And from thence can foar as foon Mortals, that would follow me, Heav'n itself would stoop to her.* 1016. And from thence can foar as foon 1020 To the corners of the moon.] Oberon fays of the swiftness. of his fairies, MIDS. N. DR. A. iv. S. i. We the globe can compass foon And Drayton, NYMPHID. vol. ii. p. 552. Compare MACBETH, A. iii, S. v. Upon the CORNER of the MOON There hangs a vaporous drop profound. And B. and Fletcher, SEA VOYAGE, A. i. S. i. vol. ix. p. 81. I faw a dolphin hang i' th' moon, Shot from a wave.-- And Puck's Fairy, in MIDS. N. DR. A. ii. S. i. I do wander every where Swifter than the moon's fphere. We plainly discern Milton's track of reading. 1021. Higher than the phery chime.] Chime, Ital. Cima. Yet he uses chime in the common fenfe, ODE NATIV. v. 128. He may do fo here, but then the expreffion is licentious, I fuppofe for the fake of the rhyme. H. See Note on PAR. REG. ü. 263. SPHERY Occurs in MIDS. N. DR. A. ii. S. vii. "Hermia's SPHERY eyne." * If this Mask had been revised by Milton, when his ear and judgement were perfectly formed, it had been the moft exquifite of all his poems. As it is, there are fome puerilities in it, and many inaccuracies of expreffion and verfification. The two editions of his POEMS, are of 1645 and 1673. In 1645, he was, as he would think, better employed. In 1673, he would condemn himself for for having written fuch a thing as a Mask, especially to a great lord, and a fort of vice-roy. H. We must not read COMUS with an eye to the stage, or with the expectation of dramatic propriety. Under this reftriction, the abfurdity of the Spirit fpeaking to an audience in a folitary forest at midnight, and the want of reciprocation in the dialogue, are overlooked. Coмus is a fuite of Speeches, not interesting by discrimination of character; not conveying a variety of incidents, nor gradually exciting curiofity: but perpetually attracting attention by fublime fentiment, by fanciful imagery of the richeft vein, by an exuberance of picturefque defcription, poetical allufion, and ornamental expreffion. While it widely departs from the grotesque anomalies of the Mask now in fashion, it does not nearly approach to the natural conftitution of a regular play. There is a chastity in the application and conduct of the machinery and Sabrina is introduced with much addrefs, after the Brother's had imprudently fuffered the inchantment of Comus to take effect. This is the first time the old English Mask was in fome degree reduced to the principles and form of rational compofition; yet ftill it could not but retain fome of its arbitrary peculiarities. The poet had here properly no more to do with the Pathos of tragedy, than the Character of comedy: nor do I know that he was confined to the usual modes of theatrical interlocution. A great critic obferves, that the difpute between the Lady and Comus is the most animated and affecting fcene of the piece. Perhaps fome other scenes, either consisting only of a foliloquy, or of three or four speeches only, have afforded more true pleasure. The fame critic thinks, that in all the moral dialogue, although the language is poetical, and the fentiments generous, fomething is ftill wanting to allure attention. But furely, in fuch paffages, fentiments fo generous, and language fo poetical, are fufficient to roufe all our feelings. For this reafon I cannot admit his pofition, that CoмUs is a drama tediously inftructive. And if, as he fays, to these ethical difcuffions the auditor liftens, as to a lecture, without paffion, without anxiety, yet he liftens with elevation and delight. The action is faid to be improbable: because the Brothers, when their fifter finks with fatigue in a pathlefs wildernefs, wander both away together in search of berries, too far to find their way back, and leave a helpless lady to all the fadness and danger of folitude. But here is no defertion, or neglect of the lady. The Brothers leave their fifter under a spreading pine in the foreft, fainting for refreshment: they go to procure berries or fome other fruit for her immediate relief, and, with great probability, lofe their way in going or returning. To fay nothing of the poet's art, in making this very natural and fimple accident to be productive of the distress, which forms the future bufinefs and complication of the fable. It is certainly a fault, that the Brothers, al though with fome indications of anxiety, fhould enter with so much tranquillity, when their fifter is loft, and at leifure pronounce philo fophical fophical panegyrics on the mysteries of virginity. But we must not too fcrupulously attend to the exigencies of fituation, nor fuffer ourfelves to fuppofe that we are reading a play, which Milton did not mean to write. Thefe fplendid infertions will please, independently of the ftory, from which however they refult; and their elegance and fublimity will overbalance their want of place. In a Greek tragedy, fuch fentimental harangues, arifing from the fub. ject, would have been given to a chorus. On the whole, whether Coмus, be or be not, deficient as a drama, whether it is confidered as an Epic drama, a series of lines, a Mask, or a poem, I am of opinion, that our author is here only inferiour to his own PARADISE LOST. O DE S. O DE S. ON THE MORNING OF CHRIST'S NATIVITY.* I. T HIS is the month, and this the happy morn, Wherein the Son of heav'n's eternal king, Of wedded Maid, and Virgin Mother born, Our great redemption from above did bring; * This Ode, in which the many learned allufions are highly poetical, was probably compofed as a college-exercise at Cambridge, our author being now only twenty one years old. In the edition of 1645, in its title it is faid to have been written in 1629. We are informed by himself, that he was employed in writing this piece, in the conclufion of the fixth Elegy to his friend Deodate, which appears to have been fent about the clofe of the month December. Deodate had inquired how he was spending his time. Milton anfwers, v. 81. Paciferum canimus cœlefti femine regem, Vagitumque Dei, et ftabulantem paupere tecto Stelliparumque polum, modulantefque æthere turmas. The concluding pentameter of the paragraph points out the best part of the Ode. Et fubito elifos ad fua fana deos. See For fo the holy fages once did fing, That he our deadly forfeit should release, And with his Father work us a perpetual peace. II. That glorious form, that light unfufferable, He laid afide; and here with us to be, Forfook the courts of everlasting day, 5 II And chose with us a darksome house of mortal clay. The Oracles are dumb, No voice or hideous hum, &c. &c. The rest of the Ode chiefly confifts of a string of affected conceits, which his early youth, and the fashion of the times, can only excufe. But there is a dignity and fimplicity in these lines, worthy the matureft years, and the best times. ft. iv. No war, or battel's found Was heard the world around, The idle fpear and shield were high up hung ; Unftain'd with human blood, The trumpet fpake not to the armed throng: And kings fate ftill with awful eye As if they surely knew their sovran Lord was nigh. Nor is the poetry of the ftanza immediately following, an expreffion or two excepted, unworthy of Milton. But peaceful was the night, Wherein the prince of light His reign of peace upon the earth began; The wind, with wonder whift, Smoothly the waters kist, Whifp'ring new joys to the mild ocean, Who now had quite forgot to rave, While birds of calm fit brooding on the charmed wave, But I must avoid general anticipation, and come to particulars. 5. Sages. The prophets, of the Old Testament.. VOL, I. LI III. Say, |