different Footing. However VIRGIL has followed PLATO in moft of his Opinions, his Notions concerning Love, are directly the Oppofite of those we ftile Platonick.

To whom th' incestuous Mother thus reply'd,

Thou therefore, on thefe Herbs, and Fruits, and Flowr's
Feed firft; on each Beaft next, and Fish, and Fowl;
No homely Morfels! and whatever Thing
The Scythe of Time mows down, devour unfpar'd:
Till I in Man refiding, through the Race,

His Thoughts, his Looks, Words, Actions, all infect:
And feafon him thy last and sweetest Prey.

Book 10.

THE Progrefs of Death from the Herbs, Fruits, &c. to Man, puts us in Mind of the Beginning of the ILIAD, where the Plague destroys the Mules and Dogs, before it seizes on Man. And hence MILTON infallibly has taken the Thought. One of the Criticks accounts for this Circumstance of the Plague, by fuppofing the Deftruction of thefe Creatures, defigned as a Warning to Man. This fine Remark holds equally well, when applied to this Paffage of our Countryman. Besides which moral Reason, there may a natural One be given; for Death very properly may be faid to prey firft on Flowers, Beafts, &c. as they were naturally of a fhor

ter

ter Duration than Mankind, especially in thofe primitive Ages.

'Tis one Particular of the Character of our Nation, that we have been much less fuccefsful in inventing, than in improving the Inventions of others. But the Genius of MILTON was confined to neither of these Qualities, as he is equally remarkable for original Beauties, and those which are imitated.

MILTON could make no Improvements in thofe Places of Scripture he has imitate; but he has given them fometimes peculiar Graces in the Application: For Inftance, the following is almoft literally from the Scripture.

and mighty Seraphim proftrate; That wish'd the Mountains now might be again Thrown on them, as a Shelter from his Ire.

Book 6.

THERE is a great Beauty here in the Allufion to the late Battle, when Rocks and Mountains were used as offenfive Arms.

THE Story, on which MILTON has founded his Poem, is related in Scripture, in a very compendious Manner, without the Mention of many Particulars, and even thofe fomewhat intricate: So that it was

like

like a Sic vos non vobis to a Poet, as he would be obliged to fupply Circumstances, and fill up the Chafms by mere Invention. This MILTON has done to a Wonder, and all he has invented, or added, is entirely confonant to Probability, and what we have of it in facred Writ. All the other Authors who have tried to fill up the Out-lines of this Story, have had a very different Succefs.

ONE would imagine HOMER had Abundance of Materials, as we have feveral Particulars of the Trojan War conveyed to us, befides thofe he has inferted in his Poems: However, 'tis probable, these were but Fictions of fucceeding Writers. Of this there is an Instance in the Reproach of Vlyffes being the Bastard of Sisyphus, which is mentioned both by VIRGIL and OVID. Now, whatever was the Origin of this Afperfion, it was not known to HoMER; for he has placed them feveral Ages afunder. This, tho' taken Notice of by none of the Commentators, may be learn'd from the Interview of Glaucus and Diomede, in the 6th ILIAD, where the former reckons himfelf the fixth in Defcent from that Sifyphus,

and

and Glaucus could not be much younger than Vlyffes.

We have already seen one of the ill Confequences of VIRGIL'S want of Materials, as he was obliged to borrow a Part of his Fable from HOMER. And, I must here add, that HOMER himself is accused of borrowing largely from his Predeceffors, who wrote on different Subjects: However, if he was guilty of any fuch faulty Imitations as this, for the mutual Benefit of him and his Readers, their Works do not exist.

CRITICISM ferves as much to ftrengthen the Judgment, as Poetry does to raise the Imagination; even the pooreft, and most difagreeable Part of it, the picking out the Faults of a good Author, is of fome Ufe, as it teaches us this important Lesson, always to found our Opinions on Reason, and never on the Authority of a Perfon. There are feveral Puns in the Paradife Loft, which are the groffeft Faults in that Poem. In all the Crimes against Religion or Morality, the best Vindication of the Accufed is, to prove they acted conform to their Judgment, however erroneous; but, in Matters of Arts and Criticifm, 'tis quité otherG wife,

wife: And the best Apology for the Faults of an Author, is, that they were contrary to his own Judgment, and in the Compliance with the ill Tafte of those he compofed for. How much Puns were the Mode of these Times, 'tis well known. And the Definition of Rhime, in the Advertisment prefixt to his Poem, furnishes us with fome Sort of an Argument, that MILTON beheld a Pun in its true Light. The gingling Sound of like Endings he there declares against, defines a Pun almost as well as it does Rhime, which indeed are nearly allied and thofe Sorts of Puns which he has moftly made Use of, are literally fuch a Gingle: As, for Example, beseech, ing or befieging, &c.

;

WE may divide the Puns of the Paradife Loft into two Kinds; the first, to which belongs the above Example, confifts in the Similitude of the Sound of the Words; of this Sort is Rhime, with this Aggravation, that 'tis a Pun in every two Lines: The other, which is yet lefs excufeable, in their double Meaning; which is only a greater Similitude, or Sameness of Sound. Of this there is a very remarkable Instance in the Speeches