Had, like a double Janus, all their Shape
Spangled with Eyes-

THE affembling of all the Angels of Heaven to hear the folemn Decree paffed upon Man, is reprefented in very lively Ideas. The Almighty is here defcrib'd as remembring Mercy in the midst of Judgment, and commanding Michael to deliver his Meffage in the mildeft Terms, left the Spirit of Man, which was already broken with the Sense of his Guilt and Mifery, fhould fail before him.

Yet left they faint

At the fad Sentence rigorously urg'd.

For I behold them fofined, and with Tears
Bewailing their Excefs, all Terror hide.

THE Conference of Adam and Eve is full of moving Sentiments. Upon their going abroad after the melancholy Night which they had paffed together, they discover the Lion and the Eagle purfuing each of them their Prey towards the Eaftern Gates of Paradife. There is a double Beauty in this Incident, not only as it prefents great and juft Omens, which are always agreeable in Poetry, but as it expreffes that Enmity which was now produced in the Animal Creation. The Poet, to fhew the like Changes in Nature, as well as to grace his Fable with a noble Prodigy, reprefents the Sun in an Eclipfe. This particular Incident has likewife a fine Effect upon the Imagination of the Reader, in regard to what follows; for at the fame time that the Sun is under an Eclipfe, a bright Cloud defcends in the Western Quarter of the Heavens, filled with an Hoft of Angels, and more luminous than the Sun it felf. The whole Theatre of Nature is darkned, that this glorious Machine may appear in all its Luftre and Magnificence.

Why in the Eaft

Darkness ere Day's mid-courfe, and morning Light
More orient in that Western Cloud that draws
O'er the blue Firmament a radiant White,
And flow defcends, with fomething Heav'nly fraught?
He err'd not, for by this the heav'nly Bands

Down from a Sky of Fafper lighted now

In Paradife, and on a Hill made halt;
A glorious Apparition—

I need not obferve how properly this Author, who always fuits his Parts to the Actors whom he introduces, has employed Michael in the Expulfion of our first Parents from Paradife. The Archangel on this occafion neither appears in his proper Shape, nor in that familiar manner with which Raphael the fociable Spirit entertained the Father of Mankind before the Fall. His Perfon, his Port, and Behaviour, are fuitable to a Spirit of the highest Rank, and exquifitely defcrib'd in the following Paffage.

Th' Archangel foon drew nigh,

Not in his Shape Celestial; but as Man
Clad to meet Man: over his lucid Arms
A Military Veft of Purple flow'd,
Livelier than Meliboean, or the Grain
Of Sarra, worn by Kings and Heroes old,
In time of Truce: Iris had dipt the Wooff:
His ftarry Helm, unbuckled, fhew'd him prime
In Manhood where Youth ended; by his fide,
As in a gliftring Zodiack, hung the Sword,
Satan's dire dread, and in his Hand the Spear.
Adam bow'd low; he Kingly from his State
Inclined not, but his coming thus declared.

EVE's complaint upon hearing that fhe was to be re moved from the Garden of Paradife, is wonderfully beautiful: The Sentiments are not only proper to the Subject, but have fomething in them particularly fofr and womanish. Muft I then leave thee, Paradife? Thus leave Thee, native Soil, thefe happy Walks and Shades, Fit haunt of Gods? Where I had hope to spend Quiet, though fad, the refpite of that Day That must be mortal to us both. O Flow'rs, That never will in other Climate grow, My early Vifitation, and my last

At Even, which I bred up with tender Hand
From the firft opening Bud, and gave you Names;
Who now shall rear you to the Sun, or rank
Your Tribes, and water from th' ambrosial Fount?

Thee,

Thes, lastly, nuptial Bowre, by me adorn'd
With what to Sight or Smell was fweet; from thee
How fhall I part, and whither wander down
Into a lower World, to this obfcure

And wild? how shall we breathe in other Air
Lefs pure, accuftom'd to immortal Fruits?

ADAM's Speech abounds with Thoughts which are equally moving, but of a more mafculine and elevated Turn. Nothing can be conceived more fublime and poe tical than the following Paffage in it.

