of Majefty and Condefcenfion in the Creator, and at
the fame time that of Humility and Adoration in the
Creature, as particularly in the following Lines:
Thus I prefumptuous; and the Vifion bright,
As with a Smile more brightned, thus reply'd, &c.
-1, with Leave of Speech implor'd,

And humble Deprecation, thus reply'd:
Let not my Words offend thee, Heav'nly Power,
My Maker, be propitious while I Speak, &c.

ADAM then proceeds to give an Account of his fecond Sleep, and of the Dream in which he beheld the Formation of Eve. The new Paffion that was awakened in him at the Sight of her, is touched very finely.

Under his forming Hands a Creature grew,
Manlike, but diff'rent Sex; fo lovely fair,
That what feem'd fair in all the World, feem'd now
Mean, or in her fumm'd up, in her contain'd,
And in her Looks; which from that Time infus'd
Sweetness into my Heart, unfelt before:
And into all things from her Air infpir'd
The Spirit of Love and amorous Delight.

ADAM's Diftrefs upon lofing fight of this beautiful Phantom, with his Exclamations of Joy and Gratitude at the Discovery of a real Creature, who refembled the Apparition which had been prefented to him in his Dream; the Approaches he makes to her, and his Manner of Courtship; are all laid together in a most exquifite Propriety of Sentiments.

THO' this Part of the Poem is worked, up with great Warmth and Spirit, the Love which is defcribed in it is every way suitable to a State of Innocence. If the Reader compares the Defcription which Adam here gives of his leading Eve to the Nuptial Bower, with that which Mr. Dryden has made on the fame Occafion in a

Scene

Scene of his Fall of Man, he will be fenfible of the great Care which Milton took to avoid all Thoughts on fo delicate a Subject, that might be offenfive to Religion or Good-manners. The Sentiments are chaite, but not cold, and convey to the Mind Ideas of the moft tranfporting Paffion, and of the greatest Purity. What a noble Mixture of Rapture and Innocence has the Author joined together, in the Reflexion which Adam makes on the Pleasures of Love, compared to those of Senfe.

Thus have I told thee all my State, and brought
My Story to the Sum of earthly Bliss,
Which I enjoy; and must confess to find

In all Things elfe Delight indeed, but such
As us'd or not, works in the Mind no Change
Nor vehement Defires; these Delicacies

I mean of Tafte, Sight, Smell, Herbs, Fruits, and Flowers,
Walks, and the Melody of Birds: But here
Far other wife, tranfported I behold,
Transported touch; here Paffion first I felt,
Commotion ftrange! in all Enjoyments elfe
Superior and unmov'd, here only weak
Against the Charm of Beauty's pow'rful Glance :
Or Nature fail'd in me, and left fome Part
Not proof enough fuch Object to fuftain ;
Or from my Side fubducting, took perhaps
More than enough; at least on her bestow'd
Too much of Ornament in outward Shew
Elaborate, of inward lefs exact.

-When I approach
Her Loveliness, fo abfolute fhe feems
And in herself complete, so well to know.
Her own, that what she wills to do or fay
Seems wifeft, virtuouseft, difcreeteft, best:
All higher Knowledge in her Prefence falls

Degraded: Wisdom in Difcourfs with her
Lofes difcountenanc'd, and like Folly fhews;
Authority and Reafon on her wait,
As one intended firf, not after made
Occafionally; and to confummate all,
Greatness of Mind, and Nobleness, their Seat
Build in her loveliest, and create an Awe
About her, as a Guard Angelic plac'd.

THESE Sentiments of Love in our first Parent gave the Angel fuch an Infight into Human Nature, that he seems apprehenfive of the Evils which might befal the Species in general, as well as Adam in particular, from the Excefs of this Paffion. He therefore fortifies him againft it by timely Admonitions; which very artfully prepare the Mind of the Reader for the Occurrences of the next Book, where the Weakness, of which Adam here gives fuch diftant Discoveries, brings about that fatal Event which is the Subject of the Poem. His Difcourfe, which follows the gentle Rebuke he received from the Angel, fhews that his Love, however violent it might appear, was ftill founded in Reason, and confequently not improper for Paradife.

Neither her outfide Form fo fair, nor aught
In Procreation common to all Kinds,
(Though higher of the genial Bed by far,
And with myfterious Reverence I deem)
So much delights me, as thefe graceful A&ts,
Thofe thousand Decencies that daily flow

From all her Words and Actions, mix'd with Love
And fweet Compliance, which declare unfeign'd
Union of Mind, or in us both one Soul;

Harmony to behold in wedded Pair!

ADAM's

ADAM's Speech, at parting with the Angel, has in it a Deference and Gratitude agreeable to an inferior Nature, and at the fame Time a certain Dignity and Greatnefs fuitable to the Father of Mankind in his State of Innocence.

I

On thee the Fortunes of our Houfe de end.

F we look into the three great Heroic Poems which have appeared in the World, we may obferve that they are built upon very flight Foundations. Homer lived near 300 Years after the Trojan War, and, as the Writing of History was not then in ufe among the Greeks, we may very well fuppofe, that the Tradition of Achilles and Ulyes had brought down but very few Particulars to his Knowledge, tho' there is no Queflion but he has wrought into his two Poems fuch of their remarkable Adventures as were ftill talked of among his Contemporaries.

THE Story of Eneas, on which Virgil founded his Poem, was likewife very bare of Circumftances, and by that Means afforded him an Opportunity of embellishing it with Fiction, and giving a full Range to his own Invention. We find, however, that he has interwoven, in the Course of his Fable, the principal Particulars, which were generally believed among the Romans, of Eneas's Voyage and Settlement in Italy.

THE Reader may find an Abridgment of the whole Story, as collected out of the ancient Historians, and as it was received among the Romans, in Dionyfius Halicarnaffeus.

F 6

SINCE

SINCE none of the Critics have confidered Virgil's Fable with relation to this Hiftory of Eneas; it may not, perhaps, be amifs to examine it in this Light, so far as regards my prefent purpofe. Whoever looks into the Abridgment above-mentioned, will find that the Character of Eneas is filled with Piety to the Gods, and a fuperftitious Obfervation of Prodigies, Oracles, and Predictions. Virgil has not only preferved this Character in the Person of Eneas, but has given a Place in his Poem to those particular Prophecies which he found recorded of him in Hiftory and Tradition. The Poet took the Matters of Fact as they came down to him, and circumstanced them after his own Manner, to make them appear the more natural, agreeable, or surprising. I believe very many Readers have been shocked at that ludicrous Prophecy, which one of the Harpies pronounces to the Trojans in the Third Book, namely, that before they had built their intended City, they should be reduced by Hunger to eat their very Tables. But, when they hear, that this was one of the Circumstances that had been tranfmitted to the Romans in the History of Eneas, they will think the Poet did very well in taking notice of it. The Hiftorian above-mentioned acquaints us, a Prophetess had foretold Æneas, that he fhould take his Voyage Weftward, till his Companions fhould eat their Tables; and that accordingly, upon his landing in Italy, as they were eating their Flesh upon Cakes of Bread for want of other Conveniencies, they afterwards fed on the Cakes themselves; upon which one of the Company faid merrily, We are eating our Tables. They immediately took the Hint, fays the Hiftorian, and concluded the Prophecy to be fulfilled. As Virgil did not think it proper to omit fo material a Particular in the History of Æneas, it may be worth while to confider with how much Judgment he has qualified it, and taken off every thing that might have appeared improper for a Paffage in an Heroic Poem. The Prophetefs who foretells it is an hungry Harpy, as the Perfon who discovers it is young Afcanius.

Heus