THERE hardly can be a greater Inttance of an Heroick Mind, than the unprejudiced Manner in which this Lady weighed this Misfortune. The regard of Life it felf could not make her overlook the Contrition of the unhappy Man, whofe more than ordinary Concern for her was all his Guilt. It would certainly be of fingular Ufe to human Society to have an exact Account of this Lady's ordinary Conduct, which was crowned by fo uncommon Magnanimity. Such Greatnefs was not to be acquired in her laft Article, nor is it to be doubted but it was a conftant pra&ice of all that is praife-worthy, which made her capable of beholding Death, not as the Diffolution, but Confummation of her Life.

Τ

N 369.

Saturday, May 3i.

› Segnius irritant animos demiffa per aures
Quam que funt oculis fubjecta fidelibus Hor.

M

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ILTON, after having reprefented in Vifion the Hiftory of Mankind to the first great Period of Nature, difpatches the remaining part of it in Narration. He has devifed a very handfome Reafon for the Angel's proceeding with Adam after this manner; though doubtless the true Reafon was the Difficulty which the Poet would have found to have fhadowed out fo mixed and compli eated a Story in vifible Objects. I could wish, however, that the Author had done it, whatever Pains it might have coft him. To give my Opinion freely, I think that the exhibiting part of the Hiftory of Mankind in Vifion, and part in Narrative, is as if an History-Painter should put in Colours one half of his Subject, and write down the remaining part of it. If Milton's Poem flags any where, it is in this Narration, where in fome places the Author has been fo attentive to his Divinity, that he has neglected his Poetry. The Narration, however, rifes very happily

on

on feveral Occafions, where the Subject is capable of Poetical Ornaments, as particularly in the Confufion which he defcribes among the Builders of Babel, and in his fhort Sketch of the Plagues of Egypt. The Storm of Hail and Fire, with the Darkness that overspread the Land for three Days, are described with great Strength. The beau tiful Paffage which follows, is raised upon noble Hints in Scripture:

-Thus with ten Wounds
The River-Dragon tamed at length submits
To let his Sojourners depart, and oft
Humbles his ftubborn Heart; but still as Ice
More harden'd after Thaw, till in his Rage
Purfuing whom he late difmifs'd, the Sea
Swallows him with his Hoft, but them lets pass
As on dry Land between two Chrystal Walls,
Aw'd by the Rod of Mofes so to stand

Divided

THE River Dragon is an Allufion to the Crocodile, which inhabits the Nile, from whence Egypt derives her Plenty. This Allufion is taken from that fublime Paffage in Ezekiel, Thus faith the Lord God, behold I am against thee, Pharaoh King of Egypt, the great Dragon that lieth in the midst of his Rivers, which hath faid, my River is mine own, and I have made it for my felf. Milton has given us another very noble and poetical Image in the fame Defcription, which is copied almost Word for Word out of the History of Mefes.

I

All Night be will purfue, but his approach
Darkness defends between till morning Watch;
Then through the fiery Pillar and the Cloud
God looking forth, will trouble all his Hoft,
And craze their Chariot Wheels: when by command-
Mofes once more his potent Rod extends

Over the Sea; the Sea his Rod obeys:

On their embattelled Ranks the Waves return
And overwhelm their War

AS

AS the principal Defign of this Episode was to give Adam an Idea of the Holy Perfon, who was to reinstate human Nature in that Happiness and Perfection from which it had fallen, the Poet confines himself to the Line of Abraham, from whence the Meffiah was to defcend. The Angel is defcribed as feeing the Patriarch actually travelling towards the Land of Promife, which gives a particular Liveliness to this part of the Narration.

I fee him, but thou canst not, with what Faith
He leaves his Gods, his Friends, his native Soil
Ur of Chaldæa, passing now the Ford

To Haran, after him a cumbrous Train
Of Herds and Flocks, and numerous Servitude;
Not wand'ring poor, but trusting all his Wealth
With God, who call'd him, in a Land unknown...
Canaan he now attains, I fee his Tents -
Pitch'd about Sechem, and the neighbouring Plain
Of Moreh, there by Promife he receives
Gift to his Progeny of all that Land,

From Hamath Northward to the Defart South.
(Things by their Names I call, though yet unnamed.)

