an argument, that the authors of them were of opinion such characters might have a place in an epic work: I should be glad the reader would be of the same opinion for the sake of the poem I am now examining; and must farther add, that if such empty, unsubstantial beings, may be introduced on this occasion, never were any more justly imagined, or employed in more proper actions, than those of which I am now speaking.

Another principal actor, in this poem, is the great enemy of mankind. The part of Ulysses, in Homer's Odyssey, is very much admired by Aristotle, as varying that fable with very agreeing plots and intricacies, not only by the many adventures in his voyage, and the subtilty of his behaviour, but by the various concealments and discoveries of his person in several parts of that poem: but the crafty being I have now mentioned, makes a much longer voyage than Ulysses, puts in practice many more wiles and stratagems, and conceals himself under a greater variety of shapes and appearences-all of which are severally detected, to the great delight and surprise of the reader. We may likewise observe with how much art the poet has varied several characters of the persons that speak in his infernal assembly. On the contrary how has he represented the whole Godhead exerting itself towards man, in its full benevolence, under the threefold distinction of a Creator, a Redeemer, and a Comforter.

Nor must we omit the person of Raphael, who, amidst his tenderness and friendship for man, shows such a dignity and condescension in all his speech and behaviour, as are suitable to a superior nature. The angels are as much diversified in Milton, and distinguished by their proper parts, as the gods are in Homer or Virgil.

There is another circumstance in the principal actors of the Iliad and Eneid, which gives a peculiar beauty to those two poems, and was therefore contrived with very great judgment; I mean the author's having chosen for their heroes persons so nearly related to the people for whom they wrote. Achilles was a Greek, and Æneas the remote founder of Rome: by this means their countrymen (whom they

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principally proposed to themselves for their readers) were particularly attentive to all the parts of their story, and sympathised with their heroes in all their adventures. Roman could not but rejoice in the escapes, successes, and victories of Æneas, and be grieved at any defeats, misfortunes, or disappointments, that befel him; as a Greek must have had the same regard for Achilles : and it is plain, that each of those poems have lost this great advantage among these readers to whom their heroes are strangers or indifferent persons.

Milton's poem is admirable in this respect, since it is impossible for any of its readers, whatever nation, country, or people he may belong to, not to be related to the persons who are the principal actors in it; but what is infinitely more to its advantage, the principal actors in this poem are not only our progenitors, but our representatives.

We have taken a general survey of the fable and characters in Milton's Paradise Lost: the parts which remain to be considered, according to Aristotle's method, are the sentiments and the language. Before I enter upon the first of these, I must inform my reader, that it is my design, as soon as I have finished my general reflections on these four several heads, to give particular instances from the poem of beauties and imperfections which may be observed under each of them, as also of such other particulars as may not properly fall under any of them. This I thought necessary to premise, that the reader may not judge too hastily of this criticism, or pronounce it imperfect before he has seen the whole extent of it.

The sentiments, in an epic poem, are the thoughts and behaviour which the author ascribes to the persons whom he introduces, and are just when they are conformable to the characters of the several persons. The sentiments have like. wise a relation to things as well as persons, and are perfect when they are such as are adapted to the subject. If, in either of these cases, the poet endeavours to argue or explain, to magnify or diminish, to raise love or hatred, pity or terror, or any other passion, we ought to consider whether the sentiments he makes use of are proper for those ends. Homer

is censured by the critics for his defect as to this particular in several parts of the Iliad and Odyssey; yet those who have treated this great poet with candour, have attributed this defect to the times in which he lived. It was the fault of the age, and not of Homer, if there wants that delicacy in some of his sentiments which now appears in the works of men of a much inferior genius. Besides, if there are blemishes in any particular thoughts, there is an infinite beauty in the greatest part of them. In short, if there are many poets who would not have fallen into the meanness of some of his sentiments, there are not any who could have risen up to the greatness he has displayed in others. Virgil has excelled all in the propriety of his sentiments. Milton shines likewise very much in this particular; nor must we omit one consideration which adds to his honour and reputation. Homer and Virgil introduced persons whose characters are commonly known, and such as are to be met with either in history or in ordinary conversation. Milton's characters, most of them, lie out of nature, and were to be formed purely by his own invention. It shows a greater genius in Shakespeare to have drawn his Calyban than his Hotspur or Julius Cæsar: the one was to be supplied out of his own imagination, whereas the other might have been formed upon tradition, history, and observation. It was much easier, therefore, for Homer to find proper sentiments for an assembly of Grecian generals, than for Milton to diversify his infernal council with proper characters, and inspire them with a variety of sentiments.

