But by fulfilling that which thou didst want, works. For this he shall live hated, be blasphem'd, Seiz'd on by force, judg'd, and to death condemn'd A shameful and accurs'd, nail'd to the cross His death for man, as many as offer'd life Defeating Sin and Death, his two main arms; Or theirs whom he redeems; a death, like sleep, When this world's dissolution shall be ripe, With glory and power to judge both quick and dead; To judge the unfaithful dead, but to reward So spake the arch-angel Michaël; then paus'd, As at the world's great period; and our siré, Replete with joy and wonder, thus replied. "O Goodness infinite, Goodness immense! That all this good of evil shall produce, And evil turn to good; more wonderful Than that which by creation first brought forth Light out of darkness! Full of doubt I stand, Whether I should repent me now of sin By me done, and occasion'd; or rejoice [spring; Much more, that much more good thereof shal To God more glory, more good-will to men From God, and over wrath grace shall abound. But say, if our Deliverer up to Heaven Must re-ascend, what will betide the few His faithful, left among the unfaithful herd, The enemies of truth? Who then shall guide His people, who defend? Will they not deal Worse with his followers than with him they dealt?" "Be sure they will," said the angel; "but He to his own a Comforter will send, length On every conscience; laws which none shall find | Of spirit and truth; the rest, far greater part, then raise He ended; and thus Adam last replied. To whom thus also the angel last replied. sum Of wisdom; hope no higher, though all the stars All secrets of the deep, all Nature's works, VOL. VII. Let us descend now therefore from this top With meditation on the happy end." He ended, and they both descend the hill; For God is also in sleep; and dreams advise, I carry hence; though all by me is lost, So spake our mother Eve; and Adam heard nigh The arch-angel stood; and from the other hill APPENDIX ΤΟ PARADISE LOST. CONTAINING PLANS OF SIMILAR SUBJECTS, INTEND- In the library of Trinity College, Cambridge, is a thin folio manuscript, marked, in the year 1799, when I was obligingly permitted by the master and fellows of that society to examine it, Miscell. R. iii. 4. It is handsomely bound; and to the inside of one of the covers is pasted a paper 'with this inscription: Membra hæc eruditissimi et pænè divine Poetæ olin miserè disjecta et passim sparsa, postea verò fortuitò inventa, et in unum denuo collecta à CAROLO MASON ejusdem Collegii Socio, et inter Miscellanea reposita, deinceps eâ quâ decuit religione servari voluit THOMAS CLARKE', nuperrimmè hujusce Collegii, nunc verò Medii Templi Londini, Socius, 1736. These papers were found by Dr. Mason, abovementioned, who was also Woodwardian professor at Cambridge, among other old and neglected manuscripts belonging to sir Henry Newton Puckering, a considerable benefactor to the library. They contain two draughts of a letter to a friend, who had importuned Milton to take orders; the following plans of Paradise Lost in the form of a tragedy, or mystery; the plans or subjects of several other intended tragedies, all in the poet's own hand; and entire copies of many of his smaller poems, in the same hand, except in a few instances, exhibiting his first thoughts and subsequent corrections. All these variations, Mr. Warton has observed, have been imperfectly and incorrectly printed by Dr. Birch. Various readings of this MS. have been also admitted into Dr. Newton's edition of all Milton's poetical works; as have such, which relate ta the respective pieces, and which have been more minutely investigated, in Mr. Warton's two editions of Milton's smaller poems. Upon a careful exammation of this manuscript, I have discovered a few peculiarities, or variations of expression, which have escaped the notice of those who have preceded me in describing this literary curiosity; and which will be found in their proper places. For I have added, at the end of each particular poem, as of Lycidas, Arcades, and Comus; and at the end of each series of poems, as of Sonnets, Odes, and Miscellanies; the several various readings respectively belonging to them. In this arrangement I hope to gratify the reader: who, after reading the finished poem, may then trace without interruption, (to use the language of Dr. Johnson respecting the imperfect rudiments of Paradise Lost,) the gradual growth and expansion of great works in their seminal state; and observe how they are sometimes suddenly advanced by accidental hinfs, and sometimes slowly improved by steady meditation. For this reason also I have placed the dramatic plans of Paradise Lost at the conclusion of the poet's sublimer "heroic song;" and have subjoined, to the tragedy of Samson Agonistes, the plans of Milton's other intended dramas. He Afterwards master of the Rolls, and knight. Mr. Warton says that sir Henry "had so great an affection for this college, in which he had been educated, that in his eightieth year he desired to be readmitted: and, residing there a whole summer, presented to the new library, just then finished, his own collection of books, amounting to near four thousand volumes. was son of sir Adam Newton, tutor to prince Henry; and many papers written by that prince, or relating to him, are involved in the collection. Sir Henry took the name of Puckering in remembrance of his uncle sir Thomas Puckering of Warwickshire, a learned and accomplished man, brother in law to sir Adam Newton, son of lord keeper Puckering, a companion of the studies of prince Heary. Many of the books were presents to the prince from authors or editors. In Dr. Duport's Hore subseciva, a poem is addressed to this preserver of Milton's manuscripts, Ad D. Henricum Puckeringum, alias Newtonum, Equitum baronettum. Cantabr. 1676. 