But with the babe fhe now goes, the is turned girl again, and fallen to eating of chalk, pretending it will make the child's fkin white; and nothing will ferve her but I must bear her company, to prevent it's having a fhade of my brown. In this however I have ventured to deny her. No longer ago than yesterday, as we were coming to town, The faw a parcel of crows fo heartily at breakfast upon a piece of horfe-flefh, that she had an invincible defire to partake with them, and (to my infinite furprife) begged the coachman to cut her off a flice as if it were for himself, which the fellow did; and as foon as the came home fhe fell to it with fuch an appetite, that the feemed rather to devour than eat it. What her next fally will be, I cannot guess: but in the mean time my request to you is, that if there be any way to come at thefe wild unaccountable rovings of imagination by reason and argument, you'd fpeedily afford us your affistance. This exceeds the grievance of pin-money, and I think in every fettlement there ought to be a claufe inferted, that the father should be answerable for the longings of his daughter. But I fhall impatiently expect your thoughts on this matter; and am, Sir, your most obliged, and mott faithful humble fervant, T. B. Let me know whether you think the next child will love horfes as much as Molly does china-ware. N° CCCXXVII. SATURDAY, MARCH 15. MAJOR RERUM MIHI NASCITUR ORDO. VIRG. EN. VII. V. 44. D&YDEN. A LARGER SCENE OF ACTION IS DISPLAY D. W book, how the evil spirit practifed upon Eve as fhe lay afleep, in order to infpire her with thoughts of vanity, pride, and ambition. The author, who Thews a wonderful art throughout his whole poem, in preparing the reader for the feveral occurrences that arife in it, founds, upon the above-mentioned circumftance, the first part of the fifth book. Adam upon his awaking finds Eve till afleep, with an unufual difcompofure in her looks. The posture in which he regards her, is defcribed with a tenderncfs not to be expreffed, as the whisper, with which he awakens her, is the fofteft that ever was conveyed to a lover's ear. E were told in the foregoing His wonder was, to find unwaken'd Eve With treffes difcompo 'd, and glowing cheek, As through unquiet rest: he on his fide Leaning half-rais'd, with looks of cordial love Hung over her enamour'd, and beheld Beauty, which whether waking or asleep, Shot forth peculiar graces; then with voice Mild, as when Zephyrus on Flora breathes, Her hand foft touching, whisper'd thus Awake, My faireft, my efpous'd, my latest found, "Heaven's last beft gift, my ever-new delight! Awake; the morning fhines, and the fresh Bold T flowers appear on the earth, the time of the finging of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land. The fig-tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arife, my love, my fair-one, and come away. Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the field, let us get up early to the vineyards, let us fee if the vine flourish, whether the tender grape ap⚫ pear, and the pomegranates bud forth.' ་ ⚫ reigns Full-orb'd the moon, and with more pleaf❝ing light Shadowy lets off the face of things: in vain, If none regard; Heav'n wakes with all his • eyes, Whom to behold but thee, Nature's defire? • In whose fight all things joy, with ravish? ment, Attracted by thy beauty ftill to gaze.' An injudicious poet would have made Adam a k through the whole work in fuch fentiments as thefe. But flattery and falfhood are not the courtship of Milton's Adam, and could not be heard by Eve in her state of innocence, excepting only in a dream produced on purpose to taint her imagination. Other vain fentiments of the fame kind, in this relation of her dream, will be obvious to every reader. Though the catastrophe of the poem is finely prefaged on this occafion, the particulars of it are fo artfully fhadowed, that they do not anticipate the ftory which follows in the ninth book. I fhall only add, that though the vision itself is founded upon truth, the circumftances of it are full of that wildness and inconfiftency which are na tural to a dream. Adam, conformable to his fuperior character for wisdom, inftructs and comforts Eve upon this occasion. So chear'd he his fair fpoufe, and she was chear'd, But filently a gentle tear let fall The morning hymn is written in imitation of one of thofe pfalms, where, in the overflowings of gratitude and praife, the pfalmiit calls not only upon the angels, but upon the most conspicuous parts of the inanimate creation, to join Maker. Invocations of this nature fill with him in extolling their common the mind with glorious ideas of God's fiafin, which is fo natural to devotion. works, and awaken that divine enthuBut if this calling upon the dead parts of nature, is at all times a proper kind of worship, it was in a particular manner fuitable to our firft parents, who had the creation fresh upon their minds, and had not seen the various difpenfations of Providence, nor confequently could be acquainted with thofe many topics of praife which might afford matter to the devotions of their pofterity. I need not remark the beautiful spirit of poetry, which runs through this whole hymn, nor the holiness of that refolution with which it concludes. Having already mentioned those fpeeches which are affigned to the perfons in this poem, I proceed to the defcription which the poet gives of Raphacl. His departure from before the throne, and his flight through the choirs of angels, is finely imaged. As Milton every where fills his poem with circumftances that are marvellous and astonishing, he defcribes