POSTSCRIPT. THE works of inferior Geniuses have their infancy, and often receive additions of strength and beauty, in the feveral impreffions they undergo whilft their Authors live: but the following Poem came into the world, like the Perfons whom it celebrates, in a state of maturity. However, though in the first Edition it was difpofed into Ten Books only, MILTON thought proper in the Second to make a new divifion of it into Twelve: not, I fuppofe, with refpect to the Eneis (for he was, in both fenfes of the phrafe, above Imitation) but more probably, because the length of the Seventh and Tenth required a Pause in the Narration, he divided them, each into Two: on which diftribution, to the beginning of thofe Books which are now the Eight and Twelfth, he added the following Verfes which were neceffary to make a Connection. Book VIII. ver. 1. The Angel ended, and in Adam's ear The The latter half of the verfe was taken from this in the first Edition. To whom thus Adam gratefully reply'd. Book XII. ver. 1. As one who in his journey bates at noon, Then, with transition fweet, new fpeech refumes. At the fame time the Author made fome few additions in other places of the Poem, which are here inserted for the fatisfaction of the curious. Book V. ver. 637. They eat, they drink, and with refection sweet "Are fill'd, before th' all-bounteous King, &c. were thus enlarged in the Second Edition. They eat, they drink, and in communion fweet Book XI. ver. 484. after, "Inteftine ftone, and ulcer, cholic-pangs, these three verses were added, Dæmoniac Damoniac phrenzy, moaping melancholy, And ver. 551. of the fame Book (which was originally thus, "Of rend'ring up. Michael to him reply'd) receiv'd this addition, Of rend'ring up, and patiently attend To what I have faid in the Life, of our Author's having no Monument, it may not be improper to add; that I defired a Friend to enquire at St. Giles's Church; where the Sexton fhewed him a fmall Monument, which he faid was fuppofed to be MILTON's; but the Infcription had never been legible fince he was employed in that office, which he has poffeffed about forty Years. This, fure, could never have happened in fo fhort a space of time, unless the Epitaph had been industriously eras'd: and that fuppofition carries with it fo much inhumanity, that I think we ought to believe it was not erected to his Memory. IN Dum ferus hic ftellas protegit, ille rapit! Ad poenas fugiunt, et (ceu foret ORCUS afylum !) Cedite ROMANI Scriptores, cedite GRAII, Et quos FAMA recens, vel celebravit anus: Haec quicunque leget, tantùm ceciniffe putabit MAEONIDEM Ranas, VIRGILIUM Culices. |