8vo. pp. 222, 223. This sir Henry had a son, pupil to Dr. Duport at Trinity College, but who died before his father." TODD. debating what should become of At last, after discourse of enmity on either side, Chorus prepare resistance at his first approach. Man, if he fall. Justice, Mercie, Wisdome, Аст II. Heavenly Love. Evening-Starre. he departs; whereat the Chorus sing of the battell and victorie in Heaven against him and his. accomplices: as before, after the first act, was sung a hymn of the creation3. Heer again may appear Lucifer, relating and Chorus sing the marriage song, and describe Pa- insulting in what he had don to the destruction radice. ACT V. of Man. Man next, and Eve, having by this time bin seduc't by the serpent, appears confusedly cover'd with leaves. Conscience, in a shape, accuses him. Justice cites him to the place, whither Jehovah called for him. In the mean while, the Chorus entertains the stage, and is informed, by some angel, [of] the manner of his fall4. Heer the Chorus bewails Adam's fall. Adam then and Eve returne, and accuse one another; but especially Adam layes the blame to his wife; is stubborn in his offence. Justice appears; reasons with him, convinces him. The Chorus admonishes Adam, and bids him beware Lucifer's example of impenitences. The angel is sent to banish them out of Para dise; but, before, causes to pass before his eyes, Adam and Eve driven out of Paradice: præsented in shapes, a mask of all the evills of this life and by an angel with world. He is humbl'd, relents, dispaires. At last appeares Mercy, comforts him, promises the Messiah; then calls in Faith, Hope, and Charity; instructs him. He repents; gives God the glory, submitts to his penalty. The Chorus briefly concludes. Compare this with the former draught7. The angel Gabriel, either descending or entring; showing, since the globe was created, his frequency as much on Earth as in Heaven; describes Paradise. Next, the Chorus, showing the reason of his comming to keep his watch after Lucifer's rebellion, by command from God: and withall expressing his desire to see and know more concerning this excellent and new creature, Man. The angel Gabriel, as by his name signifying a prince of power, tracing Paradise with a inore free office, passes by the station of the Chorus ; and, desired by them, relates what he knew of Man; as the creation of Eve, with thire love and marriage. After this, Lucifer appears after his overthrow, bemoans himself, seeks revenge upon Man. The PARADISE REGAINED. BOOK I. THE ARGUMENT. The subject proposed. Invocation of the Holy Spirit. The poem opens with John baptizing 3 End of the second act. 4 End of the third act. $ End of the fourth act. 6 End of the fifth act. 7 The reader may compare the allegorical characters, and their offices, in this and the preceding draught, with those in the Italian drama by Andreini: Phillips, the nephew of Milton, has told us, that Paradise Lost was first designed for a tragedy, and that in the fourth book of the poem "there are ten verses, which, several years before the poem was begun, were shown to me, and some others, as designed for the very beginning of the said tragedy." Life, &c. 1694, p. xxxv. These verses are the opening of Satan's celebrated address to the Sun. "O thou, that with surpassing glory crown'd, &c." (') No edition of Paradise Regained had ever appeared with Arguments to the Books, before that which was published in 1795 by Mr. Dun ster; from which they are adopted in this edition. Peck indeed endeavoured to supply the deficiency, in his Memoirs of Milton, 1740, at the river Jordan. Jesus coming there is baptized; and is attested, by the descent of the Holy Ghost, and by a voice from Heaven, to be the Son of God. Satan, who is present, upon this immediately flies up into the regions of the air where, summoning his infernal council, he acquaints them with his apprehensions that Jesus is that seed of the Woman, destined to destroy all their power, and points out to them the immediate necessity of bringing the matter to proof, and of attempting, by snares and fraud, to counteract and defeat the person, from whom they have so much to dread. This office he offers himself to undertake; and, his offer being accepted, sets out on his enterprise. In the mean time God, in the assembly of holy angels, declares that he has given up his Son to be tempted by Satan; but foretels that the tempter shall be completely defeated by him:-upon which the angels sing a hymn of triumph. Jesus is led up by the Spirit into the wilderness, while he is meditating on the commencement of his great office of Saviour of mankind. Pursuing his meditations he narrates, in a soliloquy, what divine and philanthrophic impulses he had felt from his early youth, and how his mother Mary, on perceiving these dispositions in him, had acquainted him with the circumstances of his birth, and informed him that he was no less a person than the Son of God; to which he adds what his own inquiries and reflections had supplied in confirmation of this great truth, and particularly dwells on the recent attestation of it at the river Jordan. Our Lord passes forty days, fasting, in the wilderness, where the wild beasts become mild and harmless in his presence. Satan now appears under the form of an old peasant; and enters into discourse with our Lord, wondering what could have brought him alone into so dangerous a place, and at the same time professing to recognize him for the person lately acknowledged by John, at the river Jordan, to be the Son of God. Jesus briefly replies. Satan rejoins with a description of the difficulty of supporting life in the wilderness; and entreats Jesus, if he be really the Son of God, to manifest his divine power, by changing some of the stones into bread. Jesus reproves him, and at the same time tells him that he knows who he is. Satan instantly avows himself, and offers an artful apology for himself and his conduct. Our blessed Lord severely reprimands him, and refutes every part of his justification. Satan, with much semblance of humility, still endeayours to justify himself; and, professing his admiration of Jesus and his regard for virtue, requests to be permitted at a future time to hear more of his conversation; but is answered, that this must be as he shall find permission from above. Satan then disappears, and the book closes with a short description of night coming on in the desert, p. 70, &c. But the arguments, which he has there given, are too diffuse; and want that conciseness and energy which distinguish Mr. Dunster's, TODD, I, who ere while the happy garden sung Thou Spirit, who ledst this glorious eremite Now had the great proclaimer, with a voice More awful than the sound of trumpet, cried Repentance, and Heaven's kingdom nigh at hand To all baptiz'd: to his great baptism flock'd With awe the regions round, and with them came From Nazareth the son of Joseph deem'd "O ancient powers of air, and this wide world, |