Effect, as it fets off the Scene, and renders the whole vastly more amufing to the Imagination. VIRGIL was fenfible of this in the following Defcription, which also is an Apparition.

Jamque dies coelo concefferat, almaque curri
Noctivago Phabe medium pulfabat Olympum:
Atque illi medio in fpatio, chorus ecce fuarum
Occurrit comitum, Nympha, quas alma Cybele
Numen habere maris, nymphafque e navibus effe
Jufferat: innabant pariter, fluctufque fecabant 3.
Quot prius arata fteterant ad littora prora.
Agnofcunt longe regem, luftrantque choreis.

WHERE the Imagination is in the fame Way affected. See the Beginning of the 7th Æneid.

-Nec candida curfum

Luna negat: fplendet tremulo fub lumine pontus, &c.

THE above Paffage of MILTON, with all thefe fine Places of other Authors I have here undesignedly affembled, may very properly be compared to the Object of VIRGIL'S Simile, Diana attended by her Nymphs; indeed it furpaffes them all as far as that Goddess did the Virgins of her Train; and fure every Briton must feel the Joy of Latona, in viewing this Superiority.

THE

THE latter Part of the Speech of Satan in the fecond Book, where he undertakes to go in Quest of the new Creation, is imitated from that remarkable one of Sarpedon to Glaucus in the 12th ILIAD.

But I should ill become this Throne, O Peers,
And this imperial Sovereignty, adorn'd

With Splendor, arm'd with Power, if ought propos'd
And judg'd of publick Moment, in the Shape
Of Difficulty or Danger, cou'd deter

Me from attempting. Wherefore do I affume
Thefe Royalties, and not refuse to reign,
Refufing to accept as great a Share

Of Hazard as of Honour, due alike

To him who reigns, and fo much to him due
Of Hazard more, as he above the reft

High honour'd fits.

Γλαῦκε, τίη δή τῶι τετιμήμεσθα μάλιςα
"Eph T, &c.

HERE the Thought is the fame in both, viz. that he who is poffeft of the greatest Honours and Advantages, should also have the greatest Share in Dangers and Difficulties: The End of the Speech, which is extremely fine in HOMER, cou'd in no Manner poffible be imitated by MILTON.

THE Reader can be at no Lofs which of the following he ought to give the Prefe

rence

rence to, though they are both exquifitely

good.

Talibus orabat Juno: cunétique fremebant
Calicola affenfu vario: ceu flamina prima
Cum deprenfa fremunt fylvis, & caca volutant
Murmura, venturos nautis prodentia ventos.

Æn. 10

He fcarce had finisht, when fuch Murmur fill'd
Th' Affembly, as when hollow Rocks retain
The Sound of bluftring Winds, which all Night long
·Had rouz'd the Sea, now with boarfe Cadence lull
Sea-faring Men o'erwatch'd, whofe Bark by Chance
Or Pinnace, anchors in a craggy Bay

After the Tempest.

THE following Lines are truly mufical; the Circumftance of the Angels making their own Exploits the Subject of their Songs, is imitated from the 3d ILIAD, where Helen is reprefented as weaving in a Piece of Tapestry the Battles and Mif chiefs fhe had occafioned.

-Others more mild

Retreated in a filent Valley, fing

: With Notes angelical to many a Harps
Their own heroick Deeds and hapless Fall;
By Doom of Battle; and complain that Fate
Free Virtue should enthral to Force or Chances
Their Song was partial; but the Harmony
(What cou'd it lefs when Spirits immortal fing)
Sufpended Hell, and took with Ravishment
The thronging Audience.

E

THE

THE Particular, in the Structure of HellGates, of their confifting of feveral Folds of different Materials, is imitated from HOMER'S Description of one of his Hero's Shields.

And thrice threefold the Gates; three Folds were Brass, Three Iron, three of adamantine Rock,

Impenetrable.

In the following Defcription, how far fuperior is MILTON to VIRGIL?

I fled, and cryed out Death; Hell trembled at the hideous Name, and figh'd From all her Caves, and back refounded Death.

Clamorem immenfum tollit, quo pontus & omnes
Intremuere unda, penitufqne exterrita tellus
Italia, curvifque immugiit Etna cavernis..

Book 2:

Æneid 3.

As I only defigned to take Notice of a few Imitations, which would ferve as fufficient Examples of the Poets Art; fo I fhall pass by all thofe Hints and Imitations in a fingle Line, as too minute for Obfervation: However, there is one of these in this Book, which .very well deferves our Attention; HOMER, in his 4th ILIAD, describing the Shooting of that fatal Arrow, which put an End to the late established Peace 'twixt the

con

contending Nations, diftinguishes it with the moral Epithet of

μελαινων ἕρμ ̓ ὁδυνάων.

which has been highly extolled. See the Note on the Place, in Mr. Pope's Tranflation; and the 6th Section of Mr. Hutchifon's Enquiry into Virtue. MILTON nobly imitates this Passage,

Thus faying, from her Side the fatal Key,
Sad Inftrument of all our Woe she took.

DOCTOR Bentley has affirmed, That the following Lines, in the 5th Book, are spurious, and the Production of an ignorant Editor. But, I fuppofe, he would not have been fo pofitive, had he perceived, that they are a fine Imitation of a beautiful Paffage in Claudian.

Till within Soar

Of tow'ring EAGLES, to all the Fowls he seems
A Phoenix, GAZ’D BY ALL, as that SOLE Bird
When to inshrine his Reliques in the Sun's
Bright Temple, to Egyptian Thebes he flies.
Sic ubi fœcunda reparavit more juventam,
Et patrios idem Cineres, collectaque portat
Unguibus offa piis, Nilique ad littora tendens
Unicus extremo Phanix procedit ab Euro:
Conveniunt aquila cunctaque ex orbe volucres
Ut Solis mirentur, avem.

IN