill.' And why? because thus, 'the grief of Samson is aggravated at every member of the sentence.' He (like Milton) was 1, blind; 2, in a city of triumphant enemies; 3, working for daily bread; 4, herding with slaves—Samson literally, and Milton with those whom politically he regarded as such.'
[45]. but through: except for, had it not been for.
[55]. Proudly secure: 'secure' is subjective, free from care or fear; 'Security is mortals' chiefest enemy.'—Macbeth, III. v. 32.
[56]. By weakest subtleties: by those most weak but crafty creatures (women), who are not made to rule, but to serve as subordinates to the rule of wisdom, the prerogative of man. This was, unfortunately, too much Milton's own opinion of women.
[58]. withal: at the same time.