Whether in sea or fire, in earth or air,
The extravagant and erring spirit hies
To his confine]
According to the pneumatology of that tine, every element was inhabited
by its peculiar order of spirits, who had dispositions different,
according to their various places of abode. The meaning therefore is,
that all _spirits extravagant_, wandering out of their element, whether
aerial spirits visiting earth, or earthly spirits ranging the air,
return to their station, to their proper limits in which they are
_confined_. We might read,
"--And at his warning
"Th' extravagant and erring spirit hies
"To his confine, whether in sea or air,
"Or earth, or fire. And of, &c.
But this change, tho' it would smooth the construction, is not
necessary, and being unnecessary, should not be made against authority.
I.i.163 (154,5) No fairy takes] No fairy _strikes_, with lameness or
diseases. This sense of _take_ is frequent in this author.
I.ii.37 (156,8) more than the scope/Of these dilated articles allows]
More than is comprised in the general design of these articles, which
you may explain in a more diffuse and dilated stile. (1773)