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annual Change which they are supposed to suffer, are Inftances of this kind. The Beauty of the Diction is very remarkable in this whole Episode, as I have obferved in the Sixth Paper of these my Remarks the great Judgment with which it was contrived.

The Parts of Adam and Eve, or the Humane Perfons, come next under our Confideration. Milton's Art is no where more fhewn than in his conducting the parts of these our first Parents. The Representation he gives of them, without falfifying the Story, is wonderfully contrived to influence the Reader with Pity and Compaffion towards them. Tho' Adam involves the whole Species in Mifery, his Crime proceeds from a Weakness which every Man is inclin❜d to pardon and commiserate, as it seems rather the frailty of Humane Nature, than of the Person who offended. Every one is apt to excufe a Fault which he himself might have fallen into. It was the Excess of Love for Eve that ruined Adam and his Pofterity. I need not add, that the Author is juftified in this particular by many of the Fathers, and the most Orthodox Writers. Milton has by this means filled a great part of his Poem with that kind of Writing which the French Criticks call the Tender, and which is in a particular manner engaging to all forts of Readers.

Adam and Eve, in the Book we are now confidering, are likewise drawn with fuch Sentiments as do not only interest the Reader in their Afflictions, but raife in him the most melting Paffions of Humanity and Commiferation. When Adam fees the several Changes in Nature produced about him, he appears in a disorder of Mind suitable to one who had forfeited both his Innocence and his Happiness. He is filled with Horror, Remorse, Despair; in the anguish of his Heart he expoftulates with his Creator for giving [having given] him an unasked Existence.

Did I request thee, Maker, from my Clay
To mould me Man, did I folicit thee
From darkness to promote me, or here place

In this delicious Garden? as my will
Concurr'd not to my being, 'twere but right
And equal to reduce me to my duft,
Defirous to refign, and render back

All I receiv'd

He immediately after recovers from his Prefumption, owns his Doom to be just, and begs that the Death which is threaten'd him may be inflicted on him. -Why delays

His hand to execute what his decree
Fix'a on this day? Why do I overlive,
Why am I mock'd with Death, and lengthen'd out
To Deathlefs pain? how gladly would I meet
Mortality my Sentence, and be earth
Infenfible, how glad would lay me down
As in my mothers lap? there should I reft
And fleep fecure; his dreadful voice no more
Would thunder in my ears, no fear of worfe
To me and to my off-fpring, would torment me
With cruel expectation.

This whole Speech is full of the like Emotion, and varied with all thofe Sentiments which we may suppose natural to a Mind fo broken and disturb'd. I muft not omit that generous Concern which our first Father shows in it for his Pofterity, and which is so proper to affect the Reader.

-Hide me from the face

Of God, whom to behold was then my height
Of Happinefs: yet well, if here would end
The mifery, I deferv'd it, and would bear
My own defervings; but this will not ferve;
All that I eat, or drink, or shall beget,
Is propagated Curfe. O voice once heard
Delightfully, encrease and multiply,
Now Death to hear!

-In me all

Pofterity ftands curft: Fair Patrimony
That I must leave you, Sons; O were I able
To wafle it all my felf, and leave you none!

So difinherited how would you blefs

Me now your curfe! Ah, why should all Mankind
For one Mans fault thus guiltless be condemn'd
If guiltlefs? But from me what can proceed
But all corrupt-

Who can afterwards behold the Father of Mankind extended upon the Earth, uttering his Midnight Complaints, bewailing his Existence, and wishing for Death, without fympathizing with him in his Distress?

Thus Adam to himfelf lamented loud

Through the fill night, not now, as e're man fell
Wholefome and cool and mild, but with black Air
Accompanied, with damps and dreadful gloom
Which to his evil Confcience reprefented
All things with double terrour: on the Ground
Outftretch'd he lay, on the cold ground, and oft
Curs'd his Creation, Death as oft accus'd
Of tardy execution.

The Part of Eve in this Book is no less paffionate, and apt to fway the Reader in her Favour. She is reprefented with great Tenderness as approaching Adam, but is fpurn'd from him with a Spirit of Upbraiding and Indignation conformable to the Nature of Man, whose Paffions had now gained the Dominion over him. The following Paffage, wherein she is described as renewing her Addresses to him, with the whole Speech that follows it, have something in them exquifitely moving and pathetick.