The Loves of Dido and

Eneas are only copies of what has passed between other persons. Adam and Eve, before the fall, 'are a different species from that of mankind, who are descended from them; and none but a poet, of the most unbounded invention, and the most exquisite judgment, could have filled their conversation and behaviour with so many apt circumstances during their state of innocence.

Nor is it sufficient for an epic poem to be filled with such thoughts as are natural, unless it abound also with such as are sublime. Virgil in this particular falls short of Homer. He has not, indeed, so many thoughts that are low and

vulgar; but, at the same time, he has not so many thoughts that are sublime and noble. The truth is, Virgil seldom rises into very astonishing sentiments where he is not fired by the Iliad; he every where charms and pleases us by the force of his own genius, but seldom elevates and transports us where he does not borrow his hints from Homer.

Milton's chief talent, and indeed his distinguishing excellence, lies in the sublimity of his thought. There are others of the moderns who rival him in every other part of poetry; but in the greatness of his sentiments he triumphs over all the poets, both modern and ancient, Homer only excepted. It is impossible for the imagination of man to distend itself with greater ideas than those which he has combined in his first, second, and sixth books. The seventh, which describes the creation of the world, is likewise wonderfully sublime, though not so apt to excite emotion in the mind of the reader, nor, consequently, so perfect in the epic way of writing; because it is filled with less action. Let the judicious reader compare what Longinus has observed on several passages in Homer, and he will find parallels for most of them in the Paradise Lost.

From what has been said we may infer, that as there are two kinds of sentiments, the natural and the sublime, which are always to be pursued in an heroic poem; there are also two kinds which are carefully to be avoided. The first are such as are affected and unnatural, the second such as are mean and vulgar. As for the first kind of thoughts, we meet with few in Virgil; he has none of those trifling points and puerilities that are so often to be met with in Ovid, none of the epigrammatic turns of Lucan, none of those swelling sentiments which are so frequently in Statius and Claudian, or of those mixed embellishments of Tasso. Every thing is just and natural. His sentiments shew that he had a perfect insight into human nature, and that he knew every thing which was most proper to affect it.

As many thoughts may be natural which are low and groveling, an epic poet should therefore not only avoid such sentiments as are unnatural and affected, but also such as are mean and vulgar. Homer has opened a great field of

raillery to men of more delicacy than greatness of genius, by the homeliness of some of his sentiments; but these are rather to be imputed to the simplicity of the age in which he lived, to which I may also add, of that which he described, than to any imperfection in that divine poet. Zoilus, among the ancients, and Monsieur Perrault, among the moderns, indulged in ridicule of such sentiments. There are no blemishes to be observed in Virgil in this particular, and but very few in Milton.

I shall give but one instance of this impropriety in Homer, and at the same time compare it with an instance of the same nature both in Virgil and Milton. Sentiments which raise laughter can very seldom be admitted with any decency into an heroic poem, the business of which is to excite passions of a much nobler nature. Homer, however, in his characters of Vulcan and Thersites, in his history of Mars and Venus, in his behaviour of Irus, and in other passages, has been observed to have lapsed into the burlesque character, and to have departed from that serious air which seems essential to the magnificence of an epic poem. I remember but one laugh in the whole Æneid, which is excited in the fifth book, upon Monotes, where he is represented as thrown overboard, and drying himself upon a rock. But this piece of mirth is so well timed, that the severest critic cannot object to it, for it is in the book of games and diversions, where the reader's mind may be supposed to be sufficiently relaxed for such an entertainment. The only piece of pleasantry in Paradise Lost, is where the evil spirits are described as rallying the angels upon the success of their new invented artillery. This passage I look upon to be the most exceptionable in the whole poem.

Having already treated of the fable, the characters, and sentiments, in the Paradise Lost, we are, in the last place, to consider the language; and as the learned world is very much divided upon Milton as to this point, I hope they will excuse me if I appear particular in any of my opinions, aud incline to those who judge the most favourably of the author.