the gate of heaven as framed after fuch a manner, that it opened of itself upon the approach of the angel who was to pass through it. made twenty Tripodes running on golden wheels; which, upon occation, might go of themfelves to the affembly of the gods, and when there was no more ufe for them, return again after the fame manner. Scaliger has rallied Homer very feverely upon this point, as M. Dacier has endeavoured to defend it. I will not pretend to determine, whether, in this particular of Homer, the marvellous does not lofe fight of the probable. As the miraculous workmanship of Milton's gates is not fo extraordinary as this of the Tripodes, fo I am perfuaded he would not have mentioned it, had he not been fupported in it by a paffage in the Scripture, which fpeaks of wheels in heaven that had life in them, and moved of themselves, or flood ftill, in conformity with the cherubims whom they accompanied. There is no queftion but Milton had this circumstance in his thoughts, becaufe in the following book he defcribes the chariot of the Meffiah with living wheels, according to the plan in Eze kiel's vifion. -Forth rush'd with whirlwind found Itfelf inftinct with fpirit I queftion not but Boffu, and the two Daciers, who are for vindicating every thing that is cenfured in Homer, by fomething parallel in holy writ, would have been very well pleafed had they thought of confronting Vulcan's Tripodes with Ezekiel's wheels. Raphael's defcent to the earth, with the figure of his perfon, is reprefented in very lively colours. Several of the French, Italian, and English poets, have given a loofe to their imaginations in the defcription of angels: but I do not remember to have met with any fo finely drawn, and fo conformable to the notions which are given of them in Scripture, as this in Milton. After having fet him forth in all his heavenly plumage, and reprefented him as alighting upon the earth, the poet concludes his defcription with a circumstance, which is altogether new, and imagined with the greatest ftrength of fancy, -Like Maia's fon he flood, Raphael's reception by the guardian angels; his paffing through the wilder nets of fweets; his diftant appearance to Adain; have all the graces that poetry is capable of beftowing. The author afterwards gives us a particular defcription of Eve in her domestic employments. So faying, with difpatchful looks in hafte Though in this, and other parts of the fame book, the fubject is only the housewifery of our fi:ft parent, it is fet off with fo many pleafing images and ftrong expreffions, as make it none of the least agreeable parts in this divine work. The natural majesty of Adam, and at the fame time his fubmiffive behavi. our to the fuperior being, who had vouchfafed to be his gueft; the folemn hail which the angel beltows upon the mother of mankind, with the figure of Eve miniftring at the table; are circumftances which deferve to be admired. Raphael's behaviour is every way suitable to the dignity of his nature, and with which the author has fo judiciously to that character of a fociable fpirit, introduced him. He had received inftructions to converfe with Adam, as to warn him of the enemy, who was one friend converfes with another, and contriving his deftruction accordingly with Adam, and eating of the fruits of he is reprefented as fitting down at table Paradife. The occafion naturally leads him to his difcourfe on the food of angels. After having thus entered into converfation with man upon more inobedience, and makes a natural tranfidifferent fubje&s, he warns him of his who was employed in the circumvention tion to the hiftory of that fallen angel, of our firft parents. Had I followed Monfieur Boffu's method in my firft paper on Milton, I fhould have dated the action of Paradife Loft from the beginning of Raphael's fpeech in this book, as he fuppofes the action of the Eneid to begin in the fecond book of that poem. I And fhook his plumes, that heav'nly fragrance could alledge many reafons for my fill'd The circuit wide.. drawing the action of the Eneid rather from it's immediate beginning in he first book, book, than from it's remote beginning in the fecond; and fhew why have confidered the facking of Troy as an epifode, according to the common acceptation of that word. But as this would be a dry, unentertaining piece of criticism, and perhaps unneceflary to those who have read my first paper, I thall not enlarge upon it. Which ever of the notions be true, the unity of Milton's action is preferved according to either of them; whether we confider the fall of man in it's immediate beginning, as proceeding from the refolutions taken in the infernal council, or in it's more remote beginning, as proceeding from the first revolt of the angels in heaven. The occafion which Milton affigns for this revolt, as it is founded on hints in holy writ, and on the opinion of fome great writers, fo it was the most proper that the poet could have made ufe of. The revolt in heaven is defcribed with great force of imagination and a fine variety of circumftances. The learned reader cannot but be pleased with the poet's imitation of Homer in the laft of the following lines. At length into the limits of the north The palace of great Lucifer, (fo call Homer mentions perfons and things, So fpake the feraph Abdiel, faithful found mind Though fingle. From amidst them forth he Long way thro' hoftile fcorn, which he sustain'd N° CCCXXVIII. MONDAY, MARCH 17. NULLUM ME A LABORE RECLINAT OTIUM. HOR. EPOD. XVIII. V. 24. NO EASE DOTH LAY ME DOWN FROM PAIN. MR. SPECTATOR, SI believe this is the firft com CREECH L appearances, I