135. thou ridest with Hecat'. _Hecate_ was a goddess of the lower world, mistress of witchcraft and the black arts. 139. The nice Morn. _Nice_ is used in a disparaging sense, meaning over particular, minutely critical. 140. From her cabined loop-hole peep. As if morn dwelt in a cabin and clandestinely peeped from a small window. 141. descry must here mean reveal. 144. In a light fantastic round. Recall L'Allegro 34. Comus and his crew are now dancing. 147. shrouds: hiding-places. See the verb, line 316. 151. my wily trains. _Trains_ are tricks, as in Macbeth IV 3 118. 154. The air is spongy because it absorbs his magic dust. 155. blear, usually applied to eyes, here refers to the effect of seeing objects with blear eyes. 174. the loose unlettered hinds. The hinds are farm-servants, usually with an implication of rudeness and rusticity, and they are loose because unrestrained in speech and act by considerations of propriety. 177. amiss: in wrong or unseemly ways. 178. swilled is a very contemptuous word. 179. wassailers. See Macbeth I 7 64. The word has an interesting etymology. 188. the grey-hooded Even. Milton is fond of applying the epithet _gray_ to the evening and the dawn. See Par. Lost IV 598, Lycidas 187. 189. Like a sad votarist in palmer's weed. The votarist is one who has made a vow. In this case he goes on a pilgrimage, carrying a palm branch, and wearing the pilgrim garb. 203. the tumult of loud mirth was rife. As to the meaning of _rife_ compare Sam. Ag. 866 and Par. Lost I 650. 204. Yet nought but single darkness do I find. The darkness is unbroken by any ray of light. 210. may startle well, but not astound. _Astound_ is a strong word. See Par. Lost I 281. 212. a strong siding champion: a champion who sides with the virtuous mind. 222. her silver lining. Note Milton's avoidance of the possessive _its_. In all his verse he uses _its_ but three times. 231. Within thy airy shell. The _airy shell_ in which Echo lives must be the "hollow round" of the atmosphere. Compare Hymn on the Nativity 100-103. 232. The Meander is the river of Asia Minor, famous for its windings. 233-237. The mention of the nightingale and Narcissus in this passage suggests that it may be a reminiscence of the chorus in the Oedipus Coloneus,--"Of this land of goodly steeds, O stranger." 237. Echo's passion for the beautiful Narcissus was not requited, and she pined away till she became a mere voice, which she could not utter till she was spoken to. 241. Daughter of the Sphere: daughter of the air, which forms a hollow sphere about the earth. 243. And give resounding grace to all Heaven's harmonies: by echoing back the music of the spheres. 249-252. Even darkness smiled, as if acknowledging itself agreeably caressed by the strains of the lady's song. 251. At every fall. _Fall_, as a musical term, is "a sinking down or lowering of the note or voice; cadence" (New Eng. Dict.).