AS Virgil's Vifion in the fixth Eneid probably gave Milton the Hint of this whole Episode, the laft Line is a Tranflation of that Verfe, where Anchifes mentions the Names of Places, which they were to bear hereafter.

Hac tum nomina erunt, nunc funt fine nomine terra.

THE Poet has very finely reprefented the Joy and Gladness of Heart which rifes in Adam upon his Difcovery of the Meffiah. As he fees his Day at a diftance through Types and Shadows, he rejoices in it; but when he finds the Redemption of Man compleated, and Paradife again renewed, he breaks forth in Rapture and Transport;

O Goodness infinite, Goodness immense !
That all this Good of Evil shall produce, &c.

L

I have hinted in my fixth Paper on Milton, that an Heroick Poem, according to the Opinion of the beft Criticks, ought to end happily, and leave the Mind of the Reader, after having conducted it through many Doubts and Fears, Sorrows and Difquietudes, in a State of Tranquility and Satisfaction. Milton's Fable, which had fo many other Qualifications to recommend it, was deficient in this Particular. It is here therefore, that the Poet has fhewn a most exquifite Judgment, as well as the fineft Invention, by finding out a Method to fupply this natural Defect in his Subject. Accordingly he leaves the Adverfary of Mankind, in the laft View which he gives us of him, under the lowest State of Mortification and Difap pointment. We fee him chewing Afhes, grovelling in the Duft, and loaden with fupernumerary Pains and Torments. On the contrary, our two first Parents are comforted by Dreams and Vifions, cheared with Promises of Salvation, and, in a manner, raised to a greater Happiness than that which they had forfeited: In short, Satan, is reprefented miferable in the height of his Triumphs, and Adam triumphant in the height of Mifery.

MILTON's Poem ends very nobly. The laft Speeches of Adam and the Arch-Angel are full of Moral and Inftructive Sentiments. The Sleep that fell upon Eve, and the Effects it had in quieting the Disorders of her Mind, produce the fame kind of Confolation in the Reader, who cannot perufe the laft beautiful Speech which is afcribed to the Mother of Mankind, without a fecret Pleasure and Satisfaction.

Whence thou return'ft; and whither went'ft, I know ;
For God is alfo in Sleep, and Dreams advise,
Which he hath fent propitious, fome great Good
Prefaging, fince with Sorrow and Heart's Diftrefs
Wearied I fell asleep: but now lead on;
In me is no delay: with thee to go,
Is to stay here; without thee here to stay,
Is to go hence unwilling: thou to me
Art all things under Heav'n, all Places thou
Who for my wilful Crime art banish'd benes.

This farther Confolation yet fecure

I carry hence; though all by me is loft,
Such Favour, I unworthy, am vouchsafed,
By me the promised Seed shall all 1 eftore.

THE following Lines, which conclude the Poem, rife in a most glorious Blaze of Poetical Images and Expreffioes,

HELIODORUS in his Ethiopicks acquaints us, that the Motion of the Gods differs from that of Mortals, as the former do not ftir their Feet, nor proceed Step by Step, but flide o'er the Surface of the Earth by an uniform Swimming of the whole Body. The Reader may obferve with how Poetical a Defcription Milton has attributed the fame kind of Motion to the Angels who were to take Posfeffion of Paradife.

So fpake our Mother Eve, and Adam heard
Well pleas'd, but answer'd not; for now too nigh
The Archangel food, and from the other Hill
To their fix'd Station, all in bright Array
The Cherubim defcended; on the Ground
Gliding meteorous, as evening Mift
Ris'n from a River, o'er the Marish glides,
And gathers ground fast at the Lab'rer's Heel
Homeward returning. High in Front advanc'd,
The brandifl'd Sword of God before them blaz’d
Fierce as a Comet-

THE Author helped his Invention in the following Paffage, by reflecting on the Behaviour of the Angel, who, in Holy Writ, has the Conduct of Lot and his Family, The Circumftances drawn from that Relation are very gracefully nade ufe of on this Occasion.

In either Hand the bafning Angel caught
Our lingring Parents, and to th' Baftern Gate
Led them direct; and down the Cliff as faft
To the fubjected Plain; then disappear'd.
They looking back, &c,

THE