tore, that appeared to him new and fresh in all its Beauties, with the Simile illustrating this Circumftance, fills the Mind of the Reader with as furprifing and glorious an Idea as any that arises in the whole Poem. He looks down into that vaft Hollow of the Universe with the Eye, or (as Milton calls it in his first Book) with the Ken of an Angel. He furveys all the Wonders in this immenfe Amphitheatre that lie between both the Poles of Heaven, and takes in at one View the whole Round of the Creation. HIS Flight between the feveral Worlds that fhined on every Side of him, with the particular Defcription of the Sun, are fet forth in all the Wantonnefs of a luxuriant Imagination. His Shape, Speech and Behaviour, upon his transforming himself into an Angel of Light, are touched with exquifite Beauty. The Poet's Thought of directing Satan to the Sun, which in the vulgar Opinion of Mankind, is the moft confpicuous Part of the Creation, and the placing in it an Angel, is a Circumftance very finely contrived, and the more adjusted to a Poetical Probability, as it was a received Doctrine among the most famous Philofophers, that every Orb had its Intelligence; and as an Apostle in Sacred Writ is faid to have feen fuch an Angel in the Sun. In the Anfwer which this Angel returns to the difguifed Evil Spirit, there is fuch a becoming Majefty, as is altogether fuitable to a fuperior Being. The Part of it in which he reprefents himself as prefent at the Creation, is very noble in itself, and not only proper where it is introduced, but requifite to prepare the Reader for what follows in the Seventh Book. I faw when at his Word the formless Mafs, IN the following Part of the Speech, he points out the Earth with fuch Circumftances, that the Reader can fcarce forbear fancying himself employed on the fame diftant View of it. Look downward on the Globe, whofe hither Side I must not conclude my Reflexions upon this third Book of Paradife Loft, without taking notice of that celebrated Complaint of Milton with which it opens, and which certainly deferves all the Praises that have been given it; tho', as I have before hinted, it may rather be looked upon as an Excrefcence, than as an ef-fential Part of the Poem. The fame Obfervation might. be applied to that beautiful Digreffion upon Hypocrify,, in the fame Book. SPEC XXXXXXX XXX SPECTATOR, N° 321. Nec fatis eft pulchra esse poemata, dulcia funto. HOR. 'Tis not enough a Poem's finely writ ; It muft affect and captivate the Soul. T HOSE who know how many Volumes have been written on the Poems of Homer and Virgil, will eafily pardon the Length of my Difcourfe upon Milton. The Paradife Loft is looked upon, by the best Judges, as the greatest Production, or at least the nobleft Work of Genius in our Language, and therefore deferves to be fet before an English Reader in its full Beauty. For this Reason, though I have endeavoured to give a general Idea of its Graces and Imperfections in my fix firft Papers, I thought myself obliged to bestow one upon every Book in particular. The three firft Books I have already difpatched, and am now entring upon the Fourth. I need not acquaint my Reader, that there are Multitudes of Beauties in this great Author, efpecially in the defcriptive Parts of his Poem, which I have not touched upon; it being my Intention to point out thofe only, which appear to me the most exquifite, or thofe which are not fo obvious to ordinary Readers. Every one that has read the Critics, who have written upon the Odyf fey, the Iliad, and the Eneid, knows very well, that though they agree in their Opinions of the great Beauties in those Poems, they have nevertheless each of them discovered feveral Maiter-ftrokes, which have efcaped the Obfervation of the reft. In the fame Manner, I queftion not, but any Writer, who fhall treat of this Subject after me, may find several Beauties in Mil ton, ton, which I have not taken notice of. I must likewife observe, that as the greatest Masters of critical Learning differ from one another, as to fome particular Points in an Epic Poem, I have not bound myself fcrupulously to the Rules which any one of them has laid down upon that Art, but have taken the Liberty fometimes to join with one, and fometimes with ano ther, and fometimes to differ from all of them, when I have thought that the Reason of the Thing was on my Side. WE may confider the Beauties of the Fourth Book under three Heads. In the firft are thofe Pictures of Still-life, which we meet with in the Descriptions of Eden, Paradife, Adam's Bower, &c. In the next are the Machines, which comprehend the Speeches and Behaviour of the good and bad Angels. In the laft is the Conduct of Adam and Eve, who are the principal Actors in the Poem. IN the Description of Paradife, the Poet has obferved Ariftotle's Rule of lavishing all the Ornaments. of Diction on the weak unactive Parts of the Fable, which are not supported by the Beauty of Sentiments and Characters. Accordingly the Reader may obferve, that the Expreffions are more florid and elaborate in these Descriptions, than in most other Parts of the Poem. I must further add, that though the Drawings of Gardens, Rivers, Rainbows, and the like dead Pieces of Nature, are juftly cenfured in an Heroic Poem, when they run out into an unneceflary Length; the Defcription of Paradife would have been faulty, had not the Poet been very particular in it, not only as it is the Scene of the principal Action, but as it is requifite to give us an Idea of that happiness from which our first Parents fell. The Plan of it is wonderfully beautiful, and formed upon the fhort Sketch which we have of it in Holy Writ. Milton's Exuberance of Imagination has poured forth fuch a Redundancy of Ornaments on this Seat of Happiness and Innocence, that it would be endless to point out each Particular. I must not quit this Head, without farther obferving, that there is fcarce a Speech of Adam or Eve in the whole Poem, wherein the Sentiments and Allufions are not taken from this their delightful Habitation. The Reader, during their whole Courfe of Action, always finds himself in the Walks of Paradife. In fhort, as the Critics have remarked, that in those Poems, wherein Shepherds are Actors, the Thoughts ought always to take a Tincture from the Woods, Fields and Rivers; fo we may obferve, that our firft Parents feldom lofe Sight of their happy Station in any Thing they speak or do; and, if the Reader will give me leave to ufe the Expreffion, that their Thoughts are always Paradifiacal. WE are in the next Place to confider the Machines of the Fourth Book. Satan being now within Profpect of Eden, and looking round upon the Glories of the Creation, is filled with Sentiments different from those which he discovered whilft he was in Hell. The Place infpires him with Thoughts more adapted to it: He reflects upon the happy Condition from whence he fell, and breaks forth into a Speech that is foftned with feveral tranfient Touches of Remorfe and Self-accufation: But, at length, he confirms himself in Impenitence, and in his Defign of drawing Men into his own State of Guilt and Mitery. This Conflict of Paffions is raised with a great deal of Art, as the Opening of his Speech to the Sun is very bold and noble. O thou that with furpaffing Glory crown'd |