As I intend to fhow the defects in the Paradife Loft, I thought fit to premise these few particulars, to the end that the reader may know I enter upon it, as on a very ungrateful work; and that I fhall juft point at the imperfections, without endeavouring to inflame them with ridicule. I muft alfo obferve with Longinus, that the productions of a great genius, with many lapfes and inadvertencies, are infinitely preferable to the works of an inferiour kind of author, which are fcrupuloufly exact, and conformable to all the rules of correct writing.

I fhall add, to this obfervation, a story out of Boccalini, which fufficiently fhows us the opinion that judicious author entertained of the fort of criticks I have been here mentioning. "A famous critick," fays he, " having gathered together all the faults of an eminent poet, made a prefent of them to Apollo, who received them very graciously, and refolved to make the author a fuitable return for the trouble he had been at in collecting them. In order to this, he fet before him a fack of wheat, as it had been just threshed out of the fheaf. He then bid him pick out the chaff from among the corn, and lay it afide by itfelf. The critick applied himself to the tafk with great induftry and pleasure, and, after having made the due feparation, was prefented by Apollo with the chaff for his pains."

I shall now remark the feveral defects which appear in the FABLE, the CHARACTERS, the SENTIMENTS, and the LANGUAGE, of Paradife Loft; not doubting but the reader will pardon me, if I allege

at the fame time whatever may be faid for the extenuation of fuch defects.

The first imperfection which I fhall obferve in the fable is, that the event of it is unhappy.

The fable of every poem is, according to Ariftotle's divifion, either fimple or impler. It is called fimple, when there is no change of fortune in it; implex, when the fortune of the chief actor changes from bad to good, or from good to bad. The implex fable is thought the moft perfect; I fuppofe, because it is more proper to ftir up the paffions of the reader, and to furprife him with a greater variety of accidents.

The implex fable is therefore of two kinds; in the first, the chief actor makes his way through a long feries of dangers and difficulties, until he arrives at honour and profperity, as we fee in the ftories of Ulyffes and Æneas. In the fecond, the chief actor in the poem falls, from fome eminent pitch of honour and profperity, into mifery and difgrace. Thus we fee Adam and Eve finking, from a state of innocence and happiness, into the most abject condition of fin and forrow.

The most taking tragedies among the ancients, were built on this laft fort of implex fable; particularly the tragedy of Oedipus, which proceeds upon a story, if we may believe Ariftotle, the most proper for tragedy that could be invented by the wit of man. I have already taken fome pains to fhow, that this kind of implex fable, wherein the event is unhappy, is more apt to affect an audience than that of the firft kind; notwithstanding many

excellent pieces among the ancients, as well as moft of those which have been written of late years in our country, are raised upon contrary plans. I muft however own, that I think this kind of fable, which is the most perfect in tragedy, is not so proper for an heroick poem.

Milton feems to have been fenfible of this imperfection in his fable, and has therefore endeavoured to cure it by feveral expedients; particularly by the mortification which the great Adverfary of mankind meets with upon his return to the affembly of infernal Spirits, as it is defcribed in a beautiful paffage of the tenth book; and likewise by the vifion wherein Adam, at the clofe of the Poem, fees his offspring triumphing over his great enemy, and himself reftored to a happier Paradife than, that from which he fell.

There is another objection against Milton's fable, which is indeed almoft the fame with the former, though placed in a different light, namely,―That the Hero in the Paradife Loft is unfuccefsful, and by no means a match for his enemies. This gave occafion to Mr. Dryden's reflection, that the devil was in reality Milton's hero. I think I have already obviated this objection. The Paradife Loft is an epick, or a narrative, poem; and he, that looks for an hero in it, fearches for that which Milton never intended; but if he will needs fix the name of an hero upon any perfon in it, it is certainly the MESSIAH who is the hero, both in the principal action, and in the chief epifodes. Paganifm could not furnish out a real action for a fable greater than that of the Iliad or Æneid; and

་

therefore an heathen could not form an higher notion of a poem than one of that kind, which they call an heroick. Whether Milton's is not of a fublimer nature I will not prefume to determine: it is fufficient that I fhow there is in the Paradife Lost all the greatness of plan, regularity of design, and mafterly beauties, which we difcover in Homer and Virgil.

I must in the next place obferve, that Milton has interwoven, in the texture of his fable, fome particulars which do not feem to have probability enough for an epick poem; particularly in the actions which he afcribes to Sin and Death, and the picture which he draws of the Limbo of Vanity, with other paffages in the fecond book. Such allegories rather favour of the fpirit of Spenfer and Ariofto, than of Homer and Virgil.

In the structure of his Poem he has likewife admitted too many digreffions. It is finely obferved by Ariftotle, that the author of an heroick poem fhould feldom fpeak himfelf, but throw as much of his work as he can into the mouths of those who are his principal actors. Ariftotle has given no reason for this precept: but I prefume it is because the mind of the reader is more awed, and elevated, when he hears Eneas or Achilles

the Limbo of Vanity,] Milton's temper perhaps occafioned him to introduce this humourous, but improper, defcription in his epick poem. Aubrey, in his manufcript Life of Milton, fays that he was fatirical. So was Dante. Mr. Richardfon thinks the Paradife of Fools is finely imagined; but Dr. Newton feems to confider it more worthy the fanciful genius of the Italians.

TODD.

speak, than when Virgil or Homer talk in their own perfons. Befides that affuming the character of an eminent man, is apt to fire the imagination, and raise the ideas of the author. Tully tells us, mentioning his dialogue of old age, in which Cato is the chief speaker, that upon a review of it he was agreeably impofed upon, and fancied that it was Cato, and not he himself, who uttered his thoughts on that fubject.

If the reader would be at the pains to fee how the story of the Iliad and the Eneid is delivered by thofe perfons who act in it, he will be furprised to find how little, in either of thefe poems, proceeds from the authors. Milton has, in the general difpofition of his fable, very finely obferved this great rule; infomuch, that there is fcarce a tenth part of it which comes from the poet; the reft is fpoken either by Adam or Eve, or by fome good or evil Spirit who is engaged either in their deftruction or defence.

From what has been here obferved it appears, that digreffions are by no means to be allowed of, in an epick poem. If the poet, even in the ordinary courfe of his narration, fhould fpeak as little as poffible, he should certainly never let his narration fleep for the fake of any reflection of his own. I have often observed, with a fecret admiration, that the longest reflection in the Eneid, is in that paffage of the tenth book, where Turnus is reprefented as dreffing himself in the fpoils of Pallas, whom he had flain. Virgil here lets his fable stand still, for the fake of the following remark. "How is the mind of man ignorant of