526. ~murmurs~. The incantations or spells of evil powers were sung or
murmured over the doomed object; sometimes they were muttered (as here)
over the enchanted food or drink prepared for the victim. Comp. l. 817
and _Arc._ 60, "With puissant words and _murmurs_ made to bless."
529. ~unmoulding reason's mintage charactered~, _i.e._ defacing those
signs of a rational soul that are stamped on the human face. The figure
is taken from the process of melting down coins in order to restamp
them. 'Charactered': here used in its primary sense (Gk. +charaktêr+, an
engraven or stamped mark), as in the phrase 'printed characters.' The
word is here accented on the second syllable; in modern English on the
first.
531. ~crofts that brow~ = crofts that overhang. Croft = a small field,
generally adjoining a house. Brow = overhang: comp. _L'Alleg._ 8,
"low-browed rocks."
532. ~bottom glade~: the glade below. The word _bottom_, however, is
frequent in Shakespeare in the sense of 'valley'; hence 'bottom glade'
might be interpreted 'glade in the valley.'
533. ~monstrous rout~; see note on the stage-direction after l. 92. Comp.
'the bottom of the monstrous world,' _Lyc._ 158. In _Aen._ vii. 15, we
read that when Aeneas sailed past Circe's island he heard "the growling
noise of lions in wrath, ... and shapes of huge wolves fiercely howling."
534. ~stabled wolves~, wolves in their dens. _Stable_ (= a standing-place)
is used by Milton in the general sense of abode, _e.g._ in _Par. Lost_,
xi. 752, "sea-monsters whelped and _stabled_." Comp. "Stable for
camels," _Ezek._ xxv. 5, and the Latin _stabulum_, _Aen._ vi. 179,
_stabula alta ferarum_.