This most afflicts me, that departing hence
As from his Face I shall be hid, deprived
His bleffed Count'nance; here I could frequent.
With Worship, place by place where he vouchsafed,
Prefence Divine; and to my Sons relate,
On this Mount he appear'd, under this Tree
Stood vifible, among thefe Pines his Voice
I heard, here with him at this Fountain talk'd:
So many grateful Altars I would rear
of graffy Turf, and pile up every Stone
Of luftre from the Brook, in memory
Or monument to Ages, and thereon

Offer Sweet-fmelling Gums and Fruits and Flowers.
In yonder nether World where shall I seek
His bright Appearances, or Footsteps trace?
For though I fled him angry, yet recall'd
To Life prolong'd and promised Race, I now
Gladly behold though but his utmost. Skirts
of Glory, and far off his Steps adore.

THE Angel afterwards leads Adam to the highest Mount of Paradife, and lays before him a whole Hemifphere, as a proper Stage for thofe Vifions which werelto be reprefented on it. I have before obferved how the Plan of Milton's Poem is in many Particulars greater than that of the Iliad or neid. Virgil's Hero, in the laft of thefe Poems, is entertained with a Sight of all those who are to defcend from him; but though that Epifode is juftly admired as one of the nobleft Defigns in the whole Eneid, every one must allow that this of Milton is of a much higher

nature.

nature.

Adam's Vision is not confined to any particular Tribe of Mankind, but extends to the whole Species..

IN this great Review which Adam takes of all his Sons and Daughters, the firft Objects he is prefented with exhibit to him the Story of Cain and Abel, which is drawn together with much Clofenefs and Propriety of Expreffion. That Curiofity and natural Horror which arifes in Adam at the fight of the first dying Man, is touched with great Beauty.

But have I now feen Death? is this the way

I must return to native Duft? O Sight
Of Terror foul, and ugly to behold,

Horrid to think, how harrible to feel!

THE fecond Vision fets before him the Image of Death in a great Variety of Appearances. The Angel, to give him a general Idea of thofe Effects which his Guilt had brought upon his Pofterity, places before him a large Hofpital or Lazar-Houfe, fill'd with Perfons lying under all kinds of mortal Diseases. How finely has the Poet told us that the fick Perfons languifhed under lingring and incurable Diftempers, by an apt and judicious ufe of fuch imaginary Beings as thofe I mentioned in my laft Saturday's Paper.

Dire was the toffing, deep the Groans. Despair
Tended the Sick, bufy from Couch to Couch;
And over them triumphant Death his Dart
Shook, but delay'd to ftrike, though oft invoked
With Vows, as their chief Good and final Hope.

THE Paffion which likewife rifes in Adam on this Oc cafion, is very natural.

Sight fo deform, what Heart of Rock could long
Dry-eyed behold? Adam could not, but wept,
Tho not of Woman born; Compassion quell'd
His beft of Man, and gave him up to Tears.

THE Difcourfe between the Angel and Adam, which follows, abounds with noble Morals.

AS

.

4

AS there is nothing more delightful in Poetry than a Contraft and Oppofition of Incidents, the Author, after this melancholy Profpect of Death and Sicknefs, raifes up a Scene of Mirth, Love, and Jollity. The fecret Pleasure that fteals into Adam's Heart as he is intent upon this Vifion, is imagined with great Delicacy. I must not omit the Defcription of the loofe female Troop, who feduced the Sons of God, as they are called in Scripture.

For that fair Female Troop thou faw' ft, that feem'd
of Goddeffes, fe blithe, fo fmooth, fo gay's
Yet empty of all Good, wherein confifts
Woman's domeftick Honour and chief Praife;
Bred only and compleated to the taffe
Of lustful Appetence, to fing, to dance,

To drefs, and troule the Tongue, and roll the Eye:
To thefe that fober Race of Men, whose Lives
Religious, titled them the Sons of God,

Shall yield up all their Virtue, all their Fame
Ignobly, to the Trains and to the Smiles
Of thofe fair Atheists-

THE next Vision is of a quite contrary nature, and filled with the Horrors of War. Adam at the fight of it melts into Tears, and breaks out in that paffionate Speech.

Owhat are these!

Death's Minifters not Men, who thus deal Death
Inhumanly to Men, and multiply

Ten Thousandfold the Sin of him who flew

His Brother: for of whom fuch Maffacre

Make they but of their Brethren, Men of Men ?

MILTON, to keep up an agreeable Variety in his Vifions, after having raifed in the Mind of his Reader the feveral Ideas of Terror which are conformable to the Defcription of War, paffes on to thofe fofter Images of Triumphs and Festivals, in that Vifion of Lewdnefs and Luxu ry which ushers in the Flood.

AS it is vifible that the Poet had his Eye upon Ovid's Account of the univerfal Deluge, the Reader may obferve with how much Judgment he has avoided every thing that