So far the happier Lot, enjoying thee Preeminent by fo much odds, while thou Like confort to thy felf canft no where find, &c. THE remaining part of Eve's Speech, in which fhe gives an Account of her felf upon her first Creation, and the manner in which fhe was brought to Adam, is I think as beautiful a Paffage as any in Milton, or perhaps in any other Poet whatfoever. These Paffages are all worked off with so much Art, that they are capable of pleafing the most delicate Reader, without offending the moft fevere. That Day I oft remember, when from Sleep, &c. A Poet of lefs Judgment and Invention than this great Author, would have found it very difficult to have filled thefe tender Parts of the Poem with Sentiments proper for a State of Innocence; to have described the Warmth of Love, and the Profeffions of it, without Artifice or Hyperbole to have made the Man fpeak the most endearing things, without defcending from his natural Dignity, and the Woman receiving them without departing from the Modefty of her Character; in a Word, to adjust the Prerogatives of Wisdom and Beauty, and make each appear to the other in its proper Force and Loveliness. This mutual Subordination of the two Sexes is wonderfully kept up in the whole Poem, as particularly in the Speech of Eve I have before mentioned, and upon the Conclufion of it in the following Lines. So fpake our general Mother, and with eyes Smil'd with fuperior Love. THE Poet adds, that the Devil turned away with En vy at the fight of fo much Happiness. WE WE have another View of our firft Parents in their Evening Difcourfes, which is full of pleafing Images and Sentiments fuitable to their Condition and Characters. The Speech of Eve, in particular, is dreffed up in fuch a foft and natural Turn of Words and Sentiments, as cannot be fufficiently admired. I fhall close my Reflections upon this Book, with obferving the Mafterly Tranfition which the Poet makes to their Evening Worfhip in the following Lines. Thus as their hady Lodge arriv'd, both stood, The God that made both Sky, Air, Earth and Heav'n, MOST of the Modern Heroick Poets have imitated the Ancients, in beginning a Speech without premifing, that the Perfon faid thus or thus; but as it is eafie to imitate the Ancients in the Omiffion of two or three Words, it requires Judgment to do it in fuch a manner as they fhall not be miffed, and that the Speech may begin naturally without them. There is a fine Inftance of this Kind out of Homer, in the Twenty Third Chapter of Longinus. INDEX A A. Cademy for Politicks, N° 305. The Regulations Admiration, fhort-lived, N. 256. Age. A comfortable old Age, the Reward of a well- Agreeable Man, who, N. 280. Ambition, never satisfied, N, 256. The End of it, N. Appetites the Incumbrances of old Age, N. 260. Art of Criticism, the Spectator's Account of that Poem, N. 253. Audiences, at prefent void of common Senfe, N. 290. 317. B. EAU's Head, the Diffection of one, N. 275. BE Beauty in a virtuous Woman makes her more virtu- Bills of Mortality, the ufe of them, N. 289. Boccalini, his Animadverfions upon Criticks, N. 291. Cafar C. Afar (Julius) a frequent Saying of his, N. 256. them, N. 312. Camillus, his Deportment to his Son, N. 263. Cenfor of Marriages, N. 508. Charity-Schools, great Inftances of a publick Spirit, N. 294. Clavius, proving uncapable of any other Studies, became Comparisons in Homer and Milton, defended by Monfieur Coverley (Sir Roger de) his Return to Town, and Conver- Criminal Love, fome Account of the State of it, N. 274 D.. Eath. Deaths of eminent Perfons, the most impro Dah Decency, nearly related to Virtue, N. 292. Decency of Behaviour, generally tranfgreffed, N. 292. Dependants, Objects of Compaflion, N. 282. Diftreft Mother, a new Tragedy, recommended by the E. Eating, Drinking and Sleeping, with the generality of People, the three Important Articles of Life, N 317. Education; whether the Education at a publick School, N 35 Emilias, Emilia, an excellent Woman, her Character, N. 302. Eyes; the prevailing Influence of the Eye inftanced in F. FAble, of a Drop of Water, N. 293. Fame, the Difficulty of obtaining and preferving Fop, what fort of Perfons deferve that Character, N. 280, Fortune often unjustly complained of, N. 282. To be G. Ifts of Fortune, more valued than they ought to be, Government, what Form of it the most reasonable, N. Gracefulness of Action, the Excellency of it, N. 292. H H. 'Omer's Excellence in the Multitude and Variety of Honeycomb (Will.) his great Infight into Gallantry, N. 265. Hoods, coloured, a new Invention, N. 265. I. ANE (Mrs.) a great Pickthank, N. 272. Jefuits, their great Sagacity in difcovering the Talent of Indolence, an Enemy to Virtue, N. 316. Journal; A Week of a deceased Citizen's Journal pre- Know |