[837.] imbathe, to bathe in: the force of the preposition being reduplicated, as in Lat. incidere in.
[838.] nectared lavers, etc., baths sweetened with nectar and scented with asphodel flowers. On ‘nectar,’ see [note], l. 479. asphodel; the same, both name and thing, as ‘daffodil’ (see Lyc. 150, where it takes the form ‘daffadillies’): Gk. ἀσφόδελος, M.E. affodille. The initial d in daffodil has not been satisfactorily explained: see l. [851].
[839.] the porch. So Quintilian calls the ear the vestibule of the mind: comp. Haml. i. 5. 63: “the porches of mine ear”; also the phrase, “the five gateways of knowledge.”
[840.] ambrosial oils, oils of heavenly fragrance: see [note], l. 16, and compare Virgil’s use of ambrosia in Georg. iv. 415, liquidum ambrosiae diffundit odorem.
[841.] quick immortal change: comp. l. [10].
[842.] Made Goddess, etc. This participial construction is frequent in Milton as in Latin: it is equivalent to an explanatory clause.
[844.] twilight meadows: comp. “twilight groves,” Il Pens. 133; “twilight ranks,” Arc. 99; Hymn Nat. 188.
[845.] Helping all urchin blasts, remedying or preventing the blighting influence of evil spirits. ‘Urchin blasts’ is probably here used generally for what in Arcades, 49-53, are called “noisome winds and blasting vapours chill,” ‘urchin’ being common in the sense of ‘goblin’ (M. W. of W. iv. 4. 49). Strictly the word denotes the hedgehog, which for various reasons was popularly regarded with great dread, and hence mischievous spirits were supposed to assume its form: comp. Shakespeare, Temp, i. 2. 326, ii. 2. 5, “Fright me with urchin-shows”; Titus And. ii. 3. 101; Macbeth, iv. 1. 2, “Thrice and once the hedge-pig whined,” etc. Compare the protecting duties of the Genius in Arcades. Helping: comp. the phrases, “I cannot help it,” i.e. prevent it; “it cannot be helped,” i.e. remedied, etc.
[846.] shrewd. Here used in its radical sense = shrew-ed, malicious, like a shrew. Comp. M. N. D. ii. 1, “That shrewd and knavish sprite called Robin Goodfellow.” Chaucer has the verb shrew = to curse; the current verb is beshrew.
[847.] vialed, contained in phials.