BY JOILY MILTON Selected from Newton and others, To which is prepiece. The Life of the Author. With ADVERTISEMENT. THE justly learned and celebrated Bishop Newton, in the Notes at the close of his edition of Paradise Lost, and as it is cited in p. 226 of the second volume of the present edition, observes, that, "Throughout the whole, the Author ap 66 pears to have been a most critical reader, and "a most passionate admirer of Holy Scripture. "He is indebted to Scripture infinitely more than "to Homer and Virgil, and all other books "whatever. Not only his principal Fable, but "all his Episodes, are founded upon Scripture. "The Scripture hath not only furnished him "with the noblest hints, raised his thoughts, "and fired his imagination, but hath also very "much enriched his language, given a certain "solemnity and majesty to his diction, and supplied him with many of his choicest, happiest "expressions." a |