am fo far from it, that the profpect of being ruined and undone, A plaint that ever was made to you by d fort of extravagance which of late of this nature, fo you are the first perfon I ever could prevail upon myself to lay it before. When I tell you I have a healthy, vigorous conftitution, a plentiful eftate, no inordinate defires, and am married to a virtuous lovely woman, who neither wants wit nor good-nature, and by whom I have a numerous offfpring to perpetuate my family, you will aturally conclude me a happy man. But, notwithstanding thefe promifing years is in a lefs degree crept into every fashionable family, deprives me of all the moft anxious, miferable man on earth. comforts of my life, and renders me the My wife, who was the only child and darling care of an indulgent mother, employed her early years in learning all derftand by good breeding and polite thofe accomplishments we generally uneducation. on the lute and harpsichord, paints pretShe fings, dances, plays tily, is a perfect mistress of the French tongue, and has made a confiderable progreis in Italian. She is befides excellently skilled in all domeftic fciences, as preferving, pickling, pastry, making wines of fruits of our own growth, embroidering, and neellework of every kind. Hitherto you will be apt to think there is very little caufe of complaint; but fufpend your opinion till I have further explained myself, and then I make no question but you will come over to mine. You are not to imagine I find fault that the either poffeffes or takes delight in the excrcifes of thofe qualifications I just now mentioned; it is the immoderate fondness fhe has to them that I lament, and that what is only defigned for the innocent amufement and recreation of life, is become the whole business and ftudy of her's. The fix months we are in town, (for the year is equally divided between that and the country) from almoft break of day till noon, the whole morning is laid out in practifing with her feveral mafters; and to make up the loffes occafioned by her abfence in fummer, every day in the week their attendance is required; and as they all are people eminent in their profeffions, their skill and time must be recompenfed accordingly: fo how far thefe articles extend, I leave you to judge. Limning, one would think, is no expensive diverfion; but as fhe manages the matter, it is a very confiderable addition to her disbursements which you will eafily believe, when you know the paints fans for all her female acquaintance, and draws all her rela. tions pictures in miniature; the first muft be mounted by nobody but Colnar, and the other fet by nobody but Charles Mather. What follows, is ftill much worse than the former; for, as I told you, he is a great artist at her needle, it is incredible what fums the expends in embroidery; for, befides what is appropriated to her perfonal ufe, as mantuas, petticoats, ftomachers, handkerchiefs, puries, pin-cufhions, and working aprons, he keeps four French proteftants continually employed in making divers pieces of fuperfluous furniture, as quilts, toilets, hangings for clofets, beds, window-curtains, eafy-chairs, and tabourets : nor have I any hopes of ever reclaiming her from this extravagance, while fhe obftinately perfifts in thinking it a notable piece of ; good housewifery, because they are made at home, and he has had fome thare in the performance. There would be no end of relating to you the particulars of the annual charge, in furnishing her ftore room with a profufion of pickles and preferves; for he is not contented with having every thing, unlefs it be done every way, in which the confults an hereditary book of receipts; for her female ancestors have been al ways famed for good housewifery, one of whom is made immortal, by giving her name to an eye-water and two forts of puddings. I cannot undertake to recite all her medicinal preparations, as falves, ferecloths, powders, confects, cordials, ratafia, perfico, orange-flower, and cherry-brandy, together with innumerable forts of fimple waters. But there is nothing I lay fo much to heart, as that deteftable catalogue of counterfeit wines, which derive their names from the fruits, herbs, or trees of whose juices they are chiefly compounded: they are loathfome to the taste, and per nicious to the health; and as they feldom furvive the year, and then are thrown away, under a falfe pretence of frugality, I may affirm they stand me in more than if I entertained all our vifitors with the best burgundy and champaign. Coffee, chocolate, green, imperial, peco, and bohea-tea, seem to be trifles; but when the proper appurtenances of the tea-table are added, they fwell the account higher than one would imagine. I cannot conclude without doing her juftice in one article; where her frugality is fo remarkable, I must not deny her the merit of it, and that is in relation to her children, who are all confined, both boys and girls, to one large room in the remoteft part of the houfe, with bolts on the doors and bars to the windows, under the care and tuition of an old woman, who had been dry nurfe to her grandmother. This is their refidence all the year round; and as they are never allowed to appear, the prudently thinks it needlefs to be at any expence in apparel or learning. Her eldest daughter, to this day, would have neither read nor writ, if it had not been for the butler, who, being the fon of a. country attorney, has taught her fuch a hand, as is generally used for ingroffing bills in Chancery. By this time I have fufficiently tired your patience with my domeftic grievances; which I hope you |