Nor ftaid, till on Niphates' top he lights. "First I beheld him houering in the aire, "And then down ftouping, in an hundred gires." TODD. Ver. 742. On Niphates' top he lights.] The poet lands Satan on this mountain, fays Hume, because it borders on Mefopotamia, in which the moft judicious defcribers of Paradife place it. When Mercury, in the Eneid, is fent by Jupiter to Æneas at Carthage, he firft alights on Mount Atlas, whence he takes his flight precipitant to the fea-coaft, Æn. iv. 252, &c. So Gabriel, in Taffo, firft alights on Mount Libanus, and thence precipitates his flight to the lower country, Gier. Lib. C. i. 14, 15. DUNSTER. THE END OF THE THIRD BOOK. Satan, now in profpect of Eden, and nigh the place where he must now attempt the bold enterprife which he undertook alone against God and Man, falls into many doubts with himself, and many pathons, fear, envy, and defpair; but at length confirms himfelf in evil; journeys on to Paradife whofe outward profpect and fituation is defcribed; overleaps the bounds; fits in the shape of a cormorant on the tree of life, as highest in the garden, to look about him. The garden defcribed; Satan's firft fight of Adam and Eve; his wonder at their excellent form and happy ftate, but with refolution to work their fall; overhears their discourse; thence gathers that the tree of knowledge was forbidden them to eat of, under penalty of death; and thereon intends to found his temptation by feducing them to tranfgrefs: Then leaves them a while to know further of their state by fome other means. Meanwhile Uriel defcending on a funbeam warns Gabriel, who had in charge the gate of Paradife, that fome evil Spirit had escaped the deep, and passed at noon by his fphere in the shape of a good Angel down to Paradife, difcovered after by his furious geftures in the mount. Gabriel promifes to find him ere morning. Night coming on, Adam and Eve difcourfe of going to their reft: Their bower defcribed; their evening worship. Gabriel, drawing forth his bands of night-watch to walk the rounds of Paradife, appoints two Strong Angels to Adam's bower, left the evil Spirit Should be there doing fome harm to Adam or Eve Sleeping; there they find him at the ear of Eve, tempting her in a dream, and bring him, though unwilling, to Gabriel; by whom queftioned, he fcornfully anfwers; prepares refiftance; but, hindered by a fign from Heaven, flies out of Paradife. PARADISE LOST. BOOK IV. O, for that warning voice, which he, who faw 5 The Apocalypse, heard cry in Heaven aloud, Then when the Dragon, put to second rout, Came furious down to be revenged on men, Woe to the inhabitants on earth! that now, While time was, our first parents had been warn'd The coming of their fecret foe, and 'fcap'd, Haply fo 'fcap'd his mortal fnare: For now Satan, now first inflam'd with rage, came down, Ver. 1. O, for that warning voice, which he, who faw The Apocalypfe, heard cry in Heaven aloud,] The poet opens this book with a wifh in the manner of Shakspeare, "O, for a Mufe of fire, &c." Prolog. to Hen. V. "O, for a falconer's voice, &c." Rom, and Jul. A. ii, S. ii. And, in order to raise the horrour and attention of his reader, he introduces his relation of Satan's adventures upon earth, by wishing that the fame warning voice had been uttered now at Satan's first coming, which St. John, who in a vifion faw the Apocalypfe or Revelation of the moft remarkable events which were to befall the Christia : Church to the end of the world, heard when the Dragon was put to fecond rout, Rev, xii. 12. "Woe to the inhabitants of the |