He added not, and from her turn'd: but Eve
Not fo repulft, with tears that ceas'd not flowing
And treffes all diforder'd, at his Feet
Fell humble, and embracing them, befought
His peace, and thus proceeding in her plaint.
Forfake me not thus Adam, witnefs Heav'n
What love fincere and revrence in my heart
I bear thee, and unweeting have offended,
Unhappily deceiv'd; thy Suppliant
I beg, and clafp thy knees; bereave me not,
Whereon I live, thy gentle looks, thy aid,

Thy counfel in this uttermoft diftrefs,
My only firength and flay: Forlorn of thee
Whither fhall I betake me, where fubfift?
While yet we live fcarce one fhort hour perhaps,
Between us two let there be peace, &c.

Adam's Reconcilement to her is worked up in the fame Spirit of Tenderness. Eve afterwards propoies to her Husband, in the Blindness of her Despair, that to prevent their Guilt from defcending upon Pofterity they should refolve to live Childlefs; or, if that could not be done, that they should seek their own Deaths by violent Methods. As thofe Sentiments naturally engage the Reader to regard the Mother of Mankind with more than ordinary Commiferation, they likewise contain a very fine Moral. The Refolution of dying to end our Miseries does not fhew fuch a degree of Magnanimity as a Refolution to bear them, and fubmit to the Dispensations of Providence. Our Author has therefore, with great Delicacy, reprefented Eve as entertaining this Thought, and Adam as disapproving it.

We are, in the last place, to confider the Imaginary Perfons, or Sin and Death, who act a large part in this Book. Such beautiful extended Allegories are certainly fome of the finest Compofitions of Genius; but, as I have before observed, are not agreeable to the Nature of an Heroic Poem. This of Sin and Death is very exquifite in its kind, if not confidered as a Part of fuch a Work. The Truths contained in it are fo clear and open that I fhall.not lofe time in explaining them, but fhall only observe, that a Reader who knows the ftrength of the English Tongue will be amazed to think how the Poet could find such apt Words and Phrases to describe the Action[s] of these [thofe] two imaginary Perfons, and particularly in that Part where Death is exhibited as forming a Bridge over the Chaos a Work fuitable to the Genius of Milton.

Since the Subject I am upon gives me an Opportunity of speaking more at large of fuch Shadowy and

imaginary Perfons as may be introduced into Heroic Poems, Ishall beg leave to explain my felf on [in] a Matter which is curious in its kind, and which none of the Criticks have treated of. It is certain Homer and Virgil are full of imaginary Perfons, who are very beautiful in Poetry when they are just shown, without being engaged in any Series of Action. Homer in

deed represents Sleep as a Perfon, and ascribes a short Part to him in his Iliad; but we must confider that tho' we now regard fuch a Person as entirely Shadowy and unsubstantial, the Heathens made Statues of him, placed him in their Temples, and looked upon him as a real Deity. When Homer makes use of other fuch Allegorical Perfons it is only in fhort Expreffions, which convey an ordinary Thought to the Mind in the most pleasing manner, and may rather be looked upon as Poetical Phrases than allegorical Descriptions. Instead of telling us that Men naturally fly when they are terrified, he introduces the Perfons of Flight and Fear, who he tells us are infeparable Companions. Instead of saying that the Time was come when Apollo ought to have received his Recompence, he tells us that the Hours brought him his Reward. Inftead of defcribing the Effects which Minerva's Ægis produced in Battell, he tells us that the Brims of it were encompaffed by Terrour, Rout, Difcord, Fury, Purfuit, Maffacre and Death. In the fame Figure of speaking he reprefents Victory as following Diomedes; Difcord as the Mother of Funerals and Mourning, Venus as dreffed by the Graces, Bellona as wearing Terrour and Confternation like a Garment. I might give several other Instances out of Homer, as well as a great many out of Virgil. Milton has likewife very often made use of the fame way of speaking, as where he tells us that Victory fat on the right hand of the Meffiah, when he march'd forth against the Rebel Angels; that at the rifing of the Sun the Hours unbarr'd the Gates of Light; that Difcord was the Daughter of Sin. Of the fame nature are those Expreffions where defcribing the finging of the Nightin

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