[2. Of Cerberus and blackest Midnight born.] Milton follows the example of the ancient poets in announcing the parentage of the principal beings whom he brings upon his stage. Moreover, he uses the ancient freedom in assigning mythical pedigrees, not only adopting no authority as a canon, but allowing his own fancy to invent origins as suits his purpose. He knew the Greek and Latin poets, and assumed for himself the privilege which they exercised of shaping the myths as they pleased. We are not therefore to seek in Milton a reproduction of any system of mythology. Cerberus was the terrible three-headed dog of Pluto. His station was at the entrance to the lower world, or the Stygian cave.
[3.] The Stygian cave is so called from the Styx, the infernal river, “the flood of deadly hate.”
[5. some uncouth cell.] Uncouth may be used here in its original sense of unknown, as in Par. Lost VIII 230.
[10. In dark Cimmerian desert.] The Cimmerians were a people fabled by the ancients to live in perpetual darkness.
[12. yclept] is the participle of the obsolete verb clepe, with the ancient prefix y, as in ychained, [Hymn on the Nativity 155].
[15. two sister Graces more.] Hesiod names, as the three Graces, Euphrosyne, Aglaia, and Thalia, but he makes them the daughters of Zeus and Eurynome.
[18. The frolic wind.] See frolic again as an adjective, [Comus 59].
[24. So buxom, blithe, and debonair.] See Shakespeare’s Pericles, I Gower 23. All these words are interesting to look up for etymologies and changes of meaning.
[25-36.] We readily accept and understand the personification of [Jest, Jollity, Sport, Laughter], and Liberty, but the plurals, [Quips, Cranks, Wiles, Nods, Becks, Smiles], we do not manage quite so easily, especially in view of the couplet 29-30.
[28. Smiles] may be said to be wreathed because they inwreathe the face. See Par. Lost III 361.